-"First than all a reminder of how this works"- Monobear started, sitting on the throne on the farthest point of the table. Lily was clinging to the side of the throne, pouting –"You'll debate and vote for who is the culprit for this murder. If you guess correctly, the culprit will be executed and you'll be free to live for a bit more, but if you fail, everybody innocent will be executed and the culprit will be the new member of the Main Board"-

-"And what'll she do?"- Mimori pointed at Lily with her pen. The journalist was already ready to take notes of everything in order to solve the mystery.

-"Oh, she? She'll be my personal helper"- Monobear patted Lily's head while her scowl deepened –"At least she'll be a nice cup holder"- Monobear showed a glass of water from mnowhere, putting it carefully on top of Lily's head. That was too much for the girl, as she grabbed it and splashed Monobear with the water.

-"I was supposed to be the Judge!"-

-"That's too bad. I'll take over your responsibilities"-

-"What were you going to do, Lily? What's this 'Judge' thing?"- Sugita asked.

-"...I was supposed to conduct the trial, handling the evidence and leading you all towards the best result possible. I can't do it as well now but I'll try"-

-"Oh no, you won't! No helping! Okay, start!"-

The commanders cracked their knuckles, metaphorically, and got ready for the trial. Their lives were at stake, it was no situation to make mistakes. –"Point of order"- Fukuyama raised his hand –"How was Yasumoto murdered, exactly?"-

-"Excellent starting point, Fukuyama-kun! Define the crime weapon and the place...ack!"- Monobear bopped Lily's head –"Don't do that!"-

-"But Lily's right, let's do that. So, the weapon was that baseball bat we found and the murder happened in Camp Lily. That much is clear, what we must find is who did it"- Hosoya said, drying the blood that was seeping from his mouth.

-"There aren't many suspects here"- Koshimizu started pointing around –"Kishio-sensei brought us all outside, where she, Takayama-kun and Kayano-san kept an eye on all of us. There were only four people inside"- Koshimizu pointed to the four supposed suspects.

-"It's unthinkable that she killed herself"- Kayano piped up.

-"Kobayashi-kun was too busy getting shot while these two were the ones with the gun"- Mitsuishi completed the idea –"That means none of those four could have done it"-

-"But nobody outside could have entered the headquarters! Kishio-sensei and her merry friendship comrades never took their eyes off us"- Sasuga argued

-"Okay, okay, let's not write off everybody. We need a suspect. How can somebody with an alibi kill Yasumoto-san?"- Hosoya stopped touching his lips. Takayama smugly put his feet on the table, making his armor rattle.

-"It's all about timing. Just because one had an alibi doesn't mean it was there all the time. So, Hikari-kun, Oyama-san...how did you prepare yourselves for the murder?"-

-"We hid in the Theater while Kishio-sensei was rounding everybody as cattle"- Yurie said bluntly -"Mitsu-chan was with me all the time until we found the dead body"-

-"Were you trying to accuse us?"- Mitsuhiko practically growled. That wasn't what he had thought Takayama would do, it was in clear contradiction with everything he had done. Then why...? The hunter understood why once he saw Takayama's satisfied smile.

-"So if these two didn't do it and Yasumoto-san didn't suicide then...the answer becomes obvious, doesn't it?"-

-"You mean Kobayashi-kun"- Koshimizu nodded. He had already known about Takayama's suspicion from earlier.

-"Yes! Our newest commander is the culprit"-

-"But we were shooting him while Yasumoto-san was murdered, he didn't do it"- Mitsuhiko prodded Takayama to lay out everything he had against Kobayashi. Once he did he'd blow open the case with the recording.

-"So you say that. Look, it's all matter of timing. Let me show you how it all happened!"-

Nonstop Debate

Recording #2 / Shallow Cuts / Mitsuhiko's Note

TAKAYAMA: First Kishio-sensei led everybody outside

ROMI: You mean almost everybody

TAKAYAMA: Whatever. Hikari-kun and Oyama-san hid in the Administrative Offices

TAKAYAMA: Just after that Yasumoto went to check Kobayashi-kun in his room

TAKAYAMA: She told him to wait for a moment, but then...

