Chapter 6 Trial: Trauma Tango (#42)
“Is it true? Did you have a hand in this?”
“.....”
“Dude, you are cruising for such a bruising if you are.”
“That may not be the best way to goad a confession out of someone.”
“Indeed.”
She turns to Ichiriki.
“Confess your sins now, and perhaps I’ll make your end swift.”
“That’s not really better.”
Regardless, we’re finally met with a heavy sigh.
“It’s not like anything interesting will happen if I insist otherwise, right?”
“I can’t expect better from you dullards once you latch onto someone.”
“Ah.” He’s back to his... original self? Is that what you’d call this?
“And let’s skip your stupid entire-narrative-of-events thing. Complete waste of time.”
Or not?
“Dang he’s throwing that cape-thing around fast.”
“You ever think ‘bout bein’ one of those, like, Spanish mad guys?”
“No wait I totally got distracted.”
“Is this, like, for real? You’re the hairydude?”
“Heir.”
“Well, I’m certainement the heir of Tokino Industries.”
If he stays in that mode, I’m smacking him until he puts the capelet back on.
“You know exactly what type of heir we mean.”
“Are you currently in control of Monochaperone?”
“I dunno! Maybe we should find out!”
“Monochaaaaap~!”
“Y-yes?”
“Can youuuuu... spin around in a circle really fast?”
Well, better than some requests he could be making.
“Mister Tokino, a simple command unrelated to any actual rules proves nothing! Please answer the question seriously!”
“But surely this disgraceful charade we call life is serious enough already?”
“I’m boutta serious my fist to your face.”
“How uncivilized.”
“Though this wretch deserves no better.”
Tsunyasha inclines her head toward Ichiriki.
“You didn’t think it ill-advised to attempt to trap the Holy Assassin—among a whole array of sinners, no less?”
“I-I-I...!”
He stammers a bit but is clearly going nowhere with it.
“...Should I still spin around?”
“I think we’ve all seen enough of you twirling in your skirts.”
“......”
I turn back to Ichiriki.
“If you’re so sure we won’t be swayed from our conclusion, you might as well just admit it.”
“Or if I’m wrong, you’re welcome to tell me why. Using an actual argument, not just...”
“...whatever fits your personality quirk at the moment.”
“Quirks, are they? How terribly simpleminded.”
“But since you’ll never stop insisting, yes, I’m your ‘heir’."
“So why don’t we get this whole farce over with already?”
He tilts his head towards the screen on his podium.
“What, so you can play us your execution—the one we already know was faked in advance?”
“And attempt a hasty retreat yourself in the meantime, I’m sure.”
“Well, VOTING is how the class trial WORKS! Those are the RULES! If you’ve got a PROBLEM, you can take it up with the one who MADE them!”
“Uhhhh isn’t that, like, you?”
“NO!”
“Miss Tanukihara, correct?”
“Then how precisely do you suggest we ‘take it up with’ her?”
“I’ve no interest in traipsing about with departed souls.”
“ ‘Less she’s totally not dead?”
“No, we’ve proven otherwise already.”
“In theory...”
“While everything indicates that Mister Tokino did remove her from her life support device... Some slight possibility exists that he could have... thrown a body double into the cooler instead... and reinstalled her shortly afterward.”
“But he had no reason to think we’d ever be rooting around that freezer.”
“How about someone else? Whatever party might... return to see the school after the game’s conclusion?”
“The yakuza?”
“The school or local authorities first, I assume.”
“Doubtless any experts tasked with identifying the discarded shell could be swayed with this one’s coin.”
“......”
“So you’re saying she could have faked her death for the authorities before her grand getaway with the yakuza?”
“She un-died again?!”
“It’s really nothing but blind conjecture...”
“...but it isn’t altogether impossible.”
“Then...”
“Where is she?!”
[NEXT]