Second Class Trial

We solemnly took our places at the table, with a new placard where Himiko stood last Trial. Fourteen students stood at the table now, one of which may have killed Himiko, unless we can show that her show malfunctioned in some way.

Kyoko spoke up. "Alright, we've all done this once before, so we know the rules. We have to correctly guess who killed Himiko, or everyone except their murderer dies."

Rantaro responded, "But what if no one killed Himiko, like what happened with poor Ryoma?"

Kyoko quickly replied, "There is a chance something could have gone wrong with the Magic Show, but if not, then we have a Blackened on our hands to flush out."

I nodded in agreement, not that my consent was necessary.

Kyoko continued on. "Anyway, I feel our two main focal points should be the two glass boxes themselves, and the results of Shishano's search of Himiko. Which should we start with first?"

Rantaro looked over at me. "I wonder what Shishano found in her search of Himiko's body. Care to share?"

I nodded. "I found no evidence of foul play, but I did find some small evidence of bruising on her hands, elbows, and knees, consistent with striking an object with force. Furthermore, I saw no injection marks anywhere on her body, and no other signs of foul play. Thus, my conclusion is that Himiko was fully conscious within the glass box, was actively fighting to escape, and ended up drowning."

Kyoko nodded. "I see. Is there any reason to doubt her claims, Nekomaru? Fuyuhiko?"

Fuyuhiko grimaced. "The crazy bitch even took off Himiko's tights to look at her legs. I'm sure she didn't miss a thing, if she went THAT far!"

Korekiyo chuckled. "A very thorough search, indeed. Even I would not have thought to have taken those measures."

I shrugged. "With my profession, dealing with clothing on bodies is very natural to me. Indeed, I used to have to dress bodies for funerals, so this was-"

Fuyuhiko interrupted me. "Ok, look, we get it, alright? So she drowned in there, confirmed. Now, the big question is, HOW did that weirdo bitch drown in there?"

Korekiyo and Gundham exchanged glances. Gundham then spoke.

"I suppose it is our time to take the grand stage then, is it not, Korekiyo? To dispel the smoke and mirrors, and unite forces to uncover the blasphemy committed upon the stage! Fuhahaha!"

Korekiyo, taking Gundham's ramblings in stride, merely nodded. "Kehehe...Indeed, let us unravel the mysteries of these events, together, and see what beauty arises from its darkest depths."

Fuyuhiko spoke up again. "Can you two quit rambling and say something fuckin' useful now?!"

"Yeah, g-good luck with that," Toko sarcastically retorted.

Korekiyo snickered, seemingly to himself. "As you wish, Fuyuhiko."

Kyoko continued. "Korekiyo, Gundham, can you two shed any light on the preparations made for this escape act?"

Korekiyo scoffed. "Certainly, there isn't much of a mystery there. Two glass boxes, one filled with water, connected with a siphoning device. This device allows two-way transference of water, from one box to the other. I can say, with certainly, that the device did not malfunction during the act."

Mondo responded to Korekiyo's info. "Yeah, that's right. I probably know more about mechanical stuff than anyone else here. I made the siphoning device, like Korekiyo said, but that's it. That chick didn't even ask me to be in her act, and that was fine by me."

Gundham spoke next. "For my part, I obscured the view of the Mage from the view of all, while she attempted to escape her watery fate. After Himiko entered, I sealed her entrance with an ancient device, so none may-"

Korekiyo looked at Gundham oddly. "Sealed Himiko's entrance? I do not recall this being part of the act. What, exactly, did you do, Gundham?"

Something flickered behind Kyoko's eyes, and I felt something as well. The TRUE beginning of this case: Lock malfunction, or murder?

Gundham answered Korekiyo. "A metal device, used for centuries, was placed upon the outside of the door, so that only Himiko's magic could penetrate it and permit her escape."

So...wait, Gundham locked Himiko in? But was that part of the act? Korekiyo didn't look convinced, but that was Gundham's story.

