Danganronpa: Komm Susser Tod

Chapter 4, Part V

Chapter 4: The Mice in Council, Part V (Class Trial)

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The doors opened up, allowing us to enter the courtroom for the fourth time. I once again noticed the changed scenery. The walls were now gold, like those medals awarded to winners; a mockery of it, because here the loser or losers would be killed. Everything else: the floor, the curtains and the carpet included, were a duller yellow, almost brown.

Two more portraits awaited us. One was of his last victim. The other was of him. Not a lot of us paid much heed to it - even I had gotten used to it, that is except Ukyo.

Ukyo: Excuse me?

Reiji: Yeah.

Ukyo: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. According to my headcount, literally half of us are now dead.

Homura: (gasp) You can't be-

Tetsuo: It's the truth.

Sasuke: Pfft, we're dropping like fucking flies here.

Reiji: Holy...

You know that saying in which if you slowly boil a frog they'll never notice until it's too late? I glanced around the room - Mamoru and Shuya's. Masato and Usagi's. Shouko and Mayu's. Nanae and Iori's. Sasuke, my sometimes-friend, sometimes-foe, was right.

We really were dropping like flies.

Monokuma: Wow, somebody's noticed! Really thought you'd all be used to it by now.

Sasuke: C'mon, let's get down to business, shall we?

Monokuma: Right then.

Homura: What's next for us, I wonder...?

Asuka: Wait and see.

Monokuma: So, so, so. Like slithering snakes, you once again find yourself here! And it appears that one of you have bitten off more than you can chew!

He was at it again. With the jokes about the most recent loss. I still felt a bit guilty over Iori. He wanted to become a somebody. Too bad he wasn't a decent somebody.

Then again, we're all somebodies. We're Ultimates. Maybe being the Ultimate Snake Charmer wasn't enough for him. Maybe. He was dead now. We couldn't question him even if he wanted to answer.

Monokuma: Now that the predator had gotten at their prey, it's up to you to figure out who they are! But hurry, you don't have forever, and if you guess incorrectly...

Asuka: We all die?

Monokuma: Yes, you all die. Except for Mr. or Ms. Blackened over there. They get to ride the elevator, up to the exit, and I'd just shove 'em out the door, and say to them: "Run. You're free."

Asuka: Right...

Monokuma: But if you do get to find out which narrow fellow in the grass bit him, they'll get their skull smashed in with a rock! Too bad I won't let you all free in return. Isn't life funny?

Kira: No it's not!

Monokuma: (shrugs) To each their own, I guess. Let us begin then.

Not again... The Class Trial... was starting.

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Kira: Alright everyone, let's begin with an anecdote. I swear, this will have something to do with this case.

Sasuke: Go ahead and waste our time.

Kira: Right, so there was this old cowboy film - I watched it as a kid. And I remember clearly that moment where the sheriff got left behind in an icy lake but the bad guys didn't finish him off.