Danganronpa Showa: Welcome to the Occupation

If it makes things relatively better, the end of Scrum Debates are resolved in-game by button-mashing


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsxiCA_u2sk

[X] What the deal was with that pentagram.

---

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu0A6yt0a7Y


"Hold on, there's something fairly noticeable we haven't brought up yet. Who drew that pentagram with Katsu's blood, and why?" I pointed out as soon as we resumed.

"I shall take this," Simeon was quick to speak up, "I see two possibilities. Either someone in league with Satan, at least in their own mind, trying to conjure his unholy spirit, or someone who realised too late the extent of their sin."

"Well, I certainly cannot imagine any citizen of Japan being a Satan-worshipper, our beliefs don't hinge on that sort of dualistic thinking," Toranosuke began, before his accusation came, "Therefore, this would narrow it down to one of our foreign students, Albini, Chevalier, or Schulz! And likely the first two, given what they've said about Catholicism."

"What the-!" Dejan blurted out, "Have you gone full Imperial, ya teacher's pet? I ain't taking no religious opiate, upstairs or downstairs!"

"Indeed! My France is a secular nation, much as some fanatic would mistake zat for Satanism," Jeanne snapped back at Toranosuke in turn.

"Not necessarily a foreigner, just someone in contact with foreign ideas enough to pick that up," Simeon then said, before turning at Genpachi, "Like one who made his name smuggling in the Devil's Music!"

At Simeon's words though, Genpachi laughed then said, "Cute, real cute. What, ya think in my travels I went and sold my soul at the crossroads? Feh, least I know enough about foreign stuff to know that a pentagram ain't just a Devil thing. It's also known as the Star o' David, ain't it?"

"No, that's wrong!" Hildegard shot out, "T-the Star of David's a hexagram! The pentagram's the stamp of Jerusalem."

"Now that sounds like an awfully specific thing to know," Fuhito said, then leaned in closer at Hildegard, "That, combined with your prior knowledge of Killing Games in Germany, well, one can only wonder..."

At those words, Hildegard's voice went ice cold, "Don't- you- ever accuse me of being a Nazi! My friends, my family, they'd all still be alive if not for them!"

"Hildegard... you are Jewish?" Jeanne had to ask, "S-sorry, I did not know."

Hildegard needed some time to compose herself again, but finally she said, "It'sokay Jeanne, it's only natural you wouldn't know. I... owe to my whole survival to disguising that very fact. Well, more correctly my mother was Jewish, my father Romani."

"And Hildegard's no killer, she's put in too much effort into solving this case for that to be just an alibi," I told everyone.

"But it also proves the perp wasn't trying to pin this on her, they'd have used a hexagram for that," Genpachi pointed out.

"And yet thou thyself couldst not discern whether the Star had five or six sides but seconds earlier," Yoritsune stated.

"Yeah, I dunno about any Demon Music, but you're still suspect, Mr. Sakamoto!" Etsuko then called out, "You were one o' the ones who weren't at class, wemember? That'd give ya heaps of time to pull this off!"

"Hah, ain't my style, doll-face," Genpachi said to her, "Ya think I'm gonna bring that much suspicion on myself by icing a guy this early in the game?

>>Blood Pentagram: Tampered>>---X ain't my style

"That's not true! The pentagram was tampered with on your watch, wasn't it?" I pointed out.

"Pfft, you'll wanna accuse the mortician broad of that, not me," Genpachi said, "The shrine dame and I, we just found the pentagram like that."

"I didn't lay a finger on that pentagram, my whole profession is about respect for sites of death," Aoko said.

"I can confirm. I was with Mori at the scene the whole time she was there, she had nothing but precision care for not disturbing a thing," Fuhito came in with, him being the last person I suspected to defend anyone.

It was those words that suddenly flared Simeon up. "Your attempts to defend that Reaper will only condemn the rest of us! Are you all blind to the fact it was obviously her?" he fumed.

