Four notes played in an angelic, harmonious melody.
"A body has been discovered! It seems you're all at the gym already. After a specific amount of time has passed, a Class Trial will commence!" Monokuma announced.
"Ron... He's dead?" Little stared at the ceiling in disbelief. "So that's why... That's why he made you send me that message. They were his last words to me." He muttered regretfully.
"I... I'm so sorry that he died." Cele sympathized. "I know he meant a lot to you. I understand how you feel."
"Enough lamenting, students! Fear not, for thy Monokuma File #5 is here!" Monokuma randomly appeared as he handed out several tablets like handing out assignments.
Ron, the Ultimate Chef, was approximately 5' 9" and 143 lbs. Ron's blood type was B+. His cause of death was exsanguination, and the estimated time of death was 11:00 PM. He was crucified to a large, wooden board, and his neck was slit. The back of his neck appears to have been hit with a blunt object. No other external or internal injuries have been found. An image of Ron was shown in the bottom right corner as a model to showcase the description more simply, with a transparent pink circle in the palms of his hands and ankles, along with a thin line on his neck.
"Monokuma File #5" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Have you all finished reading? Great!" Monokuma cheered.
"Wait, how are we gonna inspect the body? It's all the way on the ceiling." Sahara looked up.
"No worries. I have the perfect solution for that!" Monokuma grabbed a comically large grabber and gently tugged on the piece of board that Ron was nailed to. It came off, and he set the board on the ground. "You're very welcome, students. I shouldn't be tampering with the crime scene, but for your sake, and to make it fair, I had to. So you better be grateful for your dearest principal!"
"Yeah, sure, thanks." Elio rolled his eyes.
"By the way, you should pay attention to the ceiling before I patch it up after today." Monokuma noted before disappearing.
And with that, Investigation Time started.
Little sighed angrily. "Shuttle, you're... You're the only one I have left. Can I please work with you just this once on the investigation?"
"Sure. I don't see why not, honestly." Shuttle nodded.
"Thanks." Little crossed his arms with a confident yet hesitant smile. "Now, let's put the criminal behind Ron's killing to justice."
"Is it fine if I stay with him as well?" Cele butted in.
"Of course, I mean, you're one of my dearest friends who've helped me a lot." Shuttle smiled.
"Nice. Let's examine his body first." Cele walked up to the board with Shuttle and Little following along.
The body was exactly as the Monokuma File described it. His palms were nailed to the board, and there was a shallow cut on the center of his throat. His expression was unnaturally relaxed, as if he was drugged and just woke up.
"Isn't his face weird? If he was just murdered like this, wouldn't he be all scared or something like that?" Little queried, observing Ron's head.
"The Monokuma File did say that he had a wound on his nape, so he was probably knocked out before all... This happened." Shuttle decided.
"Another thing, notice how all the places he'd been impaled with a nail have been cleaned up? Wouldn't they be bleeding like crazy?" Cele turned to Shuttle.
"Good point. Maybe the killer wanted to tamper with the scene as well?" Little nodded in agreement.
"Relaxed Expression" and "Cleaned-Up Blood" have been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Monokuma also said we needed to pay attention to the ceiling." Cele's gaze turned to the ceiling. "Is that his blood?" Shuttle fearfully looked up as he noticed a wide painting of angel wings and a halo.
"What the..." Little whispered. "I don't think he lost that much, but it would explain the cleaned-up blood."
"Angelic Painting" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"The thing is, how did the culprit even reach up there? A ladder of some sort?" Shuttle guessed.
"Maybe. We should check backstage first, and then the warehouse just to see if a ladder came from either places." Cele suggested. Shuttle and Little nodded as they headed backstage.
"What the..." Little gasped in disbelief.
"Why are there so many ladders?!" Shuttle exclaimed.
"Not only that, all of them are 40 feet tall and from the gym floor to the ceiling, it's 30." Cele observed the side of one of the ladders. Shuttle walked up to the one Cele was walking around and noticed something.
"Hey, wait, this specific ladder has a bit of blood." He squinted his eyes like he was looking through a microscope. "Almost like it just fell."
"This one too, except it looks like a smudge instead of a drip." Little climbed down one of the ladders. "Maybe the killer wanted to mislead us by putting a whole ton of ladders... All of them even have blood."
"Trap of Ladders" and "Bloodied Ladders" have been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Yo, look, Shuttle." Little walked into the shadows. "There's something here." Shuttle followed and looked where Little was.
"What?" Shuttle asked.
"It's a hammer. Think the culprit used this to nail that board and Ron." Little hesitated as he picked up the hammer. "The edge is even scratched up."
"I think it is what the killer used. There isn't really anything else that could be used to hammer those nails." Cele observed, looking at the other side of them like she was in a trance.
"Hidden Hammer" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Hey, there's something else." Cele pointed to a corner near the curtains. She picked it up to reveal a badly cleaned kitchen knife.
"It looks used." Shuttle observed.
"No shit, dumbass. That's why it's here." Little chuckled. "Perhaps it's what was used to... Yeah?"
"Who knows? Best we can do is wait until it's relevant in the class trial." Shuttle shrugged.
"That's not all though..." Cele reached her hand down to the floor. "I think this is an opening."
"An opening? To where?" Little walked up to the hatch that Cele was staring at. She climbed in and ventured through the tunnel.
"It leads to the back of the school?" Cele called.
"That's odd. Hey, how'd you find the tunnel?" Shuttle asked.
"The knife was right beside it, and there was a little gap in between the floorboards and the lid." She replied, returning from the other side.
"Secret Hatch" and "Kitchen Knife" have been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"I think that's everything here." Shuttle opened the curtains to the center of the stage. "We should investigate the surroundings outside."
"Good idea. Come on, Cele." Little beckoned his head outside as Cele turned to him and followed. "First, we should inspect everything around where he was found. It's a relief that Monokuma set the board away from the surroundings..."
"True that." Shuttle chuckled as he crouched down to the floor. "Hey, wait, there's something off about the ground."
"What is? I don't see anything." Cele squinted her eyes.
"Under the puddle, it sort of looks like someone tried wiping the blood away. You can see it if you'd look closer." Shuttle traced his finger against the ground near the puddle of blood.
"He's right, there's a smudge here as well." Little glanced down at a spot not too far away. "In fact, there's multiple just around that one you two are looking at." Shuttle glanced at the surrounding blood splotches, managing out an "Uh" as he looked.
"Blood Puddles" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"And that's not all..." Cele walked around. "Notice how there are several pieces of a smoky black-colored fabric?"
"Those could point to someone, but almost everyone has a little bit of black on their outfits." Little crossed his arms. "Seems pretty useless." I should keep this in mind though. Maybe it'll be significant once the class trial starts.
"Black Fabrics" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Doesn't look like there's anything else." Little turned his head, searching for more clues. "Think we should check out the warehouse now?"
"Yeah. Either that, or the culprit's really smart." Cele shrugged. "Let's go." On their way to the warehouse, they ran into Elio.
"You gonna look in the warehouse?" He asked.
"Yeah, why?" Cele replied.
"Watch out inside that warehouse, it's just filled with booby traps. See, I even got this hell of a wound when I was just walking around." Elio removed his hat and pointed to an injury that was bleeding like a raging river.
"I-I think you should get some medical help on that..." Little stuttered.
Elio stayed silent for a while. "Nah, my skull's so thick, I don't need much. I'll live." He insisted as he wandered wobbly to the school before pausing midway and slouching.
"I'll be back, I'll just help Elio to that medical room. Y'know, the one on the gothic floor." Cele announced before hurriedly going to Elio and taking him inside the school.
"I don't think having a thick skull is a good thing. Not even in this situation." Shuttle said.
"Yeah. Come on, we're running out of time, let's just head in the warehouse already." Little walked to the door of the warehouse and slammed it open. "Holy..." Shuttle looked from behind him and blinked loads of times before rubbing his eyes.
Several crates were stacked on top of each other, almost mimicking a staircase. The shelves were slightly moved to make it harder to maneuver through, and it looked like there was something at the supposedly end.
"Why in the world does the center of this room look like an obstacle course?" Shuttle sighed. "I mean, I'll try going through this..."
"Be careful, all right? I don't need you to die as well."
"Got it." Shuttle nodded as he began to carefully climb the crates.
---
"Jeez, how hard did you hit your head? Did you get hit with a brick or something?" Cele asked.
"Probably...!" Elio wearily yet happily chuckled. "All I remember was walking around a huge pile of crates and a few ladders when I suddenly fell, and... Yeah!" This guy's seriously dumb. I mean, I can't blame him, he hit his head with a fatal blow and somehow survived. Cele thought. She sighed and gently pressed a folded cloth onto Elio's head.
