Chapter 1: Act 5: The First Class Trial
Location: First Floor, Hope's Peak Academy
Day: 2
Time: 4:10 PM
Truth Bullets:
Monokuma File #1
Victim Name: Makoto Naegi
Time of Death: 10:51 AM
Place of Death: Boy's Bathroom, Hotel Despair
Cause of Death: Hemorrhage
The Victim was discovered in the boy's bathroom by Akira Yoshizawa, Mondo Owada, and Kiyotaka Ishimaru. He was found laying down on the floor, a single wound across his jugular vein. The cause of death was rapid blood loss. The wound seems to have been caused by a sharp-bladed object.
Leon's Jacket: (The jacket worn by the Ultimate Baseball Star. He took it off while attacking Sayaka Maizono. It was found in Akira and Sayaka's Dorm Room. It was damp and wrinkled as if someone wrung it out.)
First Blood Ticket: (Monokuma's Secret Motive. The holder of this ticket is free to murder anyone within 24 hours, allowing them to go free. It must be kept secret. It seems everyone was given one of these tickets. They can only be cashed by the recipient.)
Leon's Ticket: (Leon Kuwata's First Blood Ticket. Peko found it inside his jacket pocket)
Sayaka's Sewing Shears: (These Shears are part of Sayaka Maizono's sewing kit. Akira took them from her kit without her knowledge. He later gave them back to her as a weapon in case she was attacked. She dropped them on the floor when she heard the Body Discovery Announcement. Akira Took them in order to shred his First Blood Ticket)
Golden Glitter: (This Glitter is part of the Golden Leaf that covered the fake katana Makoto and Sayaka got from the Gymnasium Showcase. It's flaky and gets everywhere. A trail of it was found leading out of Makoto's dorm room and in the direction of the Boy's Bathroom.)
Broken Sheath: (The Sheath belonging to the fake katana. It was found on the ground in the dormitory corridor. It shows signs of being broken, likely from being used as a weapon.)
Slash Marks on the Tiles: (Deep slash marks made with the fake katana. The sword was swung with such force that some of the tiles were cracked.)
Broken Mirror: (The mirror in the boy's bathroom. It was shattered and large pieces of it were found on the floor. It is believed Leon broke it by swinging the fake katana into it in an attempt to attack Makoto)
Broken Sword (Blade): (Part of the Fake sword; it likely broke when Leon struck the mirror.)
Akira's Shredded Ticket: (Akira received his ticket the previous night and decided he wasn't going to use it. He took the Shears from Sayaka's kit and cut it up to flush it. A piece of it fell out of his pocket and was hidden by Makoto's body.)
Broken Sword (Hilt): (The second half of the fake sword, this being half of the blade and the hilt. Though it was covered in blood, it was a clean break, and the blade wasn't sharp enough to cut someone)
Mirror Shard Knife: (A piece of the broken mirror that Leon used as the murder weapon. The shard was so sharp, it gave Leon a deep cut on his hand.)
Sayaka's Missing Ticket: (The First Blood Ticket belonging to Sayaka. The Ultimate Pop Sensation never found it. That's because it was in Akira's possession.)
Mikan Tsumiki's Autopsy Report #1: (Mikan Tsumiki's autopsy of Makoto Naegi's Body. She discovered he died of a single wound to the jugular. The cut was jagged instead of a clean cut otherwise made by a blade. Makoto shows signs of defensive wounds on his arms. He also has a bruise on his face. Mikan determined Leon tried to drown him in the toilet and then finished him off when he discovered him to still be alive.)
Monokuma File #2:
Victim Name: Leon Kuwata
Approximate Time of Death: 11:05 AM
Place of Death: Laundry Room, Hotel Despair
Cause of Death: Blunt Force Trauma
The victim was discovered by Chihiro Fujisaki, Hikari Yoshitsune, and Mahiru Koizumi. The victim was found deceased on the floor of the Laundry Room. The back of his head was caved in with a hard implement, which wasn't at the scene of the crime.
Mastermind's True Motive: (The Mastermind handed everyone a First Blood Ticket and made them believe only one was issued out. This was to sow discord and get someone to use it.)
Golden Glitter on Leon's Head: (The same golden glitter that covered the fake sword. This is proof that Leon was struck in the head with the sheath, causing it to break)
Mikan Tsumiki's Autopsy Report #2: (The second report conducted by Mikan. Though much wasn't discovered, she was able to conclude Leon's death was caused by blunt force trauma, likely caused by a heavy implement. He also had a laceration on the palm of his hand consistent with being cut by something sharp, the cause is likely the broken mirror shard. Golden Glitter was also found on the palm of his hand.)
Leon and Makoto's Fight: (The two were fighting in Makoto's dorm room, and as it is soundproof, those sounds weren't hurt by anyone. It also explains why Akira wasn't able to hear it when he was on his way to the cafeteria.)
Soundproofed Bedrooms: (The Bedrooms in the dormitory building are all soundproofed, confirmed by the Ultimate Musician the previous day. If the door was closed, no one could have possibly heard what was going on inside.)
Unknown Killer: (The one responsible for committing Leon's murder. Everyone was in the gymnasium, Akira and Sonia were in the dining hall, Leon, Sayaka, and Makoto were together. So who killed Leon?)
Akira's Account: (Akira's account of events. He was in the dining hall with Sonia playing chess. The Ultimate Princess left to get some snacks, and he went to the Boy's Bathroom. During this time, he flushed his First Blood Ticket and swiftly returned to the Dining Hall. As he did, he heard Sayaka's scream and ran after her. Sonia spotted her and told him she was crying. The pair split up to search for her and found her in the Ladies' Room near the Gymnasium. This happened during the Time of Leon's Murder)
Leon's Murder Weapon: (A Cast Iron Skillet smeared with blood. It was found in the Dining Hall near Sonia's Chess set. It was covered in Leon's blood.)
Golden Glitter on the Murder Weapon: (The Skillet used to kill Leon had glitter on it, the same kind that was found on the fake sword. How'd it get there…?)
Akira and Sonia were the last ones to arrive. By now, 21 people had gathered outside of the crimson-red doors. Akira had wondered what was behind those doors, and he was finally going to get his answer. Several people looked at the pair with looks of sadness, while others had expressions of disdain. Sonia visibly stiffened at these glares, looking away from their gazes, while Akira held them, a neutral expression on his face. He knew he was innocent, so their glares didn't bother him.
Sayaka was standing by the wall, wordlessly staring at the floor. He tried getting her attention but she was out of it, not wanting to be spoken to by anyone. After a few more moments of silence, it was broken by Byakuya, whose arrogance was radiating off of him as he looked at the Ultimate Princess, smirking.
"Don't tell me you feel sorry for yourself. You ended the life of a killer, give yourself a pat on the back."
"I didn't do it."
"Yeah, the skillet begs to differ," Fuyuhiko said, glancing away from her. "Seriously, just admit it to yourself."
"Why would she admit to something she didn't do?" Akira asked, brow quirked. "She and I were nowhere near the Dining Hall or the Dormitory Building when Leon was killed. We were in the Academy, helping Sayaka out."
"And before that? You could have easily killed Leon and then gone after her." Mahiru said, glancing at the Ultimate Pop-Sensation. "So how about it, Sayaka? If Sonia was on her way back, you ran past her, right?"
"..."
"Looks like she's not budging. Heh… she isn't gonna defend her friend."
She looked up at Mondo, giving him the fiercest glare she could muster. The Biker visibly shook, backing away from the blue-haired woman. Before anyone could say another word, Monokuma arrived, chuckling to himself as he swiveled around, facing the students.
"Alrighty! Looks like everyone's here and accounted for. You all did beary good for your first rodeo, but trust me, the fun's just about to begin!"
"Tch… I do not see how any of this is fun to you." Hikari hissed, glaring at the mechanical bear. "Two of our friends just died, what the hell is wrong with you?"
"Wah? Nothing's wrong with me. I'm just doing what I'm told, hehe. And so did Leon and our mystery killer! After all, he had every reason to!" he returned, pressing the button on a remote. The red doors slowly opened, the bear gesturing for them to go ahead. "Well, your chariot awaits!"
The 21 students shared a look, wondering what awaited them. When they stepped through the doors, they were greeted with what looked like an elevator. Monokuma moved ahead of them, opening the doors. "This lift here is going to take you all to our very special battleground, the Class Trial Court Room! I worked super hard on it so I hope you all like it!"
The silence continued as everyone filed in, the iron doors closing behind them. The lift started to move, heading downward. The 21 students of Hope's Peak Academy faced forward, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. Though he looked calm on the outside, Akira's mind was racing. Just where was this lift taking them?
"It's clear that this isn't going to be a real courtroom trial. Whatever the hell Monokuma has in store for us will be a lot worse than what I can imagine. I just hope everything we gathered is enough."
