[A/N] I'm gonna drop a content warning here. Obviously there's a lot of gore, but if you're squeamish, I'd seriously recommend avoiding the paragraph directly after the truth bullet position of the body. I almost managed to squirm myself out this time.

Wakumi

The common sayin' is that dead men tell no tales. N' obviously the meanin' is that a man blown down won't be blabbin' any o' yer secrets anytime soon, but I think I came ta realize somethin' while bein' here. All dead men tell tales. Just not with their words. They tell tales o' their own last moments, n' it's e'eryone else's job ta figure it out. Normally, I wouldn't care much ta hear the tales o' those who've fed the fish, but me life is on the line here.

The laddie's body ain't what ye'd typically expect. Not that ye'd expect anythin' in particular from a corpse in the first place, but 'e's got some oddities. One o' the first things we take notice of is that 'e's directly under the safety net from the wench's tightrope. There ain't any bloody trails, like if 'e was drug o'er under the net. 'E's just... layin' there. 'Is expression is relaxed, though maybe a wee bit upset, eyebrows curled in concern but jaw relaxed. I think I heard that jaws usually clam up real tight in rigor mortis, but it ain't been long enough. 'Is death is real recent. The Monokuma file says so.

TRUTH BULLET: POSITION OF THE BODY

Though 'is expression is relaxed, 'is face is far from "normal." 'E's got bruises 'round 'is eyes n' ears, n' 'is clothes are stained with a clear dribble from 'is nose. It's absolutely nauseatin', e'en fer someone like me with a strong stomach. Ginny died in a very similar way-- the gashes in the back o' their heads are real reminiscent o' one another-- but the pool water kept 'er clean-ish.

The other two boys're squeezin' their eyes shut n' lookin' like they'd rather perish themselves than hafta look at this shit. They're both pretty much tryin' ta ignore the head n' focus on other parts o' the body. "G-Grow a pair, ye lily-livered pansies," I command them.

"You're scared, too. Stop pretending you're not," Gou calls me out.

"Sh-Shut up." I try ta snarl at 'im, but me countenance prolly comes off more as a grimace.

"I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't be here. I was okay being the group looking at the body because I didn't want Ren or Zu to have to do it, but this isn't okay. I'm not okay," Yuu trembles, startin' ta hyperventilate.

"Laddie, turn off yer brain. Think o' it like a shoe. Moisture started soakin' inta a shoe n' ye need ta check it all 'round ta figure out what's wrong n' fix it."

"It's just... a shoe. That's all." 'E hesitantly prys one eye open, squeaks like a wee li'l mouse, n' then forces the other eye open. "Th-Thanks."

Me face scrunches up a bit. "Nah, don't thank me. I'm just tryin' ta get yer ass in line so ye can actually be useful."

"H-Huh. Speaking of shoes... he's not wearing any. I'll be right back." 'E comes back a moment later, Tozen's shoes in hand. "They were left by the door to the rest of the hallway. There's, like, a small, thin piece of plastic in one of them. Like maybe the killer dropped something on accident. How's that for useful?"

TRUTH BULLET: TOZEN'S SHOES

"Aye. Useful enough. Actually, I remember somethin'. Mateys, d'ye remember much 'bout the first case?"

"Of course I do. Poor Hachi," Gou nods.

"Well, 'er neck was broken, just like this. Didn't Keiji say somethin' or another 'bout that bein' a sign o' hangin'?" I ask.

"True... I wasn't really sure if he was lying, since he tampered with the body, but it would make sense if it was the truth."

"Thing is, though, if he died of hanging, I don't think that the back of his skull would be caved in. That seems like a bit of a confounding factor," Yuu points out, tuggin' at 'is silver hair in distress.

"Who knows, though? The Monokuma File didn't specify a cause of death this time," Gou mentions.

"Weird. I don't like when he hides stuff like that, it makes me feel like he's trying to trap us," Yuu responds.

"Whether 'e's runnin' a rig on us or not, we still gotta look at all possible angles o' this case. We got ta a lot o' conclusions by thinkin' stupid first n' figurin' it out from there, savvy?"