"Keep the fucking blanket on." Cele scowled.
"Why? I'm sweating microwaves..." Elio whined.
"It's to maintain your body temperature, dumbass. And stop moving around, too." She rolled her eyes as she pressed on the cloth more.
"You're so mean... Let me have some freedom, at least!" He pouted like an angry child.
"You have the freedom to stop whining, all I have to do is just bandage your head and you're free to go." Cele grabbed a few rolls of bandages from a shelf and began wrapping one around Elio's head.
"Ah, by the way, Cele, I never knew something." Elio looked at Cele dead in her eyes, silently and slowly switching.
"Knew... What?" Cele quietly asked.
He remained silent, continuing to stare at Cele like a villain glaring at their victim. "That you cussed as much as me while alone! What, is Shuttle's innocence the reason you stay clean?" He cackled, barely moving his head.
"Of course, I'd cuss a ton whilst alone. It's not everyday that you get to let out anything." Cele sighed. "And I'm done here. You can go run around and get your head hit again."
"Awesome! Hey, wait, I'm not some dumb child! I can manage myself." Elio crossed his arms as he left. Cele quietly chuckled to herself. He's a handful. Especially in a situation like this... She walked around the floor before walking inside Neru's Ultimate Lab. Her eyes glanced around before noticing a book on a velvet chair.
"Hm? What's this?" She opened the book to a random page. "This... These students..." She mumbled as her sight lay on one student. Ah, I see now...
"I see it so clearly... It was them all along. The mastermind we've been so desperately searching for..." She cackled quietly.
"It... Was...!" Cele began before she burst into sinister laughter.
She could feel the hope– No, her hope clashing with its victory on despair.
It was like a twisted circus of revelation, a masquerade set up by a jester, an act of despair in the form of comedy.
---
"Finally, I made it!" Shuttle complained as he climbed up a wall of crates.
"Well, what's at the end?" Little called out from below.
"It's..." Shuttle paused as the prize at the end came into his sight. "A bucket. More specifically, a bucket of paint...? I-It looks used."
"You went through a hell of an obstacle course for paint? What was the culprit thinking– Wait, what color is it? I just got an idea." Little replied.
"Red. Crimson, maybe." Shuttle just stared at the bucket of crimson paint.
"So my idea was right." Little chuckled. "The culprit used that paint you see there to make the wings and halo on the ceiling in the gym. Because I doubt that the impalements and slit could make enough blood to paint... All that."
"Angelic Painting" has been updated, and "Bucket of Paint" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Wait, there's something else, Shuttle." Little said. "It's to your left, on a shelf."
Shuttle whipped his head around and spotted something shining under the warehouse's light.
A mallet.
He's seen that specific mallet somewhere before.
"Well? What is it?"
"It's... Sahara's mallet."
"Maybe the culprit tried to frame her? I mean, she does make threats to kill someone, but I don't think she'd actually try killing someone."
"Good point. I don't think she could have set all this up as well." The warehouse door slowly opened followed by an angry voice.
"Um, I am not weak. I could set this whole... Trap up, but I'd have to take several breaks. Are those crates you climbed full?" Sahara asked as she put her hands on her hips.
Shuttle opened one of the boxes. "Yeah, why?"
"It would take too long for me to put those crates there. Even if I took whatever's in there and put them back after placing those, it'd take even longer." Sahara put her hands up, keeping her elbows near her waist. "My hands would be bruised as fuck right now."
"Sahara's Mallet" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Hey, by the way, Sahara–" Little began walking to her before he tripped on a transparent string and met his head with a brick, almost immediately falling unconscious.
"Oh my god! I-Is he okay?!" Sahara panicked.
"How about you check since you're closer to him?! It'll take me a bit to get down from here!" Shuttle began hurrying down the obstacle course carefully as blood began spilling out steadily from Little's head.
"He's bleeding like crazy, Shuttle! Get down here faster!" She screamed, desperately and frantically looking around for anything that could stop it. She began screaming in such a panic that the warehouse doors slammed open as Gehenna whipped her head around, looking for the source of the noise.
"Sahara, what happened?!" She glared at Sahara sitting next to the now barely awake Little. Gehenna also started shrieking in horror, then waving her arms around as she ran in circles. "Monokuma! Monokumaaa!!"
'Jeez, what is it?" Monokuma scowled as he suddenly appeared. "I have business to do, so this better be important!"
"It is important! Someone's bleeding their brains out over there!" Gehenna pointed to Little.
"Well, that's no good! He may just die, and we'll have two murders in one case again!" Monokuma exclaimed. "Give me a second, everyone! I will save this patient!" He disappeared, doing whatever he was going to do.
Shuttle finally reached the ground and ran up to Little. "Can you at least speak so we know you aren't dead?"
He stayed dead silent for a bit. "... Close." Little replied in one tone.
"Your– Oh my god. Well, that's good enough." Shuttle continued unconsciously before sighing with relief. Before anyone could say anything else, a loud honking noise played outside.
"It is the ultimate return of the legendary, iconic Doctor Killgood!" Monokuma pulled out a stretcher from an ambulance and threw Little onto it. "Do not fret, students, for I will cure him in a jiffy! He will be back and anew before the Class Trial begins!" He drove the ambulance off to the entrance of the school, then dragged the stretcher inside and took Little to wherever.
"Um, what was that about?" Cele asked as she walked in slowly, her head facing the ambulance.
"Little managed to trip on something and nearly killed himself." Shuttle replied.
"Man, now I'll never get to know what he was gonna say to me," Sahara whined. "Hey, what's that over there?" She pointed to a corner in the warehouse and walked up to it. Everyone else inside followed her as she held up a piece of trash. It looked like a piece of fabric, but it was too torn up to tell if it was.
"It's..." Gehenna trailed off.
"A piece of trash, that's what." Sahara continued. She tossed the piece behind her and walked off, staring at the obstacle course in awe. Maybe I should remember it just in case? Shuttle thought.
"Ragged Piece" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Hey, um, Shuttle? Should we go around for alibis now?" Cele offered.
"Ah, yeah. Let's go." He nodded. "How about we hear each other's first? I... Well, it's nothing new. Just asleep the whole night."
"My alibi from last night, huh?" Cele smiled. "I was asleep as well."
"So we both heard and saw nothing? Oh, well. There are always the other people." Shuttle shrugged. "What are you waiting for? Let's go."
"Alibis already?" Gehenna butted in before they could go around. "I was asleep... For a little. I got so anxious and restless to the point I had to stay in my Lab, guarding my psychic materials."
"... All night?" Cele nervously gasped.
"Yeah. I did force Sahara to wake up to take over for me because I was starting to feel sleepy." She grinned as she put her hands on her hips.
"Where did she take over for you, exactly?" Shuttle queried.
"At the door to my Lab, of course!" Gehenna grinned even wider. "Oh, yeah, not to mention, but like, as I was gonna check on Sahara, I remember seeing someone run away from somewhere. It was really dark and my eyes are shit when it's dark, so I can't tell who it was."
"Wait, you saw someone? Can you remember what their silhouette looked like at least?" Cele eagerly asked.
"Hmm, maybe about two-thirds of Shuttle's height or more, the back of their lead looked like there was a lump, and I didn't forget how they ran! They ran like they were in a marathon, haha!" Gehenna giggled.
"Gehenna's Account" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Ah, t-thanks, I guess." Cele held her hand to her forehead as she walked off with Shuttle. "She gives me a headache. Even listening to her as she casually talks is tiring..."
Shuttle chuckled. "I feel you. She's just so irritating sometimes, but she's got her moments." They strolled around the school, spotting Elio mid-way.
"Nonononono, don't ask me for an-" Elio whispered to himself as they walked up to him.
"Hey, Elio. We just want to know if you have an account quickly." Cele smiled.
"Dammit!" He abruptly yelled. "Sorry. By the way, for my account, I did try looking for the yearbook, but I eventually gave up. I ended up looking until 10:30 PM last night, I think."
"Where were you looking?" Cele asked, slightly tilting her head.
"The fuckin' greenhouse. Last time I looked with Little, we didn't even bother looking in there. I didn't find anything though." Elio grumbled.
"Did you see anything out of the ordinary?" Shuttle queried.
"No! Just stop asking me questions!" Elio whined as he switched. "To be honest, I'm kinda irritable right now. I'll probably calm down after Investigation Time... Excuse me." He trudged past the two and walked around.
"Elio's Account" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Well, at least he was being honest." Cele shrugged. "Bob's Lab?"
