Danganronpa DD: Dazzling Death - Chapter 7 - Katharsis101

Chapter Text

Truth Bullets - Case 2

>Monokuma File 2:

Time of Death: Around 9PM

Cause of Death: Fall

The body presents a broken neck, along with several bones broken in the legs. The internal organs remain in good state. Accompanying this, there are some injuries inside the corpse's mouth. Her death was instant.

>Shattered Ledges: Some of the crystal ledges of the building following Hayami's fall were broken.

>Crumpled Cloth: A black cloth stuffed inside Hayami's mouth, found lying next to her. Rather than an actual cloth, it seems to be ripped from somewhere.

>Pieces of Glass: There's pieces of glass underneath the body, but not on top of it.

>King and Queen of the Prom: The lights were on Chiyo and Riku when they were standing on the stage as they were being selected as King and Queen, which granted them immunity from being killed.

>Bullet in the Generator: A bullet is inlaid on the side that faces the elevator, causing it to malfunction.

>People's Position: Mamoru says that right before the blackout, he saw Tadashi, Keiko, Kizuna, Kokoro and Hikari on the top right corner of the rooftop, while Chiyo and Riku were on the stage with Monokuma. The rest's position is unknown.

>Hayami's Escapade: Hayami was noticed to be missing around 10 minutes before the blackout. She mentioned she wanted to go to the bathroom before she disappeared.

>The Scream: Kaori claimed to be standing near the railing and hearing Hayami's voice disappear into the void.

------------------------------------------------------

"Welcome! To the long awaited... Class Trial!"

"My ass!" Tadashi exclaimed. "No one wants to be here but you."

"I want to be here." Chiyo said, with a tiny smile.

"I say we vote *her* as the killer, honestly." Keiko commented. "I wouldn't put it past her."

"She has immunity! There would be no point!" Shiro exclaimed.

"The immunity prevented her from being targeted. It doesn't prevent her from killing someone. And she certainly seems capable of doing so." Riku pointed out.

"Look who's talking!" Mamoru exclaimed, angry. "I bet you did it! You planned this whole thing out, so-"

"Enough!" I exclaimed. "There's many people here that have been established to be capable of killing someone. But pointing fingers at each other won't get us anywhere!"

"What we need to do, is take a look at the evidence and go from there." Kizuna assured. "And with that in mind, I'd like to propose a topic for discussion."

"And that is?" I asked, expectant.

"Let's try to figure out what exactly happened, and see if there's any contradictions within the story."

"Then... let the discussion begin!" Monokuma exclaimed.

- Nonstop Debate -

Bullets:

-Crumpled Cloth

-Power Generator

-The Scream

-Shattered Ledges

- Start -

Kizuna: First of all, the killer must have caused the power generator's malfunction with a bullet.

Mamoru: Then, using the blackout, they used the chance to grab the victim.. and push her into the void!

Munou: As she fell, her scream was heard loudly throughout the roof.

Isamu: And she rapidly descended, until finally crashing down into the floor!

Chiyo: Sounds metal.

..................................................................

"No, that's wrong!"

[The answer was: "Crumpled Cloth" to "her scream was heard loudly".]

"There is a contradiction here. Supposedly, Hayami's scream was heard by Kaori right after she was pushed off the edge during the blackout, right?"

"I heard it too, so I assure you, it wasn't a lie." Kizuna commented.

"But then what about the crumpled cloth?"

"Perhaps the killer threw the cloth in order to confuse us?" Isamu suggested.

"No, I'm sure Hayami had it in her mouth at some point. The proof is this!"

-Choose a Truth Bullet to respond to the question!-

..................................................................

[The answer was "Monokuma File 2".]

"The Monokuma File has the answer. It says there's injuries inside her mouth. My theory is that the killer forcefully stuffed the cloth inside her mouth so we wouldn't hear her cry for help as she was thrown away."

"Then how do you explain the scream?" Kizuna asked, confused.

"Well-"

"I mean, the cloth probably just left her mouth as she fell, right?" Shiro theorized.

That would make sense, but... something didn't add up. That'd be just be too convenient.

What, exactly, clashes with Shiro's theory?

- Multiple Choice Question -

A: Hayami's status during her death.

B: Hayami's status before her death.

C: The place where the cloth was found.

D: The cloth's state.

..................................................................

[The answer was "The place where the cloth was found".]

"See, the cloth was found next to her."

"And what does that have to do with anything?" Riku asked, clueless.

"See, if she *had* screamed and the cloth left her mouth in mid-air, as she fell at such high speed, it should have flown away, don't you think? Once the cloth landed on the ground, it would have been considerably far apart from her. It's how gravity works. And yet, the cloth was found was next to her. It just can't be a coincidence..."

"So you're saying she took it out of her mouth herself? But how?" Munou questioned. "The Monokuma File says her death was instant."

"There's only one possibility, right, Hikari?" Kizuna smiled with confidence.

What explains how Hayami could have taken the cloth out of her mouth?

- Multiple Choice Question -

A: The Monokuma File is wrong.

B: She survived the fall.

C: She was killed somewhere else.

D: The cloth was placed after her death.

..................................................................

[The answer was "She survived the fall".]

"Hayami must have survived the fall." I said, confident.

"What?!" Isamu exclaimed, shocked.

"That's right. She was alive once she hit the grou-"

"That's impossible!"

- Rebuttal Showdown -

"Kaori?!" I exclaimed, shocked.

"Are you telling me that isn't all there is to it?! That my sister had to suffer even more than that?!"

"No! That's-"

"I refuse to believe that! It's impossible!"

Blades:

-Shattered Ledges

-Pieces of Glass

-Monokuma File 2

-The Scream

-Crumpled Cloth

- Start -

Kaori: There's no way that happened! She fell all the way from the rooftop!

Kaori: At the speed she fell, and the scream she let out...! It's simply impossible!

Hikari: But what if there was a way to slow down the fall?

Kaori: There was nothing in the building that could've made that happen!

..................................................................

- Advance! -

[The answer was "Shattered Ledges" to "nothing in the building".]

Hikari: It sounds miraculous, but perhaps she managed to grab onto one of the ledges before she gained too much speed...

Hikari: By grabbing the ledge and dropping down to the next; doing that several times, she could have slowly descended to the floor.

Kaori: That's-! Ah! But they were shattered!

Kaori: Yeah, sure, she could have grabbed onto them and they shattered due to her weight, unable to withstand it...

Kaori: But it could have also been that they shattered as she fell through them!

Kaori: There's no proof that she used them to slow her downfall!

................................................................

..................................................................

- Advance! -

[The answer was "Pieces of Glass" to "they shattered as she fell through them".]

Hikari: The fact that the pieces of the shattered glass from the ledges were underneath Hayami explains everything.

Hikari: If there were no pieces of glass underneath her, it would mean that she impacted the floor before the pieces could reach it. That would be natural, because, again, it's just how gravity works. Heavy objects reach the ground faster than light objects. That would prove your theory, as she'd crash against the ledges as she fell down, and, theoretically, no piece of glass should have arrived to the ground before her.