Gou nods. "That's right, too... our little 'Crazy Ideas' spiel saved us more than once, so I guess there's no harm in coming up with as many options as we can. We can just sift through stories as we go and separate the possible from the impossible."

Yuu gets called away ta check bloody prints on the stepladder, Ren threatens to jump on inta the safety net, Azumi demonstrates how it oughta be done, n' then she n' Chimon ask questions 'bout the date. There're a few minutes o' chaos 'fore e'erything settles down again.

"...Hm? What's this? There's, like, a small tear in his shirt, down here by the side of his waist. It doesn't look like a normal hole from overuse," Gou says.

"Just a tear?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, there's no blood over by the hole? His skin wasn't pierced or slashed there or anything? I would think that if there was a scuffle or something, not just his shirt would get damaged there."

"No blood there."

TRUTH BULLET: TEAR IN TOZEN'S SHIRT

'E takes a seam ripper outta 'is toolbelt n' stares at it, as if deep in contemplation. "Hey, Fujiko, Ren, have you found anything sharp that looks like it might be used? Or maybe some rope?"

"Neither," Ren calls out. "Nothing with any traces of blood or signs of wear at ALL."

Fujiko suddenly shrieks.

"What?! What happened?!" Yuu yells, panicked.

"There's a secret passage over here! All the way in the back row of boxes! I opened this box and it's actually an entrance!"

We all drop what we're doin' n' sprint o'er there. Sure 'nough, the crate's back is non-existent, n' it blends inta the wall. Fujiko takes a nervous step in. "Um, there's, like, not a single itty bit of dust in here!"

"That probably means it was used recently!" Gou calls out in alarm.

TRUTH BULLET: SECRET PASSAGE

"It's really big! We could probably all crawl through and see where it leads if we follow each other!" the wench determines.

"Into the unknown, I guess," Ren nods.

"Wakumi, we oughta stay back and guard the body," Gou points out.

I roll me eyes. "Fiiiiiiiiine. Ye're no fun." Secretly, though, I'm a wee bit grateful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ren

The passage is slanted upwards a bit, and it's almost annoying, because it's a little slick, so crawling diagonally is difficult. Fujiko keeps almost slipping and running into me, and I keep almost slipping and running into Yuu. He and I wind up needing to hike up our pants past our knees and take our respective gloves off so that we have more grip as we move. All in all, it's a frustrating endeavor. It's hard to know exactly where we are in the building-- between which walls are we crawling?

The strange gets even stranger when we arrive in a room that was never unlocked to us. "Where... are we?" Fujiko asks.

"Good question," I respond.

The place is lit in a cool-toned blue light. And it's no wonder. One of the walls is entirely a giant monitor of sorts. It's just a blank screen, as of now, and it doesn't seem like we can figure out a way to operate it. It's eerily quiet in here, and it feels like all of us are afraid to move.

"We... should... get the others," Yuu murmurs. His entire body is on-edge. I don't blame him.

"Mhm!" Fujiko agrees frantically as soon as he offers the suggestion. As she nods, her blonde hair bounces slightly from the force.

The trip down is far better than the trip back up-- it's like a slide, so it's significantly easier. The trip back up, now with Chimon, Azumi, Wakumi, and Gou travelling with us? Fucking hell. We literally have to strategically order who goes in what order; if we accidentally create a chain reaction and knock each other down, it's better to have someone like Gou or Wakumi in the back since they can handle more weight than someone as small as Chimon. The tunnel gets a little more slippery with our sweat, and it heats up uncomfortably. "Nari would've fucking hated this," I note, "I fucking hate this, and I'm not claustrophic."

"Less chatter, more climbin', ye scallywag!" Wakumi yells from near the back. Her boisterous voice bounces off the sides and top of the opening, echoing.

"Did you truly need to express that at such a bolstered volume?" Azumi complains, getting the full brunt of the noise since she's right in front of Wakumi. Wakumi only snickers with pride as we keep climbing.

The tense atmosphere turns tense for an entirely different reason once we reach the room. The atmosphere frosts over and everybody who'd been bickering can no longer say a single thing.

Eventually, Gou breaks the silence. "Well. We'd better get searching. We only have so much time until we have to start the trial."