"It might still be a wreck, but sure. Let's make it fast though." They scurried to Bob's lab and looked inside at the board.
Red and black papers. That's all it was.
"Are you kidding me?" Cele asked disappointedly.
"Well... Maybe it does go to someone." Shuttle suggested.
"Red and Black" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad. Before anyone could say anything else, a melodic tune filled the school campus.
"Investigation Time is over, students! Please head to the back of the school, or punishment will be awaiting you!" Monokuma announced as the monitor turned off.
"And we couldn't get Little's account." Shuttle groaned as he walked to the back of the school.
"I don't think it's illegal to ask before we head down to the trial grounds!" Cele offered. "Speaking of that, I'll do it now! I see Little." She started sprinting to Little as Shuttle waited for her to come back. She ran back to Shuttle, who was anxiously waiting.
"Well?"
"... Asleep. I don't know what I expected." Cele reported back. "He did wake up, though. Tried checking up on Ron."
"Little's Account" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of Shuttle's Monopad.
"Let's hurry, everyone else is starting to get in the elevator." Cele rushed into the elevator as Shuttle followed along in a hurry.
Ron... Why him out of everyone? I don't want to think that someone killed him. But everyone's depending on their hope to unmask the culprit behind his murder. I can't back down, I've gone through so many killings, I can't just give up now! Shuttle thought. He sighed as he faced the floor. Ron, if your spirit is watching over us all... I promise we'll put your murderer to justice. For your life, we'll take theirs and never leave yours in vain. The elevator doors creaked open and with a mix of nerves and anticipation, every remaining student stepped out onto the trial grounds, ready to face the truth and seek justice for the murder of Ron. They headed to their assigned podiums, standing nervously in silence.
"We shall start the trial with a basic explanation of the Class Trial. During the Class Trial, you will present your arguments for who the killer is, and vote for whodunnit! If you vote correctly, only the blackened will be punished! But if you pick the wrong person, I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and that person will earn the right to graduate!" Monokuma instructed.
"This case ain't like the other ones!" Gehenna abruptly yelled. "Some of you up until now have barely spoken, so y'all better speak up or we might lose important information!"
"Ah, y-yeah. We do have to figure out a lot of stuff... But there are so many to go over... Where should we start?" Elio wondered.
"Oh. You're right." Her face turned blank. "Hmm... We should go over the crime scene first!"
"But how?" Elio impatiently asked.
"Easy! We think of ways of how the hell Ron got up on that ceiling." Or maybe what could have done that little cut on his neck." Gehenna suggested. "We already have the location and setting down, so why not start with "what?"
"Good idea. I don't even think we can just throw out our arguments over this one. It's too complicated." Cele sighed. "Does anyone have any ideas?"
"Maybe he was knocked out and then unwillingly crucified? It would explain the hit on the back of his neck." Sahara guessed.
"You can't be speaking, I saw you last night running away to the dorms before I even went there to get you." Gehenna commented.
"... What?" Sahara said in disbelief.
"We can't run to conclusions this fast, we don't even know if that was Sahara or not. You said that you could barely even make out who it was, didn't you, Gehenna?" Shuttle analyzed.
"Aw, yeah... You're right. Sorry." Gehenna pouted.
"Apology not accepted. Can't believe someone as dense as you would even make that assumption." Sahara crossed her arms and scrunched her face.
"We're getting side-tracked. Sahara, you said something about a possibility of Ron getting knocked out, right?" Cele recalled. "Maybe that's what happened." No, that can't be, and there's a reason for that... Shuttle thought as he ran through several possibilities.
"I don't think he could have died that way." He said.
"Why is that?" Little asked.
"If he was unconscious while being crucified, it'd probably take more than one person to nail him up there. Plus, it would take too long to take him up." Shuttle reasoned.
"Ah, good point. I probably should have thought longer and more accurately." Cele realized.
"Then... Are there any other ways that he could have ended up there?" Sahara asked.
"Not that I can think of. We can just leave this part and then come back once we have more information," Shuttle said. "How about we move on to any surrounding objects?"
"Yeah, seems like a good idea." Gehenna nodded acknowledgedly. "What'd we all see?"
Monokuma, intrigued by the mystery, changed the atmosphere color to blue to signal that the Non-Stop Debate session had begun.
"Well, to start it off, I do remember seeing someone run away from somewhere! I couldn't make out who it was, though." Gehenna nervously smiled.
"Nearly half of us were asleep. How do you expect us to see anything?" Elio crossed his arms vexedly.
"I meant whatever we found during Investigation Time and any alibis!" Gehenna explained like she was telling information to a child.
"Ah. Well, I remember nearly killing myself in the warehouse. It was like someone just decided to booby trap the entire place just for some dumb prize!" Elio recalled.
"Was there something at the end? I mean, I do remember seeing a big obstacle course just set up there." Sahara asked.
"Shuttle did it earlier. It was just a bucket of paint..." Little held his head.
"Paint? Out of everything, it was paint?" Sahara's eyes widened as she slammed her hands on her podium.
"Well, maybe it was used somewhere. I don't think the culprit would set all that up for nothing." Elio shrugged. Hey, wait...
"You've got a point!" Shuttle agreed, breaking the Non-Stop Debate session. "Little and I aren't entirely sure what it might have been used for, but we suspected it was the painting of a pair of wings and a halo on the ceiling where Ron was."
"So Ron didn't bleed his guts out?" Sahara asked. "Then the paint would make se–"
"Shoulda been me who bled out to death. I'm jealous as fuck right now." Elio pouted and crossed his arms.
"It... It could have been anyone else but Ron who died. It just had to be him..." Little mourned.
"Now's not the time to be saying that stuff. We have a case to solve, or our lives are gone." Sahara shot. "I understand you lost someone pretty important to you, but be sad later."
"Sahara, that's... Whatever." Cele sighed. "But Shuttle is right. At least, I think so. Considering the only wounds, I don't think he could have bled that much, so the paint is definitely what was used to make that painting."
"Oh, wait! I have something to say!" Gehenna offered. "Um, speaking of wounds, how did Ron get that cut? I don't think any of the nails looked like they were used for his neck."
"Maybe a knife did the trick?" Elio guessed.
"No, because that would make too much blood. I think it would be the nails. You can't see much evidence, but what I'm getting onto is he was cut first with a nail and then crucified." Sahara looked elsewhere, searching for a solid answer in her head.
"And even if he did bleed a ton and it was all just poured into the bucket of paint, there'd be many changes to the paint itself." Cele went deep into thought. "Shuttle, did it look altered or different than regular paint?"
"No, it looked normal." Shuttle replied.
"Called it." Cele huffed like she won a trophy. "So the culprit had to dispose of the blood somehow that doesn't involve the bucket."
Elio's head sparked an idea. "Can I contribute–"
"Well, then there's no other way. Should we move onto the next part?" Gehenna interrupted.
"Um... As I was saying, I have–"
"Sure, go ahead." Sahara nodded. Elio took a deep breath, clenched his fists, then slammed his hands onto his podium.
"Everyone!" He assertedly yelled, silencing the room.
"What? Jeez, we were listening!" Gehenna growled vexedly.
"You talking over me says otherwise." Elio scowled as he crossed his arms. "Now, as I was saying, I think I have an idea of how the blood was disposed of. I remember looking in Ron's Ultimate Lab and saw a trashcan in there with a bit of... Paper towels, I think, that were just soaked with dried blood. Not to mention one of the knives was missing."
"Useless. Might have been the paint." Sahara's face neutralized.
"No, because paint can't perfectly mimic blood's effects on paper towels. The pattern on them looked like blood." Elio said.
"He's right. Paint, unlike blood, wouldn't make much of that spreading effect." Cele smiled.
"See? I was right! Fuck you!" Elio waved his arms around quickly. "By the way, are we gonna discuss the missing knife in his Ultimate Lab?"
"We were getting there... I think." Gehenna chuckled nervously as she put her hands on her hips. "Now, a regular kitchen knife would make that cut deep as hell, right? So, I'm thinkin' that it might have been a smaller knife!"
"But then why would they use an average knife? Were there any smaller ones anyways?" Cele asked.
"They– They're called paring knives, and maybe the culprit used one of those average knives to falsify the weapon used and our thinking." Elio speculated. "Hey, this case is oddly complex. Maybe little miss detective over here did it."
"Elio! We can't just throw accusations like that! Especially to someone like Cele, she's too nice to kill!" Sahara panicked.
"Sahara, calm down. It's normal to suspect people." Cele smiled nervously. "Besides, I can see his point. I mean, of course someone probably educated in crimes would be able to pull one off."
