Are we really going to deem him guilty based off of this evidence alone?

I have to be missing something…but what?

Everyone stares at Yuuji, waiting for him to finish what he was saying.

"I…I confess."

What?

Mikasa asks just that: "What?"

Yuuji sighs, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all…"

Shion crosses her arms. "That much was obvious." she says.

Yuuji shakes his head and puts his glasses back on. "That's not what I'm talking about." he says and gives me a look I can't quite identify.

Sachi looks between me and Yuuji with a confused frown before her eyes widen in realization. "You…You intended the trap for Tatsumi?"

What!?

Instead of giving her a direct answer, Yuuji turns to Takagi. "Takagi, what time did I ask you to come back to the gym?" he asks.

Takagi frowns. "Thou requested I return upon the moon reaching the highest point in the sky-"

"Around midnight." Kite translates dryly.

What's happening?

Yuuji turns to Kaguya. "You were there when I asked Mitsuki to return to the gym. What time did I say?" he asks.

Kaguya sniffles, wiping the fresh tears from her eyes. "Y-You said - y-you said around midnight." she says.

What is he do-?

"And what time did I ask you to return, Tatsumi?" Yuuji asks, returning his intense gaze to me.

"Ah, wait a second, Tatsumi." Yuuji says as he folds up one of his tripods. "Can I ask you to come back again around the evening time? There's another scene I want to film with you, Takagi, and Mitsuki."

Th-That's-

"The evening." Yuuji answers for me. "That's well before midnight." he says and glares at me. "You were supposed to get to the gym first. You were supposed to take the bait I left in the trap. You, Tatsumi Endo, were supposed to die." Yuuji says coldly. "But you didn't. You sent Mitsuki to the gym ahead of you."

Just what the hell is he trying to say? That I knew about the trap and sent-?

"You knew about the trap so you sent Mitsuki ahead of you so she would fall victim to it instead."

That is what he's trying to say.

"How could I have possibly known about the trap!? And even if I did know, why would I send Mitsuki over there? Why wouldn't I tell anybody about it?" I glare back at him. "That doesn't make any sense-"

"Because you're the Mastermind, Tatsumi."

…

…

…

"What!?" Sachiko scoffs. "Don't be ridiculous, Yuuji. What kind of pathetic argument to save your life is th-?"

"Keep your mouth shut, faker." Yuuji snaps.

Sachiko shuts her mouth, looking as if she were just slapped across the face.

Yuuji turns back to me. "When Monokuma gave us that vote to kill somebody off, you had the most votes. You were supposed to die right there and then but he decided to spare your life." he says. "Why? Just because we stood up for you? Does that seem like something Monokuma would do?"

Silence falls over the trial room. As each pair of eyes turn to look my way, I can see their doubt in Yuuji's guilt turn to suspicion against me. The only two who seem to still be on my side are Sachi and Ryoji.

I don't get it - I don't get it at all. Yuuji confessed. What does he get out of accusing me of being the Mastermind!?

Takagi raises his arms, shrugging. "Thou expects us to believe these allegations based on this one irregularity in Monokuma's behavior?" he asks. "Balderdash. The Ultimate Investigator has been nothing but helpful to us - unlike a certain Ultimate Auteur plotting said investigator's demise…" Takagi sneers.

Make that the only three that still seem to be on my side.

"Y-Yeah!" Ryoji agrees. "Tatsumi's a good guy!"

Yuuji clenches his fists. "Have all of you just accepted the fact that he knows all of our secrets!?" he asks. "He has a corkboard in his room with pictures of all of us with notes beside each one with information about us!" Yuuji reveals. "I don't know about you, but I definitely don't remember telling anyone - let alone Tatsumi - that I bleach my hair because I don't want to look like my father!" he cries, starting to sound hysterical.

"Well, to be fair, it's a fair assumption to make when you haven't been seen in public with your father in years and refuse to answer any questions about him…" I mutter.

Min frowns. "I don't get what any of this has to do with Mitsuki's death." she says. "Like, even if Tatsumi just so happened to be the Mastermind, does it even matter right now? Yuuji confessed to killing Mitsuki."

