Dangan Ronpa: Hope Prevails

by mtnetwarrior

The third in this series, which for the record is included in Persona X Death Note, the 78th scramble to retrieve their friends. And in the process, Tora finds out the true secret behind Izuru Kamukura.

3. Chapter 2: Crime and Coconuts

Disclaimer: I don't own Dangan Ronpa or Ace Attorney.

Chapter 2: Crime and Coconuts... Or Not

Celes eagerly savored the gyoza Hanamura had made for her as she and Tora took their turn watching the simulator. "I was afraid I'd never enjoy this exquisite taste again," Celes said, "It's the only part of my old self I never want to let go of." She looked over to Tora, who was staring intently at Kamukura. She then noticed something. "Is it just me, or does he bear some similarities to you?" Tora closed his eyes. "He's someone I knew from my childhood. Someone I once looked up to. Someone... Who doesn't even remember who he truly is. Celes, I've told you and the others, right? About my older brother?" Celes nodded, wondering where Tora was planning to go with this.

---

As Hinata walked up into the restaurant, he found the atmosphere to be as expected... Heavy in the wake of the class trial. Togami had been stabbed to death. And his killer, Hanamura, had been deep fried alive in an active volcano. Pretty much the only person in the room still chipper was Saionji, who had no sympathy for Hanamura whatsoever. "Aren't you even the least bit upset about all this?," Hinata asked her. "Well, I am upset that Togami's gone," Saionji said, "He was fun. He didn't even complain when I called him Mr. Porkfeet. But Hanamura murdered someone, so he deserved to die, right?"

"Not like that!," Souda said, "Seriously, that was just way too over the top! Besides, he wouldn't have murdered anyone if Monokuma hadn't shown up!" Suddenly, Owari felt her nose perk up again. "Something smells funny. Not blood this time, just... I don't know. Like someone didn't take a shower for a few days straight or something." She sniffed around, then realized something. "Saionji... It's you! When's the last time you bathed? You smell like you've been rolling in garbage since we got here." Saionji looked shocked, then started to tear up. "I... I'm sorry... But I can't tie my obi properly, so I haven't taken off my kimono in a while..."

Koizumi looked at her sympathetically. "If that's all it is, how about I help you, okay?" Saionji looked at her and nodded happily, then wrapped her in a big hug. The scene seemed to lighten the mood instantly. "That reminds me," Tsumiki said, "Where are Kuzuryuu and Komaeda?" "Kuzuryuu is just outside the hotel," Pekoyama said, "He still refuses to join us it seems." "Okay," Hinata said, "But what about Komaeda?" Nidai and Souda suddenly seemed very nervous. "He's not the only one missing," came Monokuma's voice. He popped out of nowhere in an instant.

"One of my servants seems to have vanished as well." "You're referring to those Monobeasts, right?," Hinata said, "One of them went missing? Why?" Monokuma made something like a shrug. "I know it wasn't any of you. You wouldn't have been able to take one out even with all of you working together. My search simply led me here, that's all. Now if you'll excuse me..." And with that, he disappeared. As the students were contemplating why one of the Monobeasts would suddenly vanish, Monomi showed up in their midst.

"Good news students. I was able to destroy one of those terrible Monobeasts all by myself. You can now take the bridge it was guarding to a new island." The students looked stunned that Monomi had managed to destroy one of the Monobeasts when earlier one had turned her into swiss cheese. But the thought of a new island opening had them scrambling to check it out and see if it had any means back home. The new island looked a lot different from the first, with a few interesting features.

The first place Hinata checked out was what almost looked an ancient ruin... Except the shape was surprisingly modern. Hinata couldn't place it, but the shape of it felt almost familiar. However, Nanami had wanted to check out the ruins by herself, without anyone else with her. Sonia and Pekoyama found a rather large library. What looked like Usami statues lay broken on the floor, the pedestals they had once been on replaced with Monokuma statues. Sonia was reading a brochure when something caused her to gasp. "This can't be right. It says the island's administrative office is on the center island. But we haven't seen anything there expect the park and Monokuma Rock."

The pamphlet went on to say that the office had a statue inside much like the one that had become the Monobeasts, and that people traveled between islands by ferry. Although bridges had been requested, it was refused out of concern for the environment. "That's peculiar," Pekoyama said, "I could have sworn we crossed a bridge on the way here. And where the office is supposed to be, there was nothing but Jabberwock Park." Sonia thought for a second. "Perhaps this is simply an artificial island made to resemble Jabberwock Island. That would explain the discrepancies. But for such a large island... Maybe Togami was onto something when he suggested this was the work of a powerful organization."

She looked through more of the books until she found one that made her eyes light up. "Oh my goodness... It's the latest Occult Monthly magazine. This month they have a special on serial killers. It even has all the legendaries, like Kira and Genocider Shou!" "I've heard of both of them," Pekoyama said, "Kira was eventually found to be a prosecutor named Teru Mikami, but to this day Genocider Shou's real identity has yet to be revealed." "Well this article has some speculations," Sonia said, "The writers believe Genocider may in fact be a Japanese schoolgirl, and that all the victims are in fact her ex-boyfriends!"

"That hardly narrows it down," Pekoyama said, "Japan is full of schoolgirls." Sonia continued to read the article with surprising fascination. "Here's one of my favorites. The mysterious Kirakira-chan. Unlike the original Kira, who killed from afar using a notebook of the Grim Reaper, Kirakira-chan kills his victims up close and personal. All of his victims have been criminals, and he wears masks of hero characters whenever he goes after a victim. Because of that, no one knows Kirakira-chan's age or gender." Pekoyama looked understandably disturbed. "No wonder you seem to have a crush on Tanaka..."

Another building on the island was a large pharmacy, which Tsumiki was grateful for. There was also a diner, where Hinata was surprised to find Kuzuryuu eating. Out on the island's beach, Mioda spotted Nidai and Owari sparring with one another. After a bit, Nidai managed to win. "Jeez Nekomaru, you've got to be the strongest person in the world!," Mioda said excitedly. "Far from it," Nidai replied, "There was this one time I found this fighting dojo hoping to expand my sports repertoire. The daughter of the clan offered to show me their fighting style first-hand. I barely blinked... And suddenly found myself on my ass."

Meanwhile Souda was checking out the beach house. It was positively luxurious, with only two major flaws. One, the showers didn't seem to be working. Two, apparently it was expressly forbidden to change inside it. After a bit, Nanami called the others back to the ruins. "I thought something was familiar about this ruin," Nanami said, "And I think I've figured it out. The ruin looks just like Hope's Peak Academy." Hinata looked at the ruin as a whole, and realized Nanami was right. "There's also something else," Nanami said, "About the door. Try cleaning the dust off and you'll see what I mean."

After cleaning off all the dust and vegetation, the students became flabbergasted. Instead of stone, the door was made of steel, and seemed to be some sort of contraption out of a science-fiction novel. There seemed to be a number pad on the entrance, requiring a code of some kind. Right next to the panel was what looked like a Gatling Gun. "Well it's obvious we need a password to get inside this thing," Kuzuryuu said, "But that Gatling Gun worries even me." "So far as we know this island is deserted," Nidai said, "Could this building in fact be some sort of shelter?"

Suddenly Monokuma appeared out of nowhere. "I know this place. Or at least I know of it. You see, this door is solid in every sense of the word. Even me and my sister cannot penetrate it. It may have something to do with 'The World Destroyers'." The students looked nervous. "And...," Koizumi asked, "Who are these 'World Destroyers'?" "Pretty much what it says on the tin," Monokuma said, "They destroyed the world... Literally. One could even call them terrorists, only taken up to eleven. Remember what I said earlier about a traitor in your group? Well that traitor works for this organization, and you being here has much to do with them. Since I can't help you get into this building, you'll have to solve its riddles on your own." He then disappeared.

The students were reeling a bit from Monokuma's words. "You know what?," Nanami said, "It's getting late. Maybe we should get sleep and find out what we're going to do tomorrow." The others agreed and headed back to the hotel. Still, Hinata couldn't help but feel worried. 'We only found more questions than answers exploring this new island. These World Destroyers... Why go and kidnap us and subject us to all this? Are they behind Monomi and Monokuma? And just what is behind that door? Come to think about it, we still haven't found Komaeda. And Nidai and Souda have been acting suspiciously anytime someone asks them about it.'

---

"We're back from our trip," Hagakure said, "Sorry we took so long, but with Asahina's recent condition..." The others couldn't help but smirk. Back at Hope's Peak during Matsuda's twisted game, Hagakure had given Naegi a prediction that both of their kids would share the same mother. He had also predicted that there would be no victims during the Mutual Killing game at the school. While only Hagakure had gotten Asahina pregnant, and Naegi showed no interest in doing the same, the other prediction had come true since Matsuda had been killed after the game was called off.

"Hey I can relate," Fukawa said, "But did you get the item we need?" Asahina brought out the Twilight Syndrome game. "For some reason those islands are still buzzing with normal activity. It's like the resort has become a haven for those who still haven't given in, but can't bring themselves to fight. Lucky for us Togami still has that private jet." "What do you need the game for?," Ooshida asked. "Our next motive," Enoshima said, "The gang's last mystery couldn't cut it, so we need a new one. By the way, Komaeda is still in the system right? Because I haven't seen him for a while." "System still has him logged in," Gumshoe said, "They must have him hidden somewhere."

---

The next morning the students gathered at the restaurant to discuss what they had learned yesterday. "Is... There really a traitor among us?," Tsumiki said, "That's what Monokuma keeps suggesting." "We have nothing to worry about from the traitor," Nidai said, "He's already been contained." "Hold on," Sonia said, "Are you referring to Komaeda?" Nidai nodded. "Consider how he's been acting since the trial. It's obvious... He's the traitor Monokuma mentioned!" Souda nodded. "Well, I'm not as convinced as Nidai that Komaeda's the traitor. But you've gotta admit the man is dangerous. After all, it's because of his actions that Hanamura had the opportunity to kill anyone."

The others looked at each other, and agreed. "Where is he anyway?," Koizumi asked. "We have him tied up in the old lodge," Souda said, "As far away from anything dangerous as possible." "We felt it best to hold him there," Nidai said, "Since that is where Togami died, we thought it would give Komaeda the chance to reflect on his actions." "Some friends," came Kuzuryuu's voice. The others turned around in shock to see him actually in the restaurant with him. "The moment a guy becomes difficult... Boom! You go and take care of him." "Hey," Souda said, "It's not like we killed the guy. He was babbling on about talent and penguins, then Nidai got tired of his talk and floored him in a single punch. After that we tied him up."

Later that night, Monokuma again called the students to Jabberwock Park. Once they got there, they saw Monokuma somehow installing what looked like a game machine. "You guys got here faster than I thought," the bear said, "I was just putting the finishing touches on this." Nanami seemed interested. "What sort of genre is that game?" "Why, a mystery of course," Monokuma said, "That's the point of this game in general, so I thought I'd do something interesting and include a game-within-a-game. I call it... Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery! I made it myself."

"I know Twilight Syndrome," Nanami said, "It was a popular adventure game from 1996. It revolves around a group of high school girls who investigate urban legends." "Why a game though?," Hinata asked, "I highly doubt you would offer us this game without some ulterior motive." "Funny you should mention the word 'motive'," Monokuma said with a silent chuckle, "Because this game happens to hold your next motive within its ending. Granted, I don't expect all of you would desire to kill upon seeing the ending, but I do think all of you would be curious as to what the ending is. But you'll have to complete the game to find out for yourself." He then disappeared.

"Well this is obvious," Souda said, "If we don't play the game, we won't have our motive, and nobody will be killed, right?" "Is it really that simple?," Pekoyama said, "Suppose one us gets curious and secretly plays the game without the others knowing, then goes and kills someone. If no one else has played the game, they'll be at a disadvantage during the following trial." Hinata closed his eyes. 'Ideally, we could avoid killing even if someone does play the game. However, knowing what the motive is supposed to be would put those of us who hadn't killed on the same level as the murderer, should there be one. Either way, my curiosity's piqued. Maybe I will give this game a try... But with someone else watching me play, just in case.' The students then headed of to bed.