TAKAYAMA: ...while she was walking away Kobayashi-kun attacked her!

HOSOYA: The bloodstain is pretty close to Kobayashi-kun's bedroom

HOSOYA: It sounds logical to me

TAKAYAMA: After killing her and leaving the body in the Lobby...

TAKAYAMA: ...he went to the offices where he was shot.

TAKAYAMA: See? It's all in the timing of the events.

To demonstrate his argument Takayama gave Lily a small portable dispositive with the recording file he had made Mitsuhiko listen. –"And there you have it. That's the moment of the crime!"

-"That's wrong!"- Mitsuhiko exclaimed, pointing dramatically. Takayama lifted his glasses to his forehead with disdain.

-"And why's that?"-

-"Because I can prove Kobayashi didn't come out of his bedroom at all after Yasumoto-san talked to him. Listen to this"- Mitsuhiko left on the table the second recording, making it sound. The recording showed the moment that unknown female voice told Kobayashi to wait fifteen seconds. The sound of the door opening was clear, but Takayama shook his head.

-"That's not very convincing. We have a recording, not a video. For all we know that person could have been talking to somebody else"-

-"No, that's impossible. You said it yourself:

Kishio led everybody outside

Mitsuhiko and Yurie hid in the Offices

Kobayashi attacked Yasumoto

Kobayashi left the body in the Lobby

Kishio led everybody outside

-"The only person who could have been in a bedroom was Amy. Yasumoto was dead and Yurie and I were in the office. Do you see now?"-

-"Right, smart boy"- Takayama took his feet off the table –"Then tell me something: if Kobayashi-kun was in his bedroom and Yasumoto was dead then who's the person in the recording?"-

-"The real culprit, of course!"-

-"The real...? Are you saying you have a suspect that isn't Kobayashi-kun?"- Koshimizu stroked his beard, looking at the hunter with interest.

-"Not only one...I have two"-

-"No, no, stop there!"- Takayama hit the table –"You haven't even proved Kobayashi-kun is innocent!"-

-"There's something I'm wondering about"- Sasuga raised his hand –"You, show me the soles of your shoes"- he demanded to Kobayashi. The illusionist nodded and took off his shoes, leaving them on the table. Sasuga took them and didn't need more than a couple seconds to show what he had wanted to find. He put one of the shoes upside-down on the table, showing the sole.

There was a good portion on it covered with blood. Takayama smirked triumphantly –"That's it! I know how this went! I have solved your argument, Hikari-kun"-

-"That can't be possible..."- Mitsuhiko grit his teeth. How could Takayama continue thinking Kobayashi was the culprit?

I SAID I COULD DO IT

Takayama had stood up. There was a feverish expression in his face. Some of the commanders stepped back, not wanting to be so close to the bodyguard –"I won't let you stray us from giving Yasumoto-san's murderer what he deserves!"-

-"Why do you care so much? Did you like Yasumoto-san or something?"-

-"What? No! This is a matter of pride. I let that stupid woman convince me to not to guard her. The least I can do is to execute the person who caused her death. Here's my argument!"-

Rebuttal Showdown

Water in the Fountain / Stone Torch / Wet Gray Clothes

TAKAYAMA: When Yasumoto went to Camp Lily...

TAKAYAMA: ...Kobayashi murdered her

TAKAYAMA: After that he laid the body in the Lobby

TAKAYAMA: And returned to Camp Lily!

TAKAYAMA: He planned to use my microphones as his alibi

MITSUHIKO: How would he know about the microphones?

