TRIAL 02

[thecomputer]

Attention, Citizens! You have ten minutes to proceed to the Loyalty Chamber. Anyone who is late to the Loyalty Chamber, or who brings any weapons into the Loyalty Chamber, will be immediately executed.

[Once you arrive, you will find a large chamber, with twenty podiums spaced around the room in a circle. On the ceiling, a massive screen showing the digital eye of The Computer, turning to look at whoever is talking.]

You have one hour to come to a consensus about who to eliminate. Ties will be broken randomly.

[The floor of the chamber begins to split apart, eventually only leaving the twenty podiums as safe places to stand, above a seemingly bottomless abyss. Each podium lights up with a touch screen showing twenty user IDs (the dead are grayed out), plus the word “ABSTAIN”. However, ABSTAIN has now been grayed out as well. The trial begins now!]

[[Vote here.]]

Comments

[alchemicals]

So does "sacrificing someone on your own side" fall under "if you have to"? Because if it does, your word doesn't mean shit.

[harshwords]

If we're both Communists, then yes, it would count. But I already know that I'm not to be trusted. After all, Yomiel-san's logic is sound. That is, if Sakura truly wished to protect me.

[alchemicals]

I'd like to hear it from her if she doesn't.

That is, I'd like to hear it in a way that isn't "But neesan would kill me..."

[harshwords]

...

Hmph. I didn't think she'd actually call me nee-san when we were in public. Not that it matters, it's not as if I was hiding it to begin with. But to me, Sakura is nothing more than the dirt on my shoe. I abandoned her as a sister ten years ago, so now, she's absolutely nothing more to me than just an underclassman. Rin Tohsaka is just simply an only child.

[alchemicals]

Right. And don't get me wrong, that's a valid argument, assuming you were the communist and she was converted.

I'm thinking it was the other way around.

[harshwords]

The other way around, huh... I'll concede on that. Sakura's the type of person who would do such a thing, after all. But I shouldn't be putting words in her mouth.

[respring]

[ tilting her head curiously. Her earlier nervousness seems to have been replaced by vague, sort of unreadable hollowness ]

...eh? That's a shame. And here I really thought you wanted to be sisters once more. We were even bunking together again. Did you feel this way even then, or was Angra Mainyu nearly lopping off your head a good enough catalyst?

[harshwords]

The only reason why I let you bunk with me was not so we could be proper sisters again, but because I simply did not wish for a prospective ally to die on the first day.

[respring]

Everything has to be a competition, hah...? But I guess this is a competition of sorts, so I shouldn't fault you, realistically.

[ and yet she still looks sort of angry ] A shame.

[harshwords]

Of course it is. That's why I plan on winning.

[ Her words are backed up with utter confidence, not even remotely caring that Sakura's rather pissed. ]

It seems that in the end, we might be destined to become enemies.