"Oh? Do go on," Aoko had to chuckle at him.

At opposed to Aoko's bemusement, I had to say to Simeon, "I... think you might be jumping to conclusions here."

"She fits both the strange fluid that rusted the tank moorings and the radio interviews!" Simeon said, fire in his eyes and on his tongue.

[CROSS SWORDS]

"How to ensure more deaths? Kill the one best suited to getting us out of here!"

[ADVANCE]

"What? This Killing Game's far too elaborate for anyone to arrange just for profit," I brought up, "That's too much of a reach."

"Well, are you prepared to admit Dejan may be guilty?"

o=|Glass Shards!>>

"If you had to classify a radio as a weapon, it'd be a blunt instrument," I told him, "That means the glass shattering and blood spilling may not have been the intended cause of death, assuming it wasn't the tank anyway."

"And in the heat of the kill, moral codes tend to be easily forgotten," it was Yoritsune who spoke up, "History shows this."

"Yeah, as its shows there's been a whole bunch a' holy men who killed. The Crusades, the Inquisition..." Dejan went on.

"You dare insist I was the killer?!" Simeon lashed out, before he restrained himself and asked, "Alright, then tell me, how would I have even known the Ultimate Jailbreaker's Lab was down in the basement?"

"Because I told ya, preacher man," a smirking Genpachi then cut in. "Yudai boy was lookin' for accomplices ta help pull off his great escape. He said to meet me in the basement, but then when the holy fink caught me not headin' to 'class', I told him where the Lab was to explain where I'd been hangin'."

"...That does add up," I confirmed, "Katsu asked me in class if I wanted to help plan an escape, makes sense he'd seek out more than one person."

I expected another retaliation from Simeon, but instead he merely slumped back. "I... I can't avoid hiding my sins any longer, can I?" he said.

"Wait, no! Simeon, w-what are you saying?" Kagura spoke up.

"I knocked out Katsu with the radio I stole from Sakakibara, wielding it on one of my chains to not leave fingerprints. It was a radio I originally stole just to spite her, before any murder attempt entered my head," he told us, "And just before the tank came down to finish him off, smeared his blood to form that Satanic pentagram," he told us.

>>Actress Poster>>---X before the tank

"I can confirm! Well, some of what you said, anyway. That poster had already been thrown to the side, out of the tank's path," I said, "And I doubt Katsu would've treated it like that, since he'd need it to hide his lab entrance again."

"Huh, hold on? Then who set the tank loose?" Etsuko piped up, her eyes swirling around.

"Katsu himself, possibly," I spoke up, "We found him with a chisel and file in his hand, and well, there'd be a whole bunch of strange liquids down in a drain. And Simeon already knew of Katsu's escape plan from Genpachi."

"You've got that entirely wrong!" Kagura blurted out, "Simeon would never draw anything Satan-associated, n-no holy man would!"

"A holy man would if he was trying to pin the blame on another," Manami countered that.

"Or... he no longer believed he was so holy," Hildegard muttered, "When he looked down at Yudai's corpse and realised just what he'd done."

"I suppose I owe you my motive," Simeon then said, "I had to know whether this Killing Game was in God's plan, or if He meant for us to escape. Why else would He have appointed an Ultimate Jailbreaker among us if not for that? If Katsu lived, then I'd know this Killing Game wasn't what God meant for us, but... if he died..."

"Genpachi..." Jeanne then muttered, "You baited Simeon into doing this, did you not?"

"Damn right I did," Genpachi chuckled, before he went into a full-on ramble, "Listen, Jazz is everything! That improvisation embodied in Jazz is what allows us to break free of the society, nay, fate itself has set for us. It's our choices who define who we are, what we mean, meaning a world where some God decides everything for us, where nothing really happens because we say so, is a world without a meaning.
Yeah, simplest thing to do to get back at Simeon would just be to bump him off myself, but where's the artistry in that?" Genpachi kept going on, before his laughter started to build up, "No doll-face, you want a sucker to question fate and free will, you trick him into becoming a killer, see how his religion-addled mind handles that!"

