hello dearest readers!! it's time for the class trial!!

there's something i would also like to mention here. in this class trial (and all class trial's to come), (F/N) will mostly be leading. although there will be moments where hajime helps/figures things out himself, (F/N) is going to be doing most of the work :)

ALSO this class trial(s) will most likely be split up into 2-3 parts, and the executions will be their own chapter, if that makes sense. that's all!

so, that being said, let's find out who killed byakuya togami, won't we? (though, we probably all already know, hehe)

anyways, on with the chapter, please enjoy, and remember to vote if you enjoyed!! <3

~~

You and Hajime had both walked in silence to Monokuma Rock...as expected, it was a giant mountain structure, the face of Monokuma carved onto the top.

"...Huh?" Kazuichi uttered, as he looked at the rock. "Hey, what the heck is that mountain!? Wh-When did that get here!?"

"As expected, it's a rock...of Monokuma." You stated, plainly, somehow very shocked yet not shocked at all that Monokuma would make a rock statue of himself. You heard Kazuichi sigh blissfully, saying something about 'how smart and observant Miss (F/N) is!'

"That story...that story might be true after all." Peko said. "There might be an enormous organization involved in all this..."

"You mean...what Byakuya said before, right?" Hajime asked.

"Byakuya...we still needed his knowledge..." Sonia sulked.

"Tch...! I still can't believe he's dead!" Nekomaru said.

"Byakuya, Byakuya, Byakuya, Byakuya..." Ibuki kept repeating, white foam spilling out of her mouth.

"I think she should get that checked out-" You thought.

"What...happened to Gundam and Fuyuhiko?" Chiaki pondered, as you realized that as well.

"Yeah... It looks like they aren't here..." You muttered. "We all know Fuyuhiko is a stubborn little bitch, he's probably still holding off on seeing us even though were forced to do this... Maybe Gundam is still looking for his earring...?"

"Ah, I know! They probably ran away!" Hiyoko exclaimed, as Monokuma appeared right in front of you.

"Aw hell naw! There's no way I'd let them escape, you know!" He said, as you noticed him dragging a fuming Fuyuhiko. "Look! I dragged this one back over here!"

"I-I'm tellin' you, let me go!" Fuyuhiko yelled.

"Hey now, if you keep actin violent, I might just eat you up." Monokuma threatened.

"Hey Fuyuhiko! What were you doing all this time!?" Mahiru interrogated.

"Nothing...I wasn't really doing anything..." Fuyuhiko said, as he explained he was only in his cottage when Byakuya got killed, and didn't really care.

"You... How can you say something so irresponsible...!?" Mahiru exclaimed. "We've been doing our best to investigate this murder, even though we don't want to, just to survive!"

"Does it look like I care?" Fuyuhiko sneered, as he looked in your direction. "And what fuck are you looking at, whore?"

You smiled, flatly. "Nice to see you too, doll."

"Stop calling me doll!!" He raged.

"You really need to stop this..." Hajime muttered, as he wrapped his arm around yours, pulling you back a few steps. You and Fuyuhiko both huffed in annoyance.

"Soo...are we waitin' for Gundam then?" Akane asked, nonchalantly.

"...I am right here." The more familiar voice of none other than Gundam spoke, as you looked in the direction it came from, smiling fondly.

"Gundam, you're here... I was about to worry." You professed, as a small blush began to form on both him and you, before it dissipated when Gundam saw how Hajime's arm wrapped around yours...he grimaced.

"Fear not, Fallen Angel, I am quite all right." He said, covering up his sour expression. "Now then, remember this well! A main character arrives when he intends to!" He laughed boisterously.

"It looks like he got his earring back... But then, that means he found a way under the floorboards..." You realized.

"All right, now that everyone's all together... Let's take the secret entrance to the trial field!" Monokuma spoke, before Monomi popped up.

"Please! Wait a second!" She exclaimed.

"My my, Monomi. Just what are you doing here? Nobody asked for you." Monokuma said. "...Hm? Do you actually want to join in? Do you want to taste how powerless you are at the class trial? You're an even bigger masochist than I thought..."

You fake gagged. "Do... Do we need to be here for this, cause this is fuckin' gross." You said. "A-Aren't they self proclaimed siblings!!? What the fuck!!?"

"I'll go on ahead and wait for you guys, so hurry over!" Monokuma chimed, as he disappeared along with Monomi.

"He told us to come, but...how do we get there?" Teruteru questioned. "I...don't see any doors...or vehicles..."

"He mentioned something...about a secret entrance, was it...?" Mahiru questioned.

Just after Mahiru had said that, there was a giant "ROOOAAAAARRRRRRRR!!" that shook the entire atmosphere. Monokuma rock had...begun shaking. As there were multiple outbursts of surprise, a giant escalator spat out of the rocks mouth.

"How the fuck does this work?" You thought.

"Is he... telling us to enter it?" Peko questioned.

"S-Such a suspicious aura...! Even Crimson Steel Elephant Maga-Z is trembling with fear...!" Gundam quivered.

"Uwah! That's totally suspicious!" Hiyoko exclaimed.

"F-Forgive me...! Seriously...just forgive me already...!" Kazuichi uttered.

"Hey, why don't we just stop here? I mean...none of this is real anyway..." Teruteru said. "Like...not even remotely... There's no way! There's just no way we'll find the killer!"

"We have to... We have to figure out who killed Byakuya, not just for him...but for us, too." You stated, as you unraveled yourself from Hajime, who let out a small noise of irritation, and you began walking to the escalator.

"(F-F/N)!?" You heard multiple say.

