Hello, and welcome to Chapter 1's official investigation! Sadly, we have lost a poor friend in the last chapter and now Minori and his gang are working together (hopefully) to figure out who the murder is~ Alright, I honestly thought that people would've voted for the victim in this case in the polls and/or reviews since he is genuinely one of the more sugary ones of the cast. I'm surprised to see that people would've thought that either Asami or Seiga would die, but that's obvious as well since they are the quote-on-quote 'leaders' of the group and they are the optimistic ones... Interesting to see your comments about the case though! Very interesting indeed.
Anyways, the victim was one of my favorites to write in all honesty! I love how I was able to exaggerate his words because of how sugary and energetic he was, but unfortunately this is a killing game. This is Danganronpa. Danganronpa wants to see us suffer!
PoisonBanana: "Don't worry. All you need is more of Haruko's free time events to better warm up to him! I always love your input on things, so your thought as who the killer is strikes me as interesting... Let's see..."
Writer's Block Abundance: "Oh no! Well, Danganronpa loves false hope. Gives that sense of despair XD Anyways, yeah, it's sad to see him go! I'm glad you like all of the characters, and writing the murder was painful for even me!"
irwegwert: "It's fine. Everyone will always have opinions on a character no matter what happens to them. Let's hope he gets a lot of chocolatey goodness in heaven! Hm, interesting to see your input. I love your thoughts on this. I'm glad you thought the chapter was suspenseful! I was trying to write it as such ^^"
AmaryllisGreen: "He'll always be in our hearts. Ooh, interesting how you guess on who the victim was! Don't worry, that's why Danganronpa makes us go through the investigation phase! That'll be scary, just tripping over a dead body, eep. False hope is Monokuma's favorite! Thanks for your input!"
liammarklh88: "I'm glad the chapter was suspenseful! Remember that Ko will always be smiling down upon us! Aw, don't worry, you just have to believe. Yeah, I planned an outline and I hope it'll help me better flesh out a lot of these characters. Aww, Seiga's plan went to waste! Thanks, and don't worry about me!"
Agrael: "Our beautiful chocolatier! I'm glad you loved him a lot, it's more despair-inducing that way! Hm, nice inputs. I wonder what happened...? Thank you so much, and thank you for reading!"
ToonGuy: "Nice to see your reactions as you keep reading on! I love how well you are able to show your reactions through text! Sweet relationships are the best. I love your input on the whole 'restocking' scene. Haha, yeah, continue to doubt they've done it since we are in Danganronpa, unfortunately. We love suffering. Don't worry, investigations are used to make us look at the crime, after all!"
TheRoseShadow21: "Yeah, flow will always prevail! Aw, it's nice to have you look out for me, but I'm fine now! Yes, Danganronpa requires our characters to suffer. There is no easy way around that. Don't worry, I'm sure the investigation will shed some light to this!"
zephryr: "Interesting to see your thoughts, especially with who are your prime suspects and who have been crossed from the list! I'm sure you may or may not change your thoughts during this chapter, but it's interesting to see your prior thoughts! Yes, I am noticing Kaniza is a prime suspect so far from the reviews..."
DryBonesKing: "Haha, I honestly thought he'd be one of the main guys people would've guessed to be the first victim, but I was wrong too! I'm glad you got shocked though, that shock factor is very much needed in a Danganronpa story. Yes, I'm glad the last chapter was intense! I was able to write the last chapter perfectly down, woo! Yes, Kamui does have a leadership role as well, mhm. Your theories are very interesting to see. Nice to see your thoughts! "
Minori couldn't even fathom how long he had been crying until he heard numerous footsteps run into the room. He had been crying for what seemed to be hours that he hadn't realized that everyone had gathered into the room.
"Hey! What's this about a dead body?" Kakuma's voice was echoing into the air. A scrunched look of shock was on his face as he then turned to the crime scene. His mouth was agape, and his face paled. He couldn't do anything but let out a quiet, "...oh."
"O-oh my god..." Rin put a hand to her mouth, her body trembling.
