Noel murmured something about Davis being full of shit, then turned to Bliss. ”If they removed them, the killer must’ve removed them all indeed. She pondered for a bit. ”We should’ve had at least three, if not four sets of footprints.” She looked at Lucas. ”After all, if you truly went to check the scene, your footprints should’ve been there as well.”

She put a hand to her chin. The footprints must’ve been made to make us believe Krista was the killer. That’s the only reason there’d be so many of them all around. They shouldn’t be there, after all if she was knocked out quickly. As for how the killer could’ve made them, well we know exactly how, don’t we?” She pointed at Krista. ”All the killer had to do was take her shoes off and make fake prints!”

As for how Davis saw a way to reveal the killer… she had to think a little more about that. "As for those tools of yours, Lucas. I would be interested in seeing those. You didn't have them with you when I ran into you in the hallway. I assume you must've headed to the meeting then?"

Cyrus was racking his brain. Something in this story didn’t fit well. Somebody had said something that was off. But then it struck him like lightning.

Wait a god damn minute!

Cyrus exclaimed furiously. His eyes were aimed angrily at the infinite paranormal investigator. ”Your story doesn’t add up. You proposed that idea to both Mondatta and krista at breakfast? Truly? That’s odd. After all, Bliss said it herself.”

He smirked. ”Krista slept at night. Bliss slept in the evenings. Mondatta slept in the mornings.” He said. ”So did that meeting really happen during breakfast? Or is that schedule Bliss gave us incorrect?” He growled, wanting to know the answer. And for that answer he looked at Calvin. ”If you were really there, then tell us! Did this meeting really happen at breakfast in the way Lucas described?”

She didnt bother to react to anyone's actions, not Mary, not Caora, no one. Only one who would have gotten a reaction was Monokuma, but she decided to save it for later. Alice kept her head down, her bangs casting a shadow over her eyes, well..eye, as she taped her fingers on the podium.

Only when Krista revealed that Lucas killed Mondatta that she stood up from her spot. The violinist told Calvin to take his shirt off aswell, but Alice didnt hesitate to force it off the metalworker.

She didnt run or sprint up to him from her place in the court, Alice casually walked instead, a smile turned grin on her face. It wasnt the normal grin though, it was one of Malice, ironicaly. Her expression could have been interpreted as a mix of impatience, psychopathy, a hint of anger, and the phrase 'Im done with your crap, Johnson." The shadow over her face didnt help with it either.

Alice cracked her knuckles as she gave those who had went with the idiotic idea of striping themselves to reveal the killer a glare that was hidden within the smile. When she made it over to Calvin, despite any resistance he would have given her, Alice was able to throw off his shirt. She might have been "Annoyed" at that moment, but she still knew to not rip the shirt up, her mannerisms wouldnt allow it.

Calvin tipped his head to Cyrus's question. "I mean, maybe?"

"Maybe!?" Aleecia was starting to get worked up. "You responded to Lucas when he said you were there for it!"

"Well..." Calvin scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I just heard him say my name and figured he was trying to accuse me. I don't remember hearing Mondatta's voice now that I think about it. I was just defending myself from Lucas's accusations."

"Gosh Calvin." Alexandria popped up beside the blacksmith. "I didn't think you were so pants-on-head-silly about all this, tee-hee!"

"Shit yea he's got silly pants!" Geina popped up over his other shoulder. "But we're here because you're totally going to show us your six pack. Ain't that right, bitch?"

Calvin folded his arms. "Well, I don't see the need to."

"By the queen herself doth she command this heathen to rid himself of his uniform and give unto her an offering of flesh!" Willow fret her brow. "Less she carve it from his bones!"

"Look, there's no reason for me to..." Calvin trailed off when he noticed Aleecia had shrugged off her green hoodie and was starting to remove her tank top. "A-Aleecia!?"

"He's just going to keep lying in circles until we do it anyway."

Before Calvin could respond, Alice was attempting to undress him herself. "Hey! I can take my own shirt off!" But the other carnage sisters seemed to think it was a good idea and helped Alice out as best they could. That was to say Calvin stood virtually no chance at preserving his dignity. Despite Alice's attempts to leave his shirt unharmed, the carnage sisters tore it to pieces in seconds. They swooned at the sight of his exposed skin. Calvin was unhappy, but refused to speak.

"Your queen has examined your flesh with utmost scrutiny, and has found no blemishes to speak of."

"Hey!" Geina was the one to speak up next. "The fuck is Nariko doing?"

Nariko was looking at Aleecia, who had finished removing her tank top. She was just wearing a bra and jeans now. "Oh dear...."

Geina raised an eyebrow. "What is it sis?"

"I'm..." She stepped backwards. "I'm..." Nariko hugged herself. "I'M FEELING POSITIVE EMOTIONS!"

The other carnage sister shrieked in unison. "Oh dear!" Willow looked away from Nariko. "Well, pray tell, do you see any bruising?"

Nariko slowly looked away from Aleecia. "There are no bruises... on the fruit."

Bliss exhaled. "So it was Lucas after all."

"Well." Davis scratched the back of his head. “The four people that were present for the discussion in question were Krista, Lucas, Calvin... And you.”

“Hold it buster!” Bliss stayed quiet for a moment. “Just because I watch over Krista doesn't mean I go eavesdropping on all of her conversations. And it's really hard to focus when Shaun and Caora were together. They're s-so cute!”

