Aisho Tatsuo's POV:

We clambered into the elevator again. This time, for Reiko Muranaka. Reiko, who had taken the responsibility of being a leader upon her own shoulders. Reiko, who cared to wake us up every morning. Reiko, who put others before herself.

Reiko, who was gone. I still couldn't believe it.

I shook my head and looked around the elevator at my fellow classmates. Isamu wasn't even looking up, Akira and Maya seemed to have a look of determination plastered on their faces. It was strange enough, seeing as Akira isn't usually one to be focused.

Everyone else, however, had a look of fear on their face. I turned to Monomi and remembered what I had to ask her. I pulled the ring and necklace out of my bag and walked over to her.

"Hey... Monomi. Do you know what these are?" I asked. She nodded. "These are the two items Takeo and Aimi wanted the mostest!" She said. "I'm not sure what the ring is for, but Aimi's necklace was from her mother! Where exactly did you find these?" I frowned.

"I found them after the last trial." I told her. She sighed. "I think you should hold onto those Aisho." She said. I nodded and walked back to the front of the elevator.

Akiko Akiyama's POV:

The doors finally opened.

There was no way any of us could murder each other under normal circumstances. But this wasn't normal. None of this was. I had noticed some small things during my investigation, such as finding a list of allergies hidden in the convenience store.

Was Reiko really allergic to orange soda? That's the only explanation. I stood at my podium and looked down. I had to try here. I had to figure out the killer.

I looked up from my podium as Aisho began to speak. "So... which one of you bastards did it... huh?" He was one to wear his heart on his sleeve, but he'd never shown this much emotion, especially in a trial. It showed his anger, and his pain. His eyes showed his determination. "Don't just stand there, FUCKING ANSWER ME!" He screamed.

"Upupupu... things just started and they're already intense!" Monokuma laughed. "Hey kids, did you hear about the fire at the circus?"

Kazuko frowned. "There was a fire?" She asked. Monokuma started laughing. "Lets just say it was IN TENTS!"

We collectively groaned.

"Moving on." Maya said. "We know that Reiko died this morning after surviving all night in the convenience store. We have no clue what time she was assaulted, nor does it say in the Monokuma File."

"I think it's safe to say the scissors had something to do with her death." Mitsuo said. "She bled out through her leg."

I wasn't so sure if that was right, but it was all I had, minus her allergy to orange soda. "If she died from bleeding out, why didn't she die earlier?" Katashi asked. I wasn't even sure on that...

"Guys we have a bigger problem." I said. "Why was there paracord at the scene of her death? It looked like it was cut, in my opinion." I waited to hear anyone's theories.

Maya Shinohara's POV:

"What if... she was originally attacked with the paracord?" I said. Katashi frowned. "What does that even mean? Didn't you see the giant thing of paracord at the crime scene? It was all rolled up." He said.

"NOT EXACTLY!" Aisho yelled. "Hey, Maya. didn't you and Isamu find a piece of paracord that was cut off the roll at the crime scene?" He asked. Now that I thought about it... there was a decent length of rope that got stuck to Isamu's shoe.

"Yeah. We did. If the culprit cut a length of the rope off, they could've attempted to strangle Reiko with it..." I stated.

"OH HELL NO! I AIN'T GONNA JUST ACCEPT THAT!" Katashi yelled. "There's no way that shit was used as a weapon!" He yelled.

"Why not?" I yelled back. "It could've just been cut off the roll."

"If that's the case... then how did Reiko manage to get the fucking rope from around her neck?" Katashi yelled.

Shit. I didn't know.

"Also, you can't say she broke the rope or whatever! It's paracord. It's unbreakable!" He yelled.

Well, he's got a point... but maybe she-

"THEREFORE, THAT PARACORD HAD TO BE A COINCIDENCE!" Katashi yelled. "THERES NO WAY SHE COULD'VE GOTTEN THE ROPE FROM AROUND HER NECK!"

I got it.