Kite puts his hands on his hips. "I believe Yuuji is trying to say that, assuming Tatsumi purposely sent Mitsuki to the gym so she would fall victim to Yuuji's trap, he is guilty of her murder instead." he explains. "And considering how Junko Enoshima executed herself, it wouldn't be wrong to assume the alleged Mastermind would do the same if correctly voted guilty."

Sachiko, having snapped out of whatever daze she was in earlier, zones back into the conversation. "I don't know if I'm inclined to believe the guy who seems to be losing his mind over some bleach." she says and looks at Ryoji and Sumire on either side of her. "Are you?"

"Of course not!" Ryoji says.

Sumire looks between me and Yuuji before nodding, steeling her resolve. "I have faith in Tatsumi." she says confidently.

Yuuji screams, pulling at his hair. "Idiots! You're all idiots!" he says and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. "Then explain this!" Yuuji demands, unfurling the paper to reveal a picture of the aforementioned Ultimate Despair. "Why would he have a picture of Junko Enoshima in his room!? He's a Junko fanboy trying to follow in her footsteps!" he accuses.

"Hmph. I don't know where you got that, but even if that was in Tatsumi's room-"

"It was!" Yuuji insists.

"-it wasn't, I've been in there." Sachiko waves him off. "As I was saying, even if that was in Tatsumi's room, he's an Ultimate enthusiast. Before becoming Ultimate Despair, Junko was known as the Ultimate Fashionista." she says and looks around at our classmates. "You've all gotten to know the kind of person Tatsumi is. Wouldn't you say it'd be more correct to assume he'd be interested in her life as the Ultimate Fashionista rather than her life as the Ultimate Despair?" Sachiko asks. "You know, if you still believe that this picture was really found in his room." she adds.

Jotaro rubs his head. "I dunno…"

Sachiko gives him a look. "Then let me ask you this," she says. "All of the current pictures in Tatsumi's room are of all of us here. Why would he have a random picture of Junko Enoshima in his room? Especially since he's invited several of us inside already - it would just be unnecessarily suspicious." Sachi points out.

Jotaro hums. "That's true." he says. "Alright! I'm on Tatsumi's side!" the Ultimate Strongman declares.

Yuuji slumps against his trial stand. "You're all making a mistake…" he says lowly, sounding like he's on the verge of defeat.

Is there a piece of evidence we have that could maybe prove my innocence (again)?

…

…

…

We finish up our conversation with Yuu and after confirming Min had nothing substantial to add, we move on to the group investigating Mitsuki's body.

I put my hand up to wave at them. "Hey guy-"

"There's not much of Mitsuki's body that we can look at without potentially collapsing the entire film set on top of us." Katashi says. "However, there's something stuck in her hand that we can't pull out." he says and looks up at me from his position on the floor. "We were debating having Jotaro break her hand so we can look at it." Katashi says dryly.

…

With the conclusion of their report, Katashi and Sachiko say they'll get cracking on Mitsuki's hand as soon as we leave the gym.

…Terrible pun, I'm sorry.

"The evening." Yuuji answers for me. "That's well before midnight." he says and glares at me. "You were supposed to get to the gym first. You were supposed to take the bait I left in the trap. You, Tatsumi Endo, were supposed to die." Yuuji says coldly. "But you didn't. You sent Mitsuki to the gym ahead of you."

"Katashi," I call. "Did you three ever…y'know?" I ask awkwardly.

"Yes." Katashi says and pulls something out of his pocket. "I was waiting for it to be relevant." he says and holds Yuuji's bait between his index finger and thumb: a small black…memory card? A DSLR one by the looks of it.

Truth Bullet: Katashi & Sachiko's Report, updated!

Truth Bullet: Film Set, updated!

Kaguya frowns. "Wh-Where did you…?"

Katashi gives the Ultimate Weather Broadcaster a look that tells her all she needs to know. "Oh." she says in a voice that makes it sound like she's about to cry again.

