"Izuru…Kamukura?" Kaede repeated the man's name as they all stared at the Mastermind with various expressions.
"The same name as the founder of Hope's Peak?" Kirumi asked.
"The very same!" The man proudly declared as he put a hand on his chest and smiled warmly at the students. "I am called Izuru Kamukura the 53rd, named after the founder. I am the result of years of research! The new genius born of that retched school's desires! And I am the one who put the survivors of Humanity into a death game! That is who I am!" He exclaimed dramatically. "Apologies to anyone who was expecting the Mastermind to be one of the students here. This probably feels like a cop-out, having some rando appear as the final boss, but that's the way the cookie crumbles this time around. Oh! And in case you're still doubting me…"
Izuru then moved his coat off and adjusted his shirt in a way to reveal his shoulder, which was very clearly bandaged, blood still visible from underneath the wrappings.
"I was the one your little friend shot last night. That should be enough proof for you, yes?"
"You…so you really are the Mastermind…the one who forced us into this killing game?" Shuichi asked with a wary expression.
"But why? What's the point of all of this? Who even are you?!" Kaede shouted with wide, confused, yet angry eyes.
"And what's with that name? 'The 53rd'? What, are there more of you?" Kokichi asked as he tilted his head playfully, though his gaze remained sharp and targeted on the supposed Mastermind.
"As history repeats, so do the mistakes of man," Izuru explained with a creepily bright smile before covering half of his face with his hand in what must have been a Jojo's pose. "When faced with opportunities of wealth, fame, or power, people will repeat any crime or disgusting act in order to achieve what they want! That's what I am. The latest result of man's sin. An Ultimate Being created to be all the world's Despair!"
"So you're just a freak that was created, just like the Izuru Kamukura from the Killing Game of Jabberwock Island, but instead of being made for hope, you were made for despair. Is that what you're saying?" Rantaro asked as he crossed his arms with a heavy glare.
"Oh, I think you're missing a large piece of the puzzle. I'm not just made for despair. I was made by despair! And with all the improvements made after the original Kamukura project, I am far more capable than the bored, lazy hippie!" Izuru claimed proudly. "I mean, I even have my own ship right here. What better vessel to captain than the Ark?"
"His logic is impossible to follow," Keebo grumbled as he practically hit his face with his metal palm.
"No matter. What does matter is that you admit to being the Mastermind behind this killing game, yes?" Kirumi questioned. "That means all we need to do in order to finally end this killing game is vote for you. Since you are the one who killed Rin, you will be punished, won't you? At that point, we'll be free, and the game will end."
"Oh, that is certainly one way to end this whole thing," Izuru smirked as he shook his head in amusement. "But would that actually end the killing game? I mean, the killing game never ends. It is eternal, such as myself."
"Never ends? The heck does 'it is eternal' mean? You're just trying to sound cool!" Tenko shouted in frustration.
"It's a bluff, obviously. Let's just hurry up and vote. It's all over anyway, right." Rantaro sighed.
"Wait! Should we not question him about–" Keebo began, only for Shuichi to cut him off.
"There's no need, Keebo. This class trial is over." The detective let out a huff.
"Huh?! It's over? Then why did I come all the way from my super secret place to meet you all!? Are you saying that was pointless?!" Izuru whined as he held his head in a panic.
"You killed Rin, and you and Monokuma have been cheating your way through this game in order to get us to kill each other for your amusement!" Kaede screamed. "Your game is rigged! There's no point in continuing it anymore!"
"Oh, is that the problem here? Yeah, we definitely messed up. Sorry!" Izuru apologized as he raised a closed fist and playfully knocked his knuckles against the side of his head as he spoke in a childish manner. "...So?"
"So? Is that all you have to say?" Kokichi frowned as he raised an eyebrow. "You put us through this dumb game and that's all you have to say in response? Aren't your viewers even a little bit pissed that you tricked them?"
"Kokichi's right! There's no way such a half-assed apology will do anything to appease us or your audience!" Tenko shouted.
"Eh? Viewers? What are you talking about?" Izuru asked as he tilted his head before he brought a hand up and started playing with his bangs boredly. "The only people alive right now are the eight of us. The only audience you've had…is me."
"...Huh?" Shuichi let out a confused, strangled noise at that, but Izuru seemingly ignored him as he tapped his chin and stared off at nothing.
"Hmm…I guess I can explain why this happened. I mean, I haven't talked to anyone since before we launched, so it might be fun." Izuru hummed before he gave a disturbingly creepy smile to the others. "Well, it began with my creation. You see, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much–"
"Skipped to the important parts." Rantaro growled.
"Huh? Isn't my birth pretty important?"
"Skipped to the start of the killing game." The adventurer repeated.
"Fine, fine." Izuru huffed. "Well, I guess that would be when the meteors started falling"
"Oh, here we go?" Kokichi sighed. "Time for some hour long exposition."
"I had heard rumors about Hope's Peak Academy's special little project to save humanity, and I found myself with a most interesting thought." Just as Izuru finished that sentence, his playful, childish grin morphed into a twisted snarl as he bared his teeth angrily. "'Doesn't that just piss you off, Izuru?' Indeed it did. They're trying to save people's hopes, but wouldn't it just so funny if that last hoped died pitifully among the stars? It would be the most perfect despair I could ask for, so I decided that if they were going to preserve the last hopes of humanity, I would do those hopeful stiffs a favor and help them preserve the thing needed in order to breed hope: despair."
"Thus, I forced those selected as humanity's last hope to play my killing game. I hid deep within the Ark and watched gleefully as you all killed each other one by one, betrayal after betrayal. I even had a script for it and everything." Izuru smirked. "Too bad that old guy Wakuri found me after he woke up first. You know he wasn't even supposed to be a part of the project? He was supposed to stay on Earth to fight my remaining remnants, but he forced his way onto the Ark because, and I quote, 'had a gut feeling something would go wrong'. Seriously, if it wasn't for that gut instinct, things would have been a lot easier and way more entertaining."
"W-What about Kokichi?" Tenko asked hesitantly. "Isn't he…or…wasn't he one of your Remnants, too."
"Hell no. As if I'd follow someone as two-dimensional as this joke." Kokichi sneered before Izuru let out a confused hum as he turned to the teen.
"Hmm… I mean…does that even matter?" Izuru asked in an oblivious tone. "I mean, Remnant or not, comrade or not, people are just people. Who cares if one dies or lives? I honestly don't bother thinking about it." He explained as he gave a half-hearted shrug. "The remnants were just tools. Useful beings that offered themselves to their god of Despair. Why would I care what happened to them if it was what they wanted in the end? Nobody cares when they crush ants underneath their heel, after all."
"T-That's so twisted! You don't think any human life has any value?" Tenko cried out.
"Why would any life have more value than another? But I will refute that. I do know life has value. Why do you think it's so painful and despairing when you see it taken away." Izuru's cheerful expression then morphed into something far more feral as his eyes almost seemed to twist in the dark glint of light of the trial grounds. "That's what makes it so fun!"
"I don't care about your inhuman views on life and death. I want you to explain what you meant about you being the only audience for this game." Rantaro demanded. "I thought Kokichi and Rin said this game was being watched by people, that's why their plan from the last trial 'ruined the killing game'. Are you saying that was wrong?"
"Well…yeah. Did you really think the rules mattered that much?" Izuru asked as he tilted his head ever so slightly. "I mean, I was frustrated to see my carefully crafted game break apart, but…it didn't really matter in the end, y'know. I mean, this whole elaborate scheme was only for my amusement anyway."
