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]

[ After a few moments, Yato starts laughing. It sounds uneasy at first, then manic. ]

Fine! So you want me to tell you guys the truth. I'll kindly oblige your wishes! Let me start with the very first one... Mr. Detective.

[ He straightens up and stares at Mouri for a moment, before looking away towards the center of the podiums, into the void. ]

You asked me once what kind of wish it was that gave me life. Well, I'm not a god of fortune, that's for sure... and I'm not a god of combat, or even a god of calamity. The wish that brought me to life was a human who hates his kind so much that he wished for a god to cull the herd. I was born to be a god of depravity. The thought of a god born to bring depravity to human becoming a god of fortune... was always impossible! This is who I was born to be!

So you know what? I don't think anything of it. [ He laughs, but it's got that manic edge to it again, and he seems to be shaking slightly at his podium. ] Mion agreed to fight me because she didn't want to take the risk either, but really? I'm a god with hundreds of years of combat experience. I took advantage of her and I killed her.

... And no, for the record. I did — didn't care what would happen to the rest of you if I had gotten away with it. In fact... I'm sure most of you are secretly relieved, aren't you? You weren't the one who had to die, after all. So you know what? You're welcome. I just fulfilled the wish you had in your heart but couldn't say aloud.

So there's the truth for you. What else do you want to know?

[prismbloom]

[ He's making a lot of assumptions here. He'd been her friend. She and Yato had... the dinner party.... ]

You knew from the very start she had no chance of survival.

[capyper]

Of course she didn't. It was nice of her to agree to it, though.

[prismbloom]

"Nice of her"--

[ Her expression hardens, becomes more stern, and she straightens up. ]

Do you really have no remorse about any of it, Yato?

[sleepingkogoro]

[Mouri stoically takes all that. It's the kind of stoic reaction built from years of culprits shouting at him or at the police, back when he was in the force. He's pretty much used to all that]

There's nothing else to know. Nothing matters. You murdered Sonozaki-san and there's nothing else to be said.

We're done here.

[capyper]

[ ... It's easier with Mouri, at least, to put on the obnoxious smile. Mouri is willing to let these things be done with. ]

Yep! You've got that right.

[wokeupdead]

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT!

[Loudly. So loudly. As loud as she can shout in this oppressive black room. All her anger at Yato, at the Kingmaker, at herself is pumped into this.]

[capyper]

[ ... That gets him taking another step back. He looks pained, teeth gritted and fists clenched. ]

W-well... you should. It's the truth.

[wokeupdead]

The first time we met you helped me! There was no reason for you to help me and it was something stupid but you did. You want to be helpful.

You're a good person.

[No matter what he tells her about his past that's all that matters right now.]

I won't let you die after telling a lie.

[garudynamic]

I don't believe that at all.

[He kinda looks like he wants to bolt, maybe throw up again.]

You screwed yourself over. You could have held us off way longer if you really didn't care at all.

[capyper]

Screwed myself over? How so?

[garudynamic]

All we knew was that there was a pen. A lot of people here have pens. There wasn't anything tying it to you until Sigrun found the key.

If you hadn't egged people on, we might not have ever even looked at you.

[ignorantly]

I... I don't believe it either.

[ Goddammit. He liked Yato, why did this have to happen? ]

[capyper]

You should. It'll be easier on us both that way...

[ignorantly]

I can't, Yassan. [ This is probably the worst time to give somebody a nickname, but he doesn't care. ]

You were nice to me and paired me up with Miodori and... [ He trails off, trying to find the right words. ]

[penduli]

[ ...Yato's right.

He is relieved that he gets to live another day, that it was someone else; he feels like this after every murder and subsequent trial. He fidgets for a bit, watching the rest of the group, and takes a deep breath. ]

How do you make teddy bears look like bears and not--you know, what mine looked like last week? [ ......

god, that's such a stupid question, but it's the only thing coming to mind right now that isn't "Why are you trying to say you don't care about the rest of us?" ]

[capyper]

[ ... ]

I... started making patterns for stuffed animals in the middle of last week. A different kind of animal for each of us... you can use them, if you like.

[bloodisthicker]

...

The fact that you were created to be something...

[...CAN HE GO ONE TRIAL]

...there's no reason you had to go along with that whatsoever, unless you don't have free will.

[capyper]

That just make it worse, really. I struggled for so long against my own nature for so long, just to give into it at the end... heh.

[captainobnoxious]

[Well, trickster god he's not, his life sucks majorly.

Sigrun will return the blade to her side, but she won't be moving.]

Are you satisfied? I mean, I understand being born into it -- I was born into the military, I live for the military -- but you've always seemed to want to help others in that fortune way. Not to hurt them.

[capyper]

Satisfied? ... No, I... I guess not. I mean, I've never led a good or a decent life, but...

[ ... ]

It's not important.

[cherryblooded]

...

When we get out of here, someone needs to tell the families of those of us we've lost what happened.

What should we say to Yukine for you?

[He can't forgive this, no.

But he's a father, too.]

[capyper]

... That I'm sorry for disappointing him. After I did it, I... I could see his face and...

[ It was the worst feeling. ]

I knew he would forgive me.

... And that was the worst part of it.

[amygdalae]

No, I'm not relieved.

[and this is Bruce now. Bruce, who doesn't sound calm and placid but so, so angry.]

You and her - the both of you - there was no need to even do this in the first place! She died for nothing and now you will too! You two would be safe if you two didn't do anything!

[garudynamic]

...

What do you mean, Bruce-san?