Yuuji, sweat rolling down his temples, glares at a smug Sachi and an unimpressed Katashi. "Yeah, I put down a memory card. So what? What is that supposed to prove?" he asks. "I laid the trap for Tatsumi. It's something he would notice and something he would fall for."

Sachiko raises an eyebrow. "Oh? Something he would notice, you say? Something he would fall for?" she repeats. "So you know what kind of guy Tatsumi is too. You know he would want to know what was on the card. That's why you used it as bait and that's why there's no way Tatsumi would've sent Mitsuki in his place if he knew there was a trap and he knew you used a memory card as bait." Sachiko finishes.

"Boom! Mic drop!" Hakuma cheers. "Sorry I was quiet there for a while. I was just trying to absorb everything, y'know?" he says.

Aria sighs. "There's no need to apologize if you don't have anything to add to the conversation." she says. "I, for one, did not have anything to add, so I have remained silent as well."

Takagi looks towards his right when Kikuo taps him on the shoulder. "Yes?" he asks.

Kikuo, a worried look on his face, points at Rui - of who has also been silent thus far. She has a puzzled look on her face as she looks down at Yuuji's…shoes?

Takagi frowns. "Ultimate Painter, what troubles thy mind?" he asks. "Speak."

Rui points at Yuuji's hiking boots. "There are…There are wooden splinters stuck to the outside of the toe of his left shoe." she says and looks up, her expression turning to concern. "If he just set up the trap, there shouldn't be any splinters…right?"

My eyes widen.

He kicked the film set.

Sachiko looks at me. "What?"

Oops. Said that out loud.

"H-He kicked the film set." I repeat. "Think about it. If Yuuji expected me to arrive at a certain time, wouldn't he be waiting around to make sure I did?" I point out.

Yuuji tightens his grip on his trial stand. "You…"

"If he was waiting around, he saw Mitsuki walk into the gym instead of me. He watched her approach the film set…" I let out a shaky breath. "And he watched her set off the trap."

Yuuji grits his teeth.

"Thanks to Rui, I think I know exactly what happened." I say. "It's a lot of circumstantial evidence against Yuuji, but…let's start from the beginning."

Closing Argument

"When Monokuma gave us the motive, the killer's target was none other than myself. Because Monokuma agreed to spare my life when we first got here, the killer incorrectly assumed that I was the Mastermind behind our imprisonment here and decided to take the opportunity they were given.

The killer came up with the ruse of creating a film to get me to let my guard down. Unfortunately, that also means Mitsuki let her guard down.

The film set the killer's actors were working around doubled as a murder trap, constructed in such a way that only someone with a certain kind of talent would notice that it was a trap. With the help of an unsuspecting Jotaro, the killer finished building the set and they put their plan into motion.

The killer asked me to return to the gym in the evening and asked Mitsuki and Takagi to return around midnight to finish filming a scene. They probably intended for my body to be discovered by the three of them…

Little did the killer know that because of her talk with me, Mitsuki went looking for them in the gym. Because of that, it was her who stumbled upon the trap earlier than intended. She saw the bait the killer laid out and took it hook, line, and sinker.

The killer watched all of this happen from the shadows. They watched Mitsuki go for the memory card and didn't stop her…that means Mitsuki's murder wasn't an accident. Just a change in plans. When the trap didn't kill her instantly, they kicked part of the set to make more of it fall on Mitsuki. Little did they know, they left evidence of their deed on their shoe.

Isn't that right, Yuuji Hatsutori III, the Ultimate Filmmaker!?"

BREAK!

Yuuji stares down at his trial stand.

"Y-Yuuji?" Mikasa calls.

Aria frowns and cautiously reaches over to tap on his shoulder when he remains silent. "Yuu-?" she stops when Yuuji's shoulders start shaking.

Is he…crying? I guess that's understandable-

Rui and Aria flinch back when Yuuji springs up and starts belly laughing.

Ah, no. He's just lost his mind.