Nezumi jumped, his body turning entirely white. He was jumping from place to place, unable to do anything but shriek as tears fell from his eyes. "Oh my god! W-what?! Dead?! Oh my god, he's dead!" The thief was left running from the crime scene.
"Hey, Nezumi!" Kaniza's eyes widened as she chased after the thief.
"L-let's all calm down..." Sagiso tried to raise her voice, but it only came as a forced reassurance. In fact, her legs were shaking. Her entire body was trembling.
Seiga forced a laugh. "C-come on guys, maybe it's just a prop. It's just some weird doll that looks like him!" The stunt double walked slowly to Haruko's body, then turning to the group. "Look, he's fake!" Seiga then placed a hand onto the chocolatier's forehead. It was cold. He then slowly moved a hand towards Haruko's red circular eyelids. Opening one, he then noticed the horrendous look of pain on the Ultimate's face. Seiga yelped, eyes then widened as he suddenly jumped back. "Shit! What the shit?! He's fucking real!"
"By Amun-Ra's light!" Sheina could not believe what she was seeing. "Monokuma has definitely taunted the Son of Osiris now!"
"Bitch, no I haven't!"
It happened all too suddenly. That high-pitched voice. That black-and-white bear. The headmaster named Monokuma had appeared from beneath the ground, right out of nowhere in the center of the room. "Yo!"
Asami's eyes widened. "M-Monokuma?!"
Amyto shrieked. "Kyaaaaaahhh!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm just that sexy." Monokuma ignored the screams of the Ultimates, instead putting a paw over his mouth. He was giggling, amused at what he was seeing. "Anyways, I'm so relieved you guys managed to kill before time was up! Sheesh, you really got me worried there for a moment with all your 'friendship is magic' bullshit. You guys aren't really helping me when you loiter around with your 'buddies' and whatnot."
"You..." Ryoichi clenched his fists, unable to counter the bear. His face was riddled with anger and tears.
Kamui put his hands together. "May your body and soul rest in peace, Ko." He then looked at the headmaster and raised his hand. "What are you planning to do to us now that someone has died?"
Monokuma smiled. "I'm glad you asked! Since your favorite chocolatey goodness has died, a class trial has to commence! However, you guys are just mere stupid high schoolers who don't know a damn thing about solving murders... So!" The bear pointed his paw up, almost as if to exaggerate himself as a joking, uncaring mascot. "You guys will have to examine the body and discover whodunnit."
Minori could not believe was he was hearing. He should've known Monokuma's intentions. He should've known what the headmaster was planning, yet he was left paling at the thought. Class trial, investigation- everything just sounded foreign to him.
"W-we're really gonna investigate the body and do a trial...?" Amyto's voice was shaking.
"Yeah, class trials are mandatory! Didn't you guys read the rules? We have to do a trial! It's all part of the killing game!" Monokuma laughed again to himself. He did not seem to read the mood. That mood of despair and wretched sadness were mere beauty to him. He did not read the mood purposefully because despair was the essence to his growth. "Figure out who the blackened is and punish them! That is the point of the class trial!"
Ryoichi rubbed his eyes. "Someone...someone actually murdered Mr. Yoshikawa? B-but why?"
"Duh, because it's a killing game! Get with the program already!"
The mortician cleared his throat, eyeing Monokuma as calmly as possible. "Might I ask," he began, polite as he usually is towards everyone. It's a surprise that his politeness would escalate to an insane headmaster as well. "After this investigation and trial are over, might I perform a funeral for Ko? I want his body and soul to rest as peacefully as possible despite the tragedy fallen below him."
"Why are you so calm about this?" Sheina asked, eyeing the mortician in bewilderment.
"We must act upon Ko's sake and leave his body as untainted as possible." Kamui smiled sadly as he looked at Haruko's dead body. He then looked back at the headmaster. "May I perform a funeral after this case is over?"
Monokuma thought for a moment, a paw to his imaginary chin. "Hm, lemme paws for a moment and think..." He then chuckled before his voice deadpanned. "No."
Kamui's eyes widened, his voice falling into shock. "What? And why not?"
