❃ For the bulk of this story, I will be using the English localisation (Ultimate, Atua, 'Kiyo', etc). But there are also bits and pieces of the original Japanese script (Angie's speech pattern, Ryoma referring to the cast by last names, 'Ouma', etc.) sprinkled in. I realise that the fandom often debates over which translation is more correct, so I figured; why not include a bit of both scripts and keep everyone happy! ^w^

❃ At multiple points in this story there are lines transcribed from the actual game, so of course all credits for those go to Kodaka Kazutaka and the translators over at Spike Chunsoft.

❃ There's spoilers for ALL of V3 in this story - not just the main story, but Kaede's/Shuichi's Free Times and the Love Across the Universe endings also, so if you're not entirely done with those yet and don't wanna accidentally be spoiled here, you have been warned! I'll try my best to remember to put warnings whenever one's coming up, but still, be warned!

❃ As of chapters 11 and 21 respectively, this story is being beta-read by Animercom and Mod Court! Thanks so much to the both of you for taking the time to help me out with this project.

❃ And lastly, while this may seem like your average 'Rewrite with Kaede as a Protag' fic, it actually runs a little deeper than just that. But it *does* follow the canon events of V3. So just... keep that in mind, okay? ^^

❃ When I was younger I used to read alternate scenario stories ALL the time and I figured with V3, there was so much that could have happened that didn't! There were dynamics between characters that could have been developed and things within the story that could have been utalised/expanded upon that just, weren't, y'know? So I've decided to take it upon myself and explore all of that and more here! I have sososo many ideas planned for this story, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have thinking about them! I will give it my all to make this story one of the bestest ones you've ever read! ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ ~Kira


I - My Class Trial, His Resolution: Deadly Life

(Edited on 01/07/2020)

*CW for blood and a little bit of violence.


Chapter I: My Class Trial, Our Class Trial

DEADLY LIFE

Red and Pink.

For the first time, Kaede Akamatsu's world is painted red and pink.

The crimson-coloured liquid that oozes out of the supposed-to-be mastermind's skull.

The scarlet-coloured anger, grief, and confusion from the people accumulating around her.

The shocking pink of the lies she's knows she's about to tell.

And then there's herself; a soft, melancholic pink.

Melancholic, because she stands before the body of Rantaro Amami.

The dead body of Rantaro Amami that she herself had just murdered.

The shock in Kaede's system was clouding her brain and she's only dimly aware of the hullaballoo going on around her. Her eyes find their own way back to the gory scene again, flavourless bile shooting up her throat in quicker time than it'd take for her to play the Flight of the Bumblebee (1900, by Rimsky Korsakov). She swallows it back thickly, as realisation sinks in.

Rantaro wasn't the mastermind.

Kaede had just murdered an innocent person.

Rantaro had just been trying to end the game, just like her. He'd even said so himself, hadn't he? His ever, calm yet unmistakably determined voice from mere hours ago rings through Kaede's head afresh.


"I'm going to end this game, so don't any of you dare go and do anything unnecessary, alright?"


Kaede inhales through her nose and instantly regrets it as the coppery stench of Rantaro's blood wafting around the room increases tenfold. Her eyes slide to her literal partner in crime. Shuichi Saihara. He's still standing next to her, slack-jawed and pale-faced. He only moved once to check Rantaro's pulse, then ran straight back to Kaede's side.

She could feel the weighted gazes of those around her, too. Everyone was shocked. Everyone was clueless. Everyone that is, except for her.

Tenko Chabashira had screamed. So had Tsumugi Shirogane. Tsumugi, who'd ever-so-kindly insisted on painting Kaede's nails. The memory is vivid in Kaede's mind. The pair giggling amongst themselves as the cosplayer gave her a manicure. Rantaro walking in and offering strangely-expert advice on how to improve their work. And his hand... the way he'd gently held Kaede's hand as he decorated her nails. Kaede's chest tightens at the mere memory of it.

And now, she thinks, willing herself to look back at Rantaro's corpse. He'll never be able to do that ever again. Not only that, he'll never have the chance remember his talent, either. Unless, of course, he was the mastermind, but… Kaede's glances at Monokuma, perched on a stack of books nearby, watching them eagerly. That wasn't looking very likely.

Closing her eyes, Kaede clenches her hands tighter around her backpack straps. She knows she has to face the truth. She had been wrong. She hadn't killed the mastermind. She'd instead, just killed the one guy that probably could have helped them out. She'd started up the killings when her goal had been to end them...

And she hates herself for it.

Kaede's pulled out of her thoughts by Kokichi Ouma bursting into tears.

"My beloved Rantaro is dea— I mean, was kiiiiiiiilled!" he wails, to which Kaede mumbles, "That's the same thing…" even though deep down, she knows it's not.

"Hmph." Ryoma Hoshi pulls his hat over his eyes. "How ironic. The guy who wanted to live ended up dead… and the guy who wanted to die survived."

"Can somebody please explain the meaning of this?" asks Kirumi Tojo, walking to the top of the room where Rantaro's corpse lies.

Monokuma jumps down from his perch, waving a dismissive paw. "Nah, an explanation isn't necessary. Thanks to the First Blood Perk, there won't be a class trial, so that'd just be a waste of time." He cackles. "With that said, if you're the blackened who killed Rantaro Amami, please raise your hand now!"

Kaede waits with bated breath.

Tsumugi goes five shades paler. "The one who... killed Rantaro? So then, someone really did kill him…?"

"I knew it!" shrieks Tenko. "A degenerate male killed Rantaro, didn't he?!"

"W-wait!" says Gonta Gokuhara. "How Tenko know boy do it?"

Tenko glares at him. "I just know, okay!? Violent crimes are always committed by violent, disgusting men!"

Stepping back until she feels a solid bookcase behind her, Kaede taps a shaky tune into her skirt, trying her utmost to drown out the sounds of those around her. Even though part of her wants to own up, graduate and get help on the outside, she knows she has to stay silent. She needs to go to that trial.

"Tch, that dumbass!" growls Kaito Momota. "How dare he get himself killed!" He spins around and cracks his knuckles. "All right, who the hell did it?! I'll punch you into orbit! Fess up!"