“Why is everyone stripping? Why is everyone stripping each other?” Monokuma Looked around at everyone. “You're... raising all kinds of things right now... But mostly my desire to punish someone!” He pointed at his "daughters" with a quivering paw. "And the lot of you are the first to be punished! Is this how I raised you?"

"We're sorry father!" They sobbed in unison. Except for Nariko, who was creeping towards Bliss.

"Heh." perfection folded his arms. "I might as well recap what happened... While the murder itself happened just today, the killer had prepared several days in advance. He was filing down the stalagmite and working on earning his mark's trust. When the day of the murderer rolled around, the killer needed a way to isolate Krista from her body guards. He did this by arranging for Krista to appear in the caves for the shift change. If I had to guess, the original intention was to make a killing that looked like a freak accident. So when Krista showed up, he knocked her out and prepared to drop the stalagmite on her. Something must have been off with the killers timing, because Mondatta arrived early.”

Bliss hugged herself in an attempt to prevent Nariko from removing her blouse. “Mondatta knew I had difficulty adjusting to the new schedule, and said it would be okay if I woke him up early. Krista told me to have Mondatta meet her in the caves.” The nanny looked away. “That must have been why the killer wasn't ready.”

Davis continued. “And when Mondatta showed up, he was able to thwart the killer's initial murder attempt. After a quick beat down, Mondatta must have broken the file. That, or the killer broke it while beating on Mondatta's armor. Either way, Mondatta was willing to spare the killer... only to have him thrust Mondatt's head into a stalagmite and kill him.”

Calvin shook his head. “Damn...”

“The killer was unable to go through with their initial murder attempt, so they decided to pin it all on Krista instead. He used her handbook to plant a knife wrapper in her room and a knife at the scene of the crime, and then He used her shoes to plant fake footprints after wiping up the old ones. The killer's intentions with this ruse was to create a could of chaos that we couldn't look though. However, their own lies and Mondatta's final gift to the killer makes it pretty clear who it is. even without all of this evidence... disappearing footprints? Falling stalagmites? A victim with no visible wounds? could a crime like this be dreamed up by anyone but the infinite paranormal investigator?" Once Bliss was stripped down to her underwear, (it was nothing fancy, for those wondering.) Nariko gave Davis a thumbs up. Perfection responded by unbolting the scabbard and sword from his hip and lifting it over his shoulder. Then he took a swing that would have made Leon Kuwata proud. It struck the paranormal investigator square in his bruise, causing him to double over in pain. “Lucas Carsen, you cunt! You killed my friend!”

---

---

---

---

Davis turned away from Lucas's podium. “Say Killgood, can you unlock the levers now? I think everyone's ready to vote.”

"Sure, just... Cover up your bear spots." Monokuma groaned. "You guys are worse than those hope's peak teenagers! I'm going to have a slew of new regulations ready for you next time! Moving away from the podiums, stripping, making physical attacks on people... Nurses! Step away from Calvin!"

With everyone clothed, the infinites started to vote for who they thought the killer was. Even though they all believed in the evidence presented, it was a little unnerving to see their choices play out on a slots machine. But sure enough, the machine hit a "jackpot" for Lucas and dumped faux coins all over the floor.

"Well well well." Davis said with a chuckle. "Seems I was right after all."

Monokuma looked a little miffed by Davis's smug attitude, but he instantly sprung into high spirits. "As you likely already know, Lucas was one hundred percent guilty for the murderer of the infinite monk." The bear giggled. "Not that you're going to have a second chance or anything, but loose lips sink ships."

"That includes the one that was riding on all that hot air between you and Krista." Perfection scoffed. "You fake."

Bliss, now dressed, was giving Nariko a stare of disapproval. "I just want you to know that was VERY unlady like, buster!"

"I=I'm sorry." the samurai quivered in place. "I'll never be happy again, would that make you feel better?" Bliss only groaned in response.

"So Lucas, it seems like you're on borrowed time now." Davis wasn't wearing the same smug grin he had worn through most of the trial. He looked quite irritated. "Do you have anything you want to say in defense of what a huge piece of shit you are? What made that phone call so tempting that you were willing to sacrifice all of us for it?"

Alice went back to normal after the carnage sisters assisted her, but not exactly sparing Calvin's shirt as she would. Sparing a glance at each of the robots, she stumbled on her thank yous,

"Uh...t-thank you, dear nurses?..I g-guess?" she shrugged as a chuckle slipped out of her mouth, mostly at Nariko's actions. She didnt mind the others as she watched Monokuma, who had a simillar reaction to everyone like her, saying he will make have new rules next time theyre in court.

"Seems about right, if the next court session is like this I swear ill punch someone in the neck.." Alice replied to the bear, pinching her nose as she muttered the other part of her sentence. "And thank you for the necessary censorship, Dr. Killgood."

She walked back to her podium as the levers were unlocked. Taking her vote in for Lucas, she checked back at Bliss before turning to the paranormal investigator, awaiting his reason and execution.

Max had been pondering and theorizing while the rest continued the case, but nothing clicked. And then the stripping order came, which was a smart move; it revealed the murderer after all. Lucas killed Mondatta.

