We went once again to our assigned seats, stealing a short glance around us, noticing just how very few of us are left, then started our debate.
It is pretty obvious that this Trial is going to have a terrible ending.
Even so...
Hopefully, it's going to be the best outcome out of a horrible Bad End.

Byakuya: Let's start by talking about the victim. We have an unidentifiable victim... We must make clear who she really was.
Hiro: I thought it was Kirigiri-chi or Raven-chi who died, 'right? I can't accept any other answer!
Toko: Both K...Kirigiri and Black are standing right there, you know...!
Hiro: Wrong! Those are clearly ghosts, 'right?!
Hina: They have legs, though.
Hiro: Um, that's probably because...It's a new ghost model that they've been developing recently!!
Me: And I thought there were limits to being an idiot...
Naegi: Um... Would you accept it if I prove the body couldn't possibly be Kirigiri-san or Raven-san? Let's compare Kirigiri-san's distinguishing features with those of the body.
Hina: Kirigiri-chan's distinguishing features...?
Naegi: Consider her gloves. They can help us solve this mystery. Raven doesn't wear any, so it was obvious it wasn't her.
Byakuya: In that case, shouldn't we also get an explanation for why she wears those gloves in the first place...?
Kyouko: ...Do you know why?
Byakuya: Monokuma told us... There's something on your hands you want no one to see, isn't there?
Me: What a jerk.
Hina: Oh! Speaking of, the body didn't have any gloves on, right?!
Hiro: They must have been burned away in that explosion! It would take more than that to convince me! Don't be tricked by the evil ghost, you guys!! Kirigiri-chi over there is a ghost!
Naegi: That body didn't have any gloves on! She had clip-on nails on her hand, didn't she? It must be very uncomfortable to have gloves on while wearing those kind of nails. In addition, Kirigiri-san wears those gloves in order to hide her hands, doesn't she...? Wouldn't it be strange for someone who wants to hide their hands to wear fake nails?
Hiro: How naive of you! A woman's heart is a complicated thing!
Hina: I think it's you who is naive about how a woman's heart works!
Byakuya: ...How about it, Kirigiri?
Me: You guys are a bunch of insensitive jerks...
Kyouko: Never mind them. I had my gloves specially made to fit the size of my hands, so they wouldn't hinder me in my daily life... If I wore fake nails, I wouldn't even be able to put them on...
Naegi: Is that enough proof? That body never belonged to Kirigiri-san.
Byakuya: Of course it didn't. She's standing right there.
Hiro: So... Who is the victim...? We must identify her..
Byakuya: That's what I've been saying since the beginning. Now you're just turning the conversation around.
Me: You were all being idiots about the nonexistent gloves of the deceased person, but everybody failed to mention the obvious Fenrir organisation tattoo. Can't you see? The body belongs to the Ultimate Soldier, Ikusaba Mukuro, the 18th student that we never actually met and whose existence defies all of Monokuma's rules...Possibly.
Hiro: Wha...!?
Hina: W...Wait a second... Wasn't Mukuro Ikusaba supposed to be the true identity of the mastermind...?
Monokuma: Ahahaha! You seem surprised! But it's just as she said! Raven-chan is completely right! This school trial is the school trial for the murder of Mukuro Ikusaba!!
Me: Yay! Fantastic! Let's unveil the murder mystery of a person we've never fucking met! How fun!
Hina: *sweatdrops* I...Don't know how to react.
Me: Then don't.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sigh, realising how this is going to be so much more difficult, since I'm surrounded by obsolete idiots and ignorant peasants who believe themselves above times.