---

"You altered the game with some of her pictures?," Ikusaba asked Fujisaki. "Not my most challenging work," Fujisaki replied, "Especially with Alter Ego's help. The idea is to make the mystery as complex as possible so that he won't be able to solve it. I just wonder why the others agreed with his assertions during the last trial." Ikusaba sighed. "It's not like they could feign stupidity. That would have tipped him off. Speaking of... Now that I get a good look at him, there's something familiar about his face..."

---

As Hinata got out of his cottage the next morning, he spotted Kuzuryuu heading for his carrying what looked like a manille envelope. 'Could he have played that game...?,' Hinata wondered to himself. He also spotted Koizumi heading off somewhere. Hinata could swear she was headed in the direction of the park. "Where's she off to in a hurry?," he wondered aloud. "Probably wanted to get as far away from Komaeda as possible," came Souda's voice. Hinata turned to see him in front of the old lodge. "She went to give him breakfast earlier," Souda explained, "And came out in a huff. Seems he was trying to order off a menu, and she simply threw the tray near him saying he was lucky we were feeding him at all."

"Jeez," Hinata said, "When is he going to stop giving us so much trouble?" "You know the creepiest part?," Souda said, "He actually asked when you were coming to feed him. Needless to say, I think it best if you stayed out of there." Hinata shuddered. "That goes without saying." As the day wore on, Hinata found himself getting more and more curious about the Twilight Syndrome game. Finally, after the nighttime announcement, he decided to sneak out and try it. As he approached the park, he saw Koizumi sneaking away from it. Shrugging it off, he stood in front of the arcade cabinet and pressed start.

The game featured five girls named A-ko, B-ko, C-ko, D-ko, and E-ko. Apparently, the story involved a murder of a young girl that had been reported in the papers. However, the girls had already found the body prior to the janitor mentioned in the papers, and had kept quiet about it. D-ko had even taken pictures of the body, just in case the police questioned the girls, which were then taken and ripped up by E-ko. Two days later, E-ko was found murdered. After the picture of the dead E-ko was shown, a Game Over screen popped up along with the words "Dull Start". 'That was it?,' Hinata thought, 'It started on Day 2, jumped straight to Day 4... And I got a Game Over way too easily. And what does this mean... Dull Start? Isn't this the end of the game? Some motive. Guess I'll just head off to bed.'

---

Several of the other students had secretly gathered in the hotel lobby. "I can't believe they included those pictures. After I was done with them, I had them erased. The only remaining copies should be in a police evidence locker." "Guess after that terrible incident our friends on the outside dug them up for this next mystery. Are you sure you want to go through with this?" "We have no choice, right? There's no other way out of here, at least as ourselves. But... Do you really think it will allow him to return with you?" "I can't say for certain. I would hope so... But I'm not sure if the rules would allow it."

---

The next morning at breakfast, the gang found Koizumi surprisingly absent. "I hope nothing happened to her," Saionji said with surprising sadness. "She's fine," Owari said, "I saw her outside the hotel on the way in." Saionji breathed a sigh of relief. "It would be awful if big sis Koizumi died. She's the only good person left on this island." 'What does that make you?,' Hinata thought to himself. Souda then came over to him. "Listen," he whispered, "Meet me in the supermarket at 2:30 this afternoon. Don't tell anyone else, okay?" Hinata nodded cautiously, wondering what Souda wanted to talk about.

At the supermarket, Hinata told Souda, "If this is about that stupid game..." "No way," Souda said, "I'd never play something like that. It's just, I happened to overhear Sonia talking to the other girls about having a girls-only swim down by the beach." Hinata sighed. "I think I can see where you're going with this... But why me?" Souda shrugged. "Well, I thought it would seem more like coincidence if another guy went along with me, and to tell the truth you seem to be the only one the girls wouldn't suspect of doing anything... Underhanded."

Hinata sighed. "Fine, I guess I'll go along. But if you think this is gonna help you score points with Sonia... I think you may be barking up the wrong tree." The two of them headed for the diner, where the girls were supposed to meet up before heading for Chandler Beach. Once there, Hinata noticed they had gotten there before the time Souda had overheard. "Do you really think they'll let us join in on this swim?," Hinata asked. "Well," Souda said, "If we said we just happened to be going for a swim at the same time as them... Maybe. Anyway, they should be stopping by in about an hour."

As the two of them waited inside the diner for the girls to stop by, they were surprised to see Kuzuryuu coming back from the beach. They quickly headed out to find out what was up. "The hell," Kuzuryuu said, "What are you two doing here?" "Grabbing lunch of course," Souda said, "It is a diner after all. More importantly, why were you at the beach just now?" Kuzuryuu seemed to get just a little pricklier at the question. Just then, Mioda and Tsumiki also walked by. "Hey guys!," Mioda said, "What's up?"

"Just grabbing a bite before relaxing on the beach," Souda said, "Me and Hinata thought it might be a good way to pass the time." "What a coincidence!," Mioda said, "We and the other girls were planning on going for a swim!" As they talked, Hinata suddenly realized that Kuzuryuu had vanished. "Now where did he go? I swear the only one more suspicious than him is Komaeda." The others looked around, but Kuzuryuu was nowhere in sight. "A-Anyway," Tsumiki said, "We're actually a little early for the meeting, so how about we join you for lunch?"

Inside the diner, Souda noticed something. "Hey, where are your swimsuits? You do remember we're not allowed to change in the beach house." "We know," Mioda said, "That's why we're wearing ours under our normal clothes." Souda nodded. "Me and Hinata thought of the same thing." Hinata remembered the boxer-style swimsuits Souda had gotten for the two of them, to make it seem more natural for them to be at the beach. Just as he was thinking about it, the four of them spotted Saionji running out of the tunnel leading to the beach. She seemed to be in a panic of some sort.

"Why is she running from the beach?," Souda asked, "Didn't you invite her as well?" Tsumiki nodded. "She said she couldn't swim, so she declined our invitation." "Come to think about it," Mioda said, "Mahiru also declined to join us for some reason. She's been surprisingly anti-social lately." Hinata closed his eyes. "That does seem odd. I would have thought this would be her idea in the first place." "Nope," Mioda said, "It was Sonia who suggested it. Said it would be a great way for us to get our minds off this Mutual Killing business."

"Aww, and here I thought I'd be the first to arrive," came Nanami's voice. Hinata turned to the entrance and his jaw dropped. Nanami was standing there wearing a lacy white bikini. She was carrying a wooden box in one hand. "I thought we were getting lunch at the beach," she said, "So I brought some ice cream with me." Hinata couldn't help but be drawn to how gorgeous Nanami looked in her bathing suit. She must have noticed him staring because she said, "I realize it's a little small, but it's the only one that fit me." Hinata grew flustered. "Oh... I wasn't..." Nanami smiled. "It's fine. After all, you're only human."

Owari was the next one to come in, wearing a blue and white stripped bikini that did a surprisingly good job of covering her breasts. She also seemed to be bleeding from the head for some reason. When the others pointed this out, she simply said, "I ran into Nidai on the way here and challenged him to another fight. I'll be fine, it'll take more than him to kill me." Tsumiki quickly dragged Owari off to get some first-aid treatment. Pekoyama was the next to arrive, wearing a black bikini. For some reason she seemed to be soaking wet and was out of breathe. "Sorry about my appearance," she said, "I was taking a quick swim to warm up."

Souda seemed to be smiling wider with each girl that came in. "If this is what the others are wearing," he whispered to Hinata, "Then Sonia..." At moment Sonia walked in. However, unlike the other girls, she had shown up in a skin-tight black wetsuit with pink stripes going down the sides of her bustline. "Sorry I'm late," Sonia said, "I wore this wetsuit to avoid sun damage, but had some trouble getting it on." Hinata thought Souda would have been disappointed, but to his surprise Souda had an approving smile on his face. "Just perfect," he whispered, "It leaves so much to imagination."

"Oh," Sonia said, noticing the two guys, "Souda, Hinata, you're here too." "We were actually planning on hitting the beach ourselves," Souda said, "Since we're heading for the same place, how about we join you?" Sonia thought for a second. "Well, I had planned on this being girls only, but I suppose there's no harm in allowing you to come with us." 'I don't believe it,' Hinata thought, 'Souda's plan actually worked.' As Souda went off to get things ready, Nanami walked over to Hinata. "Was Souda simply trying to get in on our meeting at the beach? Because this seems like too much of a coincidence." Hinata just shrugged, not wanting to dash his friends happiness.

Feeling uncomfortable surrounded by girls in bikinis, Hinata excused himself to help Souda. Just as he was entering the beach, the intercom rang out, 'A body has been discovered. A school trial will commence after a short period of time. Make the most of it to discover who killed the victim.' Hinata started to turn pale, then heard Souda call out, "Someone! Over here! In the beach house!" Hinata raced over to the beach house and tried the nearest door, only to find it blocked somehow. He then ran over to the other side and found that door opened easily. Inside, Hinata was shocked to find Koizumi propped up against the door in a pool of her own blood.

---

Back at Future Foundation, Koizumi was rubbing her head. "I'm still feeling some of the sting from that attack. Good thing I wasn't really killed, huh?" Her friends all laughed. "About that game," Enoshima said, "You do realize it's a more simplified version of the one that was actually at the resort, right?" Koizumi nodded. "Yeah I know. The real deal was far more complex. So... Now we wait, right? Wait and see if my 'murderer' will get their 'justice' from the others. To be honest, she said she was hoping he would be coming out with her." "I'm not sure it even works like that," Naegi said, "But does it even matter? We'll be getting all of them out one way or another."

---

"Damn," Souda said, "And this day was starting off so well. Why Koizumi of all people? She was the most honest and kind-hearted out of all us, other than Sonia anyway." One by one the others arrived as well, all having been alerted to the presence of a body. Nanami had carefully filtered them in past the set of footprints that were leading outside the beach house. From their direction and size, they belonged to neither Souda nor Hinata. "I was wondering how long it would take," came Monokuma's voice, "Well, I believe you know how this works. One of you has killed poor Mahiru Koizumi. And in a short while we will be holding a class trial to find out who."

"So...," Tsumiki said, understandably shaken, "She really is..." "Are you sure this wasn't just an accident?," Souda said hopefully. "I'm afraid not," Monokuma said, "I'm still bound by the original rules my sister put in place, therefore if a student is in danger of dying in any way other than murder, I am obligated to render aid. Oh yes, before you begin your investigation, here's your new Monokuma File. Be sure to read it carefully. I hope you investigate as thoroughly as you did last time, for your own sakes." He handed out the copies of the file before disappearing.

"Damn," Owari said, "Another investigation, followed by another trial. Well, we may as well get started. Not like we have a choice in the matter." Hinata nodded. "Besides, I've got to know... Why someone would want Koizumi dead. They must have had some reason, just like Hanamura had his. I realize ultimately this is Monokuma's fault, but still... To do something like this is despicable." Tsumiki headed off to let the others know where the body was located, and the others got started on the investigation. Some enough the following facts were discovered:

-According to the Monokuma File, Koizumi had died at around 3:00 in the afternoon. The body was found inside the beach house. Cause of death was a single blow to the head with a blunt instrument. No other visible wounds or signs of poison.

-From the position of the body and a cursory examination of the blood, it appeared as though she had struggled to reach the door during the attack but only got halfway before expiring. The fact that her body was propped up against the door near the tunnel explained why it wouldn't open from the outside.

-Hinata remembered how earlier Nanami had pointed out the footprints leading out from the beach house door that opened onto the beach and straight to the tunnel. Since both Souda and Hinata had tried the tunnel-side door first, the footprints couldn't have belonged to them. Pekoyama also said that she had been swimming near the beach on the first island, so they weren't hers either.

-Not far from the body lay a metal bat covered in blood. In all likelihood it was the murder weapon.

-Right next to the body was a cartoon mask, which Sonia said depicted the anime character Sunny Witch Note Esper Itou-chan.