I knew Genpachi wasn't the most trustworthy guy. Possibly from the moment we'd met, but definitely since Jeanne and I had overheard him and Simeon talking from that window.
"Genpachi, do you realise what you're even saying?" I had to get through to him.

"Frankly, sweet-cheeks, I don't, and I hope never to find out," Genpachi told me, seemingly having quietened down, "The moment you know everything, that takes away any reason or desire to know. Why break with fate if you know just what'll happen if you do?"
I couldn't tell if that was some longwinded way of him explaining why he just didn't tell us everything about the case in the first place, or if he was fully lost in his own musings. Either way, that Simeon had stolen Momoka's radio before his proper conversation with Genpachi wasn't contradictory, since he'd first stolen the radio for a whole other reason.

"NO! No no no no!" it was Kagura who then screamed out, "Simeon's innocent! If you have to blame anyone, blame me! I tampered with the pentagram so people couldn't trace it back to him, I'm the guilty one!"

"Kagura," Hildegard tried to say, "Yes, you were truant that day, and... I know you formed an early bond with Simeon. But still, no other evidence points to you."

"I'm the one who did it!" she blurted out, "I killed him! I killed Yudai!"

Was Kagura saying all this to protect Simeon, that she just didn't want to believe it was him? I had to get through to her:


[Kagura's Forces: Paper shikigami and monstrous oni, armed with longbows and swords, and led by a taiko drummer]



"We met in the South Building that morning, remember?" I told her, "You never came to the North building, Kirigiri would've seen you enter if you did. I mean, no offence, but you're not exactly that stealthy."

"S-Simeon," Kagura blubbed out, "Please... don't tell me it really was you".
The Miracleworker said nothing, he didn't need to.

"Let's... let's just try to get this whole case in order," I said, as all this had made me feel about ready to collapse.

*CLOSING ARGUMENT*

"Katsu Yudai, the Ultimate Jailbreaker, used a corrosive liquid to gradually rust the moorings keeping Albini's tank secure, then headed back to the class Ishimaru was giving just before the tank would be set free.
The killer knew the tank would roll down to the lowest point of the school, the basement, where Katsu Yudai's Lab was located, being told of its location by Genpachi.
Having exchanged radios earlier with Momoka after an interview, without her knowing, he tore down the poster in front of Simeon's lab before swinging the radio at him on a chain, to not leave fingerprints.
But the radio broke on impact, causing unintended bleeding. The killer, wanting to further frame on another, or possibly overcome with guilt, smeared the blood to make an occult pentagram shape before fleeing, a pentagram further smeared by Kagura in a rushed attempt to hide the killer's identity.
Katsu Yudai was doubly wounded when he fell on his own radio's glass, and if that didn't finish him, being unconscious when the tank crashed in did.

The killer being-
[ ] Aoko Mori, the Ultimate Undertaker!
[ ] Dejan Albini, the Ultimate Tank Commander!
[ ] Genpachi Sakamoto, the Ultimate Jazzman!
[ ] Kagura Amano, the Ultimate Miko!
[ ] Momoka Sakakibara, the Ultimate Radio Broadcaster!
[ ] Simeon Omura, the Ultimate Miracle-worker!
[ ] Katsu Yudai, the Ultimate Jailbreaker! (NMS Write-in)
[ ] Write-in

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5Gsox0hBho

I actually tried this with this Quest, posted the results in the comments of the video

[X] Simeon Omura, the Ultimate Miracle-worker!

---

"Alright, ya ground-bound homo sapiens! If ya have a suspect, time to get votin'," Columbird squawked out from atop his perch, calling the trial to an end, "Oh, and don't think ya can just wuss on outta votin', unless you wanna join the culprit in their grave."

