#mastermind trial

But after seeing the episode two times now I kind of understand what Stolas and Andrealphus did and why.

First…

The thing is, we started seeing the trial as if it was a true law system like the one we have in earth; and actually, if you see it, it doesn’t have any of the characteristics that a proper law system should have to at least make it slightly fair to both parts. For example, irl a rich person can pay a better lawyer, and that’s unfair… Buut a trial cannot happen if one of the parts doesn’t have a lawyer and cannot prepare some defense, even if it is at disadvantage from one of the parts and the jury at least tries to be impartial. And this is the key here.

Here satan word is the last word, and a parliament and the rest of the royals can argue about the decisions taken by him and can vote and he also has to respect the votes. But still, he kinda is like the superior judge which makes it very unfair because imps and the rest of hellborns are not even represented. So, with that….

Why Andre didn’t accused Stolas first?

Andrealphus didn’t accuse Stolas directly because that would have made the trial harder, and if he lost then the surprise and opportunity would be lost; because now Stolas would be prepared for the next move and guess that they are trying to screw him over.

He didn’t have knowledge of real proof against Stolas (even if it actually exists but it is inaccessible to him at the moment like the pictures DHORKS have), and more people like Vassago would have questioned him and more doubt would have been put into his story, because it would be royal vs royal. It would have been kinda obvious he was after something, or at least people like Vassago would have argued and defended what Stolas needed to say (because in this scenario, Stolas would have to be present there).

However, if he started accusing an imp, that is a low category citizen and that is viewed as an inferior demon that doesn’t even have the right to have a proper defense; is obvious that this is the easiest way to go, because he could basically say anything and it didn’t matter much what.

No one was interested at listening to the imps, and is logical that a royal would want to accuse a lower class demon without that being personal. Just because they should not question their place. So, obviously, it was going to end up getting killed.

What if Stolas didn’t see the execution at the tv or something unexpected happened (a lot of people question this one out)?

Really think about it… it actually…. doesn’t matter…. Andrealphus doesn’t care about them.

He just would have to find another way to screw Stolas in the future, and like he said at the beginning, he was willing to be patient. Also, he is very excited when he gets what he wants at the end, which kinda means, he knew everything could have failed and that he knew his plan depended a lot of luck.

Also, this would break Stolas apart… another thing they have always wanted…

Why Stolas didn’t told the truth?

This is a harder one; that has too many layers and more than one motive. However, the main one for me is that what he did was clearly going to clear up all doubt about Blitzø being involved so we could easily say he did it just because it was the most safe option… The truth doesn’t really absolve Blitzø of the fault. They kinda did this together, you know ?

Stolas gave Blitzø the book because he tried to steal it and then he asked for it. So, what reason was he going to give about giving Blitzø the book without Blitzø having some part in it? I can’t think of anything, and he didn’t had time to think this either. However; I feel that there is something more here, because he could have done it in other way, but also, there is a layer of Stolas being depressive… So, I though in these extra motives.

1. He sings a song to Octavia that she is going to be ok if he is gone (dying, because if he lives he would never abandon her and this is key and why he is so devastated after being forced to leave the house and her, for me this reads as he being willing to die to protect her). If he dies Andrealphus has already stated that all Stolas titles and belongings would go directly to Octavia. Probably will be retained until she is 18 or something. So, he kinda doesn’t mind about dying and is too depressed to see clearly the consequences of it at the moment. (Obvs he was forced to make a very UNFAIR choice, the kind of choice where no choice is the right one. But, my point here, is that he is someone willing to die for Via or Blitzø and he doesn’t try to think in a way that he can rescue him without putting himself down the line).

2. He wanted to have a grandiose moment standing up to all his family and the royals before being gone. So, this is why the song and the drama, and he also needed to be convincing that he is a mastermind. At least they would see him and someone higher and mighty and not how he has been always diminished and mocked in his circle. Even if he is a royal and all, he has always being discriminated in his own social class.

3. The truth was also not exactly something he could have said while maintaining composture and being intelligent enough to convince the audience and save Blitzø. He is still deeply hurt about everything that happened.

4. They had proof that I.M.P. went to earth, and even if they didn’t had it, no one questioned that accusation and they kinda admitted it. So, what Stolas said needed to be framed as him basically forcing them to go to earth or manipulating them to do that. How can you say this and still hold the truth?

Ending remarks…

Even in our law system that at least tries to be fair, a lot of trial defenses don’t actually involve 100% the truth.

Stolas saw the trial until it was filmed, and he didn’t heard the reasons Blitzø was being framed. So I think he just assumed it was only about the book, so he needed to say something that could excuse any offense. Saying that is a mastermind is like: I had a plan so contrived that I fool you all. All what you said he did was my plan, whatever that is.

The assasination plot was kinda something extra added that could have been omitted and wouldn’t have changed anything, and is like the only thing I still question a bit about the episode, because is not clearly adressed at the end.

