DR SPOILERS.

"O-O-Oh...wh-who..."

"Ding ding dang dang! A body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time, we will hold a Class Trial!"

"Someone call Naegi," Byakuya Togami commanded, although it was hard to keep the slightest quiver out of his voice. Even for him, the sight of the mangled corpse caused his mouth to run dry.

He cast an uncaring glance at the unconscious Touko Fukawa at his feet.

"I got it," a brunette said weakly, having being the one who had stuttered earlier. With robotic, stiff movements, Aoi Asahina left the room in the same manner she did when they had found Sakura Oogami's body.

"What a turn of events..." Byakuya mused. "I never would've expected this.

The thunder of footsteps (along with yelling- no doubt the words of the Ultimate Fortune-Teller, Yasuhiro Hagakure) told him that more company arrived.

There were only six of them left until now (seven if you counted Syo), and the number had dwindled down to five.

"T-Togami!" Makoto Naegi gasped, tripping right before the doorway and landing just before the corpse.

Covering his ears as Makoto screamed, Byakuya nudged the body with the tip of his polished shoes.

"I never would've expected her to die," he commented.

Scrambling to his feet, Makoto teetered dizzily as he tried to wrap his head around this, staring at the body with shocked green-grey eyes.

Kyouko Kirigiri was seated against the wall, her wrists punctured with slits as they were pinned to the wall using the screwdrivers found in the boys' toolkits.

Her lavender hair was stained with long pink streaks and her neck held several bruises in shape of a hand. However, her eyes were closed peacefully and her lips were graced with a small smile, no matter how subtle. Several long slits were visible near her ears, as if someone had cut into her skull.

Already, the corpse had a disgusting stench despite the lavender-y scent Kyouko always had carried.

Her fingers of her right hand had been twisted and broken, and her dark purple gloves had been shredded by deep gashes that also cut into the already-scarred and burnt skin of her naked hands. Her left hand was similar, although her wrist was bent at a strange angle, and a small, crumbled piece of paper was held in her palm.

"Might as well start the investigation," the Ultimate Heir sighed. "Fukawa, stop sleeping."

At her name, Touko shot upright, a long tongue hanging out from between her teeth and her eyes now an eerie red. "Stop confusing me with Miss Gloomy, my White Knight! Here I am, your healthy serial killer, Genocider Syo!"

"Whatever."

"Ki-Kirigiri-san..."

"Kyouko-san..."

"Let's see how worthless Naegi is during the trial without Kirigiri to guide him," Byakuya remarked.

"Aw, Koko's dead? Keeyahaha! How fun!" Genocider Syo giddily twirled her scissors in her fingers.

"Can... can you guys go out for a bit? I... I think I need some time on my own..."

Gaze flicking over to the Ultimate Luckester, Byakuya pursed his lips. "If you are the murderer, what happens if you meddle with the body?"

"I'll stay with him," Aoi volunteered.

His sharp, electric blue eyes flashed to the Swimmer for a moment before giving a nod and gracefully exiting the room, Genocider Syo trailing after him, followed by Yasuhiro.

"... did Kyouko-san know?"

"K-Know what?" Makoto managed out.

She locked her hands behind her back, peering down at him in front of Kyouko's corpse.

"The way you felt about her."

"Wh-When you state it...that way..."

Making little to none alarming movements, Aoi took her time to settle down next to Makoto's side with great care.

"It was the way you behaved around her, and vice versa," she said. "Just like... a warm atmosphere, between you two. I could feel it, I swear."

Silence.

"It wasn't the relationship you had with Sayaka- it was more tr-"

She cut off when Makoto lifted his head from where he had buried it into his arms.

"It was her smile first," he whispered.

"Maybe it was subtle, but I didn't care. It just made me feel warm instead, and then I would realize that I was smiling as well. Then she would make a dry comment about how open I was, and I would laugh sheepishly."

His eyes never left Kyouko's expression, the one that she had died with. "It wasn't like Sayaka. She was never like Sayaka. I was going to tell her tonight, I swore on it. And... now..."

Makoto's voice broke a little at the end. He wasn't used to this.

He wasn't used to the cold stone that had rooted itself in his heart, nor the dark, growing panic and despair that flowed through his veins.

"And... I just... never got to tell her.."