Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here, we're gonna be continuing the fifth trial, with the class witnessing future Makoto grapple with a certain piece of evidence he's aware of. I hope you enjoy.

P.S. Do any of you find modern entertainment lacking these days? For me personally, I find myself liking to write more than I do watching, reading, or playing many of the things recently made. It's to the point that I want to create my own original stuff, something I've mentioned in the past, along with sticking to older content for the most part.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.

Chapter 102: Watching Chapter 5: 100 Miles; Pain of a Junk Food Junkie Part 14

"First things first. According to the Monokuma File, there was evidence she was hit on the back of her head." Makoto laid out. "So she must've died because of the blow she suffered!"

"What about the wounds all over the rest of her body?" Hiro pointed out. "They didn't have anything to do with it?"

"The Monokuma File makes it clear that those weren't fresh wounds." The luckster countered.

"Oh yeah, good point. If they were old, I guess they don't really matter…" Hiro shrugged.

There were several grimaces at that clearly ironic statement. "If only they knew…" Leon muttered loudly.

"The fool is wrong once again. But for once, he cannot be blamed for getting it wrong…" Celeste sighed, mainly to herself.

"Okay, then we're safe in assuming the blow to the back of her is what killed her." Byakuya concluded.

"But then… what was the murder weapon?" Hina asked.

"The M-Monokuma File says she was hit with a b-blunt object, about as thick as a m-metal pipe…" Toko recalled.

"...Oh! I bet it was the pickaxe!" Hiro suggested.

"...And we're back to the fool just being a fool." Celeste deadpanned as several students facepalmed.

"What? The pickaxe is as thick as a metal pipe, isn't it?" Hiro argued slightly.

"But it ain't blunt, you fucking moron! One hit from that will cave your goddamn skull in!" Mondo groaned, one of several who facepalmed.

"Well… maybe they-"

"No one would flip a pickaxe and use the wooden end to attack someone Hiro." Sayaka deadpanned, already knowing what he's about to say. "Besides, the wooden end doesn't have the same density as a metal pipe."

"And you w-wouldn't be able to hit anyone with any s-sort of power. Not with t-the balance being o-off…" Toko added, with a flat look also across her face.

"...Okay. I'll shut up now." Hiro groaned, slumping in defeat.

"Good. He's learning." Junko nodded in mock approval. "Very, very slowly, but still learning."

"H-How is that even possible?!" Toko stuttered out in disbelief. "If you hit someone w-with that, it'd cave their s-skull in completely!"

"Well… maybe they held it the other way, and hit her with the handle!" Hiro then said insistently.

"No w-way. The balance would be all off. Y-You wouldn't be able to swing it with a-any kind of power…" The writing prodigy countered. She then gave him a rather dark grin. "I w-wouldn't mind testing on y-you if you want…!"

"N-No thanks." Hiro denied quickly. "I bet you'd just hit me with the metal end and call it an accident…"

"I wouldn't be surprised…"

"Me neither…"

"Even keeping in mind her phobia with blood…"

Makoto found himself sweat dropping at the muttering of his classmates. Was this a testament as to how much Toko despises Hiro, or the class' feeling on Hiro as a whole? He honestly couldn't tell.

"I'd love to s-scoop out that nasty brain of yours, throw it on the g-ground, and spit on it!" Toko continued further, far from denying that allegation.

But the fortune teller merely laughed it off. "Hahahaha! I feel the same way! Looks like we're on the same page this time!"

"Seriously…?" Hina sighed.

"...Is he talking about himself, or that he wants to do the same to her?" Taka questioned, question marks appearing over his head yet again. "I mean, I disapprove either way, but…"

"Just… don't think too much about it, and ignore it dude." Leon advised with a sigh. "Save yourself the headache…"

"...Very well." The moral compass conceded to.

"We want to figure out what killed her, right? It just so happens we already know." Byakuya declared.

"W-We already know?!" Toko gasped with clear admiration. "I knew we could count on you, M-Master!"

And of course, that got the usual eye-rolls. "Is there ever a point where she isn't kissing the fucking ground he walks on…?" Mondo sighed/growled.

"Not that I can remember…" Junko said dryly. "I'll let you know if that ever happens."

"Sh-Shut it! Master is p-perfect in every way!" Toko hissed at her classmate. "It's only n-natural that he gets praised!"

"Sure, Toko. Sure…" Sayaka sighed.

"So what is it?" Hiro inquired.

"Go ahead and tell them, Makoto." Byakuya urged the lucky student. "Surely you've deduced the real murder weapon?"

"..." Kyoko, again, remained silent to all of this.

'Kyoko… what are you thinking right now?' Makoto thought to himself pensively. What is going through her mind while this trial is going on? As the conclusion is being set that she's the killer? Nothing good, he suspects.

"Mukuro was hit in the back of the head with something, and that's what killed her." Makoto recited. "And that something was… the titanium arrows we found in the locker of the dojo."