-There seemed to be a surprising amount of water bottles in the nearby trash can.

-Hinata remembered that the shower room in the beach house was broken, and in fact there was a sign on the door saying as much.

-Hinata and Owari worked together to get to the barred window in the shower room, which was surprisingly easy to open. However, since it took two people to even reach, they weren't sure how a single person could use it to escape.

-Inside the half-open closet, which wasn't open when Hinata was last there, he spotted a single yellow gummy on the floor.

-Hinata suddenly remembered that the girl known as E-ko in the Twilight Syndrome game had died in a manner identical to Koizumi. He decided to get Nanami's help in finding the missing link.

Nanami led Hinata to where the arcade machine was. On the way they passed Komaeda, who had apparently been freed by Monomi. Naturally he already knew about Koizumi's death and had also beaten the game. Once he was gone, Nanami turned to Komaeda. "Okay, do you remember the words you saw at the Game Over screen?" "You mean," Hinata said, "Dull Start?" Nanami nodded. "That's a secret code. Basically, at the start screen you input down, up, left, left, start. That will take you to the game's secret mode, where you can solve the game for real."

Once Hinata entered the code, the screen changed. "This is Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery's 'Truth Mode'," Nanami explained, "Playing through the game in this mode will unlock the true ending." The new game mode started with some exposition from the previous mode. The game then started on the first day, with the first four girls. Apparently, they were talking about how some of the girls' swimsuits had gone missing, and how E-ko's might have been one of them.

The girls then heard a noise from the second floor, and raced up there to see E-ko out of breathe. She had apparently heard the noise as well, but wasn't able to get into the room she had heard it from. D-ko grabbed a key from the staff room to open it. Inside the music room, they found a girl lying dead on the ground near a broken window. It seemed as though the person who killed her locked the door and broke the window to escape, likely taking the murder weapon with him. The girls thought he must have been in a panic, since there was also a broken aquarium in the room.

-That piece of information regarding the broken aquarium seemed important to Hinata, so he made a note of it.

-He also decided to make a note of the culprit's escape route that the girls had speculated on.

E-ko then mentioned that her swimsuit had been stolen, and that the killer had to be the same pervert that had been stealing all the swimsuits. This lead the girls to believe that the killer must have been trying to rape the poor victim, but she had resisted. When he wound up killing her, he panicked and escaped out the window.

-Hinata decided to make another note regarding the stolen swimsuit.

E-ko didn't want the police to suspect any of them after discovering the body, so she convinced the others that they should keep quite about this. Two days later, E-ko met with D-ko, who had taken a picture of a broken flower vase in the room next to the crime scene. This lead D-ko to believe that what they had heard wasn't a window breaking. She had nonetheless cleaned up the vase afterward so that E-ko wouldn't get in trouble. E-ko then mentioned how the dead girl had apparently been giving D-ko some serious trouble... And that the girl had been in the photography club with D-ko in junior high.

Then came a major revelation. Apparently E-ko had tried talking to the girl about leaving D-ko alone and not using her family's power as an excuse to do whatever she wants. When the girl threatened E-ko as well, E-ko wound up strangling the girl. Once the girl was unconscious, E-ko, fearing she would be in trouble once the girl woke up, had killed the poor girl. E-ko then ran off and left something near the trash. Then a boy, named F-suke, checked out the trash and found the picture of the broken flower vase. Remembering that E-ko was seen with the victim on the day she died, F-suke vowed to make her talk.

Once Hinata saw the Game Clear screen, he asked Nanami, "So this is the real ending?" Nanami nodded. "The events of the first and third days are the 'truth' route, meant to explain the events in the second and fourth days. Now watch the credits. They explain even further." After a few lines of how Monokuma made most of the game, Hinata noticed that the cast was made of Tsumiki, Koizumi, Saionji, Mioda, some girl named Satou, and two people with the last name Kuzuryuu.

As Hinata was realizing the implications of those names, Monokuma showed up. "Congratulations on your victory! This was mentioned at the start of the game, but this is based on non-fiction. It's an event that happened when you were at school that you don't even remember. Anyway, I have a prize for you as a reward for you completion of this game. However, it was already given to the first person to complete it. Sorry about that." Nanami sighed. "I guess I should have played the game sooner. He said the same thing to me when I played."

-The fact that there was a prize given to the first person who won the Twilight Syndrome game seemed very important to Hinata.

Komaeda was waiting for Hinata and Nanami just outside the park. He explained that he had convinced Tsumiki, Mioda, and Saionji to gather at the airport. Koizumi had been contemplating playing the Twilight Syndrome game and Komaeda had convinced her to try it when she was bringing him food. Mioda and Tsumiki mentioned that she had asked them to meet her at a certain point in time, but they had the beach party to attend. For some reason, Saionji claimed Koizumi hadn't asked her the same thing and ran off, leading Hinata, Komaeda, and Nanami to become suspicious.

-Inside Koizumi's cottage was the prize for winning the Twilight Syndrome game, a manille envelope with several pictures. The first was a picture of Tsumiki, Mioda, and Saionji in the entrance hall. It was likely the photo taken by D-ko on the first day in the game, which made Tsumiki A-ko, Saionji B-ko, Mioda C-ko, and Koizumi D-ko. That left Satou, the victim in the game's first mode, as E-ko.

-The second picture was the one of the broken flower vase D-ko had shown E-ko.

-The third photo was that of the victim from the game's second mode. It was in the music room meaning it was the one E-ko had supposedly destroyed.

-The fourth picture depicted E-ko's dead body, identical to the picture shown after the fake ending in the game's first mode.

-Nanami also found a note inside the envelope. It said something about playing the game and remembering what the recipient did to the writer's sister. This meant it wasn't Koizumi who had won the prize, but rather someone else had won it and sent it to Koizumi, which is why she had been contemplating playing the game. Hinata suddenly had a feeling he knew who had played the game first.

-Tsumiki finished her examination of the body, and found that Koizumi had died instantly upon being struck.

-Tsumiki had also found a note in Koizumi's pocket, apparently written by Saionji. It asked that the two of them meet at the beach house at 2:30.

-Komaeda had managed to copy almost everyone's footprints with the exception of Kuzuryuu. From the sketches he made, he was able to identify the footprints leading out of the beach house as belonging to Saionji.

-Komaeda had also found a bag of gummies in Saionji's cottage. Judging from what she had stockpiled, she gravitated towards a particular brand.

After finishing their investigations, the students were called back to Monokuma Rock. Once there, they took the elevator back down to the trial room. Hinata's mind was racing. He knew to survive he had to discover who Koizumi's killer was. There was simply no other option. But he couldn't help back shake the feeling, in the back of his mind, that this trial had a sense of familiarity to it.

---

"You're thinking the same thing I am, aren't you Dad?," Tora asked his father. Phoenix nodded. "Did you tell the others?" "I told them," Tora said, "Though I'm not sure if I'm right or not. If it is true, then this man is just as much a victim of Matsuda as the rest of us." Phoenix looked surprised at Tora, which made him chuckle. "Come on Dad, these are my friends. After everything we've been through and survived together, did you think I wouldn't tell them?" "Heh," Phoenix said, "That's usually how it goes. Then again, breaking the stereotype is just how our family does things." Ooshida then showed up and started passing out popcorn.

---

Monokuma: Well! Why don't we start with the motive I gave you! Go on, talk about my masterpiece, "Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery"!

Mioda: Whaaat? Who cares about some stupid game?!

Tanaka: Is this duel's purpose not to unmask the murderer among us?

Komaeda: That's why we can't just leave it alone. The game was this murder's motive, remember?

Nanami: Hmmm... That's right. So, let's start there.

Komaeda: The people who completed it probably already know, but the game is based on a real incident.

Pekoyama: Some of us - myself included - have not played the game. Perhaps you should explain this in more detail...?

Komaeda: Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery is a non-fiction game, you see. And that's not all. The people involved in the incident depicted therein are among us.

Nidai: T-There are video game characters among us?!

Nanami: So... I think it would be best to start by making clear who those characters are.

Hinata: A-ko, who appears in the game, must be Tsumiki. Mikan Tsumiki, that is.

Tsumiki: Whaaaat?! M-Meeeee?!

Hinata: That timidness and stuttering... It's exactly like A-ko's. If we have to choose from the names appearing in the credits list, A-ko is the only one who fits.

Tsumiki: W-Why am I in a video game? That's an invasion of my privacy!

Saionji: Ha! An ugly pig trash girl like you has no right to privacy in the first place!

Nanami: Ah. I feel as though I heard the phrase "ugly pig trash girl" in the game too.

Saionji: ...Huh?

Hinata: In the game, B-ko was short and very rude... She must have been based on Saionji.

Saionji: Short and rude? That's taking way too much creative liberty!

Komaeda: Anyway, let's move one. It's C-ko's turn.

Hinata: That's easy... It's Ibuki Mioda. She's C-ko!

Mioda: Hey! Ibuki's no sicko! That's defamation! Ibuki will sue!

Nanami: So... Next up is D-ko.

Hinata: D-ko is Koizumi. Mahiru Koizumi... The victim.

Komaeda: Yeah, that much is indisputable. Let's skip E-ko for the time being, and move on to F-suke instead.

Hinata: F-suke is... Kuzuryuu, isn't he?

Kuzuryuu: Hmph. Are you saying I'm in that game? That's crap.

Komaeda: Ah, speaking of... There was another person named Kuzuryuu on that list, wasn't there?

Souda: ...There was?

Komaeda: It was right there in the credits... Tsumiki, Koizumi, Saionji, Mioda, Satou, Kuzuryuu, Kuzuryuu. That was the entire list.

Nidai: Hold it right there...! Why are you repeating Kuzuryuu's name...?!

Komaeda: I'm not making a mistake. That's the way it was on the credits list. What does it mean...? You finished the game, didn't you, Hinata? You must know, then.

Hinata: Both Kuzuryuu and his little sister appear in the game, don't they?

Kuzuryuu: Geh!

Owari: ...Hm? He has a little sister?

Hinata: F-suke said so in the game... Those words tell us that F-suke has a little sister. That sister actually appeared in the game. That's why the credits list two Kuzuryuus.

Komaeda: So... What role did F-suke and Kuzuryuu's little sister play in the game...? Surely you know that too, Hinata.

Hinata: She... Has to be the girl who died at the beginning of the game.

Komaeda: Based on their dialogue, E-ko can't possibly be F-suke's sister. Which means the only remaining possibility is the girl who died. That makes her Kuzuryuu's sister.

Kuzuryuu: Feh! What the fuck's this all about...? You're a piece of work, aren't you...!

Komaeda: A piece of work? Is that praise?!

Kuzuryuu: The complete opposite, retard!

Tanaka: It was mentioned that this game was non-fiction, was it not? Then... The sister in question...

Kuzuryuu: I do have a little sister, that much is true... But, so what?! It's just a game! We can't take it seriously!

Komaeda: It's not "just a game"... This game has an unquestionable link to reality... That's what makes it a good motive.

Kuzuryuu: D-Don't fuck with me, asshole! If she was that easy to kill, I'd have killed her myself a long time ago! B-Besides, she came to see me off when I took off for Hope's Peak. She stood right there, shooting her mouth off like she always does... It was just a few days ago...!

Monokuma: Um, your memory is gone, so that's only what it feels like to you-

Kuzuryuu: Shut up! Don't say another word!

Komaeda: I see... So you won't accept this game as reality until the bitter end, Kuzuryuu. Okay, I get it! So that's your strategy for this trial!

Nidai: Komaeda... You've cast a lot of suspicion on Kuzuryuu, but... Do you really believe he's the culprit?

Komaeda: It would be sad if this mystery was that simple... Not nearly enough to be a stepping stone for everyone... I would be happier if Kuzuryuu turns out not to be the culprit!

Souda: Bah. Weirdo.

Nanami: Anyway... With that, we've made it clear who the game's characters are, haven't we?

