Third Class Trial

Once again, everyone took their places around the Courtroom table, and Monorakun scurried up to his little throne on all fours, before sitting down and peering at the rest of us.

"Alright, like I said, we've got two victims, so you've gotta solve 'em both to avoid the Season Finale! Honestly, I don't care which death you tackle first, so you all figure that out."

Kyoko spoke immediately. "Since Mondo's death happened first, let's speak about that one for now. Any objections?"

No one had any.

"Alright, that's settled. Now, Mondo was found with a broken neck, but did not show any signs of a struggle, which seems odd for someone as aggressive as him. Whoever killed him, he likely could not fight back against them, making me think that someone snapped his neck from behind."

Sakura shook her head. "The positioning of his body suggests to me that he was thrown where he landed. It doesn't seem like a position someone would intentionally place someone in."

Fuyuhiko retorted, "Yeah, but who the hell's gonna throw Mondo? That seems like a death wish waiting to happen, even for someone like me!"

Nekomaru agreed. "Yeah, someone with your muscular makeup would never be able to throw Mondo."

Fuyuhiko sneered at him. "Hey? You callin' me weak, motherfucker? Come say that to my face, and I'll show you just how 'weak' I am!"

"Enough!" Sakura pounded both fists on her podium to quell things down. "We don't have time to fight amongst ourselves. We have two murders to solve, with our lives on the line for each one."

"I also agree that Fuyuhiko did not kill Mondo, despite their hostilities towards one another," Kyoko agreed. "Knowing Fuyuhiko's fury, there would have been more bruising, more injuries than just a snapped neck. Whoever did this must have been a very skilled fighter, with knowledge of human body movements during a fight."

For me, this narrowed it down to Nekomaru, Sakura, or Tenko.

Korekiyo spoke next. "No signs of a struggle, you say? There were definitely signs of a fight with Teruteru."

This drew Kyoko's curious gaze. "Really now? Care to share your discoveries, then?"

Korekiyo nodded. "Teruteru, as we all know, was found in the oven, essentially cooked to death. However, upon Shishano's examination, she found a head injury, and Rantaro found a pan that had a loose handle. Neither of them recall that handle being loose when they assisted Teruteru with cooking last night's dinner, however. Furthermore, I discovered blood on a table leg, likely from Teruteru's injury. I propose, therefore, that Teruteru was struck with the pan near this table, causing his injury and his blood to get on the table leg, before he was put in the oven."

Fuyuhiko scoffed. "Makes sense. No one was gonna just stuff that tub of lard straight into the oven without knocking his ass out first."

Tenko spoke up next. "You mentioned something about a pan's handle being loose? I don't remember any of the pans having loose handles while I was washing them. Which one was it?"

Rantaro answered, "The one that was used to cook the Corned Beef. Right, Shishano?"

I thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Yes, that is correct."

Tenko nodded, a confused look on her face. "Huh. Strange..."

Hiyoko, who had been quiet up to this point, decided to speak next. "Hey, Jack or Syo or Toko or...whoever the hell you are, you're a serial killer, right? I bet it was you who killed both of them!"

Jack started cackling. "Not a chance, Hiyogurt! Pans are NOT my M.O., after all!"

Hiyoko cocked her head. "M.O.? What does the alphabet have to do with those two being dead?"

Jack casually answered, "When I kill a guy, I don't use pans, and I certainly don't throw them or snap their necks. I use my trusty...SCISSORS!"

It was Mahiru's turn to be confused. "Scissors? Really? You can't be serious."

Jack cackled some more. "Oh, I'm DEADLY serious, Strawberry Shortcake. I never use anything else! An artist such as myself is picky when it comes to the tools of their craft, after all."

Nekomaru spoke next. "What if you didn't have your scissors, though? Wouldn't you improvise?"

Jack started laughing hysterically, even harder than before. "Me? Not have my scissors?" She then reached under the hem of her skirt and produced two very sharp-looking scissors. "Even Miss Stuffy Pants herself keeps them on her person at all times! Kyee-hahahahahaha!"