"Like I said, we have to figure out who did this..." You said, turning your head to meet the group. "Cause I'm not dying in this hellhole."

"You're right... We need to do this." Hajime muttered.

"If that's everyone's decision...I'll just follow you guys."Chiaki said. "If this were a video game, it'd have a very high difficulty level... Let's do our best to clear the game."

At that, you took your first steps onto the escalator, pushing away your fear and nervousness as it took you up into Monokuma Rock. You didn't have time to be anxious. One second of fear into the trial, and you might miss something extremely important, or worse, make yourself look suspicious. Once all of you entered Monokuma Rock, it's mouth closed, revealing that you were all...

"This...is an elevator!" Nekomaru exclaimed. "I see! This entire rock is an elevator.

"Once again...Monokuma is just playing around." Chiaki mumbled.

"However, if he's gone this far and made something like this... I don't think he's playing around." Peko said.

"Even so, we're goin' pretty deep." Akane added.

As the elevator rode on, you hugged yourself with your jacket, the slightly cold atmosphere of the elevator getting to you. The familiarity of your jacket was the only thing to try and get you to calm down before the trial of your lives...literally.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a room with dim magenta lights dully shining. On the far wall, there was a giant, tablet shaped screen, and in the middle of the of the room... Was a circular platform filled with wooden stands... exactly 17 of them.

"Okayyy! Welcome!" The annoying voice of Monokuma rung. "This is the class trial field! How do you like it? It's a special place that will decide your fates!"

"Tch...what the hell is he thinking...? Locking us in a shitty-looking place like this...!" Fuyuhiko uttered. "Are you fuckin' crazy!? Don't mess with me, asshole!"

"Puhuhu~... Complain all you like, I'm used to it by now." Monokuma teased. 

"Yeah, hi, I have a question." You spoke. "Why is there an empty stand with Byakuya's picture...? It's kinda disturbing."

"Well, I wouldn't want our dear Byakuya to miss out on the class trial! That wouldn't be any fun for him." Monokuma giggled.

"Yeah, that's disturbing."You thought.

 "C'mon, you're wasting your time and energy. Hurry up and take your seats where your names are written!" Monokuma said.

You sighed, as you took your place at your podium, which was inbetween Gundam and Hiyoko.

It was time to figure out who killed Byakuya Togami.

—

"Now then, let's begin with a simple explanation of the class trial." Monokuma started, as he seated himself in a golden throne next to the platform. "During the class trial, you will present your arguments for who the killer is, and vote for 'whodunnit'. If you vote correctly, then only the blackened will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong person... I'll punish everyone *besides* the blackened, and that person will earn the right to leave this island!"

"S-Such a cruel rule...!" Monomi cried, as she was tied up next to Monokuma's throne.

"Before we begin, I'd like to confirm one thing. Is there really a killer among us?" Nagito asked.

"Most definitely... There's no doubt that the blackened is lurking among you." Monokuma confirmed. "Such a sad state of affairs, isn't it? By the way, this class trial is gonna be one-hundred percent fair, so there's no need to worry. I'm the type who hates favoritism and prejudice... Well, not as much as I hate Monomi, of course."

"You hate me that much!?" Monomi cried again.

"Now let's begin!" Monokuma cheered.

"Y-You're telling us to begin...but what are we supposed to do?" Mikan asked.

"No complainin', let's just settle this with our fists!" Akane stated, cracking her knuckles.

"Were you even listening to the rules!?" Kazuichi exclaimed.

"Didn't that Byakuya bastard get killed in the dining hall, huh? Then everyone there is a fuckin' suspect." Fuyuhiko stated, smirking proudly.

"Yeah, yeah. What you're really trying to say is that you're not the killer, right?" Mahiru replied.

"No shit... You guys went off on your own and started killing each other. This has nothing to do with me..." Fuyuhiko said.

"Huh? What does that mean?" Mahiru asked annoyed.

"A-Anyway...why don't we try talking about the most pressing issue on our minds?" Nagito interrupted, in an attempt to redirect the conversation.

"Huh? The most pressing issue on our minds...?" Teruteru questioned.

"Where we found the body. It's very strange to find a body underneath a table." Nagito stated.

"I agree. We should start there." You said.

"So, why was Byakuya's body...in a place like that?" Nagito questioned aloud.

"His body was underneath the table at the very back of the dining hall." Gundam said.

"Goddamn this mans voice is so deep-"

"After the killer murdered Byakuya...they probably moved the body there!" Kazuichi exclaimed.

"No, that's not right." You interjected. "The killer couldn't have moved the body."

"H-Huh? What did I say wrong Miss (F/N)?" Kazuichi asked, panicked.

"If you try to remember what the body looked like when we found it under the table... Though there was a lot of blood everywhere, there was no sign the killer actually dragged the body through it." You clarified.

"So that's why you think it's impossible that the killer moved the body... I see, I get your point." Mahiru said, as you gave her a small smile of gratitude.

"Damnit! I thought I had a genius idea! And even worse, I made myself look stupid in front of Miss (F/N)!" Kazuichi sulked.

"Too bad you're soooooo stupid and boring and unpopular! Your life is meaningless!" Hiyoko sneered.

"I-I respond better to praise, you know!" Kazuichi cried.

"But if the killer didn't move the body, why was it under the table?" Ibuki asked.

"Well...I think he was killed under the table." You responded.

"What...? You think he was killed under the table!?" Nekomaru exclaimed.

"So Byakuya snuck under the table for reasons unknown, and that's when he was killed..." Nagito repeated. "Then, shortly thereafter, we found his body under the table."

