(3rd Person's POV)

CLASS TRIAL...ADJOURNED!

"It's basically a formality at this point, but once again you're totally correct!" Monokuma exclaimed as he spread his arms open. "The blackened this time...the true killer who devised the whole stinkin' scheme, was... Celestia Ludenburg! Or more precisely...Taeko Yasuhiroooo!"

"I lost... Well, that sucks." Celeste sighed. Despite knowing what was going to happen, she treated the situation more like an inconvenience. "I guess trying to work with someone else was a mistake, after all. Yamada's ineptitude was beyond all my calculations."

"So you really did approach Yamada with this plan? But how did you get him to agree?" Kyoko interrogated. "I can't imagine he would have happily agreed to commit murder."

"I'm sure she relied on her specialty--lying." Byakuya assumed.

Celeste smirked. "My specialty? Don't make me laugh. I didn't have to lie to get him to agree."

"Then did you use...you know...?" Kyoko asked.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what she meant. Alter Ego...

"I knew you'd figure it out, Kirigiri. You're absolutely right." Celeste nodded. "To get Yamaada to act as my accomplice... I used "her". For everyone who's still left, I'll avoid mentioning it by name, but it was the one thing Yamada and Taka were both super into."

"Does she mean...?" Makoto trailed off.

"What? What what what!? What are you talking about!?" Monokuma spoke up.

"Don't interrupt. We're in the middle of a very important conversation here." Kyoko said.

"I'm totally out of the loop, as usual. How sad..." Monokuma put his head down in sadness.

"Then you're the one that stole it?" Kyoko turned to Celeste.

"That's right."

"And you used it to drag Yamada into the plan you'd come up with."

"Right again. Last night, after we had our meeting about how it'd disappeared, I paid Yamada a little visit."

---

"Oh, um...what are you doing here?"

"I was hoping I could talk to you. Alone. It is about what was stolen. I know who did it..."

If Hifumi's eyes weren't covered by his classes, they probably be widened at this.

"What...?"

"It was Taka. He stole it."

"What!?"

"And I have proof. Would you like to see it?"

"As it turned out, I'd found a use for the digital camera. I'd taken you-know-what to Taka's room earlier and took pictures of it there. I deleted the picture as soon as I'd shown it to Yamada, of course."

"Grrn... So it WAS him! But how did he do it!? She was supposed to yell if either of us got close to her!"

"You are correct. Which is why Taka forced me to steal it."

Hifumi felt like someone punched the air out of him.

"Whaaaaaat!?"

"Please forgive me. He...he threatened me."

"H-He did...?"

"He came to my room last night unannounced, and then... It's hard for me to even say... He...abused me..."

"What!?"

"And he...he took pictures. He said if I did not do as he asked, he would show them to everyone... So I...I had no choice..."

"Th-That's a crime! An absolute crime! He...! I mean, I knew he'd gone a little crazy, but...! I never imagined he would...would go that far!"

"It was amazing how completely he bought it. Hmhm... I can't express how enjoyable that was."

"I'm about to say something I've never said before in my life... I'm going to kill him! I'm going to f...f...f-fucking kill him!"

Before he could even think about going anywhere, Celeste called out to him.

"Wait, please! If you go now, you will be playing right into his hands!"

"Huh...?"

"Taka is planning to use her...to escape. And he has made you his target..."

"Escape? You don't mean...?"

"Taka is going to try to kill you."

The boy made a face of utter disbelief.

"Wh-Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?"

"And all so he can keep her to himself..."

"Th-That bastard! Bastard bastard bastard BASTARD!"

"Can we allow him to continue with these barbaric acts?"

He furiously shook his head.

"Absolutely not! How could I!? She...she... I have to save heeeeeerr!!!"

"Then...would you like to join with me? It just so happens, I have come up with a plan...

"Huh...?"

"I have devised a way to reclaim what he has stolen, and escape this dreadful school. Hmhm... Hehehehe... "

She made a chuckle, which was hiding a layer of deceit.

"And with that, my flashback concludes..."

...Wait, what.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing..."

---

"Yamada agreed without a second thought. Hmhm." Celeste giggled. "The effect that item had on him was...remarkable. The power of love... Even a love as twisted as that can still drive people mad, it would seem."