It was only a few moments after that the lift finally stopped. The doors opened, and the 21 Ultimates made their way out. Akira was taken aback by what he was seeing. The room was large and spacious, decorated in royal blue wallpaper and crimson red flags bearing Hope's Peak Academy's emblem. The floor was in a checkered style, with several red carpets leading toward the center. It was there that he managed to see several wooden stands, all arranged in a circle. Monokuma walked out in front of them, the grin on his face ever-present.
"Alright everyone, take your seats so we can begin this little shindig. I'll explain things as soon as you are all ready!"
Everyone looked at each other, slowly making their way toward the stands. They all found their seats, each one having their names placed on with golden plaques. Akira stood in the center, to his right was the stand that would have belonged to Makoto, though it only contained his image with a pink X over his face. Next to him was Mondo, followed by Kiyotaka, Fuyuhiko, Peko, Hiyoko, Mikan, Byakuya, Celeste, Hiro, Hikari, an empty seat, Kazuichi, Leon, who only had a picture of his face with an X on it, Kyoko, Hajime, Sonia, Ibuki, Chihiro, Junko, Hina, and finally Sayaka, who stood at his left.
The way it had been arranged was in a circle, so everyone could look at each other. Everyone was the defendant, everyone was the plaintiff, everyone was the jury, and everyone would be the executioner. Monokuma sat in a chair that rose high above them, watching over them, an impartial judge, it seemed. As he settled in, he grabbed a gavel, spinning it around for a moment before slamming it on his armrest.
"Okay, now that everyone has taken their seats, I can begin the important rules! As I explained in the gymnasium, everyone here is guilty until proven innocent. The goal of our little trial here is to find out whodunit. You'll all discuss things and solve as to who the blackened could be. After a while, the blackened will be chosen by popular vote! If the vote is wrong, then everyone will be punished and the blackened will escape. Choose correctly, and only the blackened will be punished. And let me remind you all, punishment is Execution! And Executions are final!"
"The Killer is one of us, right?" Akira asked, looking directly at the monochrome bear.
"That's right! The camera caught the crime in its entirety. You have nothing to worry about in that regard. You should also know that I, Headmaster Monokuma, will never personally kill one of my students. I care about their wellbeing, after all~"
"Hah… sure, some level of care you show, encouraging us to kill each other." Fuyuhiko barked, glaring at Monokuma.
"Then I suppose we can begin this trial," Byakuya said, arms crossed. Kiyotaka took the lead, clearing his throat.
"Alright then, everybody, close your eyes. I want the killer to raise their hand… and go!" he said, opening his eyes after a moment, only to find silence. "What… why didn't you do it?"
"Why the hell would anyone do something like that?" Junko questioned, a look of disbelief on her face.
"You goddamn idiot, why the hell would anyone be that stupid?" Mondo asked, sighing.
"Before we begin in earnest, I have a question," Kyoko said, glancing at the images of Makoto and Leon, which had been marked with X's. "What do the pictures represent?"
"Oh, that? I thought it would be for the best that they joined in on the action. After all, just because they're dead doesn't mean they're exempt from this. I heard friendship transcends death, after all~"
"Okay… but what about the empty seat?" Celeste asked, glancing at the seat which held no one. Monokuma straightened up a bit, shrugging.
"Don't worry about that. This courtroom was built to host 24 students. You could say we ran out of willing participants. Oh, wait… none of you are here willingly, hehe~" he responded, clapping his hands. "Alright, that's enough Preamble. Feel free to begin with a summary of everything you believed happened!"
"The summary is quite simple. Leon Kuwata decided he'd attack Sayaka Maizono in an attempt to take her by force. He ended up fighting with Makoto Naegi, which led to the latter's demise in the boy's bathroom. Someone else then took Leon's life. That's the basic gist of it." Byakuya said.
"Yeah, but who was it that took Leon's life then? We had a simple solution with Makoto's death, but someone went and killed him." Hina said, looking around the room. "It had to have been someone who saw what was happening."
"It didn't have to be seen. Hell, two people fighting? Someone definitely heard it going down. In fact, it was a pair of someone's, Akira and Sonia!" Fuyuhiko said, pointing an accusatory finger at the pair. "They were in the Dining Hall playing chess, obviously they're the ones that heard it!"
"Shit… it was them two that did it?" Hiro asked, taken aback.
"I… don't want to believe it's Miss Sonia. She seems so nice, but she did admit to having military training. I'd be easy for her!" Kazuichi said.
"How many times must I tell you, it wasn't me? I wasn't in the Dormitory building when Leon was murdered, and neither was Akira. The two of us were searching for Sayaka when that happened." the Ultimate Princess said.
"Likely story! You heard it and you attacked him!"
"We did not!"
"Oh boy! Guess this is where the fun begins~ When two people have differing options and can't reach a conclusion, there has to be a debate to settle things. We call this the Non-Stop Debate! Go ahead, throw your options on the table, I look forward to seeing the results~" Monokuma said, slamming his gavel on the armrest, grinning.
Non-Stop Debate
Loaded Truth Bullets: Soundproofed Bedroom, Sayaka's Sewing Shears, Broken Sheath, Akira's Account, Unknown Killer, Leon and Makoto's Fight
"It's obvious what happened. Sayaka was being attacked by Leon, and she managed to get away. During that fight, Makoto took notice and started to fight back." Fuyuhiko said, glancing at Akira and Sonia.
"That struggle… It must have made a lot of Noise. There's no way it was quiet." Hiro said firmly.
"So what… they heard the fight and just hid in the dining hall?" Junko asked curiously.
"That's exactly right! They hid in the Dining Hall, waited for things to cool off, and then checked everything out. Leon went to hide in the Laundry Room and at that time, Akira and Sonia saw Makoto, realized what happened, went to the kitchen, and got the skillet. That's what they used to kill Leon!"
"That isn't true! Me and Akira were nowhere near the Dining Hall or the Laundry Room when Leon was attacked!" Sonia exclaimed, a desperate look on her face. "Both of us went after Sayaka who was crying. We were in the Ladies' Room near the Gym!"
"Bullshit! Stop lying and tell us the truth! No one can lie about hearing a fight. It's so loud, anyone could have heard it!" The gangster barked.
"That's not right. Makoto and Leon likely fought inside Makoto's room. There's glitter all over the area near the door. And if that door was closed, no one could have heard it. I have to share my thoughts."
"It's obvious what happened. Sayaka was being attacked by Leon, and she managed to get away. During that fight, Makoto took notice and started to fight back." Fuyuhiko said, glancing at Akira and Sonia.
"That struggle… It must have made a lot of Noise. There's no way it was quiet." Hiro said firmly.
"So what… they heard the fight and just hid in the dining hall?" Junko asked curiously.
"That's exactly right! They hid in the Dining Hall, waited for things to cool off, and then checked everything out. Leon went to hide in the Laundry Room and at that time, Akira and Sonia saw Makoto, realized what happened, went to the kitchen, and got the skillet. That's what they used to kill Leon!"
"That isn't true! Me and Akira were nowhere near the Dining Hall or the Laundry Room when Leon was attacked!" Sonia exclaimed, a desperate look on her face. "Both of us went after Sayaka who was crying. We were in the Ladies' Room near the Gym!"
"Bullshit! Stop lying and tell us the truth! No one can lie about hearing a fight. It's so loud, anyone could have heard it!" The gangster barked.
Loaded Truth Bullet: Soundproofed Bedroom
"No, that's wrong!"
Break~
"You got some nerve interrupting me," Fuyuhiko said, shifting his gaze to Akira, crossing his arms. "Well go ahead, you have the floor."
"Thank you. I was going to say that even if Leon and Makoto were fighting, it's doubtful anyone could have heard it. The reason being that the fight took place within Makoto's dorm room. And if the door was closed, no one would have heard it."
"That's because the bedrooms are soundproofed, right?" Hajime said, earning a nod from Akira. "I completely forgot about that."
"Huh? How could you have forgotten that, Hajime? I was the one who found out about that, dontcha remember? Wait, were you not listening to me? Is that what I am? Just a person who continues talking and talking and everyone ignores?" Ibuki cried.
"Can you shut up? We're trying to have a serious discussion here!" Hiyoko angrily cried out. Ibuki bowed her head, lips tightly sealed.
"Okay, so no one heard the right, but how do we know if the fight took place in the bedroom? It could have easily taken place in the corridor." Celeste said.
"Well, there's glitter all over the floor in front of Makoto's bedroom. The fake sword was covered in it, and it flaked off. There's some leading into the door as well, so it's safe to assume the fight started there. Not only that, Sayaka saw them fighting there." the spectacled boy said, glancing at the Ultimate Pop-Sensation. "Isn't that right?"
She nodded softly, looking at her hands. "Yes, that's true. He attacked me in our dorm, and I got away. We struggled for a bit in the corridor when Makoto walked out. They started to fight and he broke away. At that moment, I ran off. I saw Makoto going into his bedroom and Leon following after him."
