T̡ḨE̡͠ ̛F͞͡IR̷͝S̴̀̕T̀͜͞ É̷X̨͘͢EC̶U͏̀̕TI҉O̸̵͟N

[strangerpeople]

T͠H̷҉͝E̴ ̨F̀I͘R̀S̴̵̛T ́́̀Ȩ̢X̸̢͢Ę̴Ć̶U̵̢͟T҉ÍO̢N̵̢͘


[Finally, as time runs out, an alarm blares, and the dot matrix screens on the podiums of the suspects flash. Soon, the two suspects with the most votes flash red three times.]


[After the third flash, a black X forms on the matrix screens of the true culprits. Somehow, the black Xes seems to subsume even the black of the screen itself, as if desiring to stain the culprits themselves with their crime.]


Congratulations, Strangers, on levying a vote that’s not only unanimous, but entirely correct!

Given your apparent confusion, we’ll explain what happened that night.

Kazuaki Nanaki set out that night with a gun, determined to kill. We'll preserve the same privacy he enjoyed in life, about why.

When Akira Kurusu saw him coming, he defended himself with the taser as well as the knife.

Our leader's observation has left us with no doubt that Akira Kurusu didn't intend to kill, and you can see the stab wound wasn't at all deep!

But he still sustained fatal wounds from the taser, and with the damage from the electrocution to his heart, Kazuaki Nanaki only walked as far as his house.

[In unison.]

Now sit back, relax, and soon enough you’ll get to enjoy the execution!

Comments

[unwittingking]

[At first, he's feeling...not okay, but somber. Not saying anything. Looks like he was right with the first guess...

wait

WAIT]

There's-there's no one to execute…

[Unless...they can't be serious...]

[katzenpfote]

... The bodies?

[carryabigstick]

...I wouldn't put anything past them.

[Estelle hates it, but she has a feeling they won't get away that easy.]

[touchsensors]

[So they were right. It's a relief not to have a murderer with them, but finding out Nanaki had been planning to kill, not so much of a relief. And it's still not exactly a happy occasion--wait--]

How can there be an execution-lun??

[byanyother_name]

Very easily if they, like others, are capable of restoring the dead to life.

[Kurama sounds dangerously furious.]

[carryabigstick]

["Enjoy". Right. Hahah fUNNY.]

I'd much rather enjoy putting my fist in your faces-!!

[She's just going to kick something and yell in frustration at a wall. Estelle hates this she really does.]

[byanyother_name]

[It was a possibility Kurama had considered given the evidence but when they were agreeing to vote the dead anyway, there'd seemed no point to it.

He's almost some vague approximation of calm, until those last words. Then a low, furious snarl comes from him.]

Don't you dare...

[comesaround]

[ Honestly Karma isn't much better. Positively radiating an absolutely murderous aura and a look that could kill, lips quirked up in a vicious smile. ]

They're really pushing our limits, aren't they?

[relieable]

[Osomatsu rubs his face. just what the fresh hell is this trial. all that yelling and arguing and... ugh...

he just wants to leave. forever]

[carryabigstick]

[Fucking mood.]

[necroyalty]

...fine. Fine.

I assume you're far too kind to allow us the courtesy of leaving right now.

[poorlovefool]

What the fuck.

[that's not what he expected the result to be at all. good thing they were all super cavalier about the pursuit of justice]

I guess we owe the other suspects an apology...

[otherworldlyking]

Don't really care to have one.

[ Seriously? No skin off his back; he really didn't give a shit. ]

But a certain someone might.

[ Vita, that was. ]

[illusionarymelody]

[Vita is pretty much at the point of she's not responding to anyone or giving any impression she even heard this.]

[byanyother_name]

[Kurama is bristling but it's at the probable execution area, not at Eric.]

It doesn't matter to me.

[incendiarize]

[Arthur doesn't want to know what they mean by an execution. He stumbles a few steps back from his podium, and trips backward, dropping to seated on the floor. It's inelegant, it's unintended, his queasy feeling hasn't gone anywhere only intensified, everyone has quieted down a bit now but he still feels like he's underwater, like there are moving colors and shapes and just


too


much



noise.]