"Now, now, no need to be shy," Monokuma croons. "You've just gotta raise your hand, and it'll all be over and done with. No investigation, no trial, no execution! It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, ya know!"

"Rise and Shine, Ursine!"

"Take it from us," says Monosuke, as his siblings file in behind him. "Pops rarely gives out discounts like these. If I were the blackened, I'd take the money and leave!"

Monotaro tilts his head. "Money…? I thought we were talking about dead bodies!"

"Eh." Monosuke waves a paw. "They're the same thing nowadays, aren't they?"

Whimpering, Monophanie holds her paws over her head. "I don't know about that… I'd much rather go to a bank than a place that has a dead… dead…" She gags. "Dead body…"

"Y'mean like a funeral?" asks Monotaro.

"I-I was actually talking about this library, b-but that works too—"

"Slrrrrrp!" Monokid, still high on honey, sticks out his tongue. "Nothing beats crashing a funeral! It's way better than wedding crashing! I'll throw in a wedding every now and then, but funerals are INSANE! They're like fishin' with dynamite!"

Turning away from them, Monosuke rubs his chin. "So… whoever did this really gets to graduate then, hmm?"

Monokuma nods. "Yup! Of course! I'm a real stickler for the rules, you know! I'm also pretty tough on convenience clerks."

"Then congratulations!" says Monotaro "Would the blackened who's about to graduate please raise their hand!"

Silence.

"What the— is no one raising their hand?" Monosuke asks, lifting his glasses to confirm his suspicions.

Monotaro hops impatiently from foot to foot. "Heeeey, Didja hear meee? All ya gotta do is speak up y'know?"

Silence.

Monophanie glances around. "Hmm? No one's stepping forward, what's going on?"

Taking a deep breath, Kaede steels her resolve. The only way she can turn this around, the only way she can avenge Rantaro, she knows, is by weeding out the mastermind hiding amongst them in the upcoming class trial. And if she fails, then she'll face the music and sacrifice herself. She'll join Rantaro and apologise to him in the afterlife instead. She's scared, terrified even. But it has to be done. That's all that can be done. There's no way out. It's the only way. She will fight tooth and nail to expose the mastermind and end the killing game.

Even if it costs her own life.

"Puhuhu. I see how it is..." Monokuma brings his paws to his two-toned mouth. "The blackened has no need for the First Blood Perk. They'd rather do a class tri—"

"It was me."

Kaede's blood chills. Words leave her, and her heart falls silent. For a moment time stops, and she's standing in a grey library, surrounded by grey people and grey bears, staring at a grey corpse.

Monokuma blinks, and the world ripples back into colour. "Huh?" He along with the Monokubs, Kaede, and her classmates, all turn to the voice.

"Sh-Shuichi...?!" whispers Kaede. The name comes out more as a dry rasp than an exclamation. "What are you—"

"It was me," Shuichi says again, shifting on the spot. "I did it. I uh... I killed Rantaro..."

The library is silent for a few moments.

Then all hell breaks loose.


"I TOLD YOU IT WAS A MALE!"

"Oooh, so it was Shuichi. Oh well!"

"Shuichi kill Rantaro!? Unpossible"

"Everyone! Please, let us all remain calm and listen to what he has to say—"

"Awww, why did you kill him? He was kind of nice to look at..."

"That's not the issue here! C'mon guys, like Kirumi said, let's just stay calm and hear him out! I'm sure he has an explanation for this!"

"So... the detective was the murderer this whole time? That's kind of a let-down... Boring!"

"If anything, I think it makes his motives all the more intriguing, would you not agree?"

"Why the fuck did you go investamabating if you were the one who kicked his front tail in then?"

"Uh, I think you mean 'investigating'..."

"It was obviously so he wouldn't look suspicious."

"Not saying I agree with what he did, but I can at least respect an honest man."

"I believe my recording function must be acting up, because to me it sounded like Shuichi just confessed to—"

"EVERYONE! JUST SHUT UP FOR A SECOND!" Kaede shrieks, her voice finally coming back to her. And again, the room falls silent. She turns to Shuichi. "Sh-Shuichi..." she starts, wincing at the way her voice tremors. "Why… why are you lying?"

Shuichi doesn't look her in the eyes. "It's fine, Kaede, it's better this way..." He tugs his hat over his face. "You don't need to defend me."

"Defend...!?" Kaede's mouth drops open. "What are you talking about!?" Kaede's voice snowballs into panic. "Why are you lying? You know it wasn't—"

"It's okay, Kaede, you don't have to say anything," comes a voice from behind her.

"Huh?" Blinking, Kaede whips round. Kokichi moves to stand beside her, his head barely reaching her chest. He turns to Shuichi with a face Kaede doesn't think she's ever seen on him before.

"You said you're the culprit, right Shuichi?"

Shuichi nods. "Y-yes, that's right." He glances over at the six bears, who've all been silent since Shuichi's confession. Monokuma especially. He seems almost... taken aback?

"Wait, stop, Kokichi, you've got it all wrong!" Kaede exclaims. "Shuichi wouldn't kill anyone! Tell them, Shuichi!" She turns to Shuichi, eyes silently pleading with the detective to just stop just stop, but Kokichi persists.

"I wanna know how."

"Huh?" Shuichi and Kaede both turn to him.

"You heard me!" Kokichi puffs out his cheeks. "I saaaaid, I wanna know how you did it!" He jabs a finger into Shuichi's chest. "How'd'ya do it, Shuichi? How'd'ya kill Rantaro?"

Shuichi blanches. "Ah, w-well, that's… you see…"

"An explanation isn't needed!" Monokuma snaps. "He confessed, so he's walkin' free! Congratulations!"

Kaede's heart stops. "Wait, what!?"

"Damn it..." Kaito clenches his fist. "So... Shuichi really did it then?"

"Puhuhuhu," Monokuma chuckles. "Weeeell, I'm not saying he didn't do it either..."

"So, he didn't not do it?" Himiko Yumeno tilts her head. "Or he didn't not not do it? Or he didn't not not not do it...?"

