Here we go! Trial time! Small thing before we start, there are moments where the 'scene shifts' to somewhere else. This is mainly in the Resolution Rivalry (What that is… wait and see) but in truth, the scene is still in the trial room. This is more to give it that Danganronpa game feel. So it's all imagined and not actually happening. The scene is in the trial room only.
[This part has been edited and updated after the completion of Chapter 2]
DANGANRONPA: OFF THE RAILS
Chapter 1 – Freedom's End
Part 7 – DEADLY LIFE – Trail Trial #1
Conductorkuma sat there with a grin as the Ultimates finished gathering around. "Well here we are! Despair train station! Destination… Punishment!" He pointed to the picture of Shunso with a wicked grin. "For those of you who lived under a rock and didn't know about my grace… you're trying to find out who done it! The goal of the trial is to find and vote for the blackened rider! If you find and vote out the blackened, then I'll punish them and them alone! However… if you fail to vote the blackened, I'll punish everyone else!"
The bear's grin then grew even more wicked as a glint appeared in his yellow evil eye. "And the punishment is… EXECUTION!" …Silence rang through the trial room as everyone grew nervous… "So… let the first train trial… begin!"
TRAIN TRIAL #1 – START
Taking the lead, Li-Wei cleared his throat and started. "It seems the best place to start is to go over all the facts we do know." Everyone seemed to nod at that as Li-Wei continued. "Our victim was Shunso Kamata, the Ultimate Intelligence Officer."
Following the flow, Kana continued. "He was found in the pub room in the fourth cart at 6:00am… dead on the stage." Wally nodded along to that as he pondered in his mind.
Seems we're starting with the basics… so I should bring up something that's pretty obvious to tell… What the murder weapon was. And that was…
-Bullet Selected: Kitchen Knife-
"That's it!"
The sidekick nodded to himself as he continued the discussion. "The weapon we found was a kitchen knife stabbed into his chest."
Yokona nodded with a deadpan expression. "Yeah. Kinda hard to miss the knife sticking out of a guy's chest." Wally sweat dropped a bit at the response but… that was fair.
Ember then frowned and continued. "So we know WHAT killed him… now we just need to figure out exactly why he was killed. Guy got messed up pretty badly if the scene is anything to go off of."
…Is that the case though? I'm not too sure… I feel there's much more to this case…
NON-STOP DEBATE
Li-Wei: So just to go over what we have at the moment… Our victim is Shunso Kamata.
Kana: Who was found at 6:00am.
Takeshi: H-He was found in the p-pub in the fourth cart.
Satoru: Where he was found dead on the stage.
Hastur: Truly a gruesome show~
Yokona: …Ignoring that…
Chizure: The weapon was the kitchen knife found in Shunso's chest.
Ember: Poor guy got really injured in the struggle.
Kanade: Poor Shunso…
-Bullet Selected: Takeshi's Autopsy-
Wally: No that's wrong!
BREAK
Ember blinked at the rebuttal before turning to the sidekick. "What do you mean?"
Wally just looked at her with a shake of his head. "I mean that Shunso wasn't really injured much besides the killing blow… Takeshi, you can vouch for that right?"
Takeshi nodded as he looked nervous. "R-Right! At m-most, he had light scratch around his head… f-from what seemed to be being tossed onto the stage. But other then that, the only injury t-that wasn't his pre-existing paralysis w-was the wound in his chest."
"…Oh." Ember gained a look of understanding as she nodded. "My bad. I just assumed from the scene of the crime, there was a struggle."
That does make sense… but… thinking back on it now... I think that-
A. Shunso fought back against the killer
B. The damage in the pub was set up
C. Shunso was secretly a handstand cartwheeling dodge master
"I GOT IT!"
"I've been thinking about that… and it doesn't add up." Wally scratched his chin in confusion as he thought about it more. "From what we saw, Shunso didn't have any real injuries of a fight nor was he really in the right condition for one. So… the only explanation for the scene of the crime was that it was there to mislead us."
Ember frowned. "So it was faked? That doesn't really make much sense."
Wally nodded in return. "That may be true… but it did confuse us a good bit."
The lip-speaker nodded as Kanade then raised a hand up. "Actually… I have a question. What happened to Shunso's wheelchair?"
His wheelchair… oh right! I remember where it was.
-Bullet Selected: Barricaded Pub Door-
"That's it!"
"It was against the door." Wally looked at the pianist as he continued. "The front door of the pub was barricaded from the inside as it opens inwards. It doesn't have a lock, but there was stools and Shunso's wheelchair used to block the doorway." That got a soft oh from the pianist and a nod as the trial seemed to be getting it's footing…
Chizure crossed her arms and pondered. "So I guess next is to ask where the knife came from right? Because Li-Wei was very strict with making sure nothing was brought into the party."
The sidekick would turn to the forger and nod. "Right. Sneaking it in during the party would be a no go."
However… there was a place that the killer could have hidden it before the party.
-Bullet Selected: Open Kick Drum-
"That's it!"
"The kick drum!"
Chizure looked at the sidekick confused for a moment before a look of realization appeared. "OH! There was an open kick drum!"
"Exactly! When closed, the kick drum would hide anything within it from sight. So, the two pieces of tape in there… one of them held the kitchen knife!" The trial was heating up when…
"Seriously? We're fucking doing this?" Everyone stopped and turned to Kuniyoshi who scoffed and crossed his arms. "We're seriously doing this when the killer is pretty fucking obvious?"
Wally looked at him confused. "What are you talking about?"
The poker player turned to the sidekick with a scoff. "Are you blind? I'm talking about the one person who's actually covered in blood!" He says this as he points towards Emiko.
The ballet dancer flinched for a moment before she regained her composure. Others began to look at her with doubt… However…
No… that's not right. The more that I'm thinking about it, the more it doesn't make sense… but others may not see that. I need to find a piece of evidence that proves her innocence. Maybe something can help?
NON-STOP DEBATE
Kuniyoshi: We've clearly had the killer right here! She's literally covered in blood!
Koharu: Are you sure? It seems pretty unlikely it was her.
Hastur: However, she was found in the room with the body.
Yokona: That is true. Hard deny the possibility.
Li-Wei: Especially if the room was barricaded from the inside.
Ai: My, it seems the lady of Cygnus is closer to connected to Orion then!
Kanade: Was it really her though? Maybe there's some evidence to prove her innocent?
Satoru: I'm really doubting that darling.
Kuniyoshi: Face it! Emiko is the killer! She's guilty!
-Bullet Selected: Body Discover Announcement-
Wally: I agree with that!
CONSENT
Kanade turned to the sidekick surprised and a little hopeful. "Really?"
Wally nodded his head as he looked on with a smile. "Yes! There is a piece of evidence that proves Emiko's innocence."
And I know just the person to help prove this!
Select Individual:
Emiko
Katashi
Yokona
Hastur
Chizure
Satoru
Ai
Shunso (X)
Kana
Wally
Ember
Li-Wei
Koharu
Takeshi
Kanade
Kuniyoshi
"That's it!"
"Koharu… when we found the body… the three of us split up right?"
The sniper looked confused but nodded. "Yeah? You and Takeshi worked on busting down the door while I went to the dorms to grab the others."
Wally smiled at this. "Because… if it was just me and Takeshi… how did the body discovery announcement go off?"
Kana blinked at this but started to understand where this was going. "The body discovery announcement only goes off when three innocent people discover the body. And if Koharu really wasn't there when it went off… then that means…"
Wally nodded with a smile. "That the only other person there to set it off was Emiko herself! Meaning she's innocent!"
"GOING ALL IN ON THIS!"
Wally stopped as he turned to the poker player looking very annoyed. "I'm still not convinced! You say she was the third person to activate the body discovery announcement… but that still doesn't make sense! She's the only person who could have done it!"
