SEЯVER - I

They’re gonna be real, Hinoe was zoned out nearly the entirety of Spec’s spiel. What had been done had been done - Banri’s…killer had been found, confessed, asked questions, and Spec was answering them and whatever. Banri was still dead, didn’t change the fact no matter how you looked at it, and Hinoe certainly wasn’t going to look if they could help it. In fact, they closed their eyes to make sure they wouldn't look.

That is, of course, until Spec actually begins spitting out stuff that strikes just a little bit too close to home and they crack open an eyelid. 

“Oh…we were sent here to be exterminated?” Hinoe muses. “Part of the overpopulace?”

They chew on the inside of their lip.

“How…fitting. That’s just how the cookie crumbles, I guess.”

Hinoe toys with the zipper of their jacket, moving it up and down as they observe Spec speak. They suppose that, normally, they would’ve been more concerned with the idea that they had literally been sent here to die but, really, hadn’t they already known that? It was only a matter of time before they got picked off.

Everyone died someday. Maybe Hinoe would just be dying sooner than others.

That being said, they sputter a bit as Spec brings up the idea of other’s looking for them, and they narrow their eyes, about to spit out a biting remark about how that just can’t be true, there’s no way someone’s looking for th–

Ah, but no, they’re not the only one here, there are other people here who have fathers and mothers and parents and significant others and why did Hinoe think that they were the center of attention, once again?

Get yourself together, Hisegawa.

They watch Ryou’s execution with a straight face, the straightest face they’ve ever kept. There are probably some sounds Ryou makes - some cries, some frantic splashes for help, something. 

But Hinoe can’t hear a thing over the static in their brain, ‘cause all that they can see in their mind’s eye is BanriBanriBanri.

There goes any time of trying to enjoy what may well be his last few days here.

Travis looked up at the sky from Arcade, like an anime boy, as he witness the sky suddenly changed colors. He squinted and opened his mouth, about to say something, but realized no one was really there to hear him. No one was going to be there, it seemed. 

“(What is this? Is this still the game?)”

But Travis Dell knew what this all was. Yes, this had to be it.

This was The Place.

He didn’t know how everyone else was holding up. He supposed he had to find that out later as he explored. Honestly, at this point, there wasn’t much he could do but take into account what Ryou had asked Spec as he looked back onto ground level and ran off into the arcade to investigate. It was quite a book end

“(I can’t let anything go to waste now. I got to do something useful at this point…)”

Your time on Othello Isle continues as usual with its quiet air and faux peace that looms over your shoulders. By now, you know that being left to your own devices is impossible. There is no freedom within this mutual killing game.

It’s the middle of the day when it happens. Your vision goes dark. For a brief moment, you almost believe that maybe the [ Auto Death System ] kicked in and your sight was swiped out from under you. It takes another moment to realize that you can still see. Your eyes merely needed to adjust to the abrupt shift in lighting.

You check the time, and it’s as you presume. The sun should still be up, but the sky is eerily blotted out and a thick fog creeps into your surrounding vicinity. It’s difficult to see around you, but more importantly, chills run along your spine. Is it just you, or did the temperature drop by quite a bit?

What you see before you blurs. Whether it be from the cloying fog or the glitching from Kaleidescape, you aren’t entirely sure, but the formerly colorful amusement park that you knew as Chroma Crossing seems drained of its vibrant life. Something is wrong. 

You check your handheld if anyone slipped in a cartridge while you weren’t looking, but there’s nothing there. Instead, there doesn’t seem to be any mention of Chroma Crossing anymore. You’re left with its replacement. Uh-oh.

As you watch Ryou meet his demise, you all find yourselves wondering how you’re just able to witness such a horrible sight. Have you all become numb to the deaths of the ones you hold dear? Have these terrors consumed your mind so much that another death just means another new day? You weren’t sure if you wanted to know the truth.