Gonta holds up his hands. "W-wait, Himiko! Gonta confused. Shuichi not did not not knot kill—"

"Both of you shut up." Maki Harukawa snaps. "Neither of you are helping."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kaede sees the Monokubs huddling together and chattering amongst themselves in hushed whispers. They then step apart and make room for the pink one to jump down off the bookshelf and rush out of the library's front door.

"I knooooow that an explanation isn't needed, obviously!" Kokichi continues. "But that's all the more reason to let him explain himself!" He pouts. "Since we aren't able to have fun investigating the case now that Shuichi spoiled us..."

Shuichi glances to the area where Rantaro lifelessly lies. Kaede stiffens as he makes fleeting eye-contact with her, before turning back to the group and as the pianist can only watch on as he begins to explain his and Kaede's plan in minute detail, pointing out the cameras, sensors, and demonstrating the moving bookcase all the while. Kaede balls up her fists, spring-coloured nails digging crescents into her palms. She has to come clean, if not now, then when?!

"I came back down to the basement later, and Rantaro had opened the moving bookcase..." Shuichi explains. "I figured... that he had to be the mastermind, because who else would have come here at this hour, right?" He squeezes his eyes shut. "So I... I... took the ball I'd brought from the warehouse with me, and I—"

"And you smashed in pretty boy's head?" Miu Iruma punctuates.

"Y-yes," replies Shuichi. "That's what happened."

"No," Kaede starts. "That's wro—"

"Kya-hahaha!" To think my cameras were being used for a murder plot?!" Miu walks up to them and grabs Shuichi by the collar. "You little bitch!" she spits. "Using my genius inventions to fuckin' save your own scrawny little ass!"

"Miu!" Kaede shouts. "Stop! Let him go!"

Whimpering, Miu releases her grip on him. "B-but Kaede," she whines. "He tricked me into making his cameras, he—" She stops herself. "Wait… he tricked you, too! He tricked both of us!" She jabs a finger at her. "Why the fuck aren't you angry!?"

Kaede blanches. "Th-that's…"

"Maybe she isn't angry because she already knew?" Kokichi muses. "Isn't it possible that they were working together on this?" Kokichi's grin only when Kaede flinches. "So one of you could get out scot-free, and the other could then—"

"No!" exclaims Kaede. "That's not what happened at all! Because Shuichi didn't kill—!"

"It's okay, Kaede," Shuichi assures her. He weakly smiles at her. "It's fine. You don't need to fight for me anymore."

Kaede feels her heart sink. "Shuichi…"

"Um," a meek voice squeaks from beside the group. Monophanie walks up to Kaede and holds out three envelopes. "I went and developed the photos at the warehouse... because it seems like there's some dis-disagreement on what happened…"

Kaede's stomach flips over on itself. "Ah! That's right, the photos!" She bends down and snatches the envelopes from Monophanie. "These'll prove Shuichi's innocence!" With a trembling hand, she hastily rips open the envelopes as the others gather around her.


A few minutes later

"Y-you've gotta be kidding me… Kaede rasps, her heart sinking even lower.

This can't be happening…

"Owooooow! Angie can't believe Shuichi is in not one, not two, but three of the photos!" Angie Yonaga exclaims.

"But Angie," says Kiibo. "Two of those pictures were just of Shuichi setting up the camera, and the third was of him running into the room alongside Kaede, Tenko and Kaito. That doesn't exactly prove that he is Rantaro's murderer." He scratches his chin. "Rather, I feel as though it proves the opposite…"

"R-right?" Kaede asserts, despite only hearing half of his sentence. "So we can rule Shuichi out now, can't we?"

"What the hell..." Kaito mumbles, then turning to Shuichi he shouts, "Hey Shuichi, what's going on!? What's the meaning of this?"

"U-um," Swallowing, Shuichi meekly steps away from the group, his eyes darting to everything that wasn't one of his classmates. "W-well, you see, I—"

"Nah, these pics prove nothing. He still coulda done it," Miu states with her hands on her hips.

"No... " Kaede starts. "He couldn't have," She holds up the pictures for Miu to see. "You can clearly see he's not in the photos where Rantaro is, so there's no way that he could have been in the libr—"

"Oi, Pooichi!" Miu shouts over her. "You used the camera intervals I warned you about to sneak in here, didn't ya, you little snake?"

"C-camera intervals?" Kaede's jaw drops. "What are you talking about?"

"Heh." Miu grins at her. "So he didn't even tell you? Figures." She folds her arms over her chest and starts to detail to the class the thirty seconds it takes for the film in the camera to auto-roll. As various 'oohs' and 'aahs' and 'hmms' resonate around the room, Kaede can only stand there and listen, wordless and thunderstruck.

"Y-yeah, that's why I'm not in the pictures," Shuichi admits when Miu finishes. He looks over at Kaede apologetically. "When you went off with Angie this morning, I went to Miu's lab and retrieved the cameras, remember? It was there that she told me about the intervals and I..." He sighs, and Kaede can't believe what she's hearing.

"Kaede?"

Kaede wearily looks up to the voice's owner. Korekiyo Shinguuji's regarding her with an unreadable expression. "Did you happen to know about the intervals?" He pinches the brim of his cap. "I only ask as you seemed just as surprised as the rest of us."

"N-no, I didn't," Kaede starts. "But they— those don't— I didn't—" She tries to get the words out, but her voice continues to fail her.

"Well then, I suppose that settles it." Maki says over her. "What happens now?"

"But the ball! The shot-put ball!" Kaede finally blurts out. "How on earth did it fall on top of Rantaro's head if he— if Shuichi—!?"

"What makes you think it was dropped from above, Kaede?" asks Kirumi.

Kaede's throat tightens. She clenches and unclenches a fist. "I know it fell from above because it was—"

"No, that's wrong, Kaede." Shuichi interjects. "It couldn't have possibly fallen from above."

Kaede stares at him. "What?"

"Here." Shuichi guides the group over to the crumpled corpse. "You can clearly see from this angle." He points down at the back of Rantaro's head. "That the cranial fractures and subsequent indentation from the impact of the ball are situated at the back of his head." He then gestures to the blood spatter on the bookcase. "If the ball came from above, the blood spatter and the body would be lined up accordingly. And as you can see, that is not the case here. Meaning it would be impossible for a shot-put ball to have killed him from above in this particular instance." His head falls into his chest. "Besides… I was here… I watched it happen."

