"Well, the killer is Angie, obviously," Kokichi said breezily. "She's gone totally bat-shit crazy when you suspected her actual evidence,"
"Not like you helped," Shuichi muttered. "But for all we know, she might just be throwing a tantrum because she can't get what she wanted. It's too dangerous to vote yet!"
"Gonta no think Angie did it!" the Ultimate Entomologist argued. "Angie has always tried to protect everyone in the Ultimate Academy and stop any more killings from happening!"
"Maybe that's why she did it," Kiibo whispered. "It was a pre-emptive strike, to stop the risk that Maki kills anyone. It is natural that she would be scared and suspecting of an assassin, after all. What I do not understand is why <em>Himiko</em> was hitched along for the ride---was she supposed to act like a lookout? Or to help Angie throw Maki into the washing machine?"
"I said I DIDN'T DO IT!" Angie yelled in the background, but by that time all of them were so used to it that it was sort of like the BGM of the class trial room.
"Sure you didn't, honey," Kokichi rolled his eyes. "So can we hurry up and vote now?"
"NO!" Angie and Shuichi yelled in unison.
"There are still many mysteries to this case we need to sort out," Kiyo agreed, closing his eyes.
"I think the matter is already settled, though," Kirumi pointed out. "It is rather clear, seeing the condition of our only two suspects. One is fine, while the other is-"
"Insane," Kiibo finished. "It seems safe to vote already. "
"Why don't we ask Himiko?" Kaede suggested quietly. The Ultimate Magician(Sorry, Ultimate <em>Mage</em>) had been staying unusually quiet through the entire trial, even up to the point that she was revealed as one of the two people who killed Kaito and Maki. There was a possibility that she was just nervous, but where there a slight possibility that this was a subtle admission of guilt? Or was it just the shame that she had been involved in the murder(s) of two close friends of the people leading the investigation?
No. No, it just couldn't be. Sure, Angie was a manipulative, almost sadistic dictator, but she wouldn't be as evil to make one of hers(or Atua's) beloved devotees do the dirty work of killing <em>at least</em> one person and pay the price of bloody, brutal execution, would she? And Himiko couldn't possibly be stupid enough to go along with a guaranteed suicide plan, would she? Whilist on the topic, who would?
Himiko suddenly seemed very interested in her pointy beige magician boots. "Nyeh...I-I don't really have anything to say...but I think we shouldn't vote just yet,"
"Could you tell us what happened, Himiko?" Kirumi said in a kind and considerate voice, her entire being somehow radiating much more mom energy than normal. Kaede was surprised that the Ultimate Maid's ability to stay sane and steady even in the most stressful situations. "I understand that you're probably very scared and traumatized now, but it'll all be over soon if you help us prove that Angie is our killer here. It will all be alright--we understand that you probably didn't do it out of your own free will. Did Angie bully or berate you, maybe, to help her? "
Himiko frowned and shook her head violently, fat tears flying all over the place. "No, that's not it...no no no no no no no no no nononononononononononononononononono..."
Korekiyo sighed. "Great. Now both of them have lost it. Who do we vote for?"
