Chapter 2: Act 7: The Second Class Trial
Location: Lift Room, Hope's Peak Academy 1F
Day: 10
Time: 1:25 PM
Truth Bullets:
Monokuma File #3
Victim Name: Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu
Time of Death: 10:30 AM
Cause of Death: Multiple Stab Wounds and Blood Hemorrhaging
The victim was discovered by Byakuya Togami, Sonia Nevermind, and Hajime Hinata within the bathhouse on the first-floor dormitory. The victim shows signs of being stabbed multiple times. Furthermore, it appears as if the body was dragged from its original position. There are signs of disembowelment.
Coagulated Blood: (Fuyuhiko's blood had coagulated by the time he was discovered. This proves that he had died before the time everyone was alerted)
Time of Death: (Fuyuhiko had been dead for an hour before his discovery. But everyone was led to believe it had happened mere moments ago)
Unknown Pattern: (A pattern was left behind in Fuyuhiko's blood, as if someone had dipped something into the blood)
Drag Marks: (There are signs that Fuyuhiko's body was dragged from its original position)
Fuyuhiko's Clean Hands: (There was no blood on Fuyuhiko's hands save for his fingertip. Wouldn't he have some if he dragged himself?)
Fuyuhiko's Dying Message: (Fuyuhiko wrote Peko's name in his own blood on the floor. His fingertip is covered in blood, proving it had been he who wrote it)
Peko's Sword: (The sword Peko carries around is a Shinai, a bamboo sword used for training. Thus, it cannot be the murder weapon)
Peko Pekoyama's Account: (Peko's personal testimony. She claims to have been in the Arcade with Kazuichi and Ibuki during the time of Fuyuhiko's murder)
Mikan Tsumiki's Autopsy Report #3: (Mikan's autopsy report. She discovered Fuyuhiko had been stabbed approximately seventeen times. Each wound was an inch and a half in length. He had two exit wounds on his back. Furthermore, she discovered his hands being clean, so he couldn't have dragged himself. Finally, his disembowelment happened post-mortem, as he had dried blood on his skin above the abdominal wound)
Micro-Cassette: (Part of Monokuma's motive. One was given to every surviving student earlier in the day. Mikan found it in Fuyuhiko's grasp. Upon listening to it, it contains a recording of Fuyuhiko and Peko planning to murder someone. This person isn't named)
Broken Glass Object: (A broken object that Akira slipped on. Upon examination, it has spherical features. It is broken into several pieces as if dropped from a high place)
Kazuichi and Ibuki's Account: (Testimony from Kazuichi and Ibuki, corroborating Peko's earlier testimony to being with them in the Arcade during Fuyuhiko's murder. Peko arrived in the Arcade at exactly 10:25, confirming she wasn't anywhere near Fuyuhiko when he died)
Byakuya Togami's Account: (Byakuya claims to have gone to the library, followed by visiting his dorm room during the time Fuyuhiko was dead. Is he telling the truth?)
Missing Knife: (A knife that wasn't in its set. Byakuya was the one who took notice of it. By process of elimination, it was determined to be a Boning Knife. Interestingly, the boning knife was found within the incinerator, its wooden handle being burned away. Hiro claims to have tossed it in accidentally)
Hiro's Ripped Jacket: (Hiro's jacket pocket was completely ripped. How could that have happened? He claims it had been like that for a while now)
Akira was the last one in the lift again. It was deathly quiet, unlike the previous time. This time, everyone knew what they were in for. They knew what would happen when they stepped into that Trial Room. No one uttered a single word, merely looking ahead. Within moments, the lift started to move. 19 lives would head down into that courtroom, and 18 would come back out. He had a myriad of questions, but he was sure he had pieced together what had happened. Though he had a suspect, he wouldn't be sure until everyone revealed what they had found. He felt someone take a hold of his hand, causing him to look to his left.
He met Sayaka's eyes, seeing the supportive smile on her face. She was still wearing the dress he had given her before, seemingly not bothered by the heat that had returned to the academy. However, that immediately changed the moment the lift doors opened. Stepping back out into the Class Trial Court Room, they were greeted by a completely reworked room. One was the black and white checkerboard pattern, the tiles being replaced by white and icy blue.
The walls had all been painted a similar ice blue, and paper snowflakes hung from the ceiling. There were piles of fake snow and ice all around the room, along with snow Monokumas, penguins, and other cold-dwelling creatures. Instead of red carpets, ice blue ones led to their seats. Monokuma had already taken his seat above the room, gavel in hand.
"Come on, get to your stands already! I'm itching to get this started, hehehehe~"
Akira wanted to say something, but he kept quiet, stepping up to his stand. Sayaka stood beside him as she had previously. Looking around, he noticed Fuyuhiko and Junko's portraits had joined the others. Four people had died, and by the end of this trial, another one would be joining them.
"Alright then! Let's begin things by giving everyone a refresher! During a class trial, you will all discuss who you believe the blackened is. After some deliberating, you will present your closing statement. Finally, you will have to vote for the blackened student. If you are correct in your vote, then only the blackened shall be executed ! But if you choose wrong, everyone other than the blackened, will be executed, and the blackened student will be allowed to leave!"
"Okay, we should begin like last time. Let's start off with the Monokuma File and discuss its contents. This case is a lot different than the previous ones, we should make sure everyone is up to speed on what's going on." Hajime said, taking the lead of the trial.
"It's easy, the victim this time around was Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, and he was stabbed to death in the bathhouse! Whoever did that has some huge nuts. I mean think about it? Going after the son of a Yakuza Leader? Knowing what they'd do if you made it out. What an idiot!" Hiyoko cheerfully said.
"Ahem, need I remind you that person is deceased? Show a bit more compassion, would you?" Peko snapped, glaring at the blonde dancer.
"Let us not derail from what we are discussing. The Monokuma file claims his cause of death was multiple stab wounds as well as hemorrhaging. But I do not believe that to be the case. After all, there's a bigger cause of death right in front of us." the Ultimate Princess said, addressing the second half of the file. "He was disemboweled."
"Oh dude… are you serious?" Hiro asked. When he earned a nod from the princess, he covered his mouth, face going slightly green. "That's awful man!"
"Yes it is, but Fuyuhiko didn't die from being disemboweled," Akira said, causing Sonia to look at him, brows furrowed in confusion.
"Of course it is, Akira. His intestines were spilled out all over the bathhouse floor. Anyone would die from that."
"Sonia, trust me on this. He was dead before he was disemboweled," he stated, his voice a little firm as he spoke. "The file states that he died of multiple stab wounds. If it had been disembowelment, I'm sure it would have been listed."
"But what if Monokuma left that out intentionally? He could have done it to mess with us! I think I agree with Miss Sonia! Fuyuhiko was totally gutted, that's what caused his death!" Kazuichi said, giving the princess a grin. She ignored him completely, her focus elsewhere.
"We have two differing options, why don't you two talk it out and reach an agreement, yeah?" Hina asked, looking a little sick herself. "I don't wanna keep talking about this stuff."
"Fine, but I am correct in my assumption. Forgive me for pressing the matter so much, Akira."