"There you have it. Me and Sonia didn't hear anything because the room was completely soundproofed. Furthermore, I chased after Sayaka after hearing her scream. I ran into Sonia and we ended up in the Ladies's Room next to the gym, as I've repeated several times now." the boy said firmly.
"That doesn't prove shit! Sure, you didn't hear Leon and Makoto fighting but that doesn't mean you didn't lie in wait!" the fashionista cried. "You and Sonia seized your opportunity and bonked him over the head with that skillet after he killed Makoto!"
"Allow me to interject."
Everyone turned to Peko, being taken by surprise. As everyone's eyes landed on her, she adjusted her sleeve, clearing her throat. "I believe Sonia and Akira are innocent of the attack on Leon. It's quite obvious."
"Oh? Would you be so kind as to explain?" Byakuya asked, a look of interest on his face.
"The cast iron skillet is clearly the murder weapon. However, it wasn't just covered in blood, it was covered in something else. Something that is extremely hard to clean once it's on you." she said, looking at Akira. "I believe you know what it is?"
"Something hard to clean once it's on you. Ah… I got it." he said, a smile on his face. "You're talking about the golden glitter, right?"
"That's correct. There's glitter in the corridor, leading all the way to the boy's bathroom. The person who killed Leon must have had glitter on the palm of their hands. Why? Because they caught a glimpse of what was happening and tried to help Makoto." The Ultimate Swordswoman replied.
"Okay… but that doesn't explain anything."
"It explains a lot, Kazuichi. Clearly, you aren't paying attention." Mahiru said, shaking her head.
"Um… Akira, Sonia… would it be possible to see your hands? If you didn't kill Leon then there'd be no glitter on them, right?"
"I have no problem showing you mine." the Ultimate Princess said, holding her hands out. They were completely clean. "And before you ask, I didn't wash them at any time. The only time I was within the bathroom, I was with Sayaka and Akira and both can vouch for me. I never touched the sword."
"Akira, would you be so kind?" Celeste said. He held his left hand out first, showing that it was clean, but his right hand had a bit of glitter on it. "Oh… well look at that, he has glitter on his palm. Care to explain?"
"Yes, I can actually. During my investigation of the boy's bathroom, I ended up grabbing the broken piece of the fake sword lying next to Makoto's body. Before that, I had no glitter on my hand. Mikan, Sayaka, and Kyoko were with me and can vouch for me."
"Pfft… likely story. You probably coerced them into keeping shut. I can tell the Pig Barf is easy to bend into a willing participant." the Ultimate Traditional Dancer said.
"W-what? Of course not. Akira did nothing of the sort!"
"What reason would I have to coerce them? Sayaka is my friend, as are Kyoko and Mikan. I would never do that to anyone, much less women. Seriously, what's wrong with you?" he hissed, angry at the blonde.
"Regardless of that, I can confirm that Akira did in fact hold the sword while in the bathroom. He also didn't coerce us into anything, because he has no reason to. He is not responsible for Leon Kuwata's death." Kyoko said.
It was silent for a moment, no one wanted to argue with Kyoko. Hajime adjusted his tie, coughing into his fist. "Alright… If Sonia and Akira are innocent, then who killed Leon?"
"I believe we'll have to examine the entire series of events starting at the beginning. Before we figure out the who, we need to establish the why. Once we figure that out, then things will start making sense." Byakuya said.
"The why? The why is simple, they wanted to leave." Hiro said, scratching his neck. "Why do we need to talk about the obvious?"
"While it may be obvious, the truth of the matter is a lot more serious than you think. Let us discuss things calmly." Peko replied.
Non-Stop Debate
"Peko mentioned there being a reason why Leon was killed. But what is that?" Hikari asked, a pensive look on his face.
"It must have been very serious if he went this far," Chihiro noted a look of sadness on her face.
"I concur with that statement. It must have been something so incredibly important that they felt the need to kill." Celeste added.
"It definitely flew under my nose. Because I don't remember any of us getting a motive of any sort that would drive us to do something so bad." Hiro said.
"Dude, you thought this shit was fake until Makoto died. We can't exactly call you the pinnacle of paying attention." the Ultimate Mechanic returned, causing Hiyoko to laugh.
"Hahahaha… he sure told you, Mr. Bum~"
"I'm not a bum!"
"Barring the ending there, all of us ended up getting a reason to kill. It was the First Blood Ticket. Peko found Leon's, that's how I confirmed multiples had been given out. That's the way we'll figure this out."
Loaded Truth Bullet: First Blood Ticket
"Peko mentioned there being a reason why Leon was killed. But what is that?" Hikari asked, a pensive look on his face.
"It must have been very serious if he went this far," Chihiro noted a look of sadness on her face.
"I concur with that statement. It must have been something so incredibly important that they felt the need to kill." Celeste added.
"It definitely flew under my nose. Because I don't remember any of us getting a motive of any sort that would drive us to do something so bad." Hiro said.
"No, that's wrong!" Akira called out.
Break~
"Uh Hiro, did you not get a ticket?" Akira asked, giving the Ultimate Clairvoyant a curious look. He tilted his head a bit, his eyes lighting up.
"Oh, you mean that envelope? Dude I tossed that shit in the trash. I thought it was all part of the joke here so I got rid of it!" he said, proudly.
"Seriously? How can you be so nonchalant about this?" Junko asked, causing the man to shrug.
"I'unno. I didn't want to look at that thing because I thought it was fake. Out of sight, out of mind, you know?"
"That doesn't matter man. What matters is that everyone ended up getting one of those tickets. That in and of itself is the reason why Leon decided to kill Makoto, right?" Mondo asked.
"I must regretfully corroborate with you, Classmate Mondo. I received one as well, and I was mentally debating on whether or not to speak of it. The bottom print told me to keep it a secret. I was led to believe I was the only one who received one, that's why I didn't mention it." the Moral Compass said.
"I was so frightened by the wording that I didn't consider telling anyone," Hina said, looking at the floor. "I put mine under my pillow, I didn't want to see it. I figured, after 24 hours, I could just get rid of it and no one would be the wiser."
"I-I did the same, actually. I couldn't bear the thought of killing someone, even if it meant I could leave. I'm scared but… I wouldn't take someone's life." Chihiro added, shuddering at the thought.
"Um… this might be a bad time to mention it, but I never got one."
All eyes fell on Sayaka, similar expressions on their faces. Hajime cleared his throat, locking eyes with the blue-haired girl. "What do you mean you never got one?"
"I just didn't."
"How odd… me and Hajime got tickets, and we're roommates. Akira, did you get a ticket?" Sonia asked. The raven-haired boy remained silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts before speaking.
"Yes, I did. But I ended up shredding it and flushing it down the toilet. Just the thought of that thing made me sick, so I wanted to get rid of it. I thought I was the only one that got it, but what clued me into multiples being passed out was what you said, Sonia. Before you invited me to that chess game, you mentioned it."
"So I did… I tried backpedaling a bit but I guess it stuck with you, huh?"
"Ha… likely story!" Fuyuhiko suddenly said, smirking. "Seems really convenient that you shredded your ticket. I bet you still have it and are waiting to cash it in!"
"I can't cash in what I don't have, jackass."
"The fuck you call me?"
"Gentlemen please, do not bicker. Let us all think logically. If Akira got rid of his ticket then all we would have to do is bring out the ones all of us were given. There should be 22 in total, if we are to believe Sayaka's account." Kiyotaka said.
"There's no need to go that far," Kyoko said, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out the piece from Akira's ticket which had been found in the bathroom. She held it out, showing it to everyone. "This is a part of his ticket. It confirms his previous statement, which means he shredded his ticket. He can't cash it in."
"Of course, he can!" Mahiru interjected, pointing her finger at Akira. "He still has one ticket he can cash in, Sayaka's!"
"Did you fucking miss the part where Akira isn't the killer?" Sayaka snapped, glaring at the photographer.
"It seems far too convenient for him to have no ticket. Not only that, there's one missing ticket, yours. He could easily cash that one in!"
"No I can't." the young man said, a look of disbelief on his face. "Even if I had killed someone, I wouldn't be able to use Sayaka's ticket."
"Likely story!"
"Jesus Christ this is giving me a migraine." he thought to himself. "Look, I don't know if you read yours, but there's a bold statement right at the bottom. The only one who can cash a ticket in is the recipient."
"I can confirm this as well," Peko said, reaching into her shirt pocket. She pulled out identical envelopes, pulling the tickets from within. She held both of them out to Mahiru. "Right at the bottom, it says who can cash it in. Mine has my name, and Leon's has his. All of the tickets likely have our names on them."
"Ah… oh." the photographer muttered, looking away in embarrassment. "S-sorry, Akira."
"It's fine… just think before belting out something, alright?"