Max wasn’t really hit in the feels because he didn’t knew either of them very well, but Felix grew attached to the man he barely talked to, simply being around Mondatta made him feel safe and comfortable. But if Mondatta wasn’t even safe, nobody was. Yet he also remembered Mondatta’s words of encouragement; to always be positive, and have hope. Felix would honor Mondatta in the best way he could; being cheery and happy, for everyone.

“I can’t believe you really thought you could get away with this Lucas, you even killed the person whose death would unite us the most. I guess while working with ghosts, you forgot how to deal with humans.” a sense of ease and commitment could be heard through his voice.

“Keep your guard up Felix, this is only the beginning.” Said Max in his usual serious tone.

“Well of course, I’m just saying I-no we won’t lose,” Felix now pointed at Lucas, ”People like him, they will.”

The case carried on, with speed that could be compared to Daimyon's imagination when given the slightest creative spark. It whizzed past sensible limits and dove straight into absurdity—continuing the apt metaphor. As to how accurate the parallel was beyond this point, only those with access to the deepest recesses of the poet's mind could know. Because he surely would not tell anyone. Either way it was reality that mattered, and reality was a bunch of Infinites semi-or-more naked, stripping out of their suffocating garments at feeling the heated tension in the atmosphere.

...that was not exactly the reason for it, still, it played very well into the grand image of the case escalating into its climax. And that was it was all about, was it not?

Taking the literal centre stage like a true protagonist was Davis, whose...reveal was further assisted by a wind that was definitely not natural, convincing Daimyon that Monokuma and thus the mastermind also saw this entire situation as a play. That was...it would have been relieving, had they asked the actors in advance or if actual life-ending death was not part of the script. These itsy-bitsy details killed any chance of all but the most transcendent artistic pleasure, which it would have been thoroughly tasteless to indulge in at this point and time.

So the poet pulled his head down from the clouds and refocused on the situation. He realised that his original reasoning for it held no water—it only got hotter, and the bear's attempts to contain the madness were reminiscent of the times he had given himself a good bonk on the head to stop whatever thought process had been running amok inside. He put a hand on the ribbon that decorated his white shirt and briefly adjusted it with an awkward chuckle that expressed his perplexity in the grand scheme of things. Then he peered inside his notebook again, jotting down a few more thoughts into the drawn timeline that he hoped would be his lighthouse in the fog.

Marianne Roche, meanwhile, remained silent throughout most of the case. She recomposed herself and did not lash out at Davis when he took up defending the putain she had burned to a crisp before, but instead eyed daggers at him, Bliss and a few others that caught her ire in the procedure.
“Although I would not be surprised if her every word turned out to be incoherent babbling...” She spoke up when Cyrus called into question the validity of either Lucas' or Bliss' account. “...but even she would not be stupid enough to lie at this stage of things. The contradiction...” she paused and turned to point at the Infinite Paranormal Investigator, with her other hand still clutching the tube on her necklace. “...lies with you, monsieur!”

...Daimyon's lighthouse was made of paper, it turned to be, as its foundation crumbled when Lucas' account turned out to be errored.
“Hah, what are we but humans, flawed by design...” He shook his head, crossing out the entire timeline with an X before looking up from his book.

...at just the right moment.

His attention, like everyone else's, was immediately captured by Krista who had walked up Lucas' podium. Without as much as a word, she ripped open the man's clothes, revealing a set of bruises—they would not have been cause for alert on people like Isaiah or even Alice, but on a paranormal investigator...as far as Daimyon knew, ghosts could harm anything but one's body, being immaterial and all. That meant...

...no way!

“No...!” Daimyon cried out after Krista's bold accusation, horror previously unheard in his voice. “I cannot believe...such a heinous act, perpetrated by one of us? An Infinite, a friend? Impossible!”

Alas, the hope was for naught. The other suspect, Calvin, was forcibly cleared of guilt, and Davis, with surprising composure, broke down the crime with its every detail, from the setup to the execution. The poet tried to interject, he tried to find some way to clear Lucas' name, but...it all made sense. It all came together to form the account of a vile murder, resulting in the death of a man the whole group had treasured dearly. Daimyon hung his head down in disbelief, the pen shaking in his hands.

Even when the choices presented themselves in the final vote to determine the culprit, he could not bring himself to fully believe that one of his fellows murdered another. He let the timer tick down but in the end, afraid of repercussions if he did not vote, chose himself. It changed nothing as the majority was clearly convinced and thus, Lucas was chosen. When Monokuma confirmed it, Daimyon could only look at the investigator and weakly echo Davis' queries:

“...why?”

Cyrus had a satisfied look on his face as Krista ripped the shirt off the paranormal investigator, revealing his sins to the world. He had no idea why they were still taking of the shirts of anyone besides Calvin, but it was a somewhat enjoyable show. He was keeping his clothes on firmly.

His eyes then fixed themselves on Lucas. ”You know… I’m really angry right now… but most of all dissapointed. He said. ”Did you really think it would’ve been worth it? That you could’ve gotten us all killed and gotten away with it? His laugh turned maniacal for a second. ”You are truly the worst kind of garbage.”

Noel in meantime was having a field day. If she ever got out of here, she would have enough material for an entire album. Surely there were some fans of the infinites to allow this to sell like hot cakes! Noel was a good reporter, truly, but it were the embarrassing paparazzi-like stories that really set her heart aflutter. They were her favorites not for their content, but for the reactions they brought out of people.