"What…do you mean?" Shuichi asked hesitantly.
"We're the last people alive. The last eight humans left in all of existence. Who could watch? No one else was allowed onto the Ark or snuck on. Even if they did, they would have died from that illness, like Kaito did. If there were people here with us or if they had died, wouldn't you have seen them or something pointing to their existence like you did with me? I mean, sure there are plenty of hidden rooms and stuff like the one I was hiding in, but if those people really existed, don't you think they would have come out to try to help you by now?" Izuru asked plainly with a slightly bored expression as he looked at his hand.
"But then…why were the rules so important if no one was watching?" Kaede asked. "You kept insisting that things had to be interesting, right? Wasn't that for–"
"It was more own entertainment like I said. I was trying to perfectly match the previous killing game structure. The one Junko made, so obviously I had to follow the same rules and tropes she set up, right? Otherwise, it would be inauthentic! Who would want to play some botched game like that? I was already going through so much effort just to set the game up, so why not go all in on the theming and inspiration? It made things way more fun for me to watch in the end."
"You just wanted to recreate the past killing games… That's it?" Keebo asked in horror.
"Yep. That's it." Izuru said before laughing. "Were you really expecting something more grand? Not everything has or needs some big plot reveal or relevance. I mean, you found out that your devious little mastermind was just 'some guy we never met', right? Why would my motive for this game be any different or more grand?"
Izuru then placed a hand on his face, covering half of it as his childish expression shifted into something far more serious and blank, like an empty canvas.
"There are no survivors of humanity. Things are just as you recalled. This is the end of the world, and you all killed each other. That is the truth of the Ultimate Academy killing game."
"No, that's wrong!" Shuichi shouted in defiance.
"Wow! I'm so spooked! The detective said his catchphrase!" Izuru comedically flailed backward, as though struck by some invisible blow.
"Maybe we all remember that there's no one left out there…" Shuichi continued, choosing to pointedly ignore the over-the-top reaction of the mastermind. "But how do we know our memories are even real!?"
"Huh? What do you mean by that? You think your memories are wrong?" Izuru asked in a confused voice. "I don't know, man. That sounds like a you problem, not something I did."
"There's something that's been bothering me about our memories," Shuichi explained to the others before he pulled out a piece of evidence he kept in the back of his mind. "Here, look at this book."
"The Complete History of Hope's Peak Academy?" Kirumi read out the title.
"Oooh! I love anthologies!" Izuru cheered. Needless to say, the others ignored him once more.
"This book contains years of research about Hope's Peak Academy," Shuichi told the others. "Nothing would indicate this book is a prop. I believe the information here is accurate."
"Okay. So you found a history textbook about Hope's Peak. Why are you bringing this up now?" Rantaro asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Because there's a lot written in this book that differs from our memories," Shuichi replied with a stern look.
"What is different?" Keebo asked.
"To know that for certain, I'll need everyone's help," Shuichi said. "I want you all to tell me everything that you remember about Hope's Peak Academy.
"So all we need to do is tell you what we remember about Hope's Peak? Seems simple enough." Kaede hummed.
"Hmm…I would help you guys out, but… I don't have any memories of that school." Kokichi said before he smirked. "But I'm willing to bet Shuichi is right on the money with this, though."
"Then…it began with the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History." Kirumi began the story.
"That event originated at Hope's Peak Academy, inspiring wars and terrorism around the world," Keebo added. "It would not be hyperbole to say that event brought despair to all mankind."
"And it was all caused by a single high school girl: Junko Enoshima!" Tenko shouted angrily with gritted teeth.
"My predecessor! My idol! My darling!" Izuru cried out with a deep blush adorning his cheeks while he held himself tightly. "I don't want to fix her, I want her to make me worse!"
"Riiiight… Well, Junko Enoshima enrolled in Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Fashionista…" Rantaro said as he tried to not think about whatever slop just came out of Izuru's mouth. "But in truth, her real identity was the Ultimate Despair. In order to cover the world in despair, she–"
"Wait a minute, something doesn't add up here." Shuichi interrupted.
"Huh? I detect no discrepancy in my memory banks." Keebo frowned.
"Yes, everything we just said is just like we remember it…" Shuichi nodded before frowning himself. "But it doesn't match what's written in the history of Hope's Peak Academy."
"So you gotta play 'Spot the Difference'!" Monokuma suddenly called out. "Point out what everyone is mistaken about in their memories of Hope's Peak Academy." The bear then shot an arm up as he cheered. "Alright! Time to play some Danganronpa trivia!"
"Dangan…ronpa?" Kokichi mumbled but then he shrugged, brushing off the word as something stupid Monokuma said to confuse them or as some reference or joke. "So, you guys started this little back story with…what was it? The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Even in Human History? Jeez, more like the Biggest Mouthful Anyone's Ever had to Say."
"The event was sparked at Hope's Peak Academy, and was instigated by a single girl." Kirumi elaborated.
"Junko Enoshima! She spread despair across the entire world all by herself!" Izuru cried out with a big toothy grin.
"No, that's not right." Shuichi said. "One high school girl started the Tragedy. The Ultimate Despair, Junko Enoshima. At least, that's what we recall, but that's not what this book says. 'Ultimate Despair' doesn't just refer to Junko Enoshima. It refers to a group and the movement that came after. To put it simply, there's more to Ultimate Despair than Junko Enoshima."
"That's the first I've heard about that. Wasn't Junko the Ultimate Despair?" Kaede asked.
"That is what I recall, as well. That label only applied to her in my memories." Kirumi frowned as the others minus Kokichi and Izuru mumbled similar things.
"Coincidences sure are scary. You all misremembered the same thing. Is this what they call the Mandella Effect? Scary." Izuru hummed.
"Coincidence? Misremember?" Tenko repeated, unsure what to make of Izuru's comment, but Shuichi refused to believe this was the work of a mere coincidence.
"That's not all. There are other discrepancies I'd like to point out." Shuichi added.
"Does it even matter at this point? What's done is done. Who cares if you got a single fact wrong or misremembered a name or date? The truth is right here in front of you since you all are in the Ark, right? You saw the outside world, too, so what point is there in debating what's already happened?" Izuru asked.
"Why would we listen to a single word you say, Mister Mastermind? You're the one who put us through all this crap, so I don't think you should have an opinion in this debate." Kokichi snarled.
"Then why did you guys call for me? I thought you wanted the Mastermind to be part of this discussion."
"Ignore him. Let's continue where we left off." Rantaro rolled his eyes. "Junko resorted to different tactics to cover the world with despair."
"The killing game between the 78th class of Hope's Peak Academy being the prime example of Junko's cruelty." Kirumi frowned deeply at the thought.
"They were locked up in the school and forced into the killing game made by the Ultimate Despair." Tenko shivered.
"Fortunately, the survivors managed to drag Junko out of hiding and banded against her. That's when Junko executed herself, her plans having fallen through." Kaede responded.
"And after Junko, the one who started it all, died, events were set into motion." Izuru cut in happily. "The world began to move towards restoration, but despair also began to grow stronger in response!"
"Then the fight between the Future Foundation and the Remnants of Despair raged on." Monokuma nodded along. "But the worst-case scenario was avoided! Yay, a happy ending!"
"But that's not right either." Shuichi refuted. "It wasn't the Ultimate Despair that trapped the 78th class in Hope's Peak Academy."