I was not certain if this was supposed to comfort me, knowing she was not Teruteru's murderer, or alarm me, knowing that she always had her weapon of choice on her.

"Ok then, so the crazy bitch didn't kill him. Tenko was the last one to see Teruteru alive, though, and we all know she hates his guts. Maybe she's the one who smoked that annoying pervert chef."

Tenko whipped her head to face Fuyuhiko. "No, I did not! I just did the dishes and went back to my dorm room."

Sakura cocked her head, eyeing Tenko. "Did you, now? I recall the both of us going to the Equipment Room to lift weights around 9pm."

Tenko's eyes went wide as she winced, her shoulders going up. "Y-yeah, I guess we did. I guess I forgot."

"So it would seem," Sakura replied, with a hint of...disappointment? annoyance?...in her voice.

Nekomaru added, "Yep, and it was 9:50pm when the both of you returned, because I saw you two coming down the stairs as I was headed back to my dorm. I had hit the Pool, and saw you both talking as you walked down the stairs."

Rantaro asked the next question. "So you were on dish duty with Teruteru last night, and we are certain he was killed in the Kitchen. Care to discuss what happened in the Kitchen that night, Tenko?"

Tenko took a breath, then spoke. "Teruteru washed the pots and pans that the food was cooked in, and I washed the utensils, plates, and cups. After I finished washing my part of the dishes, I left Teruteru to his pots and pans and met with Sakura."

"Did anything happen in the Kitchen between you two? Anything said?"

"Why would I say anything to that degenerate male?" Tenko nearly spat.

Sakura's eyes went wide. "Excuse me?"

Tenko, realizing what she just said and did, lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sakura-sensei."

Fuyuhiko interrupted what Sakura was about to say. "Ok, whatever, what else happened when you two were in the Kitchen alone? Did anyone else enter the Kitchen while you two were in there?"

Tenko shook her head. "No, just me and him. As I said, I was washing dishes, and he was washing pots and pans. After I got done, I left."

"Kehehehe...I find that very hard to believe. You can barely tolerate his presence, yet you volunteered yourself for dish duty the night he died. Does no one else find that a bit strange?"

Rantaro agreed. "Yeah, that does seem highly unusual. Also, you were the last one with him before he died, and you saw no one else with the two of you? That does make you seem awfully suspicious, you know."

Tenko nodded. "I know, but it's the truth. It was only me and that degenerate until I left."

Sakura's eyes flashed again, but she had no time to say anything.

"So you mean to tell me that Teruteru, the pervy chef we all know, had you alone with him in the Kitchen, and nothing happened? You in that miniskirt, bent over the sink, doing dishes...there'd be no way Teruteru could keep his mouth shut around you!" Mahiru was looking at Tenko with complete disbelief in her eyes. "He even stared at MY legs, and I tolerated him only slightly more than you did!"

"Ugh..." Tenko was clearly on the defensive, but not really saying anything for herself. This was looking bad.

"So," Rantaro asked, "What happened in the Kitchen between you and Teruteru?"

Tenko, realizing that no one would believe her "nothing happened" story anymore, especially after calling Teruteru a "degenerate male", came clean.

"I was doing dishes, and Teruteru was carrying the pots and pans together. As he walked behind me, he flipped my skirt up with the handle of the pan. Whether it was intentional or not, I don't know and I don't care. You flip a girl's skirt, that's practically a criminal offense! So I grabbed at the handle, yanked it away from that degenerate pervert, and cracked him in the head to teach him a lesson in manners!"

Tenko's voice softened. "But then...he dropped like a sack of potatoes, and he was bleeding. I dropped the pan into the dishwater, cleaned up his blood with a washrag, and considered what to do with Teruteru."

Tenko's rage built up again. "I was so angry, I decided to put him in the oven, so he could cook to death like the pig he is! Yeah, I killed that degenerate perverted male, and I'm not sorry that I did it!"