[touchsensors]

[...

There's a little antenna-ball poking at his hand.]

[katzenpfote]

[Caleb runs over to his side, dropping and putting a hand on Arthur's shoulder.]

In, one, two, three. Out, one, two, three. In, one, two, three. Out, one, two, three.

[carryabigstick]

[Estelle will come kneel at his other side. She's got his other shoulder. He's not alone and-- she'll be quiet.]

[unwittingking]

[He wants to go to Arthur's side. Try to comfort him through this...but...he's yelled so much, and was such a pest...

He thinks he's said enough.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ ...

Yeah he's got nothing to say to this. But this was really questionable on so many levels, even factoring in his disinterest. ]

[backuphero]

[There are two of him.

One Jonathan remains at the pedestal. One runs to Vita. To hell with all of this... it's probably salt in the wound for Kurama, what he's doing, but he can't let himself think on that right now.

He's just going to pick his wife up like he's about to carry her over some threshold, so she can hold on to him and not look at whatever the hell an execution of the dead might be.]

[illusionarymelody]

[Well, Vita will take the chance to snuggle with her warm Texan because he's one of very few people she can still trust now. Though she definitely is going to push for him to leave and go home as soon as this is over because he needs to get some sleep already. She knows very well he didn't sleep because he was worried and didn't want to let her out of his sight.]

EXECUTION: IT̡͝ Ḑ̷è҉͠ḿ̶͢an͞d̨͡s͜

[strangerpeople]

[Once everyone has said their piece, the podiums suddenly start to move, like a boat sliding on water, until they are all facing the part of the room sectioned off by the force field. The lights turn off for five seconds, before suddenly popping back on, revealing two still bodies within. A rumble begins to emanate from the floor.

A howling wind begins to sound through the air as the light in the room again starts to darken. It is not because they were turned off, however-rather, it’s because of the stencil-shaped beings that start to peel out of the wall, black and full of static sound as they let out a roar.

They are Taboo Noise, the Mall survivors will realize. But even compared to the Noise they know and have seen, these are different. More malevolent, like the mist and howls that begin to shake the force field. More powered by something that cannot be described or wanted by any sane person. Shaped like humans and birds.

Some of the humans may look familiar to people like the Mall survivors, like Goro, and Eric, who may see the shape of Futaba and Yusuke among the snarling, static-screeching human forms. None of the birds look familiar, save to King, who will see the shape of the other bird that had been in the now-burnt photo. All of the figures have glowing, red-static eyes as they advance on their prey.

There are yet more eyes in the darkness. Hundreds of panels, forming a dome around the colosseum. The miniature imagery of monochromatic clothing and decor is similar to the aesthetic of the city, though many of the people, the observers, may not be human at all. In a similar room, Hiyori and Link can be easily picked out, the more so because they are not on a screen and can be heard. None have pupils wider than a pinprick, and the irises begin to distinctly swirl.]


Hear the voice of our glorious leader!
Feel the touch of ITs hand!
Submit to the control of... IT!

[The Noise could play with the two bodies, but they are not alive; the accomplices and attackers alike seem utterly displeased with this. Thus the fractals waste no time, and the Goro-shaped creature lets out a R̨͘E̕͢E͏̢҉E͢͟͝҉̡ that threatens to pop everyone’s ears. At the noise, all of the forms lunge.

Static fills the force field. The lights in the trial room flicker as the energy is drained. Red fog begins to fill everyone’s eyes, but that, at least, is momentary. When the lights return, and the fog clears, the static dissipates-and there is nothing there. It is as if the two had never been.

The podium screens of Akira and Nanaki flash again, this time showing only one word: eXtinguished. Then, X. Then, nothing at all.

Finally, there is a ding from the elevator. It is over for now. Go, Strangers. Return to the surface-and to life.]

[touchsensors]

[.................................................

what the] Oyo. [was that]