Tanaka: A-ko is Tsumiki, B-ko is Saionji, C-ko is Mioda, D-ko is Koizumi, F-suke is Kuzuryuu... And... The girl who was killed at the beginning is Kuzuryuu's little sister.

Kuzuryuu: It's just a game...!

Nanami: In that case, the remaining character, E-ko, is "Satou", but...

Mioda: Don't tell me it's that Satou! The one from the rice?!

Nanami: I'm not sure what Satou you're talking about, but... I don't think she has anything to do with us.

Owari: She may be related to Tanaka! They both have cliched Japanese surnames!

Tanaka: Tanaka may be a common surname, but it is leagues beyond Satou or Suzuki!

Monokuma: Hey, more importantly - how about we finally get to the main mystery of the game?!

Monomi: ...Huh? Was there a mystery in that game?

Monokuma: Oh, didn't you hear, dear? That E-ko character was killed!

Monomi: Oh my! Are you sure?

Monokuma: I tell you... These high school students today...

Monomi: Things aren't like they used to be...

Souda: So you're in cahoots after all!

Pekoyama: In short, the game's mystery is about this E-ko's murder, is it?

Komaeda: We can get this over with quickly, then! Let's handle the reason she was killed first!

Hinata: E-ko was killed because she was the one who killed the girl in the beginning.

Komaeda: In other words, E-ko was killed in revenge for that girl's death... What do you think, Kuzuryuu? We're saying E-ko was killed in revenge for your little sister.

Kuzuryuu: You're persistent, aren't you... I don't care about what happened in that game, but...

Komaeda: ...But?

Kuzuryuu: I-Is that really true...? Did that E-ko really... Kill that girl...?

Komaeda: In order to make that clear, we have to solve the case of the first girl's murder.

Nanami: The murder in the music room. I thought it might come to this, so I prepared this. I drew a map of the first crime scene; the music room and its surroundings.

Hinata: ...That's unexpectedly diligent of you.

Nanami: Hmph... Mapping is an essential skill for a retro-game fan, you know. Old school dungeon-crawling RPGs had a first person camera, so mapping as you went was a fundamental skill to have.

Nidai: Argh! Keep this discussion for some other time and concentrate on the case!

Nanami: So... Let me first explain what happened in that first incident. A-ko, B-ko, C-ko, and D-ko heard the sound of broken glass from the entrance hall. They quickly headed to the second floor, where the sound came from, and when they reached it... They found E-ko waiting next to the second floor music room. She reported she had heard the sound from inside the room. But, the door to the music room was locked. D-ko went to retrieve a key from the staff room, and the 5 girls were able to enter the music room. Inside... They found the dead body of a girl who'd been hit on the head. The girls thought the culprit had escaped through the broken window they found in the room. They concluded the sound of broken glass they heard from the hall was this window. In addition, E-ko's swimsuit was stolen, so they decided the culprit who escape through the window was a pervert. ...That's about it.

Komaeda: Yeah, you've made it perfectly easy to understand! Your skill as a Super High School Level Gamer is showing!

Tsumiki: But it wasn't really a pervert, was it? The real culprit was E-ko, right?

Nidai: So... After E-ko killed the girl in the music room, she must've stepped into the corridor and waited for the other girls.

Mioda: Was the music room locked from the outside? In that case, she needed the staff room key!

Nidai: In other words... She had the key on her the entire time. She used it to lock the music room's door as soon as she left it!

Sonia: But... D-ko went to fetch that same key from the staff room just a short while later, didn't she?

Komaeda: By the way, let's not even bother assuming there was a spare key. The game would've referenced it if there was.

Nidai: In that case... Was the music room locked from the inside? And then E-ko broke the window and escaped... And then, she ran like the wind and reached the music room before the others did!

Nanami: But, in order to get back to the music room, she'd have to pass through the entrance hall the others were in, wouldn't she?

Nidai: In that case... I got nothing!

Souda: Sulkin' ain't gonna make you any cuter, y'know...

Saionji: Is the culprit even really E-ko? It doesn't make any sense at all!

Komaeda: After killing the girl in the music room... What did E-ko do?

Tanaka: She simply broke the nearest window... ...And took her leave.

Pekoyama: So how did she get from there... ...To back outside the music room?

Nanami: In order to get back there... She had to pass through the entrance hall, didn't she?

Tsumiki: But, about that entrance hall... ...The other four girls were there, I think.

Nidai: Yes. And that's where... ... They heard the sound of the window breaking.

Hinata: The sound the girls heard wasn't the sound of the window breaking.

Mioda: If it wasn't the window, then... What broke?

Hinata: A flower vase.

Mioda: A VAAAAAAAASE?!

Hinata: After the incident, a broken vase was found in a classroom next to the music room.

Nanami: The sound of broken glass the four girls heard wasn't the music room's window... It was the sound of that vase breaking... Probably.

Komaeda: In fact, the incident was already almost over at the time the girls met up in the entrance hall... After E-ko killed the girl, she broke the music room's window and went to retrieve the key from the staff room... Then, she locked the music room from outside, and went back to return the key. After that, she went back to the corridor in front of the music room. Then, she estimated the time the others would meet in the entrance hall, and all she had left to do was break the vase in the neighboring classroom.

Nidai: She made it look like the murder had just happened, and the culprit ran away...

Pekoyama: Then, she just faked having also arrived to the scene at that moment.

Tsumiki: I-I see! We solved the mystery!

Monokuma: But there's still more! For one, we don't even know what the murder weapon was!

Mioda: Who cares about that?! We know who the culprit is!

Monokuma: I care! I prepared a death match for you bastards and you're going to do it properly!

Souda: Don't be such a bother!

Nidai: Very well... Let's make it clear what the murder weapon was. If we don't it will be like a piece of shit that's just about to drop down... IN OTHER WORDS, DISGUSTING!

Saionji: You're the one who's disgusting.

Monokuma: Upupu. The murder weapon is not something you'd expect, but it was very definitely shown in the game! Can you bastards guess what it is?!

Souda: A weapon that was in the music room, huh... How about some shards of the broken glass?

Owari: Didn't she die from a blow to the head?

Sonia: So, she had the aquarium smashed on her!

Nidai: That's far too large to be a weapon...

Tanaka: Then, perhaps, a piano...

Nidai: That's even larger...

Tanaka: It played her a tune of a galactic catastrophe...

Nidai: That's a whole different kind of "large"!

Mioda: What about a smash to the head with some gravel?

Hinata: That's it... The culprit used gravel to kill the girl, didn't she?

Mioda: Oh my... Ibuki wasn't even being serious, but got it right anyway! Ha Haaaa! Ibuki's truly been chosen by god, hasn't she?!

Souda: No, you haven't and no, it's not the gravel! It's too small! It can't be a weapon!

Hinata: What if the gravel was inside some kind of bag?

Tsumiki: A bag...? What bag?

Hinata: Since the weapon was properly introduced in the game... So was the bag. The only thing that fits is the school swimsuit! When tied up into a bag with the gravel inside, it's a perfect weapon.

Mioda: Gravel in a swimsuit?! A bizarre idea that would astonish Mr. Wright himself!

Nanami: But, by using it, the culprit killed two birds with one stone. In order to make it look like the culprit was a pervert, she had her swimsuit "stolen"... That is, she destroyed it after using it as a murder weapon.

Hinata: How about it, Monokuma? Satisfied?

Monokuma: Ah, the joy of seeing someone solve your mystery... A wonderful feeling known only to writers!

Komaeda: But, we haven't reached the real important issue yet. E-ko had an accomplice. And that accomplice... Was D-ko.

Owari: D-ko... That was Koizumi, wasn't it?

Saionji: Huh? Big sis was an accomplice...? What's going on? What do you mean?

Hinata: D-ko destroyed the one important piece of evidence for the music room incident... The remains of the flower vase.

Nanami: Besides... The reason E-ko killed the girl in the first place seems to have been to protect D-ko. It appears D-ko was receiving all kinds of abuse from the murdered girl... E-ko found out about that and tried to stop the girl, but they got into an argument...

Nidai: I can see where this is going... She ended up killing her, didn't she?

Komaeda: But, she clearly had murderous intentions. She strangled the girl and then hit her hard on the head when she lost consciousness, after all.

Tsumiki: S-She must have caused her to lose consciousness without meaning to, and felt there was no going back... S-Somehow, I-I think I can understand her.

Mioda: You do?! That's kinda scary!

Komaeda: Then, of course, E-ko was also killed on the game's last day, the 4th day. Just to make sure we're on the same page... Who do you think killed E-ko?

Hinata: It was probably... F-suke.

Tanaka: A well worn tale... Consumed by the burning desire to avenge his sister, F-suke killed E-ko!

Souda: B-But... Haven't we said F-suke was...

Kuzuryuu: ...Aa? I told you, it's just a game.

Komaeda: You would say that. If this game is true, it would be a big problem for you, Kuzuryuu.

Nidai: Oy! Can someone explain it clearly? Does no one who was in the game remember anything?

Tsumiki: I-I offer my sincere apologies, but...

Monokuma: You don't remember! Of course you don't! Your precious school memories were stolen from you, after all!

Saionji: It doesn't matter if we remember or not! He's clearly the culprit! Who else but criminal scum like Kuzuryuu could kill big sis Koizumi, who was so nice and kind?! He killed both E-ko and big sis Koizumi!

Kuzuryuu: Feh... Of course I get blamed for everything. Well, it's not like I'm not used to it.

Pekoyama: But, is Koizumi's murder really connected to the game? Isn't it possible it has nothing to do with it?

Hinata: I can't imagine they aren't connected. At the very least, the culprit must have played the game. There's proof. Koizumi, who was killed at the beach house... ...And E-ko, who was killed in the game, were both killed with a blow to the head by a metal bat. We can't ignore this similarity, can we?

Saionji: He's obsessed with taking his revenge by killing his victims the same way - a smash to the head. How about you confess already? You killed big sis Koizumi, didn't you?

Kuzuryuu: D-Don't fuck with me...! There's no way a stupid game would become anyone's motive!

Saionji: You're so stupid you believed that game, and then went away to take your revenge!

Pekoyama: If we jump to conclusion like this, we're just going to talk in circles... Besides... Kuzuryuu may indeed be suspicious, but don't you think it's all a little too obvious?

Kuzuryuu: W-What is...?

Pekoyama: It's possible that this is a trap set by the real culprit.

Saionji: A-A trap...? What trap...?

Pekoyama: The real culprit must have played the game, and discovered the truths hidden within. Then, they used that knowledge to set up Kuzuryuu to take the fall.

Sonia:Are you saying a completely separate culprit killed Koizumi and used the game-provided motive as a cover?

Pekoyama: Isn't that right, Saionji?

Saionji: ...What?!

Pekoyama: I think I made myself very clear! I am claiming that you are the real culprit!

Saionji: Oh? Is that your idea of a joke...? A creepy ugly poop-head like you should keep her mouth shut! What the heck are you saying, you stupid four-eyes! Me, killing big sis Koizumi...? Waaaaaaaah! How cruel!

Mioda: How come Hiyoko's a suspect now?

Pekoyama: Do you know what Saionji did today? She went to the murder scene, the beach house!

Saionji: I didn't go to the beach house...!

Hinata: Wait just a second. You did go to that beach house, Saionji.

Saionji: I-I just said that I didn't, didn't I?!

Hinata: But... The footprints left in front of the beach house are yours, aren't they?

Saionji: M-My footprints aren't that ugly! You should ask Tsumiki about them, not me!

Tsumiki: Please don't say they're mine just because they're ugly!

Komaeda: Oh? So these footprints aren't yours, Saionji? That's strange... The footprints I found in your room match them perfectly, after all.

Saionji: I-In my room...? What the heck have you been doing, you creepy pedo?!

Pekoyama: There's more. The footprints next to the beach house are leading out of it. That is, when the person who left them entered the beach house, they used a different entrance.

Tsumiki: A different entrance...? Are you talking about the tunnel-side door? The one that Koizumi was blocking?

Nidai: In that case, when that person entered, the body wasn't there yet?!

