thefoundation | WEEK 1 TRIAL

It was noon on Saturday.

No matter where they were, no matter what they were doing...the moment the chimes rang out through the hall, they felt a change.

The world...began to expand, as they felt themselves leaving the world they were on, and towards another, much larger world...🗈

This new world looked like...the inside of an ornate courtroom, like something that wouldn't be too far from some kind of grand fantasy novel. The audience was full of people with Goat Heads...like some kind of bizzare trial proceedings.

The Witch - Yuuko - was there, sitting in the most important place, smiling in her mysterious way at everyone. There was no music to be heard, but... perhaps on another plane, in another place, someone else heard music as they gazed upon the proceedings.

As they looked around, they might have also been surprised to see that their forms had changed - perhaps only slightly, or a much more dramatic change. It seemed like this place demanded a different form in some way, even if it was just a change of clothing.

...There was a deep silence in the room, one that no one wanted to break. It was the faint tension in the air, like the moments before a race or a competition begins.

Yesterday had been the start of the game. But now, armed with all they knew...now, they had to truly go up against the Witch, and somehow.....win.

Right?

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Nnngh-!!

[It pierces her again, and she gasps.]

Ah ha....not even...near to what i've....gone through...this pain...

[It's whispered, but just barely heard.]

Yuuko-san... can you confirm that "Erika was not alone in her room when the room was sealed with tape" with the red words?

...Trying to give me some form of pity, Takumi-kun?

[She smiles, although pained.]

I see no reason to refuse. Erika was not alone in her room when the room was sealed with tape

...Of course, that is because I was in there with her.

I doubt you can say that in red.

....

Maybe something like that.

...be careful of your kindness, Takumi-kun.

One day, it will kill you.

Maybe. But I'd die satisfied, so I don't mind too much.

[He has to be merciless. Cut away the rot and infection to reveal the healthy and living.

Let this disease pass from this world.]

The tape was placed on the inside of the window by the victim. The killer opened the window after the murder, escaped that way, and taped up the outside to further throw us off.

[She suddenly grips one of the scalpels, grimly.]

The tape on the outside wasn't placed by the killer!

[It shatters to pieces, freeing her from one, but leaving the other in her chest.]

[Erhard isn't at all bothered by Yuuko's Red. Even if she hits him with one that hurts, he can stand whatever pain she might throw at him. Every bit of truth he pries out is vital.]

Her eyes were closed. The killer attacked her while she slept.

Erika was conscious the entire time!

[The second scalpel breaks, and she stands - firing off a red dagger at his own chest.]

[The strike makes him grit his teeth and grunt softly, but he doesn't waver more than that.]

Conscious, but her eyes were closed. She didn't see the attack coming. The killer waited for that moment.

[She smirks.]

Erika watched the attack come! She had her eyes open right before she died!

[He doesn't smile back.]

But her vision was affected by the chemical burns in her eyes.

She could see her killer and the attack clearly until she died!

[He's sweating a bit from pain, but he's still steady.]

How is that possible, unless the insecticide was used after she'd been stabbed? How else would she be restrained?

[Then he remembers what Wheatley said in Blue.]

The tape was used elsewhere....

[She's silent, but watches as he tries to figure it out.]

...Are you sure she was restrained in the first place?

Isn't it more likely that everything happened as I said it did?

No, because we know you didn't kill her.

Be quiet and prepare to accept your defeat, witch.

[ ...Well, if no one's going to actually say it, might as well give it a try and see if they can cross this one off or not. She has a pretty high pain tolerance. ]

The tape was originally used to restrain her.

[ Her words manifest as a swarm of birds. ]