It seems Kuniyoshi still doesn't believe me… but for Emiko's sake and our own survival, I must cut through his words to show him the truth!
CROSS BLADE REBUTTAL
Kuniyoshi: Are you kidding me!? Are you fucking serious right now?
Kuniyoshi: Everything points to her being the killer!
Kuniyoshi: How are so sure it's her and not Koharu?
Wally: But we've already stated that Koharu left towards the dorms!
Wally: That means there was only Takeshi and me…
Wally: Which isn't enough to activate the body discovery alone!
Wally: That means the third person who discovered the body was Emiko!
Kuniyoshi: And that's the fucking problem! You're contradicting yourself!
Kuniyoshi: We've already brought up the fact that the doors were barricaded from the inside!
Kuniyoshi: Meaning there was no way in hell to enter the room!
Kuniyoshi: So that means NO ONE could have been in there besides Emiko!
Kuniyoshi: So Emiko is the killer!
-Bullet Selected: Hidden Vent-
Wally: No that's wrong!
BREAK
The poker player stopped and looked at the sidekick in shock as Wally continued. "After searching the pub, we found a second way into the room… a hidden vent that connected to the storage cart!" This caused a lull of silence to occur as people started to speak.
"W-What?" Takeshi spoke with a confused look.
However, Li-Wei on the other hand cursed to himself. "Dammit… someone did use the vents…" This seemed to be the consensus as Wally frowned.
This… can't be right. Something seems off… Takeshi doesn't know it while Li-Wei does. I think I'm getting closer, but I may need to wait a bit. The answer is still a little cloudy.
-Bullet Updated: Vent System-
However, Wally needed to continue and gained a determined expression. "So… with another way in, that means that Emiko really was the third person to activate the body discovery!" Emiko seemed like she was her usual self, however… Wally could see a small smile that made him smile himself.
"I see… so we can confidently say that Wally, Takeshi, and Emiko are innocent." Hastur spoke as he scratched his chin in curiosity. "So… in that case, it raises more questions. How come she hasn't said who the killer was?" He then placed his arms on the stand as he smiled. "Perhaps she's not the killer… but an accomplice?"
And just like that, the smile on Emiko's face faded. However, Katashi shook his head. "…Impossible. There's no reason to be an accomplice… besides. Her story proves it."
Wally nodded at that. "That's right."
-Bullet Selected: Emiko's Account-
"That's it!"
"Emiko's account states that she had been attacked from behind and knocked unconscious."
This caused others to look at the girl in worry while Hastur hummed. "I see… but is there any evidence that proves this?"
There is… something that could be used to knock her out…
-Bullet Selected: Kuma-Brand Chloroform-
"That's it!"
"Chloroform." Everyone turned to Wally as he continued. "When searching, it was discovered that a bottle of 'Kuma-Brand Chloroform' was missing some contents. I believe that this was used to knock Emiko out!"
"Ah! Good old Kuma-Brand Chloroform!" Conductorkuma said while having what appeared to be a salesman appearance. "With the effect of knocking anyone out for exactly one hour! Shelf life of Kuma-Brand Chloroform is two days once removed from the medicine cart! Order now and you can get a Kuma-Brand Loofa for free!"
"An hour…" Li-Wei held his chin as he listened to this. "That means that the killer had an hour before Emiko awoke…"
Kana nodded as she frowned. "Which means anyone could be the killer…"
Ai then tilted her head and frowned. "But if that's the case… why leave Emiko alive?"
Satoru sighed and shook his head. "Pretty obvious why."
Li-Wei nodded. "Right… the train rules." Everyone turned to the park ranger as he continued. "The train rules state you can only kill one other rider. It's why we made our night shifts into groups of four."
Katashi then sighed and looked to the side with a frown. "How tricky…"
"…Huh?" Wally looked confused as he looked at the therapist. "What do you mean?"
The therapist sighed as he continued. "Looking at the facts… it shows one thing… that this single change of the rules from the known killing games of Junko Enoshima makes things different… you can tell what I mean, can't you 'Hero'?" He spoke with a condescending tone as he looked at Wally who frowned.
What is he talking about… … I need to think this through.
[The scene suddenly shifted as Wally found himself on a motorbike that had an orange claw symbol on the front as he began to drive forward. Ramps and turns appeared ahead. As he approached, two paths appeared in different colours as he kept his mind focused.]
WISDOM DRIVE
Okay… to start off, who was attacked first?
A. Shunso
B. Emiko
[Taking a left, Wally found his mind driving a loop as he noticed the other path led to a pitfall. However, he kept driving forward as two more paths appeared.]
So far, we all knew Emiko was there. But what about Shunso?
A. He wasn't planned to be there.
B. He was always supposed to be there.
[Taking the left path, he watched as the right path crumbled away. But up ahead, he noticed two jumps leading up to sheets of glass. Gaining a determined look, he continued on.]
That's right… Emiko's account talked about how Shunso stayed behind. So… if he wasn't known to be there… then who was the killer's target?
A. Shunso
B. Emiko
[Wally approached the right jump and moved forward. He then noticed the other sheet of glass was actually a wall as he burst through the one sheet of glass. As he burst through, the scene shattered, and Wally was back at the trial room as it all clicked in his head.]
"THAT'S IT!"
BREAK
"…So that's what you mean." Wally looked a little pale as he thought about it… before he sighed. "Shunso wasn't supposed to be there in the first place… and because he was, he became the target due to the train rules."
This caused people to stop as Koharu blinked. "Wait… are you saying…"
"…The killer was targeting Emiko. Not to knock her out… but to kill her."
Silence echoed through the trial room as Emiko's face paled. "I… me? W-Why me?" She tried to keep a calm face, but the shock was hitting her. "W-What could possibly cause someone to target me?"
The piece of evidence that points to it…
-Bullet Selected: Hearing Aid-
"That's it!"
"…Your hearing aid." Wally looked at Emiko with a sad look. "You took out your hearing aid, right?" She nodded as he sighed. "…Whoever the killer is… they were planning to have you remove your hearing aid. You said you felt vibrations of someone walking up behind you… but you didn't hear them any earlier due to…"
What caused her to remove her hearing aid?
-Bullet Selected: Speakers-
"That's it!"
"The speakers."
This caused Emiko's eyes to widen as Chizure understood what was being said. "Right! The speakers were still on! Barely… but still on!"
Emiko's eyes turned to the forger as she looked down at her podium. "…Feedback. They used my hearing aid's problem with feedback against me…"
"Exactly. But since Shunso was there, they couldn't kill you without being caught." Emiko was silent as she looked pale.
Ember looked at this and frowned. "So… the reason she's covered in blood was a set up due to the unexpected appearance of Shunso?" She tilted her head for a moment and looked at the others. "I'm guessing the killer planted blood on Emiko… but… wouldn't that mean the killer would be bloodied as well?"
That is true… however… there had to be a reason why.
-Bullet Selected: Bloody Puddle-
"That's it!"
"The bloody puddle! There was a water bottle in the trash can next to it… the killer must have made the puddle from washing their hands off!"
Li-Wei had his eyes closed and nodded. "So… from what we've gathered at the moment… the killer planned to kill Emiko but killed Shunso instead due to not wanting a witness. They then tried to frame Emiko and washed the blood off themselves before barricading the door…"
"Considering those who were out and about during the time of the murder… there's only one other person in this equation." The park ranger pointed to the sniper as she looked confused. "Wally, Takeshi, and Emiko are all proven innocent… but you are not. As the only other person out during the time of the murder, you're our most likely suspect." However, Wally frowned at that.
…This doesn't seem right. If… if what I'm thinking is true… then it can't be her.
NON-STOP DEBATE
Koharu: Are you serious right now?