The headmaster frowned, now throwing his paws out while his face turned red. "I don't give a damn about funerals and whatnot! Nobody would hold a funeral if I died, right? Why should I care about one measly child when hundreds- no, thousands of people in the world die every second? I don't give a damn, and neither should you! Don't waste your time holding a funeral!"
The mortician was silent. He was silent for a moment, but his voice immediately became growly as his eyes stared straight into the headmaster's. His hands clenched into fists and he suddenly began to scream. "Then can I ask what you are going to do with the body? Are you simply going to get rid of it? Every life is precious no matter the selfish excuses you may have! For someone who worships a 'killing game', you simply have no respect for the dead, do you? May your soul forever rot in hell, you wretched bastard!"
"Holy shit!" Monokuma took a step back. "For someone who acts so quiet, you really have no boundaries at times, do you?" A giggle escaped the bear's mouth. "Puhuhuhu, well, I don't want to keep you guys standing here any longer, so toodles!"
And just as Monokuma appeared inside of the infirmary, he disappeared the same way as well.
Investigation Start!
"Tsk, disgusting bastard." Kamui cursed underneath his breath, his face red. A few seconds passed before he calmed himself down, now eyeing Asami. "What should we do now?"
Asami bit into her lips. "Well, investigate the body, right?"
"I guess..." Amyto bit into her lips. "Wait, but-"
Just as questions were about be heard, there was a dinging sound echoing throughout the infirmary. A dingng sound that came from each person, each Ultimate aside from Haruko.
It's from the MonoPad. Minori thought to himself as he wiped his tears, forcing himself to his feet as he took out his pad. He swiped onto the screen, noticing that the folder that was previously titled 'Zero GB' was now available to open, now strangely called 'Truth Bullets'. The pseudologist tapped onto the folder, now finding himself eyeing a sub-folder that said 'Case File 01'.
Case File... Minori shortly looked at Haruko. He bit into his lips, hesitant. His heart was racing, but he stopped. No, don't cry. Don't cry. Okay... Okay, let's do it. For Ko's sake. Still, his finger tapped onto the sub-folder.
The MonoPad's screen blacked out, and for a moment nothing seemed to happen. However, instantly did the screen began to flash, now covered with text and pictures about Haruko's body. It was a summary of the crime scene. A summary of how the man had died. Minori read the file carefully, swiping through the pictures of the chocolatier's dead body and crime scene as he read the text.
Truth Bullet #001 - Case File 01
Summary: The victim to be found was Haruko Yoshikawa. His body was discovered in the infirmary. The estimated time of dead was around 4:50 PM, halfway into the day. Haruko's death was caused by Type B Poison, however he had been drugged heavily with sleeping powder and a pill hours before his initial time of death. The mixture of these medicine caused Haruko to be drowsy throughout the day. There are no traces of outer injuries other than a bump to the head.
Minori bit into his lips. Haruko had been poisoned. He had been poisoned by Type B Poison. The Ultimate had been poisoned with the title of Type B Poison, the one Minori had cautiously looked at. He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe that someone could poison him. He just couldn't believe it.
"Sleeping powder..." Minori thought for a moment. The infirmary held all sorts of drugs, he recalled that. From poison to medicine to especially sleeping medicine- yes, the infirmary held everything. The pseudologist frowned. But then how would the sleeping powder get into his system? The powder needed to be mixed in with liquid.
The white-haired man cupped his chin, using his other hand to wipe his tears. Kaniza was the one who brought the sick their food.
He eyed the open door for a moment, remembering that Kaniza had chased Nezumi. He sighed. He would have to talk to her later. He then looked at Haruko's body. He noticed Amyto who was shaking, unable to move any closer to the corpse. Fumio was shaking as well as the rest. "U-um," the hypnotist began, trying to gain everyone's attention. "Ko's body..."
"We need to check if what is said in the file is true." Asami bit into her lips, eyeing the other Ultimate. "I understand. Is there anyone who could...well, take a look at Sir Ko's body?"
