Blades of Despair

-Chapter Forty-Four-

Playing the Game

"Wow, I don't believe it," Monomenon declared to us once we had found our podiums, "we're already at the fourth trial - you guys really like killing one another, don't you?"

"You're not complaining, though," Mina sneered.

"That's true, shortcake, I'm not complaining. At the end of this trial, I even get to execute a minimum of two individuals! I might pee myself with excitement!

"Quit talking about your fictional bowel movements and begin the trial!" Yoneda ordered.

"For once, I am going to agree with Yoneda," Gawa said. "We should start this trial and get this sorted. I do not wish to prolong this... for Nishi's sake." We all looked across the giant, tattooed figure of Nishi, who had lost his twin sister to a murderer. His eyes were glassy still and fixated on the floor. Despite several attempts by Mitsumi to refocus him, Nishi would not respond to anything we said or did.

"I think we are just going to have to do the trial without Nishi's input for now," Morihei finally conceded, and we all agreed. "Nishi, I don't know if you're listening to what we say, but when you feel ready to talk, you just say." No response. I caught Mitsumi looking at Nishi worriedly. Mitsumi, are you returning the promise of protection that Nishi made to you?

"So, where should we start?" Iowa stuttered. She was still shaken from discovering the body of her best friend. We all were. Saza had been kind and entertaining to each and every one of us - so how had she ended up with a knife in her stomach?

"I guess," Gawa began, "we can always start with the autopsy, as we have done with previous trials. As you all are aware from when we discovered Saza's body, her cause of death was blood loss following three stab wounds to the abdominal area. She was still alive after being stabbed, which is why I have deemed blood loss as the cause of death. This means that the killer-"

"-Is Iowa," Yoneda cut off Gawa mid-sentence. I was dumbstruck.

"What?" Iowa shrieked in a combination of rage and shock. "You think I would kill Saza? You bastard, I'll cut off your-"

"Yoneda, why are you accusing Iowa so suddenly?" Morihei questioned in suspicion.

"It's really quite simple," Yoneda replied. "The murder took place in the kitchen. Iowa and I were the only students that were permitted to leave our rooms; but since my target was the traitor, the only person who would have known that Saza was even in the kitchen was Iowa."

"No..." Iowa whispered in horror. "That's not true! I only went there to-"

"Furthermore," Yoneda continued, ignoring her, "I overheard Morihei and Ori discussing something during the investigation. They considered that there was no evident sign of a struggle between Saza and her assailant - now why would that be? Does anybody want to take a guess, a gamble?" Yoneda was smiling widely as he asked us that question. Yoneda, you really are a monster...

"Um... is it because the killer and Saza knew each other well?" Mina offered. "If Saza was comfortable around the culprit, then she wouldn't ever feel the need to be defensive."

"Ding! We have a winner! Mina, come and collect your prize!" Yoneda's voice boomed.

"Oh, really? What's the prize?" Mina cheered.

"Will you stop with the antics, Yoneda?" I sighed. "Conjecture is not a solid basis for your-"

"I'm not finished," Yoneda interrupted me tersely. "There's another reason to think that Iowa is the killer."