Take Responsibility.

[kingmakereffect]

For the third time, those elevator doors at the end of the first-floor corridor open up at the end of the allotted investigation period; the ride down is, as ever, smooth and quick-moving. You're down by five. When the doors slide open, the podium circle still stands in stark contrast to that now-familiar black void of a courtroom, and once again, it's changed to reflect your losses – Caren and Mion have joined those with podiums draped in black, their framed greyscale profile portraits staring out at the rest of you. (The portrait of Pearl hasn't been removed from her room, but it seems the Kingmaker has replaced it with another; either way, her photograph is in the courtroom along with the rest.) As before, the Kingmaker waits until everyone is settled at their podiums before he speaks; he still isn't visible, but he can clearly be heard, his voice coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. "Capable has been taken from you. I'll confirm one thing for you so no one will waste time asking – the killer wasn't me. Looks like the guilty decided to take a shot at Rule Seven after all – and whether they succeed or not is up to you." Twenty-two Survivors remain. We'll see how many the group has lost at the end of the day.

Comments

[capyper]

But you don't need a weapon. Unless you're counting stuff like the floor or a wall as a weapon?

[cherryblooded]

I'm not. ...And I suppose that injury didn't draw blood, so it's not as though it'd leave evidence. That'd be too easy...

[capyper]

Heh, well, those are just the cards dealt!

... Anyway, I think considering that you can't figure out how this chain of events unfolded, maybe that chain of events is wrong.

[cherryblooded]

...is that really the right expression to be using right now.

[capyper]

[ ...?? HE'S ON THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CIRCLE... ]

Come again?

[cherryblooded]

Nothing. Didn't say anything important.

[capyper]

[ He's still kind of ??? over here, but if it's really whatever... ]

[uro_cyon]

Specifically applied force too.

[capyper]

Yep, exactly! There's no need for a second weapon. And seeing as there hasn't been one found, there probably wasn't one.

[uro_cyon]

Easier and cleaner to do just do it with your hands if you know what you're doing.

[capyper]

Yeah, and if you think about it, introducing another weapon into things just ends up being more stuff the killer's gotta get rid of. Using your hands is the best option, if it's possible.

[garudynamic]

So it'd have to be someone that could do so. Not that knocking someone out is hard if you catch them by surprise.

[ratingspoint]

...Why are we bothering to try to figure out the chain of events in the first place, then?

A lot of this comes down to "who could have done this," right? We're looking for a skillset. Who cares how it happened, the point is that it did.

[garudynamic]

[well]

[uro_cyon]

You can definitely screw it up if you've never done it before though.

[garudynamic]

Yeah, but like, half of us know how to fight in some way or another. But it'd have to be someone that could knock her out in one hit AND know where to stab her. Mettaton is right- it might help if we focus on the who first.

[cherryblooded]

Wouldn't it also have to be someone who could beat her at cards?

That's hard to pin down, I realize.

[capyper]

... No, it wouldn't have to be. If you were right in assuming that there was a bet on cards, even still... all that matters is the killer's ability to, you know. Kill.

[cherryblooded]

...Just grasping at straws, I suppose.

[bloodisthicker]

[...

hm.]

You know, Yato, I don't believe Sigrun got to you during the first trial, when things descended into utter insanity and somehow managed to reveal who the killer was anyway.

Forgive my lack of familiarity with the divine, but do gods bleed normally, or...?

[garudynamic]

So we needs someone that can-

One: Fight
Two: Is strong enough to lift her easily. And hang her, what, hundred lbs of dead weight?
Three: Has either the combat experience or medical knowledge to hit her artery in one clean shot with a big awkward weapon.
Four: And do all of this fast.

[ratingspoint]

That sounds about right!

[cherryblooded]

Hundred and ten.

[He has weight and height written down on his piece of paper.]

[sleepingkogoro]

[Mouri twirls his nib pen in his hand, thoughtful. There aren't that many people who could do that]

There aren't that many who could do all that.

Pearce-san? He is a vigilante.
Eide-san would be another option, military training and what not.

...

I'm not accusing either because there's nothing tangible pointing towards any of them

[That is...progress to fix his jumping to conclusions problem, at least?

Aqua would conceivably be in the list but Mouri steadfastly refuses to even consider her a suspect]

[wokeupdead]

I may be a pretty great detective but there's no way I could do all that. The only thing I'm trained in using is a gun.

[So, you know, whenever one of those shows up in a murder trial-]