Saori let out a small sigh, though her sigh only seem to come forth because of her worry. "I guess I'll do it."
Asami's eyes widened. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to pressure you or anything!"
"I'm fine." The body broker walked over to the chocolatier's body, moving down to her knees as she began examining his body. She checked his pulse for a moment, wanting that slimmer of hope, but no, nothing. She frowned as she felt Haruko's head, then moving down to check his symptoms. From the red eyelids to the bump on his head to checking the label on the bottle on the ground, she had checked everything. Unfortunately, she nodded her head. "Monokuma is telling us the truth. He died the same way as said in the case file."
"Oh my god, that's horrible!" The hypnotist shook her head. "I can't believe someone would actually kill him..."
Kamui coughed. "All we could do now is solve this murder and figure out the truth behind this case for not only our sake, but for Ko's as well." He eyed the corpse with a sad stare before looking back at the group. "Kakuma, Fumio, Fuwari. I'm sure you three will need the details on what happened beforehand."
"Exactly." The wedding planner was disgusted upon even eyeing the body. "I need you to explain everything."
"I still can't believe this happened." Fuwari shook her head sadly. "It feels like an instant has passed since I fainted. To think a murder would actually occur is incomprehensible."
Kamui sighed. "Sadly."
"I'll watch over the body," the hypnotist said, raising her hand. "It won't do any good if someone comes in and changes the scene, right? Besides," the Ultimate stopped, smiling sadly, "I don't think I'll be of too much help."
Seiga frowned, demused by her words. He scooted over to the side and cracked his knuckles as loudly as possible. "Appreciate the offer, but don't be so negative! I'll help you watch over then! Let's be watch buddies."
Amyto was completely off-guard. "H-huh? Um! Alright!"
Minori watched silently as he eyed the roles of the Ultimates. Kamui in the meantime was busy explaining to Kakuma, Fumio, and Fuwari what had happened before the murder occured. Amyto and Seiga were watching over Haruko's body, guardians at will. Some of the others were still inside of the infirmary, examining for any clues. Most have left, however, leaving only the following inside of the room- Kamui, Fuwari, Fumio, Kakuma, Seiga, Amyto, Saori, and Rin.
The pseudologist decided to move over towards Haruko's body, noticing Amyto and Seiga who eyed him. "Yo!" The stunt double said, his greeting usually energetic as always. However, the white-haired man noticed the subtle tone of worry behind it. "You're gonna inspect the body?"
Minori nodded his head. "Just for extra precaution."
"I see." Seiga watched him now in silence.
Hm... Minori first took a look at Haruko's head. There was a bump in the back. It wasn't too big, but considering how Haruko had his hair kept it was fairly visible to see. It looked recent, almost as if it had happened right during the murder. The bump was red and swollen, almost purple and blue to an extent.
Truth Bullet #002 - Bump on Head
Summary: Haruko has a bump on the back of his head. It seemed to have been a recent wound, recent to the extent of having happened during his time of death. The bump was swollen.
Minori then took a look at his face. The first thing that came to mind was to examine the circular red rings around Haruko's eyelids. They were a sickly color of red, the color which represented sickness and pain. Minori couldn't even imagine how such a color came to form on the chocolatier's face. He then slowly moved a hand to Haruko's eyelids, and within a moment of mental preparation did he open those eyes.
He instantly regretted it. "Aah!"
Minori fell to the ground, shocking Amyto and Seiga who quickly moved to the side. "Are you alright?" Amyto asked, worried as she looked down to him.
The pseudologist nodded, deciding best to not explain the situation. "Yeah, I'm fine." He took another look at Haruko, then quickly closing his eyelids. His heart had been pounding. Oh my god...
Truth Bullet #003 - Circular Rings
Summary: There are red circular rings that have formed around Haruko's eyelids.
Truth Buller #004 - Enlarged Eyes
Summary: Haruko's pupils have enlarged.
The pseudologist looked down to the chocolatier's lips. The man had been drooling, traces of saliva even sticking to his overly large shirt. However, it looked like within the saliva and drool were traces of a strange red liquid.
