The Witch Trial Begins with the OO Buckethead Zombie

The emotions I once felt are now as indifferent as water, and the feelings of being moved that I could once clearly perceive are now hard to recapture.

...Perhaps I was born this way?

However, regardless of his true feelings, he felt he would say something.

You fucking idiot, Yuki Tsukishiro!

He couldn't control his swearing. Although he should have been indifferent and calmed down, he still felt a surge of anger and amusement when he thought about it.

If you can't do it, then just kill me! Why don't you just kill me?

Rubbing his head, which had eased somewhat as his brain worked, Utsunomiya Hoshino got up and stopped trying to recall the memories that had angered him. He began to check his surroundings.

A roughly made double bed, old stone walls, cold chains, and steel railings.

The prison-like environment was clearly displayed before Hoshino Utsunomiya's eyes.

...?

"...Is it necessary?"

Am I in jail?

If I had to describe my most recent memory, it would probably be being ambushed and knocked unconscious by someone shouting "Death to evil!" from behind.

Upon reflection, the expression on my face when I was angry and laughing in front of Yuki Tsukishiro, and the words I muttered to myself, did sound quite villainous, and I went a bit overboard.

It's true that he deserved to be ambushed and knocked unconscious by some unknown righteous messenger.

But as long as they investigate and gather clues, they shouldn't have thrown me in jail, right?!

"They didn't even interrogate me before throwing me into prison? That's outrageous."

Hoshino Utsunomiya sighed softly.

That was exactly what he was most worried about.

It's not difficult to incite a witch's hatred; after all, it's hard to make someone like you, but it's easy to make someone hate you.

However, the methods and means need to be carefully considered.

In this modern society, in a society where no one knows the other person is a witch, if you go too far...

He would become the protagonist of the prison series.

The current situation is a confirmation of this concern.

Although Yuki Tsukishiro's death was a suicide, if during the investigation everyone unanimously pointed the finger at him, the bully, as the culprit...

It does seem like there's a real possibility that they might arrest me first.

But do I really not need to be hospitalized? I suspect I might have suffered a concussion from that blow, and I want to apply for medical parole!

"Shouldn't they have interrogated me first? And what is this all about? Does such an old and dilapidated prison even have any value? Can't they be a little more modern?"

Hoshino Utsunomiya casually remarked, but soon realized that although there were chains in the room, they seemed to be just decorations hanging above the bed.

Surprisingly, he was not restrained by any chains while in prison.

Could this mean... that we are actually free to move around?

"Hey, are you kidding me? I'm going to kill you! Let me out!!"

Suddenly, a roar, seemingly coming through the crack in the door and through the stone wall, was announcing something to Utsunomiya Hoshino.

He was not the only prisoner here.

A slightly hoarse, but clearly recognizable girl's voice...

Wow, there are even mixed-gender prisons.

Are you sure you're alright?

The moment Utsunomiya Hoshino raised a question.

What I hadn't noticed before, but was actually quite modern, was that a screen hanging on one end of the cell wall lit up with a buzzing sound.

Immediately afterwards, what appeared on the screen was an exceptionally exquisite but somewhat subtle one.

Owl plush toy.

Is it a doll?

Hoshino Utsunomiya thought it was a doll.

"Hey, can you even see the screen?"

The owl plush toy made a sound!

"Hello everyone, I am the warden."

The owl introduced itself on the screen in this way.

"I would like to give you a detailed explanation. Please come to the reception room."

"I will unlock your cells, and then please follow the guard who will lead the way."

"You can resist if you want, but your life will be in danger, hmm."

As the warden finished his calm and casual last sentence, the screen went black again.

It seems to be just for notifying people of things like this.

Soon, a soft clicking sound informed Hoshino Utsunomiya that his cell had been unlocked, and that he could go out to hear the warden's detailed explanation.

Although I don't know the specifics of the current situation, I think everything will become clear after listening to the warden's explanation.

So, Hoshino Utsunomiya got up, stepped out of the room, and left.

The moment he left the cell, his heart stopped for a second.