I looked down on my podium at the buttons before me, and given what Genpachi, Kagura, and Simeon all said, everything pointed to the Miracle-worker. But then... why would the Voice say it was Aoko, did they just get it wrong too? But then why would Kagura and Genpachi act up like that for her rather than Simeon, I couldn't recall Aoko being at all close to them?

But regardless of whether it was Simeon, Aoko, or anyone else, could... could I even press that button for anyone? I mean, I'd been in a war, so even if I never saw an enemy's corpse from up in my plane, I knew I would've killed at least someone before.
No, that was it, it was because I'd already killed that I didn't want to kill someone again, or be responsible for their death in this case.

I gave in and pressed Simeon's button anyway, knowing someone was about to die no matter what I did, be it the killer or the rest of us for guessing wrong. As soon as everyone pressed, I saw a series of what looked like film reels whirring Columbird, each stopping on eight frames of Simeon, four frames of Aoko, two frames of Genpachi, and one frame of Dejan.

"Well, lookie here. Seems you juvenile whelps aren't as ass-backwards when it comes ta the great tradition of democracy as I thought. Yep, the Ultimate Miracle-worker's the perp, the trash most responsible for the Ultimate Jailbreaker's untimely demise!" Columbird proclaimed, "And I might I say how glad I am, I knew You-Die was gonna be trouble from the very moment I spotted his Talent on the enrolment list. But ain't nobody worming their way outta this Killing Game on my watch; hell, the little upstart got what was comin' to him without me even needing to issue Motives!"

"Wha- w-wait! You knew who the killew was all along?!" Etsuko exclaimed.

"Course I do, what sorta Trial would it be if I didn't?!" Columbird shot back, "And I better not hear 'Why didn't you just say so?' I ain't here ta give ya stuff for free, ya mangy ingrates!
Though I have to say, my American feathered heart is somewhat torn 'bout having to execute O'Mural here, given he took out the biggest thorn in my side... but then I remember he's Catholic and not Protestant, so he can burn in un-American hell for all I care!"

At least Simeon had enough time for last words. "...It is not dying I'm afraid of," he began, even if the shaking in his voice indicated otherwise, "The Lord Christ, his Martyrs, the Twenty-Six especially, all went with grace to their deaths, knowing God's Light shone brighter. What I fear is... where I'll be sent next.
Had I died earlier, it would've been with certainty that I'd ascend to heaven for my Martyrdom. Now... I can no longer say if I'll be welcome there. And, and I fear what will happen to everyone I leave behind," he finished, looking around one last time at all of us, but especially Kagura.

"Ah, enough of ya sob story! It's PUNISHMENT TIME, son!" Columbird announced.

It was then a beam of light shone down on top of Simeon as he said his final prayers, the beam somehow lifting him upwards, with a crying Kagura trying to leap up after him but to no avail. It was then a cinema-sized screen flickered on, its caption stating:

---

All of us were speechless at the Execution that'd just unfolded, the only sound being Kagura's continued cries. Even the most resolute or unflinching of us, like Toranosuke, Fuhito, or Manami, had a downcast look or needed to step back.

I don't know what it said, that the Ultimate Jailbreaker and Miracle-worker were first to die, the two who from their Talents alone should've been our best bet to get out of this game before it even began.
For Simeon, I'd at least say he didn't have much reason to fear Hell. Given this was an underground facility designed to psychologically destroy its captives, what was the difference between hell and this Killing Game anyway?

"Oh right, I mentioned Motives, didn't I?" Columbird, the last person whose voice I wanted to hear, then said, "I have here several of yer 'Prized Possessions', you could call 'em, letters home, keepsakes, inheritances, that kinda crap. Would've brought 'em up before, but since Cat-Sue got flattened anyway, I didn't need to. Who knows, kill again and not get caught, and I might so generously give ya yours back as a going-away present. America rewards hard workers, after all."

Columbird had a curtain lifted to briefly show us these 'prized possessions', and I nearly collapsed when I saw a certain a letter among them, but not one of my own...

