Super Dangan RonPonya: Set Sail for Despair Isles

by Serenade-Stereo

Chapter 3: Class Trial - Part 2

Trial Resume!

Monomi Theatre

"Hi, I'm Monomi and you know what time it is! Two victim this time around...and both were planned?! The thought of my students truly thinking of killing not one but two of their classmates is unbelievable! I don't want to believe it at all, this is all Monokuma's doing. I'll continue to support my students as they cooperate with each other and defeat Monokuma! I hope you help as well, remember; Love, love!"

---

Everyone had been silent for a while now that Paint had revealed her theory of the events at the torture house today. Clip and Aqua were both targeted by one of them...but the real question was why did they want both dead? It would leave a lot more evidence behind when both were killed.

"So why did they take the risk...?" Pure spoke up. "What would have been their reason for killing both of them...intentionally I might add."

"Well we don't even know if Paint is right. Don't go saying that the killer was going after Aqua as well..." Quick ran a hand through his hair. "We don't have much to go on though...other than Paint's words..."

"Hmm...?" Paint held a finger to her lips and tapped them. "Did I explain my theory yet? I forget..."

"She didn't." Toxic answered. "And if she can't explain it then it makes that theory complete and utter conjuncture!"

"Can we really trust you after not only one, but two instances where you've been hiding things from us...you have always ended up as the most suspicious in these investigations...I think it would benefit everyone if you just shut up and learned to listen than sabotage our discussion..." Toxic seemed stunned by her response. He looked away, clearly distraught by her words.

"M-moving on..." Bud broke the tension the two had created. "Maybe you really should explain this a little better since we don't really understand where you're getting your theory from..."

"Well...I suppose I can do that for you. Once explained, it becomes very clear..."

Non-Stop Debate

Evidence Bullets
-Rip's Account
-Student Profile
-Sealed Book
-Chair
-Monokuma File 3
-Clip's Scissors

Paint- It's rather obvious when you really think about it...the way the crime scene was set out was clear indication that the killer put a lot of work into this...

Laser- Yeah, but we already knew that!

Paint- Then let me finish...by the process of applying layers of logic onto that. We can gather that the killer targeted both Aqua and Clip.

Techno- I'm guessing you're talking about the overkill factor in all off this?

Paint- Exactly. Unless you were targeting both Aqua and Clip...the killer wouldn't have taken so much time in doing the deed...I mean, they even used different weapons to kill them...

Pure- Well...I see your point...

Paint- I thought you would.

What Paint says does make sense...but wasn't there something weird?

No, that's wrong!

"Hang on a second...the killer didn't use different weapons on Aqua and Clip. Remember, they used Clip's scissors to stab them multiple times...I thought we had settled this a long time ago. I thought we settled this during the investigation!"

"Did we...?" Paint tilted her head. "I don't think we ever did talk about the cause of death...or the actual wounds on the bodies in great detail..." Techno went quiet.

We...we did...didn't we? I'm sure we did! Why would Paint think differently though...? Paint Pallet. I have my eye on you for now...

Non-Stop Debate

Evidence Bullets
-Aqua's Wounds
-Clip's Wounds
-Sealed Book
-Aqua's Neck Markings
-Tiny Glass Fragments
-Chair

Paint- We never figured out the cause of death for both Clip and Aqua.

Toxic- Even if it wasn't mentioned in the Monokuma File...it's still pretty clear what killed them.

Bud- It was blood loss from all of those wounds...

Paint- I see. So that is what you all have come to believe. Well then, I have to pity you for making such a grave error...but I'm sure it'll be corrected soon enough.

Bright- My my, someone loves to talk big when she has no evidence in her possession...

Until now, everyone aside from Paint believed that the stab wounds were the cause of death. What if...that presumption was wrong all along though...?

No, that's wrong!

"Bud...I think Paint's the only one with the real answer here. Remember Aqua's body condition. Her neck had bruises on it, as if something was holding onto it really tightly."

"You think the killer strangled Aqua to death? Then what about the stab wounds?! What was the point in it?!" Toxic yelled out.

