THE FOURTH TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE FOURTH TRIAL
(~SK. 24-25)




[There's no announcement informing the Strangers to come into the theater. There is only the sound of the doors opening, beckoning those left to come inside. It's best not to tarry-really, do you want to know what happens if they refuse to go to the trial?

When they enter the theater, it's...different. Sort of. Maybe it's because the area where the podiums are covered in donuts (and yes, Roland will see the little white animals pop over and pinch a few off the top). Maybe it's the fact that more spaces are draped in black. Maybe it's the fact that Zack's podium is also missing from where it sat, leaving nothing but donuts-in fact, that's where the primary pile of donuts are. Digging through that pile will only yield donuts, and nothing more.

(Some of the animals try to approach Akane. They disintegrate before they get two steps. Apparently they're better off eating the donuts.)

But-most of all-it's the fact that Zero is not on the screens that pop out through the theater. There's nothing but static. And while the curtains are closed, you know you are being watched regardless.




Uh. So. Maybe it's not worth waiting for Zero on this.


The trial for the murder of Zack Prince, the One, has begun.]

Comments

[yesorwoof]

Hm. In that case, perhaps the culprit stabbed him as soon as the culprit realized Zack-kun was relatively well after consuming the poison. Clearly the knife paled in payload next to the gun.

I do find it strange that anyone returned to the weapons room. If you and I are both correct - that the confrontation started in the teahouse and the knife was already there at the time - why return to the weapons room? The other main weapon, the gun, did not come from there.

[The notes did not spell out that a sword was missing just as clearly as the knife, so she misunderstands.]

[voidseeing]

Did the killer have bullets for the gun, or did he need to go pick some up?

[superstylishsquid]

The ammunition might have.

[yesorwoof]

I'm remembering how that place is oddly well stocked with bullets, yes. But did the killer need even more bullets? If they'd already gotten the knife before going to the tea room, wouldn't they have had plenty of time to get bullets at that time? Was the entire first payload of the gun shot out and then some?

[voidseeing]

Alastor said there were at least six bullet holes in the wall in the weapon room. If the gun involved was in fact a revolver, that means they emptied an entire payload into the walls alone.

[superstylishsquid]

And if the gun was originally Zack's and stolen from him, the culprit wouldn't have had a reason to expect they'd need bullets.

[yesorwoof]

Oh. It's quite likely the culprit didn't know about Zack's gun, yes. And Kira found one hole in the staircase and seven in the infirmary. That makes even more than two times six.

[She can't remember the type of double gun it was supposed to be just yet.]

[superstylishsquid]

So it seems likely that they emptied the revolver in the armory, but missed because of Zack's ability to sprint incredibly fast. They went for more ammo, during which time Zack managed to get away, and chased him to the infirmary, shooting and missing again on the way. Once they had him cornered in the infirmary, they could fire and reload as much as they needed.

[voidseeing]

That's the most logical sequence of events. They would have been able to bring enough bullets from the weapon room to finish the job the second time around.