Cabinets, desks, the floor, the walls, we go at it. Azumi finds another opening, so she and Yuu climb up to check, reporting that it leads to the playground on the fourth floor.

On the top of one of the desks is a rag that looks like it was used for cleaning. Gou grabs it and inspects it closely, bringing it near to his face. "Oh, shit, that-- that smells like a hospital," he announces.

"Like a hospital?" Chimon questions.

"That sickly sweet sort of smell," he clarifies. Without even having smelled it myself, my body reflexively gags. I do not like hospitals.

Chimon swipes the rag and takes several deep breaths. "Mmm. This is probably chloroform," he identifies, taking a step back to steady himself.

"If you suspected that, why did you breathe so much in?!" I scold.

"It's harder than you'd think to knock someone out with chloroform. It's not like in the movies where you press it to their face real quick and they're out like a light. It takes five minutes minimum, and obviously the victim's gonna struggle. I wanted to make sure it actually WAS chloroform and not just a sweet-smelling cleaning product or something."

"Why do you know of such things so intimately?" Azumi asks, perturbed.

"Kana knew some weird shit."

"Uh-huh. She had a lot of... unique, somewhat scary interests," Fujiko elaborates from where she's searching.

"She was the one who knew that anaphylaxis starts up way quicker than any of us thought it did," Gou recalls.

TRUTH BULLET: CHLOROFORM-SOAKED RAG

I find a bottle of pills stashed in a cabinet.

"Argh, what's that, laddie?" Wakumi asks, making me jump. I cautiously hand it to her.

"We found another pill bottle, lassies n' laddies," she announces, snapping her eyepatch.

"Not this shit again," Yuu groans.

"Aye. Li-sin-o-pril." She articulates each syllable as well as she can, squinting distrustfully at the bottle.

"At least we know what this one is," Gou points out optimistically.

"What ailment does the label claim that it relieves?" Azumi asks.

"High blood pressure. Says 'ere that it tends ta get prescribed after heart issues. No name on the prescription bottle, o' course."

"Do we KNOW anyone with heart issues? Why would this be kept here, instead of the infirmary?" I ask.

"I've not the slightest inkling of an idea," Zu sighs.

TRUTH BULLET: LISINOPRIL

"Oooh, and I just found a weird-looking flashlight. It doesn't work. I'm flipping the switch back and forth and no light's coming out. Should I bring it with us? We could replace the batteries!" Fujiko calls out cheerfully. "It could help for if, like, the power goes out on a floor, like that one time!"

"Yeah, bring it along, Fuji!" Chimon encourages.

TRUTH BULLET: BROKEN FLASHLIGHT

Yuu suddenly screams. "What the fu--?!" I start to ask, but when I look at his face, I can instantly tell that something's not right. He points straight at the screen wall, which, though blank before, now has text.

"WDR: Enough with these lies about a peaceful, boring world. That never has and never will be true. Let's send a shock to everyone's systems. Ready, everyone?"

"WDR... What on Earth have we all gotten ourselves involved in?" Zu asks, fear in her eyes.

The screen suddenly changes to an image of Monokuma. "Hello, everybody! I just wanted to warn you that you only have five minutes left until your investigation concludes! If there's anything you've forgotten to snatch up that you might like to bring, go fetch it, cause you might not get another chance!"

"He really can see us everywhere we go, huh?" Gou sighs. "Even in rooms we aren't supposed to know about."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Azumi

We slide down back into the Warehouse, and though it makes my stomach do a slight flip, my heart is nothing but heavy. "I shall return promptly. I feel as though it would be prudent if I bring the safety net along with us," I inform Chimon. He nods.

Ren is nearby, looking at the bloodied stepladder once more. I have to step behind him to get to one of the hooks with which the safety net is being held. "Pardon me," I ask softly.

"Hm? Oh. Gotcha." He inches out of the way for me.

"Hey, Ren?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, and I hope you are aware of that. When we make it out of here and rejoin the rest of society at long last, I truly hope that you face it courageously. There are many things to fear, but if you ever have need of me, I shall be there."

He smiles at me. "I love you, too. You think I'll actually make it back okay? I honestly never expected to survive this long."