"I'm guessing they wanted to confuse us. As soon as we're wrong on one thing, it can take us on an entirely different path...say, Monokuma?" Memory turned to the bear. "Did you leave the cause of death out of the Monokuma File just to help the killer?"

"Hmm?" Monokuma tilted his head. "Actually...since there are no cameras inside the house, I had to get info from the killer themselves. They didn't give me the cause of death, really, you should be blaming them for it."

"That explains why you took so long with the Monokuma Files this time around..." Laser commented.

"But if he relied on the killer's information...how do we know it's true?" Rip asked.

"Oh, they did die within ten minutes between them." Paint answers. "My sister knows a few things about how to tell the time of death of bodies but I could only figure out the distance of time between them..."

"I see...but still. We don't what was used to strangle Aqua. There was nothing at the crime scene that could have killed her via strangulation. Techno's already implied that a tool was used instead of their own hands..." Toxic folded his arms.

Something that would be used to strangle Aqua...well it had to be at the crime scene like the scissors, right? So if that's the case, then the weapon had to be...

I can prove it with this!

"I think it might have been the pieces of Clip's pants that were cut off. If you tied the two pieces together, I'd say you could strangle someone with it pretty easily."

"Okay, I can get behind that." Quick nodded. "So maybe we should move on...what about the killer's identity?"

"The wounds." Paint simply responded.

"Huh...? Are you still going on about those wounds? What's so wrong with those wounds?" Laser grumbled.

"Because we still have to figure out...what made the wounds on Aqua's body...they differ from the wounds on Clip's body and therefore must have been made with a different weapon. Maybe if you looked at the crime scene for longer than five seconds you would have noticed."

"No need to be snarky about it...what about the wounds is different?" Toxic asked.

"Well, Clip's body had simple stabs, probably with the scissors like we predicted. Though Aqua's were in the shape of a cone...the further into the wound, the small it got. I'm really surprised you didn't notice this."

"But wait..." Laser mumbled. "If that's true, what was used to inflict those wounds on Aqua...? There wasn't anything that could have been used to make wounds that shape. Unless we missed seeing something like a pike at the crime scene..." When Laser said 'pike', something clicked in Techno's head.

Hold on. Maybe there was something that was along the lines of a pike. Maybe the reason we didn't think about it...is because nobody actually saw it!

Hangman's Gambit

Q. What was used to inflict the wounds onto Aqua's body?

Available letters- M A R E O I N N D I

Words count. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I've connected the dots!

"Wait. About the iron maiden that was in the torture house?" Techno suggested.

"You mean the big chamber like thing that they used to torture convicts in medieval times?" Rip paused. "Oh! I get it, the inside has a bunch of pikes that would make the wounds the same shape as the wounds on Aqua's body!"

"Exactly...so I guess that must mean that the killer used the iron maiden to inflict the wounds onto her body!"

Try see through this illusion!

Laser laughed loudly. "Don't be silly! That could never have happened! It's still pretty obvious that the scissors were used to kill Aqua!"

"S-seriously?" Techno raised an eyebrow. "You actually think that the scissors are the murder weapon even after everything that's been said so far?"

"Yep! It's pretty simple when I explain it to you!"

Rebuttal Showdown

Evidence Blades
-Monokuma File 3
-Sealed Book
-Satanic Star Symbol
-Clip's Scissors
-Memory's Account
-Aqua's Wounds

Laser- See, the thing is, I'm pretty sure that the scissors are still what killed Aqua. To create the wounds on Aqua's body, all they would have to do is move the scissors around do give it the cone shape. See? There's a really reasonable explanation for it all!

Techno- Why would they go through all that effort though? There were so many wounds of Aqua's body. The killer had no reason to go through all the effort of shaping the wounds.

Laser- They also didn't need to get the chair or restrain Clip. Did they have to use the iron maiden? The answer is no! Therefore, we have no reason to say that the iron maiden is involved!

Techno- You may be right about the chair and Clip's restraint...but the iron maiden must have been involved!