Minori frowned. Is this red liquid...?
Truth Bullet #005 - Lips
Summary: There is drool in the corner of the chocolatier's lips, however traces of red liquid is to be seen within the drool.
Minori examined the body for a few more moments, however those symptoms seemed to be the only thing that was eyecatching to the man. The pseudologist sighed, taking a look at Haruko's face for another moment. He prayed silently that the chocolatier would find peace in the afterlife before standing up. He thought for a moment, deep in pondering. Hm, alright, let's check the bottle now.
Minori looked down at the opened bottle that was to the side of Haruko, some contents of the red liquid having been spilled. Minori frowned. Type B Poison. It was the bottle that had been used to kill Haruko. The symptoms that had happened to Haruko should match with what is said on the label.
Truth Bullet #006 - Type B Poison
Summary: This red liquid is poison and has been used to kill Haruko. Taking even a teaspoon of this poison would kill a person under five minutes. The symptoms are the following- enlargement of pupils, excessive drooling, increase of heart rate, and redness of the face.
Other than the contents spilled on the ground and the bottle, there was nothing else of interest. Minori had successfully examined Haruko's dead body and cause of death. He then thought for a moment. Alright, what to do next... He then realized that the suspects are everyone inside of the school. Other than Monokuma, everyone was a suspect. Monokuma is forbidden to kill unless rules were broken accordingly, and Minori doubted that the bear would hold a trial if he had killed someone himself. So, he could rule him out.
I need to find alibis and narrow down the list of suspects.
Minori turned to Amyto and Seiga first, them having been the closest to him. "Ko died as we were travelling down the tunnel, right?"
"Mhm." Amyto nodded. "It was halfway into the day."
Halfway? Minori's eyes widened. "When Monokuma announced that he'd shut off the lights, he meant that 'halfway until the time expired' meant halfway from our school's schedule of morning to nighttime?"
The hypnotist nodded. "Yeah, I thought he'd shut off the lights when we were gonna go to the infirmary earlier since it was already around twelve by then, but since it didn't happen I thought he meant that halftime meant from the morning announcement to the nighttime one."
The stunt double let out a gasp. "Oooh, that's what happened! I was confused about that. I just thought Monokuma wanted to mess with our sense of time, but yeah, that makes sense!" Seiga bobbed his head up and down, smirking. "That's clever of a villain. He made it vague at the morning announcement to make us worry more."
"He really did make it sound a bit vague." Minori frowned at the thought. He hated how Monokuma was toying with them, especially considering how Monokuma hadn't told them about any sirens blaring at all.
Truth Bullet #007 - Sense of Time
Summary: Monokuma has said from the morning announcement that the lights would be shut down about halfway through the day. However, he didn't specifiy on what 'halfway' meant. It is safe to say that by what Monokuma meant by 'halfway' meant that the time span was from the morning announcement to nighttime. That would mean that the lights would be shut off around three.
Truth Bullet #008 - Sirens
Summary: Added to the lights being shut off throughout the day, sirens would also be sounded off as well. This would lead to mostly everything being cancelled out due to the noise of the sirens blaring.
"Can I also ask a few more questions?"
The stunt double laughed. "Bro, you don't need to ask!"
Minori blushed. "A-ah, yeah, right." He cleared his throat. "So, I'm trying to narrow down the list of suspects. I mean, personally, I do not want to suspect anyone, but with this case... I think I have to. I want to make sure that we can rely on each other for alibis."
Amyto nodded her head, understanding. "Oh, I see! You want us to recall what happened when we were down the tunnel, right? Hm, who was with us down there... That would make me, Seiga, you, Kaniza, Kamui, Sagiso, and Rin."
"Fuwari, Ko, Fumio, and Kakuma were still in their rooms, sick." Minori cupped his chin. "That leaves the ones without alibis- Asami, Nezumi, Saori, Ryoichi, and Sheina."
"Hmm." Seiga frowned. "Yeah, I think you got everyone down. So, the people without alibis are the most suspicious since we don't know shit where they were and what happened!"