TAKAYAMA: It wasn't exactly a secret

TAKAYAMA: Nobody can guarantee it's a female voice

TAKAYAMA: Kobayashi pretended to talk to himself

TAKAYAMA: And when the fifteen seconds passed he opened a door

TAKAYAMA: That's why he has blood on his shoes

TAKAYAMA: Everything related to the murder has been explained

Mitsuhiko nodded. –"He could have stepped on blood without being the culprit"-

-"You're correct, Hikari-kun, but that doesn't negate Takayama's argument"- Kayano looked at her nails with indifference.

-"I'm getting into that! So he says he has explained everything related to the murder, but there's one piece of evidence that hasn't been linked to Kobayashi-kun in any way"- Mitsuhiko lifted that heap of clothes Lily had given him, leaving it on the table.

-"Watch out with that!"- Mimori squealed with disgust, eyeing the water that was starting to seep onto the table. Mitsuhiko paid no attention to that, pointing at the clothes.

-"Explain that, Takayama-kun. How do these fit with Kobayashi-kun's murder plan?"-

Takayama took the clothes and extended them over the table, splashing some of the commanders and earning some protests. Everybody took a good luck to the overcoat, noting its color and material. –"This is a heavy cloth. Wearing it could hinder one's movements greatly"- Kishio had lifted part of it.

-"The hat doesn't have anything special"- Mitsuishi had taken it and had turned it around, looking for clues.

The bodyguard continued silent, glaring at the clothes as if they had insulted him, until he finally had to admit. –"I don't know, but there's something else I'd like to ask: are you completely sure these things are related in any way to the murder?"-

-"It's practically proven by now"- Mitsuhiko smiled smugly –"It's one concrete quality these clothes have that'll show how they're related to this case:

They're gray

They're wet

They're heavy

They cover most of her body

They're wet

-"These clothes are soaking wet, or at least were at some point. Do you all see why I'm saying they're related?"-

Mimori went back a few pages in her notebook, her voice getting an octave higher –"The body was wet too! You're saying Yasumoto was wearing these clothes when it got wet"-

-"Either her or her murderer was wearing it. So tell me, Takayama-kun, how do they fit in your suspicion against Kobayashi-kun?"-

Takayama poked the overcoat –"They doesn't. But just because I can't think of a way doesn't mean he's innocent"-

Mitsuhiko facepalmed. They weren't getting anywhere. He had the feeling Takayama would continue insisting Kobayashi was guilty, no matter what was presented. While he was massaging his temples, trying to order his thoughts, somebody had enough of what was going on.

-"I can't accept see you lot continue flailing around"- Lily grumbled, crossing her arms. Monobear, who until that point had been watching the trial with interest, looked at her.

-"Lily, I'm warning you. Don't say another word"-

-"Monobear only announces a dead body when three innocent people find it"- Lily stated before Monobear raised his claws. He striked the top of Lily's head, causing a deep gash. Lily screeched, twitching, but she didn't seem to break down.

-"I'm the bear in charge here. Stay there!"-

Fukuyama clicked his tongue –"If Lily had stayed as the Judge surely she would have made us stay on track. At least she's generous with the information"-

-"Why didn't you tell us about the three people rule?"- Takayama took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes. If he had known about it before maybe he wouldn't have pursued Kobayashi as the killer. Monobear gave what seemed to be a deep sigh.

-"That's not important information. Continue, continue"-

-"Three -kun and Oyama-san found the body, we all saw it, so that's two"- Koshimizu steepled his fingers, resting his chin on them.

-"The third person could have been one of those two. Two people before them could have seen it already"- Fukuyama tried to contribute but Takayama quickly dismissed what he had said.

-"We all were outside except those four! Hikari-kun and Oyama-san really were the last to find them"-

-"Following that logic then the first person to have seen the body was...Kobayashi-kun?"-

-"It isn't confirmed he's innocent"- Takayama grumbled, still bitter for having lost his main suspect.

-"Uh"- Kobayashi timidly piped up –"But I didn't see any corpses...nor in Camp Lily nor in the Lobby. There was that blood but I didn't see it, the light was too dim, but I'm sure if the body had been there I'd have stepped on it"-

-"But you must have been the one who saw it, right? Nobody else was in the building"- Mitsuhiko argued.