"An arrow… that's what the culprit attacked Mukuro with?" Hiro said with surprise.

"Indeed, there's no doubt about it." Byakuya confirmed confidently.

"Are you sure?" Hina, however, questioned that. "That sounds… kinda weird."

"H-Hey! How dare you back-talk Master?!" Toko hissed at the swimmer. "You have n-no right…!"

"I'm not back-talking anyone! I'm just saying what I think!" Hina responded back defensively.

"Yeah! As if we should accept everything he says as gospel!"

"M-Master's never wrong! An idiot l-like you don't need to question him!"

That earned a fake cough of "Trial four…" from Leon, with him holding a fist over his mouth for emphasis. The writing prodigy ignored him.

The non-stop debate started once again, with Byakuya speaking. "The titanium arrow…" He began. "It was in the dojo locker, right? I have no doubt that was the murder weapon."

"Are you sure…?" Hina questioned once again.

"You don't sound convinced. What's the problem?" Hiro inquired in return.

"Well, cuz in the Monokuma File… it said the weapon must've been about as thick as a metal pipe, right?" Hina reminded them. "It seems like an arrow would just be too thin."

'No, that's wrong!' The bullet was shot as Makoto spoke up. "You're right. Just one arrow would've been too weak. That's why the killer used another weapon."

"Another weapon…?" Hina repeated in confusion.

"Inside the dojo-locker, we also found a balled-up wad of duct tape." Makoto revealed a brief flashback of the duct tape being shown. "The killer probably used the duct-tape to bind multiple arrows together. Bundling them together using the duct tape would easily create a single weapon as thick as a pipe. And that's exactly what the killer did!"

"It's similar to Aesop's fable about the bundle of sticks…" Toko began reciting. "One stick is weak, but put them together, and they become strong. It's meant to teach cooperation."

"I would go as far to say that it's exactly that…" Taka commented on it. "Only rather than wooden sticks, it's titanium arrows that are put together to become strong."

Toko, in a rare display of casualness, merely shrugged. "You're probably right. Still, the fable applies all the same."

"Damn, that's harsh…" Hiro remarked.

"How is it harsh? Were you even listening?" Toko deadpanned in annoyance.

Several agreed with the future Toko, judging by the weird or exasperated looks given to the present fortune teller. However, for their sanity's sake, none of them moved to touch the topic.

"Anyways, that explains the murder weapon." Byakuya interjected. "As for who the culprit is that stashed the weapon in the dojo locker…" Once again, his eyes were aimed at a certain lavender-haired girl. "It was you, Kyoko!"

"...I've never been to the dojo." Kyoko denied simply.

"...Is she saying that she never went to the dojo, period; or that she didn't go there at any point after investigating the first time?" Leon asked with some bemusement. "Cause one is a bold-faced lie there."

"I… am honestly not sure." Celeste hummed, looking up in thought for a moment. Then she shook her head. "Regardless, the semantics don't really matter at this point."

"Why's that…?" Hina asked curiously.

Sakura took to answering grimly. "Cause there's already 'proof' that she entered into the dojo…"

Yet again, the mood turned rather tense, seeing the discussion getting boomeranged back to the suspicion on Kyoko.

"Oh no, you absolutely have." Byakuya insisted.

"How can you say that with such confidence?" Hina asked.

"Because we have proof, of course." The Togami heir answered. "Don't we, Makoto?"

"O-Oh, um…" The lucky student in question stuttered for a moment. But then he fell silent.

"Even now, he's hesitant to accuse Kyoko in any capacity…" Sayaka murmured sadly, snuggling further into her luckster's shoulder.

"In normal circumstances, I would admonish him for hesitating on showing clear evidence of the crime…" Byakuya sighed. "But as we can all see, these aren't normal circumstances."

"Tell us about it…" Leon, Mondo, and Hina all muttered together.

"We all know at this point luck boy ain't someone that so easily turns on someone else…" Junko remarked with an eye-roll. "Even with Kyoko reflecting suspicion on him, that won't be enough for him to just immediately turn his back on her…"

No one disagreed with Junko's assessment. They are all aware, at this point, how deep Makoto's kindness and forgiveness is ingrained into his very core. Or at the very least, they're seeing how deep that core goes.

"Hm? What's the matter? Surely you don't intend to protect a murderer… " Byakuya inquired, immediately noting the hesitance. "You know what will happen if you do, don't you? If you cover for the culprit, there's only one thing that can lead to… the death of us all. Remember?"

"O-Of course I remember…!" Makoto assured him.

"Then show us!" The Togami heir demanded. "Show everyone the evidence that proves Kyoko went to the dojo!"

"..." Yet again, Kyoko was notably silent.

"Unfortunately, the consequences of voting incorrectly are continuing to hover over their heads…" Sakura said with a grimace, with a few others following along.

"All this shit is messed up…" Mondo growled, clenching his fist. "They're going through a trial where there's no actual, fucking culprit!"