"Are you just saying you're the culprit? Are you admitting to your offense? Fess up." Elio switched with a wide, menacing gaze fixated on Cele's crimson eyes. "Because if you don't confess, I'll force your truth out your throat. Is that sweat I see?"
"Quit it, Elio! It's too early for something like this!" Gehenna angrily whined. "I thought you liked Cele, we all do! She complimented your intelligence so much!"
"We're getting derailed here... Let's just get back to the discussion." Cele said. "We suspect the culprit used a different knife, right? Where'd the one that's now missing go?" Where did it go? We found it earlier, didn't we? Shuttle asked himself in his head before concluding.
"I've got it!" He exclaimed. "Cele, we found it during Investigation Time, remember? It was in the darkness backstage in the gym."
"Ah, my memory must be failing me. But yes, it was backstage." Cele scratched the back of her head.
"She's probably just using some lame excuse like forgetting to take all suspicion off of her." Elio growled.
"Enough doubting her, you can say all that when we have a better understanding of the crime scene." Sahara pouted angrily.
"Wait! Wait!" Gehenna exclaimed, putting her index fingers on the sides of her head. "I know everyone's talking a lot, but I can't help but feel like something's missing." She closed her eyes like she was trying to predict something before an idea popped into her head.
"Well? What feels off?" Shuttle asked.
Gehenna put her hands around her mouth, mimicking a megaphone. "Little..." She sang.
Silence.
"Little." She sang again but more irritatedly.
Nothing.
"Little!" She yelled, catching his attention. "You got something to tell us? You've been too quiet, and I specifically said everyone's gonna have to speak up at the start of this trial!"
"Mrm..." He quietly hesitated. "It's nothing..."
"Well, you certainly look bothered, so there's gotta be something." Elio said, concernedly crossing his arms.
"it's just Ron, that's all." Little sighed.
"Didn't I just say to be sad later? We–" Sahara exasperatedly began before getting talked over.
"Sahara. That's enough." Cele ordered. "Little, I understand what you're going through as of now. That's happened to me before. But, it's already happened. The best we can do is lift our heads and live on, in the name of the ones that died that we held close. It's the only way I became such a successful detective, and I bet it's gonna be one of the only ways your hope stays alive."
"Hm?" His eyes slowly shifted to Cele's. "Live... On?"
"Of course! I believe that you can overcome such an obstacle. Your hope is just waiting to awaken from inside you. You've got such potential, and you're letting it hide away because of a loss... Come on! It's in the past now, don't let that push you down into an endless pit of despair!" Cele exclaimed, attempting to encourage Little.
"You're right... I can't just mourn over here and do nothing. I've got to avenge Ron, what am I doing? Thanks, Cele." Little smirked, a sense of confidence firing him up. "I'll murder the fuck out of anybody that's gonna speak trash about him."
"Jeez, we get it... You're energized now. Can we get on with the trial now?" Sahara groaned.
"Ah, yes, I apologize for such a distraction." Cele nervously laughed. "We all can agree the culprit faked the weapon and used a possibly smaller knife, correct?"
"Yeah," Elio said. "Why?"
"Now that we know that, we can assume that the culprit knew what they were doing. They might have already set up the board and everything, but they just needed their victim." Cele analyzed.
"Do not speak for several days. That was the most useless observation you've ever made." Elio scowled. "And don't think you're in the clear just yet, lady."
"So, the basics of this part of the case is that we figured out that the weapon that slit Ron's neck was probably something smaller, that the culprit's antics are way too smart for our comprehension, and..." Gehenna trailed off.
"And?" Sahara asked.
"I dunno. I just wanted to do the magic three." She giggled for a short second. "Let's move on to our alibis, then!"
Without a word, Monokuma set the atmosphere color to blue, signaling that the Non-Stop Debate session had begun.
"I mean, barely any of us have an alibi. The rest of us were probably just asleep." Elio groaned. "Any of us awake past 10?"
"I was for a bit because I was soooo anxious! I was watching over my psychic equipment all night. Except for when I got Sahara to take over for me." Gehenna chuckled.
"Well, I was looking in the greenhouse for that yearbook thing. I think I ended up staying for a while because of the atmosphere." Elio recalled.
"As Gehenna said, I was awake for a long time. It was nearly sunrise when I went back to my dorm. Oh, and I think I heard noises before like, 10:30 PM." Sahara yawned. "I was watching Gehenna's equipment by her Lab door, and I was really burnt out by the time I heard those noises, so I may have been half asleep while they happened."
"I was only awake for a bit. I was checking on Ron, or at least, trying to. Knocking on his door got me no response." Little replied.
"Jeez, y'all fishy as hell." Sahara scoffed. "How can we be sure that none of you did shit?"
"Because I was too determined to find that yearbook...?" Elio repeated.
"I stayed in the dormitories." Little retaliated.
"There was no other way to get in the gym..." Gehenna grumbled. Hold on a minute...
"No, wait, that's wrong!" Shuttle countered, breaking the Non-Stop Debate session. "There was another way to get into the gym. There's a secret hatch backstage behind the curtains which leads to the backside of the school."
"So that means whoever was outside the dorms could have gotten into the gym. Nice thinking." Little realized.
"But that means it has to be before around 10 PM. Very few were outside at that time. Well, of course, excusing Ron." Cele speculated.
"Why are we even talking about Ron again? He was too whiny about two people that I forgot the names of." Gehenna groaned.
"Their names are Renory and Bob." Little shot.
"Yeah, why are we? I mean, I get that we have to solve it or we're all gonna die, but why?" Sahara asked, her eyes widening as if she were insulting using her looks.
"Shut up." Little menacingly looked at the two.
"What? But it's true! I have indeed lost people I loved so much, but I didn't whine like he did!" Sahara mocked.
"I said, shut up!" Little yelled as he quickly whipped out a pistol from a holster on his leg.
"Holy shit! How long have you had that on you, what the fuck!?" Elio yelled in fear before switching. "Hand me that gun, I'm gon' shoot everyone down, and then myself!"
"I-I'm sorry! I take it back, I take it back!" Gehenna whined, crying fake yet heavy tears in horror.
"That better be the truth." Little scowled. "Not another one of you better talk about any of my sons like that. Ever."
"We got it, just put the gun down!" Sahara shrieked.
"N-Now that that's over... Um, do any of you have an explanation for your provided alibis?" Cele nervously asked.
"What? Are you saying I'm the culprit or something?" Sahara assumed vexedly.
"I was only outside for a little bit! Besides, the only time I went inside the school was when I was watching my psychic equipment and checking on Sahara for a bit!" Gehenna whined.
"Oh, come on. I was in the greenhouse. Nothing new." Elio groaned, annoyance burning up in his eyes.
"Well, too bad, it ain't me!" Sahara declared. / "Why me? I'm not it!" Gehenna squealed. / "Go die in a hole. I am not the fucking culprit." Elio crossed his arms.
The trial grounds were submerged in a deep color of red, signaling that the Mass Panic Debate session had begun.
"I was too tired to comprehend anything." Sahara yawned again. / "My eyes were wide open! And I was listening really well to every little noise that night!" Gehenna pouted. / "Are you all deaf? I was in the Greenhouse only. If I even decided to kill that malewife guy, I'd have to either be spotted by Gehenna on the way to the gym entrance or be spotted by Gehenna on the way to that secret hatch." Elio grumbled.
"Maybe you hallucinated something but when you came to your senses, you don't remember it at all?" Cele suggested. / "Sounds like a regular night for someone as mental as you." Little rolled his eyes. / "Cause like, I'm not even that good at sneaking. That's Neru's job, and he's dead." Elio commented.
"But that contradicts my sharp-related Ultimate Talent because my memory's as good as newly polished gold!"
Sahara boasted as she cackled with pride. / "Eh, true, but that's not the point! I was by my Lab for a few minutes, maybe 15 or 20." Gehenna guessed. / "Shut up, Elio. No one's gonna hear your boring story. We're focusing on the main two suspects." Little shot.
"How does your memory go along with your ability to insult people?" Gehenna asked. / "That's enough time to set up everything, bastard." Little scoffed. / "Jeez... How rude... You could have at least told me that I don't need to share my alibi." Elio sighed.
"I dunno, but I do remember going to sleep about five minutes later after hearing the noises," Sahara recalled. / "Hey! Don't call me a bastard! You know what? Ron was all whiny and shit! His death was deserved!" Gehenna growled. / "But your alibi may be crucial, so please keep going." Cele requested.