Hina: W...What are you saying...? Is this a trial for the mastermind's murder...?
Byakuya: Of course not. It means our presupposition that Mukuro Ikusaba is the mastermind was wrong.
Hina: But, she's "Ultimate Despair"... That really sounds like something you'd call a mastermind...
Byakuya: No, it's strange that we called Mukuro Ikusaba "Ultimate Despair" in the first place. No such thing was written in the profile I saw...All it said was that Mukuro Ikusaba is a "Ultimate Soldier", like Black just mentioned.
Me: Tsk. Back at last name basis, Togami? You truly piss me off.
Byakuya: See if I care. So, where did that "Despair" name come from, anyway...? Kyouko Kirigiri... It was you who told that to Naegi, wasn't it?
Me: I think you're missing something important, at that is the fact that you only knew she was the Ultimate Soldier from the file WE gave you.
Hiro: So, did Kirigiri-chi have her information wrong?
Hina: Also, who was that Mukuro Ikusaba person anyway? We've never even seen her, and as soon as she's about to appear she just turns up dead...
Toko: U...Usually, when an important character dies, their death scene is much more carefully depicted...
Byakuya: Which means, she wasn't an important character after all. Mukuro Ikusaba was just like us. A simple participant in this game...
Hina: So, who is the mastermind, if not her...?
Toko: It must be Hope's Peak Academy's headmaster, after all..!
Kyouko: No, the headmaster has nothing to do with it.
Me: You're all so narrow-minded, I swear...
Byakuya: You've been wrong about Ikusaba Mukuro. You could be wrong about that too.
Kyouko: My information... Is not wrong.
Monokuma: Hey, hey! Get it over with! We're in the middle of a trial! You should concentrate on the culprit behind Mukuro Ikusaba's murder! Please refrain from any more private conversations!!
Byakuya: ...Fine. We'll leave the mastermind's identity for later. But, please remember. I will, without fail, reveal who you really are. I swear it on the Togami family name!
Monokuma: My motto is never to take such cheap provocation to heart. Well, then. Let me make one thing clear again, so you bastards don't get confused. This school trial is conducted when a murder takes place between students at this school! I advise you bastards to hammer down this fact into your heads!
Byakuya: In other words, both the victim and the culprit are students.
Hina: So, does that mean one of us killed Mukuro ...?
Hiro: No, it's possible there's a 18th student still in hiding...!
Monokuma: There isn't. There are only 17 high school students participating in this game.
Hina: Seriously?! So, is Mukuro Ikusaba's killer really among us...?!
Toko: W...W...Who is it?! Who killed her...?!
Byakuya: ...Don't get excited. We've narrowed down the suspect list already.
Me: Of course. There's only 3 people who could have done it, considering how your unique neuron works. Naegi, Kyouko and myself, correct? It's always been that way, and the stigma against Kyouko only grew with each day. Besides, nobody knew where we were these days, and it's not like Lemurian brain, Doughnut Brain or whatever the hell Debbie Downer is could have done it, correct? And God Forbid, the Almighty Heir of the Togami Corporation canNOT die here! Ah...Wait, never mind, there is no Togami corp. here, so you're nothing more than a stuck up snob. But do continue this pointless debate anyways.
Byakuya: You insolent nobody! How dare yo-
Me: Yap yap, enough barking, do tell your own side of WHY we are the prime suspects. I'm sure you have a long story to protect your alibi.
Byakuya: Fine, I will explain, but not for you, but for the rest of these idiots.. Yesterday, just after Night Time began, I visited the garden. I know one thing for certain. At that time, there was no dead body over there. In other words, the murder took place after I left the garden.
Me: I guess your arrogance was just too poignant and it killed everything around.
Kyouko: Raven...That's enough.
Me: *sighs* Sorry...
Byakuya: Tsk. After I left, I've been with Hagakure and Fukawa and Asahina at the gymnasium the entire time.
Kyouko: The gymnasium...?
Byakuya: The four of us were busy taking apart Monokuma over there. For caution's sake, we all avoided being alone the entire night. We even went to the bathroom in pairs. In other words, the four of us have an alibi. A perfect alibi.
Kyouko: On the other hand, me, Raven and Naegi-kun have no alibi, and that's why we've been shortlisted as suspects.
Me: What a surprise.
Naegi: ...Um, can I say something? It's about my alibi...
Byakuya: ...Do you have some kind of objection?
Naegi: Before I object... I want to confirm the time period the murder took place at...I think we might find a clue there...
Byakuya: Do as you please. Someone, lend him a hand.
Hiro: I'm with Togami-chi. I can also confirm there was no dead body at the garden last night...I also checked right after Night Time began last evening, which was around 10pm! In other words, the murder took place after 10 o'clock last night.