"That's right. The book said the class. They shut themselves in." Kokichi nodded as he recalled what he had read alongside the detective.
"Shut themselves in?" Keebo repeated, his eyes widening with confusion.
"Why in the world would they do that? I mean, doing so is what let Junko trap them in the killing game!" Kaede exclaimed.
"It has to do with the Hope's Peak Academy Shelter Project." Shuichi clarified. "During the Tragedy, the 78th class trapped themselves inside Hope's Peak Academy for protection."
"Hope's Peak…would make for a good bunker or shelter during the Tragedy that was happening outside if Junko hadn't been among them." Rantaro grimaced.
"So our memory of the 78th class being trapped by Junko…" Tenko began to ask.
"That memory is also wrong?" Kirumi finished the question, concern now showing in her expression.
"Nah, that isn't the case. If this much is a 'contradiction' between all of your memories, it means that book is just a prop. Something some low effort hack wrote up. No need to take it seriously." Izuru shrugged.
"Like I said before, why should we listen to anything you say? You're the one full of contradictions." Kokichi growled. "First you say it's 'just a coincidence', now you say the book is wrong? It smells like you're trying to cover something up with lies."
"Is that how it seems?" Izuru asked as he looked off into space, a distance gleaming in his eyes as he spoke softly.
"...Let's just move on." Shuichi sighed. "Next, let's discuss the rebuilt Hope's Peak Academy that we were attending."
"What about it?" Tenko asked.
"There's no doubt that the seventeen of us, including Rin when he was younger, were students at Hope's Peak Academy," Keebo stated.
"We heard it had been rebuilt and was accepting applications for talented students again. And so, we gathered at the brand-new Hope's Peak Academy." Kaede said, a small smile on her lips as she recalled her fond memories of the school.
"Since Hope's Peak Academy was large we were all in separate classes." Rantaro added as he rubbed the back of his head. "But there's no doubt that we were students of the new school."
"No, that's not right either," Shuichi said, now visibly frustrated by all the inconsistencies he was pointing out. "We remember Hope's Peak Academy taking applications from talented students."
"But that's not what's written?" Tenko asked nervously.
"No. According to the book, the academy did not take applications. All of their students were scouted." Shuichi clarified.
"Scouted?" Kirumi repeated.
"I've never of that." Rantaro frowned.
"I wasn't scouted. I applied to Hope's Peak all on my own! I remember sending the application letter and everything!" Kaede shouted.
"Me too. I choose to come to Hope's Peak." Shuichi nodded in agreement. "At least, that's what I remember."
"Are you saying we are remembering it wrong?" Kirumi asked.
"W-Wouldn't it make more sense for the book to be wrong? I mean, researchers make mistakes, too!" Tenko argued.
"But the book is credited as being written by several renown researchers. They all can't have made the same mistakes in the collective research." Kokichi argued.
"Agreed. I'm also not getting all of this from the book. There is other evidence as well that supplements what is written in the book." Shuichi added.
"Other…what?" Monokuma asked cutely as he tilted his head.
"The killing game we're in now is one that began with Hope's Peak Academy. So this is the third game, after Hope's Peak and Jabberwock Island." Shuichi explained. "But that doesn't line up with what we know about Rantaro and Rin."
"Us two? You mean our own killing games? Rin and I were put in faux killing games run by Remnants of Despair. That's what I remember. Are you saying that's not right?" Rantaro asked.
"No, I don't think it is. There's no mention of any faux killing games held by the Remnants after the other two killing games. Aside from our own game, there hasn't been a killing game since Hope's Peak and Jabberwock Island. Rantaro nor Rin are listed as past participants of any killing game. Neither of them was present at the two killing games that Junko orchestrated."
"Then…what killing game did they participate in?" Kaede asked. "They must have been in killing games. Rantaro has his survivor's perk that claims he survived on, and we found all that evidence that Rin survived one too!"
"I'm not entirely sure, but…it's clearly inconsistent, isn't it?" Shuichi asked. "That's not the only thing about Rin that contradicts what we know, either. In fact, Rin's entire story is strange."
"Strange how?" Izuru asked, a blank expression now on his face as he watched patiently and carefully from his podium.
"We all remember Rin as the new Ultimate Hope of our generation. He became the leader of the Future Foundation after surviving a faux killing game and was the main force in fighting the Remnants. However, with how much the book details the history of Hope's Peak and the Tragedy, even decades after the event, Rin is not mentioned a single time. According to the book, the leader of the Future Foundation after the end of the Tragedy was Kyosuke Munakata, but he eventually gave command over to the survivors of the 78th class, mainly Byakuya Togami and Kyoko Kirigiri. There's never even a mention of any Ultimate Hope aside from Makoto Naegi and the Izuru Kamukura Project."
"So…what we remember about Rin is also wrong?" Kirumi asked.
"That would match up with what Rinny told us. He said he wasn't the Ultimate Hope during the last trial." Kokichi hummed.
"I thought that was just him hating the title and his talent after everything that's happened here, but maybe he really was being literal with what he said." Rantaro frowned.
"But then…who was Rin Wakuri? If he was not the Ultimate Hope or even the leader of the Future Foundation, why was he allowed onto the Ark in the first place?" Keebo asked.
"I did mention how he forced his way into the game, remember? He wasn't really supposed to be here." Izuru said simply.
"But that doesn't clear everything up about Rin. In fact, I find the fact that we remember him as a graduate of the new Hope's Peak strange, too. Rin and his friends were all listed as students in that yearbook, but the photos I found of Rin and his friends all showed them in different school outfits. They all went to different schools from each other, and not a single one wore the uniform of Hope's Peak." Shuichi added.
"T-Then you're saying Rin was never even a student of Hope's Peak!?" Tenko exclaimed.
"The inconsistencies don't stop there. What we know, or at least, what we think we know about Kokichi is also suspect." Shuichi stated.
"More inconsistencies? It's starting to seem like someone wasn't paid enough to write proper continuity." Izuru mumbled. "But I'll bite. What's so inconsistent about the one who claimed to be the Mastermind in the last case? He's very clear just as insane as I am."
"My sanity or lack thereof has nothing to do with this." Kokichi brushed the insult off with a playful huff. "No, the problem here is, as I've mentioned plenty of times before, I am not one of those stupid Remnants of Despair!"
"Yes. I'm inclined to agree. There's too much that caused that line of thought to fall apart." Shuichi claimed. "With what we know, Kokichi isn't, no, it's impossible for Kokichi to be a Remnant of Despair."
"Are…Are you sure?" Kaede asked. "I mean…you remember how Kokichi has acted before now, right?"
"He wasn't given back his memories of being a Remnant of Despair, but are you saying that it's not his memories that are wrong, but ours?" Rantaro asked.
"That's impossible. Perhaps Kokichi does not remember now, which is how we are able to work together to end the killing game like this, but he was most certainly a Remnant in the past!" Keebo proclaimed.
"Yes, yes. Being free from his memories of despair has let little Oma to join your little party of young hopefuls, but it is the undeniable truth he used to be one of my favorite tools. He loved Jenko even more than I, thus I gave command of the Remnants to him. He changed the name to DICE and waged war against humanity. Truly, he is the Ultimate Supreme Leader, second to only myself." Izuru claimed with a proud smile.
It sent shivers down Kokichi's spine.
"As if! Like I would degrade myself to working under you and worshipping some batshit insane high school girl who had a despair fetish." Kokichi hissed. "And don't you dare try to pin DICE as your little band of terrorists! We never did anything that would kill anyone!"