-"And who was the one to say it?"- Kobayashi inadvertently touched his cast.

-"It was Monobear"- Kishio answered –"I asked him and he said that"- Kobayashi looked at her as if she were crazy.

-"Are we trusting Monobear's word?"-

-"We don't really have any other option. Look at him"- Sugita pointed at Monobear with her thumb. The bear was lounging on his seat without a care about the world –"Do you think he'd be the kind who would let us interrogate him?"-

-"I'm an honest bear"- Monobear only said that, letting everybody else continue.

-"Yeah, we don't really have any other option besides trusting his words"- Fukuyama sighed, almost unintelligibly due to his mask. Kobayashi rubbed his eyes, thinking.

-"Right. Let's suppose he was telling the truth. If I wasn't the one to see the dead body then...somebody else did"-

-"But Monobear had said..."- Oyama-san started but Kobayashi didn't let her finish.

-"He said nobody but us four were in the Headquarters. But...what if somebody entered after he had said that? That way it wouldn't be a lie, right?"-

-"Somebody entered and saw the dead body in the Lobby"- Takayama got to the logical conclusion. But that's impossible. Kishio-sensei, Kayano-san and I were watching everybody in the courtyard. There's no way any of them could sneak away from us!"-

-"...we were watching them but..."- Kishio muttered and frowned. –"...oh. Figlio di puttana'

-"Are we thinking the same thing?"- Mimori had been focused on writing what everybody had said. Kishio and Mimori looked at each other with worried expressions. Kishio sank in her seat, realizing the implications of what they found. Mimori left her notebook on the table and stood up, walking towards Lily.

The journalist put her hand over the gash on Lily's head, whispering to her. Lily, still cringing due to the damage, nodded. –"That's right"-

-"Oi, what are you saying there?"- Monobear leaned on the side of his chair, trying to listen.

-"Nothing you should care about. Okay, I think what's going on here is obvious. The Three Amigos were watching over us all, but I want somebody to tell me something: who was watching over the Three Amigos?"-

-"What do you mean?"- Sugita didn't fully understand Mimori's point. Mimori returned to hear seat, satisfied with her deductions

-"What I mean is that there are three people who weren't watched over and could do whatever they wanted: those three who wanted us to get along and be friends"-

Everybody looked at Kayano, Takayama and Kishio. Mimori's argument was obvious now. –"One of those three could have sneaked into the Headquarters..."- Emiko fiddled with her cap.

-"Yes. One of those three is the killer"- Sugita finally understood what the point was –"But when exactly would that person have the chance to do it?"-

Nonstop Debate

Shallow Cuts / Kayano's Testimony / Pearl / Malfunctioning Lighting / Recording #2

KOBAYASHI: Nobody was paying attention to them

KOBAYASHI: It was just matter of going inside

ROMI: Are you sure none of you three saw each other?

KISHIO: I was too busy keeping everybody outside

KISHIO: But I did stay near the entrance

TAKAYAMA: I was in the courtyard with everybody else

KAYANO: I was in the area on the opposite side to Kishio-sensei

MITSUISHI: That makes it impossible for Takayama-kun...

MITSUISHI: ...to enter the headquarters, right?

KAYANO: Not really. I had to move from my spot when...

KAYANO: ...a sudden event happened.

KISHIO: I'm sure everybody had gathered in the courtyard

SASUGA: Is it even confirmed one of them entered the headquarters?

MIMORI: Even if it isn't it's the logical thing to suppose

-"It's confirmed and undeniable"- Mitsuhiko stated –"And it's because of this!"- the hunter took out the pearl and rolled it on the table. Everybody watched it go until it stopped in front of Sasuga, who took it to examine it.

-"A pearl with a hole. It must have been from one of the strings they have wrapped around their arms"-

-"Let's count them"- Fukuyama, Kobayashi and Mitsuishi stood up, going towards one of the suspects. All of them extended their arms so they could see the pearls. All of them counted them, getting to ten in each arm.

