#chtwo trial

Mikami just stared at the board. What...what...? That wasn't right. She was almost betrayed...? Dizziness overcame her. She could've been down to two points...and Kazumi...

Mikami might've been unable to speak earlier, but this was her tipping point. She burst into tears and couldn't stop. She was now 3 whole points behind Eri. And she wanted them to leave together but she also didn't want to make Eri wait in this awful place! She hated this. She hated Zero.

After your votes were entered, the monitor shut off, and the door behind you slid open silently. A voice came over the loudspeakers.

Round two voting has been completed. Please proceed to the video wall to view the results.

Once again, you gathered around Zero’s video board, waiting quietly.

“Lllllllllet’s get ready to rrrrrrrrrumbleeeeee!”

“Wait... uh, er... What? Huh. One of the votes glitched out and switched. Drat. I was looking forward to seeing someone punished...”

“Well, better cherish the life you still have, K-Zoom.”

“Ambidex Game... Rooooound 2... Resuuuuuuuults!”

“There comes a time in every bun’s life when they have to make a decision.”

“Just what do they want to do with their life? What in life gives them the most joy?”

“Carrots? Cuddles? Carnage?”

“I’m a murder bun, myself. I knew early on that I as different from the other buns. Used to watch a lot of anime and listen to death metal. My parents always told me that stuff corrupted people.”

Allowing himself to be silent to not draw too much attention, the chocolatier became a splendid spectator. Tears spillt here and there, nasty curses thrown and thrashed against others, and even what he would consider to be manipulation to try and gain one's own favor and benefit in the end occurred.

Wow. What was he even witnessing? He was so much more used to talking only in front of a camera and by himself, and it was clearly showing as throughout the entire trial he had been at a loss for words. What was there to say when everything was intense all on its own? It was somewhat overbearing to be honest, and he could not quite figure out his place in all of this.

So when the execution occurred, he felt a wave of relief. After all, there was one major source of all the tumult gone and perhaps now he would have a chance to breathe. He needed time to comprehend everything and adapt as necessary.

"Uwagh... It is time, isn't it? Ahh..."

Watching the execution silently, Umeko…wasn’t sure how to feel anymore. Yuma wasn’t necessarily a bad person, but after this trial…after the last AB Game…it started to get harder to enjoy being in her company for even a short amount of time. Violence was not the answer- neither was anger. Umeko knew that sometimes it just couldn’t be helped if you were angry…but this was too much. She could’ve used her talent to protect others, she could’ve used it for a good cause…

Once again, Umeko burst into tears. She tried her hardest to think of the girl just by her side, who had told her to stop crying…but they wouldn’t stop. When she was a little girl, she would rarely cry, because nothing was able to make her sad. She was always a bright little ball of sunshine who saw everyone as good until proven to be wrong…but just being here made her feel empty and left a somber feeling looming over her. In the midst of her tears, she opened her mouth to speak quietly…to the deceased. 

"…Sugawara-chan…I understand the need to see your family alive and well…I understand how you felt in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine- even after this motive I can’t help but fear for their safety…but what you did…wasn’t right. You hurt someone, stopped them from ever being able to see their own family and then tried to pass it off on someone else who was innocent. I only have one question now, Sugawara-chan- why? I suppose now I’ll never get my answer…so I’ll just let that question haunt me everyday until I find a way out…"

Gulping and rubbing her arm against her eyes, she wondered why she was even speaking like this to someone who could not hear her nor answer her. In truth…it was a bit hard to say it to her face, so once she was dead it all flew out of her mouth easily. She wasn’t scared of the anger that Yuma had- she knew that after saying all of this she wouldn’t be hurt.

No matter what happened, she could not get hurt or die…

"…But regardless…I hope you find peace, Sugawara-chan…I’m sure you are much better off outside of here…in a safe place…I can’t say I dislike you now…but liking you as a friend is going too far, I think. I don’t have much respect either, in all honesty…I…I’m sorry, I don’t know how I feel…but please know I hold no hatred for you…if you’re even listening, that is."

With a nod, she was done with her little confession and made her way to find her partner and room for the AB Game, giving the list a good luck to see who she would be up against. They…seemed like kind people…she smiled at the board before walking off to her fate.

More than anything, Eri wanted to say that she felt sick to her stomach for different reasons; that she was horrified of what happened to Yuma, that the smaller girl did not deserve this punishment for doing what any of them would have done given the time, that Fuyumi could be right in saying that she was innocent. She wanted to say she felt sick with grief for another life lost in this wretched bunker.

She wanted to say those things, but they would be lies. All Eri felt as she watched Yuma's final moments, was anger... and relief. The translator wouldn't pretend that she knew Shiori well enough to call her a friend, but she did know that the girl suffered the most out of all of them. For that reason alone, Eri would be disgruntled with whoever committed this crime. 

However, upon Zero revealing that Yuma's intended target had been Arthur, all of Eri's pity for her flew out the window. Being framed for a murder? That was understandable. Eri knew she was an easy person to frame, and she had been thankful beyond words that it never came to life. That didn't matter to her. Knowing that Yuma intended on killing one of her friends, the first friend she made here, one of the people she cares about most--

That made her angry. She was going to kill him. That idea alone was enough to make Eri realize that any of the people in this room could decide to kill someone she cares about. Yuki, Anju, Tamiko and Arthur were all people that she could lose in a second flat. 

Eri abruptly stepped back from her podium and hurried by the others, who were mostly still reeling at the execution. She was alone for the AB Game, which was hopefully just what she needed to collect herself.

Her white knuckles gripped her podium as she watched the execution in horror. Strangers were falling all around her and she was changing as it happened.

Last time, she'd cried. And now? She was unable to even make a sound, or turn her head to see if Eri was alright. That made her more upset than the execution. She wanted to hold Eri, take a nice long sleep with Eri, and then tell her how scared she was. But still, nothing would come out.

"................................................"

Mikami hoped Yuma didn't feel too much of that. What Zero did was absolutely gruesome. They didn't need anymore examples of his power. What Mikami needed was to go home. She wanted to see Arthur, and her parents. 

Just give the poor girl a break.

Although Chronos kept quiet after his last speech directed at the naginata-ka, he was... confused.

Why were so many people ready to forgive her? Did they already forgot that thanks to Yuma's selfish desires, a life had vanished? Weren't they aware that Shiori was the one who they should pity and not a ruthless murderer who tried to deny her atrocious crimes until the very end? If it weren't the for the accidental rip of the fabric, she would have surely continued to lead them away from her. Yuma had been willing to let an innocent take her place- nay, she was even ready to sacrifice them all. There was also the fact that she wanted to murder Arthur instead of Shiori, so they would have difficulties solving the crime.

Someone as despicable as her didn't deserve any forgiveness in his eyes.

As Yuma was taken away, Chronos simply observed the following events, his face unreadable as always. Though honestly, after a while, he grew bored of watching this unnecessarily drawn out execution and decided to look away. Why would he even need to know how her life would end? The fact that she would die was enough for him.

When the execution was finally over, Chronos adjusted his gloves neatly, glancing around for a bit. He'd have to say, some people owed Kazuki an apology - honestly, he didn't even understand why so many told him to shut up. He made valid points and accusing someone was part of a trial. It didn't matter when it happened - if much of the evidence pointed to a single person, then it was only natural to focus on them. Really, what were some people here even thinking?

Calm as always, Chronos moved to the AB rooms, waiting for Graca to join him. He also saw with whom they were paired...