"Or rather, the actual culprit is watching through their mechanical bear…" Celeste corrected slightly, her gaze neutral.

"It's not fair…" Chihiro said with a small whimper, curling up yet again. "Voting for someone to die… a trial where no else actually died… just…"

"Like Mondo said. All this shit is messed up…" Leon sighed angrily, his own fists clenched.

Reluctantly, Makoto spoke up. "The one thing that proves Kyoko was in the dojo is…" He then lifted up the dojo locker key. "...right here. The key to the dojo locker."

"And how does that prove anything?" Kyoko inquired back.

"Because… I found it in your room." The luckster student answered softly.

"It was… in my room?" Kyoko spoke with audible confusion.

"Don't bother trying to play dumb." Byakuya interjected coldly. "That key is just the final piece of the puzzle. Your non-existent alibi, your clear motive, your attempts to frame Makoto for the crime… this all proves that you are the true culprit. You can't explain this away, so just give up."

"...He forgot." Makoto spoke in realization. Something that got the attention of his classmates.

"Huh? What did he forget?" Hina asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"How d-dare you, Makoto? S-Sullying Master's memory!" Toko growled at the lucky student. "He would n-never-"

"No, he's right. I did forget." Byakuya deadpanned, also realizing. He took no mind of the eyes turning to him. "To think such an obvious fact would slip my mind…"

"What? What the hell did you forget?" Mondo growled in irritation.

"...I'm unable to access my room." Kyoko was the one to answer, after having been silent for a noticeable portion of time. "Byakuya took my future self's key. So as far as they should be aware, there's no possible way for me to put the locker key in my room."

That got several pairs of eyes lighting up. "Oh yeah! I completely forgot about that!" Hina gasped. "That would definitely prove that Kyoko didn't do it! Cause there's no way for her to get into her room!"

"...Normally, yes. But you are forgetting something else." Celeste began pointing out. "She holds access to a key that unlocks any door in the school. That would definitely dissolve such an alibi…"

"But survivors are unaware that she attained such a tool." Sakura countered. "The only one who knows this… is Makoto…"

Immediately, several were seeing where this is gonna lead to. That includes the lucky student himself, who became noticeably tense; something that Sayaka felt, and caused her to look at her crush with worry.

"...Hold on a second." Makoto interjected once again.

"Not this again." Byakuya sighed. "You really are dead-set on defending her, aren't you?"

"No… it's not that I want to defend her. It's just…" Makoto explained himself. "There's one more thing I need to ask her."

"..." That got Kyoko's attention on the luckster.

"Kyoko, I want you to tell me something." Makoto addressed the lavender-haired girl. "Last night… you were in my room, weren't you? Why? What were you doing there? That's what I need to know."

"..." For a moment, Kyoko remained silent. Then… "I was just… protecting you."

That took the lucky student by surprise. "What…?"

'You were protecting him… yet you were ready to throw him in the fire.' Sayaka thought angrily, squeezing Makoto's arm. 'I get that it's a different situation, that your life is on the line, I GET it, but…'

She absolutely couldn't approve of it. It doesn't change the fact that Kyoko threw away the bond and trust she created with Makoto, that she'd set up a potential fall for the one boy who had her back. All because she seemed unable to answer the distrust she earned with something else. Anything else.

'She was protecting me…?' Makoto repeated to himself. 'Then does that mean she…?'

The screen flash-backed to the last-night attack. 'She knew I was being attacked… and she came to my rescue. Could that be when…?!'

'I wonder… was it coincidence, or did she know somehow?' Mukuro wondered to herself, looking down. 'Was she suspicious of the mastermind pulling something like this? Or did she come across that assassination plan? Most…?'

The soldier clenched her fist tightly, close to making her knuckles go white. 'Was it truly to protect him? Or just to ensure she doesn't get framed for his murder?' It was hard to say; at least for her, who hardly knew even half her classmates.

The scene then went back to the trial room. 'Which would mean that Kyoko… she killed someone… for me…?'

"Wait. Is Makoto starting to think that Kyoko did it?" Hina asked, alarmed.

"Not surprising. However optimistic Makoto may be, there's a limit to such naivety." Celeste stated, maintaining a neutral tone. "He witnessed several murders throughout our future selves time in the school. He cannot deny the idea of anyone else murdering somebody, when the evidence presents itself."

"And circumstances are painting her as the culprit." Byakuya added with a frown. "The dojo locker key, the lack of alibi, and the setup of the murder is one thing… but her implication of Makoto's guilt, along with her appearance during that attack, paints a very ugly picture."

"..." Like her future counterpart has been doing, the detective went silent. Kept her warring emotions to herself, and continued to watch. Wait for the outcome. The verdict.

"That's enough." Byakuya cut in. "The time for idle chatter is over. A verdict is close at hand…"

"Wait." Kyoko then interjected herself. "I'm warning you, don't make this mistake. I'm not the killer."

