Danganronpa Midnight: Lantern Lament (Fanganronpa)

Chapter 2 - Post Trial and Execution

All of us stood nervously around the courtroom, waiting for the upcoming results to be announced. The only thing that we needed was for Monokuma to hurry up with the vote tally.

"And that should be...it!" The bear grinned, addressing us all. "All the votes have now been checked and tallied! If you could all take a gander to the screen at my left again."

Similarly to last time, the aforementioned screen flashed to life, each of us appearing on it. Then, one by one, twelve red bars appeared by Tatsuo.

The votes were unanimous. We all voted for Tatsuo. Even he voted for himself.

"I...can't believe this." Finn sighed.

"It's not over yet." Satoshi folded his arms and shook his head. "We still have to hear the bear's sick verdict."

"What a smart young man you are!" Monokuma announced to us all. "Now, it's time for the moment of truth. Who is the real blackened? Did you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?"

The slot machine appeared on the screen as a large paw pushed down the lever. The panels spun for what seemed like forever before they finally came to a halt.

All three panels were displaying Tatsuo's face.

"Well...shit." I clenched my teeth.

Confetti, coins and fireworks were puked out of the machine, but it wasn't met with the same enthusiasm from us.

Tatsuo killed Yukari...I really was right.

Sure, I like being right, but this just...sucks.

"Puhuhu! Bingo! Bullseye! Correcto!" Monokuma cackled once he saw our reactions. "The guy as fast as lightning...The guy whose speed conjures storms...The guy whose...about to be executed! That's right, he's Tatsuo Takanashi, the Ultimate Motorcycle Racer! And the one responsible for the death of Yukari Miyako."

"Well...There it is." Tatsuo released a deep breath and faced us all. "There's the truth. I murdered her."

"Chiyo was right all along." Ryoko chuckled. "As always, of course."

"No time for flattery, idiot." I groaned the second she opened her mouth, taking a few steps to distance myself from her.

"Chiyo..." Tatsuo called out to me. "I didn't keep our promise."

"Huh? What promise?" I suddenly forgot.

"I said I'd let you ride one of my bikes. I was going to get you prepared with safety and equipment and anything...yet here I am about to be killed." He sighed, insulting himself.

"You...You fucking moron!" I exclaimed, almost slapping him in the face for bringing up such a stupid thing at this point in time. "I don't care about that right now! That's not important...You're gonna die you know!"

"Of course, I know that." He glanced away.

"Then...Why?" I asked. "Why did you admit it so easily?"

"Right." Kenjiro nodded. "Shunsuke put up somewhat of a fight but you...froze up as soon as she f-figured it out."

"And then he just outright admitted it," Kairi added.

"That's easy." He shrugged. "At the end of the day...despite all my efforts to hide her body, I knew I was dead meat."

"So...you knew you were done for?" Yuna assumed.

"I knew that as soon as she was dead." Tatsuo continued. "Why the hell should I get to live for killing Yukari, while you all would have to die? She may have wanted to live, but...I was the one who ended up a killer. I wasn't going to let you all die just for me to leave. You all...deserve to leave more than me anyway."