"Can we focus here? We're never gonna get to the bottom of this shit if people keep being asshats!" Hiyoko said, briefly glancing at her friend. "Sorry, Mahiru, but even I knew about the ticket having a name at the bottom."
"Okay, so we can all agree that there was a motive for Leon to act. He likely saw this as his get-out-of-jail card, and before he left Hope's Peak, he wanted to…" Hajime paused, swallowing the lump in his throat. "He wanted to do something vile. He likely went with Sayaka, not just because it was a spur of the moment but because he underestimated her."
"Spur of the moment? What makes you believe that?" Mikan asked curiously.
"It was because of Kiyotaka's basketball game." Chihiro pointed out, grabbing everyone's attention. "He gathered most of us in the Gymnasium. Leon agreed to head to the Dormitory building to find the people there. He probably thought Sayaka was alone, and with Sonia and Akira being in the Dining Room, and the rooms being soundproofed… well…"
"She was nothing more to him than a… goddamned prize," Akira said, slamming his fist against the stand. "Son of a bitch!"
"Who would do something so sick?" Hina asked. Sayaka sighed, closing her eyes tightly.
"It's not the first time something like this has happened to me. I've had to deal with perverts as an idol. Not everyone knows this, but idols don't usually get security details or protection. A lot of idols have had to deal with sick bastards following them. There was one idol whose address was pinpointed because her attacker saw her bus stop reflected on her eyeball."
"What? Are you fucking with me right now?" Mondo asked, greatly surprised. "He got her address from her bus stop… reflected in her eye?"
"That's right. She snapped a selfie for her fans and it just so happened to have reflected her stop. That man ended up zooming in and getting that stop. He was able to stake out the stop, find her apartment and he attacked her. She was found alive, but greatly shaken. Fact of the matter is, idols are in great danger. That's why I took self-defense classes. I managed to get away from him… but because of that… Makoto is dead." she said, gritting her teeth, tears falling down her cheeks. "I should have let it happen, I should have let him kill me instead. Makoto didn't deserve that."
"Don't you dare say that!"
Akira grabbed a hold of her shoulders, giving her a hard shake. "How could you even think something so stupid, Sayaka? Makoto fought against Leon to save you. Because he wanted to protect you. Do you know how destroyed he would be in your place? How destroyed the rest of us would be?"
"I wouldn't be destroyed."
"Shut the fuck up, Byakuya." the raven-haired boy said, continuing on without missing a beat. "Everyone is important, he considered everyone here a friend, including you. There is absolutely no way he foresaw what could have happened. It was perhaps a bad stroke of luck, but that doesn't mean his death was in vain. Leon got his in the end, and you are alive because of him. So please… don't ever say something like that. No one deserves to die, but you, above all, should live, because if you don't, his sacrifice will mean nothing."
She burst into tears, hugging him tightly. He held her in his arms, allowing her to cry in his shoulders. Monokuma let out a groan, slamming his gavel against his armrest. "Oh enough of the sappy shit! Get on with it, we're wasting time here!"
"Monokuma is right. We still need to figure out who it was that killed Leon. Mikan, what were you able to determine?" Hajime asked, glancing at the Ultimate Nurse.
"Oh uh… well, Leon's head was caved in, and now that we know what did it, it isn't hard to deduce how it happened. I believe the first blow was enough, but the killer likely wanted to make sure they were dead. However, the frying pan wasn't the only thing that Leon was struck with."
"Huh? So he was hit with something else?" Kazuichi asked.
"I thought only the skillet had been used," Chihiro said, taken by surprise.
"Interesting… what exactly was that object?" Hikari continued, looking around the room. "Can anyone provide that for me?"
"The Item that was used was…" Akira thought, arriving at his answer. "I got it! It was the sheath. Mikan and I examined the wound, and he had glitter on the back of his head, and down to his neck. It's clear that Leon's attacker hit him with that sheath. And they hit him with so much force that it broke."
"Wait, that means someone was there, right?!" Junko asked, looking around the room. "Someone must have seen the fight if they hit Leon with the sheath!"
"Then Sonia and Akira weren't alone there? Someone else was there? But who could that be?" Kiyotaka asked.
"It must have been someone who heard the commotion after Sonia and Akira left," Peko noted, narrowing her eyes. "Who knows? They might have even been the one to kill Makoto. We're not certain if Leon killed him or not. He could have been finished off."
"No, that isn't possible," Mikan said, a confident look on her face.
"Why's that? Are you going to explain?" Fuyuhiko questioned.
"I bet you the Ugly Nurse is just pulling shit outta her ass." Hiyoko scoffed, shaking her head. "It's easy for her to fake evidence!"
"That's not-"
"Let's just discuss things, shall we?" Byakuya said, clearly annoyed by what was going on.
Non Stop Debate
Loaded Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #2, Akira's Shredded Ticket, Slash Marks on Tiles, Broken Sword (Blade), Broken Mirror, Mikan Tsumiki's Autopsy Report #2
"We've established that Leon attacked Sayaka and fought with Makoto." Peko began, looking around the room. "The fight ended in the Boy's Bathroom with Makoto's death. But we aren't certain that Leon actually killed him."
"Um… Actually, I have proof that-" Mikan began, only to be talked over.
"Then that means someone could have killed Makoto while Leon got away?" Hiro asked, eyes widening. "Holy crap, did someone kill two people at once?!"
"Can that even be done? Is there a limit to how many people can get killed?" Ibuki asked curiously.
"If there's no limit, theoretically, the killer could have taken care of everyone within the academy and claimed their ticket," Celeste said, lips pressed into a thin-line. "That's a sobering thought."
"Everyone, please… I have evidence that-"
"Not everyone is going to let themselves get killed, Celeste. Look at Sayaka, she fought him off. I sure as hell ain't gonna let myself get killed." Fuyuhiko replied, cutting the Ultimate Nurse off.
"Could it be that Akira and Sonia managed to pull it off afterwards?" Mahiru asked, only for Sonia to glare at her.
"Clearly not, we've already been exonerated of the crime, why would you assume it was us?"
"If I could-"
"Shut up, Pig Barf, the adults are talking~"
"Oh… okay," the violet-haired nurse sighed, a frown appearing on her face.
"This is a very productive discussion, isn't it?" Byakuya sarcastically added, shaking his head in disdain. "I'm surrounded by imbeciles."
"I don't blame him for arriving at that conclusion, clearly Mikan needs a little boost. So I'll have to make sure she's heard. Alright, let's do this." Akira thought, a confident look on his face.
Loaded Truth Bullet: Mikan Tsumiki's Autopsy Report #2
"We've established that Leon attacked Sayaka and fought with Makoto." Peko began, looking around the room. "The fight ended in the Boy's Bathroom with Makoto's death. But we aren't certain that Leon actually killed him."
"No, that's wrong!" Akira called out, ending the debate.
Break~
Akira sighed, his eyes scanning everyone's expressions. "Honestly, how you can all ignore Mikan is awful. She's been trying to share her findings and you all keep talking over her."
"It's not our fault she speaks so quietly," Mondo said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"If Mikan has something to say, then she should go ahead and say it," Hikari said, smiling at the nurse. "Go ahead."
"Alright… What I wanted to share was my notes on the autopsy. Peko said someone else could have finished Makoto, but that isn't possible. There's proof that it was Leon who killed Makoto in the boy's bathroom. He has a laceration on his hand." she said, holding her e-handbook out, showing a picture she had taken of Leon's hand. "This proves it was him."
"Uh… no it doesn't dumbass. It's just a cut, anyone can cut themselves." Hiyoko spat, causing the nurse to shrink away from her.
"The laceration is consistent with the murder weapon that was used. It was readily available as well. It was so sharp that it cut Leon's hand, and he likely didn't notice it until he left the bathroom." Kyoko said, glancing at Akira. "I'm certain you have the answer to this, after all, you stood on it."
"You are right about that," he said, standing up straighter than before. "What Kyoko means is that the murder weapon used against Makoto wasn't the broken katana like most of you might be thinking. It's actually a piece of the mirror, a sharpened shard. It left a jagged cut on Makoto's throat, but it also had the added effect of leaving a gash in Leon's palm."
"I see… this without a doubt proves that Leon did, in fact, kill Makoto," Celeste said, shaking her head. "How did I miss something so simple? I was in that bathroom as well and I never noticed that shard."
"You probably stood on it, either that or you saw the broken sword and assumed it was the murder weapon. If not for the fact the blade was cleanly broken, I would have assumed the same." Akira said, thinking back to the scene in the bathroom. "Leon swung that sword with so much force it broke that mirror, and that also snapped that sword. He fought Makoto off, tried drowning him in the toilet, and when he noticed he was still alive, killed him with the shard."
"That still doesn't solve the main issue here. We keep going back to the obvious crime, we know Leon killed Makoto, but we need to figure out who killed Leon. You are all being blinded by focusing on the obvious." Kyoko said firmly.