Hikari: However the fact that there *are* pieces of glass underneath her body shows that they hit the floor before her. The only way that could've happened is if she slowed down her fall. And the only way she could've done that is through holding onto the ledges! As each ledge collapsed due to her weight, she probably managed to grab onto the one below, and she did that several times until she was low enough to fall without dying! And the only way she could've done that is through holding onto the ledges! As each ledge collapsed due to her weight, she probably managed to grab onto the one below, and she did that several times until she was low enough to fall without dying!

Kaori: That's-! E-even then! I-

Kaori: ...

Kaori: That's right! That doesn't prove anything! Sure, she may have slowed down her fall, but she could've still died once she hit the floor!

Kaori: Even if the last ledge she grabbed onto was, say, the fourth floor's, a fall from that high up could've still killed her!

Kaori: Yeah! There's no way to prove that she survived!

...................................................................

-Break!!-

"I'll cut through those words!"

[The answer was "Monokuma File 2" to "There's no way to prove that she survived".]

"I get your frustration, Kaori, I really do. To learn that her suffering didn't stop right there and then must be horrible for you. But we need to look at the evidence. And the Monokuma File proves that's not the case. Hayami did survive the fall."

"What part?" Daiki asked, curious.

- Multiple Choice Question -

A: Time of her death.

B: The state of her legs.

C: The state of her neck.

D: The state of her internal organs.

E: Cause of death.

...................................................................

[The answer was "The state of her legs".]

"Well, while the state of her internal organs certainly proves that she didn't fall from that high up, because if she had, her internal organs would have imploded, that isn't enough. As Hayami says, she still could have died from the fall from one of the ledges of the lower floors if she had hit a vital spot, such as the neck."

"Which we know for certain is what happened because that's what the Monokuma File says." Tadashi observed.

"Yeah. Hayami probably died due to breaking her neck. However, the fact that her legs are broken tells a different story."

"What do you think happened?" Kizuna asked. His eyes had the confidence of someone who already had it figured out.

There was something we weren't seeing. A fact that changed everything we knew about the case. And I needed to discover what it was! If I tied all the loose ends, I was sure we could arrive at the answer!

- Logic Dive -

How many times did Hayami fall?

A: Once.

B: Twice.

C: She never fell in the first place.

...................................................................

[The answer was "B: Twice".]

Who screamed during the blackout?

A: The killer.

B: The victim.

C: Someone else.

...................................................................

[The answer was "A: The killer".]

When did Hayami die?

A: Before the blackout.

B: During the blackout.

C: After the blackout.

...................................................................

[The answer was "A: Before the blackout".]

Conclusion: The killer pushed Hayami before the blackout, who wasn't heard due to the cloth in her mouth. Hayami managed to survive by holding onto the ledges, but broke her legs, probably by the fall from the second floor to the first. Afterwards, the killer pushed her once again, this time resulting in her death due to the broken neck. The killer then returned to the rooftop and manufactured the blackout.

"And that's the truth about what happened." I stated.

"So Hayami was killed... before the blackout?!" Shiro exclaimed, surprised.

"But that's impossible!" Kaori exclaimed. "I heard her scream!"

"That scream could have been the killer, screaming to the void in order to make us think Hayami was falling right there and then. The truth is that Hayami couldn't scream, because of the cloth stuffed in her mouth. It remained there until she broke her legs in the first impact. That's why it was next to her. She removed it herself." I explained.

"Then that means the killer is a woman, right?!" Daiki said, with excitement due to the confirmation of an alibi for himself and the other men.

Everyone started to look at the remaining girls between us, with stares of fear and confusion.

"But when was Hayami pushed? I mean, I get that it was before the blackout, but when did it happen?" Tadashi questioned, confused.

"Yeah! I mean, how did no one notice her disappearance?" Isamu pointed out. "If she was thrown before the blackout, and twice at that, wouldn't there have been an extended period of time in which she was gone?"

"There was." Kizuna assured. "Hayami disappeared around 10 minutes before the blackout."

"That's nuts!" Chiyo said, with an excited smile. "Wait! But then the killer would've also been missing, right? I mean, even if they pushed Hayami from the rooftop the first time, they must have finished her off in another floor, right? Cuz we would've seen 'em if they returned to the rooftop with a wounded Hayami."

"Maybe she did it during the blackout." Shiro suggested. "She returned to the rooftop and pushed her while we all-"

"I don't think so." Kizuna interjected. "The cloth must have stayed in the first floor if things really happened as we theorized, and if that was the case, and Hayami was pushed during the blackout, she could have cried for help during the blackout, but no one heard anything of the sort. Even if the killer covered her mouth, that doesn't really work the way it does in movies. Hayami could have bit her hand or, even if she didn't, we would've heard her muffled screaming. The killer would also be pretty stupid to kill them in the rooftop instead of somewhere else, in my opinion."

I thought about the possible ways in which things could have happened.

Maybe Hayami was thrown from the rooftop the first time and then she was pushed from either the killer's room or Hayami's room. Or maybe she was pushed twice from another floor, the two times during her mysterious disappearance.

Whatever the case, someone aside from Hayami should've gone missing for a while if they went to finish her off, but I had no evidence of that being the case...

"Before anything else, there's one thing I'd like to discuss." Kizuna commented. "And that's the blackout."

"What about it?" Isamu asked, confused.

"Well, all of us assumed its purpose intuitively. We thought someone died right there and then, and yeah, I guess it *did* serve to confuse us. But that wasn't its only use. Perhaps we were wrong from the very beginning."

So then...

- Multiple Choice Question -

What was the purpose of the blackout?

A: To safely push someone off the roof.

B: To leave the roof.

C: To return to the roof.

...................................................................

[The answer was C: To return to the roof.]

"The blackout must have been used for the killer to return to the rooftop without any suspicion." I explained. "If we couldn't see them returning, then, with a bit of luck, we would've never noticed they were gone in the first place."

"But how didn't we see them leave?" Chiyo pointed out.

"Perhaps they left in a good moment, a moment in which all of us were distracted." Kizuna theorized.

Hmmm... I think I know the moment he's talking about.

And that is...

-Choose a Truth Bullet!-

..................................................................

[The answer was: "King and Queen of the Prom"]

"Perhaps the killer left during Chiyo and Riku's selection." I explained. "Monokuma made sure all of us looked at it attentively, so it would have been the perfect moment to go unnoticed. Even the lights being pointed to the stage obstructed the view to anywhere else. Heck, perhaps they even pushed Hayami during that moment, and as long as they did it appropriately, we wouldn't have noticed."

"Whatever the case, once Hayami was pushed down, the killer must have left in order to finish her off." Kizuna theorized. "Once they returned, they did it by shutting the electric generator off and causing the blackout."

"How did the light return in the first place, though?" Shiro questioned, confused.

"I fixed it!" Monokuma exclaimed. "You wouldn't be able to investigate if that blackout remained in place—I made sure that the killer was done using it to their advantage, and then I returned the lights."