The projector screens collapse back into the ground, and you’re back to a familiar sight. Spec is no where to be seen again, and you all look down at your podiums to find... nothing. Someone’s on a low budget, it seems; no blood money once again. You all stand there around in that empty circle... and nothing happens. You don’t even get a new cartridge.

Before you could even say anything else, the ping pong player, along with Spec, were gone. You could only watch from your podiums as the horrors before you unfolded.

“Nothing else then? All the waterworks and yelling aside, I do believe it’s time to get this show started. Not that watching you all squabble was any less amusing. Stalling with questions only delayed the inevitable, not cancel it. Now, I believe we have an excellent match to spectate.”

With a tilt of his head at the mention of his name, Spec strode past the podiums and straight into the center of attention of you all. However, his attention was focused on Ryou, or at least, that’s what you figured even if the crystal-headed mascot was void of eyes. He raised two fingers to correspond with the final two questions the ping pong player was permitted to ask.

“Why exactly are people going missing?”

They repeated before dropping one finger and proceeding with their answer.

“Well, people have been going missing from Operation Reversi of course! The mastermind thought that Operation Reversi would solve the overpopulation problem with Othello Isle, but little did they know what it'd actually do. I don't know what they were expecting. They're not really the type to think things through~. Either way, people have been going missing as a result from us. After all, you’re one of the many considered missing!”

They laugh softly before continuing.

“What is Operation Reversi supposed to do, and has it been doing its job?”

Spec takes a moment to cross their arms, as if pondering for a solid moment about the question, before they nodded.

“Technically, that is two questions, but I suppose I can give you that freebie as you are going to die anyway~. Operation Reversi is…. not supposed to be activated, but it was. There were so many alternative routes to pick, but of all things, the mastermind thought they could pick this one. Operation Reversi is an extermination process.” 

“You see, when we bring people on the cruise to Othello Isle, typically, we drop them off there for them to reside, but Operation Reversi is meant to delete all the new arrivals at the island. That or pick off those already on the island in a…. survival of the fittest. I believe it has been doing its job though~! No one has really picked up on it. That is until recently. I suppose the mastermind was never aware that Operation Reversi would be like this and thought that the overpopulation problem would be magically solved~. How funny and naive.” 

As Travis finished his apologies, Ryou took a deep breath.  This was it, huh? The last thing he had to say, probably the last thing they’d ever listen to from him.  Ryou Akiyama’s last words.  They weren’t going to like them, of that he was almost certain.  Nonetheless, they had to be said.  If he took everything to his grave, then the three deaths here would lose all their meaning.  He wasn’t about to let that happen.

But first, he had things to explain.  "I know you all want immediate answers on this, so I’ll do my best.  I didn’t go into this planning on killing two people.  I only planned to kill one.  I know that doesn’t really sound better at all, but.

“… Nao’s death wasn’t in the plan.  I really didn’t mean to kill him from the start.  I just wasn’t expecting him to be there to witness, and things were still in a frenzy…I panicked. I didn’t want to risk him talking. I’m sorry.”

Ryou then bowed his head, and closed his eyes.  A bit quieter than before, he continued, “And… I have no excuse for killing Banri. I have no excuse for planning to kill him. I truly am sorry for the pain I caused you.  I know you won’t forgive me, I don’t expect you to – you’re completely justified.  I just wanted to make sure I said something.”

He paused once more, looking out and addressing the whole courtroom before him.  "And, since some of you have asked, no.  It wasn’t worth it at all.  I’ve known that since before this trial began.  But there’s some silver lining to it.“  He visibly cringed when he said there was an upside, but he kept on nonetheless.  "Spec decided that two deaths meant twice the motive, so I got to ask six questions about the mastermind behind all of this.  I’ve already asked four of them.”

Then, his face shifted for the first time since he’d started talking again.

“And what Spec didn’t care to clarify until I actually started asking my questions, is that I couldn’t ask any direct questions about who the mastermind was – only their motivations and the like.  Because, y'know, why say what you actually mean!”