"YOU'RE WRONG!" I yelled. "She could've cut the rope!" I said. He stepped back.

"How could she even cut the rope? There was nothing at the crime scene she could've used!" Katashi said.

"THAT'S WRONG!" I yelled.

"Hey, what could she have even used?" Akira asked. I looked around at everyone, before my eyes rested on Reiko's picture.

"She used the scissors." I said. "She grabbed them off the shelve when her attacker began to strangle her... and she cut the rope with the scissors."

"Then how did they end up in her leg?" Isamu asked.

"Obviously, the killer took them from her." Toshio said. Kumiko nodded. "That's the only thing I can think of." She said. "Plus, we couldn't see her neck because of the paint that covered the crime scene, so we don't know if it left a bruise." She said.

"I kinda want to talk about that." Reginald said. "Why did the culprit cover her with paint?" He asked.

"Well..." I began.

???'s POV:

Hah. They got the part about the rope perfectly. She cut that damn rope with her flower scissors or whatever and I took the scissors from her. Simple.

Maya was being a pain in my ass. She knew exactly what the hell happened, and it made me wish I had targeted her instead.

But these idiots would never actually understand the paint completely, though. That was my own thing. And monsters can't be understood by people.

Aisho Tatsuo's POV:

I looked at Maya as she began to think. Why DID the killer cover her with paint? I mean, it's so out of place... almost like it wasn't supposed to happen...

"Hey, is it a possibility the paint was unintentional?" I asked. Maya gasped. "That'd make sense! If she and her attacker got into a fight, it's possible that she hit the jar of paint, and it fell, covering her with paint!"

"Hey wait, could it be that after the orange soda was poured on her, then the paint fell?" Maya asked. I frowned. "Why's that?" I asked.

"Well, the soda would've most likely cleaned the paint off her." Maya said. "And the paint didn't look like it had run off anywhere."

"Exactly!" I yelled. "Now, we gotta find out the bastard who did it." I was ready. I wanted justice... if only there was someone who devoted their entire life to justice...

"Hey, Aisho. I have proof that backs up that theory." Maya said. I looked at her.

"When me and Isamu were investigating, I found a bloodstain on the side of the aisle, hinting at a possible struggle. Isamu tested it, and since him and Reiko are about the same height, I concluded the hit could've partially stunned her, or cut into her back." She said. I nodded.

"So, let me see if I understand what happened." Kazuko said. "Reiko-sama was attacked from behind while in the convenience store..."

"Someone snuck up behind her with a piece of paracord rope..." Reginald said.

Toshio spoke up. "Then, while she was turned around, they started to strangle her with it."

"She- She grabbed the scissors, and cut the rope." Akira said

"Then, the attacker slammed her against the side of the aisle, causing that gash in her back." Isamu said.

"Then, when she fell on the ground, the culprit poured soda on her, having found out her allergy from the small allergy card me and Akira found." Maya said.

"Then, they most likely hit the aisle, causing the paint to fall beside Reiko, which covered her in paint." Hotaru said.

"Then, they stabbed the scissors in her leg, most likely as some kind of sick torture." Hoshimi said.

"And after trying to hide the evidence, the killer left. But they didn't make sure Reiko was dead." I said.

"DAMMIT! Nothing points to the killer!" I yelled. Wait. Paracord.

"Hey, Hoshimi. You're the Ultimate Pilot, right?" I asked. She nodded.

"Uh, why?" She asked. "Because, paracord is often used as the strings for parachutes, and you said it yourself, you always carry your parachute around with you."

"Hey, Aisho, don't forget that the paracord was cut from the roll at the store." Hotaru said.

Oh, right.

Maya Shinohara's POV:

"Hey, Maya. Didn't we find a piece of paper that told everyone's allergies on it?" Akira asked. I nodded.

"Hey, what the hell is she talking about?" Isamu asked. I pulled the small piece of paper out of my pocket. "When Akira cut her finger open-" Akira held up her finger, which had a bandage taped around it. "We found a small box that was badly fixed with tape. When we looked in it, we found this piece of paper. It tells what everyone is allergic to."