"There's one thing I still don't understand." Chiyo commented. "Like, how did they even cause the blackout? I mean, I know it was with a bullet, but wouldn't we have seen the elevator open before they could fire the gun?"

"Excellent point..." Riku commented. "I guess that, considering the motive, they may've had an accomplice."

"No, that can't be it." Kizuna assured. "An hypothetical accomplice couldn't have known when the elevator would open, and they'd also run into the risk of being seen with a gun out in the open. Even if there was an accomplice, they couldn't have helped the killer in that situation."

What Kizuna was saying was true. Perhaps, although the timing would have been incredibly short, the killer managed to fire it from...

-Select the spot in the map!-

..................................................................

[The answer was: The elevator.]

"They fired it from the elevator itself. The killer was coming back from finishing Hayami off and they returned through the elevator, as there's no other way to enter the rooftop. Then, they pressed the gun against the elevator's doors, and once it opened ever so slightly, they fired their shot. If you see the trajectory and where the bullet is embedded, it's clear that it must have been shot from there, at that precise moment."

"You, Munou."

Munou had her eyes closed, awaiting the revelation. And once it was proclaimed, she finally opened them, revealing a conflicting look in her eyes.

"Yeah. You're right."

"Munou?!" Daiki exclaimed, shocked. "Wait, what did she do?!"

"I don't know—but you have to tell us what you were going to say. Please." I pleaded.

"I can't. She..."

"She?"

Munou bit her lip, with frustration. "I don't have a choice now, I guess. But I'm sure there's a good explanation for it. There has to be."

"What do you mean, Munou?!" Daiki exclaimed.

I had never seen him like this. Was he... worried for her?

"During the King and Queen's Coronation, I was so zoned out that I got separated from Kaori for a moment." Munou explained. "I couldn't believe that those two got immunity. It felt so unfair."

"That's how we all felt." Isamu commented.

"But then, when I looked around me, Kaori was... nowhere to be seen."

What?!

"I walked around the rooftop looking for her for some time, but I didn't find her. Then the blackout happened. And, right after that... Kaori finally appeared."

...!

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?!" Kizuna exclaimed, in shock.

"I didn't want to make her look suspicious! I mean, I'm sure she'd never kill Hayami! She mentioned her so often when the two of us were together...! She loved her!"

"Sentimentality is worth the ground we walk on with evidence as damning as that." Riku pointed out.

"I know...! I know that's how you all operate! These trials are all logic and no emotion! That's why I didn't say anything!" She clenched her teeth. "But I'm sure she didn't do it. She's a good person! All she has done during the entirety of the killing game is offer support to everyone around her... To be there for me."

"Then let's ask the person in question." I proposed. "Kaori, where were you? Why didn't you tell us about this sooner? Or at least Munou?"

The girl was quiet, looking at the ground with hesitation.

And then, she finally spoke.

"I know how this situation paints me. That's why I didn't say anything. But I just went to the bathroom, I swear."

"Bullsh*t!" Isamu exclaimed. "C'mon, let's vote for her quickly!"

"Wait!" Munou exclaimed, desperate.

"Let her continue, please." I ordered.

"During the coronation, I just had this incredible urge of going, so I did. And when I returned, the lights were already back up. And everyone was freaking out."

"So you weren't there during the blackout?" Shiro asked, surprised.

"No, and when I noticed the source of everyone's despair, I..." Her eyes filled up with tears again.

"See, it's not her...!" Munou exclaimed, with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "There's no holes in her story!"

I bit my lip. That... was wrong. It was as clear as day.

But, Kaori killing Hayami? Was that really the truth?

Rationally, it made sense. But my heart told me otherwise.

I had to make sure.

"Kaori, could you please retell the events of your location starting from the coronation?"

"...Alright."

-Nonstop Debate-

Bullets:

-Power Generator

-The Scream

-Hayami's Escapade

-People's Position

-King and Queen of the Prom

- Start -

Kaori: During the coronation, I had this incredible urge to go to the bathroom...

Kaori: So I did. I entered the elevator and returned to my room.

Munou: It's possible! And no one noticed because they we were so focused on the coronation!

Kaori: Afterwards, I... did the deed. It must've taken like 10 minutes.

Chiyo: So it was number two, huh...

Kaori: When I returned to the rooftop, everyone was screaming!

Kaori: I asked around, and I realized there was a blackout that I missed.

Kaori: And Munou told me about... my sister.

..................................................................

"No, that's wrong!"

[The answer was: "The Scream" to "there was a blackout that I missed".]

"Why...?" I asked, confused. "Why would you tell such an obvious lie?"

Kaori remained silent, looking at me directly in the eyes with determination.

"You couldn't have been in your room during the blackout, because you yourself claimed that you heard Hayami's scream as the lights were off. And you couldn't have made that up either, because others also claim to have heard it. So why...?"

Munou seemed so shocked that she started to tear up. "Kaori... You...?"

Kaori sighed. "You got me. It looks like... this is the end of the road for me."

"What?!" Daiki exclaimed, confused.

"S-so all this time, you were...?" Shiro said, at a loss for words.

She nodded. "Yes. It was me. I killed Hayami."

She admitted it, just like that...?

Kaori explained with a look of hatred in her eyes. "I saw the opportunity and I took it. I really went to the bathroom during the coronation, and, just as I left it, I saw someone falling as I looked through the window. I used the elevator to go to the first floor and I realized it was... my sister. And she was still alive."

"Why didn't you help her?!" Kokoro exclaimed, furious. "How can you be so cruel...?"

"She was going to die either way, because she was badly hurt. So I just finished the job in a way that I would come advantageous."

"You killed your own sister..." I repeated, in disbelief.

Kaori... killed Hayami?

But that just didn't make any sense.

"Why...? Didn't you love her? You said you loved her, despite it all!" Munou exclaimed. "D-despite all your differences, you accepted her!"

"I didn't. I was lying." Kaori assured, without a hint of regret. "How could I love someone like her? No matter how much I tried to be kind to her, she would always reject that kindness. Love is conditional. After trying for so long and seeing how she refused to change regardless, how could I continue to believe in her? Hayami was rotten to her very core. The only way to find redemption for the kind of person she became... was to die."

No matter how clearly Kaori stated it, her words were barely able to be processed by my brain.

That was the kind of bond they shared? They grew together, and yet...

I closed my eyes, frustrated, knowing everything I believed in was wrong yet again.

"So you did it... to save her?" Munou asked, with a small glimmer in her eyes. A faint but misguided hope that the sisterly bond they shared was real in some shape or form.

A hope that was completely and utterly struck down by Kaori's venomous words.

"I did it because I hated her. She wasn't someone meant to be loved. It's... as simple as that."

Munou's eyes were filled with tears. It was pure sadness expressed in its rawest form. At that very moment, Munou's soul was crushed.

She continued to cry, while Kaori looked at the floor with disappointment.