Mioda: A door they could use when entering, but not when exiting...

Pekoyama: Which means, something happened while they were inside. Isn't that so, Saionji?!

Saionji: Oh, now I remember! I did go to the beach house, now that I think about it!

Tanaka: At last, a confession...

Saionji: You all probably already know this, but I go on morning walks every day!

Mioda: That's the first Ibuki's heard of this!

Saionji: That's when I went to the beach house today! During my morning walk!

Owari: I see! In that case, it has nothing to do with the murder.

Kuzuryuu: Don't believe her so easily, you idiot! She's obviously lying!

Owari: Huh?! She is?!

Saionji: People who call others liars are often the ones actually telling the lies, you know? If you think I'm lying, how about proving it?! Can you prove I'm lying?! Can you?! Kyahahahaha! Someone as incompetent as you will never be able to do it! I did go to the beach house... But it was just during my morning walk!

Hinata: You've only been there during your morning walk? Can you still make that claim after I show you this letter?

Tsumiki: T-This is... The letter I found on Koizumi, isn't it?

Tanaka: I see. Judging by the content of this letter, Saionji set an appointment with Koizumi at the beach house.

Saionji: W-Where the heck did this letter come from...? I've never seen it, honestly!

Souda: Hey! I just remembered! You were there! I saw you!

Saionji: Huh?!

Souda: When me and Hinata were waiting for the beach party, we arrived at the diner around 3 o'clock. I saw you passing by about 30 minutes later. That makes it about 3:30.

Pekoyama: Hmm. If we assume she had met Koizumi at 2:30, then killed her and ran away... The fact that Souda saw her at 3:30 matches that theory well.

Saionji: I-It doesn't... You're all wrong...!

Souda: Speaking of, you passed in front of the diner as well, Kuzuryuu. Did you happen to spot her as well?

Kuzuryuu: No, I didn't... I was just passing by the area by chance. I paid no attention to the beach house. I went straight back to the hotel after meeting you there. I saw no one on the way back.

Mioda: No one?! That's even more suspicious!

Kuzuryuu: It's the truth. What can I say?

Pekoyama: Let's leave him alone for now. I see no reason to pursue this any farther. Anyway, the letter and Souda's testimony tell the entire story. Saionji met Koizumi at the beach house.

Saionji: I said I've never seen it! I never wrote any letter! I-I'm telling the truth... I really don't know anything... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Mioda: A-Are those real tears? Are they fake tears?

Nidai: Of course they're fake.

Pekoyama: She most likely planned on killing Koizumi all along, and set up a meeting at the beach house. That's why the letter explicitly asks not to talk to anyone else about it. Then, she arrived at the beach house early, hid somewhere, and waited for Koizumi to arrive. There's proof of that, too!

Hinata: The place Saionji hid... It was the closet, wasn't it,

Pekoyama: Yes, it was. The proof is the piece of gummy that we found on the floor there. Saionji... You like eating those things, don't you?

Saionji: G-Gummies...? I-I've never eaten anything like that in my life...!

Tanaka: Heh heh heh... At long last, we have grasped the true form of this mystery! After luring Koizumi to the beach house, Saionji concealed herself in the closet, much like a common familiar... She assaulted Koizumi as soon she got the chance, and was soon gone like the wind itself.

Pekoyama: The fact that Koizumi's dead body was blocking the door at that point was a simple miscalculation on Saionji's part. She had no choice but to escape through the beach-side door, and ended up leaving her footprints there.

Tanaka: Fuwahaha! That's proof enough! And without any help from the Four Dark Gods of Destruction to boot!

Saionji: I-It's a trap! Someone set a trap for me!

Mioda: Who's that "someone"?! If you're making an accusation, tell us who it is!

Saionji: M-Maybe it's, um, that guy...? Y'know, the one with the mask...?

Tsumiki: The one with the mask...?

Saionji: There was a suspicious mask on the beach house's floor, wasn't there? The person who wore that mask is the real culprit...

Owari: It was probably you who had that mask on when you killed Koizumi.

Saionji: There's no way I'd ever wear such a childish mask! Is your brain melting or something?!

Sonia: Yes. It was not Saionji! This mask belongs to Kirakira-chan!

Mioda: ...Eh? Who-chan?

Sonia: This mask reveals all! Kirakira-chan is hiding on this island! That is, the famous serial killer Kirakira-chan is the true culprit who killed Koizumi!

Tanaka: Cease your incoherent blabbering at once, fiend, or I shall dismember you on the spot!

Souda: G-Give her a break! She's from a different culture... It's just her culture shock speaking or something!

Nidai: Saionji, it's time to act responsibly and confess! Your unwillingness to accept your defeat is getting ugly!

Saionji: Your face is ugly! I'm not the culprit at all! Why doesn't anyone get it?!

Tanaka: It is time for us to render out verdict... The culprit we seek is Hiyoko Saionji!

Saionji: I told you, it's a trap!

Nidai: You went to the beach house... That much is certain, isn't it?

Saionji: B-But, I...

Kuzuryuu: It's also clear that you hid in the closet. That's when you dropped that gummy, after all!

Hinata: That piece of gummy... Was it really Saionji who dropped it?

Kuzuryuu: Heh. That midget's the only one here who still eats those things... Despite her age.

Saionji: Y-You're a midget too! You must be lying awake every night worrying about your height!

Hinata: Saionji certainly likes eating gummies, but... She's very... Particular... About the type of gummies she eats.

Komaeda: Strawberry, melon, grape, and orange... You only eat those four flavors, don't you?

Tsumiki: Huh? But, what about lemon...? I mean... The piece that was at the crime scene was yellow... It looked like it was lemon-flavored...

Saionji: Huh? The gummy was yellow? It's not mine! I never eat yellow gummies!

Pekoyama: What...?

Komaeda: She's not lying... She had bags of gummies stockpiled in her cottage, but there wasn't a single yellow gummy in sight...

Nanami: So, we can't be certain it was Saionji who dropped that piece of gummy, can we?

Saionji: S-See?! It's a trap after all! Dammit... Who'd set a trap like that for me...? I'll have my revenge! I'll pinch their forehead so hard their skull will collapse!

Kuzuryuu: Just a second, shithead! Do you really think you can escape suspicion just because of a stupid peace of gummy?! Don't fuck with me! You're not getting out of this so easily! Saionji isn't clear of suspicion yet! The biggest piece of evidence against her still stands!

Tsumiki: You mean the footprints in front of the beach house?

Nidai: That is most certainly an important piece of evidence... ...And it's all thanks to Koizumi that we have it!

Mioda: What do you mean, "thanks to Koizumi"?

Owari: Koizumi used the last bit of her strength...

Hinata: No, it can't have been Koizumi who blocked the door. I mean... Didn't she die instantly?

Owari: S-She did?

Tsumiki: According to my examination... Yes, it was undoubtedly an instant death.

Kuzuryuu: I-If I find out you've done a half-assed job, you'll have an instant death!

Tsumiki: Hyaaa! I-I'm sorry!

Sonia: Kuzuryuu, that's no good. Threatening women is a cowardly act.

Komaeda: It's probably true that her death was instantaneous, though. It was caused by just a single blow. Which means it wasn't her who blocked the tunnel-side door. Someone else used her body to block it.

Tsumiki: S-Someone else...? Who...?

Hinata: ...The culprit, of course. The culprit blocked the door with Koizumi's corpse. The body being dragged was probably what left all that blood on the floor.

Mioda: But, why would the culprit block the door?

Kuzuryuu: If we really want to know, we can just ask the culprit! I mean, it was clearly Saionji!

Saionji: I-I told you, I'm not...!

Nanami: If Saionji is the culprit... That would also make her the one who pulled the body up to the door, right? With all the blood that was left at the scene... I think whoever moved the body would end up with blood all over them.

Souda: Huh? But, when I saw here, there... ...There wasn't a spot on her!

Saionji: See?! I'm not the culprit! Yaaaaay! That proves I'm not guilty once and for all!

Kuzuryuu: T-This proves nothing!

Hinata: Kuzuryuu... Why do you keep insisting Saionji is the culprit?

Kuzuryuu: S-Shut up! I'm telling you, she's the culprit! She must be! There's a shower in that beach house... All she'd have had to do about the blood... Was wash it off in the shower!

Hinata: No, she can't have used the shower. After all... The shower is still under repairs!

Kuzuryuu: I-It is?

Monomi: I'm sorry... I couldn't fix it in time...

Kuzuryuu: So... Maybe she took her clothes off before she moved the body? And then, after she was done, she put them back on...

Saionji: W-Why would I ever do such a perverted thing?!

Hinata: Listen, Kuzuryuu... Remember what Saionji told us before? In other words... If Saionji had taken her clothes off, she wouldn't have been able to put them on again.

Kuzuryuu: W-What the...!

Owari: Now I remember! She couldn't tie her obi by herself! She even skipped showers and got all stinky!

Saionji: I-I wasn't stinky... I just smelled a little...

Nanami: Ah. Isn't it also forbidden to change in the beach house in the first place?

Monomi: Yep! If someone broke the rules, I don't think Monokuma would let them get away with it...

Monokuma: Of course! Even the handlers at the safari park knew not to break any rules around me!

Mioda: So if we lose the clothes changing trick, how did Hiyoko get rid of all the blood on her?!

Saionji: I didn't have any on me in the first place! I never touched big sis' body!

Souda: Hey, if we follow this line of thought... Isn't the one who did have blood all over her suspicious? When she came to meet us before the beach party... Owari was drenched with blood, wasn't she?

Owari: That was from my big fight with ol' man Nidai!

Nidai: I can vouch for that. She wouldn't give up until she was hurt that bad!

Owari: Hah... Cheeky, Souda, cheeky... Right! When we're done here, I'm gonna make sure you can't lift your cheeks off the ground!

Mioda: This is gonna be so cool!

Souda: What?! No it won't!

Saionji: Hey, forget that... I'm cleared, right? Do we all agree I'm not the culprit now?

Nanami: Yeah, so it seems.

Saionji: Didn't I say so from the very beginning...? I'd never kill big sis Koizumi... She showed me how to tie my obi... She was so nice to me... Why would I ever kill her?! Why did it take you so long to get it?! You're all stupid! Stupid stupid stupid stupid!

Tsumiki: Saionji... Please don't cry. Everything's alright now, right?

Saionji: Shut up, ugly pig! I hope you die of deep-set nail complications!

Tsumiki: Hiii! I'm sorry for being an ugly pig!

Komaeda: Hey, Saionji... Now that no one is suspecting you anymore, how about telling us the truth?

Saionji: ...Huh?

Komaeda: You may not be the culprit... But you did go to the beach house, didn't you?

Saionji: I-I told you... It was a trap...!

Komaeda: Yeah, yeah, we know... So how about you tell us what the trap was, exactly?

Nidai: I want to know as well... Perhaps it can give us some sort of hint...!

Saionji: O-Okay... All I have to do is tell you, right? You see... This morning big sis Koizumi came to see me. She wanted us to meet with some other people later...

Mioda: Huh? But didn't you tell a completely different story earlier? Was that all a big lie, you little brat?!

Saionji: I-I thought you'd all suspect me if I told the truth... That's why I kept quiet...

Nidai: And so... How did you respond to Koizumi's invitation?

Saionji: I told her I'd be there. Not like I had any reason to refuse. Big sis Koizumi wasn't like the rest of you... I wasn't embarrassed when I was with her...

Souda: Doesn't know when to stop, does she...?

Saionji: When we first talked, we agreed to meet at 2 in the afternoon, but... Around noon, I found a letter in my mailbox.

Nanami: ...A letter?

Saionji: Yeah. Here it is... After reading this letter... I went to the beach house at 2 o'clock, like we agreed...

Hinata: Doesn't this letter contradict the one Koizumi had? In Koizumi's letter, the meeting time was 2:30. But, in the one Saionji got...

Nidai: Wha! The meeting times don't match at all!

Hinata: Besides, it's strange that both letters talk about wanting to change the meeting location. If just one of them said it, it would be one thing, but for both of them to say the same thing...

