Danganronpa: GHOST TOWN

Chapter Four, Part Two: Forgotten Despair and Rewarding Answers

~ALL RISE~

Walking out of the elevator proved to be more surprising than expected. The normal drab wooden trial room was no more. Instead the walls were painted like the night sky but rather than displaying the stars in their places, they were shown plummeting to the earth in fire. Deep red curtains draped over sections, giving one the illusion of windows.

"What do you think?!" Monokuma shouted from near the podiums.

No one answered him. In fact, no one really looked at the walls or appeared interested about them at all.

Saori roughly pushed past Ryu and walked right up to her place planting her rainbow shoes and waited.

I lingered farther behind than most of the others. I wasn't ready to begin just yet, considering the fact that I had no idea how we would begin or what needed to be discussed. Once again I was weighed with the burden of proving myself innocent. Who had the nerve to do such a thing to me? Why even bother? I may have not known anything about the murder but I knew there was no possibility that I had somehow killed Utsumi. I hoped everyone else would see that soon. At least I didn't have to worry about Ryu or Renji. They had made clear that they didn't think I did it.

I took a breath and placed myself before Monokuma. I had two people on my side. Cautiously I glanced at Kena and Kiyoshi to my right and left. They hadn't really expressed hostility but I had missed the investigation period. Who knew if there was more evidence that pointed to me? If there was, I just had to find a way to refute it.

The circle of podiums felt different now. Hana's crossed off portrait still stood next to Haruko and Toshiro but the space between Chikara and Haruko was now filled with a matching crossed off photo of Utsumi. I felt daunted. There were fourteen of us and soon there would be thirteen.

"Shall I begin again with an explanation?" Monokuma materialized in his tall chair.

Toshiro looked annoyed. "Is it really necessary?"

"Well-"

"We'll just get on with it." Haruko interrupted. "I'm sure we all remember how this works."

Monokuma looked crestfallen but for once he didn't conjure up a response.

"Then we'll be starting with the Monokuma File?" Kimiko asked timidly, raising her hand slightly in the air.

I shook my head. Monokuma File? How could I have forgotten?!

"That would probably be best." Kiyoshi agreed solemnly.

"Alright!" Monokuma exclaimed. Suddenly the large screen on the wall flashed on, displaying the information.

MONOKUMA FILE #2

I began to study the diagram but before I could take in the information, someone began speaking.

"The victim Utsumi Takeru died at 11:35pm." Haruko read steadily. The rest of us observed the File reluctantly. "He was killed in the entrance to the Diner."

Immediately the image of his body filled my mind.

"The victim suffered many scratch like wounds, however the cause of death was a cut to his throat where he bled out from the carotid artery." Haruko concluded the report expressionlessly and faced the circle again.

Kimiko grimaced, having slapped her hands over her ears at the last sentence. "Did we really need to know that?" She asked in a small voice.

"Maybe." Ryu said. "If it's in the file, it's there for a reason."

"Or it's information that won't be helpful." Kena said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Kena looked to everyone. "Everything that was important to figure out for Hana wasn't in her file."