"So, why is it a clue?" Katashi asked.

"Well, think about what her body looked like when we found her." Hotaru said. "Her face and neck were swollen pretty bad."

"And her voice when I found it was raspy. It was kinda like she couldn't talk." Aisho said. "Wait... could that be why the culprit poured the soda on her? To make it to where she couldn't talk?"

"If she could talk, she'd be able to say the culprit's name." Isamu said. "So the culprit took the bottle of soda from the cooler..."

"And forced her to drink it, or pour it on her. Either one." Akira mumbled.

"And then, she couldn't reveal who it was." I concluded.

After a moment of silence, Isamu yelled out. "This is hopeless, we'll never figure it out with such little evidence!"

I need to think. I gotta concentrate. Maybe they slipped up.

"I mean, it's over. There's no more clues." Isamu said. "Nothing that points to the killer."

With a loud sigh I looked at him. "That's a lie Isamu." He tensed up. "W-What?"

"Earlier you said 'So the culprit took the bottle of soda from the cooler.'" I said. "We never said anything about where the killer got the soda from."

"That was just an assumption." Isamu said, scratching the back of his head.

"That was way too specific for you to know." I said. "If you didn't know where they got the soda from, you wouldn't have said it came from the freezer."

"I'm telling you it was just an accident. I never even meant to say that!" Isamu yelled. He seemed to be getting angry. Maybe if I keep poking at him...

"Isamu, it makes sense. You're the Ultimate Rock Climber..." I said.

"That doesn't mean anything!" He yelled.

"So you'd use paracord." I said. "It'd be perfect for rock climbing."

"What logic is that?" He asked. "What about the pilot? She could have done it too!" He yelled.

"'Could have done it' and 'did do it' are completely different!" I yelled. He gripped the podium in front of him so hard his knuckles turned white.

"I'LL TELL YOU ONE LAST TIME. I WAS NOT IN THE CONVENIENCE STORE AT 9 LAST NIGHT, AND I DIDN'T KILL RIEKO." He yelled. There it was. Even Reginald looked up.

"Hey... did you hear that Aisho?" Reginald asked. I nodded.

"Isamu. The time of the attack was missing from the Monokuma File." I said. "You've all but admitted your crime."

"THAT'S A FUCKING LIE!" He yelled.

"What?" I asked. He frowned. "That was an assumption, just like how I assumed the killer got the soda from the cooler." Isamu said.

"You say it's an assumption, but it's way too specific." Reginald said.

"Yeah, you can't assume both of those things. The soda would've been believable..." Akira said.

"But to also assume what her time of death was..." Akiko said.

"You'd have to have been there and knew the time." Maya said.

"So admit it! We solved this crime!" I yelled.

Isamu looked at everyone and did the last thing we expected. He started laughing. "Wow. I guess you do have a point." He yelled. "But I think I should ask you this, Aisho. How did I do it? What are the events that took place?" He asked.

I frowned. This sadistic asshole wanted me to recount my crush's murder? I'll fucking do it.

"For some reason, Reiko was in the convenience store last night. That's when the culprit saw her and decided to act. While she had her back turned, they took a piece of the paracord and cut it off with the scissors." I began. I frowned and began to speak again.

"T-They snuck up behind her, quietly sat the scissors somewhere she couldn't grab, and began to strangle her." I said, stuttering. "S-She grabbed the scissors anyways, and cut the rope. The killer got angry with her and slammed her into the metal aisle before throwing her on the ground." I said.

"Then, before she could move, the killer checked the list of allergies. They grabbed a bottle of orange soda from the cooler in the back and poured it on her." I said. "Or maybe they forced her to drink it..." I shivered at the thought.

"T-Then. As the killer stood up, they hit the aisle, causing the paint to fall. It broke around her, and covered her with paint." I explained. "Then, for good measure, the killer stabbed her in the leg with the scissors, preventing her from moving." I said.