"So I guess that's the end of that. I failed, so do whatever you want with me. But at the very least, I'm glad Hayami won't be alive to continue to poison the world with her destructive behavior."

"You're horrible." Shiro said, bluntly. "Even if you didn't see it, I did, so let me tell it to you straight: Hayami cared for you deeply."

Kaori bit her lip with frustration.

"...Let's vote then." Tadashi said, without a hint of hesitation. "Someone this uncaring for her sister doesn't deserve the smallest amount of sympathy.

Munou continued to cry, pressing her hands againat her chest. "K-Kaori...!"

"Making my sister suffer like this..." Daiki commented, with hatred in his eyes. "You will never be forgiven."

"Alright, let's get this over with then!" Chiyo exclaimed.

Kizuna, who had been quiet for a while, finally spoke. "That's that, then. This trial is over. Monokuma, let voting time start!"

"Will do!" He exclaimed, with his usual smile.

Everyone agreed on the fact it was Kaori. Everything pointed towards it as well.

These were the facts, and yet... why couldn't I believe in this outcome?

Upon reflection, perhaps it was very simple. It just didn't add up with the Kaori I knew.

But I thought I knew Masao, and then he betrayed me. Whether he loved me or not didn't matter... The truth was that he took a decision that would end up with my death and followed on it until the very end.

Then... what about Kaori? Was the love I saw in her eyes for Hayami a lie?

But she said she killed Hayami. Undoubtedly, the person in front of me is the only one who could have done it.

I... had to make a decision.

It wasn't just a vote for survival. It was a vote to decide what kind of person I was and what I believed in.

That's why I say the killer is...!

-Choose a person!-

.......................................................................

I see. If I assume Kaori wouldn't be capable of killing Hayami, then... it can only be that.

"Kaori would never do this." I assured. "If I choose to believe that, then there's only one other possibility."

"What...?" Munou repeated, confused.

"I didn't know her well at all, but... I choose to trust this feeling in my heart. To trust that the look in Kaori's eyes was one of love."

"What are you blabbing on about, Hikari...?" Kizuna asked, frustrated. "She already confessed!"

"But my heart tells me it's wrong!"

"Didn't your heart tell you the same thing about Masao?!"

"And I was fooling myself! But... he was my brother! Of course I wanted to believe in him! Deep down, I knew... he would never go that far for me. I never saw that same look of love in *his* eyes." I let out a few tears. "But as much peace as it'd give me to fool myself thinking that Kaori was that kind of horrible person as well, I refuse to accept it! I refuse to believe Kaori and Hayami's bond was as shallow as mine with Masao was! It was a love strong enough to defy the life of many others, including her own. No matter what... Kaori wanted Hayami to survive!"

"Then why did she kill her?!" Munou exclaimed, with tears in her eyes.

"She didn't!"

There were so many things wrong with the truth we arrived at... I had to organize my thoughts, and expose what truly happened!

-Logic Dive-

How did Hayami die?

A) She didn't.

B) Kaori pushed her.

C) She jumped from the rooftop willingly.

.......................................................................

[The answer was: A) She didn't.]

Who was the real victim of the case?

A) Kaori.

B) Hayami.

C) Someone else.

.......................................................................

[The answer was: A) Kaori.]

Who pushed her the first time?

A) Tadashi.

B) Kaori.

C) Hayami.

D) Keiko.

E) Someone else.

.......................................................................

[The answer was: D) Keiko.]

Who pushed her the second time?

A) Keiko.

B) Kaori.

C) Hayami.

D) Tadashi.

E) Someone else.

.......................................................................

[The answer was: C) Hayami.]

Conclusion: Kaori is dead... Keiko pushed her at first, but then the real killer of the case ended her; and it was none other than her own sister passing off as Kaori, Hayami Fujimori!

"Kaori is... dead?" Munou repeated, in horror.

"Hayami... is alive?!" Daiki asked, in shock.

"You're Hayami...?" Kokoro said to Kaori, confused.

"I'm not!" Kaori exclaimed, furious. "How can you believe something like this?!"

"What you say makes sense, but is there any proof? Any way we can say for sure the person in front of us is actually Hayami?" Chiyo asked, curious.

"Just because I refuse to believe the facts in front of me doesn't mean that I'll argue without any proof. I won't believe in impossible things anymore. That's why I'm arguing from a stance that mixes logic *and* emotion. It just doesn't make sense that after all her actions, Kaori would kill her sister mercilessly like that. That's my emotion speaking. But there's also proof that Hayami could have been pretending to be Kaori this whole time. And that the corpse that we examined during the investigation was of an unknown identity."

"Unknown... identity?" Mamoru repeated, confused.

"That's right. I-"

"OBJECTION!"

-Rebuttal Showdown-

"K-Kizuna?!"

"That's enough! This is just illogical!"

"But I was about to show the proof-!"

"Please do. But you'll have to answer these questions first. If you can't,0 your entire case falls apart."

Why was he so passionate about it? So passionate to prove me wrong...?

Kizuna...

-Start-

Kizuna: Saying that the person who we thought was the victim this whole time was actually the killer...

Kizuna: Ridiculous. For starters, there's no way that Keiko wouldn't have noticed that the one she pushed...

Kizuna: Had a different dress than the one who appeared dead!

Kizuna: And now that she confessed, there wasn't any good reason she couldn't tell us!

Kizuna: Moreover, when could Hayami have done all of this without being noticed?

Kizuna: Why didn't anyone see her leave?!

.......................................................................

[The answer was: "Hayami's Disappearance" to "didn't anyone see her leave".]

-Advance-

Hikari: Someone did see her leave! Munou claims that she had been missing for a while before the blackout, and that she left through the elevator.

Hikari: She said Hayami had been saying for a while she wanted to go to the bathroom...

Hikari: But now that we know what we know, it's definitely possible that she left in order to finish off Kaori!

Hikari: It's no wonder no one else noticed her disappearence; it was in the middle of the coronation!

Kizuna: E-even then, her disappearence could also be explained by someone pushing Hayami off to her death!

Kizuna: The timing would have been tight, but she could have gone to the bathroom and returned right in time for Keiko to push her!

Keiko: I *did* take a while before actually gathering the courage to do so... but there's something else I have to say about th-

Kizuna: You claim you have proof, but there is no evidence that Hayami has been suplanting Kaori!

Kizuna: And there isn't proof that the corpse we found was Kaori's either!

.......................................................................

-Break!!-

"I'll cut through those words!!"

[The answer was "Monokuma File 2" to "there isn't proof that the corpse we found was Kaori's".]

"The Monokuma File doesn't mention the name of the victim." I explained. "If you recall, the name *was* shown in the previous Monokuma File. It said something like 'Victim: Sachi Kubo'. But now it's not there at all!"

"T-that's-!" Kizuna was speechless.

"Was it a mistake, Monokuma? Or did you not add it on purpose?" I questioned.

"I never make mistakes! I'm a robot!"

"Then that means...!" Tadashi exclaimed, surprised.