Cyrus chuckled a little at Davis’s question. ”Davis truly, I thought you figured out that much. He stated. ”Naturally this sick fuck’s objective wasn’t the damn phone call. You’re too focused on that to see the bigger picture. There is but one motive to murder in this place, and we knew it from the start!” He smirked triumphantly.

Noel shrugged. ”Well, who knows? Maybe he thought he could contact a spirit or something? She said, still absorbed in the chaos. It was impossible to tell whether she was serious or not.

Davis started to laugh. Not giggle, not chuckle, but laugh. His head was thrown all the way back as the court room was filled with his laughter. It even got the attention of the carnage sisters and Monokuma.

“Are you serious?” Davis had a hand over his mouth, but his cheeks were visibly curled into a smile. “You want to phone the mastermind?” Davis lowered his hand. “What are you going to tell them that you couldn't say to their face?” Davis lowered his hand, bearing a shit eating grin. “Wasn't it obvious that the mastermind was among us the entire time?” Monokuma had his paws folded behind his back, but said nothing.

“Wait.” Bliss put her hand out in front of herself, as if to stop Davis. “You know who it is?”

“Well, the mastermind didn't leave anything concrete. I'd be talking out of my ass if I said it was possible to nail down the mastermind with this alone. But it is a hint, something that points out one of us is worth investigating further.” Davis turned to look at Noel. “You've been interviewing us up and down, such is the nature of the infinite reporter. But which of us do you think it is?” Davis's smile started to fade as the room became deathly quiet. The carnage sisters approached Davis on all sides, holding their weapons at the ready. “Rule eighteen was an important clue for this case. Which of us is most likely to write a rule like that?”

Noel leered at Davis. Sure, she had talked to several people in the last few days. But she only knew about one person in-depth enough for this to be applicable for. Her eyes opened wide. ”You can’t possibly imply…” Noel uttered. She looked at Davis with a face of disbelief. She looked around the room, but ultimately her gaze fixated on one person in particular. It was strange, but there was truly no other logical option that Noel could think of given the circumstances. She gritted her teeth.

She pointed her finger directly at her target. ”But why would you implicate yourself now? Davis Gallo?”

Davis sighed. “I've only come out of hiding because I don't plan on rejoining the game with the rest of you. I got far too attached to Mondatta and Shona and wasn't able to act like a regular spotless. It would be impossible for me to continue participating in this game fairly.” The ground around Davis immediately shot up some spikes, not unlike the ones that appeared during the first night of carnage. Davis appeared to be in a cage, surrounded by the other infinites. “So there's actually a part of that story I left out, the one about my fiance.” Davis started to pace around his cage. “We actually only went back to New York because I bragged it up and we agreed it would be a good place to get married and go on a honeymoon. We had met and fell in love right at Hope's Peak.” Davis looked back at Noel. He didn't smile. “Oh yes, I attended Hope's Peak. I wasn't always the Infinite Conquest. Back in those days I was... The Ultimate Mastermind.” Davis looked at Lucas and showed him a screen on his E-handbook. It was the camera footage for the entire murderer. A green and black video revealing everything. “I had it figured out pretty quickly. I had done an inventory of everything at the mono shoppe, and the file disappeared the last time you visited it. Hiding it in with your ghost searching equipment was a nice touch, but it didn't fool me. Still, it's always nice to have the option to check your answers.”

“What is this!?” Monokuma roared. “Spoiler alert! You're suppose to keep the mastermind's identity a secret until the final act!”

Davis sighed. “I figured this way they could assign a face to their common enemy.” Davis looked at the bear out of the corner of his eye. “It's not like they know who you are yet, or my intentions. In the grand scheme of things, knowing who holds them offers little comfort.”

“Alright, I guess those are fair points.” Monokuma giggled.

Bliss cleared her throat. “So, why did you reveal yourself? Won't that cause problems for you should one of us escapes?”

“If one of you escapes, it will be through playing the infinite killing game.” Davis shoved his hands into his pockets. “I'm sure you all remember the documentation I presented on that strange machine, right? It was all in Japanese though. A shame Rika didn't stick around long enough to translate it. You'd know that it was a prototype memory suppression machine. While that one is just a prototype, I have the complete version Junko used to memory wipe the students of Hope's Peak. Anyone who escapes will forget this nightmare ever started. You will wake up without remembering the carnage sisters, the fact that you killed someone, any of it. You will be able to continue your life with a clean conscience, free from the terrors that you faced here.”

Bliss was trembling. “What do you hope to accomplish? Isn't this a little twisted, creating a game like the one that killed so many people? And you're, responsible for-”

“Stop talking.” A booth lowered itself from the ceiling and landed beside Davis. “The only thing you need to know is that this killing game isn't the same thing as the ones presented by Ultimate Despair. Regardless of what that bear says, your despair is not the goal of this killing game.”

“W-what!?” Monokuma interjected. “That's not what you told me!”

Davis stepped into the booth. “Know that I want you to continue winning. But I will not be able to help you going forward. Consider this case a tutorial if you would, just one to get everyone acclimated to what happens around here.”

“Guys, I'm serious.” Monokuma looked scared. “I have no idea what this guy is talking about. I feel a little cheated actually.”