After shooting some nasty daggers at Spec, he composed himself.  "I… tried my best, given what I had to work with.  Anyway, I’ll send you all the questions, and their answers.“  Ryou then pulled out his DS Lite, and tapped out a sequence.  Soon enough, your own console beeped with a message from him:

Ryou: What is the Mastermind’s gender?

Spec: Bzzt bzzt! Invalid question. Try again. No specifics about the mastermind themselves. Questions about the mm’s motivation, the game’s purpose, questions like that, are the types of questions you should aim for.

Ryou: Why would the mastermind sell out the class; what motivated them?

Spec: I wouldn’t necessarily say they sold out this class or any of the classes before this. Still, the mastermind had the best interests in mind for Othello Isle. That was their motivation. They wanted to something for others, to gain recognition and praise, and they thought they could do it by solving Othello Isle’s problem. That said, the mutual killings weren’t exactly part of their plans.

Ryou: What is Othello Isle’s problem, according to the mastermind?

Spec: … Overpopulation. I’m sure from the glitches, you’ve gotten the idea that you aren’t the only ones on this island. As lovely as Othello Isle is, there’s only so many occupants it can hold, and that’s why after a few tamperings with the coding, Operation Reversi was put into play. What a mess that had been~. Not even the original developers of Kaleidescape could undo it.

Ryou:  Who else is on this island besides this class, Iris, Etyl, Vue, Ria, and you?

Spec: Hm, hm~. Just about anyone you can think of. Everyone? Weeell, not everyone if I think about it. Moooostly, refugees? Survivors? Anyone can fit in those categories. We’ve got those working in maintenance, those working in the agricultural fields, some in the development section, quite a few in security, but those are all workers. Then we’ve got people-people too, regular civilians. You see, you might see this island as expansive, but others might see it as crowded.

Ryou: Why are all these other people at Othello Isle?

Spec: Think of it as an escape hub. As wonderful as you think Othello Isle is, I can tell you that it’s much worse outside of here. Then again, you can consider yourself unfortunate since you came along after the mastermind tampered with Kaleidescape’s coding. Still, that doesn’t change Kaleidescape’s original purpose. Everyone here is set to take residency for an indeterminable amount of time until it is deemed safe enough to return home. As I had mentioned, there’s only so much one can do on an island for time on end, and that’s why Kaleidescape is here to help provide entertainment until then~. I don’t think the mastermind was ever aware about the -consequences- of their actions until now. After all, it wasn’t intentional that they would be a part of the mutual killings. They were investigating why people were going missing after all~. I guess they found out it was thanks to them!

It was as you finished reading it over that you realized Ryou had gone silent.  Once everyone began to look up from the message, he cleared his throat and turned to Spec.

Travis; posture had been retained back to his original form as Yoshika said his little speech. The crying had stop (I think he was virtually crying somehow?), and he had finally calmed down. He listened to what Yoshika told him carefully, trying to remember every single word he was telling him.

"Yes. I understand. I want to say that I always did. I suppose I'm not as introspective as I thought I was. Thank you, Yoshika."

He looked down at the ground and closed his eyes, thinking about what had happened. The yelling, the cursing...this was not somebody he wanted to be. Somebody he shouldn't have been.

"I may splinter, but I won't break."

Alright, Travis, that was a little bit edgy.

"I will need to stay out of everyone's way, though, before I go on another unprofessional Un-Shakespearean rant involving death, self-identity and pity, accusations, some girl you guys actually don't know crap about (You guys really gotta meet her. She's great and she completes me), so on and so forth. "

He yawned and stretched and fixed his robes/suits/wherever they are right now. A break is what he really needed right now.

"Ryou, I'm not sure if we met before all of this, but I can't judge your character.  You killed 2 people, and here I am drowning in my self-pity. I don't want that to be the last thing you know about me. I don't want to destroy myself right here and now and have you see it. Guess all I have to say to you is...Good Bye. Thanks for trying to stop me. We should have gotten some coffee at some point."

