SIXTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

Alright, same as every week before this - gather at the Vault Door so my Assistant can let you in. And I can start hoping to salvage at least the aquarium.

[ The Assistant, nee Failsafe, stands in her armor at the ready when you arrive, not saying a word and simply unlocking the door and elevator for you to head on down to the trial room. Second verse, same as the first five verses, but a whole lot quieter and a whole lot meaner.

The elevator is a lot emptier now, isn't it? Your number has fallen yet again since the last time you were here. Feels like yesterday, or maybe forever ago? Time's feeling pretty weird right about now, but trial days are for getting locked into the moment. You're here, you're present.

You're running out of allies.

The screens are the same as ever, though, and lower as you enter. ]

I see you haven't decided to continue to increase the number of bodies this week. Perhaps something to be thankful for, in all of this. Hotshot is dead, and the responsibility of finding his killer falls to you. Hopefully this is all old hat to you by now, no?

[The screens rise.

Welcome to your sixth trial. ]

Comments

[mouflon]

Exactly. And didn't Zerinda say there was a lot of blood pooled under him? That would suggest that he was left to bleed out for a while.

My best guess is that it was someone who was panicked and just hoped for the best. "He's still alive, and our powers are still working, so maybe he'll just heal it off." Something like that.

[blackmass]

That would be an incredibly stupid thing to think, especially if he did lose control as we theorize. In that situation, the worst case and most likely scenario is a healing whatever-Vincent-Valentine-was running rampant through this facility.

[mouflon]

Maybe, but it's still a case where they don't have to die for killing someone. I don't see what's so hard for you to get about that.

[blackmass]

It is no difficult concept, I only think it more likely they assumed Vincent Valentine would die when he was killed and rushed off prematurely.

[bolderfell]

...Uh, yeah. People usually die when they're killed.

[fivestagegod]

Not always, though.

[mouflon]

And I think you're assuming they were thinking too rationally. It was a stab wound that bled for a long time. If it wasn't a wound that would be immediately lethal, why didn't they double-tap?

[bolderfell]

...Well, Vincent almost definitely wasn't human. They got him in the chest, and he was already cold, so if he passed out for a second... maybe they figured he was already gone.

[blackmass]

A reasonable assumption, considering a stab wound to the chest.

[mouflon]

Ugh, either way... Should we assume we're looking for someone skilled with a blade, or just someone who got lucky?

[blackmass]

[Kirei sighed, pressing a hand to his head.]

...I don't know, Rin. It could easily be either.

[ladygeryon]

Hypothetically panicked as they were, either they were still good enough not to get scratched, or they weren't bleeding for some reason.

[mouflon]

That's a good point. They also managed not to get shot, even if Vincent might not have been aiming as well as he should have been.

Still, defending yourself and coming at someone with the intent to kill are two different things.

[ladygeryon]

[She makes a thoughtful sound.] Maybe they played defense until they got to the weapon room, then, assuming they didn't have a weapon on them at the time. Then they grabbed the sword, and-maybe they tried to parry his hand first, and that's where the scratches came from?

[bolderfell]

Something definitely happened between the weapons room and where we found him. Something big. I don't know if we can assume they weren't armed. We just don't know with what.

[nothingcanstop]

It...could be their own abilities protected them. No one found any trace of blood at the other areas...but not everyone here's been able to bleed. That's leaving aside whatever else they could do.