Li-Wei: Very serious. As stated, you were the only other one out and about during the murder.
Ember: That is true…
Koharu: I heard a crashing sound in the cart! I saw the mess there and went to grab the others!
Takeshi: T-That is when w-we saw the timer.
Kanade: But what if it's not her?
Yokona: But she was the only one who separated from Wally and Takeshi!
Kanade: Oh…
Li-Wei: As much as you may wish it… there was no one else present.
Satoru: Then it must be Koharu. There's nothing pointing to her innocence.
Koharu: I'm telling you… it's not me!
-Bullet Selected: Vent System-
Wally: No that's wrong!
BREAK
Everyone turned to sidekick as Satoru looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
Wally looked up at the others and frowned. "I've been thinking about this… and this has been bothering me. Everyone who knew about the vent system before this investigation… please raise your hand."
On cue, Satoru, Kanade, Chizure, Ember, Ai, Hastur, Li-Wei, and Katashi raised their hands. This caused Wally to nod as people looked confused. "I thought as much… Something about this, whenever it was brought up, made things confusing."
But now I understand. What had been so confusing…
A. Those who didn't raise their hand were never informed
B. The vents magically appeared during the murder
C. Those who raised their hands didn't know about the vents
"That's it!"
"The ones who raised their hands… were the second night shift and the fourth night shift minus Katashi. …And we were the ones who never learned about the vents."
Li-Wei's eyes widened as he turned to Hastur. "What? I thought you were going to inform the fourth shift."
The cosmicism writer shrugged. "I thought Katashi would tell his own group."
Kanade gasped and covered her mouth in horror. "Oh god… we forgot to tell the second night shift! We were supposed to do that!"
Satoru cursed but looked at Kanade with a smile. "We were tired and distracted… we can't really change things now darling."
Wally nodded grimly. "We can't change anything… but it's exactly how they played us. The killer figured that the second shift wasn't aware of the vents… thus making us the perfect target to sneak around."
Koharu smiled gratefully at Wally before continuing. "I never knew about the vents… so it couldn't have been me."
However, Li-Wei frowned at this. "…While that is great for you Koharu… that leaves us with a problem. We now currently have no more suspects…"
"WRONG!"
Everyone turned to the yell as Yokona stood there with a grin. "That's wrong! And I'm going to blow this case right open!" She then gained a glare as she pointed to one individual. "I believe the killer is none other than you!" The others followed her point as it settled on the ultimate therapist. "Isn't that right Katashi!?"
Katashi was silent as Chizure looked unsure. "I mean… he does know about the vents… he was the one who pointed it out to the first night shift."
This caused some murmurs to occur as Ember continued the train of thought. "But still… why do you think him?"
There has to be something… right?
-Bullet Selected: Medicine Cart Logs-
"That's it!"
"You're referring to the medicine cart logs right?" However, it wasn't Wally who said that… but Katashi himself.
"That's right! And I've noticed that you were not only there the night before, but the night of the party! Who else would be knowledgeable of the contents in there?" Yokona pointed at him with a grin. "Not only that, but you're also always walking about during the nights! That's been known since day one! Combined with your knowledge of the vents… it's pointing to you being the killer!"
…All Katashi did was look at her and clap. "Well done… you've made a guess… but sadly it's wrong."
This caused the strategist to glare at the therapist. "What do you mean it's wrong!?"
All she got in response was a shrug as he reached into his pocket… and pulled out a key. Something about the key struck a chord with Wally as he pondered on it.
Why does that key prove his innocence?
A. It's the key to a brand-new motorcycle
B. It's his room key
C. It's the pool key
"That's it!"
"THE POOL KEY!" Everyone turned to the sidekick confused as he continued. "What he's holding is the pool key! That mean's he can't be the killer!"
Yokona sent a glare at Wally as she shook her head. "It's just a dumb key! It doesn't prove anything!" Wally just sighed as he looked at the growing debate. Time to bring forth the truth once more.
NON-STOP DEBATE
Ai: It seems the stars are aligning!
Yokona: Exactly! Every clue is pointing to you being the killer!
Katashi: I already told you… your guess is wrong.
Yokona: You're wrong! My theory is correct!
Chizure: But… apparently, he has the pool key. Which is important.
Satoru: If that's the case, how does it help prove his innocence?
Katashi: Because if I have this key, then I would have been able to grab something unreachable.
Hastur: Oh? And what mysteries is that?
Yokona: Mysteries of bullshit, that's what! The key doesn't mean anything!
Ember: I mean… it does make more sense than a key being proof.
Katashi: …
-Bullet Selected: Black Cloth-
Wally: I agree with that!
CONSENT
"Katashi having the key does prove he's innocent… because if he had the key, he would have been able to grab the black cloth floating in the pool."
Yokona looked at the sidekick with a glare and crossed arms. "Big whoop. Anyone could just walk in and grab it."
The sidekick shook his head. "Not quite."
What prevents just anyone from grabbing the black cloth?
-Bullet Selected: Pool Rules-
"That's it!"
"The pool rules!"
Conductorkuma laughed at that. "Oh right! I had to inform you, so you didn't die like a dumbass!"
"…Right." Wally sweat dropped at the bear before continuing. "The pool isn't actually locked during night… it's only locked by the pool key. And if you look at rule five… 'No entry after hours is allowed unless you have the pool key'… then why wouldn't Katashi enter and grab it if he had the pool key."
Ember frowned. "So what you're saying is…"
Katashi scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Like I've stated before… I'm innocent you imbeciles…"
Wally rubbed his eyes a bit but nodded. "Despite the rude phrasing… yes. Katashi is innocent."
Kuniyoshi groaned and glared. "So what now!? We've gone back and forth but keep hitting dead ends!" No one could really argue at that… "We've already knocked out everyone who was out and about during the murder! We've even knocked out Katashi for being a suspicious asshole! So who is it?"
Dammit! There has to be something! We've looked at all the clues but… everyone who was somewhat suspicious has been crossed off! Are… are we really stuck?
…
…
"…Hey… You have a conviction to protect everyone right?"
…
…
"…and… you're seriously gonna stick with that conviction, right?"
…
…
"…be the hero they need."
…
…
That's right! I can't give up! Not when our lives are riding on this! I… I need to keep my head up! …I… what would Shunso do? I… I need to think outside the box! What haven't I looked at? What have I missed? There's nothing clear so… I have to grasp at the small connecting clues! …
…
…
…wait. …That… that's it! And if that's the case then…
"…I figured it out." Wally spoke out with a look of realization on his face as the others turned to him. "Looking at everything, a clear picture can't be painted… but… I figured out who it is."
The one person who was inconsistently in every tale of the story! The one who helped start the party! The one who caused one of the night watches to not know of the vents! The one who was part of every step that led to Shunso's death!
Select Individual:
Emiko
Katashi
Yokona
Hastur
Chizure
Satoru
Ai
Shunso (X)
Kana
Wally
Ember
Li-Wei
Koharu
Takeshi
Kanade
Kuniyoshi
"IT HAS TO BE YOU!"
… "…It's Satoru. The killer is Satoru."
Wally found his words echoing throughout the trial room as Kanade looks in disbelief while Satoru stares at the sidekick with shock. "…Me?"
Kanade laughed a bit and shook her head. "O-Okay… n-now's not a good time to joke Wally…"
"I'm not joking." Wally kept a serious expression on his face as he continued. "We've already clued in that this murder doesn't have any exact clues leading us to the killer… so instead… we need to look at the minor things. Things that connect together without one realizing it."
Satoru frowned as he leaned against his podium. "What your saying is… that you deduced it to be me from 'possible' connections?" Wally nodded as Satoru chuckled. "For a moment there I was worried you actually thought it was me…"
"No. I do believe it is you."
