Everyone headed to the trial grounds, down the elevator. Everything was... Quiet. Too Quiet. Many were still in shock but the rest were ready to avenge their friend yet... Certain students might have their own way of participating in the trial...

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Ray walked into the room, ready to cause chaos and Akira stuck close to him, ready to make this as... Entertaining as possible. Kirari stepped in nervously. The amount of times her mood changed was ridiculous. Kirari then wrung her hands. She agreed with Ray, it was probably Crystal. Kirari began to think of comebacks in case someone accused her. Sancia followed the group, deep in thought. There were still others. She recalled seeing others at the Entrance Ceremony but no one here seemed to have spoken to them very much. Any of them could've been motivated enough to kill. Then again, Crystal did seem to be the most likely suspect.

"Alrighty folks! Welcome to the trial grounds!" Monokuma sat on a throne.

"A throne? Seriously?" Kirari looked around.

"Everyone, stand at your podium!" He pointed,"They all have your name on them!"

Kirari nodding, heading over to the podium that had her name on it, most of the others doing the same.

"Does anyone need a refresher on the rules?" Monokuma asked.

"Yes, I would." Ray nodded.

"Well, you'll all take turns debating on who you think the blackened is." Monokuma told him.

"Ah, okay." Ray shook his head, going to his podium,"Alright, may we get started?"

"Of course!" Monokuma nodded.

"Alright, listen up. We've been going around doing our things but apparently the teddy bear got to someone's head. I think we can all safely assume Crystal did it, end of story." Ray sighed.

"Where's your evidence?" Scott questioned.

"I know that Kirari was with me and is supposedly safe and Akira was roaming the halls on my orders so I know where she was. Sancia doesn't seem like she's reached the point of hitting someone with a hammer and running and Stevie was knocked out, leaving you, Jeff and Crystal. Scott, you wouldn't kill your friend, would you? Jeff, if you wanna save your own skin, you better get an alibi.

"Kirari and Sancia both armed themselves." Jeff pointed.

"Thing is, they both armed themselves with knives, not hammers." Ray explained.

"I'm not the one who nearly stabbed someone." Jeff rolled his eyes.

"It matters not what someone nearly did. This is about what someone actually did!" Ray growled.

"Exactly, now tell us what you were doing." Stevie pointed.

"I was in the library, Scorpius saw me there." Jeff sighed.

"Crys, what's your alibi?" Ray turned to her.

"Like I said before, I was with Scott, Mew and Jeff before leaving and practicing my guitar in my dorm." She stated.

"But nobody knows if after you guys dispersed, you actually went." Ray hissed.

Scott looked between his friends,"You guys are innocent, right?"

"Scott, you don't have an alibi either, do you?" Ray raised a brow,"If that's the case, choose between yourself and your little friends."

"I didn't do it, honest!" Scott quickly shook his head

"So, do you agree Crystal is at fault?" Ray asked.

"No!" Scott yelled,"She couldn't-"

"It's between you and her, Scott~ Pick your fucking poison!" Ray spoke in a sing-song voice.

"W-what about him?" Scott pointed at Dimitri,"I don't see you asking him for an alibi!"

"As far as I know, Dimitri is in bow way connected with Mew, meaning there's no reason for him to want to murder them." Ray sighed,"But you can ask him yourself if you want."

"Wh-" Scott began.

"Relax, I was doing the laundry. Not very solid, but I have a witness." Dimitri spoke calmly.

Ray looked pointedly at Scott with a raised eyebrow.

"It's true." Scorpius spoke up.

"So, does anybody have any objections about throwing Crystal out?" Ray asked.

"I do!" Scott raised his hands.

"Other than you." Akira pointed.

"Scott, who do you think it was?" Ray sighed.

"Nobody! Nobody killed her! It's a lie!" Scott covered his head.

"Scott-" Stevie began slowly.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He cried.

Ray bit back a snarky comment,"Monokuma, I'm pretty confident that wraps things up."

"Gimme a rundown of the events, then I'll let ya vote!" Monokuma announced.

"So, while we were all doing our own shit, I believe that Scott, Crys, Jeff and Mew split up. Crys cut Mew off in the hall, hammered them in the head and then ran away as fast as she could. Meanwhile, around that time, Dimitri and Scorpius were doing the laundry. Only a few minutes later, I called up Akira and we started doing our shifts and you know the rest." Ray explained.

"Well Crystal? Are we right? Are we?" Akira hummed.

Crystal was silent, looking down.

"BAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ray's manic laughter vibrated throughout the room.

"You're missing a few key details, buddy." Monokuma told him,"I want you to tell me who knocked out your little friend."

"Crystal, obviously." Ray shrugged.

Crystal then made the sound of a buzzer,"Wrong, try again."

Ray looked at his friends in confusion.

"I didn't knock out Stevie." Crystal shook her head,"It was Mew... That's actually why I did what I did."

