SDRA2 Redux: Trouble on Jabberwock Island

Chapter 4 - Part 3

Nikei was sweating nervously, his eyes darting around...

Until he spotted a door marked "exit," and got up, running out of the door.

Execution: Press Conference

I watched as Nikei ran through a city, and into a building. I could hardly believe what I was seeing; it looked like a mere performance, a fictional show put on with the help of special effects. But it was real.

Eventually... Nikei ran up to the top of the building.

A helicopter came and dropped a rope ladder.

"Nikei, go!" I cheered.

Seeing that the Monocrow reporters were right behind him, Nikei jumped and reached for the ladder...

However, he had tried to reach for the ladder with the hand that was gone!

As a result, Nikei fell screaming down.

Tears flew from his eyes as he fell into the ground all those hundreds of feet below him.

The hoard of Monocrows weren't far behind.

If hitting the ground hadn't killed Nikei, then that almost certainly did the job.

By the time the last Monocrow fell, there was barely anything of his crushed body left to land on.

A newspaper fell:

"Ultimate Journalist Nikei Dies?!"

Then the screen went dark.

Monocrow's voice narrated, "And that, my friends, is the true story of how Nikei Yomiuri abandoned his beloved classmates - his friends when he was supposed to be their class representative - and died a horrible death! The real Nikei Yomiuri, may I add. I hope you enjoyed!"

Then the video switched off.

This motive was disturbing, but this was on a whole other level.

Everyone else then came.

"How are you doing Mr. Sannoji?" Syobai asked.

"I found out the truth about Nikei..." Mikado said.

He then told us about the video. How he found out that there actually was once a real Nikei Yomiuri. One that had apparently abandoned his classmates, if that video was anything to go by.

"In other words, I think it's safe to say that Nikei is an AI and he's the traitor." Mikado concluded.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoh-Z_TS_xE)

Everyone slowly turned to look at me. I stepped back, nervous expression and light scowl on my face.

"I thought that the traitor was a classmate that was killed by the mastermind at the start of the Tragedy." Teruya commented. "But this is pretty close."

"That video is definitely fake!" I shouted, pointing. "I'm not a good person, you know. I've hurt a lot of people before. I mean, lord knows how many mock articles I've written on people I hate. But abandoning my classmates? I barely even knew them! I'd never lay a finger on someone so charming anyway!"

"That video is real, Nikei!" Mikado said, and he showed me as proof that it was real.

I spent a few hours in my room, trying to take in what I had just seen.

Apparently, I was the traitor. If that video was to be believed, I was remade into an AI, and my real version had been executed...

It was definitely fake.

After a few minutes, I felt the need to talk to someone, so I got a gift from the MonoMono Machine and headed to Teruya's cottage.

"Hey, Teruya." I said, starting the conversation.

"Hey, Nikei?" asked the merchant.

"We need to talk." I said, sitting down on his bed.

"I love talk!" Teruya said.

"There's a gift I need to give you..." I blushed, handing him a teal umbrella.

Teruya blushed, too. "W-what? Is this for me? How did you know about-- O-oh, you really don't have to... I'll pay you back sometime... "

"Now, we need to talk about the motive." I spoke.

"We're all being fed the corpses of the dead, I know." Teruya said. "We were recently fed Hajime's corpse for lunch. I didn't want to eat it. I... just couldn't stomach it, Nikei. Especially after that pie with Yuri's corpse..."

"We need to talk about what to do with it." I spoke gravely.

"Someone needs to die, that's it." Teruya spoke. "Monocrow didn't say it... but I could deduce it."

"What about you commit suicide, and we all eat your corpse?" I suggested.

"Yuck. Look, I didn't want to eat Hajime's corpse at lunch." Teruya said, his face tinged green with disgust. "But making all of you eat my corpse? That's disgusting! Anyways... What about we trick someone into poisoning another student?" Teruya asked.

I nodded my head. "And what about we throw someone into a woodchipper, shredding them alive as they scream, unable to do anything about it as they're -"

"Stop!" Teruya screamed. "Really, Nikei! How embarrassing! I can't believe you just blurted it out like that! I mean, some things should be kept private, you know?"

"I know," I shrugged.

"I have a little gift for you, Nikei..." Teruya said, as he gave me a bouquet. "I spent a lot of time debating with myself about it, and there might be some things that you don't like about it."

"Hehe... what a coincidence. I just gave you a gift as well. I hope you appreciate mine as much as I appreciate yours." I said, before my eyes sparkled. "Oh, this thing is so cool! I've been looking everywhere for something like this!"

"I thought you'd like it." Teruya blushed.

"Thanks." I said, blushing so much I looked like a tomato.

Lying in bed, I thought, What a disgustingly horrible motive.

Seriously, eating rotting corpses?! Until someone dies?! Bleugh, yuck.

More like... Ew. Gross.

With those last thoughts, I fell asleep.