And some of the facts that point to it are…
-Bullet Selected: Speakers-
-Bullet Selected: Vent System-
"That's it!"
"Humor me for a second." Wally looked at Satoru. "Who was it who was supposed to inform the second night shift about the vents."
Kanade looked between the two and hesitantly spoke up. "I-It was supposed to be Satoru and I…"
Wally nodded at that and continued. "And who was it who prepared the speakers for the party?"
Ember pondered for a bit before blinking. "…Satoru and Kanade." "Right… that's two factors of this trial you had a hand in."
Satoru started to frown as he gave a pointed look at Wally. "I see… and thus I am under suspicion? Does that mean poor Kanade is under it too?"
Wally just shook his head. "No… because she has an alibi that helps prove her innocence."
And that alibi is…
-Bullet Selected: Chizure's Account-
"That's it!"
"Chizure… can you recount your account of arriving to the pub room?"
The forger raised a brow and nodded. "Sure thing? The doors opened and we started to flood out. We were moving towards the pub room when Kanade stopped me because…" Her eyes widened. "…She wanted to go back for Satoru."
Wally nodded. "Yes. She and you went back for Satoru who you said was found at his door. But… was he really exiting his room? Or rather… trying to get into his room to change?" Chizure went to reply… but couldn't find any words as Satoru glared at Wally.
"Oh please! That's the best you have? I was leaving my room like the rest of us… Not my fault I'm not as fast as the others."
Wally nodded and looked at the idol. "True… however, that wasn't the only time you attempted to go back into your room. After all…"
The piece of evidence proving this is…
-Bullet Selected: Schedule Stop-
"That's it!"
"During the investigation, you attempted to enter your room once more… but couldn't. Because of the hidden attribute of the scheduled stop!"
Kana's eyes widened at the sidekick's words. "That… is true. Once is coincidence… twice is a pattern."
Hastur rubbed his chin in contemplation. "While not a clear picture… I see what our heroic friend is laying down~"
Ai nodded along. "Like a constellation! What seems to be a couple of obscure points, leads to a bigger picture! Like the star Polaris being the largest point… but truthfully only a part of the Ursa Minor!" Satoru frowned as he gripped his podium.
Koharu looked curiously but nodded. "It would make sense. The cafeteria and kitchen may have been locked but the restaurant wasn't. So he could have hidden in there while the others and I rushed back to the pub."
Kuniyoshi scoffed. "Wow… pretty boy sure is seeming suspicious now."
However, Kanade was frowning and looked at the others. "I… I-I don't know…"
Chizure frowned and sighed as she gave a sad smile to Kanade. "While it doesn't seem to be ideal… I can't think of a better candidate now."
Wally nodded as he closed his eyes… it seems the case was finally closed-
"YOUR TIME IN THE SPOTLIGHT IS OVER!"
Wally turns to the now angry Satoru. The idol glared at the sidekick as he gripped his podium tightly. "I will not stand here and have my name be dragged through the mud! You're convicting of a crime I did not commit!"
However, Wally just kept a serious expression as he felt the idol's will… It would not be an easy battle… however… the sidekick closed his eyes for a moment… before opening them with a determined expression. "Very well! I'll have to strike through your words! I'll bring forth the truth!"
[The scene shifts as the trial room became a large concert hall as Wally stood there in his Direclaw outfit. It was a black leotard with a giant orange claw mark across the chest and an orange pointed hood cowl (similar to those of assassins) and matching cloak. He also wore black combat boots with orange laces and an orange utility belt. The utility belt held a taser, handcuffs, pepper spray, smoke bombs, a bola, tracer darts, dart gun, and shuriken like throwing weapons in the shape of falcons called direrangs.
Lights flash to life as in the middle of the concert hall rested Satoru. Only now he was wearing a phantom of the opera mask that covered his eyes, a pair of black headphones with a microphone, a dark blue suit tuxedo with a white undershirt and black tie, black studded gloves similar to brass knuckles only they're studded diamonds, black dress shoes, and a flowing dark silver cape.
With a snap of his fingers, a soundwave echoed through the concert hall from the multiple speakers as the crowd slowly turned to face Wally… all with silver eyes as they moved to him in a hypnotized fashion.]
RESOLUTION RIVALRY
ULTIMATE SIDEKICK VS ULTIMATE IDOL
DIRECLAW VS STARLIGHT DISCORD
BEGIN!
Wally: I'm sorry Satoru… I don't wish to do this… However…
Wally: You're the culprit!
Wally: You're the one who chloroformed Emiko!
Wally: You're the one who killed Shunso!
Satoru: That's wrong!
Satoru: You're spouting out nothing but lies!
Satoru: I was fast asleep in my room the entire night!
Satoru: Why would I even try to sneak back into my room!?
-Bullet Selected: Black Cloth-
[Wally dodged out of the way of the striking crowd as he grappling hooked up to one of the speakers. Using his taser, he fired at the speaker, making it burst into flames as the crowd slowed down a bit.]
Wally: The black cloth floating in the pool!
Wally: A sweet smell emanated from it… Chloroform!
Wally: And what is missing from your appearance?
Wally: Your black tie!
Satoru: Grrr… That's just coincidence!
Satoru: I was asleep in my room!
Satoru: Besides… it's impossible for me to access Chloroform!
Satoru: The medicine room locks at night!
Satoru: How would I even access the Chloroform!?
-Bullet Selected: Missing Beaker-
[Hypnotized goons tried to swipe at Wally, who threw down a smoke bomb. Once the smoke disappeared, Wally was nowhere to be seen… until Satoru turned to see the sidekick kicking down another speaker.]
Wally: In the open kick drum! Two things were hidden in there!
Wally: The first was the kitchen knife used to kill Shunso!
Wally: But the second item had to be something holding the chloroform!
Wally: The only thing it could be is the missing beaker!
Satoru: Bullshit!
Satoru: We never found the beaker!
Satoru: It never showed up anywhere in the investigation!
Satoru: So it's irrelevant!
Satoru: If it really was the case, then where did the beaker go!?
-Bullet Selected: Broken Soda Bottles-
[Satoru glared at Wally as the sidekick started to grappling hook over to the next speaker. The idol breathed in out… and screamed out as a sonic soundwave launched at the sidekick, hitting the grappling hook rope. The speaker crashed to the ground as Wally stood up, standing in front of Satoru.]
Wally: The broken soda bottles in the courtroom cart!
Wally: We thought it was just soda bottles… But that's far from the truth!
Wally: The different shades in the glass show that they're different bottles!
Wally: One was a soda bottle… but the other was the missing beaker!
Satoru: Really!? You're going with that shit!?
Satoru: Koharu stated she went to get you and Takeshi!
Satoru: It was only you three in that cart!
Satoru: How the hell would I even get into the courtroom cart!?
-Bullet Selected: Yacht Cart Vent-
[Wally dodged studded punches that Satoru sent at the sidekick as he attacked the next speaker with taser. However, Satoru yelled once more, hitting Wally head on with a sonic soundwave, sending the sidekick into the large crowd once more.]
Wally: The vent in the yacht cart!
Wally: It connected to the vent in the courtroom cart!
Wally: One that was open and a straight shot to the mess made!
Wally: You were hidden up top in a spot we wouldn't look!
Wally: Because we didn't know about the vent system!
Satoru: So just because of that, I'm the killer!?
Satoru: Anyone could be the killer!
Satoru: Why are you not questioning Ai!? Or Kuniyoshi!?
Satoru: Why would I even have Chloroform in the first place!?
Satoru: What links me to the that!?