“I'll take my leave now. Dr. Killgood, I leave the rest to you.” Davis was pulled into the ceiling.

“My life is a lie...” Monokuma sighed. “Well, even if despair isn't the goal, that doesn't mean I can't relish in it, right?” he giggled. “Alright girls, get everyone back into their seats... Except Lucas.” The bear let out a wicked laugh.“Alright kids, you know what time it is?” Monokuma reached for a hammer and lifted it over his head. “It's punishment tiiiiiiiiime!”

As soon as the bear dropped his hammer on a big red button, a shackle closed around Lucas's neck. It was attached to a chain that was welded to the back of Alexandria's horse. “You're not quite Calvin, but I'm going to ride into the sunset with you anyway!” After everyone else was put back into their seats, the other carnage sisters snapped their own shackle's around the paranormal investigator's neck. Then they rode off into the shadows, dragging the accused with them. By this point, the roller coaster was moving again. It was going to take everyone to the site of the execution...

In front of Lucas was a shut door with signs haphazardly hammered to the wood, each sign making up a single statement: Enter at your own peril. His hands were bolted to the metal bar in front of him, and his legs were cramped in the little cart he had been forced into by the carnage sisters. Part of him knew he had no way to escape, but Lucas couldn't help but struggle against his bonds, making him miss the low whirring of machinery behind the wooden door.

The cart jolted, causing Lucas to rock in his place uncomfortably as the gates slowly opened to reveal nothing but darkness ahead. Only once he was fully inside, the door shut to encase him in the darkness. His skin crawled as the cart remained in place. He could hear nothing other than his heavy breathing and the occasional whirring of the ride he was on. Lucas didn't know for how long he was sat waiting for something to happen, but he almost missed the silence when the sudden sound of a witch giggling filled the air around them. A dim light to the left of Lucas turned on, revealing Killgood behind bars, the walls behind the plush dirtied. The bear looked up at Lucas, and the lights suddenly began flickering as maniacal laughing could be heard from the direction of the cage.

The cart began moving again, forcing Lucas to look away from Monokuma. The lights around him were still flickering around him, and there was a sudden release of fog just as his cart passed an oversized skeleton cramped inside a cage suspended from the ceiling. The paranormal investigator flinched as he felt something brush his restrained hands.

As the fog began to disappear, letting Lucas see around him again, he saw... a ghost!

At least... it looked like a ghost. It was pale and ethereal, and Lucas was scared. The cart kept rolling forwards, bringing him closer and closer to the ghost until everything went black...


The wooden doors opened once again, revealing the same cart Lucas was occupying: only this time, Lucas was dead. His skin ghostly pale, and his eyes widened and mouth dropped, in an eternal scream.

"It doesn't matter." Caora smiled widely. "Even it you are the mastermind, Mr Conquest, you're still our friend! Although, this was totes a dick move. Is that what you call it? A "dick move"?" he pondered the quandry that was the value of a move and the dicking thereof momentarily, before smiling again. "Even the teddy is a friend! And the girls! Except Geina."

Little Conquest turned to Lucas. "When you go to meet God and Baby Jesus, can you find my mamma? She'll want to know how I'm doing.'

In short order, the execution began. Everyone got to see what was happening. Obviously, such a horrid, traumatic affair would command total silence. A mist of despair would descend upon the survivors as they were compelled to watch someone they once called a friend being executed. Surely, nothing could take away from a solemn occasion such as this.

"Spooky scary Skeletons send shivers down your spine. Their shrieking skulls will shock your soul, seal your doom tonight"

After a serious lack of regard for occasion, as well as a surprisingly in depth lyrical knowledge, Lucas was dead. Caora still not having grasped that this was an execution, immediately burst into giggles upon seeing the Paranormal Investigators stupid face.
"Wow. Looks like Lucas was just dying to get out of there!"

Alice didnt know what to say after the mastermind's reveal. She wanted to say that it was expected, but at the same time she was just ready to get out of there. Seeing Caora asking Lucas to find his mother once the investigator is killed earn a head-shake from her.

"I don't think he'll make it to heaven, kiddo." she told the trap, a bit concerned.

Soon enough, the execution began. Alice watched closely as the paranormal investigator was subjected into what reminded her of a haunted mansion ride from a amusement park. After Lucas' corpse was revealed when a ghost got too close for the poor sod, Everyone was silenced, until others broke the silence one by one.

"Meh, could've used some more nightmare fuel...unless he was that much of a coward. So six out of ten for me." she shrugged before peering at Caora, who showed an accidentaly morbid sense of humor. Reminded of an old friend, she ruffled his hair, lightly chuckling before everyone was taken back to the entrance of the court of carnage.

"So, now what?" she asked as everyone walked into the resort.

Mary's cheeks blushed when she stood in the trial room topless, with the little bear reacting to her movements and keeping her modesty was somewhat whole. "It's not conquest, but love! Love will get us through this dilemma!" She proudly procalimed while making a pose, her arms behind her head as she noticed how Caora looked at her. The embarrassment of it caused her heart to jump.
Cookie was motivated by seeing her body, so she deemed herself to have succeeded as she put her clothes back on.
Hmmm, it wasn't as bad as I thought...Maybe I should do this again for my streaming...for a VIP adult site, of course.