"You disgust me..." Hiro took a few steps back from the gambler.

"I have another question for you. Was that strange costume Yamada's creation?" Byakuya asked.

"Yeah. It was a real pain in the butt, too. All I asked him to do was make something to hide the face and general body size. I had no idea he'd make something like...that." Celeste sweatdropped. "But it's my fault for picking him in the first place."

"So...why'd you decide to make me the suspect?" Hiro asked.

"Because you're stupid." Celeste bluntly told him.

"That's it!?"

"And in that regard, I made the right choice. I'm so glad your stupidity surpassed my every expectation." Celeste sickly smiled at him. "Life must have been tough on your parents, though."

"Ooof..." Sora winced.

"I feel like I could cry..." Hiro lamented as he folded his arms.

"But when you were explaining your plan to Yamada, how did you explain the part about him playing dead?" Sakura asked.

"What she's asking is, what was Yamada supposed to do after that, assuming you had actually let him live?" Byakuya clarified.

"That's simple. After he did his part and pretended to be dead, once someone showed up I told him to say he'd been seriously wounded, he was on the verge of death, but he just barely held on." Celeste explained.

"And he really believed that?" Hina looked at her incredulously.

"Well of course, that wasn't all there was to it. As I explained it to Yamada, the plan was... while you were all questioning him about what had happened to him, I was going to murder someone else." Celeste said. "At that point, Yamada would have an alibi, so nobody could doubt him. I told him that, and he believed it."

"It all seems very...straightforward. Stereotypical." Byakuya clicked his tongue.

"I just matched the lie to the level of the opponent." Celeste rationalized while twirling a strand of her hair. "In fact, Yamada ate it up. He believed the lie wholeheartedly, right up until the moment of his death."

"So you had planned to kill him all along!" Sakura exclaimed as she widened her eyes in realization.

"...But of course." Celeste smiled. "There would have been no point to my plan if the one who pretended to be dead did not end up dead himself."

"How can human life mean so little to you...?" Hina glared at her with anger and disgust.

"That's a non-issue. I simply did everything in my power to win." Celeste said.

"Now you sound like Togami!" Hiro exclaimed.

Celeste shook her head. "No, he derives his pleasure from the thrill of the hunt. In that aspect, we are nothing alike."

"Then...what made you take things this far?" Kyoko folded her arms.

"Was it really...just for money?" Hina asked, looking appalled.

"Are you talking about the ten million dollars Monokuma offered us? That is a lot of money, it's true." Celeste admitted. "But that's not all there is to it. From the moment our new life here began, my only thought has been escape."

"B-But...all along you've been saying how we have to accept living here!" Hiro pointed out.

"Obviously that was a lie!" Celeste snapped, showing her angry persona once more.

"Hyah!" Hiro yelped.

"I couldn't take it! I hated it from day one! More than anyone anyone ANYONE else in here! I wanted to get out! Every day was fresh torture! And do you wanna know why? HUH!?"

Jeez, chill out... Sora thought.

"Because...I had a dream. And accepting a life here would have meant nothing less than giving up on my dream forever... And there was no way...that I could ever do that. In the underground world of gambling, I risked my life to make a metaphorical killing. And it was all for that dream..."

"And what was this dream of yours...?" Makoto asked.

"To live in a European castle." Celeste smiled at them.

"...What." Sora deadpanned.

"A c-castle!?" Makoto exclaimed.

"And to gather handsome men from all over the world to server as my butlers-slash-bodyguards." Celeste continued. "I was going to make them dress up like vampires and satisfy my every need. Once I obtained that, I would have created a perfectly aesthetic world of decadence... Living the rest of my life there was my only dream, my only goal... That's what life is all ABOUT!" She shouted. "Combined with my own winnings, Monokuma's ten million dollars would have made that dream a reality. I got right to the edge, but... Unfortunately, my dream has been scattered to the wind. Still, I don't have any regrets. I pursued my dream till the very end, so why would I?"

"You sound so passionate, but...you were really able to kill your own friends for it?" Hina asked, still not letting off the glare she was giving Celeste.