Kaede's mouth goes dry. She has absolutely no clue how Rantaro must have been positioned when the ball fell, but there was no doubt that she had killed him. She's the one who set everything up! She rolled the ball into the vent! There's no other way! Why is Shuichi lying to everyone? Why is he protecting her?!

Kokichi's eyes are practically sparkling with admiration. "Wooow! The Ultimate Detective is so cool when uncovering a murder case like this! Even though it's literally his own crime!"

"Yeppers!" Monokuma claps his paws together. "The blackened who killed Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate A... Amnesiac, is none other than the Ultimate Detective himself, Shuichi Saihara! What a spicy plot twist! Though… I'm pretty sure I read a book like this once…"

"Wh— what the hell!? What do you mean he did it?!" Kaede shrieks at him, her voice tightening with anger. "You and I both know that he didn't kill Rantaro—!" She's cut off as she's pulled back by strong arms.

"It's okay, Kaede," Tenko says sympathetically. "You don't have to defend him anymore."

Kaede wriggles in her hold. "N-No! You guys don't understand! He didn't do it! He's... he's lying!" She can feel her mind spiralling out of her control, thoughts about lies, and death and executions roaring in her ears. She cranes her neck to try and look at the girl holding her back. "Tenko, you have to believe me. Shuichi's lying!"

Monokuma watches her struggle, chuckles at her desperation, then turns his attention back to Shuichi. "Well then, Mr. Blackened, you have ten minutes to say your goodbyes, and we'll escort you right on outta here!" He saunters towards the library door, the Monokubs following suit. "I'll meetcha at the Shrine of Judgement, the red door at the bottom of the courtyard in six-hundred seconds! Kay? Kay. Kaaaay! See ya then!" He turns to leave but stops and spins right back around. "Oh, and I'll be seeing the rest of you chumps tomorrow as we continue with our glorious Killing Game Semester! Remember, this was a once-off, so don't expect me to go easy on the next blackened, whoever that will turn out to be!"

The group stand in awkward silence until they were sure the bears are out of earshot. Shuichi apologises again, insists that he will get help from the outside, and turns to walk away.

"Wait!" Wringing her way out of Tenko's slackened grasp, Kaede reaches out and grabs Shuichi's hand.

Shuichi looks at her with sad eyes. "Kaede… please…"

Kaede takes a breath. "Shuichi… you can't." Kaede glances over at the thirteen students eyeballing them and lowers her voice. "You can't. You didn't do it. It was me—"

"I know."

Kaede's eyes go wide. "Wh-what?" she stutters. "But… but how did you—"

"Kaede," says Shuichi. He closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them again and stares directly into Kaede's. "Trust me. Please. I know what I'm doing." He smiles at her. "Do you trust me?"

Silence falls between them for a few moments. Sighing, Kaede reluctantly concedes, hanging her head. "Yes. Yes, I do."


The walk to the Shrine of Judgement can only be described as something akin to a funeral procession as Shuichi is walked to freedom, or so they suppose. Meanwhile, Kaede has long since given up fighting. No matter what she said or did or tried to prove, it was as clear as the sky above them that her credibility had been naught but lost. It had been obvious for a while now, considering the events at the underground escape tunnel. She'd tried her utmost to ignore it, despite it becoming more apparent with each day, but with this added on top of everything now... Kaede's too tired to fight it anymore.

But as they walked, she couldn't help but wonder why it seemed as though Monokuma didn't want the others to know the truth.

Not that she did, either.

Kaede expects to group to dwindle as they get closer and closer to the shrine, but surprisingly, not one single person breaks off from the cluster. When they reach their destination, Kaede and Shuichi turn around to see thirteen figures walk into the shrine with them, each of their faces a picture of anxiety, intrigue, confusion, or a mixture of all three.

Pushing his way to the front of the group, Kaito grins at Kaede's surprise and voices her thoughts. "What, you really thought I'd let Shuichi be sent off without a bang?" He laughs. "C'mon, you guys, have a little more faith in us! We've been pals for a couple of days now, of course we're gonna support you!"

"Really?" asks Kokichi. "You do realise he just murdered Rantaro in cold blood, right, Kaito?"

"I-I know that! I just…" Sighing, Kaito scratches his head. "He tried to kill the mastermind. He tried to save all of us." He slams his fists together. "How the hell can I be mad at someone who tried to do that for us!?"

"You're here too," Himiko points out. "If you're so mad at him you can just leave, y'know."

"Nee-heehee!" Giggling, Kokichi throws his arms up over his head. "You got me!"

"Y-you guys..." Kaede exhales.

Shuichi walks to the top of the shrine, turns to face the others, and bows deeply. "I want to sincerely apologise for my actions," He starts. "I took advantage of Kaede's kindness. I was careless. And it ended up backfiring. I just want you all to know that my intent was always to find the truth. We—" His eyes flick to Kaede. "…genuinely wanted to end the killing game with our plan. We wanted to weed out the mastermind and put an end to this horrible, horrible game." Shuichi pulls the brim of his hat down over his face. "I just wasn't confident enough... Rantaro didn't have to… If only I'd investigated a little more, then maybe..." He takes a breath and lifts his head. "It might seem scary at times, but it's vital to fight for the truth in a situation like this, even if the truth seems terrifying."

A spike of guilt stabs itself into Kaede's stomach and twists around her gut as Shuichi continues spinning his web of lies in her defence.

"And sometimes, the truth isn't always enough." Shuichi closes his eyes. "Sometimes, it's necessary to fight for more than the truth. Hopefully, it won't come to that this time, but sometimes... it's necessary to grasp the hope just beyond the truth."

Silence washes over the shrine, the only sound audible being the gentle trickle of the jewel-blue stream that occupies the shrine's centre.

"Grasp the hope," Kiibo echoes. "Shuichi… you…"

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Shuichi!" Kaito exclaims, a little too happily for Kaede's liking.