Ray then looked over at Monokuma.

"That's right! Can you believe it? Crystal murdered Mew because she thought they'd killed Stevie!" Monokuma laughed.

"Interesting... But that also confirms we were right!" Ray chuckled,"Any last words to or from Crystal?"

"Why would you kill someone over me?" Stevie asked slowly.

Crystal looked away,"I... I don't know."

Kirari grimaced, this was so sad!

"Goodbye, Crystal..." Kirari muttered.

"You promised you wouldn't kill anyone!" Scott slammed his hands down on the podium,"We all did!"

"Debatable. Anyways, bye bye! Ray spoke with a malicious grin.

A tear slid down Kirari's cheek,"You could've checked Stevie's pulse first!"

"Kirari, don't cry over spoilt milk. It's over for her. It was her or us." Ray sighed.

"I know..." Kirari nodded slowly, she couldn't believe she was going to witness an execution!

"I think it's punishment time!" Monokuma announced.

Ray watched Monokuma intently as Stevie looked down, balling her fists.

"I've got an extra special punishment prepared for the Ultimate Lead Singer, Crystal Cobain!" Monokuma laughed, hitting a button with his gavel.

"Extra special is what your parents called you before sending you to the orphanage!" Ray insulted Monokuma.

Kirari winced. All of a sudden, a chain shot out and grabbed Crystal by the neck, dragging her out of the room, the things happening to her visible on a large screen.

"R.I.P, am I right?" Ray commented.

Kirari looked away. How could he make jokes at a time like this?!

"Can I leave now?" Ray asked, tired.

"No!" Monokuma nudged him.

Crystal was on a stage, forced to sing her band's songs. It was almost like a large game of Guitar Hero.

"Just get on with the murder part. I'm responsible for sending her to hell, after all, I want to see her die!" Ray sighed.

Kirari watched as if she was in a trance, eyes wide. The scores continued going up and she was about to win but... Monokuma smashed the score meter with a hammer due to Ray's impatience. She... Lost and was crushed by the stage, like a giant bear trap.

"Finally, Jesus Christ. Now, can I leave? I need to get some rest." Ray yawned.

"I suppose, it is quite late." Monokuma shrugged.

Kirari couldn't help herself and covered her eyes. The scene was replaying in her head.

"It's freaking two in the morning at this point." She muttered.

"Night, murder y'all later." Ray said, walking out of the room.

Scott pushed past them both, heading for the elevator and looking down.

"Gee, thanks." Kirari spoke, dead inside as she exited.

"Heh, wait for me!" Akira skipped after the others.

Kirari put her hands to her head. All that singing had given her a headache. Stevie was stood in a corner of the elevator, keeping her distance from Scott.

Kirari walked up to Stevie,"All this at two in the morning? When will I have time to make two pairs of earrings?"

"You don't need to. Maybe take a bit to relax." Stevie patted her shoulder.

"Nah, making jewellery is the only thing that keeps me sane." Kirari joked.

"Let's hope you never run out of materials." She sighed.

"I brought a lot in my bag." Kirari reassured her.

Stevie smiled,"Let's hope we don't have any more close calls, right?"

"Yeah." Kirari agreed, rubbing her eyes,"Does the killing keep replaying in your mind, too?"

"I'm... Trying not to think about it." Stevie hugged herself.

"Oh! Well, sorry for bringing it up..." Kirari mumbled.

"No, don't be." Stevie shook her head.

"One of the pairs of earrings is for you." Kirari told her before asking,"You have your ears pierced, right?"

Stevie slowly shook her head,"Sharp objects near my face were a big no no."

"Should I just make a necklace then?" She asked.

"Yeah." Stevie nodded.

The elevator door then dinged as Kirari began to complain about the time it was taking. Little did they know their nightmare was only just beginning... Ray was sat in the hall, calculating his next move. He knew nobody would expect two kills in two days but it would be too risky. He also didn't want to go back to his dorm in case someone else thought like him and was targeting him. Kirari passed by Ray but didn't even notice him because she was that tired.

"Ray!" Daiko ran up to him.

Ray groaned,"Yes, Dai? What do you need?"

"Oh! Am I bugging you? I can leave." Daiko fidgeted.

"No... I'm just kinda tired. Do you need something?" Ray asked, his voice more gentle.

"I didn't want to be alone and Teri's asleep." Daiko mumbled.

"That's fine. C'mon, let's go to the kitchen. I'll make some tea for ya." Ray chuckled.

"Heh, thanks Ray." Daiko smiled softly.

As Ray walked, he decided to talk to Daiko.

"Dai, there's something I have to tell you..." Ray sighed, not wanting to dishearten his ally.

"What is it?" Daiko tilted his head.