It doesn’t make sense that Stolas tried to kill himself hiring an assassin, but, at the end they ignored that because basically Stolas confessed. No one would do that if they didn’t do it, in their minds no royal would care genuinely about saving an imp’s life.

Also, probably they thought this was part of the “mastermindery” and how he tricked everyone. The narrative brushed it off as that they just didn’t cared enough to dig that deeper, and that works enough seeing how the trial was being held and how a word of a Goetia has more worth just because of hierarchy.

Analysis that also touch into this are:

Feeling the air suddenly leave her body, Kimiko had no time to collect herself, or her thoughts, before landing into Kojima’s arms. No, she didn’t hear his words, her gaze was entirely focused on the sight of teeth on the floor, and blood splattered across the front of her knuckles and shirt. Her heart was racing violently, and no, she didn’t notice when she was place down either--- the sound of the video drew her from her thoughts, looking up at the screen… breathless.

  Wait, wait, she had to breathe--- and she does so, loudly gasping before furiously wiping herself off on her sweatpants, trying to get the feeling of warm blood off, trying to rid herself of the trauma she previously had to do for the man--- she’d never forgive herself, she’d never forget Rachele’s gaze--- It’s when she hears Kojima’s pain, that she snaps out of her thoughts.

At least they had a way out, that's good. That's all that mattered now. The most important thing to Tomomi now was making sure everyone else would make it out safe and sound. They didn’t care about the display, though it did make their stomach tighten as it went on. That’s just cruel, they thought. And then, some of the others started talking about an execution...Wait, wait, wait.

They had little problem with watching the old dude get thrashed because, hey, ain’t like it was their place to tell the others not to act on their completely justified anger. But when the topic of an execution came up, it didn’t sit right with them. Tomomi didn’t want to watch people die anymore, no matter how much pain they wished they could inflict on the guy.

Things escalated, worryingly so, and Tomomi felt unsure if they should try and do or say something. How far was too far? They just stood and took in the explanations.

Oh, hell, the government was involved? Well, that just made their workload a whole lot bigger, great. Still, that's no excuse. Their contempt for Kojima continued to grow, though a minuscule part of them also pitied the man. They could understand the frustration of having something one loved twisted and malformed, but...They also knew they wouldn’t just stand for it. They couldn’t accept that this man, this man who was brilliant and ambitious enough to get this far with his project, couldn’t conceive of any way to take back what was his. That was just...Pathetic.

But they didn’t need to say that. Tomomi's words would be a drop in the bucket, and if their assessment of the situation was anything to go by, he already had quite a handle on the self-hatred thing. Then, though, he started talking about being an adult, about how horrible it was, how doomed life was, and they could not, would not, stand for that.

They were sick of being told 'no.' They were sick of being told things were hopeless, that the world's always going to be a cruel place. They were done hearing that they'd never have a chance. What did anyone else know? What did an old, crumbling failure of a man know about fighting and winning? Seeing Kojima's outbursts and then recognizing their own passions flaring up this furiously made them feel, for the first time in so long, so young.

They gritted their teeth and practically hissed their words out, quieter than usual. They didn't expect anyone to listen to them or even hear them, they just had to say it. They couldn't let that sentiment go unfought.

"That's a lesson I've already learned, buddy, and I think it's time for an update to the curriculum. It doesn't have to be that way. It doesn't have to be cruel, or selfish, or corrupt. There's always a way to change what you don't like. I'm going to prove you wrong. Even if I have to take down all of HPA, all of our government, I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring justice to all of my friends, to everyone affected by all of these slaughters. I'd rather die fighting than live like a coward knowing their evils are still going unchallenged."

"You blundered, but I won't. Everyone is going to know what happened here."

What they saw before them was a warning, something they had the potential to turn into. But they're smarter, they're more determined. They got this far, and they could keep going. They could succeed in life where Kojima failed. They refused to be anything like that.

When Arisa made her way to Dororou and pulled on his hair, Tomomi crossed their arms, ignored the sting from her words to Kojima and focused on the more important matter. They were louder now, with as stern a tone as they could manage, the lingering embers of a slowly flickering fire.

"Hey, HEY! Arisa, c'mon, pull back. The last thing we need right now is to start getting into fights with one another, not when we're right at the home stretch, here. I don't care what happens to Bastard Prime over there, look at him - He's already totaled. If he doesn't die in here, they'll come for him out there. Even if they don't somehow, he'll have to live the rest of his life in shambles as an ancient, colossal failure bearing the weight of what he's done.

“...”

Karoshi-kuma stared at the results on the board for a time. He removed, cleaned, and replaced his glasses a few times, as if it would change the results of what he was seeing on the screen. But the name remained there, clear as day.

“Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle...I guess a certain someone will want to have a word with you now.”

((CW: Swearing))

Dororou would try to help Kojima up when he asked - but he sure wasn’t gonna stop latching on to him like a Koala bear. He didn’t trust the others enough to actually not pull anything and like he said; He’s not letting anybody else die here - they’d have to pry him off!