"Maybe that was just delusion and you heard nothing... There isn't anything in the gym that could make that much noise for you to hear it." Gehenna guessed. / Little pulled out his pistol again and pointed it at Gehenna's head. "Say that again. I dare you." / "If you say so. I only looked until 10:30 and started when Monokuma announced that nighttime began. Is that good enough?" Elio told. No, wait...!
"No, that's wrong!" Shuttle countered, breaking the Mass Panic Debate session. "If there's nothing to make whatever noises Sahara heard, what's the hammer to you?"
"Ah, yeah, good point... Oops." Gehenna chuckled nervously.
"Wait, I have an idea. Gehenna, you have good hearing, right?" Cele asked.
"Yeah. Why?"
"And you also went to check on Sahara after a little bit, right?"
"Also yeah. Why?"
"I'm thinking maybe she–"
"Nuh uh!" Sahara yelled over Cele. "Like I said, I was way too tired to do anything! You expect me to be energetic as hell and then just kill somebody? No!"
"W-Wait, Sahara–" Shuttle anxiously started.
"You should go shoot yourself in your head for all I care. The fact that you're just accusing me of such a thing is unbelievable!" She glared at Shuttle.
"Cele didn't even finish her sentence, how could you even guess she was going to say that?" He asked.
A red spotlight set on Sahara as a blue one set on Shuttle, signaling that the Rebuttal Showdown session had begun.
"Because I've been accused like what, three times this trial? All because Gehenna thought she saw me running from the crime scene?" Sahara frustratedly explained. "That's unreasonable! I was too tired to do anything at that time except sit and wait for time to pass by!"
"You've been using the excuse of being tired forever. How can we be absolutely sure that you didn't do it if that's your only reason?"
"Because it is my only reason! How do you expect me to explain anything when I was super delusional?! Even when my brain couldn't brain, I wouldn't even dare kill someone! The only time I would is when they'd annoy me to death, and he didn't even say a thing to me that day..."
"Just because you said so doesn't verify it completely. At least tell us what noises you heard!"
"A few bangs and occasional groaning, I think. Hey, wait, whaddya need that for? You still planning on accusing me? I hope you know how it feels to be wrong..." Sahara paused to yawn again. "Maybe you did it. And you're just coating it all with lie–"
"False aim!" Little interrupted. "Shuttle, I don't think it's Sahara."
"Huh?" Shuttle gasped.
"I was going to check on Ron a second time that night, and I saw Sahara groggily opening her door. It was about the same time we both heard someone running." He explained. "Gehenna saw someone running to the dormitories, right? Sahara wasn't even outside when she saw that. Using that information, it can't be her."
"Why didn't you mention that earlier?! You literally just saved my ass!" Sahara screamed.
"Because I didn't think it was necessary at the time. Of course, I'd have to bring it up as you're getting pressured for something you didn't do." Little crossed his arms.
"Seriously?" She asked exasperatedly. If it isn't Sahara, then... Who could it possibly be? Nothing is pointing to anyone...
~COMMERCIAL BREAK (STARRING: Monokuma)~
"Hmm, this place feels empty." Monokuma pulled another clone of him from offstage. "Look, you feel that way too, right?"
"Nah. I think something keeps growing, but I can't tell at all. It's like something's there but there's nothing. I'm not thinking what you are though." The other one said.
"Wow. We are so alike!" Monokuma pushed the other clone and stomped on him. "We're so similar, I can't help but murder the hell out of you! Upupupu, I think I can feel the despair just going inside of me!~" He began to savagely club the clone to death.
~COMMERCIAL BREAK: END~
"Huh..." Gehenna sighed. "We're doomed. This case is near unsolvable, and we've gotten nowhere. This culprit's really good, and I don't like that."
"Maybe there's just something we overlooked." Cele looked around the room. "This usually never happens on a big clue."
"Hold on a second." Little paused before the room turned dark as a dim green spotlight set on him, signaling that the Cognitive Reboot session had begun. Shuttle was prompted to remember some of his Truth Bullets as a quiet melody played. Minutes later, it stopped and he had recalled them.
"We're stuck and have barely any progress. That means we must have missed something. A clue in the warehouse, gym, backstage, anywhere. You think you have any ideas?" The spotlight slowly moved its way to Shuttle.
"I... The warehouse?" He guessed as Little nodded, the room lighting up again, signaling that the Cognitive Reboot session had ended.
"That was the shortest anything's ever been..." Sahara whispered to herself.
"Nice. But yeah, that's right. There's a big hint in the warehouse. Whaddya think that is?" Little asked, waiting for an answer. This... Answer seems like it's a major one. I shouldn't slip up here. As quickly as he could, an answer came to his mind.
"The mallet I found by the crate mess?" Shuttle speculated.
"Wai–" Little started.
"Hold on. What did the mallet look like? I got a huge suspicion sneaking up on my back." Elio interrupted as he crossed his arms confidently.
"It looked like Saha–"
"Called it!" Elio called out. "That sneaky, snarky little bitch used that mallet to knock the wind outta Ron! She lured his gullible ass into the gym, whammed him on the back of his neck, and then was strong enough to carry his stupid cadaver up to the ceiling and make him look all angelic!"
"W-Wait, no! That's not it!" Sahara fearfully stammered. "Just because my mallet's there doesn't mean–"
"I mean, did ya hear how she was talking about him earlier? "Ohh, no, he was all whiny and I hate his guts for that!" Evidence, baby!" Elio assertedly yelled. "And the little crime scene in the warehouse was probably someone else's doing. They probably saw the whole body in the gym, saw the paint either in there or in the warehouse, and tampered with the scene in the warehouse. I'm such a genius, ain't I?! Shuttle, ain't my story plausible? Ain't it?"
"S-Sure, I guess it is. I mean, it would explain a lot. Although the crate situation seemed impossible for Sahara to do, it makes sense someone else did the whole thing." Shuttle nervously nodded. "Sahara, if I'm wrong, please refute. I'm letting you–"
"There's no use." She despondently said. "If I do fight, we're just gonna turn back the suspicion to me. It's... Whatever's waiting for me is what she'd want anyways."
"She? Who's the "she" in this situation?" Gehenna asked, an expression of worry covering her face.
"... My mom." Sahara responded.
"Your mom?!" Elio started freaking out. "Hey, mine would want the same for me! Besties!"
"Shuttle–" Little began.
"Piece all the evidence together already. It's useless for me to go on. You're wrong anyways." Sahara admitted defeat like losing to a supervillain. "To everyone who doesn't believe me... I'm sorry for such a crime to happen. I mean it."
Something's off about Sahara and this trial. It seems all too easy, and... Shuttle wondered. Nevermind. She's letting me close this case, and it's all up to me. The story of all that happened started to come together like an artist producing a comic, and eventually, it finished.
"Our culprit somehow managed to lure in Ron one night. Ron, completely oblivious to what they were planning, agreed to meet in the gymnasium. That one night they met, Ron thought he was early, with the culprit not being there. But, little did he know, the culprit was waiting for him right behind the doors! Using their mallet, they hit Ron on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. They used a wooden board from the warehouse and a hammer and nails from backstage to nail him to the board previously mentioned. Before they did any more damage, the culprit nailed the board to the ceiling and then nailed Ron onto it. To ensure he was dead, the culprit used a kitchen knife to slit his neck, returning it to the kitchen after simply wiping it off and throwing a couple of tissues into a trash can in his Ultimate Lab. They grabbed a bucket of paint and used it to paint some wings and a halo near Ron's crucified body. The culprit escaped using the doors to the gym, acting like they were there the entire time after Gehenna called them to take over. I'm begging myself that you'll refute it... but, Sahara Hisa, the Ultimate Sharp-Tongued. You did the whole crime!" He concluded, ending the trial.
"Thank you. My misery's over now, I guess..." Sahara despairfully thanked.
"Well, then, it's Voting Time! My, this is faster than the other trials all of you held. But no matter. What does matter is that you all reached a conclusion!" Monokuma exclaimed.
"Wait–" Cele started before getting yelled over by Monokuma.
"Iiiiiit's Voting time!" Monokuma announced as everyone hesitantly voted. A giant screen lowered from above, as tallies counted up to Sahara's name. "Now, did you vote correctly and vote for the Blackened? Or did you make the dreadfully wrong one and pick an innocent student? Let's see!" A dart wheel came down from above and started spinning as the dart prepared to shoot and landed on Sahara's part of the wheel. Loud alarms blared through the trial grounds as the room slowly flashed a bright red. Monokuma shouted "Allrise" as the alarms kept playing and the room kept flashing.
"Wh-what's going on?! I thought we were right!" Gehenna shrieked.