"We've established the killer, Leon, who tried to do awful things to Sayaka and fought with Makoto. We've established that Leon killed Makoto, and we established that someone attacked Leon." Kiyotaka said, summarizing the main points. "We just need to figure out who it was that did him in. It must have been someone who was there, someone who heard what happened."
"Something is off," Ibuki said, as she looked through the evidence they had gathered. "There's something here that just doesn't feel like it belongs. One of these things doesn't belong here, one of these things just isn't the same~."
"Seriously? Now is not the time for jokes, Ibuki."
"Perhaps one of the items that we found was planted?" Sonia said, earning incredulous looks from the others. "It seems likely that the killer could try to throw a spanner in the works."
"Could they? I mean, no one knew about the class trials, so why would the killer try to plant evidence?" Akira asked curiously.
"I mean… they could have panicked, right?" the fashionista asked, tapping her chin with her fingertip. "Maybe after killing Leon, they decided to run for it, having heard people. They could have ditched whatever it was and hid."
"Seems kinda dumb to me," Hiro said, scratching his head. "If I was running away from someone and I had an item belonging to my victim, why wouldn't I bring it with me?"
"That… actually makes a lot of sense," Mondo said, giving the clairvoyant a smirk. "Wow, I didn't think you'd say something intelligent!"
"Huh? Oh… thanks I guess."
"So… let me come up with a hypothetical," Hikari said, grabbing their attention. "Say this person saw the scuffle between Makoto and Leon, maybe they didn't want to get caught, so they hid in nearby place. But maybe Leon saw them, and if someone saw his crime, he couldn't get away with it, so he decided to take them out as well. After all, he had a ticket. Leon's killer could have defended themselves, killed Leon, and then, in a panic, having heard voices, looked for another place to hide. They clearly couldn't hide in the bathroom, and they assumed it was Sonia and Akira returning to the dining hall, what other place would they be able to hide in?"
"Well… if it was me, I'd hide in my room, because my room is safe." Ibuki cheerfully said.
"But what if they weren't able to get there in time? After all, if someone walked into the Laundry Room and happened to also see the killer going into their room then… they'd be caught. You also have to remember, the First Blood Ticket was meant to be a secret, so they wouldn't have wanted to be seen." Hikari said.
"They'd have to hide in the first place they saw, which in this case would be…" Akira narrowed his eyes in thought, only to look up in realization. "That place would be our dorm. The door was wide open!"
"What? But we would have seen them, wouldn't we?" Sayaka asked.
"Not if they hid in the bathroom. I didn't go in there to check. We went inside, I did a scan through, handed you the shears, and told you to wait. You left when the body announcement played, right?" Akira asked, earning a nod from the girl. "Then that clinches it. Leon's killer hid in our dorm, which means something in there must have been planted."
"It can't be the shears… you told us you took them from Sayaka's Sewing Kit, right?" Hina asked curiously.
"That's right. Yesterday when Sayaka was in the shower, I opened her kit and took the shears, intending to cut up my ticket. I was going to put them back but I wasn't able to get rid of the ticket yesterday, because someone went into the bathroom, so I did it when Sonia went to get snacks." he said.
"And during that time, Sayaka was fighting Leon off, she left the room, Makoto defended her, she ran off, causing you to go after her. No one heard the scuffle but…" Kyoko paused, narrowing her eyes for a moment. "Wait… you mentioned hearing her scream, right?"
"Yes, Sayaka's scream is what clued me into something going on. That's what made me follow her, she ran by so fast all I managed to see was her hair."
"Then that's it! Leon's killer could have heard Sayaka's scream. That means they must have been in a place that wasn't soundproofed!" Kazuichi said.
"What place would that be? It wasn't the kitchen and it wasn't the Dining Hall, Akira and Sonia would have mentioned someone else being in there."
"The logical place would be…" Akira thought for a moment, a look of realization falling onto his face. "The Laundry Room! There's no other place that's possible. It couldn't have been the bathrooms, because Leon would have seen them, and it couldn't have been the Dining Hall or the Kitchen, because me and Sonia were in there. The Bathhouse is closed and the Dorms are soundproofed. The Killer had to have been in the Laundry Room."
"I agree with this. One of the machines in the laundry room was on, and it had a load of clothes in it. I didn't look through them because it's a violation of privacy, but it's proof someone was in there." Kiyotaka said, matter of factly. "In fact, it looked like female clothes."
"You didn't look through it, yet you know it was female clothes? So you did look through it." Mondo said.
"I did not."
"Pervert."
"Children, can we please act like adults? Thank you~" Celeste said, giving the pair a sucrose smile, which made them both go pale.
"There were six people in the dormitory building then. Makoto, Sayaka, Sonia, Akira, Leon, and our mystery person. If we can determine who that is, we've got this in the bag." Mahiru said firmly.
"And you better hurry, we're running out of time here, I got a schedule to keep, you know," Monokuma said, crossing his arms. "Though I have been entertained~"
"Something has to stand out, then. We're so close!" Hina said, a hopeful look on her face.
"I'm sure something will stick out if we discuss it. I'm confident it will." Kyoko added, glancing at Akira. He met her gaze, holding it for a moment before looking away.
"Why'd she look at me like that? Does she think I can solve this? I'll have to have a massive stroke of luck for that." he thought to himself, sighing. "She's right though. There has to be something… anything. I'm sure that… Wait… if the killer was in the laundry room, and they hid in our dorm then… of course!"
Non-Stop Debate
Loaded Truth Bullet: Leon's Jacket, Leon's Ticket, Sayaka's Sewing Shears, Monokuma File #2
"We've concluded that the killer was in the laundry room during the fight," Hikari said, earning nods from the others. "It's possible they could have taken something with them."
"But what could it be? It had to have been something they couldn't leave behind." Hina said.
"Couldn't they have shoved it into the washer?" Kazuichi asked curiously.
"Hey yeah! Maybe the killer got blood on them, so they decided to wash it off. Seeing the washer was already on, they just tossed it in!" Hiyoko said.
"Does that mean Leon's killer caught them doing that?" Chihiro questioned, head tilted in curiosity.
"I doubt it, it all seems too convenient, don't you think?" Junko added, a doubtful expression on her face.
"Hmhm… well my crystal ball is saying this isn't convenient at all! I'm never wrong about these things!" Hiro said, making Fuyuhiko scoff.
"Don't you have a 30% success rate? Are you banking on that alone?"
"Obviously not, I got my gut feeling too!"
"Leon slit Makoto's throat. An act like that would send blood shooting in all directions. He likely got some on himself. It would have given him a reason to wash that garment off." Byakuya said, shaking his head. "How is it that you idiots function? Can you not see what's in front of you?"
"Byakuya's right. The answer is right there, we just need to expose it." Akira said, clenching his fist tightly.
Loaded Truth Bullet: Leon's Jacket
"We've concluded that the killer was in the laundry room during the fight," Hikari said, earning nods from the others. "It's possible they could have taken something with them."
"I agree with that!"
Consent~
"You agree with me, Akira?" Hikari asked, a look of surprise on his face.
"That's right. It's because the object isn't exactly obvious, but looking at it in the context of this whole trial, it becomes obvious. Leon slashed Makoto's throat, the jugular is a major vessel, and it would have caused blood to literally shoot out. He likely got it on him and wanted to hide it, for obvious reasons. So he headed to the Laundry Room to wash it, noticed a washer already on, and put his item in."
He paused for a moment, sifting through his e-handbook, finding the right piece of evidence to show. "The object? His jacket of course. It was found in Mine and Sayaka's dorm. Peko pointed it out to me, and it looked wrinkled, like it had been wrung out. Not only that, but it was damp. Looking around our room, you'd imagine he took it off when he attacked Sayaka, but, likely, he didn't do that, and it was planted there."
"If that's the case then why didn't Sayaka bring it up?" Ibuki asked curiously.
"Oh sure, let's have her talk about her almost rape, because that's a good idea," Junko said, shaking her head. "Besides, in the heat of the moment, would you notice if he's wearing a damn jacket or not?"
"I certainly wouldn't… I can't imagine something like that. Sayaka is far stronger than most of us." Sonia said, giving the idol a small smile. Sayaka gave her a forced smile back, having remained silent for the time being.
"Someone was doing laundry, likely a woman, because of the clothes within the washer. They heard Sayaka's scream, and were alerted to what happened. Being alert, they likely heard the scuffle, but didn't see it. They waited to see what happened and saw Leon leaving the bathroom, jacket covered in blood. Leon walked into the room, saw the washer on, tossed his jacket in and turned to leave, only to see the person who was washing their clothes." Byakuya said, summarizing his thoughts.
"Then what… they fought?"
"It's very likely, given the broken sheath and the glitter on Leon's head. Take it further. The person in the room tried to run, and Leon went after them. He tried to silence her, and she fought him off, grabbing the only thing she had at hand, the sheath." Celeste said."