"Marvelous! Magnificent! Absolutely superb!" Yuuji declares, outstretching his arms on either side of him. "The way you put my crime together despite the lack of evidence…that was truly marvelous, Tatsumi Endo!" he says with a joyous, manic laugh. "Rui's discovery was the turning point of the story and your argument was the climax!"

Oh yeah, he's crazy crazy.

Yuuji takes his glasses off his face and tosses them behind him. He grins as he pushes his hair off his face. "Truly, I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome, Tatsumi Endo…Monokuma was right to spare you." Yuuji says with a blissful sigh.

I give him an incredulous look. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Yuuji tilts his head to the side, a smile on his face. "You were never truly my target, Tatsumi." he says.

...Huh?

"Anyone with working eyes and ears should be well aware of the relationship between Mitsuki and Takagi, just as they should be aware of the strained relationship between our resident twins." Yuuji continues, making said twins flinch. "Did you really think the only thought behind inviting them both to the gym was to find your body?"

Shion's eyes widen. "You didn't care who your victim was." she realizes. "You just knew it would be one of the three you asked to return to the gym."

"Precisely!" Yuuji snaps his fingers. "The fanboy who seems to have captured everyone's trust, the thespian who breaks character once in a blue moon, or the scorned shadow dancer…who would fall into my trap? The anticipation was almost too much to bear-" he gushes, running his fingers through his hair. "However, I gotta say, Tatsumi, I'm very happy with this ending. If it was you instead of Mitsuki, I don't think she would've put on as good of a show as you!"

Well, there's only one thing I can really say to that.

"You're insane."

Yuuji grins, deranged. "To the unenlightened maybe." he says and puts a hand on his chest, bowing. "We're nearing the end of the movie, ladies and gentlemen! You've figured out my crime, it's time for us to vote!"

There's an anxious pang in my chest at the mention of voting time. Yuuji is clearly insane, but still…

"Puhuhuhu…" Monokuma giggles. "Looks like you've reached your verdict! Then are we ready to cast our votes? You all have a lever in front of you. Use it to make your selection!" he says. "Oh, just to remind you all…" Monokuma looks us all in the eyes. "Make triple sure you vote for someone! You wouldn't want to be punished for something so minor, right?"

Stupid bear.

"Okay! Then let's get excited!" Monokuma cheers. "Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?" he says ominously. "What's it gonna be? What's it gonna beeee!?"

The lever pops out of my trial stand and I make my selection.

…

…

…

…

…

The screens around the room all turn on and again, just like the Killing School Life, it displays a jackpot slot machine that rotates through chibi versions of our faces. It drags on for another few seconds before settling on three of a kind of Yuuji's face.

The whole machine starts flashing and the space below the middle portrait lights up: 'GUILTY'.

Yuuji hums.

"Uh-oh! Looks like you got it right on the money!" Monokuma says, standing up on his throne. "The blackened in this case, the one that killed Mitsuki…" he starts laughing. "...was none other than Yuuji Hatsutori III!"

"That's right!" Yuuji says cheerfully. He's pulled and played with his hair so much that it looks like he just rolled up on out of an asylum - which I can't deny being a possibility now that the Ultimate Filmmaker has shown his true self.

Kaguya, understandably, looks like she's about to burst into tears for the umpteenth time today. "Y-You…you really…" she says, her voice cracking.

Mikasa grips the edges of her trial stand so hard her knuckles turn white. "I don't understand…" she says lowly.

Yuuji tilts his head to the side. "What's there to not understand, Mikasa? I killed Mitsuki." he says. "On purpose, I might add."

Jotaro winces. "Damn, dude." he says. "Not even a shred of remorse?" Jotaro asks.

For once, I'm glad I can't see the look on Hakuma's face because the sheer anger in his voice is enough to visibly send chills down everyone's spine - even Katashi's. "Don't waste your time on him." Hakuma says coldly. "He's going to get what's coming to him and that's all we need to be concerned with."

"Boy howdy!" Monokuma laughs. "The entertainment industry must sure be terrifying, huh!? To kill someone for the sake of acting out a script…" he looks at Yuuji and starts sweating. "You seemed like such a nice guy on the outside, but inside…you're just like me, aren't you?"