Tenko's...rather startling admission of guilt caught me off-guard, but we were not out of the woods yet. There was still Mondo to consider.

"Ok, so Tenko killed Teruteru, so that brings us back to Mondo," Kyoko stated. "Who did Mondo meet with in the Dojo, and why did that person kill him?"

"Well, we can rule out a few people. Mahiru, Hiyoko, Shishano, and Toko would be -" Nekomaru started, but Jack cut him off.

"AND me, of course! No scissors, no guilt!"

Nekomaru sighed and nodded. "Ok, and Jack, who may as well be Toko to me. Anyway, they're all too petite to throw a man Mondo's size, let alone kill him in such a physical way. I doubt that Kyoko or Rantaro would be able to, either. Fuyuhiko strikes me as more of a brawler-type, as someone who would be punching and kicking instead of throws or grapples. Korekiyo killing Mondo doesn't really make any sense, either, as I never saw them interact much with each other at all, good or bad."

Korekiyo agreed. "Yes, indeed. I never harbored any ill will towards poor Mondo. I admit that I wished to understand him better, but he was never very approachable for me. A pity." Korekiyo then grabbed his right wrist with his left hand, rotating his right hand in a circular motion, presumably to try to pop it.

Nekomaru took a deep breath, looking at each of us. "In my mind, that leaves me with three suspects. Sakura, Tenko, and myself."

"Wait, are you saying YOU might have killed Mondo? Are you fuckin' stupid or something?" Fuyuhiko ranted at Nekomaru. "Why the hell would you say something like that out loud?"

"Because, like it or not, it's the truth. The three I named, whether I like it or not, are the most likely suspects in Mondo's murder, even if that list includes me."

"He's not wrong with his assumption," Kyoko consented. "It would take someone with either immense strength, or the ability to throw Mondo, to snap his neck and dump his body the way he was found. No way me, or Toko, or Shishano, or even Hiyoko and Mahiru together could pull this off."

I had no argument for this, though I sorely wished I had a chance to look Mondo over. I knew Kyoko was the Ultimate Detective, though, so if I had to trust anyone else's word on Mondo's condition, it would be hers.

Korekiyo spoke up next, his attention on Nekomaru. "Since you seem insistent on being considered a killer, let's hear you out. Why did you kill Mondo?"

Nekomaru returned Korekiyo's gaze, confused. "Huh? I never actually said I DID kill Mondo. I didn't! I worked with the Devas most of the day, before eating dinner and hitting the pool."

Kyoko responded to Nekomaru's claim. "Any witnesses?"

Mahiru, surprisingly, chimed in. " Not just a witness, but evidence too!" She revealed her camera, which she then plugged into her E-Handbook and started typing on. A few moments later, pictures came up in the Group Chat of Nekomaru working on a tunnel, of him building a hamster bed, and of two hamsters racing each other on a track while the fatter one watched eagerly. All the dates and times were 3/17, at various times in the afternoon.

"We also left together for the St. Patrick's Day dinner together, in case you were wondering," Mahiru continued.

Korekiyo nodded, seemingly satisfied with these words. "That would seem to safely eliminate Nekomaru, would it not?"

"It would seem so, yes. Mahiru would have little reason to lie for Nekomaru, after all," Kyoko agreed.

Rantaro turned his gaze towards Sakura. "Where does that place you, then? Where were you when Mondo was murdered?"

Sakura responded, "I was in the Track Room, running laps for a while, then spent some time in the Dojo, using the punching and kicking bags to work on my strikes. Later, I retired to my dorm room to meditate and have a protein shake."

"Was anyone with you during these times?" Korekiyo asked.

Sakura lowered her eyes. "Unfortunately, no. I was alone in the Track Room. As for the Dojo...I left shortly after..." Sakura took a deep breath, seeming to gather herself. "Shortly after Mondo arrived. But I swear to you, I did not touch one hair on his head, or one fabric on his clothing! I went straight to my dorm room and had a protein shake, then meditated until Toko knocked on my door for dinner."