-Bullet Selected: Medicine Cart Logs-
[Wally dodged hypnotized goon after goon as he threw his bola up at the final speaker… … He connected, sending the speaker tumbling to the ground. As it collided with the ground, the crowd finally stopped as the silver of their eyes disappeared. The sidekick then immediately started to run towards the stage as Satoru glared at him.]
Wally: Looking at the medicine cart logs; most had been cleared!
Wally: Therefore there is only three possible people!
Wally: Li-Wei who was making sure nothing came into the party!
Wally: Hastur who has nothing connecting him to the murder!
Wally: And you! The one who's been connected through the smallest of details!
Satoru: And somehow that makes me the killer!?
Satoru: Get your eyes checked you simpleton!
Satoru: You're basing this all on situational evidence!
Satoru: You have nothing to prove it was me!
Satoru: This is all fucking speculation! No hard evidence!
Satoru: There's nothing to hold against me! There's no physical proof!
No… that's not true. Because there's one last clue that hasn't come up! Something that hasn't been found! Something that only you can have!
-Bullet Selected: Missing Bar Rags-
"A HERO ALWAYS FINDS A WAY!"
[Wally reached into his back pocket as he pulled out a glowing dart. He loaded up his dart gun as he flipped onto the stage as Satoru launched one last sonic soundwave. Wally, however, took the hit head on as he aimed his dart gun at Satoru… and fired. The dart soared through the air and approached Satoru, directly hitting the idol's mask. As soon as the dart hit the mask, the mask started to crack and break before shattering into pieces. As the mask shattered, the scene around the idol shattered as well as it returned to the trial room… with Satoru standing there shocked while Wally stood there with a determined look on his face.]
BREAK
"W-What?"
Wally stared at the shocked Satoru the others were silent. "I was wondering about it… the bar rags. Out of all the things we've discussed, it was never brought up. That is until I realized something…" He closed his eyes and then pointed at his arms. "…A white shirt would surely stain. And rolled up sleeves would cover a good bit unless the blood seeped through… so how do you cover it to prevent that?"
"Simple… you covered it with the bar rags. And you were planning to change your outfit but Kanade and Chizure unintentionally prevented you from doing so! If your sleeves are rolled up, we'll see the truth!"
Satoru stared at the sidekick shocked as he felt his arm be grabbed on his left. "Wha- HEY! Let me go!"
However, Chizure didn't listen as she quickly rolled up Satoru's sleeve… revealing a wrapped-up bar rag and blood stains. Ai then grabbed his other arm and rolled up the sleeve to reveal the same thing.
The room grew silent as Satoru looked down at his podium. Chizure swallowed before turning to Wally with a nod. "…Finish this trial."
The sidekick returned the nod as he breathed in… then out… before opening his eyes. "Alright… here we go."
CLOSING ARGUMENT
[Act 1 appears as scene shifts to show the courtroom cart where everyone is gathered around for the motive. A greyed-out figure stood off to the side a bit with a frown.]
Act 1: What we first thought as a simple act of desperation turned out to be a carefully planned out act. Starting at the motive drop, the killer found themselves wanting to escape the killing game.
[Scene shifts to show the grey figure turning and looking at Emiko as a wicked grin appears on their face. Off in the corner, one could see Shunso staring and frowning.]
However, they knew they couldn't pick any random person to go for… they needed to chose an exact target. And the one they chose was none other than Emiko. But to get her alone, the killer needed to get some things prepared.
[Fade to black as Act 2 appears. Scene shows the greyed-out figure entering the pub, walking to the back, and opening up the drum while holding up the kitchen knife and beaker.]
Act 2: To begin, the killer started with planting their tools for murder. By removing the cover on the drum, they could hide the kitchen knife and beaker full of chloroform in there with no one finding it. As for why they had to hide it there… well… because they knew how Li-Wei would go about things.
[Scene shifted to the greyed-out figure approaching Kanade and Li-Wei before shifting to the courtroom cart where everyone was meeting. However… Shunso could be seen sitting in the front frowning.]
The killer approached Kanade and Li-Wei about the idea of a party… taking inspiration from the guy's night I had come up with prior. So, with the killer's weapons hidden in the room, there was no reason to sneak it during the party.
[Fade to black as Act 3 appears. Scene shows the greyed-out figure exiting the pub party as they moved towards the storage cart and snuck into the hidden vent. The greyed-out figure sneaks into the pub as Emiko takes out her hearing aid and the figure grabs their items from the drum.]
Act 3: The killer waited till the party was finished before sneaking back into the pub through the hidden vent. Thanks to setting up the speakers previously for the party, Emiko found herself removing her hearing aid, which was the killer's time to strike.
[Scene shifts to show the greyed-out figure taking off their tie as the snuck up behind Emiko, who was grabbed by the figure before she could react, chloroforming her. As she drops to the ground, it then shows the figure looking shocked to see Shunso there in his wheelchair.]
Using their tie as a rag, the killer snuck up behind Emiko with chloroform. She could hear the vibrations of the approaching killer but couldn't react in time… getting chloroformed. With Emiko unconscious, the killer planned to kill her then and there… but was shocked to find Shunso there, witnessing the murder plan.
[Scene shifts to a scowl appearing on the greyed-out figure's face as they grabbed Shunso, tossed him onto the stage, and stabbed him in the chest while covering his mouth. It then shows the killer standing over Shunso's dead body.]
Knowing that there was no way to kill both Emiko and Shunso, the killer changed their target to Shunso. Tossing the intelligence officer onto the stage, the killer covered Shunso's mouth before stabbing him in the chest… killing him.
[Fade to black as Act 4 appears. Scene shows the greyed-out figure barricading the doorway, scratching up the walls, making a mess and then looking at Emiko.]
Act 4: Now with the killer's plan being thrown for a loop, they decided to distract and confuse us. Starting off, they barricaded the pub door from the inside and tampered with the scene, creating what appeared to be a fight.
[Scene shifts to show the figure wiping blood over the unconscious Emiko, moving over to the garbage can as they wash their hands and then wrap their wrists with the bar rags then roll up their sleeves. Then shows the figure leaving towards the vent with a bottle of soda, the beaker, and their tie.]
The killer then covered Emiko in blood before washing all blood off themselves. Their sleeves, however, became stained, so the killer used the bar rags and rolled up their sleeves to hide it. With all said and done, the killer moved to exit the room… leaving behind a crime scene.
[Fade to black as Act 5 appears. Scene shows the greyed-out figure crawling through the vents as their tie falls towards the pool. The figure looks angry but continued on as they exited in the storage cart. It then shows the figure sneaking around the night shift before climbing up to the yacht cart vent.]
Act 5: With the murder complete, all the killer had to do now was remove their evidence and distract the night shift enough to get back to their room. However, along the way, their tie slipped from their grasp and fell into the pool through the vent… dooming them from ever getting it back. Moving forward however, the killer exited the vents and snuck to yacht cart to enter the vent.
[Scene then shifts to the figure crawling through the vents and throwing the soda bottle at the wall, catching the attention of Koharu. As Koharu leaves, the greyed-out figure threw the beaker at the same place before moving back through the vents to the yacht… exiting as the night shift entered the courtroom cart.]
Sneaking through the vents, the killer used the soda bottle they brought along to create a distraction, which caught the attention of Koharu. As Koharu left to get Takeshi and I, the killer then tossed the beaker to the same location, mixing it up alongside the soda bottle. They then moved back through the vent and exited once the night shift went and entered the courtroom cart.
[Scene then shifts to the greyed-out figure running through the halls before reaching the dorm cart as Emiko's scream could be heard. They attempt to enter their room but can't as the door is locked, looking freaked out. Rushing to the kitchen cart, they snuck into the restaurant room as Koharu runs by. The body discovery announcement then played as it zoomed into the greyed-out figure's grin]
Rushing back to the dorm cart, the killer thought they were home free. However, due to the schedule stop, the killer found themselves trapped outside their room as Emiko's scream echoed through the halls. They headed back to the kitchen cart and ducked into the restaurant room as Koharu rushed by. They were waiting for the body discovery announcement… for the killer's only goal now was to sneak back into their room.