"But then that would mean Keiko pushed Kaori!" Kizuna pointed out. "How didn't she or Tadashi notice that the color-"

"This is about the color of the dress, right?" Keiko asked. "You didn't let me explain that before. You see, with all the lights focused on Riku and Chiyo, and the adrenalyne of the moment n' all, the color of the dress of the person in front of me wasn't the first thing on my mind. I couldn't even see the one I assaulted properly—I just noticed her vibrant green hair as I forced the cloth inside her mouth. But now that Hikari mentions it, perhaps the dress of the person I pushed and the dress of the person that appeared dead *were* different..."

Phew... I didn't know how to explain that either.

"That clears it up, then." I said, confident. "All the possible holes in my theory were explained."

"That still doesn't prove that the person in front of us isn't Kaori." Kizuna assured. "Sure, Hayami could be the killer, but there isn't absolute proof that-"

"Why are you so adamant in me being wrong, Kizuna?" I questioned, kind of hurt. "This is our lives we're talking about. You... shouldn't be petty, worrying about who's right or wrong. If my theory, makes sense, then you should at least consider i-"

"But it's based upon emotion!" He said, frustrated. "You refuse to believe that Kaori would be a killer, so you imagined this whole convoluted scenario that Hayami is alive in order to prove your theory...! It's the same thing you did the last time!"

"But I have proof-!"

"You could also prove it the last time as well! But I proved you wrong!"

"You didn't trust the good will I pictured Masao to have. But isn't that emotion as well? To not trust the intentions of others based upon what kind of person you believe them to be? I'm doing the same thing. But instead of a distrust founded on who you believed Masao to be, I'm putting my trust in the person I believe Kaori to be." I looked at Kizuna's eyes with sadness. "You saved us all—To not put your faith in someone blindly was the right thing to do, and I was foolish for doing so with Masao. But that doesn't mean trust is meaningless. It just has to be earnt. And during the time we spent together, Kaori proved to be an incredible person, who would always stand up for her sister. Unlike Masao." I felt sad, but I continued. "If you don't trust, there's no point trying to survive here. We continue to play this twisted game of life and death because we believe that there's a chance that we can get out, together...! If you don't trust anyone, not even me... then go ahead and kill someone."

Kizuna opened his eyes wide in shock.

"I'm sure you could pull it off seamlessly." I repeated. "So do it."

"You want me to kill someone?!" He asked, furious.

"Of course I don't, Kizuna." I said, sad. "But without trust, the only way out of this killing game is playing by its rules. Do you believe that's the only way...?"

Kizuna remained silent, with a look of distress in his face.

"But as for me, I refuse to believe someone like Kaori could be a killer. I'm putting my trust on her. And that's the hill I'll be dying on."

"It's true that Hikari was wrong the last time, though." Isamu commented. "And personally, I'm not naive enough to think that just because someone seems trustful, that trust can't be broken."

"I don't care how cynical it may be of me, I *do* believe that the only way out of this is through a Class Trial." Chiyo assured. "Besides, perhaps some of us haven't killed yet because we're waiting for the right chance—it doesnt have anything to do with trust."

"Just when I thought you couldn't be more suspicious, you go and basically say you'll kill someone." Riku commented. "Whatever the case, believing isn't the way to go here. A Class Trial is a place of pure logic and debate. There's no room for emotions."

I took a deep breath. Their reaction made sense.

I made a fool of myself in the previous trial, while Kizuna was the one responsible for saving us all.

"Still, putting your emotion aside, what Hikari presented seems feasible." Keiko commented. "It's a possibility, and it has enough proof behind it."

"It certainly isn't as farfetched as her theory in the first trial." Tadashi assured. "Whatever the case, I think this is as far as the evidence takes us, so..."

"I believe in Hikari, too." Kokoro affirmed.

"Kizuna is smart, but you've proven yourself as well, Hikari." Shiro said, smiling. "We wouldn't have gotten this far in the trial if it wasn't for you. So I believe you, too."

Surprised, I smiled faintly. I was really grateful that despite it all, some people still believed in me.

Alright. We just had to be the majority. But who else could I convince?

...I guess the one who's been quiet all this time. "Munou. What do you believe?"

The tears in Munou's eyes were already dry, but the sadness remained.

"I have to choose between Kaori being a killer or Kaori being dead... This—this isn't fair!" She cried once again, full of despair. "She was so kind to me! If she's gone, I...!"

I closed my eyes, frustrated. "We'll be there for you, Munou. I promise."

"You'll all kill each other!" Munou assured, angry. "I don't care anymore! I refuse to vote!"

"Are you stupid?!" Daiki exclaimed, furious. "You'd kill us all if you do that!"

"I WOULDN'T MIND IF *YOU* DIED!"

Daiki was left speechless. He tried to reply, but the words didn't seem to come out.

Munou... No matter what, the outcome of the trial would be painful for her. That's the way I felt at back then, too. I tried to think of a way to cheer her up, but I couldn't think of anything.

How can you comfort someone in that situation?

The answer is... you can't.

"Munou." Kizuna said, out of the blue. "Do you believe Kaori could have killed Hayami?"

"...No. But-!"

"Then vote for Hayami. It's as simple as that. You can do whatever you want after this Class Trial. But please, don't drag the rest of us along with you just because you're angry. Our lives is in your hands."

"Kizuna, stop it!" I exclaimed.

He was trying to guilt trip her!

But even so... was there something else we could do?

I clenched my teeth in frustration.

"I... I just..." Munou seemed at a loss as to what to do.

"Well, is there anything else you need to discuss? Or should I start the voting time?" Monokuma proposed.

"Wait! You need to let us convince-"

Monokuma interrupted me without a care in the world. "All the proof that could be examined was thoroughly analyzed. I let you do your little begging strategy because that led you to find more about the case, but enough is enough."

...

"You need to vote for Hayami, you hear me!?" I exclaimed, desperate. "Or we'll all die...!"

"Ok then! Let's start! Will you choose the right person, or the wrong one? You decide what will become of your lives! It's... VOTING TIME!"

I saw the panel in my stand light up. For a moment, I hesitated.

What if I was wrong? What if Kizuna was right?

I took a deep breath once again.

No. I would believe in the path that led me to this moment.

I voted for Hayami.

And now... all that was left was to wait.

...

Only two people recieved votes:

Hayami: 7

Kaori: 6

YES! But how?! Did Kizuna...?

"And now, I'll proceed to reveal who was the blackened. Did you select the right answer? Or the wrong one? What's it gonna be, what's it gonna be?!"

A roulette with all of our faces appeared out of nowhere from the ceiling and it started to spin around, fast at the start, until it started to slow down and down...

And finally, the roulette stopped at Hayami's face.

...

Coins started to flow out of the roulette.

"And that's a correct answer, ladies and gentlemen!" Monokuma announced. "Honestly, I'm very proud of you for this one!"

"We would've died if one more person voted for Kaori!" Mamoru commented, shocked. "I need to be more cautious next time."