Oh, no. So Sakura could not truly clear her name. This was bad.

Fuyuhiko spoke next. "Alright, I think we have enough to cast our votes now. Monorakun? Let's do it!"

Monorakun looked down towards the center of the table. "Alright, someone's called for the bell, so time's up. It's voti-"

"STOP! NO!!"

That voice...Tenko?

Monorakun sneered at Tenko, clearly annoyed. "Sorry, Butch Incarnate, but you're not delaying the inevitable. It's time to-"

"NO! Sakura didn't kill Mondo! I did it! I killed him!" Tenko blurted out.

"Oh, BULLSHIT! Sakura already admitted to being with Mondo, alone, before he died. She killed him. It's over!" Fuyuhiko shouted at Tenko.

"That might be true that she was alone with Mondo, but I still say Sakura is innocent! I'm the guilty one, and I'll prove it!"

"Oh, for fucking crying out loud, are you serious with this shit?" Fuyuhiko was absolutely fuming at this point; his face was turning red, and if he was a cartoon, he would have steam coming out of his ears and off of his head.

Korekiyo held out his right hand towards Fuyuhiko. "Wait. Let's not rush to a hasty decision. We never truly cleared Tenko, after all. If she's willing to speak, we should be willing to listen, should we not?"

Kyoko, Mahiru, and Rantaro voiced their agreements, as did I.

Fuyuhiko put his face in both hands, which were slightly shaking. "Sonova...Fine, whatever. Start talking."

While Fuyuhiko regained his composure, Tenko resumed, starting to tear up. "I was entering the Dojo as Mondo was leaving, and I got tired of him constantly dodging me. I challenged him to a fight, but Mondo repeated his 'A real man doesn't hit a girl' mantra at me. It made me so...angry! Why? Why would such a degenerate male like him develop such a trait like this? I decided it was just a ruse, a facade, a way meant to catch me off-guard, to lull me into complacency so he could have his degenerate way with me! I decided right then and there, no more! So I charged him, grabbed his right wrist with my right hand and put my body underneath his right arm and rib cage. Then, I grabbed his right leg with my left arm and quickly tossed him over me, head-first into the ground. I didn't even check to see how he landed, I was so angry; I just stormed out of the Dojo and left him there. I didn't even know he..."

Tenko took a deep, shaking breath. "Was dead when he landed, that I broke his neck with that throw."

At this point, Fuyuhiko was just resting his head on his right hand, looking equal parts annoyed and bored. "Are you done now? OK, fine, you killed Mondo and that asshole chef. Now, can we FINALLY put an end to this Class Trial?"

Monokuma spoke slowly, his tone furious, his red eye glowing brightly. "Unless...there are any MORE...interruptions...yes, we can. And I swear...the NEXT PERSON...who interrRUPTS me...will FACE. MY. WRATH!!"

"With that said, Voting Time. Vote. Now." Monorakun finished by leaning back in his chair, his red eye no longer glowing. "To be clear, the first vote will be for Mondo, as he died first. The second vote will be for Teruteru. Vote carefully! No 'oopsies', no 'I got them mixed up', you'll just have to live...or die...with the consequences."

The podium revealed everyone's faces, with "Mondo Owada" in large gold lettering at the top. I selected Tenko, hoping she wasn't trying to pull a last-second fast one here to doom us all.

After everyone voted, the podium went blank, then revealed everyone's faces again, with "Teruteru Hanamura" in gold lettering. Again, I selected Tenko.

After all votes were cast, the monitor beneath Monorakun's podium displayed the same Roulette wheel, still set up the same as our seating arrangement. However, two balls, one after another, were rolled. One had Mondo's face on it, the other Teruteru's. They spun round and round, before both landed in Tenko Chabashira's slot on the Roulette wheel.