[Fade to black as Act 6 appears. Scene shows the greyed-out figure hiding in the kitchen cart's restaurant seating room as the others run by. It then shows them moving towards their room as Kanade and Chizure re-enter the dorm cart, causing the killer to look surprised and play it off with a smile.]
Act 6: As everyone rushed past towards the body, the killer tried to sneak back into their room to change. However, their worried friend Kanade along with a dragged along Chizure stopped the killer before they could enter. With a fake smile and story, the poorly dressed killer was able to hide their actions…
[Scene shifts to the three entering the pub, with the greyed-out figure looking away with a hidden grin. It then shifts to the figure returning to their room door and trying to open it… but the door refusing to open as their eyes widen. Kanade, Kuniyoshi and Kana standing behind them. The greyed-out figure looked nervous.]
They reached the body and reacted as if they never saw their dead night shift member… but they knew the truth as they were the killer. Returning after the body discovery, they tried to enter their room once more… only for it to be locked due to the Schedule Stop still being in effect. And that combined with the small trail they left behind was what lead to the killer's discovery.
[Scene shifts to show Wally behind the greyed-out figure who was holding their head with a scowl on their face as the sidekick pointed at the figure with a determined expression.]
Your song has run its course, but there won't be any encore for you! Isn't that right… Satoru Ginka, the Ultimate Idol!?
[The greyed-out figure shifted to reveal an angry scowling Satoru with bloodied sleeves.]
BREAK
…Satoru stood there in silence as Wally finished his tale recounting. No one countered his claim as he looked around the room. Some like Kana, Koharu, and Li-Wei were stoic… some like Yokona, Kuniyoshi, and Emiko looked angry… And there was some like Kanade who looked like they were denying it all. In that moment, sidekick felt… anything but a hero. The clues lead to the culprit… however… he instead felt he was bringing a man up to die…
"Well! It seems you've come to a conclusion!" Conductorkuma grinned as he sat there. Suddenly, a large machine appeared behind him… a large pachinko machine. Eight bit faces of all the riders lined the bottom while Shunso's was blacked out. "Place in your votes! Otherwise, we'll see where the ball lands and you'll be stuck with that fate!"
Looking around, Wally knew he had to vote for Satoru. The others understood it as well as Satoru stared down at his podium. Not a word was said as he stood there.
VOTE FOR THE BLACKENED-
Emiko
Katashi
Yokona
Hastur
Chizure
Satoru
Ai
Shunso (X)
Kana
Wally
Ember
Li-Wei
Koharu
Takeshi
Kanade
Kuniyoshi
The pachinko ball fell down the machine bouncing around and about. As it approached closer and closer to the bottom, the spots in the machine began to close. Soon enough all the slots were closed except for Satoru's.
VOTES TALLIED!
Satoru Ginka: 13
Wally Wilson: 1
Didn't Vote: 1
…
As the ball finished bouncing throughout the machine and landed into Satoru's slot, the machine whirled to life as an eight-bit Conductorkuma cheered with a picture of Satoru's eight bit face appeared on the big screen face flashing with a single word appearing.
GUILTY!
"Congrats you bastards! You found the blackened! And next time piano nerd… make sure to vote!" Conductorkuma laughed cheerfully as he pointed at the silent Satoru. "The killer of Shunso Kamata, the Ultimate Intelligence Officer… was none other than Satoru Ginka, the Ultimate Idol!"
-TRIAL END-
Everyone stared at the screen in a mixture of relief and horror. Relief that they'll survive… but horror that they found the true culprit. The one who attempted to kill Emiko but instead killed Shunso.
However, none took it worse than Kanade. "N-No… i-it can't be." She turned to Satoru with a look of horror. "W-Why!?" However, the idol stayed silent.
Li-Wei frowned as he sighed. "To kill when the motive was going to murder us anyways. I do not know if it was desperation or not."
"…Wait what?" Conductorkuma tilted his head. "What are you bastards talking about? The motive wasn't going to kill you." This caused people to stop as Ember spoke up. "…But… the final cage had only air in it… so once that point was reached…"
"You'd run out of air?" The bear stared at the riders… before bursting out laughing. "Oh! Oh my god! I can't believe this! This is comedy gold!" The bear was now rolling around in his seat laughing before standing back up. "Ha! Wow… I needed a good laugh! But no… the final cage had nothing in it! So you would lose the privilege to nothing! Meaning you would regain your privileges!"
"…T-Then…" Kanade covered her mouth in horror.
Hastur continued the pianist's train of thought with a frown. "This murder happened for naught."
Kana scowled as she slammed a fist into her podium. "Dammit! You could have survived you idiot! Both you and Shunso! You killed not knowing it was for nothing!"
"…I knew."
…Everyone stopped as they turned to look at the idol who was staring at the floor. "I knew the motive wasn't going to kill us."
Wally felt a chill down his spine as he looked at the idol with a slightly worried look. "…Then why?"
"…You want to know why? You really want to know? …Fine." Satoru then started the chuckle and laugh a bit before shaking his head as he looked at Wally. "You see… you were close but a bit off when it came to me deciding to kill. Because you see…"
Satoru scowled at them all as he glared. "…I was planning to kill since the very beginning."
…Silence echoed throughout the trial room as what the idol said clicked into the minds of the other riders. Kanade's eyes widened as she looked at him with shock. "…W-What?"
"You heard me." Satoru glared at them all. No longer was it the friendly and flirty Satoru they came to know. No... this Satoru was the real one. One who was glaring with so much malice it was jarring. "I was planning to kill since day one. I've spent every day since then trying to plan this murder. Since the first moment I woke up on this god forsaken train? When I learned I was damned to the living hell know as the killing game? I knew right then and there that I wasn't going to die like a fucking sheep. I was going to kill and escape my way out of this place." A scowl filled with hate grew on his face. "Even if it meant killing every single last one of you."
He held his head in frustration. "I subtly manipulated things to my favour! Made it so the second night shift was blind to the vents! Influenced a party to lure out that bitch Emiko so I can finally kill and get out of this place! And I was close… I almost got away with it despite the interferences… but no." He slammed his fist down on the podium as he glared at the sidekick. "It went all up in flames because you decided to grasp at fucking straws!" He then cursed as he glared at Shunso spot. "And that fucker. That stupid fucker! I actually thought I was clever and got away with it when he showed up!"
This caused some shock in the others as Satoru tossed something at Wally's feet. Picking it up… he saw it was Shunso's journal.
Shunso Kamata: Final Log?
I believe today is the day that Satoru is going to go with his murder plan. From what I've gathered, Emiko will be alone tonight as the second night guards the halls… but I believe he accounted for this and distracted Kanade in a way that allowed him to avoid telling the second night watch about the vents. And I feel like no matter what I do, he'll go through with it… but… I need to stop this. So, I'm going to try and convince him tonight. I may be able to convince him with what I discovered about the motive.
The motive can't kill us. At first, I believed that the final cage had 'air'… meaning we lose our privilege to breathe. But overall that feels too obscure… too… on the dot. Then it hit me. What was in the final cage.
Nothing.
The final lost privilege was the 'privilege of nothing'. Meaning that losing that, we would regain all the privileges we lost. The motive isn't there to kill us but rather push someone to react… but in this case… Satoru has been showing this plan for a while now. I… I don't know if people would believe me if I told them about this. So… I have to try the other option.