"Th-That does make sense, but...why did he go under the table?" Nekomaru asked.

"Obviously he was hidin' so he could surprise us. That dude was always a big jokester." Akane remarked, smiling.

"The hell he was! You seriously couldn't tell what kinda person he was!?" Kazuichi yelled.

"Hmm... Maybe he panicked during the blackout and dove under the table..." Teruteru uttered.

"It's a blackout, not an earthquake! Just 'cause the power went out doesn't mean he'd dive under the table!" Nekomaru rebutted.

"Something probably drove him to do so... Considering what he was doing during the party, I wouldn't be surprised." Nagito said, as you went into thought.

"During the party... Byakuya was keeping watch over everyone to make sure we were all safe... And there was one thing that could have caused danger to us..."You hypothesized.

"It most likely has something to do with the knife we found under the table." You stated.

"Knife...? Oh, you mean that thing that obviously screams, 'I am the murder weapon!'?" Ibuki exclaimed.

"Byakuya noticed the knife hidden there, so, in order to get it, he moved under the table." You concluded.

"Byakuya was very sensitive to the presence of dangerous items, so I cannot deny the Angel's revelation..." Gundam said.

"Is literally nobody going to question the whole angel thing??"

"But how did he notice that there was a knife under the table?" He continued.

"If he knew beforehand...he probably would've done something about it before the blackout, right?" Mahiru piped.

"Then...instead of knowing about it beforehand, maybe he say it right at that moment...?" Chiaki questioned softly. "Like, for example, he might've seen someone trying to take the knife out from under the table."

"No, that's not possible." Peko rebuttled immediately.

"Hm? Are you sure, Peko?" You asked. "You seem rather confident."

"Of course. I have proof to back me up." She stated.

"Puhuhu~! This is almost like a real trial!" Monokuma giggled viciously.

"I'm sure Byakuya ducked under the table during the blackout." Peko stated. 

"That seems correct." Sonia said.

"If that's the case, during the blackout, Mr. Ham Hands must've seem the killer take the knife." Hiyoko said.

"But it was super pitch black!" Ibuki exclaimed.

"It was so dark I couldn't see my food!" Akane added.

"Byakuya couldn't see in the dark, either..." Peko said, as you snapped your fingers once.

"Sorry, Peko, but that's where you're wrong." You said, as she looked at you.

"Oh...I'm wrong? Please, do tell." She prompted.

"Byakuya was probably the only one who was able to see in the dark." You stated. "If you guys can recall, we saw a pair of night vision goggles under the table. If he was the one using those, that's how he was able to see in the dark."

"So...are you saying Byakuya was the only one who used those night-vision goggles?" Peko asked.

"It seems to be the case." You said.

"Your reasoning is out of focus!" Mahiru yelled out, surprising you. "Sorry, but you're obviously wrong! It should be the other way around!"

"So, you're saying that the killer was the one using the night vision goggles...?" You questioned.

"Yes, that's exactly what I think." She said. "If you just used some common sense, the killer obviously used those night-vision goggles!"

"What's your proof of it, then?" You prompted.

"Because, if they used night vision goggles, then the could've killed Byakuya, even in the dark!" Mahiru affirmed. "I mean, in reality, that's what happened. The killer brought the night vision goggles in advance to the crime scene!"

"See, but that's also where you're wrong." You stated. "Byakuya was one-hundred percent the one who brought the night vision goggles."

"D-Definitely...? But why!?" Mahiru exclaimed.

"Do you remember the duralumin case Byakuya kept with him throughout the party? Well, after the blackout, it was open, and inside that case was an even smaller case, used for storing night vision goggles." You rebuttled.

"Which means we can assume that the night-vision goggles were kept inside that duralumin case as well..." Ibuki spoke.

"...What fucking spirit overtook Ibuki!?"

"Wahoo! I said 'assume!' Ibuki never uses such clever language!" Ibuki chimed, excitedly.

"Nevermind, she's back then." You thought, before continuing your point. "Plus, Byakuya was the only one who could've taken the night vision goggles out of the case since he was carrying around before the blackout in the first place."

"I see... When you put it like that, it makes sense..." Mahiru sighed.

"Then, was that knife inside the case, too?" Teruteru asked. "If there were night-vision goggles inside, it wouldn't be weird for a knife to be in there, too!"

"It *would* be weird." Chiaki said.

"I *am* weird, aren't I...? At times like this, I'd rather be fantasizing about...tonight's 'main dish'..." Teruteru uttered.

You coughed loudly in order to stop Teruteru. "Um, you're wrong, Teruteru. The knife wasn't inside the duralumin case Byakuya brought. There was actually duct tape left under the table where the body was found."

"...Huh? Duct tape?" Teruteru muttered.

"Yes, duct tape. Someone hid the knife by duct taping it to the underside of the table." You concluded.

"Oh... So that's why we found duct tape there." Mikan said.

"Though Byakuya was thorough, even he couldn't have noticed a weapon taped to the underside of the table..." Nekomaru muttered.

"...I have a question. It may be off-topic, but why was Byakuya acting so paranoid?" Peko asked. "Not only did he bring a self-defense kit, but he had night-vision goggles inside the case too..."

"That's true! He went above and beyond being a little cautious...!" Nekomaru professed.

"Now that you mention it... That applies to the dangerous items he confiscated as well." Mahiru said. "It's one thing to be a little cautious, but performing a body check is a bit much! I mean, he even took (F/N)'s whole jacket!"

"Lucky he did~..." Teruteru muttered, as you covered yourself with your jacket.

"He probably knew...someone was planning to commit a murder..." Nagito said.