Yuuji hums. "No comment." he says.

Wait.

Wait wait wait wait.

"Hold on," I say. "You said…something about a script?" I ask, looking between Yuuji and Monokuma.

"Oh? Are you interested in my motivations, Tatsumi?" Yuuji coos. "It's quite simple, really," he says and gestures at himself. "You know all of our secrets. From Ultimate Paparazzi to Ultimate Filmmaker, what do you think I wanted out of this murder?" Yuuji asks.

The Ultimate Filmmaker…

Yuuji is primarily known for his historical fiction movies. What could he have possibly-?

…Seriously?

"You wanted to create a murder mystery." I answer. "Nobody would give you the greenlight to step out of the historical fiction genre because they were guaranteed to do well with your name on them."

Min looks a bit green in the face. "So you were just using us as actors for some sick, twisted fantasy of making a new kind of movie?"

"That's right!" Yuuji says again, sounding all too pleased with himself. "And not just those I called upon for my fake movie," he says, wagging his finger. "All of you!" Yuuji exclaims.

Aria grits her teeth. "You are well and truly insane, Yuuji."

"To which I say, again, to the unenlightened." Yuuji says and puts a hand on his hip. "There's a higher chance of all of us dying here than there is of us achieving the same outcome as Junko Enoshima's Killing Game. So I figured I might as well go out on my own terms and with a bang, yeah?" he beams. "And if I just so happened to get away with it, all the better! I could've used the footage to create the best murder mystery the world has ever seen!"

"Your own terms?" Ryoji asks. "What about Mitsuki?!" he demands. "She didn't get to go out on her terms!"

Yuuji blinks. "Well, yeah." he says. "I said on my terms, not hers."

Monokuma speaks up again before we can get off track, "Enough chit chat!" he says. "Now then! Since you so magnificently revealed the identity of the killer during the class trial…" Monokuma does a twirl. "...the blackened, Yuuji Hatsutori III, will receive his punishment!"

"I can't say I'm not interested to see what this is gonna be…" Hakuma mutters.

Yuuji beams. "I'm quite excited as well!" he says.

"Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for Yuuji Hatsutori III, the Ultimate Filmmaker!" Monokuma declares, pulling out a wooden gavel. "Let's give it everything we've got! It's…PUNISHMENT TIIIME!" he cheers, a red button emerging from the floor in front of his throne.

He hits the red button and the screen below it lights up with the words 'GAME OVER' in pixel letters. A pixel version of Yuuji stands below it and a pixel version of Monokuma walks on screen and starts to drag Yuuji away, more text appearing below as pixel Yuuji is dragged off screen:

'Yuuji has been found guilty. Time for the punishment!'

Yuuji gives us one last mentally unstable smile before a metal collar flies out from behind him and latches onto his neck, dragging him out of the trial room.

The Emperor's New Film

Yuuji kneels in the center of a grand stone coliseum, his arms outstretched on either side of him with his wrists chained to the ground.

The seats of the coliseum are all filled with Monokumas dressed in various old-timey outfits. Yuuji faces a Monokuma with a crown on his head and a goblet of wine in his hand.

The Emperor Monokuma stands up, making the crowd of Monokumas quiet down. He looks down at Yuuji.

Yuuji looks up at Emperor Monokuma.

The crowd of medieval Monokumas waits with bated breath.

Emperor Monokuma takes another sip from his goblet and uses his free hand to give Yuuji a thumbs down.

The crowd of Monokumas roars with cheers and two Monokumas with gladiator helmets enter the arena and approach Yuuji with chains in their hands.

"Ah," Yuuji says, recognizing their intentions. "So be it then."

The Gladiator Monokumas push Yuuji onto his back and cuff the chains around either of his ankles.

And then, they start pulling.

At first, Yuuji's face is merely one of discomfort.

Then the ground his wrists are chained to starts to pull apart and the discomfort grows.

The Gladiator Monokumas start pulling harder.

Yuuji starts screaming.