"Yeah, I think you should ask them about it." Amyto looked at Minori with the scratch of the head. "I can't move anywhere since I'm watching over Ko..."
The pseudologist nodded. "Alright, but I need to make sure- nobody left when I fell unconscious right?"
"Since it happened so instantly and ended so instantly, no." Amyto shook her head. "The lights were on as well, so we'd know instantly if someone was absent."
"Mhm." The pseudologist thought to himself. "Thanks."
Truth Bullet #009 - Alibis (Tunnel)
Summary: The people who can check each other for alibis during their trip down from the lab room are Minori, Seiga, Kamui, Amyto, Kaniza, Sagiso, and Rin. They were all inside of the tunnel when the lights were turned on as well.
Truth Bullet #010 - Lack of Alibis (Lost)
Summary: The people who were lost during the trip down from the lab room are Asami, Nezumi, Saori, Ryoichi, and Sheina.
Minori sighed. There would be a lot of suspecting to do, and a lot of interrogation. Honestly, he couldn't stand interrogating and suspecting others. He wasn't fit for such a role. He could only hope people such as Saori and Kamui were doing a better job than he was. He knew they were much more smarter than he could ever be, at least in the case of trial and error.
He checked Kamui. Apparently the mortician had been done with explaining to the sick, the Ultimate having already left the room. Minori noticed that there were few of the sick left, only Kakuma and Fumio to be seen. Minori frowned inwardly. He didn't want to talk to Kakuma at all, but he figured he should set his feelings aside and walk towards them.
"Let me guess, you're here to interrogate us."
Minori instantly jumped at Kakuma's statement. "Um, sorry?"
Kakuma sighed. "Don't be, it's good to be wary of others, after all. You do need to act the part of a person who always doubts others after all. You're a liar." He crossed his arms and eyed the white-haired man. "So, did you want to ask about the time we woke up? What we were doing during our time of illness?"
Minori could not believe that the wedding planner knew everything already. The Ultimate could only nod his head in silent bewilderment.
"Well, for me, I was mainly out of it. I couldn't even remember what Kaniza told me when she was bringing in my food." The wedding planner thought for a moment, frowning. "Hm, I only remember that I ate a little, however afterwards I rested throughout the entire day. I only woke up a few seconds later before you people told me that 'this killing game is over' and whatnot."
Minori bit into his lips. He almost wanted to apologize to the wedding planner for the false hope, but kept silent and eyed Fumio for his alibi.
Fumio had already wrote into his notepad, having scribbled down his thoughts as Kakuma spoke. "It was the same with me. I remember only bits of my day. I couldn't hear much on what Kaniza said while she was bringing in my food and medicine. I only woke up a few moments before I saw you guys again, like Kakuma said."
"So it's the same for you two." Minori took a mental note inside of his head. He'd have to talk to Fuwari later. "Do you know what type of medicine she gave you?"
"Not poison, that's for sure." Kakuma retorted with a scoff. "I don't really remember, but all I know was that it was a pill. I took it with some water..." The wedding planner then stopped, an eyebrow raised. "Hold on."
Minori's eyes widened. "What?"
"I think the glasses were labeled with our names. When I was taking the pill I realized that the cup of water had my name on it." Kakuma frowned. "That's suspicious."
"Oh, that's right." Fumio nodded. "My cup also had my name on it."
"Really? That's strange." Minori couldn't help but worry. He knew Kaniza should have her reasons, but he couldn't help but worry nonetheless. "Alright, I'll ask her about it. Thank you."
Truth Bullet #011 - Charity to the Sick (NOT CONFIRMED)
Summry: Kaniza had given the sick their meals and medicine. She had provided them a cup of water, their pills, and their meals. However, it is said that the sicks' cups have been labeled with their names.
Minori sighed. Kaniza was now the more likely suspect to Haruko's case. She was the one who tended to the sick, after all. However, despite her being the most suspicious in the group, Minori was still doubtful. He decided to move over to where Rin and Saori were. They were looking through the shelves, eyeing the bottles of poison and medicine accordingly. Well, it makes sense for them to investigate all of the bottles. Someone could've hidden something in one.