"Are you saying he predicted the murder!? Could it be...? Was he also in possession of the All-Seeing Eye...?" Gundam exclaimed, shocked very visible on his face.

"You think so too... Right Hajime and (F/N)?" Nagito said, as you gave a small smile, and turned to Hajime, you gave you a nod.

"Everyone... Can you please take a look at this?" Hajime ordered, as he pulled out a familiar piece of paper... The murder threat the three of you found in Byakuya's cottage.

"Hey... The hell is that...?" Fuyuhiko uttered.

"(F/N), Hajime and I found that in Byakuya's cottage." Nagito said.

"It looks like someone sent him a threatening letter." You followed up.

"So who's the someone?" Akane asked.

"Nobody besides Monokuma would write such a dumb, threatening letter like that..." Hiyoko mocked.

"Wasn't me!" Monokuma chimed. "The only lies I tell are friendly lies!"

"It doesn't matter who wrote it yet... So, Byakuya became paranoid because of this threatening letter?" Peko asked.

"He probably decided to throw a party because of the letter." Nagito stated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Teruteru questioned.

"By being able to gather everyone in one place, he was easily able to keep a tab on everyone." You explained. "He tried to put the culprit of the letter in a situation where it was unable to act."

"The letter could have just been a little prank..." Teruteru uttered.

"As long as he was determined to not let any of us die, he couldn't take that risk..." Nagito said. "His strong sense of responsibility...made him believe the letter was legitimate."

"Tch...! He should've told us he received a threatening letter...!" Nekomaru voiced, regret laced into his words.

"Well, if Byakuya had done that, all of us would have panicked...and Byakuya knew that, too." You responded.

"So... Byakuya tried to do something about it without telling anyone?" Sonia asked, as you hummed in response.

"I see... His strong sense of responsibility as our leader was his undoing..." Peko sulked.

"Tch! Screw that noise! Who the hell wrote that letter!?" Akane yelled.

"Well, obviously...the killer..." Mahiru said, apprehensively.

"...Is the killer really the one who wrote that letter...?" You questioned, as you bit the inside of your cheek in distress.

"Hmph, enough already! Show yourself, you coward!" Gundam bellowed, startling you from your thoughts.

"If they were willing to come forward, they never would've committed a murder in the first place..." Hiyoko uttered.

You went back into your thoughts... The trial was at a stump. Although there were definitely more questions to be answered... What was the time to answer them?

"Um... Pardon me. Can I say something, please?" The sweet voice of Sonia rung, as you brought your head up.

"By all means, please do, Sonia." You prompted, seeing this as a potential opportunity to uncover more.

"I regret that I must return to this topic, but...I just realized something concerning the night-vision goggles." She said, as you prompted her further. "If Byakuya was indeed wearing those goggles, how was the killer able to navigate themselves in the dark?"

"You're right... They wouldn't have been able to see anything without the night-vision goggles." Teruteru said. "But if the murderer had the goggles when they took the knife...then how did Byakuya see them?"

"Even if the knife bore some sort of mark...it would've been difficult to see it in that darkness." Nekomaru said.

"Actually I do believe there was a mark..." You started. "The glowing paint. With glowing paint, you'd be able to spot the knife in the dark. Both the knife and the duct tape that were under the table were both marked with glowing paint."

"Does that mean...the killer painted them in advance?" Mikan asked softly.

"But painting them with glowing paint...? It's as if they knew the blackout was going to happen." Mahiru verbalized.

"They had to have already known. That's why they used the glowing paint as a mark." Chiaki stated.

"Which means whoever set up the blackout is the killer!" Hiyoko professed.

"That seals it. The killer is whoever was in the office with the circuit breaker... Which means it was you, Peko Pekoyama!" Kazuichi exclaimed.

"Eek! Peko killed poor Byakuya!? Was this island not big enough for two glasses-wearers!?" Ibuki yelled, horrified.

"H-Hold on, how would it be Peko?" You asked. "The breaker is too high for anyone to reach, even with a step-ladder...that's what you said!"

"Sorry Miss (F/N), but Peko is obviously the killer! She tripped the breaker and caused the blackout!" Kazuichi stated. "Since Peko was in the office, she could've caused the blackout at any time!"

"That's impossible..." Peko muttered.

"Huh? How is that impossible?" Hiyoko asked.

"Because I was not in the office, not even before the blackout..." Peko responded.

"What happened to your guard duty!?" Nekomaru yelled, as Peko apologized, timidly.

"Oh, you weren't in the office...?" Hiyoko jeered. "That's clearly a desperate excuse!"

You bit the inside of your cheek, going back over what everyone said. "It obviously makes sense to doubt Peko considering she was supposed to be in the office...but she says she wasn't. Since none of us saw her during the party, it makes since to doubt her- wait..." Your eyebrows furrowed. "None of us explicitly saw her during the party... But Nekomaru's account was where she was!"

"So... Is that it? Is Peko the one who caused the blackout?" Mahiru asked.

"She obviousl-" "Wait!" You interrupted. "I'm sure Peko is telling the truth."

"Wha- Huh!? What do you mean, Miss (F/N)!?" Kazuichi panicked. "Y-You aren't...crushin' on Peko  or anything...r-right?"

"...An-y-ways." You extenuated. "Nekomaru's account...is actually Peko's alibi."

"It's true, someone was occupying the bathroom for a long time shortly after the party started... And it was finally freed up...*after* Byakuya's body was discovered. " Nekomaru explained 

"Ah! Then the person who was in the bathroom that whole time was actually...!?" Mahiru realized.