-"Impossible! All of them have ten pearls!"- Mitsuishi clutched his head when everybody informed their finding.

-"No, wait! There's something else!"- Mitsuhiko stood up.

Monobear File #1

Missing Tooth

Shallow Cuts

Baseball Bat

Water in the Fountain

Recording #1

Recording #2

Blood in the Hallway

Kobayashi's Testimony

Pearl

Malfunctioning Lighting

Stone Torch

Kishio's Testimony

Kayano's Testimony

Wet Gray Clothes

Theater Makeup

Mitsuhiko's Note

Hosoya's Testimony

Kayano's Testimony

-"Kayano-san has a pouch where she stores pearls. The pearl could have come from there, doesn't it?"-

-"That's a good point. Kayano-san, how many pearls are in that pouch?"-

-"There are presently ten pearls"-

-"Thank you for mentioning that, Hikari-kun! Because I have something to say"- Kobayashi cleared his throat and stood up –"I say Kayano-san is the culprit here"-

-"Me?"- Kayano smiled nervously.

-"Yes, you. That pearl points at you. Takayama-kun can't be the culprit, I already counted his pearls and his behavior isn't fitting for the killer. Kishio-sensei wouldn't murder anybody, I'm sure of it. You're the only one left"-

-"Your argument is not very good"-

-"But it's a process of elimination! That's important evidence in a case like this one. You're the only one left in the list!"-

-"I agree with him. Kayano-san is the only one who could have done it"- Takayama quickly supported. Although Kobayashi raised his eyebrows to Takayama's sudden change of opinion he didn't comment about that.

-"This is preposterous"- Kayano twitched –"If my pouch is what you want then somebody go ahead and count the pearls"-

-"I'm the one closest to you. Let me count them"- Romi extended her hand towards Kayano before she could pass it to anybody. Kayano gulped but passed it. Romi opened the pouch and emptied the content in her hand. Placing the empty ouch on the table she started putting the pearls back in, one by one and loudly counting them. –"Four...five...six..."- until she got to ten. Kobayashi's eyes bulged, surprised.

-"That can't be possible! You must have made a mistake, Romi-san!"-

-"There's no mistake, there are ten pearls here"- Romi gave Kayano the pouch back –"It's impossible I'm mistaken. All of you saw me putting one by one in here, didn't you?"-

Hosoya buried his face in his hands. –"Does this mean Kayano-san is innocent too?"-

-"Well this is..."- Kobayashi was clueless now. He had been pretty sure Kayano didn't have all her pearls, but Romi had verified they had. Everybody had seen it, ten pearls into the pouch. –"Now what? Why was Kishio-sensei innocent, again?"-

-"Because she wouldn't do something like killing somebody under her charge"- Sugita answered and frowned –"In hindsight that's a terrible reason to not to suspect her. In fact...there's something that points at her. Lily!"-

-"Yes?"- Lily had been prodding her head, as if she were expecting to feel something inside it.

-"Who does the bedrooms in Camp Lily belong to?"-

Lily projected a map of the available areas of the Headquarters. It was glitching and flickering, possibly due to the damage to her head, but that didn't stop her from trying to help. Lighting up the classrooms as she talked, she started on the left side of the hall. –"First it's Kobayashi-kun's room, then it's Ki-Ki-Kishio-san's room, then Tanaka-san's room, then Mimori-san's room..."-

-"Stop!"- Sugita thought for a moment –"That's where I was going to. Let me show you how this goes!"- The Tea Demon stood to the side of the projected map, pointing at the important points while Lily helpfully added what she talked about.

Nonstop Debate

Kishio's Testimony / Recording #1 / Hosoya's Testimony / Kobayashi's Testimony / Water in the Fountain

SUGITA: The blood was here

SUGITA: That's where Yasumoto-san died

EMIKO: Between my room and Mimori-san's room

SUGITA: Exactly. The killer can't have stood...