"I know you were stubborn, but this is just getting ridiculous." The Togami heir scoffed.

"Really? But you should know better than anyone that I didn't do it." Kyoko claimed. "Can you tell me I'm wrong?"

Said claim took Byakuya by clear surprise. "I… should know?"

Despite the seriousness of it all, Leon couldn't help but snort. "You aren't gonna ever get used to getting put on the back-foot, are ya asshole?"

"Silence…" Was the response he got from the Togami heir, focusing squarely at the screen. That got a snicker from Leon, with Hina, Mondo, and Junko joining him in laughter.

'What…?' Her words also took Makoto by surprise. 'Byakuya should know better than anyone…? What does that mean?'

The non-stop debate started once again, with Byakuya continuing to speak. "Those words you just spoke… What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. I'm not the killer." Kyoko answered firmly. "You should understand that more than anyone here."

"Byakuya, what are you hiding?!" Hiro questioned accusingly.

"Master would n-never hide something from me!" Toko protested.

"There's proof that you aren't the culprit…" Byakuya guessed.

'Now I remember!' The bullet was shot as Makoto spoke up. "If I'm right, Kyoko wouldn't have been able to get inside her room." He stated.

"Huh?" Hina looked at the lucky student in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because she had given her room key to Byakuya." Makoto answered.

"I see. So that's what you meant…" Was all the Togami heir himself could say. "And if I had the key in your room…"

"...then obviously I had no way of getting in." Kyoko finished for him. "Without my room key, I couldn't have possibly put the locker key in there myself. Am I wrong?"

"It… would appear not." Byakuya reluctantly conceded.

"Then you're finally starting to understand." Kyoko stated confidently.

"...Is Kyoko trying to lead them to the idea that the mastermind set it all up?" Chihiro asked nervously, eyebrows knitted together with worry and confusion. "That… none of them are the killer; that something is wrong with this trial?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise. She has stated beforehand that this was a trap of the masterminds." Sakura recalled in musing.

"And with this, this could hint to the fact that something is off with this trial…" Celeste hummed in thought. "After all, with Byakuya having the key, and him having a solid alibi alongside Hina, Hiro, and Toko, no one could've realistically got into Kyoko's room and placed the key in there. However…"

"...It all depends on whether or not Makoto reveals the key to everyone else." Byakuya stated grimly.

"..." Makoto, however, was silent. 'No… that's not actually true. There was a clear contradiction in what Kyoko just said. An obvious lie…'

Byakuya's words, along with Makoto's thoughts, thickened the tension in the air significantly. More and more students looked worried, with the even more stoic ones looking noticeably tense.

Kyoko herself was only visibly tense, the only hint to her thoughts and emotions to this trial. Makoto, of course, was the opposite and showed clear anxiousness over the possible results.

Cause they all knew, even instinctively, that if the key gets revealed to the others… then Kyoko is done for. There will be no other way to wiggle herself out of this.

'But this… This just isn't like her!' A confused and conflicted look entered the luckster's face. 'To try and save herself with such a desperate lie…'

He gazed at the lavender-haired girl, who kept her eyes away from him. 'Does she really feel that threatened? Because… she's the killer? Or is it something else…? Was there some deeper meaning hidden in what Kyoko said earlier?'

A flashback of Kyoko's words during the trial, about what would happen if she died here and it being a trap, was played before heading back to the present. 'The mastermind's trap…' Makoto contemplated. 'The mastermind is trying to… trap Kyoko?'

'But… What if that's not really true?' The luckster looked down, confliction clear across his face. 'What can I do? What… should I do? What should I…?'

"...What the hell is he gonna do here?" Leon managed to ask through the tension. He then turned to the lucky student himself. "Makoto, dude… do you have any idea what future you is gonna decide?"

"...I don't know." He truly doesn't. The lucky student would like to say that he knows himself fairly well. That he has a good grasp on what his own actions will be, future or not, memory or not.

But… this is a bizarre situation. One where their future selves don't know the full truth. Where his future self isn't as close with Kyoko as he is now. A situation where…

"He either has to stick to his ideals, believe that Kyoko isn't the killer and let that lie go… or pursue the truth, give the evidence that he does have, as has been encouraged since the start." Sakura unknowingly finished for him. "Two paths with no clear right answer."

"...Honestly? I wouldn't blame him." Mondo admitted, looking down. "If he exposed Kyoko like that… I can't say that I wouldn't see that coming."

"Mondo!" Hina looked at the biker in shock. "Did you forget that if he does that, then Kyoko will get executed?! That the others will vote for her and she gets framed as the killer?!"

"I haven't." Was Mondo's short grunt. "But we've already said it; they know next to shit. And Kyoko ain't exactly been acting innocent. So if Makoto decides to reveal that lie for what it is… then who the hell are we to blame him? Especially when Kyoko didn't hesitate to turn her back on him."