He gripped onto the podium and looked at everyone else. Man, right now, he felt really embarrassed. Yet, the mock attorney kept a straight face.

"Uh, Sorry. Everyone. For my behavior. Ironic coming from the Mock Trial Captain to be so disorderly. Won't happen again."

World

Chroma Crossing - 0 Lacebark Labyrinth - 7 Chariot City - 1 Hope’s Peak Academy - 0 Pixel Patch - 0

Culprit

Ryou - 7 Clucker - 1

Spec stands, waiting for the last of the yelling and swearing to die down. They take long strides to the center of the trial circle, standing straight, all eyes on them. They bring a fist to their mouth in mock throat clearing. They bring up their finger in a waving motion as they’ve done so many times before.

[tw: suicidal thoughts??? just in case??]

“…Stop.”

His voice was flat and numb. His expression was hard to read. Loud enough to be heard over the yelling, he continued, trying to hold back any sign of weakness.

“Will you all stop? I’m…I’m mad at him too. More than I can put to words…but will you…stop yelling at each other? You’re all making this harder than it has to be…”

“Don’t get the wrong impression, Dell, I’m not asking for the yelling to stop because I’m not mad at you too. I’m more than mad…but if you’re really sorry about what you’ve said and done this trial, then you can find a different way to pay me back some other time.”

If it wasn’t for his serious tone, what he said next, it would’ve felt as if he were joking– like it was something Hinoe came up with and told him to say. 

“If any of you really feel bad for me all of a sudden, then just kill me. Banri…shouldn’t have died. You might be too ignorant to understand…but he and Hinoe didn’t know I was the killer last time. I never told them. But you’re blaming them for protecting me…? For…worrying that it was true and not wanting it to be true? So…is Banri dead while I’m still here?”

“…No apologies are bringing him back, Dell. No matter…how many times you call yourself names or act like you’re the worst of us all– so…cut it. I don’t…I’m done hearing it. I just want this trial to be over.”

His hands trembled, even just for a moment, and he turned to Hinoe.

[cw: excessive swearing !! sorry guys ;v;]

She watches, and she waits. Lithe, agile, muscles tight, ready to spring. She listens. Nayeli is far quieter than usual, her silence is not peppered with sobs, or stuttered protests against the innocent- she feels as though this.. this is war.

Her stare snaps to Ryou, and his dizzying over-complication of things- then to Yoshika, and she stares as he unveils Ryou. Fucking. Akiyama. as the killer of her best friend- he killed his own roommate. Oh my god.

She begins to shake, not out of fear, but out of anger and the strain of holding herself back from charging up to the boy and tearing his head from his fucking shoulders.

“You’re really. Fucking. Fucked up. You know that?” She says, her teeth gritted, bared almost wolfishly. She’s vibrating. “You roomed with him, Ryou. Y-you-you literally- you fucking- you’re fucking sick, y'know? You killed two fucking people and for fucking what? If you’re no-not ev-even gonna have the guts to confes-fess from your own fucking mou-mouth that you killed people’s best fucking friends, you’re a re-rea-rea-real fu-fucking piece of shit, ar-aren’t you?”

Her arms unfold and she grips her podium, but it’s not enough, not enough, not enough, she wants to kick, she wants to throw, she wants to scream, but she heard Yoshika ask for no more yelling, and by god, she’s trying to oblige, but it’s hard- she’s not soft anymore, she’s hard as bricks, sharp as nails, and she’s ready to plunge every ounce of her anger into Ryou- for Nao, and for Banri.

She looks down at her podium, and slams her fist down on it, before putting in a vote for Ryou. She doesn’t cry, she just shakes. “Fuck you.” She spits, emphasizing it with a bang of her fist on her podium. “Did you he-hear-hear that? FUCK. YOU. Fuck you f-fo-for taking away Nao, fuck you f-for taking away Banri. I hope you’re fuck-fucking proud of yourself, you fucking coward.”