"That makes a lot of sense now. They hit him so hard that it broke, and this stunned Leon, potentially even knocking him out. They went to the kitchen and retrieved the skillet. Leon, likely out of it, went back to the laundry room, thinking they ran in there and met his end."
"If they grabbed that sheath, then they'd have glitter on their hands, right?" Hiyoko asked, looking around the room. "Then we can look at everyone's hands, minus Akira and Sonia. If someone has glitter then they're the one who did it."
"No, that wouldn't work."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Because Hiyoko, remember what we discussed before. Leon put his bloodied jacket in the wash. If his killer saw him put it in, then they took it out. Their hands would have gotten wet, and the glitter would have washed out when they wrung the jacket out. As they were leaving, they heard voices, panicked and ran, taking the jacket with them. They tossed it in our dorm and hid in the bathroom." Akira said.
"But who was doing laundry? I mean… we only just got here, right? All of the clothes in our rooms are clean." Kazuichi said.
It was silent for a moment, no one knowing the answer to that question, that was at least until Sayaka looked up from the floor, her face having gone pale. "There was… one person… doing laundry."
"Well do go on and tell us. Don't leave us in suspense." the affluent progeny said. Sayaka slowly turned her head, locking eyes with Junko.
"It was you, you were the only one who was washing clothes." she said. Junko stiffened a bit, only to break into laughter.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding. Of course, I wasn't," she said, tilting her head. "Are you sure you're misremembering, Sayaka? Why would I bother washing my clothes when they're all clean?"
"Don't give me that. Me and Makoto came in from the Gym, and you were in the laundry room. You told us you were doing a load of laundry!" she barked, pointing her finger at the fashionista.
"No, I wasn't!"
"Oh fantastic, a she said/she said scenario, because we all needed one of those." Fuyuhiko deadpanned, shoving his hand in his pocket. "How exactly are we going to settle this one?"
"I didn't think I'd get to use this one so early! I was expecting this one to go smoothly, but that makes this case so much more special! When two parties can't seem to agree on something, we need to have ourselves a Scrum Debate! Sayaka believes Junko killed Leon, and Junko vehemently denies this, so, let's settle this once and for all!"
Monokuma shot to his feet, reaching behind his back for a key. He flipped it around, inserting it into a panel that popped up in front of him, and with a twist, the mechanism came to life. The students all cried in surprise as the court seats started moving around, separating, forcing themselves into two even rows.
"Alrighty! On the left, we have everyone that supports Junko, and on the right, we have everyone that supports Sayaka. Let the debate commence!" Monokuma cried, slamming his gavel down.
Scrum Debate
"I wasn't the one in the laundry room, all of my clothes were clean, so why would I feel the need to wash them?" Junko asked, glaring at the pop idol.
"I'll handle this," she said, meeting the woman's gaze. "You told us you were washing a load of clothes to get the drawer scent out of your clothes."
"Tch… that seems like a dumb waste of time. A little smell wouldn't bother me!"
"But you're the Ultimate Fashionista, aren't you? Wouldn't you want your clothes to smell good and be presentable?" Kazuichi asked. Junko grit her teeth, fist clenched tightly.
"Even if that was the case, I'd likely wait until I wore them all. Like I said, it was a waste of time for me to bother doing that," she replied, shaking her head. "If I had seen Makoto or Sayaka, I would have mentioned it, wouldn't I?"
"I got this." Akira confidently said, meeting the woman's gaze. "Before the trial even started, you mentioned telling Makoto and Sayaka about your sister. You said you had spoken to him "an hour ago". We got to the gymnasium shortly after 11, and when you said that, it was 12:00, that puts you at around that window!"
"Oh come on, anyone could say something like that!" the fashionista snapped.
"I'll assist you this time," Byakuya said. "So you acknowledge what Akira said? You blatantly said you hadn't spoken to Makoto, yet you yourself said you spoke to him about your sister. That means Sayaka is correct."
"She's not! It was just a slip of the tongue!"
"No, it isn't!" Sayaka cried, voice filled with anger. "Just admit it, Junko. You were doing laundry, you spoke with us, and it was you who killed Leon!"
"It wasn't me, I swear!"
"Seems like the tides have shifted. Sayaka is the winner of this debate, she has the floor." Monokuma said, ending the debate.
As the seats returned to normal, everyone's gaze fell onto the Ultimate Fashionista, who had a panicked look on her face. "I didn't do it, you have to believe me. I have no reason to kill anyone."
"Again, blatantly false. We all had a reason to kill. Just admit it, you did Leon in because you saw what he did to Makoto. There's no shame in that. You killed a would-be rapist and a murderer, I commend you." Byakuya said firmly. He adjusted his glasses, looking directly at her with an intense glare. "That being said, it doesn't condone what you have done."
"Junko… please. Just tell the truth. Our lives hang in the balance here… do it for Makoto." Sayaka said, a pleading look on her face. Junko bit her lip, shoulders falling as she looked away from the pop idol.
"I'm not admitting to anything because I'm telling the truth! I wasn't doing laundry and I didn't kill Leon, and there's nothing you can say that will prove otherwise!" she screamed, tugging on her hair.
"Tick-tock kids, you have just a smidge of time left!" Monokuma said with a grin. Akira held his hand out, locking eyes with the bear.
"Wait, we're almost at the answer, we just need that one last big push!" he said, glancing around the room. "Junko's right, there's nothing that ties her to this crime, but that doesn't mean she isn't guilty. Her behavior is enough, and I'm willing to trust what Sayaka is saying, she has no reason to lie now of all times."
"But it's just as she said, there's nothing that we can use to prove it was her," Hina said.
He bowed his head, heart thumping hard in his chest. He could feel the sweat beginning to roll down the side of his head. "Fuck, she's right, there's nothing we can use. I wasn't able to get anything else. The jacket is the only thing but… Anyone could have taken it out of the washer and tossed it into our room. God… what do I do?"
He closed his eyes tightly. "Please, there has to be something… Anything that we can use. Lady Luck, or whoever is out there, you have to throw me a bone here. We can't die here, not when we're so close."
"Akira, can I speak with you real quick?"
The young man's head snapped up, locking eyes with Peko. The others looked between them, wondering why she had called out to him. He stepped away from his seat, walking to where the Ultimate Swordswoman stood. She whispered something into his ear, reaching into her pocket for something. His eyes widened in shock as he looked the item over, giving her a nod, pocketing it. Stepping back into his seat, he looked directly at Junko, a firm look on his face.
"You said there's nothing that can prove you killed Leon, right? Well, I have a piece of evidence that proves without a shadow of a doubt that it was you, Junko Enoshima!"
"Oh Yeah? Well, let's see it, because I'm innocent!"
"Ahhh, things are heating up, I'm so excited! Come on, let's give it all we've got!" Monokuma cried, bouncing in his seat.
Bloody Fingerprint on Leon's Ticket was added to your Truth Bullets
Non-Stop Debate (Hope vs Despair)
Loaded Truth Bullets: Leon's Jacket, Leon's Ticket, Fake Sword (Blade), Leon and Makoto's Fight, Mirror Shard, Bloody Fingerprint on Leon's Ticket
"No matter what you say, there's nothing that ties me to this crime. Nothing!" Junko cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm innocent, you have to believe me!"
"Yet despite that, Peko found something. Why did she call Akira over?" Sayaka questioned, glaring at the fashionista. "Stop lying and fess up already!"
"I'm not fessing up to anything, because I didn't do anything!" she growled through grit teeth. "I wasn't in the laundry room, I wasn't doing laundry and it wasn't me who killed Leon!"
"Akira, stop wasting time and fucking tell us already!" Mondo shouted, glaring at the Ultimate Lucky Student.
"Peko probably pulled it outta her ass. I don't think Junko is involved in this at all. It's far far too convenient." Fuyuhiko added.
"Because it is! I'm just the scapegoat, Sayaka is lying, she probably knows who the real killer is and wants to protect them!" Junko cried through her tears. "Why would she turn them in? They killed her would-be rapist!"
"Akira?" Peko began, glancing at the young man, giving him a nod. "For whatever reason, your voice seemed to have carried weight during this ordeal. I trust you'll know what to do."
"She's right, that piece of evidence she found is what will set us all free… and what will condemn Junko. I'm about to present the death blow… the piece of evidence that will seal her fate. God be with me." he thought to himself, taking a deep breath.
Loaded Truth Bullet: Bloody Fingerprint on Leon's Ticket
"No matter what you say, there's nothing that ties me to this crime. Nothing!" Junko cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm innocent, you have to believe me!"
"No, that's wrong!"
Break~
Silence filled the room after Akira's bold accusation. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, his throat tightening. Somehow, he managed to find his words, finally speaking. "Junko… Peko found something that will confirm you as the killer."