"You shall. I am certain."

"Thanks. You will, too. Though honestly, even if you get out, you'll just get caught by a museum and shown off like the work of art you are," he winks.

"Gracious, I sure hope not! I need to get back to performing. No matter how much stage fright I might possess, it could never be more terrifying than this place." I sigh overdramatically.

He laughs. "Don't forget about me, okay? Like, come by and visit sometimes."

"I will be there at every single one of your shows," I vow.

He embraces me, and I squish him a little more. "First, though," he mentions, "we have to make it through this trial. We'll avenge Tozen, so I should stop distracting you."

My heart race increases in anxiety thinking about yet another trial. We've weathered through so many already. I unhook the other parts of the safety net and tuck it in the bag that we're using to carry things before rushing back to Chimon. "Are you feeling prepared?" I ask him.

"Ha. I never feel prepared for these things. But it feels like we've prepared just as much as we could hope to, so now's not the time for overthinking."

"That is a wise viewpoint, I believe. I keep attempting to remind myself, 'Oh, Azumi, all will be well, all will be well.' I feel as though this place has all but entirely quashed that belief, however," I admit.

"I think you and I spend so much time thinking that we sometimes forget we have agency. You know, we're literally always making choices, all the time. The choice doesn't just have to be waiting for things to get better. If you're not sure that all will be well... try and MAKE it better. I know you're all about personal growth and stuff, but you don't have to be the only thing changing. Change the world, Azumi. And I'm saying this for my benefit, too. If I get home, there's a lot of world I'm gonna have to change."

"I apologize for how I have treated you, Chimon. That is what your talent means to you, yes? It is a chance to change the world when others don't feel capable of it?"

"Yeah, in a way. That was the goal when I first got into the field. Releasing people from their self-imposed limits. But I might be one of the most limited, myself."

"We do the best we can," I remind him.

"That we do. Oh, and, um, I apologize, too. We cool?"

I cannot help but laugh a bit. "We're 'cool.'"

"Allllllrighty guys! Your investigation time is up! It's time to get started on the brilliant and heart-racing class trial! Please report to Meeting Room A as soon as possible! And by that, I mean immediately! We'll use force if necessary! See you soon, my friends!"

"Welp. It's time. Let's go."

The seven of us ascend the rope ladder and wordlessly take our seats in the dreaded, imposing Meeting Room A.

"I'm not gonna have anyone to complain with about the drop this time," Chimon pouts, attempting to keep spirits high.

"Oooh! I can, I can! I may be okay with it, but I can pretend I'm not!" Fujiko eagerly offers.

"Well, then, go for it!" Monokuma cheers, pressing the button to send us hurtling to the ground. As the seconds pass, I count my breaths, trying to convince myself that everything will be okay.

"Ugh, that drop is so terrible. No matter how many times we go through it, I wind up just as freaked out," Chimon whines.

"I know, right?! Super scary! And it makes my hair a mess!" Fujiko chimes in.

"God, I love you," he laughs. She beams at him and blows a kiss.

"Ye're all so fuckin' ridiculous, ye galley slaves," Wakumi groans.

"I can accept that," Gou smiles. "Besides, you know that's what you like about us."

"I don't like any o' ye."

"Sure."

"Now then, let's begin with a simple explanation of the class trial! During the class trial, you will present your arguments for who the killer is, and vote for 'whodunnit.' If you vote correctly, 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 rejoin the rest of society!"

Tozen Chiba was truly a delight to be around. With a heart of service and self-sacrifice, he tirelessly nurtured each one of us. He cared deeply for us even though we all entered this place as strangers, almost to his own detriment at times. But he also held a passionate fire and a drive to make change deep in his soul. He worked harder and had more grit and determination than I could have possibly expected, and he employed it frequently. He told me to always stand back up, no matter how long I might need to rest. I will stand up over and over. I will make choices that change the world, and I will be compassionate in my pursuit. I will chase after what he means to me for the rest of my life.

Because I love him.

I'm done patiently waiting. I'm standing back up.

[A/N] This isn't actually necessary for the trial, but I thought it might be nice to give this to you.