She looked meek when Alice gave her a glare, but then lifted her eyebrows when she stripped Calvin herself. She had no right to judge if she was going to do it on others! When she lifted Lucas' shirt, Mary whistled; she had to admit that he had a nicely toned torso. Then Lucas' shirt was lifted, and the trial soon launched into it's final moments, with the Infinite Paranormal Investigator revealed as the culprit.

She hissed at Bliss' remark about Caora and Shaun, but kept quiet for the rest of the discourse. For a moment she felt like joining the others in berating Lucas after how the man rudely dismissed Mondatta's memory, but she knew it wasn't what Mondatta would have wanted. She had no qualms when it came to the voting, but drew in a sharp breath when Davis suddenly started speaking strangely.
"No way, that's impossible! Mondatta trusted you..." She shivered in place, holding her shoulders when he listened to Davis inside the cage, trying to keep hold of herself. Finally, she couldn't take it.

She pointed at Davis.
"MONDATTA TRUSTED YOU! He spoke to me about you, how he wanted to help you! Are you saying that was all a lie?
WAS EVERYTHING HE DID HERE USELESS? NO!" She screamed, and cried her throat dry. She wanted to run right across the room and punch that smug smirk right off his face and kick him in the balls, but she knew she couldn't. In comparison to that, the execution seemed tame, though that only added to the rollercoaster of emotions that Mary suffered through.
After the horrible display, Mary's eyes glistened with fresh tears.
"Mondatta said...he said that we have to stay together...We can't let this happen again. I won't let his death, or Shona's death, be in vain."

The events that unfolded since his last suggestion passed by with little sustained reaction from the Infinite. Too much was happening at once for him to really react, so he simply let himself take it all in, doing his best to keep his cool. All the people stripping, and the accusations and line of questioning, and the odd threat... If this was merely the first case, how incendiary were the subsequent ones set up to be?

With Lucas revealed, Shaun cursed both him and himself. He had overlooked such a glaring detail... One that would have saved everyone much more time. But beyond that, he cursed Lucas; his apathy, his malice, his attitude. It was sickening. How could people like that exist? People that would and do kill others for their own gain... He wanted to go home too. He didn't have parents, or siblings, but he had his uncle and his girlfriend. But... He would never kill to see them again...

Soon after, though, Davis dropped his bombshell. The force of it seemed to shake the very court around him. At the very least, it shook Shaun. This was another man who... Who killed people for what he wanted. Another blight on humanity. Another twisted being. He couldn't forgive any of them... If Mondatta truly did forgive Lucas for what he did, then he was an incredible man. That kind of compassion and understanding was beyond Shaun, as much as he hated to admit it...

He sat idly as the rollercoaster took them to the site of the execution, and watched vacantly as Lucas was promptly executed. Despair that begets despair... It was hard to believe that that could in any way have been anyone's goal, at any time. But the way Davis and Monokuma spoke made it sound like someone had once done something like this before, with their own goal an exponential, ceaseless loop of despair and death.

With all the blights on the human race, like Lucas, and like Davis, it was hard for Shaun to even consider it human anymore. To spell humane one first had to spell human. But perhaps humanity was beyond saving, if all they boiled down to over and over again was actions that begot despair...

Once all the infinites left the court of carnage, the gates swung closed behind them with a clatter. For most, this was the first time they had been inside the court of carnage. Not even an hour ago, everyone had just discovered Mondatta was dead. And shortly after, Lucas had been put to death for the crime. The feeling was almost surreal. Bliss pinched herself, hoping this was all going to be a dream. She was disappointed.

Ice remained quiet. He wasn't looking at anyone or anything, just staring into space. The last time he got worked up, he passed out. Perhaps this meditative state was just to stop that from happening again.

“I didn't see it.” Aleecia was holding the sides of her head. Due to her condition, she probably shouldn't have been on that roller coaster. At least the ride back wasn't as turbulent. “Calvin, what happened?” Calvin was already walking away from everyone though. Fast steps. He was walking towards the hospital. “Calvin?”

“I know what could have prevented this.” Calvin didn't turn around. “I'm going to make sure this doesn't happen again.” And that was all he said before disappearing inside the hospital wing. Such behavior was understandable. A small part of everyone wanted to be alone right now, and so they headed towards their rooms.

---

Upon entering the patients quarters, Bliss started to giggle nervously. “Is something funny, Bliss?” Aleecia's tone was a little annoyed.

“...Heh...” Bliss pressed her fingers together. “I just realized the carnage sisters were all named after conquerors.”

“Really now?” Ice didn't sound amused.

“Yea.” Bliss looked at her hands. “Alexandria is Alexander the great, Geina is Genghis Khan, Willow is William the Conqueror, and Nariko is Oda Nobunaga. Cool huh?” Bliss continued to laugh nervously. “Guess the mastermind really was infinite conquest after all.”

All of the monitors came to life once again. This time however it wasn't Dr. Killgood on the screen, but Davis Gallo. At least it was his silhouette. There was a flickering light off screen that just barely lit up his face. He appeared to be sitting behind a desk, but not much else was visible.