"Then where's your proof?" Izuru asked coldly, his face now stone-like as he shoved a hand into his pocket. "Without proof, that's just baseless statements coming from a suspect who has caused the deaths of several others in this very killing game. A group led by you must be just as cruel, don't you think?"
"Hrk…!" Kokichi choked on his words as he hesitated. The memory of the fourth trial and the most recent death caused him to freeze up, but Shuichi easily took over for him.
"The motive video that Kokichi was given during the second case is our proof," Shuichi answered.
"That video? I watched it back then with Ryoma, Rin, and Kokichi." Rantaro said. "That video shows off Kokichi and the generals he trusted to help him lead the Remnants."
"No, that's not entirely right. You don't remember the exact details of the video, do you, Rantaro?" Shuichi asked.
"I…suppose not if you're claiming I'm wrong." Rantaro admitted. "Am I wrong?"
"Yes. I watched the video during the investigation, so it's still fresh in my mind." Shuichi nodded. "The video claimed that Kokichi's organization, DICE, was centered around petty crimes and pranks. In fact, the video claimed that the group was one that forbid murder. In addition to that, the group was only ten people aside from Kokichi. That's far too few to be the same group that tried to sabotage the Gofer Project. And the video never mentions any other people being in the group, Remnant or otherwise. In fact, the video fails to mention the Remnants of Despair even a single time."
"That means, if the video was correct, which is should be considering the validity of the other motive videos handed out at the time, Kokichi's group could not be the Remnants of Despair." Keebo frowned.
"How do we know Kokichi wasn't just given that video as cover in case he was outed as a Remnant?" Tenko asked.
"Why bother with fabricating a video and an entire group, then? There were far easier ways to give Kokichi cover if that was the goal." Kaede pointed out.
"Then…the memory we have of Kokichi is false." Kirumi frowned. "Then…everything I did last case truly was the result of my being manipulated by the Mastermind!" The maid cried out with gritted teeth.
"That's right. It was all due to the flashback light that we were exposed to." Shuichi said. "The flashback light that neither Kokichi nor Rin used."
"That's right… Rin didn't seem to recall anything about those memories." Rantaro hummed.
"Rinny said he remembered everything he had forgotten while we were hiding out in the Exisal," Kokichi claimed. "But he didn't seem to think anything you guys were bringing up about hope, despair, the Ultimate Hope, or Junko was even relevant. He seemed confused like I was whenever it was brought up. In fact, when I asked about Junko, he mentioned she wasn't important since she was dead."
"Do you think if the Flashback Lights worked on Rin, he'd have known?" Tenko asked.
"...Maybe it was better that they never worked on Rin in the first place." Shuichi suddenly said. "I think the people who were affected by that Flashback Light were wrong."
"We were…wrong?" Tenko repeated nervously.
"That…does appear to be the case. These inconsistencies are all from memories we gained from the Flashback Lights." Kirumi pointed out.
"So the Flashback Lights are the cause?" Keebo asked.
"We did find the room that makes Flashback Lights." Kaede said before frowning. "And…it was definitely weird."
"Weird how?" Rantaro asked.
"Well, the user of the device can select which memories they can put into a Flashback Light," Kaede explained. "But some of the options shouldn't have been there."
"One would say 'there are survivors', but another would say 'there are no survivors'," Shuichi added. "The Flashback Lights allegedly help us recover our memories. We're supposed to remember the truth that we forgot, and there should only be one truth."
"But having the option to recover contradictory memories like that shouldn't be possible." Tenko gasped.
"Then what are you saying?" Monokuma asked.
"Huh?"
"The Flashback Light isn't for recovering lost memories, is that what you're saying?" Monokuma asked once more.
"Then what was it for?" Izuru asked in a disinterested tone. "You can do that much, can't you?"
"Go on, tell them. What are the Flashback Lights for?" Monokuma asked once again, this time with much more enthusiasm.
"...If they don't restore memories, then…" Shuichi began before he gasped. "That's it! The Flashback Light isn't supposed to help us remember anything! It's a tool for implanting false memories!"
"Implanting…memories!? Then everything we remembered using the Flashback Lights was a lie!?" Kaede shouted.
"Yes. That has to be the case. The memories you could select for the Flashback Lights weren't our real memories. They were memories to be implanted inside us. That's why the contents of those memories contradict each other." Shuichi said. "Once we're exposed to a Flashback Light, those memories…become the truth to us."
"So the memories we recovered with the Flashback Lights were…" Keebo began, not wanting to believe it.
"Fake. All lies." Kokichi finished the thought, not a smile to be found on his lips.
"Oh! What a horrible truth!" Monokuma cried out dramatically. "If the memories from the Flashback Lights are lies, then everything was a lie! All the suspense and foreshadowing were for nothing! Can you believe it? It's like everything that happened didn't matter at all."
"Well, that is what it means." Izuru sighed, his light, cheerful voice now completely gone, now replaced by a heavy, tired, and utterly bored tone as he slowly moved his head to face the others.
"W-What do you–?" Kirumi tried to ask but was promptly cut off.
"I knew this would happen. How troublesome. How dull. Oh well." Izuru let out a heavy sigh. "I thought I could just pretend and give you all an interesting show. I mean, the Masterminds are supposed to be colorful and eccentric in their own ways, but I guess I wasn't cut out for it. Lies are like snowballs. The more you roll them, the bigger they get, and the easier they become to spot. But the bigger they are, the more fun and shocking it is when they're revealed, I suppose."
Izuru then waved a hand, gesturing towards the entire room.
"That's why…everything up until now…was just a bunch of lies. That's the truth."
"Then all the memories we got from the Flashback Lights really were just lies?" Rantaro asked, a pure dumbfounded expression stuck on his face as he leaned against his podium in order to not fall from the reveal.
"It's just as Shuichi said—the Flashback Lights are not for recovering lost memories." Monokuma nodded. "They're tools for implanting new ones. The light they emit is actually information that has been converted to light waves. That light is beamed directly into the brain, causing a deja vu sorta phenomenon. The brain gets confused and thinks the info it just received happened in the past."
"We were just confused!? Is that all you have to say about this!?" Tenko screamed.
"What else do you want us to say?" Izuru asked calmly. "Do you want us to tell you your memories of being students of Hope's Peak is also a bunch of lies? Because they are. Completely fake. None of us have anything to do with Hope's Peak Academy. None of you were ever students there. It was all a lie given to you by the Flashback Light."
"We're…not students of Hope's Peak?" Keebo questioned as he placed a hand on his head and tried to process that.
"Yup. That was all fake." Izuru confirmed boredly. "Looking back, it was a mistake to have you remember Hope's Peak. I didn't want to give you those memories, but…well, it made things so much easier in the end. We were also on a time limit thanks to Kokichi's scheme, and I guess someone forgot to fix the mistakes that came with our sudden seventeenth addition. It made it so easy for you to see through it all. Siiiiiiiigh."
"So that's why you tried to kill Kokichi and Rin last case?" Shuichi asked.
"Got it in one, Detective." Izuru hummed as he crossed his arms.
"The only reason we thought Kokichi was a Remnant was because of the Flashback Lights." Rantaro said as he gritted his teeth.
"Though to be fair, I did mention being a leader of a cult. That was…pretty unfortunate of me to say in hindsight." Kokichi sighed. "I wanted to trick you all into thinking I was the Mastermind so I could tell you that the game was over. I thought that would stop the killings, at least until I could figure out out to really end it."