"It's alright, Sonia. Let's hear your theory then…"
Non-Stop Debate
Loaded Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #3, Mikan Tsumiki's Autopsy Report #3, Micro-Cassette, Drag Marks
"As I was saying before. Fuyuhiko's cause of death is undoubtedly disembowelment." the Ultimate Princess said. "After all, a sizable wound like that would cause someone to die instantly."
"What about the stab wounds then?" Sayaka asked curiously.
"Those were fabricated by Monokuma. There are no cameras in the bathhouse, so how can we trust his word?"
"She makes a good point there. Maybe it is a faked file." Hikari said, tilting his head. "Though for some reason, I feel like this is wrong."
"I'll gut you like a pig! Hehe! Gangsters say that all the time but man, didn't think it'd happen to Fuyuhiko!" Ibuki threw in, earning glares from everyone around her, though she was blissfully unaware of them.
"Come on, man. At least respect him." Mondo added, clearly disappointed in Ibuki.
"It matters not, my statement still stands. Fuyuhiko was disemboweled, that is his true cause of death!"
"That's wrong. His true cause of death was the seventeen stab wounds he received. Mikan showed me how she arrived at that conclusion. Let's see what they'll say about it now." Akira thought to himself.
Loaded Truth Bullet: Mikan Tsumiki's Autopsy Report #3
As I was saying before. Fuyuhiko's cause of death is undoubtedly disembowelment."
"No, that's wrong!"
Break~
"Sorry Sonia, but you are completely wrong about Fuyuhiko's cause of death," Akira said, clearing his throat. "He died from the initial stab wounds to his chest. The disembowelment happened after. Mikan noticed he had dry blood right above his abdominal wound. That means he had been laying on the floor for at least half an hour before he was disemboweled, perhaps even longer."
"He's right. There is evidence that it was a post-mortem wound. When someone dies, all of the blood tends to pool on the side they are at. Normally, all of the blood would collect on the back of the body, as they're laid down on a gurney or bed. But in Fuyuhiko's case, all of the blood pooled at the front, because it was leaving through the wounds on his chest." the Ultimate Nurse said. "Not only that, but the stab wounds were above his abdominal wounds, near his heart, so that blood would have dried first."
"I see… my apologies. I wasted time on my own ramblings and didn't consider the possibility of my error. Perhaps I should allow the medical expert to speak first before saying anything." the princess apologetically said.
"Hey, don't worry about it. This is what needs to happen, we need to eliminate all possibilities. Though now you did bring up a curious point. There aren't any cameras in the bathhouse, so how was Monokuma able to see it?" Akira said, glancing at the bear.
"Eh? I might not be able to have an actual camera installed in that room due to the steam, but that doesn't mean I miss out on things. After all, there are multiple versions of me all over the school doing their own inspections! That's how I'm able to determine things or catch people in the act when they aren't facing a camera!" the bear cheerfully said.
"So wait… you have a camera installed too?" Hiro asked, eyes widening in shock. "A-and if there's multiples all over the school then… You've seen us do a lot of personal private things!"
"I've seen a lot of things with my eyes, Hiro, but trust me, I didn't see you doing what you think you are doing. I doubt no one did given how tiny of a matter it was." the bear said with a smirk.
"Pfft… tiny~" Ibuki chortled, covering her mouth with her hand.
"It seems we have some immature children in the courtroom today. Might we steer this back to what we were doing before? I'd rather not be sent to the gallows because we were unable to make use of our time here." Celeste firmly said.
"She's right, we must continue this discussion. It was established that Fuyuhiko was stabbed to death, correct? Well, what was used, and who did it? If we answer those questions, this trial is as good as over!" The Ultimate Moral Compass said.
"Actually, we have an answer to both of those things! The killer is none other than Peko Pekoyama! The Ultimate Swordswoman!" Hiyoko barked, pointing an accusatory finger to the silver-haired woman. "It was you who did it, wasn't it? I bet your tears for him were fake!"
"Don't you dare insult my genuine sadness. Fuyuhiko was someone I held dear in my heart, I would never betray him in such a disgusting manner!" the woman spat back.
"If that's the case then why was your name written in his blood, hm? Seems pretty telling to me!"
"I have no explanation as to why he wrote my name in his blood. But I was not in the bathhouse or anywhere near that area when he was being murdered. Your cause lies elsewhere!" she returned, voice laced with anger.
"Likely story, that chick's the Ultimate Swordswoman, right? Then she'd be able to pull this off easily! Not only could she stab him with her sword, but she could gut him too. It's the perfect crime! No one would suspect her, especially if she acted like she was buddy-buddy with him." the biker said firmly.
"But she was crying, wasn't she? Why would she cry over someone she killed?"
"To make it seem like she wasn't involved, duh~ I mean it's so obvious! Anyone can cry on command if they practice. Our swordswoman here is the devious little actress. But we got her hooked! Come on, let's bag this bitch and get back to the academy!"
"Hold on!" Kyoko exclaimed, silencing the room. "We cannot vote all willy-nilly without looking at the entire picture. Just because Peko's name was written in blood doesn't mean she was the one that did it. In fact, we might have some evidence to counter that claim."
"Oh yeah? Then let's see it!"
Kyoko looked at Akira, giving him a nod. He bowed his head for a moment, thinking back at everything he had collected. "Right… I have three pieces of evidence that not only prove Peko's innocence, but also put her somewhere else entirely. Let's begin with the obvious."
"Peko couldn't have been the one to have done it, because, by her account, she was in the Arcade helping Kazuichi and Ibuki prepare chicken wings," he said, glancing at the pink-haired mechanic and the musician. "Isn't that right?"
"Yeah! Me and Ibuki left to make wings. I spent 15 minutes examining the machine, and started making the wings. Peko got there at 10:25, a full 5 minutes before Fuyuhiko was murdered." Kazuichi said.
"Yep yep~ He's totally right! While I was checking the machine, I was preparing the wings. We spent the next hour or so making every wing we could and preparing the bowls and sauces to bring down to everyone! She's squeaky clean!"
"Hm… alright, but that doesn't clear her name, does it?" Hiyoko spat, glaring at the swordswoman. "She could have still done it, because Fuyuhiko died at 10:30! She could have easily stabbed him and left him to die! Look at the drag marks! He tried to get himself to safety but died from blood loss! She's still guilty!"
"Are you seriously still harping on this? I didn't do it!"
"Yeah right!"
"I'm innocent of this crime, and we have a solid piece of evidence to prove it!"
"She's right. The last piece of evidence is what she showed me back at the bathhouse." Akira said, smiling. "I've got the answer!"
All eyes falling on him, the Ultimate Lucky Student continued the discussion. "Peko couldn't have done it because she doesn't carry a katana with her. Carrying a katana for anything other than collection purposes is illegal in Japan. She might be the Ultimate Swordswoman, but she follows the law."
"She's the Ultimate Swordswoman and she doesn't have a sword? I don't believe that!" Sayaka cried out in disbelief. "She has to have one, I mean, she always carries it around with her!"
"Peko, why don't you show everyone," Akira said. She nodded, pulling the bag off from around her shoulder. She pulled it open, drawing the bamboo sword from within. She held it out to everyone, making sure they all saw it.