Pull.

Scream.

Pull.

Scream.

Coughs start mixing with Yuuji's screams.

The devices pulling Yuuji's arms and the Gladiator Monokuma's pulling his legs start pulling even harder and his screams get louder and-

A pair of black and white paws suddenly block the view of Yuuji with a clapboard as the sickening sound of flesh tearing resounds throughout the coliseum.

Yuuji's screams stop.

The black and white paws clap the clapboard and the screen goes black.

Oh God.

I think I'm going to be sick.

"Wh-What the hell was that!?" Min cries, looking as sick as I feel.

Monokuma puts a paw on his chin. "What d'you mean?" he asks.

Sachi clenches her fists. "That was inhumane…even for someone like him."

"Haven't you guys ever heard of being drawn and quartered?" Monokuma asks with a puzzled frown. "Yuuji makes - or rather made historical fiction movies. I thought it was fitting. And, y'know, the Emperor's New Film like the Emperor's New Groove. Or the Emperor's New Clothes." he looks around at our unimpressed and disgusted faces. "Really? Nothing?" Monokuma sighs. "I must really be getting old…"

"You-"

"Enough talk!" Monokuma says. "I've had quite a long day and I'd like to rest my old back if that's okay with you." he says and gestures to the elevators. "Go on, get."

I frown. "You can't just-"

"Oh yes I can just." Monokuma says sassily. "Our business is done here. Shoo! I have a pool of blood to mop up!" he says.

I exchange a look with Sachi.

She sighs and shakes her head, telling me to drop it.

I comply and the remaining sixteen of us silently head towards the elevator.

Fortunately the ride up was more uneventful than the ride down.

Those who have already said their piece and those who were more intimately involved with Yuuji and the crime quietly trudge back to the dormitories; Rui and Mikasa escorting a trembling Kaguya back.

Kikuo, lingering behind, gives me a look.

"Do you have any suspicions about who brought us here?" I ask.

Kikuo starts to shake his head, and then he pauses.

I wait.

Kikuo looks around the dormitory and points at a door.

I raise an eyebrow. "You think…Yuuji is responsible?" I ask.

I mean, sure the guy was a little rude when we first met, but that's to be expected with our current situation.

Kikuo shakes his head and I wait patiently for him to come up with a response. He clenches his fist. "I…"

My eyes widen and I hold myself back from commenting on his speaking.

"Bad…bad vibes." Kikuo says in a small voice.

Oh.

I rephrase my last question, "You don't think he's responsible, you just don't like him." I state.

Kikuo nods.

Interesting.

"Then you and I will keep an eye on him, okay?" I say reassuringly. "After all, I'm Takagi's 'Ultimate Investigator'." I say with a wry smile.

I scoff. Some investigator I am.

He looks at me sadly and walks over, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. Kikuo pulls his mask down and speaks in a quiet, soft voice. "You saved us. Don't beat yourself up." he says. He pulls his mask back up, nods at me, and leaves for the dormitories.

Shion is about to follow after him but her sister's voice stops her: "Shion."

Shion turns around, a bit surprised to hear Sumire call her. "What?" she asks.

Sumire gives Shion a weak, tired smile. "Sleep in my room tonight."

Shion blinks, staring at Sumire silently. She abruptly turns back around, scratching her cheek. "F-Fine." she agrees before continuing her walk towards the dormitories, her pace faster than before.

Sumire turns to Hakuma and narrows her eyes. "Not you. Just Shion." she says.

Hakuma yawns. "How rude. How am I supposed to make sure you two don't kill each other then?" he asks jokingly.

Sumire shrugs. "I guess you'll have to figure that out." she says, light hearted, and trails after Shion.

Hakuma turns towards the remaining three of us in the room, Sachi, Ryoji, and myself. "Are you guys good to go?" he asks.

Sachiko nods. "We'll be joining you shortly." she says.

Hakuma nods. "I'll be waiting by the doors to the dormitories to make sure of that. You can have your conversation in private." he says and leaves the room.