"I can't believe it! We must have messed up somewhere! Monokuma, can we have a retrial, please?!" Elio screamed. "I-I know I've made a lot of suicidal remarks, but I'm too scared to die! And those remarks before were dead serious!"
"Nope! Once you've voted, you've voted! They're final and there will be no second votes." Monokuma cackled. "You all messed up big time, and the culprit gets to graduate without you pathetic worms!"
"Can you at least tell us who the culprit was before we die? I want to know." Little requested as the alarms nearly silenced his voice.
"How about... No! You all find out whodunnit when you all get dragged to your executions!" Monokuma cackled again as he grabbed a trial hammer, slamming it on a red button in front of him. Almost everyone got dragged away to their executions except for one student. Everyone was taken away at the speed of light, it was merely impossible to see who wasn't dragged.
Shuttle landed in an open field as a machine was propped up in front of him. One singular TV turned on and began flashing everyone's exact moments of their execution. From what Shuttle could see as the machine shot all kinds of sports equipment, one was running from bullets, the second was about to get cut by lots of sharp knives, and the third one was laying down on a board as the board stretched. As the machine died down and stopped shooting, he slowly looked up from the ground. One was now cornered with several bullet shots in their body, the second's mouth was bleeding like crazy as more wounds covered their head, and the third one was about ready to split. The culprit now watching everyone die was fading into the screen, but before he could even see who it was, his vision went black.
Pitch black.
It was void of anything.
"Shuttle? Shuttle, are you there?" A voice asked as he slowly opened his eyes. He was still in the class trial, and Little was concerningly looking at him.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. I guess I dozed off while trying to think." Shuttle chuckled.
"Do you even remember what I asked?"
"No..."
"Fine then, I'll repeat it. There's a huge hint in the warehouse. What do you think it is?" Little asked again. Well, from what my brain came up with, I don't think it's the mallet... But there was something else in the warehouse other than that.
"The piece of trash? But what does it have to do with this entire trial?" Shuttle questioned.
"Think about it. Didn't that piece seem so familiar? That red line in the middle of it?" Little leaned in, his voice dropping as he continued, "Almost like a clue we've seen on... Someone before, don't you think?" ... Someone? What is he hinting at? Shuttle didn't have to look around much to figure out what Little was talking about.
"N-No... It can't be." Shuttle dishearteningly realized.
"Hm? What is it?" Cele asked, her brows furrowing in concern as she noticed the change in Shuttle's expression. "Did you figure something out? You look like you've stumbled onto something important."
"I..." He was looking right in the culprit's eyes. He saw through all their lies, all their contradictions, and the web of deceit they had woven. A heavy silence hung in the air as he struggled to find the words to confront them with the truth that had become so glaringly apparent.
"Why are you just staring at me? Is- Is something wrong?" Cele questioned, now even more concerned than ever.
"You... You killed Ron. You're the culprit that everyone's been looking for." Shuttle quietly declared.
"Huh? Me–"
"I fucking called it! It was our little detective here all along!" Elio yelled.
"Wh-Wait, but–"
"Elio! Don't just jump in like that!" Gehenna whined.
"I swear, it isn't me–"
"Cele, why?" Sahara questioned, her eyes filled with despair. "You were so nice. You made this school feel like home even if it was filled with murderers. Every time a trial ended, you'd somehow enlighten the mood until the next one. You were like a mom."
"Just let me speak–"
"Yeah, Cele, why? You provided us with the affection some of us never got. It's messed up thinking someone as caring as you would kill... I just don't wanna believe it's true." Elio stared blankly into Cele's eyes.
Cele remained quiet for a few minutes before she turned her head away from everyone. "Tch." She scoffed, her eyes glowing like a car's headlights. "Imbeciles."
"I'm sorry, what?" Sahara asked.
"I said, you're all imbeciles for thinking that someone like me, who strives for only hope, would commit such an unbearably divine, despairful crime like this." Cele snapped, an indignant expression masking her head. "And Elio, don't even think about switching. You're literally just a mental illness stereotype. A facade to keep everyone from worrying about you? Classic. Come on. You're not fooling anybody."
Elio stared at Cele in disgust. "I've had several women harass me before for standing up for a few of my friends. You're gonna have to do better to hit me in the heart."
"The Ultimate Dual Persona, huh? It's almost impressive how you manage to keep up this act, playing two sides, when really, you're just someone who's broken as hell. Shattered, burned, thrown away, and reincarnated just to realize you're back as your pitiful self. You'll never receive help. Most importantly, you're just like a sad puppet trying to keep up a masquerade when in reality, you can't even keep up with the script of euphoria. Did I ever tell you that even if you're exceeding in almost everything, you'll never achieve that feeling of happiness? Comfort?" Cele snapped. "You're nothing but a failure. Especially in situations like this, birdbrain."
"I–" Elio gasped.
"No wonder that's your Ultimate. You're just some depressed loser who can't think right. You put on not one, not two, but three masks. One of serenity, the second of bluntness, and the third of numbness. Your brain rattles of emptiness to the point you don't have a sense of identity." Cele laughed. "Don't get me started on the rest of you average, lowly humans."
"Oi, shut your fucking mouth, what the hell's snapped into you–" Sahara shot before getting talked over by Cele.
"Isn't it funny how the Ultimate Sharp-Tongued, who's so quick to criticize and belittle others, can't seem to escape her own past? You'd think someone so eager to tear others down would have built herself up by now. But I guess even her venomous words can't mask the fact that deep down, she's just a broken soul desperately trying to deflect from her own pain. It's almost pitiable how she tries to hide her wounds behind her sharp wit, but no amount of words can erase the scars she carries from her own history of abuse." Cele shot back.
"How did you know about all that?!" Sahara panicked.
"It may have been a little yearbook I found earlier. It had how every one of you gained your talents. Elio, Sahara, must I say, I'm immeasurably disappointed in both of you. I assumed you two got your talents from deceiving, lying, manipulating maybe, but I guess I was wrong. You two are just weak wimps who can't get over what they've been through. You've lived so long, how come you aren't strong enough yet?" Cele snickered. "Pathetic worms."
"Cele, this isn't like you. What's going on? Can you at least admit if you killed Ron or not?" Little asked as he tried to remain calm.
"And you, Little... Jeez, you're even more pathetic. You only became skilled in guns because you were ridiculed for your height. And then picking it back up because a certain little boy was what you assumed to be the reason for your son's misery. You just wanted to defend yourself when a threat came up about yourself... How pathetic." Cele mocked.
"We're getting sidetracked, just ignore that meanie!" Gehenna pouted angrily. "Shuttle, you said it was her, right? Well, is there any other evidence? Y'know, other than the piece of trash in the warehouse?"
Was there other evidence? Shuttle asked himself. "Sort of, yeah. There were ebony black pieces of fabric just lying around in the gym, but I doubt Cele and Ron just fought like that. It seems a bit too... Violent for both of them."
"Ahahahahahahaha! Once again, though, I would never use these hands for fighting! Or even slaughtering, for that matter. You people are mad for even thinking I'd do such a thing. All of you should know well that I–"
"Without hesitation, Cele killed Ron. Probably did that sleeping chop or whatever it's called on him, nailed him up there, and did the rest that I don't have the energy to say." Elio wearily declared as he interrupted Cele.
"Is your energy drained out because I called out your pitiful self? Or is it because I completely outed who you are as an Ultimate?" Cele threatened. "I expected much more from someone who is a warrior of hope itself! How pathetic for someone like you!"
"Um, getting back on topic..." Gehenna nervously began. "We got the surroundings and culprit done. We needa know how and why."
"What do you mean "why?" It's obvious. She just wanted to kill somebody out of spite. That's sort of been the thing with the past killers here." Sahara reasoned.
"Nah, even if I did kill that chef, I wouldn't do it in cold blood. I'd have a perfect motive that no one could ever guess." Cele laughed off. "Truly, you people can't keep up with this consistent hope of mine! Ahahaha, how pathetic!"
"You really need to knock it off. You're making no sense and absolutely no one is paying attention to you after I finish what I'm saying." Little said.
"Shut it, Lucian." Cele cursed. "The fact you couldn't even remember your name is just pitiful. Or could it be that you wished to conceal your identity, which held a criminal record?"
"H-Huh...? A criminal record?" Little nervously stuttered. "... Lucian? Who's that? Uh..."
"You, idiot." Cele leaned in, eyes wide, and smiling sinisterly. "Did you think you could hide your entire identity–"
"Cele's just steering our conversation away! Quick, I'll just repeat what the main question is right now! Why'd she kill the fuck outta Ron?!" Gehenna panicked as she held her hands to her face.