Mamoru, Riku, Daiki, Chiyo, Isamu, and of course, Hayami... Those must be the six who voted for Kaori.

Then...

Munou collapsed into her stand like a house of cards, sobbing. "Kaori...!"

Kizuna seemed troubled, but then he looked at me, and smiled. "Congratulations, Hikari. You did it. If you hadn't changed my mind at the last moment, all of us would have-"

I shook my head, frustrated. "This is nothing to congratulate me for, Kizuna. I could never be proud of something like this. Because Hayami is going to..."

Hayami was staring at the floor, dejected.

"So you really were...?" Chiyo said, surprised.

She nodded. "Yeah. Kaori is... dead. It's been me all this time."

"But why?!" Munou exclaimed, suddenly regaining her spirit. She jumped towards Hayami, grabbing her shoulders, furious. "She loved you...! How could you?!"

Hayami eyes suddenly swelled up with tears and her breathing started to be erratic. Munou took a few steps back, unable to understand what was happening.

"I...! I...!" Hayami fell on her knees and continued to cry desperately, barely being able to breath.

Kokoro ran towards her and hugged her. "It's okay, Hayami! It's-"

"I'M GOING TO DIE!" Hayami exclaimed, in despair. "And Kaori...! She...!"

Hayami put her hands on her face, trying to cover her eyes from the truth. But it was useless.

There was no turning back. Her sister was gone... and she was next.

I didn't understand. My reasoning was based upon the idea that Hayami would be cruel enough to kill her own sister, unlike Hayami.

Cruel to the point of impersonating her all this time.

That was what made sense, and yet... What was in front of me...

"Why are you crying...?" Munou asked, with a mix of confusion and disdain in her voice. "YOU KILLED HER! STOP CRYING!"

Hayami continued to cry, desperately.

Riku took a few steps towards Hayami. "Why...? If you killed her, why are you in so much pain? Didn't you hate her?"

Hayami nodded as she cried. "I did-! I hated her with all my guts! I ran away, thinking I wouldn't have to face her again! But once we got reunited here, she only showed me kindness... I..." She made a pause to calm her breathing. "It wasn't pure hatred anymore; maybe it never was. Because as much as she irritated me, when I looked at her, something deep within my heart felt warm..." She clenched her chest with extreme force, as if trying to grasp her heart. "But I won't feel that ever again."

Riku seemed distraught by her words.

"Then why did you kill her? Why did you kill your own sister?" I asked, confused.

"You need to understand—I had no choice... She..."

................................................................................................

I was going mad trying to hold it in, so I just gave up and went to the bathroom in the middle of the coronation. Kaori would fill me up on the details later. Using the elevator, I returned to my room. After having... done my necessities, I left the bathroom, and as I looked out the window, I saw a figure fall.

I ran towards the window and saw someone holding the ledge corresponding to my floor, doing her best not to fall. It was... Kaori.

"KAORI!" I screamed, in shock.

Kaori fell as the ledge collapsed due to her weight. I panicked, but fortunately, she grabbed onto the ledge corresponding to the floor underneath me.

"WAIT...! KEEP DOING THAT! I'LL CATCH YOU!"

As fast as my body let me, I left my room and ran towards the elevator. The wait for it seemed eternal, until finally, it arrived. I crashed into it and pressed the button for the first floor multiple times. Slowly, the elevator descended. I couldn't keep my body quiet.

At this rate, Kaori would die...!

What if I made the elevator fall? Wouldn't I get to the first floor faster?

Wait, what?! That didn't make any sense! But what else could I do?! Kaori was going to die!

I pressed the button for the first floor, again and again, for no reason. How many floors had it gone down?!

...Just one?!

I screamed desperately, tears starting to fill my eyes as I punched the elevator. "C'MON! PLEASE!"

I started jumping, trying to make the elevator fall, with no success. Nothing I'd do would make the descent any faster. I knew that.

And yet...

"KAOOOORIIII!" I screamed, as fear and anguish coursed through my body, making me lose strength in my legs.

Suddenly, the doors opened, and I was taken aback. I tried to run, but I stumbled and fell on the floor. I quickly stood up again and ran desperately towards the entrance. The transparent doors let me see the exterior of the building as I came closer and closer.

Kaori wasn't there yet! I still had a chance...!

I crashed against the doors of the entrance but they didn't budge.

I had to pull them. With all my strength, I pulled and I stepped outside. And as I did, Kaori fell a few centimeters in front of me.

Like a ragdoll. Like a used up toy. Like she didn't matter at all.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to curse, to cry, to fall on my knees and punch against the floor.

But all that I managed to let out at that moment was a small gasp.

I ran towards Kaori, and grabbed her shoulders, with tears filling my eyes.

"KAORI! ANSWER ME!"

She had her eyes completely open, and her mouth stuffed with a cloth. As I took it and threw it next to her, I noticed the blood coming out of her mouth, probably due to the impact. She struggled to breath. "H-Hayami..."

She said my name with a sense of disbelief and despair, as if she couldn't believe something.

"W-WHAT IS IT?!"

"I'm... dying...!"

I put my hand on my mouth and started to cry desperately. "NO! DON'T SAY THAT! DON'T SAY THAT!"

Kaori started to cry as well, but I refused to let her give up.

"NO! WE'll GET YOU HELP! DON'T WORRY!"

I picked her up but she collapsed into the ground. "M-my legs don't work...!"

"NO!"

I picked her up once again, holding her waist tightly as I moved towards the entrance with Kaori on my side.

"It hurts!" She exclaimed with tears in her eyes, with her legs dragging as she was no more than a lifeless doll.

"YOU HAVE TO RESIST!"

Singlemindedly, I carried Kaori to the elevator as she cried in pain. I quickly pressed the button for the rooftop. "EVERYONE WILL HELP YOU! I'M SURE HIKARI OR KIZUNA WILL THINK OF SOMETHING-!"

With the few strength she had left, Kaori pressed the button for Hayami's floor.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I exclaimed, incredibly confused. "THIS WILL SLOW US DOWN-!"

The expression in Kaori's face had changed. Now, it was strangely calm, with a hint of melancholy.

She shook her head.

"Take me t-to your room."

"What?!"

The doors of the elevator opened, revealing the hallway that led to my room.

"Please...!"

Without really understanding, I picked her up once more and left the elevator. She continued to lament in pain as we approached the room.

"We're getting there, don't worry...!" I said. "But why-?"

She shook her head again. "Please, open the door."

For a moment, I hesitated. But then I did as told. I dropped Kaori on my bed, and with her erratic breathing and a hint of tears in her eyes she looked at the ceiling, with her stare almost absent.

"Kaori...! What are you doing?! Please, stay with me!"

She continued to breath for a moment, and finally, she looked at me.

A stare full of regret, sadness and pain. "Hayami... I want you to k-kill me."

I didn't understand the words that came out of her mouth. Or perhaps I just didn't want to.

"What?"

"I'm... going to die. I know."

"NO!"

"It's too dangerous here. If you don't take this chance, you're gonna die as well."

