The secretive conspirator [Side Story 9 End]

"Well this is a sight I didn't think I'd see," Daria scoffed as she fanned herself and sat before Ota's cell.

The match with Okisato had been over in a minute as with a time control of just a minute plus all the stress, Ota had been easy pickings. Thus after a lengthy interrogation, she had been sent to the WWCF holding facility. However, she didn't yield quite as much information as Okisato had hoped.

...

Ota's eyes began to roll back as the board vanished.

"No, you've got questions to answer. Tell me everything about your relationship to my mother!" Okisato glared.

"I- I joined the DESPER project late. I didn't know Kana that well, but she once showed me the tattoo on her back..."

...

"Ah! Wh- What is that!?" Ota gasped as she walked in on Kana changing.

"Oh this? A relic of my rebellion phase. Despite my great intellect, in my father's eyes, I was nothing but a woman to be married off to further standing. Thus, I became the most notorious delinquent out there, leading to the parties that be discovering my intellect. Now I've got everyone under my thumb," Kana giggled.

...

"She was terrifying. A perfect mesh of brains and brawn. Thus, when I was approached by the others to ask for my collaboration in offing her, I agreed," Ota stated.

"So you were complicate," Okisato glared.

"Correct, but the level was lower compared to the "sinful seven" you referenced."

"What was your role?"

"I was asked to bring Kana to the lab and prompt her with various questions. Then, the seven ambushed her and trapped her in a DESPER match. I was dismissed following the success of the conspirators."

"Name them all."

"Olavi Hellkinen, he was the one that did most of the thinking in regards to the plan. Mirjatta and Flavio Baltho were so loyal to him that they did all they could to aid him. Pheremona Cuscuta was a bit less so, but I heard she herself was an experiment, combining human with plant. Lastly, the chief financier, Agatha Broadstone, gave full approval for the execution, not seeing Kana's loss to the project as much of an issue."

"And the others?"

"Ngh! Ugh..."

Okisato scowled as Ota trembled and began to clutch her head. "She must be forbidden from mentioning them. Well, I know one of the remaining ones at least," he thought. "And Skaberghast?" he asked aloud.

"No. He was consistently against the plan. It surprised me given how lazy he was, yet despite his objections, he did follow the group along."

"Yes, he was there on that day."

"How do you know that?"

Okisato went into a bit more detail on his encounter with Kana that fateful day, genuinely shocking Ota. "I... I only heard about it second hand..."

"And Skaberghast-"

"Compared to me, it's logically more appropriate to assign me more status as one of the "sinful seven" compared to him. Sure, he lingered around the main conspirators all the time, but that didn't mean he was on board with the lot of them."

"I see. Then why don't we continue with some more questions before you're sent to the holding facility..."

...

Ota scowled as she gazed out through the bars at Daria. "I really had no greater role in that conspiracy than just leading the target to the lab that day."

"That's plenty involvement," Daria scowled back.

"I WAS USED! Used by- Ngh! Ugh!"

"Hmm, seems conditions were placed on you. So we're dealing with someone crafty... Melisha Kamaleon?"

"Never heard the name."

"Chaya Shamir? Kaylee Shamir?"

"No, and no."

"And is Olavi truly the ringmaster?"

"He was central to the plan, but no. That one is- UGH!"

Daria frowned as Ota clutched her head in pain and curled up on her bed. "I see. That'll be all for today then."

Her scowl worsening as she left, Daria began thinking to herself. "Okisato described those that conspired to kill his mother as the "sinful six", expanding the number to seven after his encounter with Ota. Skaberghast was long believed to be involved, still is considered to be by Okisato, yet Ota's testimony suggests he simply tagged along with the conspirators to watch the aftermath. It's possible he covered his tracks by placing conditions on Ota, but I find that hard to believe. Then there's Melisha. She was the mastermind behind trying to eliminate me, but the problem is that it's impossible for her to have been there as she was kidnapped by Olavi just last year. That means, there's another mastermind out there. Possibly even more."

...

In a dark secluded room, 4 figures gathered around a table.

"It seems Ota's been caught and interrogated," one stated.

"Oh? And were you exposed?" Olavi sneered.

"No. My failsafe worked perfectly."

"All because Phantom is just too paranoid, he dragged you into helping him with this plan," Rasputin scoffed as he chugged a jug of bleach.

"Tell me about it. I had similar concerns as that Skaberghast colleague of yours, but no, I had to deal with Ota's hysteria. Conspiracy executions are such a pain for someone like me that prefers to stay secret, but the same is true of you, isn't it, Phantom?"

Phantom merely sat in silence before finally uttering, "I doubt they'll ever discover who I truly am."

[Side Story 9 End]