Tenko Chabashira...killed them both.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-sensei. I failed you as a student, and I failed you all as a classmate. Forgive me..." Tenko had tears rolling down her cheeks as the table started to spin, before the Execution Room door opened and the chained manacle snapped over Tenko's neck, dragging her backwards into the Execution Room. We all ran, unable to stop ourselves, before finding ourselves before a steel cage, with Tenko inside it. The cage seemed to be over a fighting arena of sorts, with a flat-looking surface. A sign in the back lit up along the back wall, through the bars: "Tenko Chabashira's Execution: Mono Kombat!"

The manacle detached itself from her neck and slid itself out of the cage, drawing our attention to the other...thing...in the cage with her. It had the appearance of a male luchador, but with Monorakun's head. The right half of his skin was white, but the left half was black, and he was wearing no shirt and grey wrestling pants. When it stood up, lettering on the leg I could see spelled out "MONODOR" in red jagged writing. He almost reminded me of a character from a fighting video game my older brother used to play...started with a T, but the name eluded me right then.

Tenko's eyes went wide, as this thing stood 6 feet tall, easily, and was charging at her. Tenko threw Monodor with an arm drag, but Monodor just rolled to his feet, barely bothered. Monodor then went in with a right hook, and when Tenko grabbed his wrist, Monodor countered by bending his elbow and jamming it into her face instead, followed by a knee to her gut that knocked the wind out of her. Tenko doubled over, and Monodor clenched his right fist in his left before dropping to his knees, driving both fists into her back. Tenko went face-first into the floor, hard.

Monodor then grabbed Tenko's right leg, put his right heel inside the crook of her knee, and rolled onto his back, keeping his right leg straightened. This wrenched Tenko's knee while she was prone on her chest, making her cry out in pain. Monodor yanked hard, and it looked like something gave in Tenko's knee. He let go, and Tenko grabbed her knee and struggled to stand, her right leg buckling underneath her.

"Oh, no. Her knee's been dislocated," I heard Sakura softly mumble to herself.

Monodor next grabbed Tenko from behind, both arms around her waist, and lifted her up and backwards, slamming the back of her head against the floor in a German Suplex. Monodor ended up on his back as well, and he quickly rolled to one side. Monodor quickly grabbed Tenko's left arm and put Tenko in an armbar, hyperextending her elbow by bending it the opposite way that it's supposed to bend. Tenko screamed and started punching and clawing at Monodor's hands with her free hand, but his grip was firm. Eventually, a snap was heard, followed by a pained shriek, as Monodor broke Tenko's left arm at the joint.

Monodor stood up, and made a throat-slitting motion. Tenko, meanwhile, staggered to her knees, holding her injured arm and being unable to stand on both feet, sobbing in pain and fear. Monodor picked Tenko up to her feet by her hair, before lifting her body up onto his right shoulder, her legs dangling over his back and her head near his stomach. He then repositioned her head between his knees, hugging her body tight against his own, in what almost appeared to be a standing 69.

I remembered seeing this before from watching wrestling with my parents, back in the day, and my breath caught in my throat.

Monodor then jumped up in the air and landed hard on his knees, driving Tenko's head straight into the ground, snapping her neck on impact. Monodor let go of her body, and she just...flopped limply to the floor, lifeless.

"You Lose!" boomed overhead, as Monodor raised one arm in victory, before the lights went out in the Execution Room, leaving us with only the light from the Courtroom to find our way back (which, mercifully, was not difficult).

Everyone except Sakura just walked right out of the Courtroom, silent. Sakura, meanwhile, stood at the now-closed-and-locked doors to the Execution Room, her head lowered, her fists tightly clenched. Not a sound could be heard from her, but I could see the tears slowly sliding down her cheeks as her shoulders trembled ever-so-slightly.

I wanted to reach out for her, but was not certain how she would respond, so I just stood there as she silently mourned Tenko's death, the tears never seeming to stop.

What was going to happen to us next? I was afraid to find out.