"H-how can you ask me to kill you?!" I exclaimed, in disbelief. I violently shook my head. "I won't! I can't!"

"If I die, no one will protect you... T-they'll kill you, Hayami." Kaori assured.

"No! I'm strong, I-!"

"You saw it yourself, I was pushed out of a rooftop. The same will happen to you...!" She stared at my eyes with determination. "This chance is perfect... F-finish the job from here, and everyone will believe the one who pushed me is the one who killed me."

"No, I-!"

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS, HAYAMI!" Kaori exclaimed, as she coughed up some more blood. "Do you want the killer to get away with this...?"

"Who did it?! Who pushed you!?"

Kaori shook her head. "I don't know. It happened so fast, and it was so dark... All I know is that it was a girl." She took a pause to regain her breathing. "Perhaps I would've recognized them if they wore their usual clothing, but as everyone was dressed up..."

"DAMMIT!" I screamed, in frustration. "I can't—I just-"

Kaori put her hand on my cheek, softly. I could feel how little life was left in her body as her fingers caressed me.

"You need to live, Hayami."

Her eyes were as tender as always, but there seemed to be an unmistakable pain in them. She understood what this act meant.

"If I win, I'll kill everyone..." I said, unable to believe the situation.

"There's no other way." Kaori assured, as tears started to form in her eyes. "You'll either die with all of them, or you'll survive. After Masao's Class Trial and this... I'm sure of that."

"But Munou-"

"JUST DO IT!" Kaori exclaimed.

...!

"I-I've been gone for almost 10 minutes!" I pointed out, trying my best to avoid the inevitable outcome. "They'll notice I left! It'll be obvious it was me!"

"You don't know that." Kaori said as she refused the possibility. "No one was close enough to you to notice your absence."

"Even then-!"

Suddenly, Kaori started to cough up blood, more violently than before. Some got in my dress.

"sh*t-!" Kaori said, as she tried to clean the blood off my dress.

"S-see! I can't do it now! It'll be obvious!" I exclaimed, with a faint smile full of despair. "Let's just return, and-!"

"NO!" She exclaimed. "You can... you can use my dress...!"

Almost as if it was a joke from fate, her dress miraculously hadn't been stained by her coughing.

"That's...!"

"Y-you can even pass off as me...!"

"W-what?"

"Yes—The killer probably won't be able to tell the difference, because it was so difficult to see in the darkness. And if even if they catch you, they'll vote for me instead of you!"

"Kaori, that's-!"

Kaori coughed up more blood, and she grabbed my arm instinctively, almost as if pleading for help. "It's n-now or never, Hayami! Please...!"

I clenched my teeth in frustration as I started to take my dress off. After taking Kaori's dress off as fast as I could as well, I put on her dress and helped her put herself in mine.

During the entire process, I couldn't help but cry. Even if the tears didn't stain it like blood did, I was sure they'd be permanently embedded in it.

"W-we still can take you to the rooftop, Kaori! Just-"

I noticed the look in her eyes. It was as if she was-

"KAORI!" I grabbed her and started shaking her repatedly.

Her eyes slowly moved towards me. "I'm... still... here. Now... do it."

"N-No! NO!" I had ran out of my tears, so all that I could do was scream in despair. I shook my head, refusing to do it. "I CAN'T!"

Kaori didn't say another word. It was as if she was on the verge between life and death.

...

It was up to me now. But why was it so hard for me to do it?

I hated her for so, so long. No matter how badly I treated her, she kept welcoming me with open arms. But I just... didn't believe her. I refused to believe someone could be so kind.

Everyone was rotten. The entire world.

Facing that truth, didn't I have no choice other than to join them in that rotteness? To play the game by their rules?

So I became rotten... or perhaps, I was rotten from the very beginning.

...

I guess I was just frustrated. Frustrated that she was so kind while someone so rotten like me was living next to her. So I left. I couldn't stand it anymore.

Because living by her side meant living loathing myself. And now even in her last moments, she was still thinking of me instead of herself. It didn't make me angry anymore, though.

For the last time in my life, what I felt was love for the person in front of me. My dearest sister.

Tears clouded my view of her, as I took her in my arms and slowly approached the window. I opened the window, expecting the wind to blow on my face.

But there was nothing.

I looked at my sister for the last time.

The last remnants of her life were gathered in her eyes, as she continued to look at me with tenderness. She didn't need to say anything for me to understand what she was trying to convey. So I answered:

"I love you too, Kaori."

Choosing to be rotten once more, I dropped my sister to her death.

...........................................................................................................................

With a sad smile, Hayami ended the story.

With my lips trembling, I couldn't help but tear up, thinking of my brother.

I guess he was even more rotten than Hayami, considering he tried to kill me... And yet, I couldn't help but feel love.

"That's... the truth?" Munou said, at a loss for words.

"You were never the kind of person to kill your sister ruthlessly, huh?" Isamu commented. "But even then, I guess you did it either way."

She nodded. "I didn't earn the right for anyone to believe in me—All of you thought I was capable of killing my sister. No one questioned it, unlike the possibility that Kaori killed me." Her eyes filled with tears and despair. "And I guess you were right! I killed her! I killed Kaori! She's gone...!"

"Kaori... was fine with killing us all then." Munou commented, with an empty look in her eyes.

Hayami quickly shook her head. "It was incredibly hard for her-"

"But she still did it. She put yourself above us all." Munou's tears resurfaced once more, but this time, her eyes were empty. "She really loved you, huh?" She fell on her knees, defeated. "And you still killed her..."

"I didn't have a choice! She was going to die—!"

"How do you know that?!" Munou exclaimed, with tears in her eyes. "Perhaps she could be saved!"

"No, I-!"

"You had a choice! But until the very end, you decided to be selfish, and put the lives of all of us below your own. You... never deserved her love."

Hayami was at a loss for words.

"Hayami... Why did you think murder was the only way to leave this place?" I questioned, sad. "Even Kaori thought so, but thinking that way only leads to-"

"They were just being realistic." Kizuna said, bluntly. "There's no reason to believe we can leave this place in any other way."

"Kizuna!"

"He's right." Tadashi commented, with a conflicted expression. "I wanted to believe that we could escape from this place peacefully, but... another murder happened, despite our best efforts to prevent it. It would have ended up happening sooner rather than later."

"It was Keiko that started it. Don't omit something as important as that." Hayami stated, with hatred in her eyes. "I'd take revenge against you if I could, you monster."

Keiko kept looking at the floor in shame. Her eyes wouldn't face anyone.

That's because everyone was thinking the same thing—That she was a murderer, just like her brother.

...

This was bad. Everyone was distrusting each other; thinking there was no other way.

Thinking that if they didn't kill first, someone else would go for it.

Kill or be killed...

"All of you are killers..." Daiki commented, with disdain in his voice. "Even someone like Kaori was cruel enough to try and kill us all by allowing Hayami to kill her."