"This is what I carry with me on a daily basis, a shinai. It's a traditional bamboo practice sword. As you can see, it is a blunt weapon, with a rounded tip. Even if I struck you with all my strength, I wouldn't be able to stab you with this." she replied, leaning her shinai against her stand, crossing her arms. "Furthermore, if I had stabbed Fuyuhiko with a sword, I could have run him through. He'd have more than just 19 stab wounds, considering the fact two are exit wounds. And a standard katana blade is far larger than the wounds he has now."
"There you have it. Peko is innocent of this crime. She has nothing to do with this, and we'll never know what Fuyuhiko had written for her. It's clearly obvious the killer stumbled across that message when he was disemboweled." the black haired boy said.
"Hm… there's something that's bugging me though," Hajime said, head tilted slightly as he gathered his thoughts. "Okay, so Mikan said that Fuyuhiko had dry blood on him above his abdominal wound, right? But there are drag marks on the ground, did he drag himself forward?"
"No, he didn't. His hands were free of blood, minus the blood on his fingertip. He wouldn't have been able to drag himself even if he wanted to." Mikan said firmly. "Not only that, even if he had gotten blood on his hands, he wouldn't have been strong enough to lift himself up. Especially with so much blood coming out of him."
"So wait… was his body dragged after he died?!" Hikari asked, eyes widened in shock. Kazuichi let out a cry as he clutched his head.
"Oh god, that's so fucked up man! Who the hell would do that?!"
"The same person who disemboweled him, of course," Kyoko claimed, making everyone look at her.
"You mean the killer, right?" Hina asked curiously.
"I have reason to believe the killer wasn't the one who disemboweled him. In fact, it was someone else entirely who did that to Fuyuhiko."
Even Akira was perplexed by what he had heard. He had never considered someone tampering with the entire scene of the crime. He opened his mouth to say something, but Sayaka beat him to the punch.
"Kyoko, how do you know someone else was the one who did that to him?"
"It was rather easy. The scene itself tells us the answer. The killer responsible for this attacked Fuyuhiko repeatedly to ensure his death. But the number of stab wounds also lets us know one thing. The person who attacked Fuyuhiko was initially hesitant, but was taken by surprise, and lashed out. They were forced to "commit" as it were. A single well-placed stab wound would have sufficed, but they stabbed him so hard, the weapon went through his body twice."
She paused for a moment, almost for dramatic effect. "The killer must have left at that point, the job was done, so why stick around? In their haste, they ended up leaving a trail, which attracted the gaze of an onlooker."
"You're talking about that pattern, right?" Akira asked.
"Pattern? What pattern?" Celeste curiously asked.
"Oh! I remember this. Akira noticed this in Fuyuhiko's blood. It almost looked as if someone had dipped something into it. It was kind of streaky too, now that I think about it." The blue haired idol replied.
"That's right, I didn't notice anything when I first looked at it, but when I looked closely, I noticed some blood had been wiped away. I examined the area around Peko's name as well as further back, near the entrance to the bathhouse. There were small specks on the floor as well. This leads me to believe someone wiped the blood trail the killer left behind."
"But why would someone do that?" Mondo asked curiously. "Do people who assist even get anything?"
"Nope! The only one who can leave the academy is the blackened student. Accomplices get diddly squat, so there's no true incentive for anyone to help each other." Monokuma replied.
"I-if that's the case, then why would anyone mess with the crime scene?" Chihiro asked curiously.
"Maybe the person who saw it wanted to make it interesting?" Ibuki suggested, shrugging her shoulders. "It's like rock stars who jump off the stage and into the crowd! They want to rile the crowd up, keep'em singing and hollering!"
"So someone among us wants to test us," Byakuya said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I see… Well played. By obscuring the truth of the scene, it makes pinpointing the killer that much harder. I quite like this game."
"Yeah, I'm sure you do, asshole." Akira thought to himself, squeezing his stand. Something stuck out to him as he racked his brain for a potential answer. "Wait a minute… if someone stumbled on the body and moved it around, wouldn't we have known about it?"
"What? What are you talking about?" Kazuichi asked.
"It's obvious! There's one constant that happens whenever someone is found dead!" the Ultimate Lucky Student said.
"I believe what you are speaking about is the Body Discovery Announcement. I've been thinking about it as well." Celeste said firmly. "When Makoto and Leon's bodies were discovered, we got an announcement through the school's P.A. system. That means, if someone found Fuyuhiko's corpse, then we'd have been notified."
"Hey, Monokuma, does the killer count among the people who discover the body?" Mahiru asked, causing the bear to sit up.
"Of course not! You can't discover a body that you yourself killed! That'd be redundant. Nope! The killers aren't counted in this. Oh, and I should have added this to the rule, but in order to trigger the body discovery announcement, at least three people must be present to trigger it."
"So that means, if Fuyuhiko's body was tampered with, the person that did it would be listed among the ones who discovered it," Akira said, looking at three people in particular.
"Wait… that means Sonia, Hajime, and Byakuya were the ones who gutted Fuyuhiko!" Kazuichi cried out. "Why, Miss Sonia! Why would you do something?"
"Are you fucking daft? Why would I disrespect a body in such a disgusting way? What kind of Princess do you take me to be?" Sonia shouted, her face filled with anger. "How dare you insinuate I do something so awful?!"
"I agree with Sonia, I was nowhere near the bathhouse when Fuyuhiko was killed. I was in the library. Ibuki and Kazuichi can attest to this, as they saw me enter the library as they headed to the Arcade." the heir said firmly.
"Well, I didn't do it. I was in the Trash Room the whole time." Hajime said firmly. Murmurs filled the courtroom as everyone discussed the implications of this. Akira shared a look with Sayaka, who gave him a supportive smile. He briefly met eyes with Kyoko, who had been giving him a firm look as well.
"Someone is lying here… that has to be it. But… who is it? I wasn't paying attention because I was playing cards with Hiyoko, Chihiro, and Celeste. Sayaka was on my PSP and everyone else was just doing their own thing… but wait, there's only one person who doesn't fit that bill…"
"Order! Order in the court dammit! If you all wanna start talking simultaneously then discuss it in order!" Monokuma cried angrily.
"Don't worry, we'll do just that!" Akira firmly claimed.
Non-Stop Debate
Loaded Truth Bullets: Unknown Pattern, Drag Marks, Peko Pekoyama's Account, Fuyuhiko's Dying Message, Byakuya Togami's Account
"The Body Discovery Announcement plays when three people discover the body, right?" Kiyotaka stated. "That means among the one who discovered it, the true culprit resides!"
"Well, I was in the Trash Room the entire time!" Hajime announced firmly.
"As was I! Furthermore, I would never do something so horrible to someone's body." Sonia said, clasping her hands together.
"Well, it wasn't me. I was at the library the entire time." Byakuya said firmly.
"Huh? No, you weren't! I distinctly remember you leaving the Library at the same time we left the Arcade." Ibuki said, only for Byakuya to glare at her.
"Be quiet, your useless statements will not be tolerated here."
"Fantastic discussion we're all having here. Man, I wish I brought some wings with me." Hiyoko dejectedly said, ignoring the glare Mahiru was giving her.
"C-could it be? Could Miss Sonia truly be responsible for something so heinous?" Kazuichi asked. The Ultimate Princess glared at him, a look of obvious hurt on her face.