"Everyone else besides Peko was in the dining hall after the party started, right?" You affirmed.

"I see... So there's no way anybody else could've locked themselves in the bathroom except Peko." Hiyoko said. "You're really smart Big Sis (F/N)!"

"I-I guess that would be...true..." Peko muttered.

"Y-You locked yourself in the commode? You should've said so earlier!" Kazuichi exclaimed.

"Kazuichi-" You started, before being overlapped by Mahiru.

"There's no way she'd actually say that! Gosh, you are *so* insensitive!" She reprimanded.

"If she locked herself in the bathroom for that long, there's no doubt... It's shit." Nekomaru said, without a care in the world. "GAH-HAHAHAHA! Aw, there's no way she'd admit it! There's no way she'd admit she was taking a shit!"

"Nekomaru!" You said, making a 'cut it out' motion at your neck. "Stop." You mouthed.

"Eh? You want me to stop talking about shit?" He asked. "Gh! I'm sorry..."

"I-It's fine... How about...we stop talking about this and move on to something else?" Peko suggested, as she sent you a slightly thankful glance.

"Don't worry, the smell wasn't *that* strong! I used the bathroom right after you, so you can trust me!" Nekomaru assured.

"I-I said it's fine...!" Peko exclaimed.

"But still, you were in the bathroom for a really long time. Did you get food poisoning or something?" Hiyoko asked.

"As soon as I stepped into the office, I felt this sudden rush of pain in my stomach... Because of that, I was unable to leave the bathroom...including when...the blackout occurred..." Peko explained sheepishly.

"Hey, how did it feel to do your business in the dark? Did you get...excited?" Teruteru asked, as blood almost began to seep from his nose.

"Teruteru, shut up." You said, sternly.

"But still, your stomach pain... Was that really just a coincidence?" Fuyuhiko questioned.

"Hey, what's the deal? Don't butt into other people's business, especially if you didn't do any investigating." Mahiru scolded the Yakuza.

"Heh, I'm only buttin' in 'cause you fuckin' idiots are outta your element." Fuyuhiko smirked, as you rolled your eyes. 

"Not this bullshit again."

"Stop this childish nonsense... Just what do you mean by 'coincidence'?" Gundam asked.

"What I mean is... Is it possible someone slipped her some laxatives?" Fuyuhiko suggested. "If so, the killer could've tripped the breaker as soon as that girl left the office, don't you think?"

"Mmm...no. It's not possible." You debunked immediately. "There's no way laxatives could've been slipped into the food in the dining hall."

"Eh? How the fuck do you know that so quickly?" He asked.

"Peko wasn't the only one who ate the food. Akane ate a lot of it. If the food had laxative's in it, then Akane would also be having stomach issues." You explained.

"So, Akane, how do you feel?" Mahiru asked.

"I feel totally fine!" Akane beamed.

"Like I said, th-the dishes are innocent! Don't go making weird accusations!" Teruteru panicked.

"...I apologize for causing a scene." Peko mumbled, solemnes dripping from her words.

"Fuyuhiko should apologize, not you! He's the one who made the laxative accusation!" Mahiru yelled.

"What the fuck did you say, bitch!?" Fuyuhiko raged, clenching his fist.

"Cease this bickering!" Sonia commanded, sticking her hand out as a way to stop Fuyuhiko and Mahiru.

"I-I think we can confidently say that Peko's stomachache was just a coincidence... Let's go back to talking about the blackout." You redirected the conversation.

"Who tripped the breaker, and how did they do it?" Hiyoko asked. "If you guys can't answer that, I'll bonk you on the head!"

"Did they throw a stone and hit it?" Ibuki questioned.

"Maybe they used a remote control?" Kazuichi suggested.

"They probably messed with the breaker." Mikan said.

"It does not have have to be the breaker..." Sonia muttered. "Perhaps they tampered with the power supply or power transmitters."

"Or maybe they caused a power surge?" Mahiru uttered. 

"Yes, I agree with that!" You said after Mahiru's statement, as she gave you a confident smile. "It's exactly as Mahiru said, the blackout was caused by a power surge... But, obviously, someone planned it ahead of time."

"It's why those three irons were arranged to cause the blackout." Nagito added onto your statement.

"When Nagito and I found the irons, they were turned off... But, they were still radiating warmth. Meaning, they were most likely on the entire night, but turned off not that earlier." Hajime said.

"Yeah, I was the one who turned them off when I investigated the storage room." You informed. "Didn't want something to happen again."

"So by leaving those irons on in the storage room, they deliberately caused a power surge." Mahiru repeated.

"It seems that that's how the killer caused the blackout..." You said.

"Hold on a second! Let me speak too!" Nekomaru yelled abruptly. "You say the irons in the storage room were used to trigger the blackout...?" You tensely nodded. "THAT'S INEXUSABLE! If the irons in the storage room caused the blackout, then for the killer to turn the irons on... You're saying they went all the way to the storage room. Then, that means everyone who was in the dining hall when the blackout occurred can't be a suspect!"

"No, just because people were in the dining hall when the blackout occurred, doesn't mean they aren't a suspect!" You rebuttled.

"But the people in the dining hall weren't able to cause the blackout! If the irons caused the blackout, then the killer had to go to the storage room before that and turn on the irons! But the people in the dining hall weren't able to cause the blackout if the irons caused the blackout...!" Nekomaru yelled feverishly.

"But you're weak spot is right there!" You exclaimed. "The irons are just one reason the blackout occurred, but it wasn't the direct source." You explained. "The direct trigger...was the air conditioners in the dining hall and office."

"A-AIR CONFITIONERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRS!?" Nekomaru bellowed.