Hina: That means the murder happened sometime between then and the time we discovered the body, right?...Um, at what time did we discover the body, anyway?
Hiro: The first person to discover the body was Fukawa-chi, when she went to the garden to bring us the pickaxe...
Naegi: It was 9 o'clock when we discovered the body. Fukawa-san said so herself when she went to bring the pickaxe...
Toko: Y...Yeah... It was around 9am...
Naegi: To summarize, we can conclude the murder took place between yesterday evening at 10 and this morning at 9...I... Was already asleep when Night Time began last night. That's why I have no alibi for after 10pm...But, I was with everyone else this morning before 9, wasn't I? I met you at the cafeteria, didn't I? When was that...?
Hina: That's it! It was around 7:30! I checked the time when I entered the cafeteria, so I'm sure that's right!
Hiro: That means Naegi-chi doesn't have an alibi between 10 last night and this morning at 7:30...
Naegi: I think murder didn't take place after 10pm. It was actually much later.
Byakuya: ...Why do you think so?
Naegi: It's the sprinklers at the garden...Those sprinklers are programmed to water the plants every morning at 7:30, aren't they? In other words, if the body was at the garden before 7:30am...Then it's strange that it wasn't completely wet!
Toko: W...Wait a second...! I...I remember it very well...! I...I remember the body being wet... I...It was dripping wet...!
Naegi: Fukawa-san, you've got that wrong.
Toko: W...Wrong...? W...Why am I wrong...? A...Are you going to say it's not the body but my lower mouth that's dripping wet?! I...I won't acknowledge such a dirty insult...!
Me: What the hell is wrong with you?!
Naegi: *shocked* That's not it...! What I'm saying is that the body wasn't wet because of the sprinklers...
Toko: Not because of the sprinklers...? A...Are you trying to deny my very existence by denying the sprinklers...?! I...If you're saying the sprinklers have nothing to do with it... T..T...T...Try proving it!!
Naegi: If we study the state of the body after the explosion, it's obvious it didn't get wet from the sprinklers... Only the top of the body was wet. The bottom was completely dry, wasn't it? If the body had gotten wet because of the sprinklers, it should have been drenched from top to bottom.
Toko: A...A wet top... And a dry bottom...?! What kind of a savage maniac would...!!
Hina: That's it. I can't take her anymore.
Naegi: Let me... Continue my explanation. The reason only the top of the body was wet is...When the body was burning, I threw water at it. I threw the water only at the top half of the body, which was on fire.
Toko: So... You weren't lying when you said it wasn't the sprinklers that got the body wet...
Naegi: Therefore, if the body didn't get wet from the sprinklers, the murder at the botanical garden must have taken place...Sometime after 7:30 in the morning, when the sprinklers turn on! That narrows down the time the murder took place to between 7:30 and 9 o'clock, when we discovered the body.
Hina: But, the time Naegi doesn't have an alibi is between 10pm and 7:30am, isn't it?
Hiro: Which means Naegi-chi couldn't possibly have committed the murder! His alibi is now as good as ours!
Naegi: In that case, the only persons remaining without an alibi are Kirigiri and Raven...
Me: Woawww, congrats, Egg-boi. To think that after 4 Trials, our deduction skills finally rubbed off on you. I applaud your shrewdness.
Byakuya: What do you have to say to defend yourselves?
Me: *shrugs* I have no alibi, that much is sure. As well as that, I and Kyouko stayed apart for quite a long time, so even between us, if one of us killed Mukuro, we'd have no idea for that matter. But hey, congrats, you narrowed it down to only 2 people! You're an incredible leader, Byakuya-chi~!...But there is no way Kyouko is the culprit, I can assure you that much.
Byakuya: And how exactly would you know that?
Me: Because she's the only one who can solve the mystery of this place, and if she gets killed, that's thrown down the garbage for all of us, especially her.
Byakuya: You claim that, and yet, Kirigiri has a motive to kill Ikusaba Mukuro.
Me: Oh, really? Amaze me.
Byakuya: Kirigiri said Ikusaba was "Ultimate Despair". In other words, she thought she was the mastermind. She could have killed Mukuro Ikusaba thinking she's putting an end to everything, couldn't she? But she was wrong... Ikusaba was never the mastermind. That was not according to her plan.
Me: That's where you're wrong. She only TOLD you she was the Ultimate Despair. How many times do I have to repeat myself, dumbass? If it weren't for the documents she gave Naegi, you'd have died like an idiot, having no idea she's the Ultimate Soldier. Better reconsider your arguments next time you decide to open your mouth.
Hina: Ah! I remembered something! There was a knife sticking from the body, right?
Toko: Ah! That knife...!
Hina: Didn't we give that knife to Raven-chan?
Me: *applauds* Congrats, your memory is better than that of a gold fish.

