Blades of Despair

-Chapter Four-

The First Motive

"The purpose of Motive Day, as I've already mentioned, is to encourage students to graduate as soon as possible," as Monoworth spoke, I felt the color drain from my face. "In order to guarantee our success, we give the students some sort of motive. We are not outright commanding you to murder each other – that part we leave to you. So, without further ado, allow me to present you with the first motive! Please could you all look at your Seiko-pads. A fifth option should have become available to you."

I took my tablet from my pocket and turned it on. As Monoworth had said, there was indeed a fifth option on the screen: 'Motive'. I tapped it reluctantly, but nothing happened.

"Ah, not so fast, Miss Asaji," chuckled Monoworth, "the button isn't activated. First, Monomenon, will explain what the motive is."

"Thank you, my friend," said Monomenon, comically curtsying slightly before stepping forward to address us.

"The first motive is quite simple; I'm going to give you all seventy-two hours to kill one of your classmates. But there is a catch! You have to murder a specific person if you want to graduate seamlessly. If you don't kill your intended target, then we have to do a class trial. And if nobody does any killing, then I'll execute everyone."

"What happens if we do kill our target, then?" quizzed Edward.

"Basically, there will be no class trial; the murderer gets to escape with no cost, while the remaining students will be executed."

"When will you bears learn that we're not going to kill each other?" cried Saza angrily.

"Okay, so you choose to die here, then?" asked Monomenon.

"Huh?"

"Haven't you figured it out? You're all going to die," Monomenon's red eyes lit up and his tone became chilling, "it doesn't matter how much you defy me, I always win. I'm giving one student the opportunity to leave unscathed. Do you really think everyone here is just going to let that opportunity pass them by? If so, your faith in these students is admirably stupid. Exchanging fifteen lives for your freedom seems like a reasonable bargain to me, so how do you know that no one here will be capable of murder?"

"Because... because...," but Saza could not find an answer to the executioner's question. He was right, we didn't know what each other was capable of. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that one of us would kill to escape, especially now that it was freely being offered to the group.

"Well, that concludes the explanation of Motive Day," Monoworth interjected, "while you students look at your target, which has now been activated for you, I shall wait with Monomenon to see how event unfold."

"Bye-bye, you guys" cackled Monomenon, "make sure you kill the right person!" The petrifying glow of his ruby eyes was the last thing I saw before both bears disappeared through the gap in the ceiling. Every time we had an encounter with the headmaster, we were left in an uncomfortable silence for an unbearably long time. But eventually, I couldn't wait any longer and cleared my throat.

"So, what now?" I asked stupidly, not knowing whether anyone would even be able to answer that question.

"Should we look at the motive?" whispered Mina nervously. Hatanaka slammed his fist on the desk, making Mina squeak.

"Absolutely not! If we all refuse to look then we won't know who we are being forced to kill."

"That might not work, "said Tokunaga sadly, "if we don't know our target, we can still do a killing. Someone could do a murder, we do a class trial and then they get away. Then the others die. It is something we cannot avoid – somebody has to die."