THE SECOND TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE SECOND TRIAL


[Soon enough, once the final clues have been uncovered, the telltale DING echoes through the Mall. The elevator in the food court has opened once more, and it will not close until all of the remaining Titled have gotten in it. And, as before, a thought comes to them, the realization that they needed to get on the roof, and get to the bottom of this.

Soon enough, everyone is back on the roof, and they will find that their platform arrangement has changed to reflect those who had died since last week. The podiums of Dio, Torri, and Yuuri are each all lowered and covered with white cloths. Otherwise, everyone else's platforms also have food and drinks, just like last week.

It's probably still not much comfort, especially with what everyone knows must happen. They must look at the evidence they have gathered, and once more, they will have to figure out the truth, putting their lives on the line to do so. Hopefully, their luck will hold.

So, get ready.

The trial for the murders of Torri Feiji, The Bliss, and Yuuri Katsuki, The Future, has begun.]

Comments

[foolishjustice]

[After Croix's accusation, Akechi takes another breath...except this time he stands up straight. He looks around the room at everyone with a stoic expression, but there's something sad in his eyes.]

It's true that I could have killed Katsuki-san and Feiji-san, but as you've all noted, why would I? I've been very vocal in my desire to help everyone here. Why would I turn around and condemn all of you, including someone I love, to escape a situation I planned to dismantle from the inside out?

The fate of everyone here depends on the accuracy of your accusations. Before you vote, you should first figure out why I would be willing to do something so horrible.

[MTB Start]

[theirmagic]

... Th-that's right. Goro has no reason to be doing something like this, right?

[ She's grasping at straws, desperately hoping she's wrong. ]

[incrediblystressedout]

Akechi...

[She can't do this, she can't. She can't.]

What's your secret?

[She can try.]

Major spoilers

[foolishjustice]

[He's quiet for a moment. Then he chuckles. It's not a happy chuckle, though...rather the laugh of someone torn between depression and terror. Akira already knows, he could out him for lying...]

Goro Akechi is the illegitimate child and personal assassin of Masayoshi Shido.

[theirmagic]

[ What. ]

G-Goro...

[ No, no, no no no no no no no no. ]

A... assassin? You... you wouldn't--

[ No, there's a better thing to focus on here. ]

... Why?

[foolishjustice]

Because my father is the kind of worthless human garbage who would kill someone for defying him without a second thought, with more than enough power to make me disappear if I started being more of a liability than a benefit.

[incrediblystressedout]

I...

[Have no idea who that is.]

...you're an...I thought...

[She shakes her head. She has to stay strong, or someone innocent could die. Presumably her.]

And would you kill to keep the world from knowing that?

[foolishjustice]

I'm both, to clear up that confusion. Being a detective is the path I picked for myself, the assassination is something my father picked for me.

[...]

If either half of that secret got out, Shido would have me killed as a security leak.

[scienceofmagic]

...Just stop fighting, Akechi. Stop. You've hurt all of us enough, don't you think? Drawing this out any longer... For Ursula and Akira's sakes...

[beguiledcard]

[ Well... guess who's staring at the floor in disbelief, hands shaking?

This guy.

And...

He's not looking at you, Goro. ]

No.

[ And... a scream? Did you guys want a scream?

Too bad, you're getting one. ]

No!!!

[foolishjustice]

[He winces, taking a step away from Akira.]

[beguiledcard]

[ Ah... you wanna take a step away?

Sorry...

He's turning and grabbing the front of his shirt. ]

Why?? Why was it--

[ His breath hitches... ]

Why did you have to--

[ Yep.

He's tearing up. ]

I... [ He's whispering. ] I can't lose you, too...

[ And... he's glaring in the direction of the LC...

He.

He might need to be held back. ]

[foolishjustice]

...You know why, Akira. You...know what I have to lose.

[........]

You could have been killed too.

[totalbullshit]

Are you pretending people can't lie? Helping people, love, any of these things...

We've known you for two weeks. What do we know of your true values and priorities below all that?

[theirmagic]

He wouldn't lie like that, Helena! He's a good person!

[ She believes in him. ]

He DOES care!

[foolishjustice]

I can assure you, none of that was fake. I even told Akabane-san I loved Akira while under the effect of the truth serum.

[theirmagic]

Y-you see!

[ She believes in you so much, Akechi. ]

[totalbullshit]

Will you just shut up, you herb?!

[ She has words about Torri, about Torri's attempt to move forward after losing Wake to Dio's cruel hands, she has... They're all stuck in her throat. ]

[thegreenhornet]

You're not going to say it was self-defense and then you got rid of the other because she saw you, right?

[Britt wouldn't judge the self-defense part, but it just wouldn't fit anything.

But yeah, if you killed them, he expects you to admit it]

[foolishjustice]

Not quite.

[byanyother_name]

[There is nothing of Shuuichi here now. The person who raises his voice to be heard above the shouts, slaps, and chaos is most definitely Kurama. He is wounded, and cold, and old.

Ancient.]

Why, Goro? I suppose I could say it's because your own life depends on your secret not getting out. That would be an easy answer. But I think instead, I will say that it's because you were already expecting all of us to condemn you.

[foolishjustice]

Who says it isn't both, Shuuichi-san? Condemned by the people I considered friends and left at the mercy of a coldhearted father whose reputation I had just ruined...what hope would I have?

[theirmagic]

[ ... Yeah sorry to interrupt, but-- ]

You'd have us. I would never condemn you, Goro. I... I care about you.

[byanyother_name]

My name is Kurama! [It's not quite a scream but it's definitely not calm. He can't bear to be called Shuuichi by this person, at this time, for those words. Shuuichi is not a persona built for pain and betrayal.

That has always belonged to Kurama.]

Despair is a poison. You could have trusted us, Goro. You could have believed that enough of us truly cared for you. Some of us would never have left you to that. I would never have left you to that!

Major LWA spoilers from this point onward!

[scienceofmagic]

[ Croix is. Forcing herself to calm down. ]

...Akechi. Do you want to know my secret?

[ She won't give him a chance to answer. ]

Croix Meridies is responsible for Chariot du Nord's disastrous last show, as well as using what she learned there at Luna Nova Academy later to harvest the negative emotions she herself stoked in the people of England and Ireland in order to obtain the Grand Triskellion.

[ There. Everyone knows how awful she is now. She'd hurt so many people. ]

...I wouldn't have judged or condemned you. Not after how many people I've betrayed, including Ursula.