Unfortunately for him, the crowbar came in the form of Arisa Oshiro. He didn’t expect anything at first… he was all caught up with everything that was going down he didn’t even notice her approaching. Even after it happened - the sharp pain caught him off guard to the point it didn’t register for a couple seconds. Once it did everyone knew - the guttural laughter of the broken yeen was enough to get the point across.

“GYAAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

He let go almost immediately to try to get her off, but luckily Tomomi’s words - whatever they said, since he was a little preoccupied - did the trick. No real damage was done but it still hurt like the dickens… and now the old man was free to do whatever - er… more everyone was free to do whatever to the old man. But of all the things to come next - freaking decapitating Ike was not what he expected. He definitely was still on edge from it all, and he had to choke back a sob again before he descended into a sobbing mess once more.

The fact that the execution was still on didn’t do much to help the matter. He didn’t want to watch, and unlike time and time before he actually was actually able to look away. That is, until a familiar voice draws his attention back in. That was… those were… it had worked? But this wasn’t the way he wanted to see them again - they acted so cruel and cold that Dororou couldn’t help but feel sick. This was the exact opposite of what he wanted - were these really the people he once knew? He wanted to cry but stronger emotions were much more prominent - he wanted to shake them back to their senses, and just cherish the fact they were back again. But it was just a screen he was watching. Even though he wasn’t all that familiar with the events ten years prior, seeing Otome still brought back bad memories from what happened not long after they discovered them. It was over in a flash, yet still felt so long. The two people - the one person who holds blame for everything ended up being responsible for the death of one another… that says more about the original Keiichi Kojima’s than most of what he said.

The whole thing just further added onto the pent up emotions that’ve been building up all along - emotions with no specific cause nor outlet. He was irritated and felt guilty - as if he didn’t do enough. There was one person he could blame for now though… a certain cheerleader. Had she just stopped him from delaying the inevitable? Perhaps, but ‘you never know until you try’ and she took that chance from him. Once things finally seemed to slow down, he glared at her - his tearstained face contorting into an angry expression that under most circumstances would have seemed foreign.

“You… what the hell is wrong with you!? Do us all a favor and rah-rah rot in hell, b*tch. You try and say ‘you aren’t replaceable’ when your even more synthetic than Keiichi! At least they had to take the time to give him a heart… Tell me this - did you ever even like Tomomi, or did you just see your own goddamn reflection in their tv screen!?”

Kojima’s vision blurred as he forced his eyes open. The strong yank had knocked the wind out of him, making it difficult for him to get up so quickly. As he stood himself up, the lights above him lit up to a familiar scene— he remembered working in a lab like this. Always busy with people running around him, with his coworkers talking and laughing amongst themselves. It was bizarre seeing that he was alone…

The door at the end of the lab opened. Two employees stepped in, wearing something odd over their faces. He recognized it as that Monokuma head that the first victim had died in— they remained silent as Kojima stared curiously at them. The atmosphere felt tense, but the man found enough strength in him to chuckle.

“Gentlemen?”

Their heads remained turned towards him, but they didn’t speak. Kojima squinted, pursing his mouth into a thin line.

Kojima merely shrugged off the words of the others, but his silence was tense as he walked over to Keiichi. “The key to get out of here is the mindchip that Ishiguro had helped me develop. Not any mindchip would work, so don’t start trying to pry it off of your PDAs… Only the original one will do, the one in Keiichi’s neck here.”

Keiichi’s eyes widened, and he took a few steps back as the scientist tried to near him and Kimiko. “Woahwoahwoah-- y- you- you are NOT going to--”

“You’re right, I will not,” he interrupted his creation. Keiichi still remained on the defense with his arm out in front of Kimiko, eyeing him carefully for any sudden moves. Kojima continued as he began to explain.

“Keiichi-- when I involved you in this experiment… I had wanted to see how far you had developed as not just an android, but as a person,” he said as he crossed his arms, “You’ve… surprised me everyday-- I hadn’t expected you to do or the say the things you’ve said after reprogramming you. You weren’t just a carbon copy of myself when I was younger- in fact, you did more than I could as a teenager.”

Keiichi’s brows furrowed together as his father smiled at him.

“You’ve made so many people happy, you partook in activities and clubs, you had real dreams. I loved seeing you wake up and tell me all of these ideas you had in that head of yours- talking about how excited you were to go to university or to start teaching. And then-- then your smarts! You taught yourself a whole language! In just a month? Who just goes and learns Chinese because ‘it sounds fun’?”

“S- Stop… Stop it…” Keiichi said quietly, but Kojima didn’t catch it. He flinched as he walked towards him, still going on.

“I wanted to prove to my superiors how human you were, Keiichi. You’re not just a clone or a preservation of me- you are your own person. You’re my son. You’re my only proudest creation.” The scientist’s voice remained strong, but his eyes were growing wet with tears. “I had promised my superiors… that the second you were to go out of line during this game, the very moment you attempt to attack any of your classmates-- you would be permanently shut down.”