"It wasn't me! Why am I getting blamed again? And by you! You did this last time as well! I hate you!"
"H-hate? N-no…" the pink haired boy said, tearing up.
"Think! Akira, Think! Ibuki said something… she said Byakuya was lying. She said that he had left the library at the same time. They got to the Trash Room with those wings, but Byakuya arrived at a later time. Was that window enough? Without knowing the right time I can't say but…" he shifted his gaze toward Kyoko, who had been looking at him for a couple minutes now. She didn't say anything, but the look in her eye told him everything he needed to know. Growing confident, he nodded to himself. "There's no denying Byakuya got there late! I'll have to bank on that! Lady Luck, please be with me."
Byakuya's Arrival was added to your Truth Bullets
Loaded Truth Bullets: Byakuya's Arrival
"The Body Discovery Announcement plays when three people discover the body, right?" Kiyotaka stated. "That means among the one who discovered it, the true culprit resides!"
"Well, I was in the Trash Room the entire time!" Hajime announced firmly.
"As was I! Furthermore, I would never do something so horrible to someone's body." Sonia said, clasping her hands together.
"Well, it wasn't me. I was at the library the entire time." Byakuya said firmly.
"No, that's wrong!"
Break~
"Byakuya, what you just said was a blatant lie! You weren't in the library the entire time, in fact, you left the library at the same time Peko, Kazuichi, and Ibuki left the arcade! Isn't that right, Ibuki?" he asked.
"Yes, it was! He was a few paces behind us, but when we headed to the Trash Room with all of the wings, he didn't come in. In fact, by my estimate, he didn't come by for a full ten minutes!" the Musician said.
"By your own admission to me, you said that you left the library and headed to your dorm. Why is that? Mind explaining it to me?" the boy asked, giving the Ultimate Affluent Progeny a smirk.
"Well… color me impressed, it seems you truly are lucky." the man said, tugging on his jacket as he straightened up. "You're right, I did lie just now. But my reasoning is quite sound. I wished to test your resolve."
"Test? What do you mean by that?" Hikari asked curiously.
"It's as it sounds. You foolishly believed everyone here was a friend, easily trusting each other. But one among us managed to do the unthinkable. So I decided to give this little trial of ours a shake-up. Not only that, but I wanted to test the Ultimate Lucky Student's lucky streak. Seems like your luck truly is Ultimate."
"Rather than speak so cryptically, why don't you tell us exactly what you did," Kyoko said firmly, crossing her arms as she stared at him.
"I took matters into my own hands of course. I followed after the three fools returning to the Trash Room. I intended to do the same, having grown wary after spending too much time in the cold library. However, I noticed something those three didn't, a bloody footprint, leading toward the dorms. I knew I had a short window so I set out to go to work."
Byakuya turned to Akira. "The odd pattern you and Sayaka discovered was something that I made using a towel. I meticulously wiped the bloody footprints leading out of the bathhouse and into the corridor. I noticed the message Fuyuhiko had left behind, and while I pondered on erasing it, I left it as is, placing the towel on the floor. That was when I stumbled onto the murder weapon. Tell them, Akira."
"The murder weapon was the missing knife from the kitchen set, a Boning Knife, to be exact. The blade is small enough to leave those one-and-a-half-inch wounds on the body. But it's also long enough that the killer easily ran Fuyuhiko through. But there's something else a Boning Knife is useful for."
"What would that be?" Mikan nervously asked. It was likely she had arrived at the same conclusion he had.
"Boning knives make it easier to pierce meat, and a sharp one… would be enough to make a large incision on a person's body," he said, shuddering a bit at the thought. "Byakuya… I'm going to ask you this once. Why did you disembowel Fuyuhiko?"
His question stunned everyone to silence, sickened expressions on their faces. The blond hair looked around for a moment, he didn't bother smirking, knowing just how serious the situation was. "It was quite simple… I wanted to establish a suicide scene. The way that I set it up, it made it seem as if Fuyuhiko had taken his own life. I flipped his body to its side and sliced it open, allowing his internal organs to spill out. I then placed the knife beneath the towel that I used to wipe the bloody footprints. It was also why I left the message untouched, to set the perfect scene…"
Adjusting his cufflinks, he looked at Peko, who had a mixture of anger, hatred, and disbelief on her face. "The full message read "Peko, I love you." and it was written in his blood. It was a scene straight out of one of the novels that I read. It was the perfect way to throw off the case, and make you all work for it. But my beautiful scene was ruined by someone else. The knife and towel were taken and the message was partially erased. It made everything significantly harder, but I decided to shift my plans instead. I banked my luck on Akira's talent."
He finished his speech, giving the man a smirk. "After all… a real man makes his own luck, right?"
"Oh my god… you're fucking sick, you son of a bitch!" Sayaka screamed, slamming her fist onto her stand. "How dare you do something so fucked up to someone?"
"You're an awful person, Byakuya!" Hina said. Chihiro had started sobbing, wiping her tears from her cheeks as they fell.
"P-poor Fuyuhiko… How could someone do something so evil? He was already dead, why go that far?"
"You already heard my reasoning. You people needed a good kick in the ass, being all friendly with each other. You all think compromising and cooperation will be enough to save us? It isn't! Anyone can betray you at any moment in time. You needed to be reminded of the seriousness all of us were facing."
"While receiving a reminder of our situation is necessary at times, even I wouldn't stoop to that level. Byakuya, you crossed the line." Celeste said, causing the man to scoff.
"As if I care about what you think of me. If anything, you likely would have done the same, and you'd have pulled it off. You are the Queen of Liars after all."
"Oh Byakuya, you may kill me but you may never insult me," she replied, giving him a sucrose-sweet smile. "Worry not, I'm certain your day will come soon."
"Don't worry, I'm gonna beat the fuck out of him the second we're done here," Mondo said, causing the heir to shout at him.
"You shall do no such thing. Unless you wish to end up like our dear Gangster."
"SHUT UP!" Peko screamed, face red with fury. "I swear on my Young Master's life, I will make sure you pay for what you've done. Even if I have to sacrifice my life, even if I have to walk into hell myself, you will have your day of reckoning! I swear it on my life!"
"Everyone, calm down!" Hikari cried, throwing the room into silence. "I understand, I understand all of us are extremely hurt. I never would have thought our fellow man would do something so heinous. But we have to work together to reach the truth. This is only one part, we must still find the killer."
"He's right… Byakuya revealed some new details we didn't have. For one, the towel he mentioned was completely missing. That means the killer had to have gone back to the scene of the crime." Akira said.
"Yes, that makes a lot of sense. If the killer went back and saw what Byakuya had done, they likely would have freaked out. Maybe they went to pick up the towel and noticed the knife they had dropped." Kyoko added, a pensive look on her face.
"S-so t-they went back? But why?"
"Maybe to make sure Fuyuhiko was dead? I mean… If I were to kill someone, I'd want to make sure they were dead. Not only that, but I'd want to make sure nothing that belonged to me was anywhere near that place." Sayaka said.
"Byakuya, I'd like to ask you something," Kiyotaka said, grabbing the man's attention. "Were you the one who dragged the body?"