Laser- nah! The biggest contradiction in this is...the Monokuma File states that the wounds were inflicted with similar weapons. Therefore...the iron maidenisn't involved!

Geez, how did she think of these arguments so quickly? She must be really prepared...though not prepared enough!

I'll have to cut through those words!

"Laser. I'll admit, you put up good fights but they aren't enough. The thing is, the Monokuma File doesn't mention anything about the murder weapon. All it says is that they died within ten minutes of each other."

"But...if that's true. When did we all agree that the same weapon was used to kill Aqua and Clip...?" Laser's question made Techno silent. Of course, there was always one person in this trial that had something to say.

"We didn't." Paint twirled her pencil. "The reason we all think that they were killed with the same weapon was because someone here has tricked everyone into thinking that...and that person is our killer..." Techno paused before his eyes widened.

"Oh...my..." You have got to be kidding me... "Y-you mean that...she's the killer?!"

"Ah, you figured it out then?" Paint smirked. "Well then. Let's hear your accusation, Techno. Who killed Aqua and Clip...?"

Techno looked around the room at the nine pairs of eyes that were focused on him. Damn...who would have guessed she would kill someone in the end...?

You're the true culprit!

"I have to admit, you did have us all going along with your little trap for a long time. Bud." Techno glared at the yellow Pegasus who didn't give a response with the accusation thrown at her.

"Wait, really?" Bud raised an eyebrow. "You really think I would kill Aqua and Clip? Why in Equestria would you even assume that?"

"Because...you were the one that told me that Aqua and Clip were killed with the same weapon." This forced Bud into an eerie silence. Rip hesitated before she spoke slowly.

"Bud. You didn't kill them, right...? That goes against everything your talent stands for after all..." Bud giggled.

"Of course not. I'd never harm anyone on this island!" She smiled at Rip. "I'm your friend, right?" She then turned to Techno. "As for what I said, I've got no experience in autopsy reports, I just tried to figure it out using the techniques I learned from a nurse I know. It's easy to make a mistake."

"Yeah. That might be true and all...but I'd still like you to give me a proper rebuttal. 'Messing up' the autopsy is just to convenient for my liking."

"Well, alright then...hmm, let's see." She was silent for a few seconds. "The student profiles. I don't have them."

"So? What does that have to do with anything?" Toxic folded his arms. "All you'd have to do is hide them."

"But I couldn't have the time for that." Bud explained. "I was part of the hospital team and all I was to do was get supplies from the store. If I was gone longer than needed then I'd become suspicious right away."

"Alright...but you could just leave it at the crime scene though." Memory pointed out.

"Not really, haven't you noticed that the evidence presented at the trial always disappears afterwards? Leaving it at the crime scene would be a huge risk after all the effort to get it in the first place."

"She's right." Quick agreed. "There's no way that Bud would leave the student profiles there after the murder took place. That's way to risky for her."

"So she hid it." Bright closed her book over. "I thought that a conclusion like that would be child's play. I bet you planned on heading back to crime scene and grabbing the student profiles, weren't you?" Bud laughed at Bright's question.

"Don't be absurd!" She waved her hand to dismiss the theory. "I mean, yes you've gave a plausible reason for why I would want the student profiles but I don't really have anything to hide from you all. I'm an open book!"

"Age." Bright shot.

"Thirteen."

"Height?"

"About 5'2"."

"Weight!"

"I think I'm 94lbs." She tapped her chin. "I don't remember the last time I checked my weight actually..."

"She's really 5'2"? How short am I then...?" Toxic grumbled to himself. "The point is that you could have still hidden those student profiles somewhere!"

"But...why wouldn't I take Techno's?" Bud asked with a smile. "I mean, if I was after them, I'd take them all..."

Bud...you may seem calm under pressure...but let's see how long you can last.

Non-Stop Debate

Evidence Bullets
-Student Profile
-Satanic Star Symbol
-Sealed Book
-Bud's Account
-Tiny Glass Fragments
-Chair

Bud- I'm not the killer. You can tell because I didn't take the profiles. Why wouldn't I commit to the motive?