"There is no way in hell all of us are making it out of this place alive. The only way to get out is by killing someone and then killing everyone else in the trial. You're a good guy, Dai and I want you to get the fuck out of here if your sister dies, ok? Kill someone and fucking lie your way to victory, ok? I know you care too much for your sister to kill her but if she dies, I want you to get out of here. That's all I want from you." Ray explained.

"B-but-" He stammered.

"Dai, you gotta trust me on this one. Let's not talk about such dark things in the future. So, how are you taking this... Situation we're in?" Ray asked, heating up the water.

Daiko didn't answer. He needed time to actually process the fact that he might have to... No. No, he wouldn't- couldn't do that to these people. They all deserved to live, probably more than himself.

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Kirari soon arrived in her dorm and just passed out onto her bed. That's when her nightmare began. At first she was Stevie, getting knocked out by Mew. Next she was Mew, getting murdered by Crystal. And finally she was Crystal, getting swallowed by the stage. Kirari woke up in a cold sweat and decided two things. One, she wasn't that tired and two, sleep was overrated. Kirari changed into some more comfortable clothes before heading towards the kitchen in search of cookies, not bothering to be quiet. Ray began pouring the tea when he looked up, noticing Kirari.

"Oh, hey Kira." Ray waved.

"Hello, fellow insomniacs." She waved back.

"I apologize for my behavior in the trial. I was tired and done with the obvious bullshit. Tea?" He offered.

"Sure." Kirari agreed, starting to search the cupboards for cookies.

Ray grabbed another cup, pouring tea into it as Kirari found some chocolates and decided that they would suffice. Daiko, meanwhile, was just resting his head on the table. Kirari took the cup, thanked Ray and sat down; taking a chocolate and eating it. Ray then sighed and patted Daiko's back.

"Drink up, mon ami. You need the caffeine to stay up." Ray told him, sliding Daiko's cup towards him.

Daiko nodded slowly, yawning and taking a sip.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Ray asked softly.

"No, but thanks for the offer." Daiko shook his head.

"Okay, do you want anything else?" He turned to Kirari,"Do you want anything else as well?"

Daiko shook his head again, rubbing his eyes and taking another sip.

"No, no, I'm goo-" Kirari suddenly grabbed the box of chocolates and frantically read the ingredients.

"You're tired, Dai. Go rest and we'll chat in the morning, ok?" Ray sighed.

Daiko nodded slowly and left the room as Kirari bonked her head down on the table, staying in that position.

"Caffeine?" Ray asked, chuckling.

"Yup, I'll never be able to sleep again!" She whined,"Actually, that might be for the best."

"We're in a school full of people with the drive to murder. I'm pretty confident not sleeping is a positive, though it might drive you to insanity, I know from experience." Ray sighed, shaking his head.

"Better than nightmares." Kirari spoke quietly.

"The trial got to you, didn't it?" Ray looked at her,"So you need a therapist? I can try and act as one."

"I probably do need a therapist." Kirari agreed,"Is it normal to a mirror about yourself?"

"I do it without a mirror but I'm a psychopath. I'd say yeah, it's pretty normal but it indicates a feeling of loneliness." Ray explained.

"Alright." Kirari took another sip of tea.

"Anything else you wanna talk about or should I start preparing tomorrow's breakfast?"

"Nope, not much at the moment. Why don't I help you? Falling asleep isn't an option thanks to the caffeine." Kirari offered.

"Not without me!" Stevie announced, bursting into the dining hall,"Sorry, I was maybe eavesdropping and I don't want left out of making breakfast."

Kirari turned around with a smile,"Hi, Stevie."

"Hi, Kira." Stevie waved,"I heard breakfast?"

"Yup! Also, when did everyone start calling me Kira? Not that I mind." Kirari asked.

"Since today." Stevie crossed her arms,"Nicknames are cute."

"Alright, alright." She chuckled.

"Je me fiche que vous soyez le soignant ultime. Vous avez besoin de dormir! Don't forget that you were the one who got KO'd by someone. You could have brain damage, for all I know!" Ray crossed his arms, shaking his arms.

Stevie gasped dramatically,"Brain damage, you say? How foolish. It is naive of you to assume getting knocked out would stop me."

"I could knock you out again to stop you." Ray pointed out.

"But you won't." Stevie hummed.

"Don't underestimate me~ I could take both of you out by myself and you know it." Ray chuckled.

"Come on, you know you care too much." Stevie rolled her eyes.

Ray froze.

"I-I hate that you're right." He sighed, making some oatmeal.

"I'm always right." She smiled.

"We'll see about that, ma chère." Ray grinned.

"I guess we will." Stevie shrugged.

"Anywho, I'm done with the oatmeal. I'm putting the pancake batter in the fridge so we can make 'em fresh tomorrow and... That's all! I'mma be monitoring the halls so if you see anyone who can't sleep and want to chill, just send 'em my way." Ray saluted.