"No, I didn't want to get any blood on me. However, I did end up soiling my pants. Ah yes, I was the one who placed the micro-cassette in his hand. Aside from that, I am not involved in anything else that happened afterward."
"So the killer dragged the body?" Hina asked in confusion. "Why'd they do that?"
"To further change the scene. Put yourself in the killer's shoes. You just ended up killing someone and running away. You're already nervous, scared, and full of adrenaline, you end up thinking 'what if they're not dead?' so you leave to check and you find the scene worse than when you left it. What would you do?" Kyoko asked.
"I dunno what I would do, because I'm no killer," Mondo said, scratching his head. "But I'd likely try to figure out who the hell moved shit around, and I'd try to change it, to further hide my involvement."
"Exactly. So they removed the evidence and went as far as moving the body. The dried-out streak marks left on the ground happened for one reason." the lavender-haired girl said.
"I got it, it's because the blood was coagulated, right?"
"Not coagulated, congealed. It's a semi-solid state blood takes after it leaves the body. When it comes out, it's in a full liquid state. But as time passes, the blood starts cooling down, and it turns into a syrup-like substance. The reason those drag marks exist is because the blood was from Fuyuhiko's bowels being dragged beneath him." the girl concluded.
"Christ, can we move on? I don't want to think about that anymore. God, the second I saw his guts like that…" Hiyoko said, holding back the urge to laugh. "I'm sorry, seriously I am, I just…"
"We've gotten this far, but we still need another push. We have to figure out who the killer is." Hajime said firmly.
"He's right, we've made much progress, but we still haven't uncovered the one responsible for this."
"Let's talk about the motive. I think that will shed some light on who did this." Akira suddenly said, earning looks of confusion from the others. "Show of hands, who remembers what we got today as part of our motive?"
Everyone raised their hands, causing him to nod. "Excellent, as you know, we all received Micro-Cassettes and Cassette players from Monokuma, each tape contained a message given to us by our loved ones. However, the tape in Fuyuhiko's hand didn't have a message from his sister, it had something else entirely."
"Something else?" Mikan asked curiously.
"That makes no sense though, I got a message from my mother on mine. And you said you got one from your sister, right Akira?" Hiro asked curiously.
"I did. But the tape Mikan found in his hand was entirely different. What was contained in that tape were a pair of voices. The voices of Fuyuhiko and Peko, discussing plans to murder someone."
"I'm… sorry…?" Peko asked, completely confused. "We never discussed such plans. Fuyuhiko acted like a gangster, but he was a nonviolent person."
"Yet despite that, your voices are unmistakable," Kyoko said, holding the cassette player up, pressing play.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Of course I do! The bastard owes me 30 million yen! Hey gypped my sister, and that is a line he shouldn't have crossed!"
"I understand that, but I don't think it would be wise for us to do this, Young Master. Especially now of all times. Perhaps we should forgive this,"
"Forgive this? Forgive this? Peko, it's 30 million yen! Do you know how pissed my dad is? Not only that, it isn't the first fuckin' time he's done this shit. Every time he runs into someone from our family, he ends up swindling them. We have to take care of this now. Had it been someone else, I wouldn't have cared, but it's my sister."
It was silent for a moment, only for the female to speak. "Just say the word, and I'll do it."
"Good, thanks for being there for me, Peko."
"Of course, Young Master. It is my duty to defend you and to serve as your sword."
The tape clicked off, throwing the room into silence. Everyone turned to Peko, who had a look of utter confusion on her face. "I… I do not remember having this conversation."
"Oh sure, how convenient," Mahiru said, crossing her arms. "Come on, don't you think it's a little late for the amnesia card?"
"Could it be that in the end, Peko was still the one to have killed Fuyuhiko?"
"No, she didn't do that," Akira said, denying Kiyotaka's claim. "If you listened closely, Peko referred to Fuyuhiko as "Young Master". Peko, would you mind?"
She nodded, standing straight as she spoke. "I am the Young Master's… Fuyuhiko's, personal bodyguard. It was my duty to protect him at all times. But I was also trained to be his personal hitwoman. If he gave the order, I would fulfill it as swiftly as I could. Fuyuhiko however, never treated me like a tool. We grew up together, as close friends and I… truly loved him. He never would have ordered something like that, and I never would have accepted it."
"And despite that, the evidence is right there on that tape. You two planned murder, and it seemed Monokuma handed that to our killer." Byakuya said, chuckling. "I say, I certainly wasn't expecting this. It's quite the motive. After all, I wouldn't want to owe money to the Yakuza. Not that I ever would considering my sizable wealth."
"Something doesn't make sense though. Why would the killer just record this conversation? And if they heard it, why not bring it up to everyone else? We would have done something about it." Kazuichi said firmly.
"I certainly would have, this whole matter could have been solved if they had come forward with it," Hikari added.
"Not if the debt was very serious. It's likely something that they'd want to keep to themselves. Not only that, but maybe the killer also felt that they could use that tape to prove their would-be killers guilty. After all, Fuyuhiko and Peko openly spoke about murder. That tape would implicate them."
"Well yeah but that tape isn't real," Ibuki said firmly.
"Huh?"
"The tape, it isn't real."
"I'm gonna need a bit more information there, Ibuki." the Lucky Student said, causing her to giggle.
"It's simple. The voices on that tape sound like Fuyuhiko and Peko, but they aren't the real them. Those voices sound extremely computerized, as if they were passed through an artificial intelligence program. You can hear it in some of their words, it struggles to get them right." she said, holding her hand out to Kyoko. She handed the player over to her, and she rewound it a bit, holding the speaker closer to her ear. After a moment, she paused the tape, handing it back to the violet haired girl. "Yep, that's what it is. An artificial intelligence that sounds like them."
"Are we going to trust her at her work? She could be lying."
"Oh wow, Mr. Kettle, Mr. Pot called and he said "you're black!"" Hiyoko scoffed, angrily pointing at the blond man. "You have no right to speak after what you did to Fuyuhiko's body, asshat!"
"Even if it's fake, we must act under the assumption the killer thought it was real. 30 million yen is a hefty amount. If I owed that debt, I'd do everything in my power to pay it off. But in a school where everyone is sealed in… things change." Hajime said.
"Hajime's right. You'd have no debt to pay if you managed to kill the one who wants you to pay it. And if you managed to get away with it, then there'd be no witnesses. Who'd prove that it was you who did it?" Sayaka asked.
"Can you guys hurry it up here? I'm starting to get bored!" Monokuma cried, sitting up in his seat, slamming his gavel down. "You've deliberated enough, how about we call it?"
"How about no? We haven't identified the killer yet." Sonia replied, ignoring the monochrome bear's expression. "Come on, everyone! We must have something to go on."
"If I might say something?" the Ultimate Gambler said, taking the floor. "Earlier, we were discussing that very amount of money. I recall mentioning it'd be a good chunk of money for my European Castle. If I recall, we ended up speaking about it because someone brought up the value of an item they had purchased."
Her crimson eyes scanned the others, before landing on Hiro. "That person would be you, Hiro."
"Me?"
"Oh yeah! You were talking about that crystal ball you bought. The one that was supposedly used by Washington and Napoleon? Who'd spend that much money on something so stupid?" Mondo asked with a laugh. "I mean seriously? I don't have to be American to know Washington didn't use a crystal ball during the Revolutionary War!"