"H-Hokuto..." I mumbled out.

Aoko, still alive even though the Voice had called her the culprit, then asked me, "Enoshima, who to do you mean by Hokuto?" I expected a mocking tone from her, but she actually phrased that delicately.

"Friend in the Air Force," I told her, "Komaeda Hokuto. He gave me his letter to deliver to his family, since he was worried the editors would take it off him."

"Yeah well, better get ta killin' again if ya don't want me to scribble all over it!" Columbird then said, before he had the curtains dropped.

"I...I need to be alone," I muttered, continuing to clutch at my head.

"Enoshima..." Aoko said again, as she turned to me with a somber gaze, "It's my profession to help those who mourn. I can tell this has been... hard on you, hard on us all, so please, know you can always share in your grieving. You don't have to suffer alone."

At first I planned to head all the way back to my room, but instead I decided to just walk till I was far enough out of earshot from everyone else. I had... questions to ask. Privately.

"Hey, helping me survive the Killing Game. Was that a lie?" I hissed, waiting to see if the Voice responded.

"Well, to the best of my abilities anyway," the Voice promptly came back into my head.

"So it was a mistake on your part?" I asked, "Because the alternative would mean you tried to get me, and everyone except Simeon, killed."

"Hah, shows how grateful you are," the Voice said back, "Columbird, or rather the Mastermind behind him, could've switched things around to throw me off, for all you know. It's not like a Killing Game referee to play fair."

"...Columbird knows who you are?" I had to ask.

"He might, he might not, I don't have access to his or his Master's thought-signals," the Voice told me, "If I did, I would've taken them over already. Keep talking to me like this when his security cameras are on, and you could risk him finding out. Why else do you think I don't talk to you 24/7?
Look, Tsubasa," the Voice just had to say, "If I just wanted you dead, do you think I would've gone to such roundabout measures to get inside your head?"

I couldn't think of anything to respond with on time, and those lingering words ended up the last I heard from the Voice that day. But not the last I heard right then.

"E-Enoshima, are you okay?" someone else called, as I turned around to see it was Momoka.

"Oh, Sakakibara, i-it's okay. I'm... fine, fine as any of us are right now," I tried to tell her.

"T-that's good to hear, Enoshima," she said softly and bowed, "We all assumed you'd headed back to your room, so it was worrying to see you just standing here, not moving or anything."

"What? Oh, that's nothing," I tried to tell her, "I just have... a whole bunch of thoughts to process."

Momoka nodded, "It'd be good for us to rest up anyway, it's, well, been an awful long day," she said. "B-but I was wondering, Omura talked about going to Heaven or Hell. I didn't know what to think about that, but ah, maybe you have thoughts on where he is now?"

I sighed, "Sorry, Sakakibara, I don't know much about, well, any religion's afterlife really. All I can say is... at least Omura and Katsu aren't here anymore."

But... at least we still have a chance to escape, as long as we live...


The Next Day:

[ ] Spend time with Aoko, I may have gotten her wrong...
[ ] Spend time with Dejan, make sure that tank's now stable
[ ] Spend time with Fuhito, I might need to insect his detective credentials...
[ ] Spend time with Genpachi, I ought to keep a close eye on him...
[ ] Spend time with Hildegard, she exposed a lot of herself during that Trial...
[ ] Spend time with Kagura, see how she's dealing with Simeon's death
[ ] Spend time with Toranosuke, he's the next best persobn to place our trust in, with Yudai gone...
[ ] Write-in student

{Current Birdcoin: 30}
[ ] Cryptic Diary, Cost 6
[ ] European Cheese, Cost: 8
[ ] Imported Record, Cost: 8
[ ] Machine Parts, Cost 6
[ ] Meatloaf Rations, Cost: 5
[ ] Movie Tickets, Cost: 8
[ ] Traditional Incense, Cost: 7