SUGITA: ...in middle of the hall. So where would they be?

ROMI: In a classroom!

OYAMA: But in which one? It can only have been...

SUGITA: In either Kishio-sensei or Tanaka-san's room

SUGITA: They're our suspects here

OYAMA: Tanaka-san was kept outside but...

OYAMA: Kishio-sensei could have returned into the headquarters

SUGITA: Only Kishio-sensei could hide in her bedroom

SUGITA: After all it's hers!

SUGITA: Nobody else can enter a classroom except the owner

-"I have no idea where you got such a wrong idea but that's incorrect"- Mitsuhiko said as kindly as possible. Sugita only glared at him but that didn't stop him from continuing –"The classrooms doors doesn't have any locks. Anybody can enter in them at any point.

The Tea Demon gasped –"...really? But then..."-

-"Yeah, this means nothing against Kishio-sensei"- Hosoya sighed –"But she's the only suspect we have right now"-

-"She has all her pearls too, I counted them"- Mitsuishi pointed –"We're stuck. We should have followed my reasoning, we would be finished if we had"- Nobody bothered to mention he hadn't contributed in any way to the discussion so far.

-"There must be something we can define here! Kishio-sensei, can anybody confirm you stayed outside?"- Nobody stepped forward to say they could confirm she stayed outside the whole time. Before anybody could continue pursuing any lead against Kishio Mimiro laughed heartily, clutching her notebook. Everybody stared for a moment before daring to ask what had happened to her.

-"Why are you laughing?"- Takayama asked prudently.

-"It's just that...you're all missing a crucial detail, one that can change everything here. You're all lucky my observational skills are excellent"-

-"How about instead of bragging you go straight to the point?"- Mitsuhiko asked with little patience. Mimiro took her pen, pointing at Kayano

-"Who has the pearls again? The four components of Yasumoto-san's group, right? But there's something strange here with that.

What would you say if I told you there's somebody else in this room that also has pearls and hasn't gone through any suspicion?"-

Everybody was silent, processing what Mimori had just said. –"Okay, who is it? Who received pearls too?"-

-"Why don't you ask Kayano-san?"- The dancer answered instantly what had been said before: Takayama, Kishio, Yasumoto and Kayano. Mimori smiled almost sinisterly, laughing softly.

-"Are you...covering for her?"-

-"For who?"- Kayano, confused, looked around, trying to see if anybody had strings in their arms. Mimori shook her head.

-"You seriously forgot. What could it mean, I wonder?"-

-"Stop that and go to the point! Who has pearls too?"- Takayama banged the table. Mimori rolled her eyes, finally answered the query. She made a flourish with her pen before pointing to the end of the table where Monobear was sitting. The bear didn't react.

-"Monobear? Why would I give pearls to him?"-

-"No, not him. Her"- the pen moved just a bit to the left. Lily stepped behind Monobear's chair -"Get out of there and let's get this in order"- Kayano gasped, suddenly realizing what Mimori meant. They really must have been not paying attention to not to notice the rather visible string of pearls on the girl's head, tangled between her hair horns.

-"Of course. Lily. Yasumoto-san had given pearls to her as an attempt to befriend Lily's creator. I didn't remember that!"

-"Maybe because you weren't the one to give them"- Takayama had calmed down –"Lily, come here and show us the pearls she gave you"-

-"That won't be necessary"- Mimori interjected –"I went there just a while ago to check it, she confirmed Yasumoto-san was the one to give her the pearls. But the one who gave them isn't important, right?"-

-"Of course not. What matters is the number"- Romi narrowed her eyes trying to focus on Lily.

-"I already counted them"- Mimori couldn't be smugger –"You'll like what I have to say: there were only nine pearls.

Lily, you're either an accomplice or...you're the killer. I'm leaning more towards accomplice, though. Would you like to tell us what you had to do with all this?"-