"But the mastermind used that very lie in order to get rid of the problems you caused. He manipulated us into trying to fight you since we thought you were a Remnant of Despair." Kirumi clenched her fists angrily.
"It was a two-for-one deal, too. Those memories of Hope's Peak Academy made you all so hopeful that you started wanting to fight again. You all were so depressed after Kokichi revealed the outside world to you all, but thinking you were Hope's Peak students made you all want to stand up to the Remnant of Despair in your path." Izuru explained.
"Then…to make us recover from what Kokichi showed us…" Keebo's eyes went wide.
"You used the Flashback Light to manipulate us to that end, too!?" Kaede shouted angrily.
"Yep! You were all being controlled by false memories, like putty in the mastermind's hands!" Monokuma laughed gleefully. "In order to get you to focus on the killing game again, we made you think you were Hope's Peaks students, the symbols of hope!"
"If you were Hope's Peak students, you all would have tried to face all kinds of despair."
"Then…everything…it was all just fake memories you made up to control us!" Tenko shouted.
"Yep. Everything. I do mean that truthfully. It's not just Hope's Peak that was a lie." Izuru confirmed. "New mysteries and truths turned to motivation. Motivation drives a story. Everything from the Flashback Lights was simply motivation for you all to keep moving forward, that way, you all wouldn't stay in the past and stagnate. But in the end, it was all fake."
"Then…what Rin said back then was right…" Rantaro grumbled.
"Then let's give it a try. Kaede, go for it." Keebo said. But before Kaede could turn the device on-
"Hang on, I'd like to state my own opinion on the matter," I stated a bit nervously.
"Huh? What's up?" Kaito asked.
"I don't think you should use the flashback light," I told them.
"Huh? How come?" Gonta asked.
"Remember what we talked about yesterday? Kiyo's motive video had properties similar to flashback light, and that's why Kiyo killed Miu." I explained. "So if remembering something caused Kiyo to be full of murderous rage, then shouldn't we avoid the flashback lights entirely?"
"That's right! Mister Wakuri was right on the money to be suspicious of the Flashback Lights, but none of you believed him since you all were convinced they gave you back your memories." Monokuma laughed. "You idiots kept getting jerked around by meaningless lies!" Monokuma laughed.
"This class trial was the exact same, too, right?" Izuru asked with a cold glare aimed right at Shuichi. "Remind me. Why was it you all were so motivated to come here and drag me into the light? It wasn't just to bring justice to your dead friend, right? It was because you got a memory from one of the Flashback Lights."
"Was that also a memory you used to control us?" Shuichi asked with his own angry glare.
"Of course. Why would this Flashback Light be any different?" Izuru asked callously. "First, you all remembered running away from the Gofer Project, humanity's last hopes having given up. Then, you bravely chose to accept your fate after being confronted by the headmaster and the one who would become your fallen friend. You took on all the wishes of your friends and family, and finally, you recalled how you got here. You remembered that you had all been entrusted with the world's hope."
"Remembering the weight of the expectations and hope placed upon you made you feel stronger. Even though you were investigating the death of the person you all admired and Keebo started to go berserk, you all didn't give up hope. You still decided to face this killing game and end it, right?" Izuru said as a confident smile grew on his expression. "Just as planned."
"So you were controlling our emotions, as well. Even our resolve we built up to face you?" Kirumi asked.
"This is a killing game. A death game where emotions run like blood." Izuru gestured as a sigh left his mouth. "If the participants aren't trying their best to live, then what's the point? It'd just be boring. Nothing would happen. There would be no stakes."
"Then all the memories…were fake? Everything until now…was just a lie?" Tenko cried out. "Then…what was the point of any of it?"
The memory of the meteors falling.
The memory of the fake funeral.
The memory of the riots.
The memory of the Future Foundation.
The memory of the Remnants of Despair.
The memory of the mysterious illness that was killing humanity.
All of them were fake. All of them were lies.
If that was the case, that begged a question.
"Then…where are we? Why are we in this killing game?" Tenko let out a pitiful, soft cry as she held her hands against her face to stop the tears that were now coming out.
"Who knows?" Izuru uncaringly shrugged with a huff. "My plans have all fallen apart now, so I guess there is no reason anymore. So figure it out on your own. This is a class trial, after all."
"Then…who are you!?" Shuichi shouted.
"Hm?"
"I don't know who you are," Shuichi said sternly.
"Huh? What's not to understand? I've already told you who I am. You even figured out my identity earlier." Izuru placed a hand over half his face as he spoke, his lavender eyes now staring unblinkingly at Shuichi.
"You said you were Izuru Kamukura the 53rd, a byproduct of the Remnants experimenting in order to create a new Ultimate Despair," Shuichi said. "If this killing game is connected to Hope's Peak Academy, then I'd believe you. This is certainly the work of someone carrying on Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair's will. But we have nothing to do with Hope's Peak, so you can't be something the Remnants created. You can't be related to Junko Enoshima or Izuru Kamukura."
"So who the hell are you?!" Shuichi shouted.
The mastermind, 'Izuru Kamukura', was silent at first. He stared at Shuichi with mild surprise as the silence in the trial room grew. Then…he smiled.
"Are you really sure you want to know?" Izuru asked in a cheeky tone. "Because if you're certain, then I'll show you…the 'truth'."
"The truth?" Shuichi repeated before his eyes narrowed. "Are you referring to what you showed Rin? The 'truth' that hint guided him to find?"
"Yes. That truth." Izuru smirked before raising a hand to his chin as he let out a long thoughtful hum. "But before that, I pose to you…a question."
"About…what?" Rantaro dared to ask.
"You recall your classmate 'Tsumugi Shirogane', yes?" Izuru asked.
"Tsumugi? Of course we remember her." Kaede frowned.
"She was the first blackened. She claimed to be the Mastermind of this killing game. She was the one who said that this killing game was 'for everyone', I believe." Keebo recalled.
"Speaking of which, I've been meaning to ask…what was 'Mugi's deal, anyway?" Kokichi asked as he tilted his head with childish curiosity, his earnest expression failing to hide the tinniest hints of frustration and disgust towards Izuru.
"That's right. She claimed to be the Mastermind, but the truth is clear that you were the one in control all along. Was Tsumugi working with you, or was there something else about her?" Tenko asked.
"That can wait. I assure you, I can answer that question, but first, there's another thing you should focus on. Something far more important to your current situation. "Yes…but do you recall what she said exactly before she was dragged to her execution?"
"What she said exactly?" Shuichi mumbled. "Wasn't it…"
"So I was right. You're the reason why Kirumi is dead. You're the one who brought us here to kill each other!" I yelled.
"Oh not you. You weren't supposed to be a part of this." Tsumugi said with a sigh. "I don't even know how you got here. If I had known you were going to arrive, I would have made plans. I'm a big fan after all."
"Fan?" Keebo asked.
"Oh yes! Rin is pretty famous! I'd never thought I would meet him in person!" Tsumugi claimed while smiling like a lunatic.
"If Rin is famous, how come we don't remember him?" Shuichi asked.
"Those memories weren't important, so they were among the memories that were taken away," Tsumugi answered as drool began to pour out of her mouth. "Still, to meet someone as incredible as Rin. An Ultimate like him... It just...makes me so happy! He's an Ultimate among Ultimates! I'm so glad I got to make him despair in front of me!"
"Wh-What the hell is wrong with you!?" Miu asked.