"The air conditioners were both set to turn on at 11:30 P.M... The approximated time the blackout occurred, and the approximated time Byakuya had died." You informed.

"I see... When the timers activated the air conditioners, the breaker was tripped and caused a blackout." Nekomaru muttered. "I see! I understand! Indubitably!"

"The killer probably checked the old building's energy usage in advance, and used the irons to nearly max it out." Nagito informed. "So once they set the air conditioners' timers, they jus thad to wait until they started up on their own..."

"If so, even if Peko was in the office, it still would have been possible to cause a blackout. Indubitably!" Sonia said, proudly.

"And regarding the energy usage... They probably asked Monokuma about it." Chiaki hummed.

"Dun-dun-dunnn!" Monokuma chimed, his paws put innocently over mouth.

"Is she right!? Such a hateful bear... You deserve to die a thousand deaths...!" Monomi scolded.

"A thousand, you say? If I died that many times... I might actually stay dead, you know..." Monokuma denoted, his words dripping in mock innocence.

"Shut up! You guys just stay quiet!!" Mahiru yelled angrily.

"I couldn't have prevented the blackout even if I was in the office. But even so, I feel regret." Peko muttered, solemn filled. "If I was in the office, I could've reset the breaker in time... And maybe the murder wouldn't have occurred..."

"No, the breaker in the office was built into a high area of the wall that's impossible to reach... Resetting the breaker in that darkness would've been impossible, no matter what." Nagito informed.

"...Sounds like you don't need to blame yourself." Fuyuhiko said.

"Even so, the killer is so sly... I'm starting to worry we may never actually find them." Hiyoko uttered.

"It's alright. You don't have to worry." Nagito smiled. "Because...they're just a petty killer, right? They can't defeat symbols of hope like you guys!"

"...Huh?" You mumbled.

"There's no way everybody will lose now. This little incident will just be a stepping stone for you all." Nagito said happily. "In the end, hope always wins! That's what I believe!"

"N-Nagito...? Wh-What happened to you?" Hajime stuttered.

"Huh? What do you mean?" He questioned.

"You're acting completely different..." You remarked. "This whole time you've been talking about how there's no way a killer could be amongst us... But now you've changed, saying that they're no match for...symbols of hope...? What's going on?"

"Hm? Oh... It doesn't matter. For now, let's just put that aside and talk about the incident." Nagito said, slyly redirecting the conversation. "For now...we found out how the blackout occurred, but the question is *who* caused it, right?" He said. "Anybody could've hid and set the timers for the air conditioners... Setting up the irons in the storage room could've been done before Byakuya set foot in the old building... What a shame. Any one of us is capable of that."

"...Is he fucking outing himself??" You questioned in shock, as you stared at the lucky student in shriveled eyes. "I knew I had my suspicions on Nagito, but this... This is doing way too much." Nagito seemed to have noticed your staring, for he made eye contact with you, with his simple smile still on his facial facsimile, his eyes looked so innocent on the outside, but it's like they were taunting you, saying'I know what you're thinking...'

"...What are you implying?" Fuyuhiko asked, getting annoyed.

"He's just saying...after all this time, we still haven't made any progress!" Hiyoko whined.

"Huh? Even though we have been arguing for so long?" Sonia professed, breaking into a sweat.

"Unfortunately... It's the truth." Nagito lied effortlessly. "Despite the fact that we've discussed this at length, there's not even one clue that leads to the killer... But that might be because...there's no way any of us could be a killer."

"So you're switching up again? What the fuck is going through your head right now, Nagito?" You exasperatedly questioned.

"Anyway... I have an idea about what we should all do at this point." He dismissed. "...Has anyone thought about our situation like this?" He started. "Instead of surviving by doubting others, isn't it better to get killed for believing in others?"

"D-Doesn't that mean...? Are you saying we should all just give up and die?" Ibuki screeched.

"Nagito! There's definitely something wrong with you!" Hajime exclaimed.

Nagito chuckled. "Haha... You guys only think there's something wrong with me because there's something wrong with *you*." He stated. "Suspecting each other like this... There's no way that's healthy behavior... Let's stop this already! We don't have to find out who the killer is!" Nagito said. "I can't stand this anymore! I don't want to do this to my friends!"

"I...I don't want to do this either..." Teruteru uttered.

"M-Me too! Please... Take me home already!" Mikan professed.

"Waaaaaaaah! I wanna go home and eat candy!" Hiyoko cried.

"S-Stop it... If everyone acts like this...I-I'm gonna..." Mahiru started, but trailed off.

"E-Everyone calm down!" Hajime exclaimed.

"We're all friends...aren't we? There's no way one friend would murder another..." Nagito sighed.

"Then why is Byakuya dead right now!?" You exclaimed, your patience wearing thin with Nagito.

"Who cares...? Let's just give up already..." He said, plainly. "There are no clues that lead to the killer anyway... Not a single one..."

"That's wrong!" Chiaki yelled softly. "...I think."

"Chiaki honey please get a better catchphrase-"

"...Did you say something?" Nagito asked.

"Cuz...we've already found a clue that might point to who the killer is." Chiaki informed.

"A clue, you say?" Gundam muttered.

"You know who the killer is?" Akane asked, surprised.

"The killer? I dunno... But we do have a clue about a suspicious person... I think." Chiaki said, as she fiddled with the hood of her sweater. You smiled, knowing that there was a lot of evidence yet to be uncovered... And that maybe, just maybe... Chiaki had caught on to Nagito's words, as you did, yourself.