His words caught the room sent, pensive and conflicted looks as they pondered on the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader's words. If Makoto were to reveal Kyoko's lie, condemn her to death via execution… could he really be blamed? Especially with the situation placed on the six survivors? When over half the class have done much worse in this future they're watching?

The area around Makoto darkened as he grappled with this. 'The mastermind's… trap?'

'The victim was Mukuro…? And Kyoko killed her…?'

'For once, the monkey has a valid point.' Byakuya thought to himself, gazing at the scene stoically. 'If Makoto would pursue the lie, then it would be Kyoko's fault. The mastermind's manipulation notwithstanding.'

'Kyoko set herself up for this. Made herself a target, refusing to share anything with most of the class…' Celeste thought, keeping her usual composure. 'It's only due to Makoto's stubbornness that he managed to get her to share some of what she knew. She should've been prepared for consequences like this.'

'What does Kyoko really know…?'

'What am I… supposed to do?'

'Honestly… I wouldn't keep my mouth shut in his shoes.' Hiro admitted to himself. 'There's no way I could just believe someone just like that…!'

'Is it really wrong to distrust someone in this scenario?' Toko asked herself, staring intently at the screen. 'I mean, it may just be my paranoia here, but… there's nothing here that would say to trust Kyoko. Can… Can Makoto give that kind of trust? That blind trust?'

'This would be the climax for the main character. Whether to trust their mysterious ally to the fullest, or not.' Hifumi mused in observation. 'The obvious answer would be to trust them… but not all stories end with that trust happily. In other cases, it proves to be a disastrous and stupid choice. And while the answer is obvious to us…'

'Kyoko's lie…'

'I'm the only one… who knows it's a lie…'

'I'm the only one… who can expose it…'

'That kind of pressure…' Hina found herself biting her lips anxiously. 'I don't know if I could handle it. I mean, it's obvious that the right answer is to trust Kyoko! But they don't know that! Can… Can Makoto give his full trust to Kyoko again? Should he? I just… I don't know!'

'What would be the responsible choice? What should Makoto choose, based on what they know?' Taka wondered, eyebrows knitted tightly together. 'Would it be to believe in his allies, no matter what the evidence presents itself as? Or to pursue the truth that it's out there? Refuse to let this blatant lie go?'

'...I know it looks bad. That Kyoko did some dishonest things.' Chihiro whimpered silently, curling up. 'But… I want Makoto to trust her! Believe in her! Cause I know that belief will be rewarded! It has to! …Right?'

'...Makoto. How tough it has to be… to have that kind of pressure.' Sayaka's thoughts were full of sympathy for her luckster, with her snuggling into him as much as she could from her position. 'To make that kind of decision… and not really know what the right answer is…'

'But who… can I trust…?'

'What am I… supposed to do…?'

'...You're gonna reveal that lie to everyone.' Junko thought rather confidently to herself, eyes narrowed. 'No way that you plan on keeping it yourself… after getting stabbed in the back by Kyoko… lucky boy can't be that naive, right…?'

'...What are you going to do, Makoto?' Mukuro found herself wondering, staring at her growing crush. 'Will be true to yourself? Stay quiet, and believe in someone who may not have earned it? Or will you choose the more obvious course? Pursue the truth out in the open and reveal that lie?'

'The mastermind's… trap…'

A flashback of Kyoko's words in the bathhouse played out, of how you can't always be trying to avoid danger, before going back to the present. 'What do I do…?!' He shouted in his mind, eyes closed shut in distress.

'...I haven't done anything to deserve your trust.' Was Kyoko's quiet admittance to herself. She clasped her hands together as thought about her deeds. 'I refused to reveal anything for much of the time. Led you to get ambushed by the mastermind. Continue to keep cards to myself, only letting you know certain things. So if you decide to pursue the lie… my future self may see it as affirmation that she couldn't trust anyone. But how different would things be if I had tried to show even a bit more trust to everyone?'

'...It's tough, I know. I can't imagine being in that place, future me. I don't want to ever be in that place.' Makoto mentally spoke to his future self, sounding just as distressed. 'However… even if you didn't know her for as long as I did… even if you don't have the knowledge that we do… you know in your heart that she's not the killer!'

Kyoko, regardless of what her future self has done, is still one of his closest friends. Someone he can say that he can rely on for anything. Who he managed to get close with, despite all odds. He doesn't want to get her executed as a false blackened!

'...I've made my decision.'

If there were students that weren't tense before, they definitely stiffened up now. What has the future Makoto decided? Will he pursue the truth to the fullest, and refuse to let Kyoko get away with that lie? Or will he…?

'I have to believe in Kyoko.' When the lucky student opened his eyes, they glinted with clear determination. 'There's no way she would kill someone!'

"...Son of a bitch." Was all Mondo could really say to that mental declaration. A short, almost light laugh left his mouth as he and the others processed that declaration of belief.

I honestly don't know if this should be a shock or not, really, I don't…" Leon shook his head, a grin forming on his lips. "But damn. I didn't think he would keep quiet!"