"Unfortunately, no matter how much I admire Rin, I can't help but be furious with his interference. The story was going so well up to this point." Tsumugi continued as she placed a hand on her cheek.
"Story?" Rantaro asked.
"Yes! You were supposed to die!" Tsumugi said with no hesitation or shame as she pointed at the green-haired adventure with fury. "Kaede was supposed to kill you and start the killing game! Her execution would have been so tragic, so despair-inducing. It would have been the perfect way to start the killing game. And then, right at the end, when I revealed that I was the one who killed Rantaro and Kaede had been wrongfully executed… Can you imagine the despair that would have birthed!? It would have been glorious! But Rin...and that damn maid!" Tsumugi bit her thumb angrily. "She didn't leave me a choice, even though she wasn't supposed to die this early on in the game."
"This...early…?" I asked before exploding in rage. "This isn't a game! You killed someone! How can you be so casual about it!?"
"You would know," Tsumugi replied blankly as she stared at me with a knowing glare. "Too bad you lost your memories. You might have been able to save Kirumi if you still had those memories."
"Shut up!" I gritted my teeth. "This is your fault. It's all your fault!"
"Is it? I'm just doing my job." Tsumugi said with a smile.
"Job?" Ryoma questioned.
"It doesn't matter anymore. Now that I have been found out this early on in the game, I suppose the game is canceled. How disappointing." Tsumugi sighed.
"I-It's over?" Kaede asked.
"Not much point now. Everything is ruined. I bet everyone is upset with this outcome." Tsumugi let out a disappointed sigh.
"Everyone? Who's everyone?" Kaito asked.
"Tsumugi told us that she created this killing game for some audience she wanted to please," Shuichi answered. "She also told us she had a script she wanted to follow."
"That's right. She wanted Kaede to kill me at first." Rantaro grimaced. "And should Kaede's plan fail like it did, she was going to make sure the two of us ended up dead anyway in order to kickstart the killing game."
"It's only thanks to Rin and Kirumi that we weren't killed." Kaede shivered.
"True. Miss Shirogane certainly had loose lips before her untimely demise. Unfortunately, I expected as much from someone so lacking in any character herself." Izuru sighed in disappointment. "But that is not what I am referring to. I am referring to what she said after you voted."
"After we voted, huh?" Tenko crossed her arms. "That's when she really started going crazy, I think."
"So you are the mastermind. For what purpose does this game serve then?" Kiyo asked.
"Isn't that obvious?" Tsumugi asked. "It's because it's fun."
"Fun? This is fun to you?" Rantaro asked while his eyes twitched with fury.
"Are we merely here for your entertainment?" Keebo asked.
"If that's the case, then why were you participating in this game? It would have been better for you to enjoy the game in a safe place instead of playing in it where you could die." Shuichi pointed out.
"Are you just that twisted that you enjoy being a part of something like this?" Ryoma asked as he pulled his hat down to hide his disgust.
"Oh, it wasn't for me, though I did enjoy it. I loved the killing games. I love watching them, as well as helping make them. That's why I was so glad to be chosen to be the mastermind of this one!" Tsumugi said as she put on that psychotic smile and her eyes swirled with a despairful blue spiral.
"Chosen? Wait, watching!? There are people watching this!? And they chose you to be the mastermind!?" I asked.
"Could those people have helped Tsumugi kidnap us?" Kaede asked.
"I wonder… I could tell you, but it doesn't really matter anymore. This killing game is ruined, after all. Everyone must be so disappointed. I feel horrible that I failed." Tsumugi frowned as she crossed her arms. "I'm so sad. My copycat crime has blown up in my face! I didn't even get halfway there. This is…complete and utter despair!" She then exclaimed with twisted joy as more drool pooled out of her mouth.
"Copycat crime?" Rantaro repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"She…claimed this game was… a 'copycat crime'." Keebo muttered.
"Copycat? I mean, that makes sense, right? What with the Hope's Peak Killing Games." Tenko grumbled.
"So she was just trying to mimic the killing games Junko orcestrated in the past?" Kokichi questioned. "That's so boring! She should have just done something original if she wanted to do something as insane as this!"
"I doubt that would have made the experience here any better…" Kaede grumbled.
"Yes… The term 'Copycat Crime' is most suitable to our current situation. Wouldn't you agree?" Izuru asked calmly, his poise never once failing even now. "You can clearly see that your deceased 'friend' was telling the truth with her final words, yes? Everything she said back then in those final moments after she revealed her truth self to you is true."
"Why…are you bringing Tsumugi up now?" Shuichi cautiously asked.
"Because…I want to ask you…if Tsumugi was telling the truth back then…what do you make of her cosplaying as your dear friend?" Izuru asked.
"Cosplaying?" Kirumi repeated.
"Oh yes. Apologies, but you weren't there for the first trial, were you." Izuru dismissed the concerns of the maid, not even bothering to make eye contact with her as he held back a scoff. "During the first trial, in her desperation to throw off suspicion, she did something quite drastic."
"Right…she cosplayed as several of Rin's old friends." Kaede frowned.
"She even dressed up as Rin himself." Tenko shivered at the memory. "It made Rin have an emotional breakdown."
"Yes…but as you'll recall, Tsumugi Shirogane could not cosplay as real people. Doing so would cause her skin to discolor, and she would break out in an unusual rash."
"Cospox…I still remember when she showed me." Kaede grimaced.
"But…wasn't that just part of Tsumugi's lies to us? In order to throw us off, she pretended to have that disorder to make us think she couldn't disguise herself as people as part of a killing." Rantaro pointed out.
"That was a theory you all posed to yourselves after her trial," Izuru stated before shooting them all a narrowed glare. "But…what would you all say if I told you that Miss Shirogane's condition…was real?"
"Huh?" Shuichi could only gasp out that confused noise at the question. It was too strange to even consider. Why was Izuru asking them this?
"If it was real? But…there's no way it was, right? I mean, she dressed up as Rin right in front of us. His friends, too! They were all real people, yet Tsumugi didn't break out in rashes like she did when she dressed up as me." Kaede stated.
"Yes, well, while 'Cospox' is most certainly not a real medical issue, it does fall under what is known as a 'Nocebo Effect' to a degree." Izuru
"Nocebo?" Tenko repeated in a confused tone.
"It's the opposite of a Placebo Effect. Basically, a person's negative thoughts or beliefs that something will harm them actually cause it to become true." Keebo explained.
"Yes. it's amazing, or perhaps better to say how frightening, the human body is when it perceives a threat, whether real or not." Izuru commented.
"But you can't really prove it, can you?" Kokichi pointed out.
"Humor me, why don't you, then," Izuru suggested as a small, confident smile crept onto his face. "Tell me, if Tsumugi was telling you all the truth back then, what do you think that means? If she truly broke out into rashes whenever she dressed up as real people, but was completely fine cosplaying people during that trial, what does that mean?"
Shuichi frowned at the question. It was pointless following the line of thinking Izuru was trying to get them to go down, wasn't it? This had nothing to do with the current case and the mystery of the killing game, right?
If that was true, why did Shuichi suddenly get this sinking feeling in his stomach?
Because…Shuichi remembered having already gone down that line of thinking right after the trial, but…the answer he arrived at was simply too outrageous to even humor. It… It had to be impossible. It couldn't be true.
But…
"Are you…are you trying to say that Rin and all his friends that Tsumugi dressed up as… They're all…fictional?" Shuichi somehow managed to force the words out, and the moment he spoke them, he wished he could take them back.