Toxic- You'd easily get caught out if you took them...so you hid them at the crime scene

Bud- There's nothing to suggest I did that. Unless you know where the profiles are?

Toxic- W-well...

Bright- We may not know...but we can theorise

Paint- You most likely made it blend in with it's surroundings.

Quick- Or it's under the organ display!

Laser- Maybe...She hid it in the hospital!

Paint- No, it's defiantly in the torture house...

Bud really does know what to say in these situations...taking down a girl like her is gonna be tougher than Boom and Clover...

I'm in agreement with you!

"Paint...you knew from the start didn't you? You knew that Bud was the culprit. You also knew that she made the student profiles blend in with the surroundings...with that sealed book we found."

"Sealed book? You mean that one with the dragon crest on it?" Rip asked. "Paint showed it to me. Seemed like some sort of mythology book."

"It wasn't though, it's clear that the book has the other student profiles inside it...because when we look at my student profile," Techno showed them it once again. "It shows the exact same dragon crest in the corner!"

"Ah! I get it!" Quick cracked his knuckles. "So what you're saying is...she sealed the book and made it look like it was part of the torture house when it was actually what contained the other student profiles!"

"Exactly. Bud must have thought that by making it camouflage into its surroundings, we'd leave it be. It had the opposite effect though...which isn't what you wanted, is it?"

"I could have done that...but now that you presented the book, it'll disappear after the trial..." Bud replied, smile still plastered on her face.

"Actually!" Monokuma spoke up. "If one of you is actually in possession of the item at the end of the trial, you get to keep it! So the chair, scissors and such will have to go after this...it's gonna be a pain."

"So since Techno is in possession of both the book and the student profile, he'll get to keep them afterwards..." Memory mumbled. "Well I guess we hear Bud's next statement. After all, we just put down one of your rebuttals..."

"Wait...do you think I killed Clip and Aqua as well, Memory?" Bud asked.

"Not just me. Look around..." He gestured to the rest of the room, everyone was avoiding looking at Bud directly. "Everyone has their doubts about you now. It seems that Techno, Paint, Bright and I are the only ones willing to speak about it though." Bud just stared into the space in front of her.

"So what I'm hearing is that after everything I've done to you all..." Bud started, her voice shaking. "After all the countless times I've been nice to all of you..." Her eyes filled with fury. "You ungrateful bastards are just gonna accuse me of murder?!" She yanked at her hair.

"And there it is," Paint sighed. "Our classic murderer mental breakdown point. Shall we get this over with quick or do you want to keep this going?"

"I'm not the killer! I wouldn't a fly you idiot!" She yelled back. "It's obvious because...because...b-because you can't place me at the crime scene at all! There's no evidence to suggest I ever went there!"

"Is that all...?" Bright asked. "As I see it, your behaviour at the crime scene will say differently...after all, you freaked out about something but got what it was wrong."

"What are you talking about...?" Bud asked.

Something she freaked out about but got wrong...? Is Bright talking about...?
I can prove it with this!

"Bright, you must be talking about when I was examining the shelves of the organ display case."

---

Techno looked at the organ display and took one of the jars containing a heart of before Bud cried out.

"A-Ah! T-Techno, why are you holding that...? That's so creepy! I hate brains!" Bud shuddered.

Brains...? This is a heart though... Techno raised an eyebrow.

---

"Bud thought I was holding a jar containing a brain...it was heart though. It's pretty hard to mistake the two. Though I don't see where this is going..."

"Well then, let's talk about why Bud mistook the heart for a brain then." Memory suggested.

"Geez this trial gets more gruesome by the second..." Quick commented uncomfortably. "Though I guess if it's the only way forward."

Non-Stop Debate

Evidence Bullets
-Sealed Book
-Organ Display Case
-Student Profile
-Small Glass Fragments
-Rip's Account
-Chair

Pure- Why did Bud mistake the heart for a brain...? Is there a real reason that would place her at the crime scene?

Bud- Of course not! Something like that is insane!