"Are you asking me to feel guilty? That's a pointless endeavor. I think nothing of sacrificing others for my own ends. I feel nothing." Celeste stated. "That's all there is to me. That's what makes me...complete." She then let out a giggle. "Hmhm. Isn't it terrifying how different our values are? There's simply no room for understanding."

"Th-That's what we should be saying. And plus..." Tears started running down Hina's cheeks. "H-How can you be so calm? Don't you realize you're about to die? Why aren't you scared...?"

"Hmph." Celeste scoffed. "My ability to lie is unrivaled, and I take pride in that. It's not just other people--I can even fool my own emotions. The conscious deceives the unconscious."

"And that's why you're not scared?" Makoto asked.

"That's right. I don't fear death. Kill me however you like. But you know, if I could be reincarnated... If I had a choice, then... I think I would like to come back as Marie Antoinette." Celeste said.

"You'd just get executed again..." Hiro pointed out.

"Hmhm. Hehe...hehehe."

She smiled then... And when she did, it looked like a poor effort to force it.

She claimed she could fool her own feelings. But that statement itself...must have been her final lie. And that weak, fake smile...is what betrayed her.

"You all done?" Monokuma spoke up as he jumped up from his throne. "Okay, then let's get rollin'! The blackened disturbed the peace, and must pay the price! Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for...her! The Ultimate Gambler! Let's give it everything we've got! It's...PUNISHMENT TIIIME!"

"I guess I'll let Kirigiri hold on to this." Celeste said as she gave Kyoko a key.

"This is...!"

"Will it really give you the hope you're looking for? I can't say I ever saw it that way... Which is why..." Celeste stopped herself before shaking her head. "Actually, it's not important." She then made another one of her signature smiles. For the last time. "Well then...take care, everyone. Perhaps we'll meet again, in another life."

---

GAME OVER! CELESTE HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!

https://youtu.be/IyFo_q5P6yM

---

It's over... The third execution...was over. Taeko's...no. Celeste's execution was over.

Sora flipped her hair as she apathetically held her arms behind her back. Ciao, Celeste...you'll get no sympathy from me...

"Isn't it just awful? Someone couldn't cut free of their regrets from the outside world, and so more people had to die..." Monokuma lamented. "You guys are still young! You need to place more value on your lives! Jeez... And here I thought you guys were gonna pass the torch of hope to the next generation!"

"Wh-What do I care about hope!? I'll throw it in the trash if you just let me out of here!" Hiro cried.

"You're all the embodiment of hope, whether you like it or not. And it's my destiny to knock you down one by one! It's sad, yes it is. But that reality just can't be avoided." Monokuma said.

"Don't talk like you're not responsible..." Makoto growled as he shot a glare at Monokuma. "How long are you gonna make us keep going through this!? What do you want from us!?"

Monokuma groaned as he lifted his paw up in annoyance. "Kami, I'm so sick of people asking me that! Give it a rest already!" He would then look down at Kyoko. "So anyway... Kirigiri, did I see you get some kind of key-type object from Celeste? So uh...what's the deal with that?"

"..." Kyoko stayed silent as she gripped the key in her gloved hand.

"Huh? What's the matter?" Monokuma tilted his head.

"I'll answer your question, if you answer mine." Kyoko turned and looked straight into the bear. "What did you do? What did you...do to me?"

"...What!?"

"Answer me. What did you do to my body?"

...Context...?

"Uwaaah! Oh man, oh jeez... Oh man, oh jeez! What do you mean, what did I...do!? I-I have no idea...! I don't know anything about it...!"

"..."

All the students looked on in confusion. What are they talking about...?

"Okay, things are getting kinda awkward. I think it's about time I got out of here..." Monokuma said. "Meanwhile, you guys can go on enjoying your school life. If you get lonely, gimme a shout! Not that I'll do anything about it, of course! Puhuhu... See ya!" 

Monokuma waved as he disappeared and left the students depressed and in despair. Although... it wasn't all despair. There was...one small hope.

"Hey, Kiri." Sora spoke up. "Monokuma said it already, but that thing that Celese gave you..."

"Most likely..." Kyoko opened up her hand to reveal the item. "It's the key to one of the dressing room lockers."

"What!? Then that means...!" Hina gasped.

"Celeste probably hid it in there." Byakuya assumed.