They continued to argue about the cause of death and what the weapon/s used was/were, the explosion and why it occurred, but to be fair, I only stole one glance at Kyouko and I knew what she was planning.
Biting my lip, I close my eyes and start muttering the lyrics of a song my brother used to play when he'd either dance with me or Chisa, on the rare occasions they would both come home.

I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool

Naegi: I'm not defending either of them...But tell me...What happened last night? Why were you in my room, Raven?
Me: ...I saved you.
Naegi: Saved me? What do you mean?
Me: *sighs* That night, Ikusaba Mukuro came into your room to kill you. I was weak last night...I was incredibly exhausted, to say the least, and my legs were doing me no justice. Truth be told...I...I was trying to get to Byakuya's room, to get his help. Have a place to sleep so I wouldn't break any rules, and as well as that, get my pills since they were still locked in my room. I know I gave him the key as a sign of solidarity for Kyouko...But I was also reckless enough to forget about my own well-being. So, as I was walking down the dorm corridors, I noticed someone weird entering your room, and on further inspection, it was that person, who I can only assume is Ikusaba Mukuro. I checked on you to see if you were okay, and since I had the knife at me, I thought that I could at least incapacitate her somehow. I wasn't a Forensics Doctor for nothing, y'know?
Naegi: But...Why did you kill her?
Me: You can say there are two reasons. One of them was pure bad luck. I didn't actually mean to kill her, I guess...Not at first. But seeing that I did, in the end...I thought it would benefit everyone.
Hina: What do you mean?
Me: Do you remember the first day here? When we gathered at the cafeteria to discuss what we found out about the school and whatever? Back when everyone was still...Alive?
Hina: Ah...! When you said you'd let your door unlocked, if anyone wanted to escape?
Me: *nods* We've already come this far, no more floors to be unlocked, so if there's anything, this trial should unlock the most important place in here, that holds all the secrets we need to solve everything. It's true, if it wasn't for Mukuro's appearance, I doubt I'd have killed anyone...It's stupid to say, but I got attached to everyone. But since she was a stranger...I had nothing to lose, correct?
Hina: ...Raven-chan...
Me: And I said it before, didn't I? This place...My home, there's nothing different. I don't have a clue what it's like to be out of this cage my health forced me into...So if there is a way to get you the hell out of here...The key is Kyouko. She's the smartest person here and has the best mind for riddles and mysteries...You can live without me, no problem. I'm nothing important...But without her...*shakes head* I can't see a future for you, out of here.
Byakuya: Stop lying, Black! All I'm hearing is a bunch of lies! I refuse to believe anything you say!
Me: Can you prove that I'm innocent, Byakuya? I'm pretty sure you can't. Not even Monokuma could find either myself or Kyouko, so your best bet is a 50/50 vote chance.
Byakuya: You've done a charade like this one before, you think I'd trust you again with this?
Me: Byakuya...I told you last time...I cared for Celeste and I didn't want her to die like that...But there was no way she could have gotten away with it. The circumstances are different now...There are two people in this room that I care about enough to die for...Even...Even if...I...Won't see...Kyousuke again...
Byakuya: It's exactly because of your brother that I think you wouldn't risk-
Me: What do I have to earn from lying? If the culprit really is Kyouko, then I die and don't see him again. How do I win, Byakuya?
Byakuya: And how do you win by dying by yourself?
Me: ...There are more Ultimates out of here. My brother...I remember he was trying to get into this important organisation. He never told me its name, as far as I remember, but you're all important people and he'd treasure your existence more than if only I was to live...And besides...I couldn't...Possibly...K-...K...ARGH, TO HELL WITH THIS ALL, JUST END THIS AGONY ALREADY, I CAN'T GO ON ANY LONGER!