Akira narrowed his eyes in thought as the others continued talking. He was thinking back to the events of that day, skimming through everything he could think of. "Hiro did mention that crystal ball… the motive also mentioned thirty-million yen. Fuyuhiko said his sister had been swindled… could it be that she went to Hiro for his services and he gypped her out of her money? Did he then use that same thirty-million to buy that ball?"
"Yeah laugh it up, to you, it might be silly, but it's how I connect to the spirits, man," Hiro said, shaking his head. "You wouldn't understand. I don't make fun of your motorcycle man, and it's the reason you're a biker, right?"
"Yeah, but a hog is a vehicle. It takes you from A to B, and gets you attention from hot girls. Crystal Balls don't get you shit." Mondo replied.
"Peko."
"Yes, Akira?"
"Did Natsumi Kuzuyruu ever go to Hiro for his services?" the black haired boy asked.
"Countless times. She ended up spending a sizable amount of money on his services. However, Fuyuhiko forgave that debt. We agreed that it wouldn't be worth it to pursue something like that in our current predicament."
"But what if he thought you didn't?"
He shifted his gaze away from the swordswoman, looking the clairvoyant right in the eye. "What if it was you who got that tape?"
"Uh dude, did you forget what I said? I got a message from my mom on my tape," he said firmly, letting out a laugh. "You got a bad memory or something?"
"May we hear it?"
"Sure! It's in my pocket."
"Your ripped pocket?"
The man opened his mouth to speak, only to close it, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead. "L-look… I know what this might look like, but it isn't what you are all thinking."
"What am I thinking?" Akira asked curiously.
"Don't act that way, man! You think I did this shit, but it wasn't me! I was speaking to the spirits the whole time!" the clairvoyant asked.
"You know, I noticed something interesting. Hiro was acting really nervous after hearing his tape the first time. He shot out of the trash room and said he had to talk to the spirits. He also promised to bring wood down from Classroom 2-B, but when he came back, he didn't bring any wood at all." Hajime said, crossing his arms. "Could it be because you were thinking about what you heard? Because you thought Fuyuhiko and Peko were planning to murder you?"
"Of course not man! I'm telling you, I was talking with the spirits. They told me our cold would be alleviated, did you forget that shit or what?"
"You did say that… and the cold was alleviated. But which way did they say? By use of the incinerator, or by way of murder?" Akira returned.
"I-It wasn't me! I'm telling you, man, it wasn't! I'd never do something so awful!"
"I'm not sure about that. I mean, that tape you got was incentive enough, and your pocket is ripped. Could it be because you accidentally cut it using the knife? Is that why you don't have your micro-cassette?" Hikari questioned.
"I'm telling you, it isn't me!"
"How about we discuss it?" Byakuya said, smirking at the man.
Non-Stop Debate:
Hope vs Despair
Loaded Truth Bullets: Missing Knife, Byakuya's Account, Broken Glass Object, Micro-Cassette, Hiro's Ripped Jacket, Mikan Tsumiki's Autopsy Report #3
"If we go by the assumption that Hiro received that tape. Then he clearly had the motive to kill Fuyuhiko. As a form of debt relief." Byakuya began.
"The voices on it were AI generated… but for someone who didn't know that, they thought they were real. That's what led the killer to attack!" Chihiro added.
"That would be enough of an incentive for Hiro. He purchased an expensive item with the Thirty-Million Yen he swindled from Natsumi Kururyuu. Even if Fuyuhiko forgave it, the tape contradicted that." the Ultimate Gambler added.
"It wasn't me! I don't know how many more times I gotta say it!" Hiro screamed, a look of fury on his face.
"You say that, but you have a Ripped Jacket! Not only that but we asked you for your tape and you don't have it." Kazuichi said.
"Seems to me like you're hiding evidence." the photographer said.
"I'm not hiding evidence! Because there is not! I wasn't there, I didn't do it!"
"But then if he didn't do it, who did?" Kiyotaka asked.
"Clearly, it was someone smarter than Hiro. I mean come on, does it look like he'd think things through?" Mondo questioned.
"Not to mention the murder weapon is missing too. Though I guess he could have taken that with him." Sayaka said.
"For the last goddamned time! It wasn't me! There's nothing at the crime scene that links back to me!" the Clairvoyant said, his voice booming through the courtroom.
"That's not true… there's definitely something there that ties back to him. And it was that very expensive item he used that 30 million yen on. I can't believe I didn't figure it out right away. This definitely proves it!" Akira thought to himself.
Loaded Truth Bullet: Broken Glass Object
"If we go by the assumption that Hiro received that tape. Then he clearly had the motive to kill Fuyuhiko. As a form of debt relief." Byakuya began.
"The voices on it were AI generated… but for someone who didn't know that, they thought they were real. That's what led the killer to attack!" Chihiro added.
"That would be enough of an incentive for Hiro. He purchased an expensive item with the Thirty-Million Yen he swindled from Natsumi Kururyuu. Even if Fuyuhiko forgave it, the tape contradicted that." the Ultimate Gambler added.
"It wasn't me! I don't know how many more times I gotta say it!" Hiro screamed, a look of fury on his face.
"You say that, but you have a Ripped Jacket! Not only that but we asked you for your tape and you don't have it." Kazuichi said.
"Seems to me like you're hiding evidence." the photographer said.
"I'm not hiding evidence! Because there is not! I wasn't there, I didn't do it!"
"But then if he didn't do it, who did?" Kiyotaka asked.
"Clearly, it was someone smarter than Hiro. I mean come on, does it look like he'd think things through?" Mondo questioned.
"Not to mention the murder weapon is missing too. Though I guess he could have taken that with him." Sayaka said.
"For the last goddamned time! It wasn't me! There's nothing at the crime scene that links back to me!" the Clairvoyant said, his voice booming through the courtroom.
"No, that's wrong!"
Break~
"Hiro, you just said there was nothing there that links to you. But that's where you're wrong," he said, holding his e-handbook. It showed an image of the glass object he had tripped on. "When I fell on this, I didn't think much of it. I looked at it and couldn't piece together what it was. But the moment you mentioned your crystal ball, it just clicked into place. This was in your pocket, the same one that's ripped. It shattered on the ground, but you were too busy to notice because you were stabbing Fuyuhiko."
"That isn't true," he said firmly.
"Then please, tell us how you ripped your jacket, and in detail." Byakuya said, making the man growl.
"You shut your goddamn mouth! You have no right to demand anything from anyone, considering what you did to him!" he shouted, turning back to Akira. "And you, accusing me like this with no reason or evidence! You go around pretending to be friends with us and then you turn around and accuse us?"
"Do you think this doesn't hurt me? Trust me, I'd rather spend my day doing a myriad of other things. The fact of the matter is you killed Fuyuhiko!"
"You got no proof of that!"
"Then why'd you stay in the Trash Room? Chihiro noticed you were the only one that didn't go see the crime scene. But that wasn't the case with Leon and Makoto, was it? It's because you were guilty! You didn't want to see what you had done to him! So you hung around in the Trash Room, but that isn't the only reason why." he said, adjusting his glasses as he spoke. "You stayed behind in order to burn the murder weapon and the towel you took from the scene of the crime!"