But she's too taken aback by the detective's sudden burst in confidence to react. Had... had he always been this confident? A tiny part of Kaede still screams at her to counter him, to prove he's innocent, so that he can stay, and she can find the truth herself. For the trial to go on, for them to uncover a clue about the mastermind whilst they try figuring out her plan, and then when all is said and done, she'd confess, and be rightfully executed.

"That's... why I took the First Blood Perk," Shuichi continues, "So I can get out of here and help save everyone from the outside… and then, I'll come back to rescue everyone!" He sighs. "And I don't expect any of you to forgive me for what's happened this evening, and I'm sure that none of you will trust either myself or Kaede anymore, but—" He grabs his heart over his jacket. "But I swear on my heart that I will get you all out of here! I'll end this killing game once and for all. I promise… I promise on my title as the Ultimate Detective that I will free each and every one of you from the clutches of this cruel world!"

Tsumugi wipes a tear from her eye. "Sh-Shuichi..."

"Wow!" Angie clasps her hands together. "So brave! Like a real superhero! Even Atua is impressed!"

Tenko clenches a fist. "I… also promise to help everyone else." She glances to the sleepy redhead nearby. "I'll protect everyone, no matter what!"

Kaede blinks back her tears. She was once to be the unifying force among them, the one that Rantaro said had 'the power to win'. It had been her who encouraged trust and cooperation and yet... she was also the one that destroyed it.

She tries to ignore that now painful irony.

"In the meantime, Kaede," Shuichi says, bringing Kaede out of her head. "I'm leaving it up to you. I apologise for making you carry this burden alone, but... I believe in you. I know you can beat this killing game." And in a softer voice, he adds. "So please, never lose sight of the truth. I know it can scare you, but don't be afraid to borrow from the strength of others who will be there to help you. I know you can do this. Protect everyone, and don't lose to this game."

"I don't know what you're trying to do, Shuichi." Kaede says, her low. "I don't know why you're letting this happen..."

"I trust you to help them." Shuichi says, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You can lead them better than I ever could."

Kaede sighs and removes his hand back from her shoulder. "You don't have to trust me."

Silence falls on the group for a few grim moments.

"Welp, is that all?" Kokichi yawns and stretches his arms out. "That was a pretty lame graduation ceremony! If I were Monokuma I'd have made it more exciting. That was soooo anticlimactic!" He pushes himself up and off the concrete bench and dusts himself down. "Well Shuichi, you certainly weren't boring, but you also could have been much more interesting!" He spins around and heads for exit, waving lazily. "It's late and I'm tired, so I'm heading back to my room for the night. Toodles!"

"Nyeh," says Himiko. "I'm leaving, too, all that stress has tired me out. Bye Shuichi, have fun outside... I guess." As Himiko departs, Tenko follows her, but not before glancing back at Kaede. Maki shoots a glare at the detective, turns on her heel, and wordlessly walks away, emotionless as ever.

"I suppose this is what it means to have 'blind faith' in someone," Korekiyo mutters, tipping his hat to Shuichi and taking his leave.

One by one, the others bid their final farewells to Shuichi, some enthusiastic, some cautious, and others a mix of the two. Eventually, there are only five students left at the shrine.

"Hey, Shuichi, it's alright y'know?" Kaito says, placing a large hand on Shuichi's shoulder. "We don't blame you at all, you hear me?"

Shuichi flinches at Kaito's touch. "K-Kaito," he starts, "It's fine. there's really no need to defend—"

"Gonta forgive Shuichi too!" exclaims Gonta. "Shuichi try to kill mastermind. He try to save all of us! Gonta is sad Rantaro dead, but Gonta is also glad that Monokuma no kill everyone before time limit run out!"

"Gokuhara's right," Ryoma adds. "If you hadn't done what you did, we might all be little red smears by now. So we have to at least thank you for that." He twirls a candy cigarette between his fingers. "Anyway, killing someone with the intention of good… that's not exactly something I can argue against... given my history."

That… doesn't sit well with Kaede, but she knows there's greater things to focus her mind on right now.

Shuichi stares wide-eyed at them before dipping his head and mumbling, "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Of course!" Kaito slaps him reassuringly on the back. "Don't mention it." He smiles widely. "I'll see on the outside then, all right? Take care until then, pal!" Before Shuichi can reply, he directs his voicer towards Gonta and Ryoma. "Now how about the three of us head to bed before anymore crazy shit happens tonight, huh?" He looks over his shoulder and winks very non-discreetly at Kaede and Shuichi.

Kaede's face explodes with heat as Kaito pushes both Gonta and Ryoma out of the shrine, loudly chattering in their ears about believing in Shuichi's choice, or something, in spite of the fact that said choice killed an innocent person, or so they think.

The door creaks closed upon their departure. And just like that, Kaede and Shuichi are alone.

Shuichi's the first to speak, shifting awkwardly on the spot. "Listen, Kaede, I—" He's cut off as Kaede pulls him into a tight hug.

"You're an idiot, Shuichi, you know that?" Kaede mumbles, then sighs. "But then, I guess that makes me an even bigger one, huh?" She doesn't miss the way Shuichi initially tenses up in her arms, only to quickly relax back into them and reciprocate the hug.

"I-I'm so sorry Kaede," he starts, his voice a hushed whisper. "If only I'd noticed—"

Kaede shakes her head. "If anyone should be apologising, it should be me. If I hadn't..." She lets out a shaky sigh and swallows back her guilt. "If I hadn't set up that trap up... none of this would have happened." She squeezes him. "I'm so sorry, Shuichi."

"It's all right, Kaede. You don't need to apologise to me." There's a pause before he adds, "It has to be this way."

"What?" Kaede pulls away enough to blink at him. "What do you mean it has to be this way? It doesn't have to be this way at all."

Shuichi stiffens at the question, his eyes flickering to the crimson door. "It's uh… it's complicated but I um... I can't really explain it, you see…" He scratches his head over his hat. " You have the capability to lead them... If you weren't here... I don't know what I'd do... I don't think I'd know how to manage, or cope, or..." He pauses, and swallows a lump in his throat before continuing. "I couldn't let the trial happen."