By this time, I was already sobbing and screaming in rage, barely coherent anymore.

Me: Yes, fuck, I'm a liar, I know, but that's one thing I said that is true! My life is fucking meaningless, it's always been! I'm a god damn plebeian, just like you always said, and I don't deny this, okay? All I wanted was to make sure as many of you get the hell out of here, but as usual I FAIL AT EVERYTHING! I'm a failure, that's what I am! And even worse, I have no way to actually prove that I'm the culprit, since I've been such an annoying liar so far that nobody believes my words anymore!

I started pulling at my hair and scratching my neck, not knowing what to do anymore.

Naegi: I...I think we should listen and respect her words...
Monokuma: That's it! Time's up!
Byakuya: What the hell is the meaning of this?! You never mentioned a time limit!
Monokuma: It's because you were late! That's why we're pressed for time!! And so, it's time to vote, you bastards! Please use the switches in front of you!
Me: Guys...Please...I swear I'm not lying...This time, I swear on my brother's life...No, on this necklace that he gave me when he found out I got scouted by Hope's Peak...I swear I'm not lying...Please...Vote for me...
Byakuya: That's absurd! The whole trial makes no sense whatsoever and there is no wa-
Me: Byakuya...Please...That's enough.

Should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I've been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you

Byakuya: Why are you singing Careless Whisper...?
Me: It's a comfort song very dear to me...It's...My favourite song.
Byakuya: Why are you telling me this...?
Me: Munakata Kisara.
Byakuya: *eyes widen* Huh...?
Me: I told you I'd tell you my name some time, correct?...If I didn't tell you now, you'd never find out. My brother wouldn't have told you.
Byakuya: Munakata...Kisara...
Me: Chisa...and Kisa...My brother's favourite girls. Chisa and Kisa. It was always fun to hear that. We'd pretend we were sisters for the sake of it. And Juzo would make so much fun of us...
Monokuma: Time to vote!
Me: Please, Byakuya...I'm sorry I've been so cruel to you all this time...But for the sake of everything good...For the sake of Peace and Hope...Please...Vote for me.

His face held a pained expression, one that I've never seen before. One of shock and despair, clearly uncharacteristic of him.

Monokuma: Well...What will it be? Oh, oh! Not all votes are for the same person, how fun!
Me: Wh-What?
Monokuma: It seems like dear Togami-kun still voted for Kirigiri-chan!
Me: Byakuya...I'm so sorry...
Monokuma: You guys were correct! Raven-chan was the culprit all along! Although...This trial was so boring and disappointing! I wanted more emotions and despair in it! Boooo!
Hiro: I'm sorry... Ray-chi...
Hina: S...Sorry...
Toko: I...It's all your fault, you know...!
Me: I'm sorry to have disappointed everyone...I mean, I've always been a disappointment, but if my death means you can have a chance to escape...Then maybe I finally did something good with my life.
Byakuya: No...I know you weren't the culprit. I can see it in your eyes. Even now, you're still lying.
Me: ...! Wh-What...?
Kyouko: Raven...I promise I will not let him get away with it. It was all my responsibility. Thank you for everything.
Byakuya: Kirigiri, it's all your fault! This whole trial, her punishment! It's all on you! You are directly killing her!
Me: Calm down, Byakuya, it's nobody's fault but the Mastermind's. Please, have this. Don't forget me...Please...