But that was now impossible. Pandora's Box was now opened.
"Fictional?" Kirumi repeated, her eyes, along with everyone else's, growing comedically wide.
And in response to that declaration, Izuru simply laughed.
"Indeed." He answered snarkily. "Every single person that girl cosplayed during that trial…None of them are 'real people'.
"Wha–That's ridiculous!? Do you honestly expect us to believe that?!" Tenko shouted in anger.
"There's no way that's true. This smells like just another lie." Kokichi sighed.
"That's right! There's no way all those Ultimates were merely fictional beings!" Keebo exclaimed. "It's impossible. They were Rin's friends, after all."
"His friends? Rin himself was real! He was a real person who was trapped in this killing game along with the rest of us!" Kaede shouted. "He was a real, breathing, living person, just like the rest of us! There's no way he was fictional!"
"No way… Is that so?" Izuru questioned mockingly. "You do realize that even if you have real bodies and are alive, that doesn't mean you aren't fictional. And that man most certainly was fiction."
"That man? His name is Rin Wakuri." Kirumi growled at how Izuru had spat out the word in reference to Rin. Izuru spoke as though he was speaking of some disgusting, insignificant thing, such as a bug he stepped on or a piece of trash on the side of the road.
It was insulting. However–
"I refuse to even address that thing by that name." Izuru hissed as he cocked his head up high, as though tilting his nose up at the very thought. "Why should I bother calling that faker by the name he stole? He doesn't even bother trying to match the name he took on."
"Stole?" Shuichi repeated.
"Yes… That man you knew… He was just fiction. Nothing about him was real." Izuru claimed. "He was not 'Rin Wakuri', so I will not refer to him as such. 'Faker' or 'Pretender' suits him far better." Izuru then crossed his arms and sighed. "It comes as no surprise to me. I should have expected him to turn out as such a disappointing failure. A pitiful creature like him could never replicate who 'Rin Wakuri' was. He just didn't have it in him to do so, not even at the very end."
"H-How dare you…!" Kirumi growled with more anger than anyone had ever heard her speak with. "If you say one more vile thing about Rin, I'll–"
"If you don't believe me, then perhaps this will convince you that everything surrounding that man is nothing more than lies," Izuru said as he snapped his fingers.
Upon doing so, the monitors that always hang above the trial grounds to typically reveal the voting results at the end of the trial lowered, after being lower, the screens flickered on. At first, all they showed was static, but then–
"Now then. Time to unveil the votes! Who will come out on top? The innocent spotless, or the scheming blackened?"
A scene began to play out on screen like a movie. It was entirely unfamiliar to the students, but at the same time, their stomachs sank, because elements of it were familiar to them in the worst possible ways.
The scene in question showed a trial grounds just like the ones they were standing in currently, the only difference between the two being the color scheme and the material making up the room. But just like the trial grounds of the Ultimate Academy, these grounds had a group of podiums and stands right in the middle of the room. Sixteen podiums all lined up in a circle, giving everyone standing there a view of everyone else.
Well, not that all the stands had people standing at them. In fact, only six people were shown on screen. Six people stood at their stands, while the rest had portraits that had large Xs drawn on the faces of the people they depicted.
It was a class trial they were being shown.
However, it wasn't one of the trials of the Ultimate Academy, nor was it a class trial of the Hope's Peak games. This was an entirely different killing game.
Rin's killing game.
There he stood, at his podium, pale-faced and all as he held his right arm with his left while looking quite panicked, as well as looking several years younger than he did in the Ultimate Academy killing game. He appeared to be around Shuichi and the other's age at this point, if not just a bit older.
Rin's friends, or rather, the only survivors among his friends, also stood at their podiums. Asuka Wada. Sora Kiyomizu. Osamu Date. Masuyo Otaka. And Takumi Mitsugi. Those six were the only ones left in their killing game. And watching them all from a throne made to oversee it all was a small plushie penguin, similar to Monokuma. The penguin wore a tuxedo and a fedora, as well as a monocle over one eye. Pavlov. It had to be the AI they met in the hidden room. He did mention how he held a similar role to Monokuma before and knew Rin. It would make sense.
The scene appeared to be showing the end of a class trial, as the large movie-studio-sized screen behind him turned on to show the results of the voting.
By majority vote, the blackened chosen is…Rin Wakuri.
There was silence in the trial grounds once the verdict was shown, but a moment later, Rin let out a choking noise, like the result he was seeing was making him physically ill.
"You all think…that I'm the culprit?" Rin asked, pure disbelief and betrayal painted on his face at the results he was seeing. "You all…really think I killed Ryu!?"
To his friends' credit, they all looked sheepish and sickened by the results as well, like they didn't want to see them either. But then, Asuka spoke.
"But you did." The singer spoke in a soft voice. A voice that sounded weak, but also sounded like it was full of hurt. "You can't deny it! You couldn't during the trial that you were involved in the case! You were there with Ryu when he died! You fought each other!"
"The…evidence does point to that being the case," Osamu muttered as he adjusted his black militaristic suit. "After all, your right arm is broken, correct? That is pretty damning evidence."
"Th-That's…!" Rin tripped over his words as he tried to find words to defend himself with. "That's complicated! Yes, I was the last to see Ryuunosuke, but that doesn't mean I burned him to death! We fought, yes! But if you'd just let me explain, I could've told you that–"
"You did have time to explain yourself, but you spent the whole trial hiding your involvement, claiming there was someone else involved and not you." Masuyo spat out, staring daggers at Rin with eyes full of pure anger, but also hurt. "You…You lied to us in order to save your own skin."
"If you knew I was the one Ryu attacked, you would have suspected me, and I needed to find the real culprit!" Rin argued. "I couldn't let you all get sidetracked with all this misdirection."
"But in hiding your involvement, how could we have ever found another truth?" Takumi asked with a deep frown. "You acted just like the other blackened from before."
"...Rin. You…Did you really do it?" Sora asked with tears spilling out of her eyes.
"No! I'm not the culprit!" Rin screamed. "And now that you've voted me, we're all going to–!"
"Congradulations! You all got it right! The blackened who killed Ryuunosuka Hiroshima, the Ultimate Parkourist, was indeed Rin Wakuri!" Pavlov announced, his professionalism never once wavering even as Rin spun around in a heartbeat to stare at the robotic bird in disbelief.
"...What did you just say?" Rin asked, his face turning several shades green and blue as he tried to deny what he just heard.
"They got it right. The culprit was, most certainly, you, Mister Rin Wakuri. You killed Mister Ryuunosuke." Pavlov repeated without a ounce of hesitation.
"That… That can't be right. You're lying…!" Rin began to cry out, desperation in his eyes as fear took over all of his senses and he began to shiver violently. "That…can't be right. I…I didn't…! I would never–!"
"Apologies, but we are running out of time. We must hurry up with the punishment, post haste!"
"P-Punishment?" Rin blinked before realization came to him. "No…!"
"A-Already?" Sora gasped as she covered her mouth in fear.
"But we haven't gotten the chance to question Rin about his motive!" Asuka shouted, just as confused at how fast things were progressing.
"Unfortunately, as I've mentioned before, we are only allowed a certain amount of time for the trial and punishment, as detailed in the rules. You unfortunately spent too much time trying to pin Mister Wakuri to his crime. So we must hurry along now." Pavlov stated before returning his gaze to Rin, the glare on the bird's monocle now revealing the nasty gash that revealed the metal endoskeleton within, causing the bird to look far more crashed than before. "Now then, we have prepared a very special punishment for our dear unknown Ultimate, Mister Rin Wakuri."