"But why?" Kaede asks weakly. "Why not? We could have used to class trial to weed out the mastermind. We could have ended the game in there if we—"

Shuichi shakes his head "I wouldn't have been able to reach the truth, Kaede, not when i-it's you... and the... the execution..." He squeezes his eyes shut. "I-I don't think I could bear to watch it. Not..." He trails off, but Kaede understands, or at least, she thinks she does.

"I really hope you don't see me as selfish," says Shuichi. "I promise you, Kaede. I'm not doing this because I want to leave. I'll definitely see you all again. We'll meet on the other side." He steps back and takes her hands in his own. "It's a promise okay?" He gives her a smile so gentle that Kaede practically feels the moment her heart cracks.

"I-I promise too," she chokes out. "I promise to keep everyone else alive until then!"

Shuichi smiles weakly. "I'm glad to hear it." He reaches up and peels his hat clean off his head.

Kaede's eyes go wide. "Shuichi, what are you...?" The words die in her throat as a weight is pressed down onto her head.

"You hold onto that for me until we meet again, all right?" Shuichi tries to laugh but it comes out as more of a strained rasp.

"W-wait," Kaede stutters, "Shuichi, I can't possibly take your hat from y—"

"No, I insist you do." He runs a hand through his freshly exposed hair. "That way when we meet again, you can give it back to me…" He sighs. "Listen, Kaede, I'm really sorry for leaving you like this, but if I don't do this—"

"No!" Kaede splutters, "I should be apologising for everything! I betrayed your trust, and—"

"Okie dokie, kiddos!" Monokuma pops out from behind the fountain's curtain of water and blinks at the pair. "Oh, only one person stayed around to see you off, Shuichi? That's pretty sad." He sheepishly scratches his head. "Well, this would be the part where I ask you to go down to the trial grounds but, uh… it looks like that isn't happening today… thanks to you."

Monokuma turns back to the fountain he emerged from. A few fleeting moments pass before the ground starts to rumble and shake. The statue in the centre of the fountain disappears into the ground, as does the waterfall, and in their places sit a pathway to a pair of metal doors. "Here we go," he says cheerily, walking up the path. "Right this way, Mr. Saihara."

"Wait a second." Kaede steps in front of Shuichi. "Monokuma, I have a question."

Grumbling, the bear turns around. "Huh? What now? This ain't about you, girly!"

"I know but…" Kaede clenches her hands until her knuckles go white. "I want to know why. Why are you letting Shuichi take the blame?" Her head falls into her chest. "Surely you know as well as I do that it wasn't Shuichi who killed Rantaro…" Taking a deep breath, Kaede lifts her head and looks the bear square in its face. "It was me."

Monokuma regards her for a moment before bursting into laughter. "You know, Miss Akamatsu, sometimes," he finally says, wiping a tear from his black-bean eye. "A little white lie can make or break a game like this." He waves a dismissive paw. "Besides, those photos don't have any proof he didn't do it either, so either one of you taking the fall is fine with me! Though that being said... it would have been muuuch more exciting to settle this with a class trial... I had two beautiful executions prepared for you both and everything, and now they're wasted! Wasted, I tell ya!"

The hairs on Kaede's neck prickle. "What? You had an execution planned for HIM too!?" She takes a bold step forward. "But… but why!? He's innocent!"

"When you're running a killing game, you've always gotta be prepared to expect the unexpected!" Huffing, he crosses his paws. "Not that you'd know that, of course."

"So you'd be willing to execute someone on false charges… just because it makes the game more exciting… what the hell!?" Kaede starts to feel physically sick. Her body grows tense to the point of shaking. "That's… that's illegal!"

Monokuma waves his paws in the air. "Hey! Don't go accusing your headmaster of things he didn't do!" He turns away from the pair. "Besides, there isn't a trial being held, so why does it even matter, anyway? We might as well say that idiot killed himself at this stage. He chuckles. "After all, I'm the only one who knows what really happened."

Kaede grits her teeth. "Stop mocking me. You know full well that I know what happened too. Just stop."

"Alright, alright," says Monokuma. "I'll stop." He claps his paws. "Kubs! It's time!"

"Rise and Shine Ursine!"

"Wait," says Kaede as five Exisals materialise around the pair. "What's going on?!"

Clenching his fists, Shuichi moves to stand closer to Kaede. "This… doesn't look good…"

Kaede glances at him over her shoulder. "Don't worry… I won't let them do anything to you."

"K-Kaede!" Shuichi starts to say. "Wait!"

But Kaede's already taking another brave step forward, throwing her arm out in front of Shuichi as she moves. "What are you doing!?" She only barely hears herself shout over the sound of her heart pulsing in her ears. "You promised you wouldn't hurt him!"

"Huh? Whaddya mean?" asks the red Exisal. "He's not gonna die or anything. We're just escorting him off of the school grounds cuz he took the Perk!"

"Are..." Kaede narrows her eyes at the machine towering over her. "Are you sure?"

"HELL YEAH we're sure!" shouts the blue Exisal.

"The old man already told ya – he's a real stickler for the rules, aren't ya, Pops?!" affirms the yellow one.

Monokuma nods enthusiastically. "It's true! Bears do not lie, Miss Akamatsu!" He tilts his head. "Though, I won't make any promises about letting him leave unscathed if you don't stop pestering me with all these pointless questions. You're reeeeeally testing my patience!"

"They're NOT pointless!" Kaede's voice breaks into a shriek. "All you've done today is break your own rules and make empty promises. Why should I suddenly believe you!?"

"Heh," says Monokuma. "I see how it us. You're accusing me of something I didn't do again, huh?"

"A-ah," Shuichi swallows a lump in his throat. "Kaede, it's fine, you don't have to—"

"I'm not accusing you," Kaede says through gritted teeth. "I'm telling you." She tries but fails to hide her tremor in her hands.

"Puhuhu." Monokuma's face splits into a grin. "I see how it is. Well, Miss Akamatsu, I really didn't want to do this, but you've really tested my patience today. You and your boy-toy, for that matter." He takes a step closer. "You do remember the school rules, don't you?"

And Kaede takes a step back. "Y-yes… but I— I didn't break any of them."

Monokuma hums. "Are you sure? Rule number seven would beg to differ."