"Even after all that, even with Kyoko accusing you of being the killer…" Hiro spoke in clear surprise. "You're still willing to give her the benefit of the doubt like that?"

"More than that, Hiro. He's keeping quiet for her. Refusing to reveal evidence that would condemn her death." Taka stated, conflicted pride in his tone. "A move that… I'm honestly having a difficult time figuring if it's admirable or not."

Suffice to say, the future lucky student's decision caught the group off guard in ways they didn't really expect. They all knew his nature, his optimism and hope, the belief he has in everyone's better nature. Yet still…

"His foolish optimism… it never ceases to amaze me." Byakuya's statement echoed many of the thoughts here. Yet despite his words, a smirk was across the Togami heir's face. Sakura and Celeste found themselves joining him in smiling, the former's more proud while the latter's was more fond.

Those like Hina and Chihiro couldn't help but beam widely. "I knew he would believe in her…!" Chihiro exclaimed happily. "Cause Makoto… he's strong like that! Strong enough to believe in anyone, even when told to do otherwise!"

"Yeah! Makoto… he really seems so cool here!" Hina gushed. "Figuring out all these trials, holding those who died in his heart, and now… covering for Kyoko, in this stupid sham trial! That's really cool! Cooler than I thought it would be!"

"Definitely the showing of main character material here…" Hifumi murmured in amazement.

As for the luckster himself… he was relieved. Immensely relieved that his future self didn't make a choice he would come to regret. To the point he found himself sagging in his seat for a moment, feeling relaxed for the first time since the investigation and trial started.

"...I knew you would do it." Was the soft whisper of one Sayaka Maizono. A whisper that got Makoto turning towards… to be met with an adoring smile from the idol. "Even with all that would happen, even when you had all the rights not to trust Kyoko and pursue the truth that was out there… I also knew you would believe in her in the end."

"...Don't you have a little too much faith in me?" The luckster couldn't help but mutter, his cheeks growing red.

Sayaka giggled. "Nope~" She then gave him a kiss on the cheek, something that got the luckster's cheeks an even brighter red. "You forgiven me, after all. And your future self continues to carry our memories, no matter what our crimes were. So you would be perfectly capable of putting your trust in Kyoko like that."

The luckster turned his head away, in a vain attempt to cover at least some of embarrassment. And in doing so he got a look at Kyoko, and her reaction.

The detective in question… to say she was affected would be an understatement. She was stunned at the declaration Makoto made to himself, to the point it was visible across her face; and honestly… felt warmth at the trust placed towards her future self. Having seen this from an outsider perspective, she can perfectly see why the other survivors were wary of her. How her actions throughout the entire viewing came across.

And due to this, she quietly came to recognize her approach… may not have been the best way to go about it. Perhaps there were still some things that needed to be kept hidden, but if she had opened herself even a little bit more to her classmates… perhaps this trial would've been avoided? Or at the very least, they would've been more open in hearing her out?

But despite all that, Makoto decided to put his belief in her once again. To believe wholeheartedly that she isn't the killer. It stunned, filled her with a strange yet familiar warmth, it was something she could hardly fathom… and it left her with a growing guilt.

And she wasn't the only one who could hardly understand it. 'I don't understand… how can you trust somebody that easily?' Toko couldn't help but think, finding herself curling up in her seat. A wave of bitterness and confliction warred in her mind as processed Makoto's decision. 'You can so easily get stabbed in the back. Have your heart wrenched out by letting someone inside it like that.

'So how… how are you able to believe in someone like that, Makoto Naegi?' How was he able to give that blinding trust, even after going through the events of this 'killing school life'? Something… Something that could have never given out herself?

'...You really are so different. Different from so many others. Different from my sister.' Mukuro found herself thinking, her heart beating in ways that she has yet to grow used to. 'No matter what is presented to you, you don't ever seem to let go… let go of that light of yours. That light that is so… so warm.' She couldn't grasp it. Couldn't understand how someone is able to give that level of trust, in a situation where doing so could get you, potentially even others, killed. But like with his smile… she was drawn to it. In ways that almost scared her.

As for her sister… the secret Ultimate Despair was stunned. Flabbergasted. And growing to be very, VERY irate. 'Are. You. KIDDING ME?!' Junko screamed out in her head. If she had spoken, irritation would've been clear in every syllable. 'You CANNOT have that much trust in someone! Not in this life-or-death situation! There's no way you could believe Kyoko isn't the killer, when you have nothing that would prove otherwise! You know she could enter her room! You know she told a bold faced lie! She even tried to accuse you of being the killer! All that?! Signs that she's a killer! DO THE OBVIOUS ROUTE AND VOTE HER ASS INTO THE EXECUTION CHAMBER!'

It took every bit of self-control to not let even a little of her irritation leak out for the others to bear witness. How can this flat-out, fully average kid have this level of optimism?! What reason does he have to believe in a girl who refused to show most of her cards?! Her analytical brain is working overtime to figure out the route that would lead to such a thing, but she was drawing blanks! There's no rational reason, not even a despairful one, that would lead to such a conclusion! Just flat-out, hopeful naivety!