"They hid the evidence in plain sight, hoping not to get caught." I said. This was it. It was the only logical answer. "The killer wouldn't have got caught if they didn't slip up, but he made his fatal mistake. A mistake that pointed at Isamu Ishihara being the killer!" I yelled.

"Bravo. That was very accurate." Isamu said. So he did do it.

Maya Shinohara's POV:

"Get this." Isamu said. Man, I still couldn't believe he did it. "So I met up with Reiko last night at the convenience store. I told her it was super important. Anyways, while she was there, I tried to get her to agree to be my accomplice. If I killed Aisho, and she killed Maya, we'd both be free. They're the powerhouses of these things."

I wasn't sure if I should feel horrified or complimented.

"Anyways, she refused, talking about how she loved Aisho or whatever, so I decided to off her before she ratted me out." He said. So, she really did like Aisho.

"Basically everything else you said is true though Aisho." Isamu said. "That paint though wasn't an accident. It made that kill a work of art!" Isamu yelled. The more he talked, the more his demeanor changed. He now looked... possessed.

"So I did it. No real motive or anything." He turned his head to look at Monokuma. "Can we do this thing?" He asked. Before he could turn around, he fell to the floor. I looked to see what happened.

Aisho kicked his back. "You BASTARD." He said, kicking him again. "You took her away. She was the most important person here to me!" He said, kicking harder. Reginald and Katashi ran over and grabbed him. He flailed in their arms. "Let me go!" He yelled, elbowing Katashi's nose.

With a grunt Isamu stood up. "I deserved that." He said. "Anyways Monokuma, let's start this. There's no vote needed. I'll admit what I did. It was me." He said.

Monokuma nodded and grabbed his hammer. Before he could hit his button, Monomi jumped out from behind his chair and grabbed it. "NO NO!" She yelled. "No more violence!"

Monokuma simply swatted her away. "I'll deal with you later." He said. "Now the, I've prepared a very special punishment for the Ultimate Rock Climber, Isamu Ishihara!" Monokuma laughed.

Isamu grinned, his face looking like that of a monster.

"Let's give it everything we've got! It's punishment time!" Monokuma said. He  slammed the mallet on the red button and the screen turned black.

A pixelated version of Isamu appeared as a pixel Monokuma dragged him away. The words "Congrats, Isamu Ishihara was determined as the blackened. Punishment will now ensue." flashed on the screen.

Isamu Ishihara appeared at the bottom of what appeared to be a giant gorge. He looked down and noticed the harness he had on, which had a strip of paracord that ran up to the top of the mountain.

We had taken our spots in front of the room. He was caged off, and with no way in or out, we couldn't help him. We stood as far away as we could. Most of us. Aisho Tatsuo stood at the front of the group. His nose was almost touching the gate.

He looked down and gasped as he noticed the rising spikes underneath him. He jumped and grabbed the rock wall beside him. He began to climb higher and higher, without stopping once. However, the spikes seemed to be gaining on him.

The creepiest part was the lack of music. Last time, we had some weird song playing. This time... utter silence.

He made it to the top of the gorge and cheered as the spikes began to lower themselves. That's when a chunk of the mountain broke. He screamed as he fell to the bottom of the ravine. Just before he made contact with the spikes, the rope above caught him.

He sighed in relief. "I'm safe..." He mumbled. He looked up and noticed a large boulder being rolled off by Monokuma. "No no no!" He screamed. "NO!"

The boulder fell and hit him, slamming him into the spikes. Just as his body made contact, the lights flickered. A large wave of blood poured out and covered Aisho. He didn't seem affected, though.

The rest of us screamed. Akira almost knocked me over, trying to get away from the pool of blood.

It wasn't the execution that horrified me, and it was the blood. It was the look on Aisho's face when he turned around.  He looked terrifying. He had an unnatural grin as a large spot of blood was splattered on his face.

He looked like a monster.