“While it's not required, I would like to apologize for my behavior thus far. Using such uncouth words and acting with such pride was just a ruse. For who would suspect 'Perfection' was capable of orchestrating this killing game? If I acted like the 'Neoslayer,' you'd have figured it out right away.” Davis's voice was surprisingly monotone. He almost sounded like a different person. “Now, onto other matters. Using the phone call to contact me would be very foolish, and I advise against doing so. I will simply hang up as soon as you get to me. There is no rule saying the person you call has to talk to you, and it's best you remember that. However, in the instance you want to call someone who is no longer alive or otherwise unable to answer a phone, you will be allowed to try someone else. Dr. Killgood will give you more specifics about the phone at a later time. And Mary... Oh Mary...” The silhouette shifted around, as if trying to look at Mary through the crowd. “You will find Mondatta's handbook in your room. You can enter his quarters with it. Being the nature of the murderer, you were unable to see his face. So the carnage sisters have set him up on his bed with his helmet removed. His body will be taken off the premises soon, so this is your last chance to see him. But in regards to your last comment about Mondata's sacrifice...” Davis growled. “I do not believe everything Mondatta did was useless. His death, as well as Shona's, both helped forward the scenario. But are you really feeling sorry for them?” Davis folded his hands together. “I have yet to see someone shed tears for someone they weren't emotionally invested in. We all feel sad when we read about a disaster, but how many of us treat those losses as seriously as one of our pets dying? Or even the death of a neighbor's family member? How many of us even remember the disaster a week later? Some of us have even forgotten about it after turning the page.” Davis stood up from the table. His face was much better illuminated now. He looked tired and apathetic. “That's because the person we're really feeling sorry for is ourselves. We cry for OUR loss, we cry for OUR neighbor. Even with a tragedy as great as the end of the world, I only wept for my own friends and family. Of course I was able to sympathize with others, because we were feeling the same pain. Their loss reminded me of my loss. But neither of us was really crying for the other one. Perhaps I can illustrate this by showing you the actions of your own.” Davis slid his arms further apart, taking up more of the screen. “All of you doubted Krista would ever do anything to hurt you. You also look up to Cyrus as he is the only 'leader' you have left. Would you like to see the types of things they say when they are alone?” The screen blinked out and showed some security footage from a few days ago, when Krista and Cyrus first entered Aladdin’s palace. “They were comparing the scenario to that of the life of penguins, I believe.”

“But all we have to do is be the surviving penguins, right?” He said, laughing a little at the ridiculousness of the statement, despite its truth.

“Yeah!” Krista cheered, agreeing with the ridiculously hopeful statement. “We should strive to be the penguins that survive the wave and go home to their young… or... er, family in some of our cases.” Krista then turned back around to walk normally beside Cyrus.

Cyrus chuckled at the violinist. “indeed, we just have to survive.” He answered. “Whatever happens, we just simply have to. Options must present themselves eventually.”

The screen returned to just showing Davis. “This is a man who is slated to lead the people. This is a woman who you all thought was incapable of murderer. But if an option presents itself, they will take it. They just have to survive, after all. The lot of you are just 'penguins' to them. As long as they remain alive, who cares?” Neoslayer leaned in closer. “The race of man is selfish. None of you are above what Lucas did.” There was a pause before Davis stood upright again. “Should you survive long enough, we may again meet face to face. That is all.” Then the monitor blinked out. But as soon as it did, the elevators started moving again. That was when Dr. Killgood made an appearance on the monitors.



“Mercy Evergreen, the infinite plague doctor. In name only. I don't think she got the memo that the last great plauge was like two or three-hundred years ago. The only plague that exists today is hope. Hey, do you think we could make her into a carnage sister?”

Elevator 9 opened its doors.

“Zachary Ackerson knows a thing or two about bows, and still manages the vapid life of an otaku. We're getting a lot of people in with primitive skills huh? Well, at least she's okay with a pistol.”

Elevator 10 opened its doors.

“Jezebel Volcov is 'so' a trickster. As an entertainer of children, I'm sure most of you will 'totally' warm up to her. Her intelligence and interests also level with that of a child, so it's a two way street. Isn't that cool?”

Elevator 12 opened its doors.

It would seem that already, fresh infinites had appeared to take the place of the ones that left.

---

---

There sits a desert landscape that stretches out for what seems like an eternity, devoid of any form of life save a young boy and the glaring sun that rests in the sky.

The boy remembers the sun. It has been there for quite some time, never once leaving the sky, never once ceasing the heated rays that it pours down on him and the desert. It wasn't always there. He recalled a time when there was no light and all was cold. He felt the sun was an improvement over that, but it still was not ideal. Being so hot and thirsty all the time was horrible, and he wished things to be better. Occasionally, he would get angry at the sun. At one point, the young boy cursed the sun's existence. He cursed and threw a fit, he cried and he whined. But the sun did not seem to care. It continued to do what it had always done and shone like nothing had happened.

The young boy realized that nothing could be done about the sun. The sun would remain there permanently, and he was powerless to stop it. However, he believed that there must be something he could do to improve his situation. He could not live like this forever. And when he thought that, the land rumbled and shook violently. It flung up so much dust that the young boy nearly choked on it. He coughed and hacked until he thought he would die, but he did not. He survived, and when the dust had finally settled, he had noticed that the landscape had been altered. The most notable change to him was the city that formed in the distance, and the road leading up to it. Perhaps there he could find shelter from the sun? Perhaps that city would be a better place to stay than the desert? He wanted desperately to reach the city, but there was one big change aside from the addition of the city.