"I suppose sometimes it's easiest to miss what's right beneath your nose. Well then, we'd better go check." Sakura advised.

"Good idea." Kyoko nodded.

---

Later...

After that, the students headed to the dressing room, seeing that the key that Kyoko was given was the key to the laptop's locker room, which was where Celeste hid the two A.I.'s.

"I'm going to go on alone from here. Everyone else head to the dining hall." Kyoko spoke up. "I'll check in with you later."

"Why, exactly, are you going alone?" Byakuya narrowed his eyes.

"Do you even have to ask?" Kyoko glanced quickly at the surveillance camera.

"That's not what I meant. Why you? There's still the risk of a spy, you know."

"..." Kyoko stayed silent.

"Then I'll go too." Makoto volunteered.

"You...?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"Please, let me go!" Makoto pleaded.

Byakuya sighed. "...Standing here arguing is going to draw more attention to us." He then turned around. "Hmph. Do whatever you want." He said as he left.

"Thank you, Togami..." Makoto made a warm smile.

"Then it's up to you now."

"I'm gonna go to the dining hall, okay?"

Sakura and Hiro respectively quickly left the dressing room, leaving only Hina and Sora there.

"Huh? So Naegi and Kirigiri are gonna go...together?" She blushed as she squealed. "Ahh! Does that mean what I think it means!? Good luck, Naegi! Girls like her are total pushovers when you show a little backbone!"

Makoto resisted the urged to blush as he tried to forget what she said. He then looked at Sora, who looked quite annoyed with a hint of envy in her face.

"Shirayuki...?" Makoto tilted his head.

"...Well, I guess I'll see you later..." Sora flipped her hair to the side, turned on her heel and walked off.

"Well? Shall we?" Kyoko asked.

"Yeah..." Makoto nodded as the both headed into the dressing room.

---

Later, at nighttime...

"G...gh... Oww..."

Makoto let out a pained groan as he held his head. Apparently, something hit him, and he lost consciousness. That's all he understood. The dull, throbbing pain in his head proved that much at least.

Slowly getting up, he noticed the empty bookshelf in front of him.

...Huh? Empty?

"Gone... It's all gone!"

The yearbooks...the student registry...and...even the note that had fallen on the floor. It's all...gone?

"What does this mean...?" Makoto mumbled.

But his brain refused to do any more work. The insistent pain in Makoto's head began to spread across the rest of his body.

"F-For now... I should go back to my room... Get some rest..."

---

Despite the pain in his head, Makoto managed to make it to the 1st floor of the school.

"Gh... Nng..." Makoto grunted. The father he walked, the more he felt. 

Things are getting blurry... Can't see...in front of me...

THOOM!

"Hm?" Makoto lifted his head up. As if from a vast distance, he heard a sound. It was faint, but undeniable. "That sound... It's coming from...the gym...?"

As Makoto desperately hauled his shaky frame towards the gym, the sound became stronger and stronger.

KRAK! DGAH!

GAGUNK! BAGYAH!

What's going on...? It can't be nothing... Here...in the gym...?

Makoto didn't make a sound as he slowly pushed open the door and peeked inside. The sounds coming from inside, meanwhile, only intensified that much more.

KACHA! BAKYU!

HAGAGYA! PACHING!

Makoto widened his eyes in shock. Before him there raged a battle beyond anything humanly possible. No...one side's not human, that's for sure. But... Regardless, he couldn't stop staring. He forgot to move, or even breathe...

"Why you...! What do you think you're doing?" Monokuma demanded.

"..." Sakura said nothing, only calmly but intensity staring down the monochrome.

"I asked you a question! What's the meaning of this? How dare you defy me...? This wasn't part of the deal!"

The deal...?

"I've made a decision..." Sakura slowly spoke. "I will no longer retreat, no longer compromise, no longer regret... I've made my decision! I'm going... to resist you!"

"Hmm... Okay. But...you do realize what will happen if you go through with this, right?" Monokuma formed a malicious grin. "You haven't forgotten, have you? What I'm holding hostage...?"

"...!?"

What am I looking at...? What am I hearing...? A hostage?

Makoto silently gasped. Then...could it be...? The mastermind's spy is...

Arc 3: A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero! Complete!

Surviving Students: 11/17

To be continued...?