I hope I can convince him tonight… and if I can't… At least I'll be able to save someone who has a future. Better someone without a dream or drive… Better someone who hasn't made so many mistakes…
If this truly is my final log… then… I just want to say I love you mom. And I'm sorry for being a burden for so long… I'm sorry for all the mistakes I've made… and I hope one day you'll forgive me.
-Shunso Kamata
"Yeah! That's right! The fucker knew! And didn't say a thing!" Satoru glared at the intelligence officer's picture. "He knew my plan from the beginning! He was the 'Ultimate Intelligence Officer' but decided to confront me in the pub! I had to improvise and kill his sorry ass!" The idol sighed in frustration as he looked up. "He was such a dumbass to not say anything… And even after the whole plan change on the fly, I thought I had it in the bag… but no! All because... of you."
He turned his glare to Kanade as he scowled at her. "You… you fucking ruined it. If it wasn't for you, I would have gotten away with it! But instead you ruined my plans completely you fucking bitch!"
The pianist was scared as she had light tears falling. "B-But… I… W-We were f-friends…"
However, that just caused the idol to laugh tauntingly. "Aw, did I hurt your feelings? …Heh, like I care at all. Friends? Friends!? Yeah right! You were just a puppet for me to manipulate! You were so willing to do what I said! But no… that caring nature caused you to worry so much about me." His glare hardened even more. "So much so that I couldn't get back to my room in time to change. So yeah… friends? Don't make me fucking laugh."
Kana glared at the idol as the pianist fell into sobs. "Fucking bastard."
Satoru just scoffed. "Oh bite me bitch. If it wasn't me, someone else would have done it."
Wally just gripped his fist as he looked at the idol. "…Why?" The idol turned to the sidekick as the sidekick continued. "Why!? What could have possibly made this okay in your mind? What made you want to leave so badly you would take a life!?"
"…You wanna know why I want to leave so badly? You wanna know why I was willing to kill? Simple… I'm an idol." The others looked in shock as Satoru continued... the screen fading to black as Satoru remembered all his hardships as he glared at the others.
"I used to be like you all… so… idealistic. So innocent. So fucking naïve to the shitty world we live in. What a fucking laugh."
A young Satoru was sitting down on a stool with a little number on his shirt. Today was the start. The start of his idol journey as he heard his number get called up. Taking a deep breath, the boy would stand up and walk to the center stage while giving a large smile filled with hope and kindness. "Hello! My name is Satoru Ginka! Thank you for this opportunity!"
"When I started out, I learned that the idol world is cutthroat. Some of the other idols would sabotage me. Did everything to make sure they got the job instead of me. Every gig was a god damn challenge to even obtain!"
A disheartened and teary eyed Satoru was sitting on the curb of a street in the pouring rain as he held his head. This was the fourth time this month. He... He thought this time it would be different. He had connected well with this one idol and he truly thought the two of them would be good friends in this crazy world of music and dancing! A fun friendship and rivalry! ...But then they backstabbed him. Framed him to be a horrible singer and terrible dancer. Satoru had gone to them... "WHY!? Why did you do this!? What did I do you you!?" The words he heard stayed in his mind.
"Because you were in my way."
Back on the curb, he held his head in his arms as he heard someone approaching as he felt the rain stop. Looking up, he would see an older idol standing above him, holding an umbrella over his head. "Come on kid. Let's get you out of the rain." And once again, Satoru felt himself believing. That small bit of hope remaining started to shimmer again.
"I had found a mentor. An older idol who took me under his wing. Someone I had looked up to. Someone to care about me and my future. ...Right? FAT FUCKING CHANCE!" He slammed his fist down on his podium.
Satoru was looking at the next gig that his mentor had gotten for him as he approached the man's office. It had been sometime since the one idol betrayed him and left him for their own goals. That incident left a mark on the young idol's heart as he feared another model his age... trying to steal away all the gigs because they can. Thankfully it was just them. However, Satoru stop as he heard voices coming from his mentor's office. Moving closer, he would see from the gap in the door that the man was on the phone.
Approaching the door, Satoru went to knock when the mentor spoke. "Yeah, kid's an excellent tool." This caused Satoru to stop as the mentor continued. "Kid thought I was his 'kind saviour' and everything. And now he's eating out of my hand in spades!" The man laughed and turned in his chair. "Damn brat doesn't even know that I helped the other idol spread those tales about him!" A faint murmur could be heard as the mentor laughed. "Yeah man, I've got me a master level kind of pawn! As long as he thinks I give a shit about him? The more I get in profits! And if he fails to keep up? Then he's just in my way and I'll cut him loose."
The camera panned out to a sitting Satoru outside the now laughing mentor's office. Only this time, there was no tears. No emotions... nothing. And looking into the the boy's expression, one could see the loss of hope in his eyes. Standing up from the floor, the idol walked away, gig in hand, as he remembered the words the one idol had said to him before he was backstabbed.
"Because you were in my way."
"It was still cutthroat! Even more so when I found out the truth! That he was using me as a god damn stepping stool the entire time! The second I lost my usefulness? I would tossed away like garbage back to the bottom!" He then sighed as he looked at them with a tired expression. "...So I played them at their own game."
It had been sometime since the last spark of hope in the idol vanished. Satoru was sitting in his dressing room as he took care of his nails. Suddenly, someone burst through the doors with a loud bang and a panting breath. Standing there in a frazzled and angry expression was a familiar idol. The same one who betrayed him. Only now? They were dressed in raggedy clothes that looked to be falling apart as their hair was all over the place. "WHY!?" Satoru looked at them with a raised brow, not caring in the slightest, as the idol held up a magazine. "That article! You created an article about me that was nothing but lies! You destroyed my entire career!"
Satoru would take the magazine and flip to the pages the other idol was talking about... as a smile began to form on his face. "Oh. This article. The one that makes you look like a violent blackmailer?" At the other idol's nod, Satoru would turn back to the magazine.
The more he read, the more Satoru felt a chuckle forming in his throat. One that quickly turned to laughter. Crazy laughter at the ruined idol's life. Laughter as security came rushing in and grabbing the washed up idol, starting to drag them away from Satoru. The idol shouted out one last time at the top of their longs. "WHY!?"
All Satoru did... was turn to them and smiled.
"Because you were in my way."
The riders were silent as the idol held his head. "I've spent far too long reaching the top. Far too many idols I've crushed… far too much time and effort spent keeping my spot. And for what? To be kidnapped onto a god damn train for a killing game? …Every day we've been here is another day losing my spot." His glare hardened as he gave a cruel smile. "So yeah… forgive me if your lives mean jackshit to me. Because even if we survived and got out of here? I'd still be fucking dead. Socially and financially." He then looked to the side. "…not that it fucking matters anymore."
"Well… that's certainly an interesting way to go about things! Howeverrrrrrr~" Conductorkuma gave a wicked laugh as he looked down at them all. "Since you've broken the peace of our lovely train… and didn't safely get through the train trial… it's time for your punishment idol boy!"
Satoru's face paled slightly as he gritted his teeth. "…Damn…"
"I've prepared a very special punishment for Satoru Ginka, the Ultimate Idol!"
Satoru looked up as he glared directly at the rest of the riders, gripping his podium. "…Damn you…"
"Let's give it everything we got! It's punishment timeeeeeeeeee!"
And with that, Conductorkuma pulled out a mallet and slammed it onto a large red button as Satoru screamed out with a raging fury. "DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!"
...
...
...
And as soon as the button was hit, a TV screen popped showing an eight-bit Conductorkuma walking over to an eight-bit Satoru before dragging him off screen.
SATORU HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY!
INITIATING PUNISHMENT
The camera zoomed in onto Satoru as he stood there with his angry expression. He looked around him as the others stared at the idol. Suddenly… a large collar connected to a chain appeared and attached to the idol's neck. The idol tried to rush forward and swing at the sidekick as he was jerked back and dragged out of the room.