Gundham continued. "She told you herself, at the start of the show. She would go inside, and the box would be filled with water. At the end, the water would be drained, and she would be inside, dry, with a new outfit on! I admit, I was curious to see how she would use her magical abilities to escape this predicament."

Korekiyo responded to Gundham, in an almost annoyed tone, "True, Himiko is one who is committed to her act. However, did it not occur to you that those so committed, are often liars?"

Gundham crossed his arms and chuckled back at Korekiyo, as two hamsters poked their heads out from under his scarf. "Of course I, the Great Gundham Tanaka, Supreme Overlord of Ice, had considered such a proposal! That is why I volunteered myself for this, as opposed to you, who had to be approached first! Fuhahahaha!"

So Himiko asked Korekiyo to join, but Gundham volunteered himself. Could this be an important clue, or merely a unimportant coincidence?

Mondo shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me. All I did was build the siphon and attach it to the boxes. I don't know nothin' about the rest of this!"

My gut said that Mondo was telling us the truth, and Kyoko didn't seem to be paying Mondo too much mind, either. I returned my attention to Korekiyo and Gundham.

Kyoko turned her attention to Gundham. "So, tell me more about this lock."

Gundham answered Kyoko, almost eagerly. "Why, I have the infernal contraption right here, along with the means for its removal." Gundham produced the lock and key.

Kyoko looked over the lock and key, which looked pretty ordinary to me, then passed them around in a circle to the others to examine, including me, who found nothing unusual. "So is this a trick lock? How would Himiko open this from inside the glass box?"

"With her magic, of course!" Gundham sneered back. "She told us all as much about her magical abilities, the entire time she was here. I wanted to see her magical abilities for herself, and remove any chance of outside interference, so I used this device-"

"Wait, so you locked her ass in there? You crazy son of a bitch!" Fuyuhiko interrupted.

"I had to see for myself if she truly had magical abilities, or if she was just another blasphemer of the arts. So, yes, I did."

The weight of those words hung in the air, but what exactly did Gundham mean by them?

Gundham continued. "Himiko always claimed to have magic, but always had an excuse when it came time to use it. This magic act was the ultimate chance to see if she was another true practitioner, such as I. So yes, I locked her inside, putting the lock over a secret compartment. I wasn't going to let Himiko use some cheap parlor trick to deceive everyone; if she truly had magic, she would prove it, or die like the blasphemer I suspected her to be. And, as you can see, this blasphemer has departed our world."

Fuyuhiko's fists were shaking as he clenched his jaw, clearly angry with this confession. "You...monster..."

Gundham laughed, mostly to himself, and resumed his monologue. "Hmph. I will not argue with you, Fuyuhiko, nor do I have any intentions of forcing my values upon you. But when you have a chance to discover one's truth is truly a lie, it would be a blasphemy upon life itself not to pursue that truth to the very ends of the earth! To seek and destroy that arrogance of humanity, to silence the lie and expose the truth, whatever the cost may be!"

So, there it was then. Gundham locked Himiko inside her own magic act, dooming her to drown, just because she claimed to have magic and Gundham wanted proof.

Korekiyo spoke now. "So, I believe it is now time to vote, am I correct?"

Monorakun's ears perked forward. "Did someone say voting time?"

Just like for Ryoma, our podiums changed to the voting screen, with Ryoma and Himiko crossed out. I selected Gundham.

After everyone's votes were cast, the Roulette table display showed up in front of Monorakun's podium. The Monorakun ball spun round and round, before bouncing around and stopping in Gundham's slot.

"Correct again, everyone! Himiko's Blackened is Gundham Tanaka! Any last words, soon-to-be-Dead One?"

Instead of looking sad, Gundham threw his head back and laughed, almost triumphantly. "Are you worried about me, Monorakun? There is no need to fear, for I shall always stand my ground, and have never fled from anything in my life. In this world, I am but a temporary visitor, and now I must return to the abyss from which I dwell. Open Sesame, Pandaemonium! Let the Dark Overlord of Ice, Gundham Tanaka, return home once more! Fuhahahahahahaha!!"