Shuichi narrows his eyes. "Rule seven…?"

"Yes!" exclaims the pink Exisal. "ALL acts of violence against Daddy are strictly prohibited! That includes verbal violence!"

Kaede blanches. "V-verbal!? Since when—!"

Monokuma laughs a cold cruel laugh, and before Kaede can even begin to process what's happening, the green Exisal crashes down in front of her.

Aims its cannon.

And shoots.

A gunshot echoes defiantly within the small confines of the shrine.

Kaede's world stops spinning.

Drip, drip, drip.

"H-huh?" Kaede lifts a hand to touch the smudge of blood on her face. Not her blood, mind you. The blood of the person that had pushed her out of the way. The person that now has a hole punched clean into their torso. Kaede stares up at him with saucer-wide eyes.

"Shui…chi…?"

Shuichi's kneeling over her with his hands firmly clutching her shoulders, but Kaede can feel the way he's shaking.

"Why… why did you protect me… again…?"

Shuichi opens his mouth to answer her, but all that comes out is a trickle of blood. He slumps over, and it's only then that Kaede's snapped out of her trance.

"Shuichi!" Kaede curls her fingers around his arms. "Shuichi, can you hear me!? Please, get up! Hey…" Her vision starts to swirl and sting as hot tears fill her eyes. "Come on… Shuichi…" Her head falls into her chest. "Why… why is this happening…? Why—?" She's silenced when Shuichi's hand grazes her cheek.

"K-Kaede," he rasps. "Are you… okay? Did you… get hurt…?"

"Wh… Of course I'm okay! Y-you protected me, so I didn't—"

"Ah," Shuichi lets his hand fall. "That's good… that's good…" Closing his eyes, Shuichi moves to sit up. "My body… sorta… just moved on its own… I'm not really sure why… ghhh!" His face scrunches up in pain.

"Shuichi…" Kaede moves to steady him. "Y-you really shouldn't move… it might make it wors—" The words die in her throat as Shuichi weakly wraps his arms around her shoulders and pulls her close. Despite the heaviness settled in the pit of Kaede's stomach, it flutters a little at the feeling of her body pressed against his, despite the blood.

"I… think I do know, actually," Shuichi whispers. "It feels really good to finally be able to… protect you… even like this…"

"What? But you…" Stifling a sob, Kaede sinks into his hold. "But you don't even know me that well…"

"That's okay," Shuichi gently pats her back. "We can… get to know each other better when we're… both out of here… it's a promise… okay?"

Kaede reluctantly pulls away to look him in the eyes. "B-both—?"

BANG!

Tenko kicks the shrine door open. "K-Kaede!" she exclaims. "I was worried about you so I came back outside and then I met Kaito and then we heard a loud noise so… we… ah… ahh… AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"What the hell— Shuichi!?" Kaito charges ahead of Tenko and pushes Kaede aside. He rips his jacket off and ties it around Shuichi's torso in a desperate attempt to stop the blood flow. "Hey, Shuichi, can you hear me?" he says.

Shuichi blinks owlishly. "K-Kaito…?"

"Yeah! You'll be all right, trust me!" Kaito grins widely at him, but even Shuichi in his delirium can tell that it's strained.

"G-get him some medical attention! Please!" Tenko begs, turning to Monokuma with pleading eyes. "Before he…!"

Monokuma tilts his head. "Why? He's going home now, isn't he? Why would I waste my precious time and money on something he's gonna get when he gets outta here anyway? Besides…" He waves a dismissive paw. "Monodam didn't hit any vital areas – he'll be graaaand!"

As her blood boils underneath her skin, Kaede slowly rises to her feet, dragging her sleeve across her face. She turns to regard Monokuma with the most rageful expression she can muster, but the bear remains unbothered. She grits her teeth and sucks in a breath. "You…"

"I told you, didn't, Miss Akamatsu? Bears never lie! Ahahahahahaha!"

No, he isn't a bear anymore. Not to her. He never was. He's a demon.

And she's going to kill him.

With a desperate shout, she lunges for the bear, ignoring Tenko's cries in the background. She reaches out towards the monochrome bear, her stomach clenching with the force of her own anger. Kaede is forcefully pulled back from attacking Monokuma by Tenko for the second time that day, though her protests this time around are arguably much, much stronger as she struggles in the taller girl's iron grip, her cheeks flaring with a burning anger.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spies an Exisal – the red one, bending down and opening its hatch with a metallic hiss. She's too far away to hear what Monotaro is saying to Kaito, but it ultimately ends with the astronaut helping lift Shuichi into the machine, albeit hesitantly.

"K-Kaito!" Kaede shrieks. "What are you doing!?"

"We're escorting him off the campus, didn't we say that already say that?" snaps the yellow Exisal from behind her. "Thanks to someone—" it gestures to the green Exisal, now being repeatedly rammed into the wall by the blue one. "He can't walk, so we gotta escort him out ourselves."

"And I'm suppose to just trust you!?" Kaede's still trying to wriggle free, but Tenko's much too strong. "After what you just did!?"

"K-Kaede," says Tenko. "Please calm down… it's not good for you to be so worked up…"

"Don't worry!" the pink Exisal assures them, "I'll make sure that he gets out safe and sound! I won't let my brothers hurt him, so long as I—" it makes a gagging sound. "As long as I don't have to see any b-blood myself…"

"And that's my cue!" Monokuma hops away from Kaede, down the path and into the elevator the back of the shrine, as does the open red Exisal. Monokuma spins around and waves. "Aaaaalrighty then! Send off your graduated classmate with the wellest of wishes!"

"Screw you," Kaito growls through gritted teeth. When Monokuma smiles sweetly back at him he shouts, "I said screw you! You won't get away with this!" Clenching a fist, he runs after the Exisal, only for the gates to brusquely clang closed in front of him. "Shit…"

"SHUICHI!"

The moment Tenko loosens her grip, Kaede's up and out of her arms, feet moving ahead of her mind. She races up to the elevator gates just in time to meet the weak grey eyes of Shuichi Saihara before the elevator doors clang closed.

And as soon as Shuichi, Monokuma, and the rest of the Exisals are gone, silence hangs in the shrine like a deathly chill.