He pulled out Leon's Ticket from his pocket, flipping it over, showing a single thumbprint on it. It had been left in blood, completely visible. "She found this inside his jacket, which had been damp. If he had kept this in his jacket, it would have gotten wet when he pulled it out. Leon must have taken his ticket out to put it into the washer. And since it was a secret motive, no one could see it. So after you killed him, you took both items. Your hand was covered in his blood and you left this print on there."
"I… I…"
"Well… It'll be hard to use a fingerprint without the proper equipment, but I'm sure we can all provide our thumbprints." Byakuya said, glancing at the fashionista. "We'll start methodically with some ink, if Monokuma is so inclined to provide some."
"Eh? Yeah sure, I guess I can do that."
"There's no need… I'll confess. It was me who did it." the girl said, a crestfallen expression on her face.
"Do explain yourself, darling, and in detail," Celeste said her utmost attention was on the fashionista.
"I was doing laundry, like Sayaka said. I heard her scream, and I was about to come out. I saw Akira running out of the Dining Room. I came out right after but that's when I saw Leon and Makoto were fighting."
She bit her lip, looking at her feet. "It was so brutal. They were hitting each other so hard. Makoto was fighting him off with the sheath, but Leon was relentless. Every single hit caused Makoto to cry out in pain. He ended up dropping the sheath, and ran into the bathroom, being chased by Makoto. I heard screaming and then nothing. When Leon came out, his jacket being soaked in blood… I realized what he did. I hid in the laundry room, because if he saw me… he'd do the same thing to me."
"So Leon came into the Laundry Room to wash his jacket, and likely didn't notice you. He saw your washer was on and tossed it inside, sighing in relief. Only to turn around and see you. I take it he started to fight?" Hajime asked.
"Yeah… he started screaming. "You didn't see shit, alright? If you tell anyone, I'll kill you too!" It wasn't like the Leon we had met yesterday. I noticed his ticket on the bench and that's what started it all. He tried to fight me, but I managed to get away. I remembered the sheath Makoto dropped and I went after it. We fought for a bit, but I managed to knock him out with it. I managed to get away, but he woke up almost immediately. He chased me back to the laundry room and I got him again, I hit him so hard that the damn thing broke. I ran out, tossed the sheath into the hallway, and went into the kitchen." she explained.
"That's when you looked for the first thing you could to defend yourself, a skillet," Hikari said, shaking his head. "Why didn't you stop?"
"Huh?"
"Why didn't you stop? I mean… he had already slayed Makoto. You could have run to the Academy. What could Leon have done? Sayaka saw the two fighting, and you saw the aftermath. You could have stopped." the graphic designer said.
"I… don't know."
"Of course you do, darling. You didn't stop because you saw the ticket. Leon was going to cash his, and you likely thought about cashing your own. After all, you did mention your sister. It's possible you wanted to see her, right?" the Ultimate Gambler asked.
"Celeste brings up a good point. Junko told us her sister, Mukuro, is the Ultimate Soldier. She was supposed to be in our class with her. But she isn't, and Junko wanted to call her, but she didn't have her phone." Sayaka said, glancing at the fashionista. "Not only that, you told us you recently got back together, after you were separated by those kidnappers."
Junko nodded, holding back her tears. "I just wanted to see her again. She's the person I love the most in this world, the last person I have in my life. I didn't mean to kill anyone. I just want my big sis!"
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court! It seems we have a full confession! But for it to be valid, it's time for our closing argument! Be sure to summarize everything from top to bottom, do your best~" Monokuma said, tapping his gavel on the armrest.
Closing Argument
"I don't know how to begin this but I guess it'll be at the beginning," Akira said, clearing his throat as he looked around the room.
"The story behind this case begins the moment Monokuma issued the secret motive, the First Blood Ticket issued to all students of Hope's Peak Academy. It was a ticket that could be used to leave the academy if they killed someone within 24 Hours.
Everyone got this ticket, except for Sayaka Maizono, the reason being I, Akira Yoshizawa, found her ticket and kept it to myself. I took her shears intending to shred it, but I was unable to last night.
We move onto today. Due to the instructions on the ticket, no one was allowed to mention the ticket. This is something that many of us, including Kiyotaka Ishimaru, considered breaking. I myself decided to get rid of it, for my safety and that of the others. Sonia invited me to play Chess with her in the Dining Hall. At the same time, Sayaka and Makoto headed to the Gymnasium in search of something that Sayaka could use to defend herself.
At the same time, Junko decided to do a load of laundry. She remained in the Laundry Room at this time. Meanwhile, most of the others found themselves within the Gymnasium. Kiyotaka decided to host a basketball game, likely to forget about the ticket that he, at this point, assumed had been given to him and him alone. Leon volunteered to return to the Dormitory Building to speak to the others.
At this time, Sayaka and Makoto returned to the Dormitory Building, bringing the Fake Katana from the Gymnasium Showcase. This katana was covered in a gold leaf that flaked everywhere, thus, it had to be wrapped in newspaper. I personally witnessed them, but I wasn't the only one. Junko also spoke with them briefly, telling Makoto and Sayaka that she was doing a load of laundry. This is also when they learned about Junko's sister, Mukuro.
After a while, everyone went on their way, and Leon approached everyone. Sonia and I turned him down, and he left to speak with Makoto and Sayaka, likely never noticing Junko was in the Laundry Room. At this point, Leon realized Sayaka was alone, and made up some excuse to speak with her.
During this time, he attacked Sayaka to violate her. Sayaka managed to get away, heading into the hallway. Makoto came out, noticed this, and decided to fight Leon off. Sayaka screamed, grabbing my attention, but also the attention of Junko who was doing her laundry in the laundry room. Makoto and Leon started fighting, going unheard because of the Soundproofing in the bedrooms.
Not long after, the fight spilled to the corridor, evidenced by the glitter all over the place. Makoto and Leon were fighting each other with each part of the Fake Katana. Makoto dropped the sheath after taking a hit, and ran to the bathroom. Leon gave chase, swinging at Makoto so hard that he shattered the mirror. This also caused the sword to break cleanly in half. Makoto dove into the stall, trying to get away from Leon. They fought for a while longer, and Leon tried to drown him in the toilet.
Likely thinking he was dead, he began to leave, only to hear Makoto take him by surprise. Leon grabbed a piece of the mirror and slashed Makoto's throat, spilling blood all over his jacket. Leon left the bathroom, not noticing Junko had seen most of the fight, and seeing the blood on his jacket, realized what he had done. He walked into the laundry room, taking his ticket out of his jacket, placing it in her washer. As he turned around, he saw Junko, and realizing she had seen everything, threatened and tried to fight her.
Junko grabbed the sheath and struck Leon in the back of the head, but that wasn't enough. He chased her into the laundry room, where she hit him for a second time, so hard that it knocked him unconscious for a longer period of time. This broke the sheath which she tossed into the corridor. Having noticed his ticket, she made a decision that would end with Leon's death. She went into the kitchen, grabbed a skillet, and bashed his head in, ending his life. She was likely going to wash the skillet, but having heard people coming back, she panicked. She tossed the skillet back into the dining hall and went to the laundry room.
She pulled out Leon's jacket, wrung it out, and took his ticket as well, looking for a place to hide, she hid in the only available place. Mine and Sayaka's dorm room. She threw the jacket on the floor, putting Leon's ticket in the pocket, not noticing her bloody fingerprint on the reverse side. She hid inside the bathroom and likely waited until Sayaka had left to come out. By then, she and everyone else were called to the Gymnasium for Monokuma's assembly. That brings us to the beginning of the investigation, and the ending of this tragedy."
Closing Argument End:
"That's it… the full story of what happened here. Am I wrong, Junko?" Akira asked, glancing at the young woman. She shook her head.
"Nah… that's pretty accurate. Not 100% what happened, but close enough," he said.
"Well… if that's all then that means we get to move on to the fun part~" Monokuma said, pressing a button. A device popped out of every single seat, flashing brightly. "In front of you is a magical little button. You will now vote for who you think is the culprit, everyone has to vote and it has to be unanimous. People who abstain from the vote shall be punished, so think wisely~"
Akira stared at the device for a moment before tapping the screen, seeing a picture of every single one of his classmates. He kept tapping until he saw Junko's face, regretfully clicking on it. A slot machine sprung up from beneath Monokuma's seat, the slots spinning rapidly as the votes were tallied. They stopped on Junko's face, confetti and coins pouring from beneath the machine.
"And we have a winner! Junko Enoshima is in fact, the dirty little blackened who killed the Ultimate Baseball Star."
"I won't say he didn't deserve it but…" Hajime began, cutting himself off.
"It's still awful, Junko, why didn't you stop? You didn't have to involve yourself in anything more." the Ultimate Princess said, causing the fashionista to chuckle.