Laser- I wonder...did she just not get a good look at what Techno was holding?

Toxic- Maybe she's an idiot and genuinely didn't know the difference?

Pure- Is it possible that she couldn't see it clearly?

Quick- Maybe Techno's lying about the heart! He might be pinning this on Bud!

Paint- He was unconscious at the time of the murder, genius.

I wonder...why did Bud mistake the container? There must be a plausible reason...

I'm in agreement with you!

"Pure's right. I don't Bud could see the container properly...not because anything was obstructing her view but probably she just literally couldn't see."

"W-what are you implying...?" Bud stammered.

"There were tiny glass fragments behind the chair that was in the corner of the room. At the time I thought that one of the containers on the organ display broke and the culprit cleaned most of it up...but what if it wasn't that? I'm starting to think that it might have been a broken contact lens."

"Contact lens?" Toxic raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to say that Bud has poor eyesight?"

"Seriously?!" Bud yelled out angrily. "All because I got the student heart mixed up with a brain?!" She paused before smiling sheepishly. "Actually, yes. I do need contacts..." She admitted.

"Y-you mean you're confessing...?" Pure asked.

"I didn't say that, Pure. I need contacts...and that's why I mixed up the container. It's also why...I got the wounds wrong!" She exclaimed. "If I couldn't see the wounds then it would be obvious that I couldn't make a proper autopsy report, right?"

She...she's using this to her advantage?! Techno bit his lip. She's a real crafty one...

"But not crafty enough..." Paint spoke as if reading Techno's thoughts. "Bud, let me ask you something. How did you know who the victims were when you arrived at the crime scene?"

"Excuse me...? Obviously somebody said their names when I got there..."

"Not from what I remember. I take notice of every miniscule detail like every artist should...and I remember what the hospital team said on discovery of the body,"

---

"Ahhhhh!" Monokuma laughed, appearing by the doorway behind them. "Looks like you all showed up! Everyone's started their investigations already, you should all be doing the same!"

"You can't expect us to just jump right into it like these two are just random strangers!" Toxic yelled.

"True...but you still have your lives on the line. Plus I thought you all would have been used to seeing this by now."

"Nobody would ever get used to seeing this. Besides, we weren't expecting two bodies!" Bud choked on her words. "C-Clip and Aqua died this time..."

---

"Bud, if you had lost your contact before...how did you know who the victims were before anyone said their names? Also, when exactly did you lose your contact lens?"

"U-ur...I lost it during the investigation, obviously!" She glanced away.

"No...you would have asked the others to help you look for it. You didn't lose it during the investigation. I suspect that you lost it when you were killing off Clip and Aqua." Bud didn't respond. "Well then...it seems I've just got to hear your confession now. Bud Daly!" Bud stayed quiet for a minute or two before her lips twisted into a horrifying grin, she began to laugh loudly with everyone watching in either confusion, fear or content that they were nearing the end.

"Fine!" She yelled out. "I killed Clip!" Bud admitted it on the spot though..."See the problem is though, I didn't kill Aqua..."

"Wait, what?!" Toxic slammed his fist on the stand. "Don't fuck with us now! You must of killed Aqua!"

"But how could I have ever done that...?" She tilted her body to the side and stared at Toxic ominously. "She was suffering from paranoid, right? If I was targeting her, I'd need to find a way to lure her out of her cottage and over to Third Island! Since I was part of the hospital team, I couldn't stay out for too long as well so it couldn't be some in depth way of convincing her!"

...This...this must be it now, this has to be Bud's final line of defence. She's already admitted to killing Clip, all that's left is admitting she killed Aqua!

Panic Attack Battle

Bud- You're all so rude to me!
Bud- I'm your friend!
Bud- Why? WHY?!
Bud- I've been so kind to you?!
Bud- You guys are just like Aqua!
Bud- I didn't kill Aqua!
Bud- Clip's dead...oh well...
Bud- I killed Clip!

This is it!

Bud- How sad that you can't prove I could lure Aqua...

Enterna's Student Profile!