"I didn't do that, goddamn it! Why won't you believe me?"
"Because it's obvious! You were the one who stabbed Fuyuhiko, when you pulled out your knife, it sliced through your jacket, likely because of the fur coat you were wearing. Your ball and the tape fell out but you didn't notice because you were busy stabbing him! You ran away scared and when you came back and saw what Byakuya had done, you freaked out even more. You dragged his body, erased his message, and then ran to the Trash Room, telling everyone that you heard a scream. You waited until everyone had left and stayed back to dispose of the two things you had taken. You didn't even notice your crystal ball was gone."
Hiro didn't say anything, clutching his head tightly. He let out a scream, almost tearing some of his hair out. He turned into a blubbering mess, falling to his knees as he held onto his stand.
"Well? Are you going to say anything?" Byakuya asked.
"I think it's time we summarize everything, to make sure we managed to solve this case," Kyoko said firmly. "Akira, would you?"
"Sure, I guess I can do it, given I did it last time." he said, clearing his throat.
Closing Argument
"The circumstances of today's class trial started this morning, when Monokuma handed us those cassettes…
While all of us received messages from our loved ones, someone received a different message altogether. What they received was a discussion of murder. Having heard this instead of cheerful words of encouragement or pleas from someone, they got this. Of course, they freaked out, because why wouldn't you? If someone was planning on murdering you, you'd act like that too.
As the day moved onward, this message kept playing in their head, causing them to act weirdly. Eventually, as time moved on, Ibuki suggested she make some wings for everyone. She and Kazuichi left. Hiro did the same, claiming to want to speak to the spirits up in Classroom 2-B. Fuyuhiko decided to take a bath, and Peko went to briefly speak to him. At the same time, Byakuya headed up to the library. All of them would be key players in what was to come.
Byakuya arrived at the library and remained there for an unknown amount of time. Shortly after, Ibuki and Kazuichi made it to the arcade. After 15 minutes of tinkering with the machine, they started making wings. Peko arrived at the arcade at exactly 10:25 AM.
At the same time, Hiro was freaking out because of the message he had received. In reality, he wasn't in the classroom, he was likely in the kitchen, thinking things over. The cold likely didn't help him think, but eventually, he came to the conclusion that he needed to get rid of the problem. If he killed the person planning on killing him, then there'd be no debt. And on the off chance that he died, his tape would point to the likely suspect. He grabbed the Boning Knife from the kitchen set and went to the bathhouse.
But it was likely that he panicked. After all, he didn't want to kill anyone. But it was too late to turn around. It's likely Fuyuhiko saw him, and confused, went to make sure he was alright. Hiro freaked out because of the motive and decided to act, as he did so, the knife sliced through his jacket, his crystal ball fell to the ground, shattering to pieces. His micro-cassette fell as well, but he didn't notice because he was far too busy stabbing Fuyuhiko. The Ultimate Gangster was shocked, falling to the floor face down, his blood pooling around him.
Seeing what he did, Fuyuhiko dropped the knife and ran out, leaving a bloody trail in his wake. During this time, Fuyuhiko used his own blood, not to point out his killer, but to tell the woman that he loved that he loved her in return. Fuyuhiko passed away shortly after. Oblivious to this, Peko, Ibuki, and Kazuichi, came down from the Arcade holding the wings they had prepared, none of them noticing the trail of blood. But this didn't go unnoticed by Byakuya.
Growing curious, he headed into the bathhouse and stumbled onto the scene. He decided to put all of us to the test. The first thing he did was grab the discarded towel, and used it to wipe the footprints off the floor. He also grabbed the discarded boning knife and disemboweled Fuyuhiko. He placed the knife down on the floor, and covered it with the towel, leaving the message Fuyuhiko had scrawled out alone. The final act was to place the micro-tape in Fuyuhiko's hand. He noticed his slacks were covered in blood, so he went to his dorm to change out of them. He returned about ten minutes after Ibuki, Peko, and Kazuichi had arrived at the Trash Room.
Hiro, likely freaking out in his own room, decided to return to the bathhouse. After all, he had to make sure Fuyuhiko had died. But he was completely flabbergasted at what he stumbled on. Even more freaked out than before, he decided he had to make sure the scene was changed entirely. So he grabbed Fuyuhiko's body, and dragged him further into the room, leaving some smeared drag marks on the tile. He noticed the message left behind, and partially erased it, leaving only Peko's name.
He grabbed the knife and the towel, and after a moment to compose himself, he raced toward the Trash Room. He burst in, telling us all that he heard a scream. But he remained behind, being noticed by Chihiro, who kept this detail to herself. Hiro then took the chance to throw the towel and the knife into the incinerator, and remained behind, likely feeling immense guilt over what he had done. The final act of this case was the body discovery announcement, which previously didn't go off when Byakuya discovered the scene, as it takes three people to trigger it. That, in and of itself, is the full scope of what happened here today."
Closing Argument: End
Akira cleared his throat, sparing a glance at the Ultimate Clairvoyant. "Well? Is that right?"
The man was catatonic, not saying a word. Monokuma however, rose to his feet, tapping his gavel on the armrest. "Alright! Since the closing argument has been delivered, it's time for the vote! Remember, everyone has to vote or else bad things will happen!"
Just like last time, everyone decided their vote. The slot machine rose from beneath Monokuma's seat, each slot spinning swiftly, slowly stopping on Hiro's face. Confetti shot into the air, a mass of coins pouring out onto the ground. Monokuma laughed loudly, clapping his hands cheerfully.
"You got the nail on the head! The person who gutted the Ultimate Gangster was none other than Yasuhiro Hagakure!"
"Damn… I never thought he'd actually do it. Part of me still thought it wasn't him," Mondo said, shaking his head. "What the hell, man? Why'd you do it?"
"I… I didn't want to, man… it just happened. I thought about it, and I was going to stop but…" he stopped speaking, wiping his tears away. "I thought back to that message, and I grew scared. He said our debt was forgiven, and then out of nowhere, I get this?"
"Did you ever consider the possibility that it was fake?" Celeste asked curiously. "You are the Ultimate Clairvoyant, you could have asked your spirit friends to confirm it."
"I haven't been able to speak to the spirits in a long time! I am all alone here. The whole 'cold will be alleviated' prediction was something I pulled out of my ass. I just wanted to get out of here! I didn't want to die, and if I could get rid of my debt, I would!" he said.
"You bastard. Fuyuhiko forgave that debt out of the kindness of his heart, after you swindled the Young Mistress. You could have taken it for what it was, but no… you had to take his life too. You didn't give him a chance to fight back, you took him by surprise, like the coward you are." the Ultimate Swordswoman said. "You're lucky murder would end with me being executed, or else I'd do what I should have done when I had the chance."
"There's no need to soil your hands with that, Miss Pekoyama. Because the time has finally come, hehe~ I've prepared a very special punishment for Yasuhiro Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant!"
"No…No PLEASE! I don't want to die." he cried, stepping away from his stand. He looked around for a moment, looking for a way out. "You gotta get me out of here! Please!"
"Just accept it man, you fucked up," Mondo said, shaking his head. "A real man has to deal with the consequences of his actions."
