"Kiibo?" Kaede's mind struggled to register what had just happened. "W-weren't you executed?"
"An execution? That was that weird thing just now?" the Ultimate Robot shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. "B-But I didn't kill anyone?"
He surveyed the trial room, paling when he saw the new addition to the portraits. "Wait, I did?"
"Well, well, well! This really is an interesting turn of events!" Monokuma popped out of the throne. "I didn't really expect you to wake up and start fighting me in the middle, but I'm a nice guy, so I'll allow it!"
Angie grinned and put her hands around Kiibo. "Atua has willed Kiibo's awakening and survival! Isn't that just swell?"
"Uh---y-yeah..."
"So can we hurry up and leave?" Shuichi tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. "I still have things to do up there before the finale!"
Suddenly, Kaede wanted to try and stay in the class trial room for as long as possible.
"Not so fast!" Monokuma jumped up. "I still need to take punishment for Gonta's murder, you know! Don't think that I've left you off the hook so easily!"
"Is someone still going to die?" Kirumi took a passing glance at Shuichi, then back at Monokuma again.
"Sure will! I have an iron-clad rule to punish the killer if it wasn't a suicide, a rule I will follow until I die! So," Monokuma glared at Shuichi, his red eye glinting.
"Wait...what?" the Ultimate Detective glanced around nervously, noticing the way that everyone was staring at him. "This isn't how it works...right? I'm the MASTERMIND! MONOKUMA LISTENS TO MY EVERY COMMAND THE KILLING GAME IS MINE!!! I DONT DIE IN CHAPTER 4!"
<em>Chapter 4? What is Shuichi saying?</em> Kaede's former best confidant had turned into a screaming, squirming mess, and it pained her so much to see him like that. But she couldn't save him anymore, could she? Was it even possible, with how much he had drowned in despair?
"Can the mastermind be executed by Monokuma? W-What's your relationship?!" Tenko's eyes bulged.
"MONOKUMA IS MY PUPPET!" Shuichi yelled. "He is my right, the tool that was promised to me in the killing game. I was playing as a normal participant all the way until the motive of chapter 4, when Monokuma unleashed all my memories as a servant of despair and gave me an upper hand in this killing game,"
"Hey, pops!" the monokubs popped out of their podiums, staring at Shuichi. "What's this demented emo doing? You finally found his secret diary?"
"YOU SHUT UP!" Shuichi whipped his head around to look at the cubs. "This is a very important matter between me and your father."
Monokid cringed. "God, what happened to him? He used to be all quiet and polite, and now he's like a fish out of water with the way he's flopping around."
"That is, kids, because he really IS a fish out of water. He's an idiot who thinks that he's entitled to the world or something, and I'm going to teach him a lesson!"
"No-" Shuichi said, but Monokuma hit his gavel down, sealing the Ultimate Detective.
Kaede closed her eyes, expecting chains to come up and transport Shuichi to some horrible torture, beating him into a pulp until nothing was left.
But-
<em>THUMP.</em>
There was nothing but a large noise of something hitting the floor and a sharp intake of breath. Her heart racing, Kaede slowly trying opening a bit of her eyes.
Where Shuichi had been standing was a large gold block, splattered with blood. It's over that quick. Monokuma didn't even <em>bother</em> taking him to the execution grounds.
Tenko, who was closest to Shuichi at that time, looked like her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets.
Kirumi covered her mouth with her sleeve. "I'm sorry Kaede, but it looks like we need to clear out quickly."
At that moment. Kaede could register nothing but the wind whipping around her ears. It was too quick. Too sudden. There wasn't any space to breathe
.
How weak it was. Life, death, friendship, courage. All of it just flittered away in the breeze, leaving nothing but pure, undiluted misery. Was it all fake? All her short, happy times with people she had finally been able to call friends--was all of it just a mirage? Who was the person who was crushed just inches from her?
"So? Was Shuichi the mastermind?" Kirumi asked calmly.
Monokuma stuck a finger into his ear and twisted it lazily, before taking it out again and examining its contents. "I told ya, right? He's just some delusional emo. Do you really think would execute the mastermind so quickly? He was a waste of space, anyways."
"NO, THAT'S WRONG!" Kaede didn't know where she found the energy, but she pointed at Monokuma defiantly. "Shuichi was a good person who was always thinking of a way for all of us to escape this hell together. He was brave, smart, and a great friend. The ONLY REASON he went awry was because you played with his head during the motive. DON'T YOU DARE CALL HIM A WASTE OF SPACE!"
"So you still keep your hope..." Monophanie took a handkerchief out of nowhere and dabbed at the oil dribbling out of her eyes. "I-It's so beautiful...!"
"Humanity really is beautiful..." Korekiyo agreed.
"What's going on with Kokichi?" Angie asked. "Angie thought the Monokubs were looking after him, but the Monokubs are right here, talking to us? And Kokichi's podium is missing."
Kaede's hadn't noticed it in all the mess, but one podium was indeed missing. Along with all the curtains, and as she had taken for granted for the majority of the trial, the person supposedly being treated behind them.
"W-WHAT'S GOING ON?!!!" Tenko pointed at the gap between her and Kiibo's podiums. "WHERE IS THE SHRIMP?"
"Ahh..." Monosuke looked at his feet guiltily. "About that..."
The eerie feeling in Kaede's gut came back. "Where is Kokichi? What did you do to him?"
Monokid glared at Monophanie, who promptly threw up, before glaring at the Monokubs' oldest, who was slowly inching towards the elevator doors.
Monotaro cleared his throat. "Kokichi Oma? Uh, yeah...about that...I'm afraid he's dead."