In the end, Junko practically forced herself to calm down. Makoto will pay for this disgusting, hopeful belief of his. That she's sure of. Because without knowledge of the key Kyoko holds… there's only one other person the survivors could point to as being the killer.

'There has to be some secret here, something that has to do with the mastermind's trap that Kyoko mentioned.'

"Does this mean… that they could be in the process of figuring this is all fake?" Hina asked, clearly hopeful in her words. "How odd this entire sham trial really is?"

"We can only hope, Hina." Sakura replied to her friend. "After all, with Kyoko not having her key, the others being together for the entire night, and Byakuya having held onto the key the entire time… there's no one that could've feasibly killed Mukuro in the time she supposedly died. That is where the direction will lead to."

"But, wait… couldn't Byakuya have entered the room himself and put the key in there?" Hiro pointed out.

That brought Toko out of her conflicted thoughts and had her glaring at the fortune teller. "H-Hey! What are y-you implying there, moron?!"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Hiro raised his hand in quick surrender. "I'm just saying that they would point that out!"

"But again, Byakuya has an alibi in which he couldn't have killed Mukuro at any point in the time range they've figured out…" Celeste sighed. "So there's nothing to worry about there."

"Then that means… they might be able to find out that something is actually wrong with this trial!" Taka spoke, sound more optimistic now. "They're actually on the verge of seeing the actual mystery!"

'...I'm not so sure.' Byakuya thought, his eyes narrowed. The others may have forgotten, but… there was one more scenario that could lead to pointing towards a killer. And unless Makoto's willing to reveal the existence of the key after… there would be no room to refute it.

"Well? Does no one have a rebuttal?" Byakuya asked everyone, looking around. "Have you decided to accept her dissertation as fact?"

"..." Makoto remained silent, a tense look across his face.

"I see. So you still refuse to accept it." The Togami heir sighed, mostly to himself. "I suppose we have to admit that Kyoko didn't put the locker key in her room, that it was someone else."

"...He knows Makoto is hiding something, doesn't he?" Celeste quickly deduced.

"As Kyoko stated several times before. Foolishly open." Byakuya remarked, crossing his arms together. "I can see through Makoto's attempt to keep quiet."

"Will… that be an issue?" Chihiro asked nervously, poking his index fingers together.

"The dude seems like he's letting it go, so maybe not…" Leon mused, though sounding a bit concerned himself.

'...No, I don't think my future self is simply letting it go.' Rather than that… he's gonna make another approach on getting the info out of Makoto.

"But… who else could it have been?" Hina questioned, frowning in befuddlement.

"I mean, Byakuya had her room key, right?" Hiro pointed out.

"Y-You!" And that immediately earned a hiss from Toko. "What are you t-trying to imply?!"

"But of course I had an alibi. From nighttime on, I was with you guys the entire time…" Byakuya countered. "I couldn't possibly have killed anyone, or put the key in Kyoko's room."

"Well someone had to put the key in there…" Hiro said with some exasperation.

"They looked to be in a deadlock now…" Sayaka remarked, looking as hopeful as the others. "Maybe that dojo key would be the thing that unravels the actual mystery…"

"If it is, then the mastermind made a stupid mistake trying to frame Kyoko!" Leon pumped his fist with a grin. "Trying to frame Kyoko is gonna backfire on them!"

'...This could be it. This could be where the tables turn, and they actually see the trap!' Makoto thought, feeling more and more optimistic. In fact, several of the students were feeling their confidence rise up in the potential outcome.

Unfortunately… with this rising hope…

"There's only one other possibility I can think of…" Byakuya declared. "Someone could have had the key on them, then once they arrived at the scene, pretended to 'find' it there."

…it made the crash all the more devastating. Several pairs of eyes widened, with students' skin becoming ashened, as they recognized the implication.

No…

"What…?" Makoto's eyes widened in shock at this.

"I-It had to be Makoto… right?" Hina concluded dreadfully.

"No… no, no, no. No…!" Both Hina and Chihiro shook their heads rapidly, panic clear in their eyes.

"Oh fuck…!" Both Leon and Mondo cursed with similar dread.

'...Knew it.' Was the resigned thought of Byakuya Togami.

"..." Makoto himself was silent, color slowly draining out of his face.

"...I don't see any other option." Was Byakuya's statement.

"...Son of a BITCH!" That loud, furious curse came from none other than Sayaka Maizono. The now irate-looking idol pulled away from Makoto some, as she gnashed her teeth together in her fury. "He just- That was- The crime is now being pinned on Makoto again?!"

"...We completely forgot that both Byakuya and Makoto went into the room together." Taka looked ready to pummel himself for that lack of memory, the moral compass' fists clenching tightly. "And even with Byakuya's suspicion, we shouldn't have expected him to keep his eyes firmly on Makoto while they were looking through the room!"