"It's like you said, Aqua was suffering from paranoia...she wouldn't have left her cabin without the most important of reasons."

"Ha!" Bud smirked triumphantly. "So you admit that I'm not the culprit! About time!"

"So that's why you used Enterna's student profile to get Aqua to leave her cabin, didn't you, Bud?!" Bud chocked on her words suddenly. "You must have used that, saying that you either wanted to talk about her or that you were her!"

"H-how could I get Enterna's profile? Not only should it be in the sealed book, it was presented in the last trial!"

"Right. But it was in my possession by the end of it. That means I took it back to my cabin after the trial had ended and left it there. All you had to do was get the key to my cabin and steal since I was unconscious for the past few days...isn't that right, Bud?!"

"U-uu..." Bud squeaked. "Y-you're wrong..."

"So this is it, eh? What a rather unexpected conclusion, if I do say so myself..." Bright fixed her glasses. "Though I suppose there's only one thing left for you to do, Techno. Let's go over this case and put it to rest..."

"You read my mind, Bright..."

Here's Everything That Happened in This Case!

Act 1

This murder started during night-time, most likely. The killer, who was part of the hospital team, stole the key to my cabin whilst I was resting and broke into my cabin. They looked around and then came across what they needed for their murder. Enterna's student profile. The reason they needed it was because of the paranoia that Aqua had mysteriously been suffering from that day, the culprit slid the profile under the door and told Aqua to meet them at Third Island's torture house.

Act 2

Next, at the torture house, they needed to prepare for the arrival of their victims. The culprit moved the chair from the basement and up into the top floor. Later, when their other victim arrived, Clip Brunette, they must have awaited for him to find the student profiles as they sat and bided their time. When it was found and Clip showed the book to them his fate had been decided then and there. The killer must have knocked Clip out first or else they couldn't have restrained him. They put a symbol on the wall behind Clip and strung him up with the chains. Then they took Clip's scissors from him and cut off a piece of his clothing which they would use for later and then proceeded to stab Clip with his own scissors, they even took the time to make his bones stick out from his arms. Of course, it was only the beginning for them.

Act 3

Before Aqua showed up, the killer quickly hid the scissors knowing that they were no more use to her. When Aqua turned up she must have freaked out upon seeing the body. The killer must have come up with a story and had Aqua sit down in the chair which is exactly was the killer wanted her to do. The killer took the clothing they had cut off of Clip's pants and tied them together before wrapping them around Aqua's neck to strangle her. Aqua must have fought back and that's how the killer's contact lens ended up falling onto the floor, broken.

Act 4

After Aqua had died, the killer wanted to mislead the rest of us and make us believe that blood loss was how Aqua died. They did this by dragging Aqua's body to the iron maiden and carefully using the spikes inside to make the stab wounds on her body. Next she dragged Aqua's body back onto the chair and restrained her arms and legs. Being extra careful to not get blood on their clothing. Then they used the clothing and wrapped the scissors up in them to prevent the blood falling between the floorboards. Finally, they fled the crime scene and headed back to the hospital. They still had one contact lens so it couldn't have been too hard...

It must sting when something like poor eyesight is your downfall...Bud Daly!!

"Have I covered everything...?" Techno asked. Bud looked to the ceiling of the trial room and sighed.

"All I wanted...was to help my fallen angels..." She mumbled quietly to herself as Monokuma sprang up.

"Well then! It seems like this trial is over and done with! Now all you have to do is select your killer by pressing one of the sixteen buttons in front of you! Who will you pick? Will it be the right answer or the oh, so wrong one?! What's it gonna be? Who's it gonna be?!"

Third time they had to do this. Even now they couldn't look at each other as they cast their votes to activate the Monokuma Slot-Machine. The three dials spun around before all landing on Bud's face as the 'GUILTY' sign flashed red and the bouquets of flowers popped out from the side of the machine.

Class Trial!
End!

Author's Note:

I am actually really proud of chapter 3 so I do feel kinda down that I've almost finished it...by the way, nobody even voted this time so...then again it was a really obvious culprit.