FIFTH TRIAL

[whimsicalism]

Is everyone finished? Good. It's time for a trial.

[The ride to the court room is uneventful this time. There's no breaking of bones or porcelain when you land. The podiums are rather empty, especially now that there's only twenty portraits even if there's twenty one podiums still. Huh. Fancy that! It's almost as if the Storyteller was still bitter.

Though, there definitely feels something off about the court room. It sort of feels like you're being watched but you're not sure.]

Seven is Dead. Time to find out who's responsible. Time for a trial!

Comments

[whimsicalism]

[They're about five inches apart. Also now that you're examining it, it looks like there's some fraying here with some little bits of bark stuck to the rope. It wasn't really noticeable at a glance but now that you're fully focusing on it you can tell.]

[battlestations]

Alright. This was definitely used on the tree, and seems like the killer pulled very hard. I think Seven lifting the tree on his own has been disproven. We're looking at someone who set a trap, and then another trap.

What if it was like this... after shooting his head in the eyes, they lured Seven's body to the bear trap, pulled the tree they'd painstakingly dug out with this rope, and then... when the tree didn't kill him... the killer began hacking on the limbs that were sticking out?

[xxxx_me]

[DDDDDDDD:]

Y-yeah, that seems possible.

[battlestations]

...I don't think this would require much strength, considering the extent the roots had been dug up. Water pistols shouldn't have much recoil, either.

[But that would make someone suspicious that he really would prefer not to have lying.]

We should do handprint checks.

[xxxx_me]

Okay...

[Presenting: hands.]

[battlestations]

[Nigel stretches out the rope to match the hand sizes to Allen's. Similar or no?]

[whimsicalism]

[In the same ballpark, yes.]

[strictura]

[ Here you go? ]

[whimsicalism]

[General size-wise, yes, this could be a match.]

[battlestations]

Do you want to check me, too?

[whimsicalism]

[Why are your hands so big??? You're clearly not a match.]

[strictura]

Mm? You've been holding the rope this whole time, so it's already clear from looking that your hands are bigger, right?

[battlestations]

Right. [Nigel sighs.] I just wanted to get that out of the way before I move on to the results.

To be honest, it didn't narrow it down much. But it kind of looks like the taller people are out by a hair. Which means... which means this isn't over.

[His hands tighten a bit on the rope, so he lets go of it in one hand and lets it hang to his side.]

Nagisa. The motive was for someone special to forget us.

So tell me, Warrior. If it was for Monaka.... Would you slay a monster?

[nothingposh]

[This is stupid to him, personally, but alright. Hands it is.]

[whimsicalism]

[Same general size, yes, but not an exact match.]

[battlestations]

Hm. Yours... seem less likely, actually.

[Crap. BAD FEELING INTENSIFIES.]

[ballooncaged]

[Oh. Oh no Nigel is thinking the thing too. Damn it!!

Mizuki capitulates. But you know. Tiny human hand.]

[whimsicalism]

[Unless Mizuki has very small hands, she's probably in the same size category.]

[imozon]

[Dark Dream shows her hands. This feels familiar.]

[whimsicalism]

[Being the clone of a teenager, her hands are a little bigger than the others. Doubtful that this a match but not clear, either.]

[battlestations]

Not sure, but probably not you...

[golden_king]

[ Presenting hands time? ]

[whimsicalism]

[Roughly the same size.]

[octopups]

[Several reluctant nods] Y-yeah, me and Nagisa were thinking about something like that earlier.

But if the rope was just for pulling down the tree, why was it also tied to the leg trap?

[battlestations]

Maybe to make extra certain Seven didn't go anywhere with the trap?