I took off my necklace and put it around his neck, smiling painfully at him, then hugged him tightly for the last time, muttering in his ear the magic four words that I never thought I'd ever speak, making him go stiff as a plank and gasp, trembling softly.
Taking another breath, I go to hug Kyouko and give her back the key, making sure nobody else realises it, then I go a bit farther away from the rest and try to smile at them, but I couldn't help it.

Now that you're gone
What I did's so wrong, so wrong
That you had to leave me alone

I hung my head, gritting my teeth and covered my face with my hands, scared out of my wits, not wanting to even think about what's going to happen next.

Me: I can't...!...No...This...Trial...I didn't...I fell asleep out of the dormitory and this is my punishment! I never killed anyone! Godamn it, even now, I can't control myself, how pathetic...! I thought I wasn't afraid of death...B-But...It's...Terrifying...I don't...Wanna...I don't wanna die...! I'm so scared...Why is it so hard to let go...?!
Byakuya: Rave...Tsk...Kisara!
Monokuma: Time to get excited! It's punishment time!
Me: Byakuya...!
Monokuma: Ah, how much I wanted to use this Execution on you, Raven-chan! And it's a punishment fit perfectly for you, the Ultimate Forensics Doctor! It's called Autopsy! Upupupupu, stand back and enjoy the show!!!

I tried to reach my arm out to him, streams of tears going down my cheeks like rivers, eyes puffy, but before anyone could do anything, a collar came from nowhere and latched itself to my neck, pulling and dragging me with an extraordinary force to the Execution room, before I found myself strapped on a table, barely able to move.
Above me, the ceiling was snow-white, a blinding light above kept getting in my eyes, and moving blades...Scalpels were going down slowly.
I tried to struggle, get the hell out of there, looking like a savage animal, looking left and right, pushing my neck back to look behind me...And to my horror, behind me, various mannequins shared the same fate I will - The blades were coming down on them, just like how I used to see in movies and cartoons, but they weren't giving the mannequin even cuts, but they started with shallow yet painfully well aimed cuts, on the face, on the arms, on the legs and belly, only later hacking them to pieces. Not enough to kill you at first, but enough to get you to scream in agony.

I still remember how shocked I was when I first held a scalpel, how easily I managed to cut my finger and saw the blood trickling down.
Now...It's so much worse.
It made my mind go completely blank and I started shrieking incoherently, sobbing in fear, wanting someone to save me, even thought I knew I had no chance.
Nobody could escape Monokuma's executions...

Me: GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE! I DIDN'T KILL IKUSABA MUKURO! I AM INNOCENT! I ONLY FELL ASLEEP IN THE ARCHIVES! STOP THIS!! PLEASE!! SOMEONE...ANYONE, HELP!!! KYOUSUKE! KYOUSUKEEE! BYAKUYA! KYOUKO! ANYONE, PLEASE, SAVE ME...! PLEASE!!!!....Ah...AH....AHHHH!!!!! ENOSHIMAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With a last scream of desperation, the blades started cutting my skin, drawing blood, a never-ending stinging pain surging through my body - I wasn't ready to die, but this pain...It was killing all my ration and senses.

But that was all gone, somehow, when I found myself in an abyss of vertigo, falling and falling into the darkness, the straps coming undone and seeing how the lights from the Execution room were getting dimmer and dimmer...Then disappearing altogether.
For a while, I had no idea if I was alive or not, but that all ended when my consciousness ended, a veil of darkness being put over me.

It was G A M E - O V E R for Raven Black...

No.

For Munakata Kisara.