Mioda: H-Hiyoko! You wrote Mahiru's letter! What do you think?!

Saionji: I told you, I never wrote any letter! How many times do I have to repeat it?!

Hinata: Both letters... Must be fakes, sent by the culprit...

Komaeda: The culprit tried to control both Koizumi and Saionji's actions... Yeah, that sounds about right.

Nidai: Yes, that certainly seems to be the case. In fact, if we compare the two letters... Yes! The handwriting is exactly the same! The content is also a very close match!

Nanami: "I wanted to tell you directly, but I couldn't find you so I'm putting this in your mailbox"... "I think there are people who want to interfere with our meeting"... "So, let's keep this a secret, and try to avoid each other before we get there"... And so on.

Tsumiki: S-So both letters were fakes by the culprit...

Tanaka: And so, the two girls were set dancing to the whims of our unseen puppetmaster...

Saionji: H-How could I let myself be tricked so easily... By the culprit who killed big sis Koizumi... Waaaaaaaaaaaah! It's not faaair! Gimme back my big sis!

Komaeda: She's right... This is so very unfair... I kept asking you to, but the culprit didn't even come to consult with me... It's me who's at fault here, of course! My pitiful unreliability was the problem!

Mioda: The moment we lower our guards he's back to that!

Owari: ...Hey! Can I punch him this time?!

Hinata: ...Anyway, Saionji went to the beach house at 2 o'clock, as directed by the letter, didn't she?

Pekoyama: What's important is what followed. What did happen in that beach house?

Saionji: Tee-hee... I fell asleep!

Tsumiki: How come you fell asleep?!

Saionji: It's not like I wanted to... I think someone drugged me or something...

Sonia: Postal! Drugged?!

Tsumiki: I-It must have been one of the anesthetics from the pharmacy... I knew it was dangerous to have drugs like that out in plain sight! I thought so the moment I saw them there...

Souda: If you thought so, why didn't you do something?!

Tsumiki: Hyaaa! I-I'm sorry!

Saionji: When I woke up, I found myself stuffed in that small closet... And when I went out... B-Big sis Koizumi's body was right there...

Mioda: And then, you ran out of the beach house in distress, didn't you!

Saionji: I-I was scared... So scared... I couldn't help myself... Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Nanami: The culprit must have been trying to frame Saionji all along. They called her to the beach house before the victim got there, drugged her, and put her in the closet...

Tanaka: They even blocked the side-door with a corpse... All to force their mark to leave through the beach.

Tsumiki: I-It was all to push the blame on to Saionji...

Saionji: It's so unfair... I didn't do anything bad, and yet... The culprit who took big sis Koizumi away from me... Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Sonia: S-Saionji, please don't cry. We all believe in you...!

Kuzuryuu: Hrmph. Are you morons actually buying this? Some fake teats are all it takes to convince you people...!

Nidai: If we keep doubting her this ordeal will never end!

Kuzuryuu: Isn't that what the class trial is for? Doubt is the only defense we have down here... The only way to survive is to doubt everyone and everything... So, why the fuck are you suddenly all trusting each other?! Are you actually that dumb?!

Komaeda: You've got that wrong, Kuzuryuu... This isn't a place for about. It's a place for cooperation. The class trial is a place where everyone can cooperate to reach a common goal. The culprit and the rest of the students... Two conflicting hopes, fighting for the right to be realized... The clash of the two hopes is a wonder to behold! That is the true beauty of the class trial!

Souda: Look, do you want us to find the culprit or not?

Komaeda: I will ally with any absolute hope... Any hope strong enough to crush any despair. That absolute hope that lies on the other side of this clash between hopes!

Tanaka: He is neither black nor white, but a creature of grey... He cares not for victory nor even his own life... So long as there is a battle.

Mioda: ...Frankly, he'd be more trustworthy if he just admitted he was working for the culprit...

Hinata: Enough of this... We shouldn't waste our time listening to him again...

Nidai: Yes... Our problem is figuring out who killed Koizumi!

Sonia: There must be some new clue in Saionji's story... Let's take what she's told us to be the truth, and discuss the mystery one more time!

Monomi: Yep, yep! A debate based on trust is the way to go! That's right! That is the right way to do things! The wonderful power of unity! Take that, Monokuma! We won't let you do as you please!

Monokuma: Zzzzzz... Zzzzzz...

Monomi: Howawa?! He's asleep!

Kuzuryuu: Idiots... You don't get it, do you... Don't you realize what happens if you act this way? All that's waiting at the end is a cold, cruel reality...

---

"You know," Phoenix said, "Mioda may have said someone using a swimsuit filled with gravel would surprise me, but after all I've seen in my career, I can be pretty difficult to surprise." Ooshida was merrily munching on her popcorn. "This is where it gets good. We've already removed the fake culprit, now we can move on to who the real culprit is. Assuming Kamukura can even figure it out." Naegi sighed. "I'm still not sure I'm sold on the whole 'show them despair to give them hope' angle." "Look at it this way," Enoshima said, "If someone who has wallowed in despair his whole life sees the effect on someone else, what do you think the chances are that they'll realize they can't live their life like that?" "Good point," Naegi said.

---

Mioda: Um, so... Even if we choose to believe Hiyoko's story... What do we do now?

Nanami: If the culprit's goal was to set a trap for Saionji, the trap itself might be a clue.

Pekoyama: Are you talking about the letters?

Nanami: ...Nope. I'm talking about the gummy.

Owari: Huh? Since when is a piece of candy a clue?

Nanami: Saionji, when you woke up inside the closet, was the gummy already there?

Saionji: Ah! Now that you mention it... I don't think it was.

Nanami: ...Just as I thought.

Hinata: ...What's on your mind?

Nanami: If the culprit set up the false evidence while Saionji was asleep, they would risk her finding it and throwing it away.

Nidai: In other words, the gummy was placed in the closet after Saionji escaped the beach house?

Saionji: Did they come back after I left?

Tanaka: They need not have taken that chance... They would need only to hide themselves away... And wait.

Saionji: That's not possible! There's nowhere to hide in there! I even took a peek in the shower room before I ran out, and there was no one there!

Souda: So... Maybe they did come back?

Nanami: Hmmm... Which is it...? I have a feeling that question is important to discovering the truth...

Hinata: The culprit... Was hiding, right?

Saionji: How sad... All that time just standing there thinking, and that's the best you can come up with? I just told you there was nowhere to hide in there, didn't I? Do I need to explain this again in a different language?

Mioda: The second she's out of suspicion, she's back to her regular abuse!

Hinata: No, there was a place to hide. Somewhere you never looked, Saionji.

Saionji: A-And where would that be? If you're just guessing, I'll have Owari pinch you so had your forehead will shine forever!

Hinata: The culprit must have hidden inside the closet.

Saionji: The closet...?! But, that's where I was!

Hinata: When you woke up, you panicked and left it immediately, didn't you? You probably never gave it a second look.

Pekoyama: But, could two people really fit in such a cramped space? And, in such a way that Saionji wouldn't even notice that someone else is there?

Nanami: That's exactly why the culprit chose that area. There, they could create their own hiding place...

Hinata: There was a place they could hide in there, wasn't there? Inside on of those surfboard cases piled on the shelves.

Saionji: What? Inside a surfboard case?

Nanami: Those shelves... Were really in a mess, weren't they? There were shelves that had two cases on them, and surfboards left out of their cases. The culprit did that on purpose, I think. To give themselves somewhere to hide. After all, we all just came to this island. The place shouldn't have been that messy.

Saionji: So... The culprit was there right beside me?

Hinata: Yeah... They were right there next to you, holding their breath and hiding.

Mioda: You know what they say! "In for a penny, in for a pound".

Nidai: "The darkest place is under the candlestick"... So to speak.

Mioda: Ha ha! You shouldn't follow something you don't even understand with "so to speak"!

Hinata: A-Anyway... That's where the culprit lay hidden. Then, once they were certain Saionji had left... That's when they finally came out of the surfboard case.

Komaeda: I completely support this conclusion!

Owari: ...No one asked you.

Komaeda: The culprit wouldn't have wanted to leave their fake evidence while Saionji was still in the beach house... After all, if she found the evidence and got rid of it, all their work would have been for nothing. It's pretty obvious that the culprit hid somewhere in the beach house and watched over Saionji's actions!

Owari: I said no one asked you! Right! Time for you to shut your mouth and prepare for a good beating! Good, you shut your mouth. Now clench you jaw and get ready.

Komaeda: Sorry, Owari. That's not it... Hey, Monokuma. There's something that's troubling me. May I ask a question?

Monokuma: I think Prince Shotoku really did come from the future. All major events in human history have future people behind them, after all.

Komaeda: Let's keep the time travel discussion for another time... The condition for the "body discovery announcement" was that three or more people discover the body, right? Those "three or more people"... Does that include the culprit?

Monokuma: Ahh, um, you see... Well, basically, you'd think so, huh...

Komaeda: You're stammering.

Monokuma: Oh, for heaven's sake! You're an annoying one, pushing this silly little point like this! Um, sorry for starting with an excuse, but the body discovery announcement was never intended to be part of the mystery! It's there so we can all have a fair trial... So everyone can know that a body has been discovered.

Komaeda: So, you find it regrettable that I bring it up now? Well, I can see your point... But, depending on the body discovery situation, that "3 or more people" rule may become critical.

Monokuma: That's why as long as I haven't said anything definitive, I'd like you to treat it flexibly.

Komaeda: Treat it flexibly, huh? Well, how about today's murder? Do the 3 people include the murderer or not?

Monokuma: Fine, fine, I get it. I should come out and say it, right? This time, it doesn't include the culprit. Happy? Now leave me alone.

Komaeda: In other words, three people other than the culprit discovered Koizumi's body.

Hinata: Does that... Matter?

Komaeda: Nope, it just worried me a little so I had to ask. Let's return to our previous discussion.

Nidai: You really like your little digressions, don't you...?!

Tsumiki: U-Um... We were just talking about how the culprit hid inside a surfboard case, weren't we?

Mioda: And then, after Hiyoko ran away, the culprit was free to proceed with their crime scene tampering spree.

Tanaka: But, before we can proceed... One obstacle yet remains in our way. Before the petulant one took her leave, the culprit moved the corpse to block the door. Their clothes would be stained with blood... And yet...

Nidai: That's right... No one had any incriminating bloodstains on them...

Komaeda: Oh, don't worry... You've gotten this far, I'm sure you'll find the answers in no time. Let the discussion begin! What did the culprit do with the bloodstains on their body?

Nanami: Couldn't they simply wash them off?

Kuzuryuu: They couldn't use the shower, remember? It was impossible to wash them off.

Hinata: If all they had to do was wash away some bloodstains, they didn't really have to use the shower. They could have easily used something else!

Kuzuryuu: Something else...? Like what?

Hinata: The drinks from the fridge. Those could be used to wash some blood off someone's body, right?

Pekoyama: You may say that... But it is still impossible.

Hinata: ...W-Why?

Pekoyama: Try to remember what was in that refrigerator. You should soon realize your error. You will realize it is impossible for someone to have used those drinks! There were no water bottles inside that fridge.

Hinata: No, there were water bottles in that fridge.

Pekoyama: D-Don't make me repeat it again. I'm sure there were no water bottles in there...

Hinata: But that was after the incident, wasn't it? That wasn't the case before... I'm sure there were water bottles in there. Then, the culprit used all of them to wash the blood off their body!

Pekoyama: Are you saying... The water was gone because the culprit used it all? That's a little far-fetched...!

Hinata: It's not far-fetched at all... There was plenty of evidence left inside the trashcan. A large amount of identical plastic bottles... They must have been it.

Nanami: Oh, those bottles sure do look like water bottles, don't they?

Souda: Y'know... Now I think about it... When I was at the beach house a couple of days ago, I'm pretty sure I drank some water out of one of those bottles...

Tsumiki: Fuweh?! You should've noticed that faster!

Sonia: So... Was bottled water really used in lieu of the shower?

