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

[sleepingkogoro]

You are not wounded right now. You did say you bled. You already said what was the difference between gods and humans, but it is nothing we can trust in a moment like this without seeing it by ourselves.

[The idea of repeating the method of the first trial does seem tempting to Mouri right now]

[capyper]

.... Okay, who's got the sword? Come over and cut me, I don't mind.

[sleepingkogoro]

...allow me.

[Mouri approaches but he is not bringing the sword. Instead he's bringing his own pen. The nib would be sharp enough to cause a wound deep enough to cause bleeding.

He doesn't expect a piece of it to break up like it happened to the pen in the Game Room, but he is hoping there'll be progress here.

As soon as Mouri is there he extends his hand, as if he expects Yato to just plop his arm there and let Mouri do it]

[capyper]

... Are you serious? No, I'm not consenting to being stabbed with a pen.

[ HE IS NOT THE DEATH NOT CHARACTER HERE?! ]

I know how to work a nib pen and trust me, it's not a stabbing implement. Go get the sword if you insist on all this... whatever.

[sleepingkogoro]

[Yeah, what was Mouri expecting. For a moment he actually looks embarrassed because hey, this is a freaking pen. His intention may have been relatively understandable but intention doesn't lead anywhere]

Whatever. Somebody just do it!

[captainobnoxious]

I've always wanted to cut a god.

[Sigrun's a little thrilled, yes, picking up the sword to go over to Yato.]

So what kind of god are you anyway? Just curious. My people believe in a lot of them ourselves. Arm, please.

[capyper]

Maybe I'll tell you... after you've done the deed. Keep it to a small cut, or else I'll fight back, seriously.

[captainobnoxious]

Don't worry, I know my cuts. I'll keep it nice and light.

[And she will! Very careful, since it's a bigger knife than she's used to. Just a light cut to the arm.]

[capyper]

[ He'll roll his left sleeve up as he holds it up to her. He... couldn't escape bloodletting...

... By the way, there's something that might look a little weird about the sleeve itself, if she wants to take a closer look. ]

[captainobnoxious]

[She will, poised to cut him. What's up with his sleeve?]

[capyper]

[ There are some stitches on the outside of it, suggesting that there's something that's been sewn into the inside of his sleeve. ]

[captainobnoxious]

[Well then.

Sigrun takes Yato's arm to act like she's steadying it for her precise cut with little pain as possible, but she's going to get the stitches instead of his arm.]

[capyper]

[ ... Out of his sleeve falls a key. It's not Yato's key, by the way, which is still sitting on his podium stand with a few candies. ]

[prismbloom]

[ ....

Oh, no. ]

What were you looking for in her room, Yato, if you were the one who made that mess?

[captainobnoxious]

[She raises her eyebrows, staring at him.]

Now do you want to talk, Yato?

[sleepingkogoro]

[Mouri had stayed nearby while Sigrun performed the blood ritual this Vault would be known for. As soon as the key has he feels like everything that happened in the trial led to this moment.

Yeah, he's taking credit for the reasoning and everything. He was the one who found where the metal came from, after all]

Why Sonozaki-san? What happened for all this to end in her death?

[amygdalae]

[............]

Why.

[just one word, nothing else. Not even an attempt of being certain of what he had seen.]

[bloodisthicker]

...

Well, that makes everything fall into place. I'm glad you decided to waste everybody's time instead of coming clean when you should have.

[happysweets]

This one took a lot longer than the others, so if nothing else, he succeeded at that, but...

Ugh.

[bloodisthicker]

I really want that hour or so of my life back.

[wokeupdead]

[Lynne is just quiet, fists balled up on top of her podium. This was the last thing she wanted. She wanted to shout at him until he told her he was just joking.

A really really bad joke.]

[psychoh]

[well. there we go.]

It's later.

[notjustawriter]

Why...

[pokexplorer]

[Colress just shakes his head. That definitely seals why he suddenly started behaving strangely...]

[ignorantly]

[ Shirazu just stares for a long moment, his hands tightening into fists at his sides, fighting back the urge to leave his podium and punch the guy in the face. ]