"No, because I don't think it would be Cele. Not even with all the evidence shown. I really don't want to believe it." Sahara crossed her arms angrily, yet her face bore an expression of unease. "Shuttle, how could you be thinking that Cele killed him...? Isn't she like, your best friend?"
Shuttle sighed. "Yeah, but... Even if they're a friend, they still have to pay the price for doing such a thing as taking someone's life..."
"Nah, come on. She's definitely the culprit. I mean, sure, I don't wanna think she's it either, but look at her right now." Elio pointed his thumb over to Cele with a look of sarcasm, displaying how mental she was.
"Uhh! I don't know what to say in this to prove my opinion, but yeah, it's Cele no matter what you say!" Gehenna agreed with a wide grin.
"Ah, you've got to be kidding me, everybody! It isn't me, and never will be, whatever you say!" Cele cackled madly.
"Man, I get that it's probably Cele, but seriously, you guys are driving me nuts. Can't you all just agree on one thing?" Little groaned. "You seriously can't just decide on one singular opinion–"
"Hold it!" Monokuma abruptly exclaimed. "Everyone can't decide on something? Well then, the Universal Hope High is proud to present its very own morphenomenal trial grounds!"
"Woah, the grounds are gonna morph again?! Cool!" Gehenna gasped astonishedly.
"That's been happening for since, like, forever. Catch up, Gehenna." Elio shot a look at Gehenna.
Monokuma held up a key with his face on it and inserted it into a keyhole in the shape of a circle. The podiums shifted like plate motion and transported the students to a separate room diagonally away from the trial grounds. Two people, Sahara and Cele, were on the left side as everyone else was on the right. The main question was planted into their minds: Could Cele have killed Ron? Monokuma signaled that the Split-o-Thon session had begun.
"I doubt that someone as kind as Cele would do such an atrocity! She's basically a sweetheart!" Sahara whined.
"Even sweethearts can do the most appalling acts, dumbass. Have you not processed Renory's case?" Elio vexedly replied as he crossed his arms.
"Ahaha! Alas, only such despairful despair could kill a warrior of hope! More specifically, an angel of hope!" Cele cackled.
"Yeah, yeah, we get it. You're obsessed with hope and the like, but can you shut up about it for a second? It isn't even relevant to this case." Little scowled.
"I should have seen Cele when I was sneaking back to the dorms that night, and I didn't." Sahara desperately explained.
"You might have run off at different times. After all, you said you were tired– Hey, wait, you flaked out on me?!" Gehenna exclaimed.
"But something in your argument is amiss. I was asleep, no? How can you even prove I was inside the gym at that time?! I always make sure I get enough sleep! Are you saying I told a lie?!" Cele crazed with a crude smile on her face.
"Lying is what you might have done. You may have used a perjury on us by painting over the truth in this trial." Shuttle said.
"B-But! I don't think Ron would just go to the gym so late at night, especially in the state he was in. He would have known a fate was coming for him!" Sahara yelled.
"We'll know why Ron went there in the first place if we put the pieces together. Just shut up for a moment and let everyone else put decent theories." Elio rolled his eyes as he grumbled under his breath. Everyone continued to argue for their opinion before one side remained victorious: Cele did kill Ron.
"Cele isn't this insane. It seriously isn't her at this point. What's going on in her head...? She also isn't this insistent when it comes to deciding who the culprit is." Sahara mumbled to herself.
"..." Cele stared straight ahead, almost like she was lost in a trance. "Yeah, you're right. This isn't like me. I'm sorry, everyone." She smiled sadly, a plead for forgiveness in her eyes. The once ominous glow in her eyes had faded, replaced by a comforting shade of crimson.
"Wh– You say the nastiest trash to our faces, and now you're apologizing?! You think I'm gonna forgive you after you did all that?!" Elio screamed in disillusion as tears began welling up in his eyes. "You– You're unbelievable... You were one of the only people who made me feel like I was wanted."
"I know. Elio, Sahara... Luci– Little, I'm sorry for even saying you were weak because of how you acquired your talents. You're all strong. You endured so much, and you're continuing your journey of overcoming those terrible, terrible events." Cele sighed. "I... I acknowledge none of you will probably forgive me for this, but... Yes, I did kill Ron."
"You monster," Little said menacingly. "Why would you even decide to kill Ron? Did he do something to you?"
"No, but..." Cele slowly looked at Shuttle. "I'm pretty sure you can figure it out."
He shook his head steadily, picking up the speed before stopping to look back at Cele in her eyes. "No... I– I don't want to blame you. I doubt you'd do something like that."
"Shuttle..." Cele mumbled. "Then, I guess I'll have to force you to the truth." Almost everyone's podiums moved to the sides, leaving only Cele and Shuttle in the middle of the trial grounds. A drum acting as a metronome played in the background as Monokuma signaled that the Logomachy Royale session had begun.
"Stop facing away from the truth. Sometimes you have to admit it, and it won't always be pretty. You can't just keep running away from reality, it isn't going to get you anywhere. Please, just get the fact that I killed Ron in your head! It's for everyone's sake!" Cele cried. He matched the rhythm and forced her to the next phase.
"So that's how it is. Sure! I killed Ron! I lured him into the gym, knocking him out using that mallet, then put him on the ceiling! It's all true! None of what I'm saying is a fabrication! I admit to killing him in cold blood! It... It's nothing but the truth! It was purely in cold blood!" She exclaimed, almost as if she was aiming several artillery right at Shuttle's face. He aligned with the cadence, heading to the final phase.
"P-Please... What will get you to believe me? I killed Ron, and that's it. It was in cold blood, everything that everyone came up with was true. You can't deny the facts, Shuttle. It's all true, there's no hiding it! If you don't believe me, you won't succeed in this trial! I swear!" Cele desperately shouted, the truth becoming more clear in Shuttle's head. "So then... How do you think I lured him in there if he was aware?!"
The answer came together, displayed clearly in his eyes. "You and Ron made an agreement." Shuttle declared, ending the Logomachy Royale session. Cele didn't dare say a word.
"Hold up, an agreement?" Gehenna asked. "Wait, you're telling me Ron agreed to get himself killed?!"
"That is the truth." Cele nodded shamefully. "Shuttle, to be honest, I'm surprised you got it right. How about you end this so you can get over with it quickly?"
He paused for a moment. "If you say so..." Shuttle pieced the story in his head and slowly began to tell it. "Ron and the culprit met up one night. They agreed to create a nearly unsolvable murder plan. The culprit and Ron headed to the gym, where Ron's body was originally found. The culprit brought a pocket knife, one that made barely any blood. Ron brought a gigantic wooden board for the crucifixion along with nails and a hammer. Ron and the culprit climbed up separate ladders that they brought to the board that was pre-hammered into the ceiling. He held his hands to the board as the culprit hammered them into the board, using a hammer hidden backstage in the gym. They tied his ankles together and tied the rope to the board, keeping it there using duct tape. Ron remained conscious before the culprit slit his neck. A ladder from backstage helped the culprit nail the wooden board with Ron's body on it to the ceiling. There were barely any blood drops because of the thin knife, and when any drops fell from the ceiling, the culprit would clean it up to prevent any evidence. Next, the culprit used fake evidence to lead us off using some black fabric, presumably from Cele's tie. They ripped off a few pieces to make it look like the two fought. Another fake clue that was used is the weapon. The fake one was a regular knife, one you could spot in the kitchen. The culprit was probably planning to escape using the gym door, but because Gehenna was keeping watch over her equipment all night, they had to find an alternative escape route. So, they used the hatch leading to the back of the school. The culprit was prepared for anyone spotting them in the darkness, so they tried to disguise themselves as Sahara as they ran away from the crime scene. It's upsetting, but I have to conclude it. With no hesitation and question, it's you, Cele Racquel. The Ultimate Detective... You did it, didn't you?"
"As expected. It's on point." Cele sighed.
"Yup! Normally, I would have ended the trial about... Ages ago, but this might just have the best plot yet!" Monokuma exclaimed. "Keep going. But I'll interrupt and end it whenever I feel like it."
"Well then–" Elio began.
"Okay, everyone! That's it, that's the end of the trial!" Monokuma yelled.
"Huh?! But I just started spea–"
"Now, how about you all place your votes? After a while, the votes will be the final ones! Iiiiit's Voting Time!" Monokuma cheered as everyone hesitantly voted. A giant screen lowered from above, as tallies counted up to Cele's name. "Now, did you vote correctly and vote for the Blackened? Or did you make the dreadfully wrong one and pick an innocent student? Let's see!" A dart wheel came down from above and started spinning as the dart prepared to shoot and landed on Cele's part of the wheel. Victory music started playing, showing the students that they voted correctly. The 5th class trial had ended, and Monokuma shouted the word "Allrise."