"Honestly, though… does the future Byakuya truly believe what he is saying?" Celeste turned towards the Togami heir himself, eyes narrowed. "Or is it something else?"

"...My future self is likely trying to pressure Makoto into revealing what he actually knows." Byakuya admitted/deduced his future self's thought process. "In his eyes, he sees that Makoto knows something, but refuses to say anything out of a misguided trust or closeness with Kyoko. So he needs to be pushed to reveal what he knows, else be doomed for death."

"You're pressuring him to turn his back on Kyoko like that?!" Hina cried out incredulously.

"In his eyes, Kyoko's a killer. One where they have no choice but to vote for if they're to survive."

"...He won't do it." The present lucky student stated, his voice weak and complexion white. He ignored the eyes drawn towards him, worried or otherwise, and continued. "At this point… I put my full trust in Kyoko. I'm not cowardly enough to turn my back on her like that. Even with the suspicion falling on me… I wouldn't reveal the key just to save my own skin."

While he didn't mean to, his words were like knife wounds to Kyoko. The detective had to bite her lips to keep out how much those words actually affected her.

Meanwhile, Junko had to hold back a very vindictive grin. 'Payback, lucky boy! See how that hope of yours gets rewarded!'

"W-Wait a second! You've got it all wrong!" Makoto protested panickedly. "Let's think about it one more time! There's got to be a hidden side to this case!"

"Huh? A hidden side…?" Hiro spoke in confusion.

"First of all, there's something off about the entire trial! You all see it, don't you?" Makoto inquired to everyone, almost desperately.

"So Makoto is now addressing the trap Kyoko has mentioned?" Taka guessed, gripping his knees anxiously. "Addressing the whole trial itself?"

"He'll have to, if he's unwilling to point the finger at Kyoko…" Celeste stated, the tension across her face the only indication of her feelings. "There's very little to touch upon at the moment. Nothing else that can counter Byakuya's hypothesis."

"They should be talking about the sham trial here!" Hina stated spiritedly. "I mean, it may be just us knowing more than them, but they got to see how weird this whole thing is! This whole trial got to feel off to them!"

"I'm sure it does, Hina…" Sakura agreed with her friend, though as tense as everyone else. "However, convincing them to follow their instincts will be the challenge to hurdle through."

"...Makoto…" Sayaka's anger quickly shifted into worry, her grip on the luckster's arm tightening back some.

"..." Silently, Kyoko placed her hand into Makoto's free one, a mixture of anxiety and guilt within that grip.

Makoto paid little heed to both the grips of his two closest female friends as he watched the trial continue to play out. However, he did answer those grips with a squeeze of both his hands; whether it be for their comfort or his own, he hardly had the mind to figure that out.

"..." The camera shifted to Monokuma for a moment, the bear silently watching.

'...No.' Immediately, Mukuro realized what was about to happen. The girl's already pale skin got even milkier as she figured out what her sister was about to do. 'No, please… no!'

'Yeeeaaah, no.' Junko thought rather smugly. 'Nice try, herbivore man. But ain't no way I'm gonna stay silent and let you go past the script.'

"Mukuro, who we didn't even know existed, suddenly shows up dead, and then we're thrown into a class trial…!" Makoto pointed out. "And Kyoko even said, it's a trap the mastermind set for us!"

"C'mon, everyone, listen to him…!" Hina pleaded to the survivors. "Especially you, future me!"

"They have to see all of this as strange, right? They can't think that Makoto's actually the killer…" Chihiro asked fearfully, hope and fear battling in his heart.

"Don't give in to fear. Do not fall for the mastermind's trap…" Taka urged the survivors, as though they could hear him.

"Makoto's actually trustworthy here. If you're gonna listen to someone, listen to him at least!" Leon spoke with growing anxiousness.

Several of the students urged the survivors, be it verbally or mentally, to listen and see the trap laid out for them. Clinging onto the hope that the six remaining students can see through the rigged trial…

"So that's why… this has to be-!"

"Okaaay! Time's up!"

And just like that, all that tension was swept by that sudden announcement.

"...Wha-...?"

"Huh…?"

"Time's…?"

"What…?"

For a moment, the entire room was stunned, as they processed the announcement made by the mechanical bear. For a moment, there were only dumbfounded looks and agape mouths. Those two little words repeated in their minds over and over.

Time's… up?

And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Apologies for those who really wanted to see the bad ending, but I have mentioned in the past that I wasn't gonna do it (At least in ff dot net). It would've just… wiped a lot of the tension this trial was going for, and would've made the true ending feel… off-putting to write. More than likely to read as well.

Speaking of which, I also hope that I nailed the tension throughout this whole chapter (And with another little cliffhanger to boot. Do I enjoy those a bit too much? I don't think so). Had to write and rewrite certain scenes until I found those sweet spots that I liked; so definitely one of the tougher chapters I've written. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.