Rantaro is dead.

Shuichi is gone.

Kaede is guilty.

Hanging her head, Kaede's hands fall from the gating. Her knees fold underneath her and Kaede sits numbly where the elevator has once been, her face shadowed by the brim of Shuichi's hat.

Wringing her hands, Tenko slowly approaches the pair. "Hey… I'm sorry we didn't come sooner..." She trails off and decides not to finish her sentence, instead tighten her mouth into a sombre straight line. She looks over at Kaito, who stares back at her, his face just as grim.

"He didn't deserve any of that," Kaito mumbles under his breath just loud enough for Tenko to hear. His eyes drop to Kaede on the floor. "And neither did she."

"I don't think he was really that much of a degenerate male, since he tried to kill the mastermind and save us all," Tenko quietly says. "But... he could have told us what he was trying to do."

Sighing, Kaito and runs a hand through gelled hair. "He was anything but a bad man... damnit…" He reaches up over his shoulder to pull his jacket over his shoulders, but grasps nothing but the air in its place. He sighs again. "If only things had been different."

"Yeah." Tenko grimaces at him, but nods in solemn agreement. "I wonder if maybe we just did a class trial... things might have ended differently."

As she lifts her head. Kaede can feel tears repool in her eyes. If he... if Shuichi hadn't stepped in, there's an almost certainty that she'd have died had the trial gone ahead and she failed to expose the mastermind's identity. She barely registers the gentle hand on her back as Tenko crouches down beside her, her eyes warm and sympathetic.

"Kaede, I-I think he'll be okay," Tenko says softly. "You did an amazing job trying to defend him back there."

"T-Tenko…" Kaede doesn't have the restraint to stop herself throwing her weight into the taller girl and completely cracking down right then and there. It's more than crying though, it's that kind of desolate sobbing that comes from a person drained of all hope. Sobbing for Rantaro, whom she'd horrifically murdered. Sobbing for Shuichi, whose reputation she'd undoubtedly ruined. Sobbing for her classmates, who'd wrongfully hate him, and sobbing at herself, for being such a goddamned idiot for thinking such a plan would work in the first place. And for letting the two people capable of helping her end the killing game slip through her trained yet utterly useless fingers due to her careless, careless attempt to foil the mastermind's plans.

She feels Tenko wordlessly rub small circles into the back of her vest in an attempt to soothe her. The pain that flows from her is as palpable as the frigid chilly night-time wind that drifts through the academy grounds.

Kaito watches on, struggling to keep his own tears silent, looking down at the drying pool of Shuichi's crimson blood, to the trail that it followed, and finally, up to the blurred watery skies and a heaven he didn't believe in beyond the End Wall.

They couldn't do anything but believe Monokuma's word.

And that on its own was absolutely terrifying.


After what feels like an age of sobbing, recuperating, and convincing her concerned pair of classmates to give her some much-needed time to reflect, Kaede walks out of the Shrine of Judgement, red eyed and pale faced, having literally just gotten away with murder, when she's approached by someone new.

"You look awful."

Kaede tiredly glances up at the voice. Maki Harukawa.

"What do you want..." she mumbles, not bothering to look the babysitter in the eyes.

Maki's eyes shift to the red door clumsily swinging shut behind the blonde. "... Is he gone?"

Pulling Shuichi's cap further over her eyes, Kaede nods.

Silence falls between them until Maki shits on her foot and says, "He'll be okay."

Kaede wipes her eyes with her sleeve. "How can you be so sure?"

"What would be the point of killing him behind the scenes?" Maki's eyes slide to look at nothing in particular. "That bear... he made a song and dance about wanting to publicly execute someone, we're the only 'public' around… so what would the point be?"

"I-I suppose." Kaede clutches at her arm, the memory of Shuichi's ghastly looking wound ghosting her own torso. "It still… feels wrong though."

Maki raises an eyebrow. "Why? He killed Rantaro, admitted to it, and now he's going to save the rest of us. You should be thankful."

"But he—" Kaede begins to say, but the words die in her mouth as Maki's emotionless stare bores into her.

"But he didn't kill Rantaro? Is that what you were going to say?" Sighing, Maki throws her hair over her shoulder. "Give it a rest. He's already graduated. There's no point trying to deny it anymore."

"R-right..." Kaede looks at the ground in defeat. "Sorry... I'll stop."

"I'm not the one you should be apologising to." Maki says a tad more gently as she turns away from Kaede and walks away. "I think if anyone needs to be apologised to, it's him." As Maki heads away into the dorms, the click of the automatic doors sliding together seals the last remainder of living students signing off for the night.

Kaede watches the doors for what feels like years until the weight of Maki's words finally sink in. She takes a deep breath, turns on her heel, and runs back into the academy.

To apologise.


Rantaro's pale and bloody corpse is as eerily identical to how they'd originally found it.

Kaede feels instantly nauseous at the sight and smell of the man she'd murdered in cold blood as she wobbles on shaky, tired legs back into the crime scene. The crime scene that should sealed her fate, she thinks. Falling to her knees, she pulls Shuichi's hat off her head and clutches it tight to her chest. She's wrung her eyes and body dry at this stage, so all she can really do is stare at Rantaro. Or what's left of him.

She stares.

And stares.

And stares.

Kaede doesn't really remember what happened after that, whether it was the physical or mental exhaustion that got to her first. She thinks about the execution Monokuma said he had prepared for her; the punishment she should have received for the mess she'd caused. She closes her eyes, and ultimately decides that most probably, the worst punishment of them all was going to be the following few days to come...

And with that final thought, Kaede slips into a naught void of nothingness.


Meanwhile...

Somewhere, deep in the depths of the dorms, someone can't help but reflect on the night's events. They stare at the now-dried crumbs of blood lingering underneath their fingernails and idly wonder if they did the right thing.

Wondering if letting him die was the right thing.

Wondering if letting him leave was the right thing.

Wondering if letting her stay was the right thing.

But in the end they don't think too hard about it, and they smile anyway.


Chapter I: My Class Trial, His Resolution

END

Victim: Rantaro Amami

Culprit: Shuichi Saihara (?)

REMAINING STUDENTS: 14