"N-No! You can't do this to me! I haven't done anything wrong! I was set up!" Rin screamed.
"Though we might grieve for your departure, know you shall remain in our hearts and minds forevermore. Farewell, good fellow, as you embrace your eternal demise!" Pavlov cheered before spreading his wings. "It's time for your final bow!"
In those final moments, Rin spun back around to his friends, and in his eyes blazed a hatred and fury no one had ever seen before on the young man. His crimson eyes burned with an undying rage that screamed 'YOU DID THIS TO ME! YOU'VE KILLED ME!'
But it only lasted a moment, for in the next, tears came to his eyes as fear took over.
At that moment, those desperate eyes cried out 'Please help me!', but none would come.
Immediately after, Pavlov pressed a button, and a familiar display of 8-bit characters and words showed on screen.
Rin Wakuri has been found guilty.
Judgement is Nigh…
The scene cut back to a pale Rin as he started to become drenched with sweat. His breathing picked up to a rapid pace as he spun around, looking for that blasted chain that always shot out to drag the blackened to the execution grounds. Then, suddenly, that chain shot out. Rin spun around to face it, ready to try to dodge…but it was unneeded, as it wasn't aimed at him.
The chain instead latched on to Sora nearby. Sora looked down at the chain around her neck fearfully, carefully grazing it with a finger as she paled. Then the chain pulled. Sora flew off the ground as she was dragged somewhere else. Everyone in the room screamed as the girl was pulled away, but no one had a chance to do anything as several other chains appeared. Each one shot out towards a student, latching on to their neck before pulling them away in different directions. Next was Osamu, then Masuyo, then Takumi. Asuka and Rin were the only ones left in the trial grounds.
"Asuka!" Rin screamed right as another chain appeared and caught the singer, causing the girl to let out a yelp. But before she was dragged off, Rin took something out of his jacket and put it in Asuka's hand.
"It's up to you now."
That was all Rin could say before Asuka was dragged away, leaving Rin alone in the trial grounds.
That's when a section of his podium opened up, shooting another chain around his own neck, pulling him to his stand so face his he slammed into it. Rin groaned after hitting the podium, but that's when braces wrapped around his arms and ankles, forcing him to stand stuck at the podium. Rin tried to pull himself away, but there was nothing he could do to break out of the metal locks keeping him in place.
That's when his podium began to move. Slowly, it moved right in the middle of the others. Rin seemed to snap out of his painful daze as he realized that the trial grounds must be his execution grounds. And just as he had that thought, Pavlov hit another button, and the empty stands and podiums were replaced with new ones—stands now filled with mannequin doubles of his friends. They all aimed a finger at Rin, and Rin felt dread enter his entire being.
CLASS TRIAL
Ultimate ?, Rin Wakuri's Execution: Executed
Rin Wakuri looked terrified once he realized he was trapped in his own execution, but that fear was cut through by a loud BANG that preceded a scream that tore itself out of Rin's mouth. He would have staggered back if not for the locks keeping him locked in place at this podium. Tears spilled out his eyes as he looked down at himself. Blood was now spilling out of his shoulder. He looked in front of him, seeing one of the mannequins that were still pointing at him, though this time, the tip of its finger opened up, revealing its hand to be a type of gun, the finger smoking like a gun's barrel. Doing his best to look behind him, Rin could vaguely make out the shape of something behind him. A bullet. An unusual bullet with hooks.
Rin had been shot with a deranged bullet designed to tear up his insides should the bullet make a clear way through and not get stuck inside him.
Rin paled even more as he realized just what kind of world of hurt he was now in.
That's when the onslaught began.
That first bullet was just a warning. The moment it happened, it was followed by a cacophony of bullets raining down at Rin. So much noise filled the room it was suffocating. It was an endless storm of BANGS and bullets flying everywhere.
Yet not a single one landed a fatal blow to Rin. Each shot, no matter how many were fired at the poor boy, they all were aimed at non-immediately-lethal areas. His legs, his arms, his hands, his shoulders, his stomach–All these areas were hit, but never anywhere near his heart or head.
Do not be mistaken, after being shot at so many times, Rin was on death's door. With how many injuries he was obtaining, blood loss would surely take him within the next few moments.
Yet all Rin could do was scream, unable to escape the pain.
That's when more mannequins appeared behind Rin, armed with blades. They crept up behind the boy as he was being shot at, raising their blades high before impaling them into his arms, legs, and back. Rin choked on blood the moment the swords were pushed into his flesh, his screams now being blocked by the pink liquid that was spilling out his mouth, but the mannequins only drew out their swords and plunged them back in or slashed him across the chest with in response.
This torture went on for several minutes.
The end result was…chilling. Rin could not fall over due to his restraints, but had they not been there, there is no doubt that Rin would have fallen over due to the sheer quantity of injuries his body had sustained. Not a single inch of his flesh remained unmarked, and blood pooled out of him, covering his entire podium until it was slick and sticky with his blood. Rin himself did not move, and it was hard to tell if he was even breathing or still capable of breathing.
Yet an eye remained opened. Perhaps it was a miracle keeping him alive, or perhaps it was some divine cruelty. Either way, Rin was alive, but not for long. His open eye showed a lifeless hue, his pupil dilated to the point that one might assume all functional vision was lost to the boy. He could not open the other, as it had been slashed during the torture he endured. He didn't move a fraction of an inch. He just lied there, hunched over his stand, practically dead at that point.
That's when there was a heavy rumbling, and the floor in front of Rin opened up, revealing a massive, building-sized Pavlov wielding a similarly sized gavel. The large bird raised the mallet up as high as it could. It was clear what it was about to do.
Rin didn't react to it, though. It was unclear whether he could see or even hear it with the state that he was in. He remained where he was, even as the gavel was swung down at him, heading towards him at an impossible speed.
But before it hit, one thing was clear.
A regret-filled look entered his now dead eye and, strangely, a weak, hopeful smile ever-so-slightly came to his lips. Slowly, he closed his eye and–
BAM!
Just like a bug, Rin was crushed under the gavel, his blood and the wood and metal of his podium exploding out due to the force as though a bomb had gone off.
Just like that, with hardly any effort needed, Rin Wakuri was dead.
That's where the video ended.
Shuichi stood there at his podium, dumbstruck, as he stared unblinkingly at the screen. His face had turned a violent shade of blue as he held back bile from his throat. The others weren't doing much better, as they were all just as mortified and brought to the point of throwing up by what they had just seen.
There was silence for a beat, and then–
"By the way, just for the record, that footage wasn't doctored in any way." Izuru began, his smile never leaving as his voice became almost smug at what he was telling them. He raised a hand, revealing a SD card that he had pulled out of his podium's monitor. "This footage was recording using a WORM card, better known as a 'write once, read many' card. It prevents anything written on the card from being altered, making it very reliable as evidence. The police tend to use these cards for that exact purpose, actually. And I'm not lying about this being a WORM, isn't that right, Monokuma."
"Indeed!" Monokuma nodded happily. "There is no chance that footage was edited or faked in anyway. It's 100% real!"
"I'll even let you all examine the SD card if you still doubt me. That's how undisputable this footage is as fact." Izuru claimed before letting out an amused scoff. "So…what were you all saying about your 'precious friend' not being fictional, because if he was at all real, explain how you could have possibly met a man who died years ago."