"I see... Then care to tell me? What's this clue you're talking about?" Nagito prompted, as his expression brightened.

"First of all, let's try thinking about how the killer was able to obtain the knife during the blackout." Chiaki said.

"Didn't we already cover that? They used the glowing paint as a mark." Nagito muttered.

"No, not that... I mean, before that." Chiaki added quickly.

"...If we examine the situation, then we can figure out how it happened." You said, as you turned toward the Ultimate Photographer. "Hey, Mahiru?" She looked up. "Do you have the diagram I asked you to make?"

"The diagram of where everyone was standing before the blackout, right? Um... Here it is..." Mahiru said, as she fished it out of her pocket. 

"I knew this diagram would come in useful...! Let's see..." You thought, as you eyed the piece of paper Mahiru was holding. "The table Byakuya died under it in the back right corner of the dining hall. The furthest right food table contains me, Hajime, Ibuki, and Sonia... I'm closest to the table in the way it's shown by the diagram, but it'd still be too far for me to find my way there in the dark, despite the fact I would only need to take some steps back... Wait..." Your eyes widened as you came to a small realization. "This person was closest to the table... And they have a clear shot way of making their way to it, too!"

You stood back up into your stand as you finished examining Mahiru's diagram. But, first, you had to figure out what was their clear shot way of making it to the table...and it was pretty simple.

"The killer had to have used the desk lamp to maneuver their way to the table in the dark." You said.

"The desk lamp...? I hope you don't mean they turned on a light or something." Nagito muttered.

"I apologize for my rebuttal, Angel, but... It was a blackout, there's no way the killer could've used the desk lamp." Gundam argued from your left.

"Well, obviously, the killer couldn't have used the desk lamp... That's not what I mean!" You exclaimed. "I'm saying they used the power cord!"

"P-Power cord...?" Mikan quivered.

"They could've felt their way to the table using the power cord... Doing so, the killer managed to move themselves to the table, and with the help of the glowing paint, find the knife." You explained.

"And...there's only one person here who could've done that." Chiaki said softly.

"Wh-Who...?" Teruteru stuttered.

You took in a deep inhale, slightly apprehensive about your answer. "Nagito..." You started, looking to meet the boy's eyes. "It was you...wasn't it?"

"M-Me!?" Nagito uttered, startled. 

"Based off of everyone's positions before the blackout... the only person even near the power cord was you." You said.

"Which means...the only one who could've felt their way to the table using the power cord was...Nagito!" Nekomaru exclaimed.

"Th-That's just a coincidence!" Nagito strained. "What about (F/N)? I may have been closest to the power cord, b-but she was at the most right table with food, and at the top...! If she had only taken some steps back, s-surely she would've also found her way to the table!"

"While that's still possible, it's really unlikely..." Chiaki said. "And even so... You were one of the only people with a chance, right? A chance to hide the knife under the table..."

"Yeah... Nagito, you were the one cleaning the dining hall all morning... And that's where your chance was when hiding the knife." You stated

"Th-Thats...!" Nagito stuttered, before being swiftly interrupted by Hajime.

"If you factor in the power cord and the time you spent cleaning, you're the only one who could've done it!" He yelled.

"S-Seriously, that's all just a coincidence!" Nagito insisted.

"If it was just one coincidence, it'd be fine... But when it's one right after another..." Chiaki stated. "I wonder... Is something like that even possible?"

"Could it be...? Did you give yourself cleaning duty on purpose so you could hide the knife under the table...?" Mahiru questioned, a confused, angry look morphed onto her face.

"Now that you mention it... Nagito did prepare the drawing to pick who cleaned the dining hall..." Nekomaru uttered.

"You rigged the drawing didn't you? That's how you got picked to clean the dining hall, isn't it?" Mahiru accused, as Nagito stayed silent.

"...I don't know if you're the killer or not, but... Regardless, it proves that you're suspicious, right?" Chiaki piped.

"Gh...gh-gh...!" Nagito kept straining.

"If that's the case... That strange speech you made earlier... That was part of your plan, too..." Nekomaru spoke.

"You got us to lower our guard and tried to hide the fact that you did it, didn't you, motherfucker!?" Fuyuhiko seethed.

"Ngh...ngh...!" Nagito gaped.

"Nagito, tell me you object to this... Frankly, I don't want to believe it either..." Hajime mumbled. "We investigated together... You were so kind... I can't believe you're the one who killed Byakuya..."

"But...was he really the one who killed Byakuya...? All the uncovered evidence is pointing in Nagito's direction, and I may have been suspicious of him during the investigation...but, it doesn't feel...right..." You thought, as you bit your lip with stress, all while Nagito kept uttering noises of shock. You looked towards him, dead in his eyes.

"Nagito..." You started, eyes filled with apprehension, and seriousness at the same time.

"Say something."

Nagito had a few more gapes of shock...

Before it turned into small chuckling...

To full on manic laughter.

All the while, you and everyone around you had your eyes widen at the white haired boy, as he hugged himself, almost euphorically.

"The Ultimate's are working together to combat the despair of their friend's death!" He divulged. "Ah, how wonderful, how beautiful it is!"

"What the fuck..." You mumbled softly, making eye contact with Nagito.

Those muddy green-gray eyes... Those were not the eyes of the Nagito Komaeda you had met the first day of your school trip. The underlying dark tones had risen to the top, and were on full display. It was a meld of different tones and emotions... As if the hope that nobody would kill each other, and the despair of Byakuya's body discovery had melted together in a tar of a crude mix.