"Right, you are absolutely right, but I was working on adrenaline. Imagine seeing someone walking toward you with a bloodied jacket after a fight. What would you do in that scenario, hm? Would you just stand there and let him attack you? Or would you defend yourself." she said, glancing away from her. "I will admit, I could have stopped, but a part of me told me not to, because more than anything, I gotta get out of this shithole, I need to find my sister!"
"You could have waited, rescue was bound to come!" Hina said.
"Rescue? Do you honestly believe that'll happen? Look around at this place! We're how many stories below Hope's Peak? And all of the plates and the doors being shut… there is no way the ones who own this place don't know what's going on. They abandoned us here, with him!" she exclaimed, pointing at Monokuma.
"Huh? You weren't left here with me… why… all of you chose to stay here." the monochrome bear said, grinning. "After all, weren't you all scouted? You all chose to come to Hope's Peak, you all chose to stay here. Now you have to live with the consequences!"
"Grr… none of this would have happened if not for you!" Akira shouted, slamming his fist on his stand. "All of this was because of you, the motive was passed out because of you! And because of you, Makoto is dead!"
"He didn't have to protect Sayaka, did he? Oh but he was completely enamored with her, wasn't he? It wasn't hard to fall for her charms, her little smile, her cute little laugh, and that lovely floral smell, hehe. Why, I bet that's why Leon chose her because she was so goddamned irresistible."
Akira let out a shout, trying to jump over his stand, only for Kyoko to grab his arm, pulling him back. "Stop, you have to control your emotions, Akira. If you want our enemies to pay for what they've done, you'll have to let it go for now."
He panted a bit but realized she was telling the truth. Monokuma's expression changed to one of anger, his claws having emerged from his arm. "Hah! You are very lucky, Mister. A little closer and you would have been in for a walloping of a lifetime!"
His expression changed almost immediately, his smile returning. "Now then, it's time to give the Ultimate Fashionista her much-deserved punishment."
Everyone stiffened at the bear's words, but Junko didn't seem bothered. She reached into her pocket, pulling out her ticket. "No one's getting punished today, because you are going to keep to your word."
The bear looked at the ticket for a moment before breaking into hysterical laughter. His body shook as he fell to the ground, rolling around almost like a maniac. "Oh… you poor thing. It's far too late to claim that."
"Huh?"
"The ticket was supposed to be claimed within 24 hours. It wasn't 24 hours from when you found it. It's 24 hours from when I passed them out. And I started passing those out at around 3:30 PM yesterday."
The look on Junko's face fell, as the true horror of her actions finally dawned on her. She started to hyperventilate, squeezing the ticket in her grasp. "No… no you can't do this to me. Goddamn it, I have to get out of here!"
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the time has finally come. We have to take care of business, it's what everyone is waiting for. It's…. Punishment time~" Monokuma cried, spinning his gavel around.
Junko Enoshima has been found guilty…
Preparing Execution…
The Ultimate Fashionista looked around the courtroom for a moment, trying desperately to find a way out. Before she started to run, a pair of chains shot out from the wall, wrapping around her legs. As she was pulled off her feet, she tried to stop herself, digging her nails into the ground, only for all of them to break. The remaining students were forced to watch as she was dragged away, being pulled through the empty halls of the academy.
The scenery shifted, as she was brought into a lavish auditorium, all of the seats being filled with Monokumas dressed in fancy clothing. The lights went completely dark, a pair of curtains appeared over the stage, a gilded sign being attached to them.
Deadly Fashion Show
The curtains rose, showing the Ultimate Fashionista in a beautiful dress. She felt something whipping her legs and looked down to see Monokuma, holding a cattle prod in his grasp. She tried to avoid it but she was shocked with it, causing her to walk forward. She screamed in pain, as she looked down, seeing nothing but broken glass, nails, and tacks sticking out from the stage. The bear prodded her again, forcing her to walk forward. She grit her teeth, walking forward, feet bleeding all over the stage. She made it to the end, before turning around, forcing herself to keep walking, struggling to remain standing. The glass ended up cutting a part of her dress, causing Monokuma to grow angry.
He pressed a button on his cattle prod, which caused the ceiling to open up, and a massive sewing machine fell onto the stage. Monokuma kicked Junko forward, causing her to fall on a piece of royal blue cloth. She looked to her right, seeing a massive needle come down on the cloth. As Monokuma pressed the foot pedal, the machine started going faster, pulling Junko in. She tried to get away, but screamed as the needle pierced her leg, sewing her onto the cloth. Monokuma kept adjusting and positioning her around, sewing her body onto the cloth. After he was done, the cloth was lifted up, the body of the Ultimate Fashionista having been sewn on it.
Blood poured from her body as she screamed in pain, calling for her sister. A panel of judges, consisting of three Monokumas, gave her a thumbs down. Monokuma shook his head, turning around as he pressed another button, sending thousands of threaded needles flying into the girl's body. The cloth fell back down, and as Monokuma walked off the stage, he kicked the machine's pedal, causing it to fall off the stage, face down. The massive needle came down on Junko, piercing her straight through the eye. Her body twitched for a moment as blood poured off the stage.
As the needle came up, Junko's body fell onto the ground with a hard, wet thud. It was clear she was dead.
The remaining students watched in horror, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed. Monokuma meanwhile broke into laughter, drinking in the expressions on their faces.
The entire courtroom fell silent. No one dared to speak, far too stunned to describe what they had just seen. Akira, though remaining calm, was shaking. In that instance, everything settled in. He was truly in a life-or-death game. They had just condemned someone to death. It was all real, and there was no avoiding it.
"Wow… That went by smoother than I thought it would. I find it hilarious how she called for her sister the entire time. Haa… as if that was going to save her." Monokuma said, causing Monto to spit on the ground.
"Uwaaahhh." Kazuichi cried, clutching his head in his hands, tears falling from his eyes.
"This can't be real… can it?" Hiro muttered, screaming in fear. "Noooo… I gotta get outta here!"
"D-does this have to k-keep happening? T-this can't be real… it just can't!" Chihiro squeaked, trying to dry her tears, but failing miserably as more kept coming.
"Hey… if you don't like it, all you have to do is give up on going outside. Cut ties to the outside world and live safely inside the Academy." the bear replied.
"Fuck you! What the fuck is wrong with you? Why the hell did you have to kill her?! Why are you doing this evil shit to us?!" the Ultimate Biker shouted in anger.
"I thought you said you didn't want to kill anyone. Was that a lie?" Hikari shouted at the bear, a look of anger on his face. "She admitted to her crime, she didn't have to die, she could have gone to jail."
"Pfft… Jail? Now why would I bother with that? Killers need to be punished. Look at what happened to Batman. He kept putting killers into prison and one of those killers ended up destroying Metropolis. I just took a page from Superman's book and killed the killer." Monokuma said, turning to face the student. "Let this be an example, everyone here is subject to the same end. Feel free to return to the communal lifestyle you were enjoying. But remember, that'll be your ending."
"The only reason this happened was because of that secret motive you gave us. You want us to stay here but actively gave us something to make us wanna leave. What the hell is the point of that?" Hajime shouted, making the bear smirk.
"That was a little litmus test. I wanted to see what would happen if I gave everyone a secret motive and made them believe they had gotten the sole ticket, and it worked exactly as I thought it would. One of you started to think about using it, and one of you acted." the monochrome bear said. "What happened, happened because more than one of you decided you wanted to get out, right? No matter how much time passes, you can't cut free of your regrets from the outside world. You're to blame!"
"Of course, we can't cut free from the outside world! Being trapped in this place is insane!" Hiyoko shouted, drying her tears with her sleeve.
"Hm… you're trapped, aren't you? Well, I'm sure once you learn all the mysteries of this school, you'll change for sure. You'll think, "Boy, isn't it so wonderful how we all get to live here forever!?"
"W-what are you trying to say?" Kiyotaka nervously asked.
"Heh… I'm sure there's a hidden meaning somewhere." Kyoko said, crossing her arms as she glanced at the bear. "When you mean "everyone" who exactly are you referring to?"
"Whoops, seems like I've said too much. Gotta keep some secrets to myself. Puhuhahahahahaha~" the bear cried, hysterically laughing as he took his leave.
"And just like that… the bastard was gone. No one dared to say anything, rooted firmly in place. No… I don't think it was that long. I think everyone just lost their sense of time. We were all just… scared of being alone. But even then… I had to remain strong. Whatever was going on… I vowed that I wouldn't fall to the likes of the bear. I have to live, because living in fear is no way to die."
End of Chapter 1
Surviving Students: 20
A/N: And just like that Junko is dead. This is starting off a lot differently, eh? I actually wanted to keep her alive, but it was a bit rough to come up with ideas for her. And before anyone asks, yes, this was 100% Junko, it wasn't Mukuro, if it wasn't obvious before, Junko isn't the Mastermind this time around. It's someone else. Fun times ahead, I promise. For a first class trial, this one wasn't too bad, eh? Hope you liked it. If not well that's fine too. It is what it is.