Mioda: Washing your body with a large amount of bottled water... That's truly a simple, acceptable solution!

Komaeda: It seems you've finally noticed it too, Hinata. Who the culprit is, I mean...

Hinata: ...Eh?

Komaeda: It was bound to happen.

Kuzuryuu: W-Wait... You know who... The culprit is...?

Tsumiki: I-Is that true?!

Tanaka: Then let us hear your accusation!

Hinata: Pekoyama... It's you, isn't it?!

Saionji: Hey... Why so quiet? You've just been accused of murder, y'know!

Pekoyama: Well, then. I suppose we should hear you out. Why do you think I am the culprit?

Hinata: I remembered how you appeared when you arrived at the diner for the beach party. If the culprit had washed their entire body with bottled water, it would be strange if they were dry... There were no towels at the beach house, and it would have taken too much time to dry in the sun. You attempted to cover it up by telling us you went for a swim, didn't you?

Souda: S-Say something! Don't just stand there with your mouth shut!

Kuzuryuu: Wait a second, bastards! All you said is you saw her at the diner... No one said anything about her coming from the beach house, right? She probably did just come back from a swim!

Souda: Yeah, but no one saw her do that either!

Kuzuryuu: No... I saw her...

Souda: ...Huh?

Kuzuryuu: After... I met you at the diner... I passed by her on my way back to the hotel... S-So... She didn't come to the diner from the beach house. I'm certain of it.

Hinata: Wait... No, wait... That's not what you said earlier! You said you didn't see anyone back then. You can't just go back on that now.

Kuzuryuu: Keh...! I-It's still not enough...! We still can't say for sure she's the culprit! We don't even know how the culprit got out of the beach house, do we?!

Tsumiki: N-Now that he mentions it...That's right...

Kuzuryuu: The tunnel-side door was blocked, and there would've been footprints if they used the beach-side door... So, where did the culprit escape from, and how?!

Mioda: Um... Why is Fuyuhiko so upset? It's Peko who's our current suspect!

Kuzuryuu: T-That doesn't matter! Let's see you solve this mystery!

Nanami: ...I think we can. Probably.

Kuzuryuu: ...What?!

Pekoyama: ...Are you saying you know the answer to that question? It's the one thing that has completely stumped us so far.

Nanami: But, you see, if we assume you are the culprit, Pekoyama... Things begin to make a little sense.

Pekoyama: Is that so... Fine, let's hear you make sense of it. How did the culprit leave the beach house?

Nanami: Well... First, let's think about the culprit's escape route...

Hinata: If both the tunnel-side door and the beach-side door were impossible, there'd be only be one option left... ...The window in the shower room.

Kuzuryuu: Heh. Don't you know how high that window is? Pekoyama couldn't possibly reach it...

Tsumiki: B-But... If someone helped her...

Owari: If she stood on someone's shoulders she could probably reach it, but... Whoever it was would've been left behind...

Sonia: Perhaps she used some kind of tool? A rope, for example...

Kuzuryuu: And what happened to that tool once she was out? Don't be stupid any say she just threw it away somewhere.

Nidai: Besides, that would clearly be against the rules!

Mioda: Throwing away garbage is forbidden... Even if that garbage is evidence.

Kuzuryuu: See? That window's no good after all...!

Nanami: No... It's fine if she used a tool.

Mioda: Chiaki, you shouldn't fall asleep in the middle of a discussion! We were just talking about why that's impossible!

Nanami: Were we? I thought we were talking about how it's impossible to dispose of a tool, not how it was impossible to use one.

Tsumiki: I see! If she kept it with her and hid it somewhere it would be alright!

Saionji: Huh? Big sis Pekoyama was in a swimsuit, y'know! Where would she hide a tool? And don't try to tell me she used her private female parts if you want to stay healthy!

Tsumiki: N-No...! Please, no more violence!

Hinata: Pekoyama... You always have that shinai on your back. I've never seen you without it. It was the same... Back then. You were in a swimsuit, and yet you had that shinai on you, as always.

Nidai: A-Are you saying she used that shinai to escape through the window...?

Hinata: It sounds absurd, but... Pekoyama used her shinai as a springboard to reach the window.

Mioda: A-A springboard sword?!

Owari: See? I told 'ya it was a ninja! A ninja could easily climb that wall! There's a famous ninja technique for climbing walls. They lean their sword against the wall and use the guard as a springboard.

Sonia: Yes! That's what Japanese ninja do!

Souda: Sonia... There's no such thing as non-Japanese ninja!

Nanami: Pekoyama only had a bamboo sword, but... Well, she's a pretty lightweight girl so she could do it with ease... Most likely.

Hinata: How about it, Pekoyama? Do you have something to say?

Kuzuryuu: W-Wait just a fucking minute! She used a sword to escape?! How the fuck did she get that sword back, then? It would've been left behind in the shower room, you retard!

Hinata: K-Kuzuryuu... Why are you...?

Kuzuryuu: S-Shut up! Just answer the question! Let's see you try! If she used her sword, it would've been left behind! If she used her sword as a springboard, how was it not left behind?!

Hinata: She had a way to retrieve her shinai. She used her sword bag... All she'd have had to do is tie the bag's cord around the sword before using it to scale the wall... Then, when she reached the top, she'd just have to pull it up... ...And it'd be like she was never there!

Kuzuryuu: Keh...!

Komaeda: I see... She didn't just use her sword to escape, but also its bag... Owari said she was just like a ninja, but that's such a cheap way of describing her technique... It was a unique stunt possible only for Pekoyama, a Super High School Level Swordswoman who's never without her sword! But still... It's such a shame... If she'd only asked for my cooperation we could probably have come up with a much better plan...

Souda: Gaaaah, keep it to yourself, will you?!

Tsumiki: U-Um... Is it true...? Did... Pekoyama really kill...?

Kuzuryuu: W-Wait a second...! You're just making this all up! Y-You don't have any proof! If there's no proof, I'll never accept it! Do you get it, bastards?!

Pekoyama: ...Enough.

Kuzuryuu: Huh...?

Pekoyama: Enough. To keep resisting would be in bad form.

Tanaka: Truly, the cherry blossom among flowers and the samurai among men... At the very least, I'll not deny her gallantry. Very well! This confession brings our proceedings to a close! Let us begin the vote!

Pekoyama: Yes... Let's get it over with.

Nanami: Ah, wait a second. There's something I want to ask first.

Pekoyama: ...Can't it wait until after the vote?

Nanami: But it's important, and very relevant... I want to know about your motive, Pekoyama.

Pekoyama: ...Motive?

Nanami: You don't have anything to do with Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery, do you? So... Why did you kill Koizumi?

Pekoyama: Heh. Is that what this is about...? Very well. Here's what I have to say... I have a noble cause... You see.

Hinata: N-Noble cause?

Pekoyama: It was all for the sake of... Justice. I do not dirty my hands over meaningless personal grudges... I kill for one purpose, and one purpose only... ...For justice!

Nidai: W-What... Are you talking about...?

Pekoyama: Justice is the glorious virtue that sets humanity apart... We all bask in its radiant light. Justice is the everlasting sun... The immortal moon... Our vigilant Father, our kindly Mother...

Mioda: H-Hello...? Peko...? Are you there?

Pekoyama: Should justice disappear from this world... All would be plunged into the cold darkness, joy and laughter gone forever...! I... Must never allow that to happen!

Kuzuryuu: That's enough... Stop it...!

Pekoyama: The light of justice must endure, to guide us on our way!

Kuzuryuu: I-I told you to stop!

Pekoyama: That is why I fight! I fight for justice!

Sonia: I-Is this...?!

Pekoyama: The time has come to don this mask, imbued with the very essence of justice, and lay bare the ugly entrails of evil... Jus * tice * Com * plete! Piercing the very night itself with the shining light of justice's brightest star! Call me Kirakira-chan! Let's conduct some justice, shall we?!

Souda: Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha... WHAT THE HELL?!

Nidai: P-Pekoyama... What are you doing?!

Pekoyama: I am Kirakira-chan... The rightful wielder of the shining light of justice!

Saionji: W-What the heck...? This is getting a little creepy!

Mioda: Abuabuabuabuabu... Peko went totally bonkers...

Sonia: W-Watch out, everyone! Kirakira-chan is a serial killer and a self-proclaimed warrior of justice! A serial killer who wears hero masks from the world over, and kills criminals one after another, and... Wait... Huh?

Owari: A warrior of justice... So that's why she wears a mask!

Pekoyama: Its purpose is to make a distinction. The sun is precious because we cannot reach it... This is true of any form of idol worship. And thus, justice should be the same!

Nidai: I-I don't really follow, but... That's one hell of a thing...!

Monomi: That's one shocking development!

Monokuma: Zzzzz... Zzzzzz...

Monomi: H-Hey! Now's not the time to be sleeping! There's a serial killer here!

Monokuma: Zzzzz... Zzzzz... What, again...?

Monomi: Is he speaking in his sleep?!

Nanami: So, how about answering my question? Why did you kill Koizumi?

Pekoyama: The light of justice must reach every corner of this world. We mustn't allow even a single shadow. Let's * Wipe * Evil * Out! The circumstances matter not. We must never avert our eyes from evil!

Saionji: Evil...? Are you talking about big sis Koizumi...?

Komaeda: Oh, I see... You played the game, didn't you?

Pekoyama: The game revealed to me an accomplice to a murder, who managed to hide from justice like a dirty rat.

Nidai: S-So... The reason you killed Koizumi was...

Pekoyama: For justice, of course! For justice... I become a merciless sword! And with that sword, justice was done at last!

Mioda: Oh no! It's like the most cliched of psychopaths just appeared in front of us!

Saionji: Waaaaaaaaaah! This is too creepy!

Hinata: Pekoyama... Is that who you really are?

Pekoyama: Who I really am...? Heh. I have long ago forgotten who I am... Such is my resolve! If one is to protect a single thing of utmost importance, one must be ready to discard everything else! If I can make justice sparkle over this world, I shall become anything at all! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Nidai: Ku... That's more than I can take! Let's end this charade right now!

Hinata: L-Let's look back on today's events... And end this trial!

Act 1: Today's events started this morning, when Koizumi came to visit Saionji. Koizumi must have played Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery, our supposed "motive"... ...And wanted to discuss what she'd seen with the other cast members from the game. Saionji agreed to talk to her, and they decided to meet later in the day. But... There was someone eavesdropping. Our culprit. Having heard their conversation, they schemed to use the girls' plans as a cover to commit murder. First, by making certain preparations, they manipulated the girls' actions.

Act 2: They wrote two fake letters, and sent one each to Koizumi and Saionji. The letter sent to Koizumi told her to come to the beach house at 2:30 PM... But the one sent to Saionji said to come to the house at exactly two o'clock. And so, the culprit separated the two by inviting them to the beach house at different times.

Act 3: Saionji, who was completely deceived by the letter, arrived at the beach house 2 o'clock as instructed. Once there, she was drugged by the culprit, who had been laying in wait. After drugging her, the culprit quickly hid Saionji inside the closet... They were planning to make it look like she was the culprit.

Act 4: Then, at 2:30, Koizumi arrived at the beach house. She had no idea she was the target of a murder plot. She was vulnerable, and the culprit closed in on her from behind, wielding a certain weapon... ...The metal bat that was left at the crime scene. The bat hit Koizumi on the head, and she collapsed... Tsumiki's examination would later tell us she died an instant death. She probably never even saw who it was that killer her.

Act 5: Then, after completing their goal of killing Koizumi, the culprit started preparing the crime scene. First, they moved Koizumi's dead body and left her blocking the tunnel-side door... Then, they also purposefully left behind the mask we found in the room. I'm not sure why they did that... It was probably something like a calling card. That was the reason we found the crime scene in the state it was. But... Having just moved a dead body, the culprit's own body was now dirty with blood. The shower room was under repairs and had no running water, so they couldn't wash their body that way. But they prepared for that. So instead they used an alternate water source... ...Bottled water from the beach house fridge. They probably had them all stashed in the shower room ahead of time for exactly that purpose. The culprit used the bottled water instead of the shower to wash the blood off themselves. However, they had no choice but to throw the empty bottles in the beach house trashcan. Disposing of them outside was against the rules, and there was no time to take them somewhere else. Afterwards, the newly clean culprit hid themselves in the closet where Saionji was sleeping. They hid inside and empty surfboard case they prepared ahead of time.