"Let's cut to the chase... You're correct! It was my doing all along!" Nagito confessed. "I'm the one who hid the knife under the table before the party started. I'm the one who used the power cord to find my way to the table in the dark. And of course, I'm the one who caused the blackout... After all, there's no way I'd knowingly whip out a knife in front of everyone, right?"

"I-Is it just me or...does he seem a little nuts right now?" Ibuki questioned, apprehensively glancing at the male beside her.

"But... I never expected Byakuya to have night-vision goggles..." Nagito mentioned. "Because of that, we had ourselves a little scuffle under the table...and, well, you all saw how that played out. But with a twist ending like this, I think we can all agree this ended up being a very interesting mystery. Hahaha! Byakuya performed admirably!"

"J-Just stop it already...! Seriously...what the hell happened to you!?" Kazuichi yelled, basically horrified.

"Don't tell me... Is this your true nature? Were you lying to us this entire time?" Mahiru uttered.

"Me, lie? That's outrageous! There's no way someone like me could ever lie to you guys!" Nagito professed. "I understand better than anyone else that I'm ultimately worthless. I'm too arrogant to have dreams or cling to hope... I'm too disdainful to actually try at anything... I've made peace with the fact that I'm a lowly, stupid, insignificant human who can't do anything right."

"Holy crap! He's *totally* the type of guy who spent his childhood killing neighborhood pets!" Ibuki exclaimed. As much as you wanted to laugh at what she said, there was something still so very off about Nagito's whole confession.

"He seems like the sort of person who's eyes light up while watching 'Friday the Thirteenth'... Just like me." Sonia said.

"Th-That's quite the hobby you have there... But, like, now's not really the time to bring it up..." Kazuichi said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Hey Nagito... If you were behind all of this, then did you also send that threatening letter...?" Nekomaru asked.

"Yep, I sure did." Nagito responded. "There's nobody else on this island whose handwriting is *that* painful to look at, right?"

"But why would you send a threatening letter in the first place?" Hiyoko asked, almost angry.

"I think...somewhere deep in my heart... I was probably hoping to find someone who would stop my evil deeds." Nagito professed, leaving you more confused. "...Well, I bet if that really was my reason, at least some of you would feel sorry for me."

"Are you makin' fun of us!?" Akane growled.

"By threatening Byakuya, Nagito was likely able to manipulate his actions." Chiaki said. "In doing so, Nagito was able to manipulate everyone to the scene where the murder would occur... Am I wrong?"

"That reminds me... Nagito was the one who suggested I guard the office." Peko spoke up.

"Oh, I get it. If Peko was guarding the storage room, Nagito wouldn't have been able to use the irons." Hiyoko pieced together. 

"The threatening letter, along with all your suggestions... It was a trap to manipulate us." Peko stated.

"Yep, that's true too! ...But you're wrong about one thing." Nagito said.

"H-Huh? Wh-Wh-What...?" Mikan stuttered, slightly quivering where she stood.

"I didn't need to rig the drawing for cleaning duty, you know." Nagito mused.

"If that's true, then how did you continently get picked for cleaning duty!?" Mahiru questioned.

"I see... Well, there's no way I'd expect you to remember it. A worthless talent for a worthless human..." Nagito muttered.

"...The Ultimate Lucky Student." You spoke out, after having been silent for a while. "That's your talent, Nagito, which that means you..." You trailed off, as Nagito decided to finish your sentance.

"That's right. I just trusted my luck. I trusted I'd be picked for cleaning duty." He smiled.

"Y-You just relied on your luck?" Teruteru uttered.

"I knew something was up when I kept volunteering to do the cleaning myself, you still decided to go with the drawing..." You hummed. "Despite the fact that I volunteered to do it all, and even offered to help. You said that the drawing chose you, and that's why you should do the cleaning. If I was there at all, your plans would've been ruined."

"Ah, you're absolutely right." Nagito said. "At the time, Hajime said I wasn't lucky... But it was actually the opposite... I *was* lucky! That's why I got picked for cleaning duty, just like I wanted!"

"E-Enough! I don't care about that anymore...!" Hajime exclaimed. "More importantly, why did you kill Byakuya!? Answer me!"

"Byakuya was a very capable leader... For someone like him to get killed... Oh, the despair it brings..." Nagito trailed off. "It's only fitting that you symbols of hope should use his death as a stepping stone to shine even brighter. That was my only motivation!" He professed.

"Y-You're not making any sense!" Nekomaru strained.

"It's fine... Let's start the damn vote already! I'm ready to fucking kill this psycho!" Fuyuhiko signified, shaking his fist.

"Please, Monokuma!" Ibuki wailed. 

"Is this really the right move??" You questioned inwardly. "I know Nagito basically just admitted to doing all of this. To the knife, to the irons, to the drawing, but none of this feels...right...! I was suspicious of  Nagito for a while, especially when he was dropping some massive hints, but...him 'killing' Byakuya seems... out of reach!"

As more and more people started telling Monokuma to start the voting, anxiety was racking higher and higher inside your body. If voting really did start...you'd probably have to vote Nagito, despite what your gut was telling you. Monokuma was about to start the voting, until...

"P-P-Please wait!"

~~

CLIFFHANGER AHAHAHASLSKJHD

IM SORRY I FELT LIKE I HAVENT UPLOADED IN SO LONG

i promise to get part two of this class trial as soon as i can, however, i do have midterms for a week so the update might come a liiittllleee later than i would like it to, i hope you guys can forgive me!

(this is literally proof i kin mikan even though i forreal kinfirmed her today🧍🏻‍♀️ ahaha)

please, don't give up on me, remember to vote/follow if you enjoyed, and stay tuned for pt2!! bye bye for now~!