"W-Wait, please! There are still some unclear things! Can we please keep discussing?" Sahara asked.
"Jeez, what is it? The trial's done and we know it was Cele. My brain can't handle this anymore." Elio groaned as he rolled his eyes. "Especially after all that..."
"Um, it doesn't make sense." Sahara averted her eyes from everyone. "It doesn't make sense why Cele just agreed with that. Was she the one who asked? Or was it Ron?"
"It's sort of a long story. But... It was Ron." Cele replied.
"Ron? He asked you?" Little questioned.
"I mean, it makes sense. Did you forget how he was already? Like, come on, of course, he'd want to die." Gehenna scoffed as she rolled her eyes.
"I know, it's just... Nevermind." Little shrugged whatever it was off and looked back at everyone.
"So, are we done here? I just wanna go to my room and sleep." Elio groaned.
"Shut up, we're gonna finish soon. Just shut the fuck up and maybe sleep while you're at it." Sahara shot.
"Jeez, okay. I'll sleep." Elio quickly said before falling asleep, still standing up.
"Anyways," Sahara began. "You're saying Ron asked you? But why'd you accept it? Just... Why?"
"Um..." Cele closed her eyes, trying to remember. "I don't remember. It was days ago."
"Excuses, excuses. Why? You better answer honestly." Little glared at her.
"I will once I remember, jeez." Cele scoffed.
"Trial's done. I just want to sleep. Finish up already." Elio wearily complained. "Sure, you can do the execution right now, I just... Don't want to do this anymore. I'm done putting up with it."
"If ya say so, buddy." Monokuma said after officially concluding the trial using his trial hammer on the armrest of his throne.
"Ah, I remember now." Cele gasped. "I spotted Ron out on the doorway to Ariose Hall and walked up to him..." She led off in a trance, continuing it like a story.
~Flashback Clip~
"Ron? What are you doing out here so late?" Cele asked.
"I'm trying the last thing there is to get over Renory and Bob's deaths, but... It- it's not working. I've tried everything in my power to overcome it, but I just can't." Ron replied. "My "it is what it is" isn't working anymore."
"I see. It's going to be okay, I promise." Cele tried assuring him.
"It's not going to be okay." Ron vexedly scoffed. "You don't know how much they meant to me. They were there for me for my entire life, and now they're just gone!"
"Ron, please... I do understand. I wanted to be a detective when I was young, and my family never believed in me. Only my grandparents did, and I grew an attachment to them. When I was about twelve, they died. My grandma of cancer, and my grandpa of a heart attack in his sleep. I was heartbroken and ended up in a similar situation as you. On the brink of insanity and suicide." Cele sighed at the thought of her grandparents.
"I... I miss them so much." Ron averted his eyes as they filled with fear and despair. "Cele..."
"Hm?" She turned to Ron.
"This may be too much to ask for, but... Can you help with killing me?" Ron requested.
"Wha– Why?"
"I just... I just want to die, but I'm too scared to, and I really want to see Renory and Bob again. So can you help me with my wish...?"
She sighed as well. "Ron, I can't just do that! You're basically asking me to kill someone just for nothing!"
"Cele, please... I can't take anymore. I-I know that my dad and Shuttle are still here, but... Renory and Bob... They've helped me through so much. My entire life."
"You..." She stared at him in horror. "That's just cruel... But I-I'll do it... Are you sure though?"
"I'm sure."
"All right then..."
"Thank you..." Ron looked up to the sky. "Do you need time before you kill me?"
"I-I think so. Give me two days, I want to spend my last moments with Shuttle happily. On the third day, I'll meet you in the gymnasium..." Cele fearfully nodded.
"All right. Thank you once again." Ron thanked her as he walked to his room.
~Flashback Clip: End~
"You could have just fucking walked away. But you didn't." Elio scowled.
"I'm aware." Cele slowly inhaled before turning to Shuttle.
"But... Why?" Shuttle asked.
"You had potential. I knew it. I needed an excuse to no longer assist you during Class Trials. So..." She looked at the ground.
"So?"
"So I killed him. He even let himself be a sacrifice."
"You... You killed him. You killed my last son." Little mumbled.
"Yes. And I deeply apologize." Cele slightly bowed down and backed up again.
"A simple apology isn't going to suddenly revive him!" He angrily yelled before slugging Cele and getting dragged back by Shuttle and Sahara.
"Woah, calm down there buddy!" Sahara worriedly exclaimed.
"Little, I get that his loss is pretty upsetting but please tone it down a tad bit." Shuttle hesitated. "Plus, you still have your cousin right here."
"Are you all done lamenting? Let's get on with the execution already!" Monokuma cheered. "Execution! Execution! Execution!"
"Shuttle..." Cele gently smiled. "Before I go, take these." She untied her hair and took off her small top hat, grabbing Shuttle's hands and delicately placing them there before patting them securely. She put her hands on top of the items before looking at him in his eyes.
"But..." Shuttle began.
"No. Just take them. I'd like you to remember me. Take off that beanie cap for me, would you?"
"..." He stared at Cele.
"And, Shuttle, let me just say this." Cele smiled more. "Not everything is as it seems. Be wary of that. The truth of everything may be revealed, but don't let the despair it emanates get to your head. Keep going not for just me, but for everyone who died. I want to die knowing that I helped many people keep their heads up to hope."
"Now are you done? Because I have a special execution for the Ultimate Detective!" Monokuma beamed.
"Yes. I'm finished now. You can begin the execution." Cele nodded as she turned to Monokuma. "Shuttle, I will always be by your side. Don't ever forget me. By the way... There's something in the hat."
"Very well! Now then, I have a very special execution made just for the Ultimate Detective, Cele Racquel!" Monokuma cackled. "Upupupu! Let's have some fun, shall we?" He grabbed out his trial hammer as a red button appeared, slamming it on the button as a screen popped up saying "Cele Racquel has been found guilty. Time for the punishment!"
"No! I won't let this happen!" Shuttle cursed.
Shuttle ran to Monokuma and attempted to knock him down, trying to prevent Cele's execution. Before he could even raise a muscle to hit Monokuma, one thin spike impaled one of his legs as Cele fell to her execution.
"Cele...!" Shuttle exclaimed quietly as his vision twisted and turned.
Cele lands in a giant hourglass, sitting peacefully yet concentrating on escaping. Sand begins to fall as Cele glances around to find anything that could help her, but she finds nothing. She sighs but keeps a determined look as time runs out and the hourglass shatters, releasing sharp glass shards flying everywhere. Cele looks up and finds the cover of the hourglass beginning to fall above her head. Metal cuffs wrap around her wrists and ankles, holding her in place. She closes her eyes and sighs once more before getting crushed by the cover, concluding her execution.
~
"Wh-" Little gasped quietly. This wasn't supposed to happen. Shuttle just lay there unconscious, a thin spike just through the lower part of his leg. It– It can't be. I'm... The only one left of my family...
"Oh my god! Monokuma, what the hell?!" Gehenna squealed in horror. "You can't just let Shuttle die!"
"Sure I can. He attempted to assault me during an execution." Monokuma tilted his head. "Why, you wanna die too?"
"Nuh-uh! According to the rules strictly stated in the Monopad, only the blackened will be executed! And Shuttle did absolutely nothing!" Sahara held up her Monopad, showing the rule.
"After a trial, if the blackened is exposed, then they alone will be executed."
"Dammit!" Monokuma exclaimed before groaning loud enough to echo through the school. "Fine... I'll go help him." He disappeared.
"So he is just going to let Shuttle die there. Jeez, how heartless can he be–" Elio started before a loud honk played in the background.
"The return of Doctor Killgood! How good does it feel to go deaf from my horn? Do you need healing?" He asked as he tossed Shuttle's body in the back of the ambulance he brought along. "Maybe you need to come along with me! On second thought, I don't think there's enough space. Oh well. Farewell, students! Doctor Killgood will return when needed!" Monokuma drove off the ambulance into wherever and the students stood there in unsettling silence.
"Yo dude, you good?" Elio slowly walked up to Little as he placed a hand on his shoulder and looked down to face him.
"I..." He paused.
"Ah. I see. Come on, let's go. Everyone's going anyways." Everyone went into the elevator and straight to the dormitories. Thoughts flooded Little's mind as he drifted off. Why couldn't it be me? I don't want to suffer like this anymore. It... It's too much.
5 students remain?