Act 6: After a short time passed, the effect of Saionji's drug grew weak and she woke up. When she walked out of the closet, she must have been quite shocked. Koizumi, who she was supposed to meet, lay dead in front of her eyes... Saionji acted hastily, both because of the shock and because she must have been afraid of being accused. She ran out of the beach house in a panic. When she did, she left behind footprints in the sand. It was all part of the culprit's plan to set her up. After Saionji was gone, the culprit got up from their surfboard case... In order to further incriminate Saionji, they placed a piece of gummy on the floor, where they knew it would be found... Of course, they hadn't taken Saionji's very particular tastes into account. Then, finally, the culprit prepared to exit the beach house. Exiting through the front door would leave footprints, so that wasn't an option. Instead... The culprit left through the small window in the shower room. However, the window was too far off the ground to easily reach without help, so the culprit was forced to use some unusual means... That being... A certain bamboo sword they were never without. The culprit tied the sword's carrying bag to the sword's hilt... Then, while still holding the bag, they used the sword as a springboard to reach the window. Once they were outside, all they had to to was pull on the bag to retrieve the sword. Then, after leaving the beach house, the culprit appeared before the rest of us with a nonchalant look in their face. But, they didn't have time to dry out their swimsuit and hair. There weren't any towels in the beach house. So the culprit explained their appearance by telling us they had been out for a swim.

Hinata: How about it? That's the full truth behind the murder you committed! Isn't that so, Peko Pekoyama?!

Pekoyama: How * Very * Clever * Of * You... Well, so what of it?!

Owari: She doesn't even care?! I have not the slightest guilt over what I've done!

Saionji: What the heck? You're a filthy murderer who killed big sis Koizumi...!

Pekoyama: YOU'RE WRONG! I simply punished an evildoer in the name of justice! I am in the right! You cannot judge me!

Saionji: I-I've had enough! Let's get to voting, right now! Let's just kill this super weirdo psycho girl!

Pekoyama: I think not. Justice is undying. I am certain you know as much yourselves!

Tanaka: What nonsense is this...?!

Pekoyama: Remember? In order to protect something of utmost importance... One must be ready to discard everything else. Do you get what I'm saying?!

Tsumiki: I-I don't! I don't get anything at all!

Pekoyama: Let me get straight to the point, then. You are about to conduct some justice! In order to make my justice live on, you will all give up your own lives!

Tsumiki: Fuweeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?!

Hinata: A-Are you serious...?!

Pekoyama: I'm always serious about justice! If I die here, now, who will be left to keep control over the world's justice?! Follow the call of justice inside your hearts... Then, save me in the name of justice. Go on! Conduct some justice at once!

Souda: S-Stop fucking with us! You think we're gonna die to save you?!

Mioda: I-If we let Peko go, Ibuki and her pals will all get slaughtered!

Pekoyama: Sometimes, in the magnificent pursuit of justice, some victims are inevitable.

Tsumiki: V-Victims... No...!

Pekoyama: Rest assured, your sacrifices will not be in vain. I shall not waste the justice you entrust me!

Saionji: I can't take any more of this! Let's vote and get her executed, right now!

Sonia: Um... But...B-Before we do that...

Nidai: Monokuma, it's voting time! GET ON WITH IT!

---

"She played that a little over the top if you ask me," Tora said. He nudged Enoshima. "Time to wake up babe. They're ready for the vote." Enoshima stirred and rubbed. "Huh? Oh, they solved it? Sorry, I was worn out and decided to take a nap." "Well considering everything we've been through," Genocider said, "But seriously, with how over-the-top Kirakira-chan is, it's not wonder they eventually caught him. That's why I'm the top serial killer in the world and he's not. Seriously, that guy was just way too predictable."

---

"Sorry for nodding off like that," Monokuma said, "I was just worn out from building that arcade machine. Exhaustion finally caught up with me. So then, ready to vote are we? Very well, please use the switches in front of you to make your decision." The slot reels spun with their votes, and the machine lit up and spewed out more confetti. They had gotten the right culprit again. "Wait a moment," Sonia said, "There's something that's been bothering me for a while now." "What do you mean?," Nidai said, "Pekoyama is clearly the culprit!"

"I know that," Sonia said, "But I don't believe she is truly Kirakira-chan." Komaeda put a hand to his chin. "Funny, I was having the same exact doubts myself. There's a clear-cut inconsistency between Pekoyama and Kirakira-chan. Earlier during the investigation Sonia had recited Kirakira-chan's catchphrase quite clearly, and it was much different than the one Pekoyama gave." Sonia nodded. "I read all about Kirakira-chan in one of the magazines in the library. There was only one journalist who had ever seen Kirakira-chan in person. At the time, I was translating what the article said for everyone."

"That's right!," Hinata said, "If you had to translate it... Then the article wasn't written in Japanese!" "Yes," Sonia said, "The magazine was in fact written in Spanish! That means Kirakira-chan's lines were in Spanish as well." "That means...," Nidai said, "Kirakira-chan isn't even Japanese?!" "It seems I had the wrong impression from the beginning," Hinata said, "When Kirakira-chan was mentioned as being in the same magazine as Genocider Shou, who is speculated to be a Japanese schoolgirl, and Kira, who was revealed to be a Japanese prosecutor, I immediately assumed Kirakira-chan was Japanese as well."

"What it all boils down to," Komaeda said, "Is that Pekoyama is not Kirakira-chan at all. Unless of course she speaks Spanish." Pekoyama said nothing, but simply removed the mask. "It seems you've found the truth... But it's too late. My role is done. My job as a tool has been completed. The votes have been counted." "A tool..." Hinata said. "I thought as much," Komaeda said, "There had to be someone else who had discovered the body. Earlier I got Monokuma to admit that the culprit could not count as someone who discovered the body. And somehow the body discovery announcement went off shortly after Souda found Koizumi dead in the beach house."

"I was wondering about that," Souda said, "It confused me a little when the announcement went off when I was the only one in the beach house. If we count Saionji as the second person, that means a third person had to have discovered the body before either of us." "Which means," Komaeda said, "That there's the possibility of an accomplice." "Impossible," Nidai said, "The rules say that only the person who commits murder and gets any with it can leave the island. There'd be no benefit for an accomplice, unless they were willing to die in the murderer's stead. And we already know the culprit didn't cooperate with you, the only person who would have that mindset."

"That's incorrect," Pekoyama said, "I am not an accomplice... I am a simple tool in the hands of my user." "But...," Saionji said, "Who would that be? Who else would kill big sis Koizumi over a simple game?!" "It was more than a game," Hinata said, "And there's something that hasn't been mentioned yet. The first person to complete that game was to receive a prize from Monokuma. At the time me and Nanami completed it, that prize had already been given out... And then the person who received it sent it to Koizumi. When we examined her cottage, the prize, a series of photos depicting real life events, was lying on Koizumi's bed, along with a note. The note told her to play the game and how to complete it. It then said it would remind her about what she did..."

"Who was it then who had played the game first?," Tanaka asked. "Who else?," Hinata said, "It had to be Kuzuryuu. The first victim in the game was his sister, remember? And I'm willing to bet he knew all along. I had even seen him the morning after the game was installed holding the envelope the pictures came in." "And that's what I meant before," Pekoyama said, "I am a simple tool for Kuzuryuu. Therefore, I cannot be considered the culprit, even though I was the one who killed Koizumi. You see... I was raised by Kuzuryuu's family, and tasked with being his bodyguard and personal assassin." "So you deliberately made yourself seem more like the culprit so that we'd vote for you," Hinata said, "And we fell for it."

"Did you now?," Monokuma said, "But the slot just now said you had succeeded. Doesn't that mean Pekoyama was wrong in her belief?" "What...?," Pekoyama said. "You consider yourself a tool for Kuzuryuu," Monokuma said, "That much I can understand. However, is that how Kuzuryuu sees you? I think not. The other students will tell you, whenever the subject of his family comes up, he would always say the same thing... That he does not want to rely on their power." Kuzuryuu started crying. "It's true Peko... I never saw you like that. The family said you were meant to be my bodyguard, but relying on you as such would break my vow."

"To tell the truth," Monokuma said, "Kuzuryuu was utterly appalled to find that Pekoyama had killed Koizumi. That's right, he was the first person to discover the body... Just moments after the crime. But of course, he was willing to sacrifice himself for the woman he loves, and yes you are hearing that correctly, and agreed to go along with her plan to frame Saionji. Pekoyama, of course, simply saw this as him using her as she thought he always did, as a simple tool. But no... It was him wanting her to escape, even at the cost of his life. Ironically, she had the exact same thought in mind. Too bad only one of them can be the culprit, and since Pekoyama is the one who actually swung the bat... Well, I think you realize where I'm going with this."

Pekoyama shed a single tear. "I guess... It was all for nothing. To find out how Master Kuzuryuu truly feels... But far too late..." Monokuma chuckled. "Well, it seems this has been a most bittersweet ending. Not that I can't say it wasn't exciting." "You were asleep for half of it!," Monomi yelled. "Details...," Monokuma said, "Regardless, it is now time for the punishment. I have a special one lined up, just for the Super High School Level Swordswoman." He struck the button, causing the chain to grab Pekoyama around the waist and drag her to the execution. Without even thinking, Kuzuryuu ran full speed after her.

Rambunctious Girl

Controlled by Monokuma via a straw doll, Peko fought countless enemies until she accidentally injured Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu's right eye. She then allowed the monsters to kill her, perhaps as an act of repentance for thinking she killed the person she was raised to protect since her adoption, while holding Kuzuryuu's body.

"Damn," Monokuma said, "That should not have happened. What was that bastard thinking? I know I said earlier that he loved Pekoyama, but I didn't think he'd go that far. He's lucky to still be alive after all that." The others ran to Kuzuryuu's side. He had been slashed up his right side, causes significant blood loss and taking out his right eye. "We can't have a student who hasn't broken the rules die on us," Monokuma said, "I'll have him sent to the medical facilities on the island at once." The others looked at him, surprised.

"Don't get me wrong," Monokuma said, "It's not like I care or anything. But the rules say that only the culprit will be executed. I can't let anyone else become endangered while the execution is being performed. That's why the culprit is separated from the rest of you upon being found guilty. I can't break the rules I have laid out. I am as much bound to them as you are. That's the price I paid for usurping Monomi's position." He made a gesture, and an emergency ambulance appeared and backed into the trial room. Several Monokuma copies rushed out and carefully placed Kuzuryuu onto a stretcher. They then placed the stretcher inside the ambulance and raced off.

"Until Kuzuryuu can be stabilized," Monokuma said, "He will be exempt from activities announced by me. After all, suffering a debilitating injury is a valid excuse. It's possible we can have him stabilized by morning, but given his current condition I can't say that for sure. Nothing we can do about his eye, unfortunately, but we can certainly fix up the rest of him. Well then, that's all for this trial." And with that, he disappeared, followed shortly by Monomi. The other students couldn't help but hope for Kuzuryuu to recover, even Saionji. With that hope in their hearts, the returned above ground to get some rest after the tiring events of the evening.

---

"So...," Pekoyama, "Even after all that, I still wasn't able to bring him back with me." "Unfortunately," Enoshima said, "The rules we placed on the simulator won't allow that. But it's not like we can't get him out. It's just going to take a while." Pekoyama gazed at the ring on her finger that had reappeared after she returned to the real world. She then walked over to Kuzuryuu's unconscious form and kissed him. "Stay strong my love. We'll get you out of there as soon as we can."

To be continued...

Yes, I did just imply that Kuzuryuu has proposed to Pekoyama. Come on guys, fans of the game at least should have seen this coming.