Getting dragged across the floor, being pulled by the chain, the camera panned out to show a large stage. The chain then detached from the idol as he was dropped right in front of a microphone. Standing up slowly, Satoru felt a plethora of electrical cords snake around his arms and legs as a large curtain moved from the front of the stage to reveal a massive audience of people wearing Monokuma masks.
Up on a large electronic billboard nearby, a picture of Satoru could be seen flashing as words appear next to it… flashing on and off.
Satoru Ginka, the Ultimate Idol's Execution-
Devil of Music
Suddenly, Satoru could see lights turn on behind him, showing a massive meter with a large star at the top that had the word "Release" on it. Realizing what he had to do, the idol gained a serious expression as he grabbed the microphone, taking a deep breath, and starting to sing. As he began to sing to the best of his abilities, the meter behind him began to fill up slowly. As the idol continued to sing, he noticed just how slow the meter was filling as his throat starting to hurt.
Taking a break however, the crowd immediately started to boo as Satoru felt vibrations in his arms and legs… as he noticed the electrical cords coming to life as electricity entered his veins. The idol went to scream but bit his tongue as he instead forced himself to sing… causing the electricity to subside. A painful cycle back and forth began as he would sing, would feel his throat get tired, either stop or make a mistake, and then feel the electricity enter his veins once more.
Soon enough, the idol could feel his vision start to blur as blood fell from his bloodshot eyes. His arms and legs could be seen with black veins as his voice came out scratchy and weak. However, noticing the meter slowly nearing the top, the idol continued to sing. The crowd was not a fan of the idols broken voice and boos echoed through the crowd as Satoru felt the electricity enter himself once more. However, filled with desperation, the idol continued to sing, even as his screams broke through the song now and then. He was determined to escape… determined to be released from this painful hell! And soon enough, the idol could hear the meter behind him flash to life as the cords detached from his limbs.
Satoru fell to the ground in pain, unable to move as he rested on his back… back on the stage, it felt almost comical how he was in a similar position as the one he killed. However… comedy turned to despair as Satoru watched the meter flash more and more until the star at the top caught fire. Squeaks and creaks could be heard along with a loud rumble as the idol stared helplessly… as the meter began to break off from the wall…
The camera panned into the idol's face as he tried to move… but no energy remained in his body as he laid there paralyzed. And before he knew it… the final bolt holding the meter in place broke off as the large flaming star swung downwards towards the idol who screamed.
The camera then panned back up as the star swung past… and a fire slowly began to rise up and overtake the screen. It then shifted back to the trial room as the remaining riders watched in horror before the camera slowly panned over to the bottom of the stage… a bloody microphone rolled into frame as a large fire burned in the background. The screen then went black as yellow text appeared.
Execution Completed
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…Silence. Something that occurred occasionally during the actual trial… it overwhelmingly took over the trial room now as the riders finished watching the horrific execution. All the while, a familiar bear was clapping in their chair wiping away a fake tear. "Bravo! Bravo! Encore!"
Finally… the silence was broken by Kanade's scream. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The pianist fell to her knees as she held her head.
And that… was the breaking point for the others. Ember found herself shaking while Koharu stared with no emotion. Li-Wei tried to look calm… but was failing as Wally stood there with anger.
Everyone reacted in their own way as Conductorkuma looked at them. "What? You all knew what was going to happen! It's not like the killing games of Junko Enoshima isn't known all over the world." The bear laughed with an evil grin. "But hey! Lucky you all! You now have your food back and never lost your privilege to sleep! …Though all it cost was two of you bastards permanently sleeping!"
The elevator soon opened as the bear bowed with their usual grin. "Well! It's late and I'm tired of seeing you bastards! So off to bed with you! When you awake, a brand new adventure will await you on this chaotic ride from hell!~ Good night!~" And with that, the bear disappeared. …And not long after, the remaining riders entered the elevator.
As the elevator reached the top, they all found themselves up on a slant as the fourteen riders slid down towards the open doorway… to find themselves back in the observatory. Gathering their bearings, all of them stood up… as Kanade rushed off first. Chizure frowned as she turned to the others. "…I… this is hitting her hard. I'll try to talk to her… … good night, everyone." And with that, she was off.
One by one, the riders left the observatory until Wally noticed it was just him and Emiko. Moving over to the ballet dancer, he tapped her shoulder as she flinched before relaxing a bit. "…Are you okay?"
Emiko moved to speak… but stopped before shaking her head. "…No. I… How would one be okay if they learned they were the one intended to die?"
Wally frowned as he looked up at the girl… but gave her a hopeful smile. "I… No one would be okay learning that… but all we can do now is move forward." He then held out a fist for a fist bump as he grinned. "And no matter what, you're not alone. I'm here for you!"
The ballet dancer was silent as she stared at the extended fist… before moving past it and hugging the sidekick. The hug last but a few seconds before Emiko let go and moved past Wally. But as she moved past, Wally could hear a whisper. "…Thank you."
The sidekick watched as the ballet dancer left the observatory… and for the first time that night… Wally felt hopeful once more as he walked out and left for his room.
Entering his room, the sidekick closed his door behind him as he groaned and rubbed his face. Looking at it, things had taken a turn for the worst. While Emiko seems to be slightly better, there will still be some hesitation. Not only that… Kanade seems to be the one most affected. The once fragile peace was broken as Wally sat down on his bed, looking through the journal of Shunso.
"…" The more the sidekick read, the more he realized how little Shunso thought of himself. He thought no one would believe him… that no one would trust him. He thought that he was lesser than the rest of them… and none of them could see it. He didn't act it out in front of others, only showing a bit before his death… but during that bit, Wally finally understood.
Shunso truly wished for the best for everyone. And he wished for help keeping that. …A wish that Wally wants to keep. As the sidekick was going to close the notebook and go to bed, he noticed something strange. "…What the hell?" Looking through Shunso's notebook once more, Wally found a strange note at the end. It was a separate piece of paper that seemed to have strange writing in dark yellow ink…
"Time ticks down until one soul bleeds… the number of days of the lost privilege is your lead."
"…" Wally stared at the note with a confused look as he laid down on his bed. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "…This is getting too out of my territory… …It's been a long night." And with that, the sidekick found himself being lulled to sleep.
…Hopefully… tomorrow will be a better day. I'm scared of what's to come… but I'll face it headfirst. …Things aren't going to be easy, but hero work is never easy.
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SATORU GINKA-
TALENT: IDOL
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STATUS UPDATE…
EXECUTED
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OBTAINED: OFFICER'S NOTEBOOK
OBTAINED: BLOODY MICROPHONE
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CHAPTER 1 – FREEDOM'S END - COMPLETE
-TO BE CONTINUED-
14/16 REMAINING
Hello everyone! Void here!
I hope you enjoyed this first trial cause man! A full year to get here!
To start, I will say I enjoyed hearing the theories people were coming up with! Honestly, hearing NSPunny's theory for Koharu was interesting and honestly very close in many cases! But sadly not quite the case… The murder was a little trickier due to the hidden nature of it!
But yes! The killer was Satoru Ginka the Ultimate Idol! Thank you once again ChaosMercy for such a wonderful character! Satoru was an interesting character as I got to see how tricky a murder could truly be if someone had been planning a kill for the longest time. If you want a fun little time, look back during the chapter! You'll see the small details I placed with Satoru's planning! Either way, Satoru was fun to write, and I hope I did him justice!
As for chapter two… May take a bit before it starts but don't worry! I have a lot planned for this story moving forward! I'll see you all soon and I hope you continue to enjoy this crazy ride of a story! Cause it's going to continue to go… Off the rails! …Pun is very much intended.
But… that's all for now! Until next time! See you all later!
VoidRebirth signing out!