Gundham took off his scarf, with the Four Dark Devas of Destruction nestled within, and rested it on his pedestal, as the entire table started to slowly spin. Gundham then stood tall, arms crossed in defiance, as his back faced the doors to the Execution Room. Suddenly, the double doors opened up, and a manacle, attached to a chain, attached itself to Gundham's neck, dragging him out of the room. We followed Gundham, in horror, until we were cut off from him by a metal fence. Looking up, a sign at the top said "Gundham Tanaka's Execution: Cat and Mouse".

Gundham's manacle let him go and retracted into a log in the floor. Gundham was trapped in a rocky room, with thick woods on one side. A red eye started glowing from among the trees. As Gundham stood up and surveyed his surroundings, the red-eyed thing emerged and pounced on Gundham. It appeared to be a Mono-Cougar, for lack of better terms, looking just like a regular mountain lion except for its coloring, which resembled Monorakun's own. White right half, black left half, it sunk its black claws into Gundham's jacket and its white fangs into the back of Gundham's neck. A sickening 'CRACK!' was heard, as Gundham's body went limp and fell forward from the impact, his neck breaking from the bite. The MonoCougar scraped Gundham's jacket several more times, drawing blood from his back, before slinking back off into the wooded area of the room, its face and front paws covered in Gundham's blood.

Gundham Tanaka, the Ultimate Breeder, and the boy I woke up in this hellhole with, was now dead.

Hearing squeaks, we suddenly returned to the Courtroom Table, where the Four Dark Devas of Destruction were huddled around the fattest one, Cham-P, seemingly terrified.

Monorakun leapt up to Gundham's seat, eyeing the Devas. "Now, what shall I do with you..." His teeth started rapidly moving back and forth, saw-like, as his mouth hung partially open.

Suddenly, a massive arm came down between the Devas and Monorakun. "NO!"

It was Nekomaru, glaring directly at Monorakun, who did not look the slightest bit impressed.

"You're...kidding me, right? What are you going to do with these furballs?" Monorakun asked, almost insulted.

"Not let them be your next meal, for one!" Nekomaru shot back.

"Oh, really now? Then what, again, IS your plan for them? Just let them wander around, chewing things up and leaving droppings everywhere?"

"No. I have another idea, actually. I'm gonna make Gundham's hamsters into my new team!"

Monorakun cocked his head at Nekomaru, then looked back at the still-trembling-with-terror Devas, then started laughing hysterically. After a while, Monorakun finally caught his breath.

"I'm sorry, I must've misheard you. You're gonna train a team...of hamsters? To do what, exactly?"

Nekomaru lowered his eyes. "I...I don't know just yet. But what good am I as an Ultimate Team Manager, if I have no team to manage? Even if it's a team of hamsters, I'll whip them up into the best team of hamsters this world has ever seen!"

Monorakun...seemed to pause at this, as if seriously considering it. He began to tilt his head side to side slowly, looking downwards.

Nekomaru continued his desperate plea for the Devas' lives. "This is The Ultimate Talent Enhancement Center, right? A place for everyone to enhance their talents? If so, I demand this opportunity to enhance my talents! If this is truly a fair and just institution, you cannot deny me this!"

Monorakun finally spoke. "Ok, ok, fine. Take the squeakers and begone with them! I'll even be nice, and get anything needed to care for these furry bastards out of Gundham's room for you, and take them to your front door myself. Deal?"

Monorakun extended a paw, and Nekomaru cautiously shook it in agreement.

Monorakun continued. "I really dislike not being the only rodent in this building, but the powers that be say there will be a severe backlash if I eat these little guys, and I simply cannot have that right now. Anyway, this Class Trial is officially over. Now, everyone, get out of here, go mourn your two dead classmates, and let's have some fun tomorrow!"