It was a chasm.

The young boy looked down into it and saw nothing but blackness. It appeared to be an abyss with no end and this idea was reinforced when the boy kicked a small pebble into the chasm, never to hear it hit the bottom. Why did this open up between him and his possible salvation? What a cruel fate. But thankfully, it appeared as though he could jump over the chasm. It certainly would not be an effortless leap, but it was absolutely possible. He would just need a running start. If it were possible to escape the unforgiving sun, the boy was sure he would do just about anything. He made some distance between himself and the endless crack in the ground, ready to jump it.

But that's when the voices started.

There were many. He recognized them almost instantly. The voices hurled insults at him and snickered. The young boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a slow exhale, he looked even more determined to make the jump. Ignoring every word they threw at him, he took off in a sprint and rapidly approached the chasm.

It was then that he began to hear loud noises. His had trouble keeping his pace, but did not stop. He would make this jump no matter what. His paradise awaited him. As he drew nearer and nearer to the chasm, the noises continued to increase in volume until they suddenly stopped. The young boy figured that this meant that he was free to attempt the jump now.

He was wrong.

He was so close to the chasm when he heard a specific word from presumably one of the voices from earlier. Many other voices chimed in, saying that word repeatedly until they were all in unison. It hurt. But still, the boy ran on. He could not allow himself to stop, not when he was so close to escape. But then, just like the loud noises, the voices suddenly ceased. He was not going to fall for that again, and braced himself for something else. What new words or noises would come next? It turned out that there was none. It was the same word the voices were calling him before, only this time it came from a voice he loved.

His legs failed him and he tumbled to the ground, rolling towards the chasm with enough momentum to throw him off. He just barely succeeded in grabbing the ledge and stopping his permanent descent. The young boy struggled to gather the strength to pull himself up. It was a very close call, and it had left him exhausted. His head rolled to the side, his view focusing on the city that he could not reach as a tear dropped from his eyes as he closed them.

....

...

..

.

A young man awoke.

Zachary Ackerson pushed himself off the cold metal floor of the elevator and somehow managed to get to his feet. He was feeling a bit groggy, but he was also visibly confused. After all, elevators don't make the best beds and he didn't even remember getting into an elevator. Did he perhaps drink?

Wait, no, that's not right...

It took a brief moment, but he recalled what he was doing last. He certainly wasn't drinking, because his father was having a surgery and Zach was waiting to see if he was alright. It wasn't possible to actually remember passing out but logically, he must have. It was certainly not the most exciting thing to wait while somebody undergoes surgery and there was pretty much nobody to talk to. With nothing of importance to do but wait, Zach was certain he had gotten bored and took a nap. So then... why did he end up in an elevator?

Zach pondered scenarios in his head, but none of them made much sense.

Had he been moved by the staff? Somehow, this seemed very implausible. For one, wouldn't they just wake him up? Secondly, even if they did decide to move him physically, why would they leave him on the elevator floor? Did he do something to piss them off?! He didn't remember starting anything with any of the staff. Might it be possible that he began sleepwalking? No, why would that start all of the sudden? He was no "sleepwalking expert", but he felt that it wasn't likely he made it all the way here without somebody stopping him beforehand. Maybe he was being abducted and the alien spaceship just so happened to look like an elevator?

That's it!

"....wait, wait, wait, wait! If that were true, then what the fuck is with this?"

Zach was staring at an oddity in the elevator. It was the message that was sloppily written in a crimson liquid. It didn't take much of an imagination to figure that it was blood that the message "ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE" consisted of. He had never once attempted to be a detective, but his impressive natural deduction abilities had given him the knowledge that, perhaps, it wasn't normal for an elevator to have such a message, let alone written in blood.

He also did not happen to miss the monitor.

"What's with this asymmetrical bear? It looks like some mascot of a horrible guilty pleasure of mine." Zach complained, just as the doors opened to reveal more people. He stepped out. Zach noticed the lack of smiles on really anybody's face, which surprised him. Perhaps the rest of them were in a similar situation? He was expecting the first people he saw to yell something about a prank, but that obviously wasn't going to happen. Unless these people were horrid at comedic timing.

Just what kind of prank was this? This... was a prank, right? Zachary was starting to doubt this, as too many things seem odd. But if it was not a prank, then what was it?

“Zachary Ackerson knows a thing or two about bows, and still manages the vapid life of an otaku. We're getting a lot of people in with primitive skills huh? Well, at least she's okay with a pistol.”

Zach did not appreciate the way the bear decided to introduce him. In fact, one could even say he disliked it. A lot. How dare this shitty bear understate his skill with a bow and arrow?! He was the best of the best! Nobody could match him! Surely that meant that Zach knew more than "a thing or two" about bows and arrows?! He also did not appreciate being referred to as "she".

Narrowing his eyes at the screen, Zach grumbled "This fuckin' bear..." just loud enough for nearby people to hear, if they were paying attention. But once the introductions were over, he decided to ask the obvious question to everybody in the room.

"So what's going on here? I already don't care much for this dumb bear and I doubt he's going to grow on me. If this is some sort of prank, I gotta say that you guys are really bad at it and should stop before somebody gets hurt. From watching it."