"Stop that..." Munou said, with a hint of anger in her voice. "I knew Kaori, and her love for her sister had to be immense... if it surpassed the value she held for the living. She loved nature, animals, and everything that was alive—For her to betray those ideals for Hayami... It's something you could never understand, Daiki!" Her words clearly hurt her brother, but she also seemed to be in pain. "But I... I don't understand it, either...!"

"It's because she was her sister." Shiro said, bluntly.

"W-what...?"

"It isn't something everyone can understand, even if you have siblings." The boy said, somewhat melancholic. "And as we saw in this class trial, the unbreakable strength of the bond isn't always beautiful, either. It can make people do horrible things. But for some people, no matter how much life gets in the way—no matter how things may turn out in the end... it's unwavering. For better or worse, it's something one can't compromise on."

Chiyo seemed perplexed by his words. "Unwavering, huh..."

"I see." Munou said, with an incredibly sad expression. "Something like that can't be gained overnight, can it?"

Shiro shook his head, and walked up to Hayami. "That's why... you should feel fortunate. It isn't something you had to earn; you just had it. Kaori felt that for you. So keep that close to your heart during your last moments, and go in peace."

Hayami's lip trembled, as she pressed her hand against her heart. She closed her eyes and then turned to Monokuma. "Let's not slow this down any longer. To be honest, I should have been caught long ago. It all played out in a way that favored me, whether I accounted for it or not. Kaori's love... Munou's trust in her to the point of not confessing until the last moment... The fact that Keiko didn't remember the color of the dress... But it's over now. Truth is, something like this was coming for me, sooner or later."

"You will die full of regret and shame, then?" Monokuma deduced, with a huge grin on his face.

"I could.-but I won't. No matter what, I'll only keep one thing in my mind. And that is... how lucky I was of having her as a sister."

"Very well. Let's see if you manage to keep that head of yours in that state of mind even as you are torn apart!"

No matter how determined she claimed to be, the fear in Hayami's eyes was unmistakable. And yet... there was a resolve she intended to follow.

Perhaps that was what counted.

"Very well then! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Hayami Fujimori's Ultimate Punishment! Keep your eyes buttered till the end!"

Robotic hands appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the girl. There was no escape.

Ultimate Entrepenaur's Punishment - Greed and Hunger

Hayami was sitting on a silver throne on top of a hill made of gold. Below her was a wasteland, full of hungry Monokumas desperate to eat. The scenary suddenly changed as Hayami was thrown upwards along with her throne, landing in a space factory.

A panel appeared next to her, with Hayami being forced to press icons of different products in order to mass-produce them. First, it was milk. Cows appeared in a conveyer belt and a robotic hand sucked the milk out of them forcefully. The animals screamed in pain as their udders bled, the blood mixing with the white liquid. Then, she pressed the icon of meat, with deers who were cut into pieces as they let out screeches of horror. The crueltry continued until finally, Hayami was forced to press the penultimate icon: The one with Kaori's face. The body of her sister appeared in the belt and was crushed by a meat grinder, proceeding to be packed in a neat and tidy package. Hayami's tears flowed endlessly, but they were preserved in two tiny bottles that were placed underneath her face.

Finally, it was time to press the last icon; the one with her face. Hayami was thrown off her throne and fell on a cage, unable to escape as rotary saws slowly approached her. She screamed and cried, but it was of no use: her fate was sealed. The saws slowly pierced through her, with her cries of help resounding throughout the room as she was torn into pieces.

Her meat was packed, her tears bottled and her blood kept in containers for sauce. Finally, the pieces of Hayami and Kaori retuned to the wasteland, now the people in corporate suits waving their dollars around, desperate to buy. The products were thrown into the mass filled with black and white, and the bears devoured them mercilessly.

That was the end of Hayami and Kaori Fujimori.

Just as the last time, all of us puked as tears ran through our eyes... But I refused to play into Monokuma's game.

I wiped my mouth and stood firm. "This won't change anything—We won't kill each other!"

"Are you sure about that...?" Monokuma said with a devilish smile.

I looked around, and although some tried to hide it, it was undeniable.

The trust we had tried to mantain was completely broken. Looks of disdain and fear surrounded me, and no matter how much I tried to deny it, I felt a hint of fear as well.

"Well, that's enough for today!" Monokuma exclaimed. "You can go to your rooms now!"

-------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone returned to the surface, and, as expected, we were met with the fake sky once again.

"This won't end anytime soon, will it?"

I stared at Tadashi, dumbfounded. He briefly looked at me, but he shook his head.

"It's no use, Hikari. Believing in each other in a situation like this... is just impossible."

"Maybe so, but if we play Monokuma's game—!"

"Sometimes there's just no other CHOICE!" Tadashi exclaimed, with a hint of despair in his voice. "These are the cards we were dealt with. And we have to play them."

"That's how it's always been." Keiko affirmed with a hint of melancholy in her voice.

"No! You can't-!"

"It's over." Riku stated. "This is how far you Ultimates can go. Now it's time that you show the world your true colors. You're just like any other person, fighting for survival!"

"And did you think the only way of proving that was this madness?!" I exclaimed, furious.

Riku smiled with satisfaction and ran away, foreseeing the festering anger inside us.

"Coward..." Isamu muttered.

We continued the walk towards our rooms. We all entered the elevator and one by one, we left it in our respective floors. Only two people left in the same floor.

"So you're staying together now." Kizuna observed.

"We can't risk it." Keiko said as she left the elevator along with Tadashi.

"Tadashi, you don't have to be like this. They'll only suspect you two if you isolate yourselves." I said, worried.

"There's no way we could worsen their opinion of ourselves any more. If you have any doubts, ask your friend there." Tadashi left the elevator as well, but turned around one last time to give me a faint smile. "Anyways... see you around."

As my heart filled with worry for him, I waved goodbye.

"...He's onto me, huh." Kizuna commented, alluding to Tadashi's comment.

"Do you... not trust him?"

"Of course I don't. He's a killer. Same with his sister. But you're free to believe what you want of them."

"...That's fine. If we weren't close, I wouldn't trust them, either. But-"

The doors of the elevator opened. It was my turn to leave it.

"Lock your door, okay?"

"I'm not stupid..."

A silence followed, broken by my wish to remain close to at least one person.

"Kizuna, do you think it'll be okay? Will we... get out?"

"...You know what I believe, don't you?" He responded, unable to look at my eyes.

"...Yes, you're right." I said, now unable to look at his. "Good night, Kizuna."

"Good night, Hikari."

As soon as the doors closed, I ran to my room and jumped to the bed with tears in my eyes.

If I was the only one who believed we could escape, no matter how strong my faith was, it'd be useless. We'd all... kill each other, wouldn't we?

Only two of us getting to live—That meant ten more of us dying.

All the people I had grown to care about would be gone. And I'd be lucky if I didn't count myself among them. I couldn't stop shaking. I couldn't stop crying.

That night, sleep only came when I realized it was the only way to silence the despair in my heart.

Danganronpa DD: Dazzling Death - Chapter 7 - Katharsis101 - Dangan Ronpa (2024)

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