He saw something inhuman.

A jet-black mask, a slender body, over two meters long, limbs as sharp as arthropods, a tattered jet-black robe, and a huge scythe as long as itself held in its arms.

This is the guard.

The guards the warden spoke of were inhuman creatures that could be recognized at a glance.

I see. No wonder it said that resistance was arbitrary.

If you were to slide tackle this thing, you'd be covered in bruises.

"Squeak..."

The sharp sound of rusting echoed through the corridor. After Utsunomiya Hoshino came out, a girl stepped out from another door first, her feet clad in black over-the-knee socks. She suddenly froze the moment she revealed her full figure to Utsunomiya Hoshino.

She has long, dark black hair, adorned with a large red flower ornament on the left side of her hair, a long black coat with red trim, a white shirt, and a red and black plaid tie.

A slender figure and a dignified and elegant demeanor.

And, upon seeing Hoshino Utsunomiya, his pupils suddenly contracted, his aura freezing.

Hiro Nikaido.

Although the clothes she was wearing were very different from the school uniforms he had seen before, he almost couldn't remember the name of this girl he had only met a few times.

Fortunately, he eventually remembered the other person.

If you don't understand, just ask. Didn't you go to study abroad, sister?

Were they arrested and brought in with me?

"Click..."

Before the atmosphere could spread, the slight sound of another door opening and the movement of a girl with short, silver-white hair with pink highlights walking out of the door broke the atmosphere that seemed to be brewing.

Like a cautious puppy, she peeked out of the cell, looking around, and stepped out, completely exiting the cell. She turned her head and met the gaze of Utsunomiya Hoshino.

Immediately afterwards, he revealed an expression that was exactly the same as Nikaido Hiro's: his pupils contracted and his breathing became stagnant.

Hoshino Utsunomiya also knew this child; her name was Emma Sakuraba. She was a rare child who was cute but had few friends and was somewhat lonely and lacked love.

For the time being, he and she can be considered friends.

Although both of them seemed to look suffocated after meeting his gaze, Hoshino Utsunomiya felt that this was obviously because they saw the inhuman guards behind him.

To not be startled by the guard like that requires a truly strong heart.

However, what was truly unexpected was...

Her pupils contracted, her breathing became stagnant—these signs of fright that appeared on Emma Sakura instantly transformed into joy.

"——Hoshino!!!"

Her expression brightened with joy, and she embraced Hoshino Utsunomiya without any sense of distance.

The girl wrapped her arms around the girl with tremendous force.

Chapter 70 Being locked up with your partner is absolutely awful (5k views)

What does it mean?

...Am I having a memory lapse? When did Emma and I become this close?

Hoshino Utsunomiya was puzzled, but he didn't push the girl away. He just sighed softly and gently patted her back in a comforting gesture.

Feeling the rather bland sensation of the body pressed against him, he couldn't think of anything particularly special, only sighed.

Forget it.

In fact, the moment Hoshino Utsunomiya saw the guard, he probably understood that this was not a regular prison, and he was probably not sent to the hospital as a suspect because he was present at the scene of Yuki Tsukishiro's hanging.

An owl who calls himself the warden, inhumanly terrifying guards, and multiple roommates.

Got it, it's Danganronpa. Next, the warden will have to figure out a way to give us motives for murder so we can play a game of killing each other.

He was inexplicably arrested and imprisoned in this kind of prison, just like him. He saw the talking owl doll and the terrifying guards behind him.

It's perfectly reasonable to feel scared and fearful, and to have an uncontrollable urge to rely on people you know.

Although she didn't know why Emma didn't hug Hero beside her, Hoshino Utsunomiya felt that their friendship must have been deeper before Hero went to study abroad than hers, who had come later, but...

Forget it.

"It's alright, it's okay." Saying these words as if she had said them to Emma before, and making the same comforting gestures as if she had made them to Emma before, Hoshino Utsunomiya said softly, "It will be alright."

Under her gentle words, Emma Sakura's body seemed to gradually soften.