"I can't man…" he said, bowing his head. "Someone… please find my mother, her name's Hiroko Hagakure. Tell her that I love her, alright?"
"Don't worry… I'll find your mom. I'll make sure she knows how much you love her," he said firmly.
"Yawn! Enough of this! Let's give it everything we've got! Iiiiiiiiitttttttt's Punishment time!" Monokuma cried, slamming his gavel onto the crimson-red button.
Yasuhiro Hagakure has been found guilty….
Preparing Execution…
Fearing his imminent demise, Hiro started to run, trying to make his way toward the lift that led out of the Class Trial Courtroom. He didn't make it far, as a chained collar shot out of the wall, wrapping around his neck. He was inches away from grabbing the door, pulling at the collar before he was dragged away.
He was pulled through the empty halls of the academy, bumping into the walls as he was pulled onto a stage, the chains let go of him, and he rolled across the ground, slamming into a set of metallic stairs, crying out in pain. As he got up, he noticed three large bright yellow doors. He stared at them, tears falling down his cheeks.
It's a 30% Chance, Mister!
Monokuma appeared on stage, dressed in a sparkly red dress and heels as he gestured to the doors. He opened the first one, showing him a darkened corridor. The second, led the outside world, bright blue skies and sun shining over the land, and the third led to a corridor filled with deadly traps. Monokuma pressed a red button, shuffling the doors so fast, Hiro couldn't track it. He gestured to the doors, forcing him to pick one.
Shakily, he reached for Door B, pulling it open. Monokuma kicked him into the door, shutting it right after. He started walking through it, finding himself in a familiar-looking corridor. He Kept running, seeing the thick metal plates slowly being replaced with windows, bright sunny skies visible through the glass. He made it to the Entrance Hall of Hope's Peak Academy, the giant metal doors being completely gone. He started running faster, bursting through the doors.
As he did so, he saw a long haired woman in the distance, dressed in jeans and a track jacket, a small cloud of cigarette smoke rising to the air. He called out to the woman, causing her to turn to face him. The woman gave him a bright smile, holding her hand out. As Hiro ran forward, he didn't notice the path beneath him was made of glass, which was rapidly breaking. As he burst through it, he let out a scream, falling through the floor.
He let out a cry as he fell, reaching for who he thought was his mother, who turned out to be three Monokuma's dressed in a costume. He kept falling until he finally reached the bottom, slamming hard onto the floor, every bone in his body shattering. He let out a gasp, blood pouring from the side of his head. His eyes fluttered close, as he lost consciousness. Seconds after, a giant crystal ball crushed his body, sending blood and glass in all directions.
That was the end for the Ultimate Clairvoyant…
"Yeesh… better luck next time, eh? Guess that's what happens when you pick the wrong door." Monokuma said, turning to the surviving students.
"What the hell was that?" Akira shouted, glaring at the bear. "Did you seriously have to do something so terrible?"
"Wah? The guy was blubbering and begging for his mommy. I thought I'd let him see her once last time. Though if I'm being honest, she let herself go. She doesn't look like half the beauty she once was, hehehehe!" the monochrome bear said, turning away from them. "Ah well… it is what it is. You are free to return to the Academy. I'm sure you all want to sleep nice and warm and cozy in your beds… hope you liked your early winter, ahahahahahaha!"
The bear continued laughing, cheerful at what he had accomplished. 18 students now remained, and everyone was in similar states of shock. Chihiro was crying, holding onto Ibuki tightly. Kazuichi was holding his head tightly, while The others were in similar states of shock or disbelief. Akira clenched his fist so tight his knuckles had turned white.
"What a disappointment. This is the end of the game?"
"What did you just say…?" Akira quietly asked, slowly turning his head toward the man.
"You're completely insane, you know that? A game? Two of our friends are dead! Do you realize that?" Hina shouted at the man, who looked completely unbothered.
"Of course I do. Because this game is life and death."
"I don't have anything to say to you. I don't have a response, except that… I just don't understand why. Why did you go out of your way to tamper with the crime scene?" Kyoko asked, earning a chuckle from the man.
"Why…? Isn't it obvious? Because it made things more interesting." he replied, placing his hands in his pockets. "When I stumbled onto that scene, I saw the crystal ball and I realized exactly who it was. But what would be the point in outright saying it? I mean, it would have been a waste of time to have revealed everything at the beginning. I did it to liven things up."
"So you went through all of that trouble for a little bit of entertainment?"
He didn't say anything, choosing to remain silent.
"Liven things up… liven things up? You did this all just to LIVEN THINGS UP?!" Akira shouted, stomping toward the man. Sayaka grabbed his arm, but he pulled it free, grabbing the Affluent Progeny by the suit. "Do you not care about the people around here? Do you not know how hurt we all are? Huh? This isn't some sick joke or a fucking novel! This is real life, you bastard!"
"You are exactly the reason I did this little experiment." the man said, brushing Akira's hand off of his suit. He brushed it down, staring deeply into his eyes. "I too wished to test the extent of this "Ultimate Luck" just in case I decided to become the blackened. Now, I know exactly who it is I have to watch out for."
"W-wha-!?"
"So that's why…" she mumbled, shaking her head. "I have another question, this time for Monokuma."
"Hm? Am I up?"
"You like to perform these elaborate executions each time, correct? My question is… Why?"
"Puhuhu~ Do you like them? You know this is punishment, this despair… it's not just for you! All of this punishment, all of this despair is my gift to mankind itself! After all… this is what the world needed~ The Ultimates needed to be reminded of their true place in the world. So I gift wrapped this little gift for you all."
"You're overexaggerating," Kyoko said, without missing a beat.
"I'm not overexaggerating! These punishments are meant to transform hope into despair!"
"What… Do you mean by that?" Hiyoko softly asked, still holding onto Mahiru.
"Mean? Mean mean mean mean mean mean mean mean mean! Good GRIEF! I don't understand why you have to pick apart every little stupid thing!"
"Hmph. Whatever, it doesn't matter, in the end, I'm going to stand alone as the victor. And then, everything will be revealed to me." Byakuya said.
"Aahh… the noble son of a noble family… Truly, you understand me! Puhuhu~ I think this is the start of a terrifying friendship."
"Shut up! I would never stoop to the level of a childish criminal like you. Let me just say this… After I have achieved complete victory… You're up next! I'm going to find you and kill you, Understand?" he asked, standing firmly before the bear. "In the name of the Togami Family, for which victory is a foregone conclusion."
"Ooo, so cool! It's like you're the main character of a video game or something. No trash mob for you!"
"I swear… I'll do whatever it takes to kill you…"
"Temper temper~ Sounds like someone needs a nap! And now you can do it in your dorms without dying from the cold! The regulation has been reinstated! Don't think you'll get a free pass to share rooms again, hehe~"
As Monokuma's laughter filled the courtroom, everyone felt the same wave of despair crashing over them. That insane laughter, the cries of their friends as they were hauled off to their executions, the memories of everything they were facing, it would haunt them to the end of their days. But one thing was certain, this fear, this hopelessness, this despair… it was something that would stick with them until the foreseeable future. And none of them knew when it would finally end.
End of Chapter 2
Surviving Students: 18
A/N: And thus, the second class trial has come to an end.