When Hakuma seems to be far enough away, I give in to my exhaustion and slump to the ground.

My heart hurts.

"T-Tatsumi?" Ryoji says worriedly, kneeling down next to me. "You good, bro?" he asks.

I put a hand over my face, trying to hide the tears welling up in my eyes.

It's my fault.

If I hadn't told Mitsuki about filming with Takagi, she wouldn't have gone looking for Yuuji. She wouldn't have gone to the gym. I would've fallen victim to Yuuji's trap instead.

It's my fault.

The world would still have an amazing Ultimate in it if it hadn't been for my screw up. My mistake.

It's my fault Mitsuki is dead.

It's my fault Yuuji is dead too - without my own involvement in the case, there would be no link from Mitsuki to Yuuji.

Two Ultimates are dead because of me. The world is a lesser place because of me.

It's all my fault.

It's my fault it's my fault it's my fault it's my fault it's my fault it's my fault it's my fault it's my f-

"Tatsumi."

I freeze.

Sachi kneels down in front of me and takes my hand off my face. She looks at me sympathetically and wipes the tears spilling from my eyes. "None of this is your fault, Tatsumi." Sachi says.

"B-But-!"

"You didn't make Yuuji the way he is. You didn't bring him here. You didn't know what he was doing in the gym." Sachi says. "It's not your fault. The blame for Mitsuki's death rests on Yuuji's shoulders and Yuuji's shoulders alone." she says. There's a certain, unplaceable tone to her voice that makes me inclined to believe her.

…But only a little bit.

After all, I'm just a normal student among fifteen Ultimate students. I can't utilize my own 'talent' right, I don't bring anything to the table. Takagi trusted me to be his Ultimate Investigator and I failed him. I failed him and I failed Mitsuki.

But…Sachi is trying to make me feel better. I can't let her efforts go to waste. I have to take that little bit and force myself to believe it.

"Tatsumi?" Ryoji says again.

I sniff. "I'm not…I'm not okay." I say. "But I will be. I have to be. Right?"

Sachi and Ryoji don't look like they like that answer.

"Hey, Tatsumi," Ryoji says. "Why don't we share a room tonight too? Keep each other company." he suggests.

"I think that's an excellent idea." Sachi says. "I'll walk with you two." she says.

"Up and at 'em, Tatsumi." Ryoji hups as he and Sachi pull me onto my feet.

I don't really have a choice in the matter as the pair guides (pushes) me towards the dormitories.

"So," Ryoji says. "I sleep better on my left side. What about you?" he asks. "I don't mind facing the same way if you don't."

Oh dear.

Sachiko quietly shuts the door to her dorm room and frantically starts pacing.

There's too much to worry about.

Tatsumi's doing as good as she'd hoped at solving mysteries but now that the game has been hijacked, she's afraid he might not have the emotional capacity to make it through the whole thing.

I have to keep an eye on him. Sachi thinks to herself. Now more than ever.

And Yuuji…

…

…

…

She'll worry about that later. Right now, she has to sleep.

Master, I swear I will get you justice or die trying. I just need Tatsumi to help me do that…

Sachiko shakes her head and starts getting ready for bed.

Chapter 1 - The End of a Delusional Dream END

Surviving Students

Tatsumi Endo

Ryoji Yamauchi

Sachiko Yoshifumi

Sumire Kotobuki

Shion Kotobuki

Takagi Kuroda

Kikuo Furuhata

Katashi Hitsugaya

Min-Ju Tae

Kite Nijisaki

Jotaro Ienaga

Rui Takara

Aria Miko

Kaguya Mikadzuki

Mikasa Nishikawa

Hakuma Kaneshiro

A/N and that's on finishing the majority of this at 1am

a round of applause for mr crazy filmmaker yuuji and ms scorned thespian mitsuki for their roles in this chapter, thank you for submitting them to ahn jihlo and thank you for allowing me to continue to use them

there's a special chapter coming up after this where you can see them again (and yuuji in his not-crazy glory)

chapter 2-1 should be out by the end of this month or the beginning of next month

slay