The pseudologist strided over towards them. "Hello," he began, trying to not break their focus too much. "I'm currently asking everyone for their alibis and I wanted to ask you two about your's. I also want to ask if you have found anything eyecatching, if you don't mind."
The body broker turned to eye the man. She nodded. "I understand." She cleared her throat and crossed her arms, now pondering. "You want to know if I have an alibi during the time we were down in the tunnel since I wasn't with you guys." She sighed. "Unfortunately, I do not think I could provide an airtight alibi. I had simply gotten lost because of how dark it was. I could hear Ryoichi's voice from a distance, but I couldn't pinpoint where he was since it was dark. I'm sure I heard his voice at least. So... When the lights turned on however I quickly made my way back up the stairs and found the others who had gotten lost. We didn't know what to do since the lights turned on so suddenly."
"So, everyone was present when you walked back up to the lab room?"
Saori nodded. "Yes, I made sure of it. Considering that you and the rest have came afterwards, I can conclude that no one was left unnoticed."
Minori acknowledged the body broker's words. Alright, that's good to note. I think I should also note down the order of who got lost. Saori should be much further into the tunnel, and considering how it went earlier Ryoichi must be behind her. So, it would be Saori, Ryoichi, and then the others... Asami and Sheina should be at the back though, so Nezumi would be placed right after Ryoichi. I have to know if it was Sheina or Asami who went last though.
The jeweler looked at Minori, a tired yawn escaping her lips. She rubbed her eyes. "I would say the estimated time between when the lights shut off to when they turned on would be enough for a quick murder. However, I'm a bit confused about how the culprit would move in the dark."
"There are no candles or flashlights, so I doubt they'd move so easily." Minori frowned. "Besides, if it was that dark beforehand, I would think someone would've noticed a bright light if so."
"A source of light, huh?" Rin hummed to herself, almost as if she was daydreaming. However, that thought stopped as she opened her mouth. "Ah. Do you think there are supplies in the MonoLottery room that can prove as a source of light?"
Minori cupped his chin. "Hm, there should. I'll probably check it out later."
Saori was still wary, frowning. She was shaking her head in doubt. "I doubt flashlights or candles of the sort were used. I'd think you'd have to carry with you during the trip. We'd notice if someone was holding an object."
The pseudologist nodded. "Well, I'll check the MonoLottery room anyways, just in case."
Truth Bullet #012 - Saori's Alibi
Summary: Saori said that she had met with the people who had been lost after the lights turned on. She also said she heard Ryoichi's voice faintly while she was lost.
Minori decided to take a look at the shelves himself, eyeing the array of medicine and poisonous bottles. He noticed a particular batch of capsules however, grabbing ahold of the item as he noticed there were traces of use compared to the other batches. He took a look at the contents, realizing they were white pills labeled 'Flu Remedy'.
Minori thought for a moment, pondering. Pills- they were the form of medicine used to treat the sick. Fumio and Kakuma agreed that pills were used as their source of medicine, and with four pills missing from the batch he concluded that Kaniza had picked the batch particulary for them. Still, he had to ask her. Why this particular batch? Does she even know anything about medicine? She probably took a wild guess...
Truth Bullet #013 - Flu Remedy
Summary: These were the pills used to treat the sick. Kaniza had most likely picked them as there are four pills missing from the batch.
Minori observed the shelves for another few minutes before deciding there were nothing else of interest. He closed the shelves as Rin and Saori had finished, now inspecting the room itself. The pseudologist frowned as he eyed his MonoPad, looking through his truth bullets. These aren't enough to give me a better picture of the scene. I need to ask the others for their motives and look for more clues.
Minori's thought circled. Ah, right. I should check the MonoLottery room first.
The pseudologist made his way outside of the infirmary room, now heading straight into the MonoLottery! room. He walked inside, finding the carnival music still playing. Creepy, he could only call the atmosphere of this entire room as creepily joyous. Although he hadn't thought of such beforehand, as someone had just died, he couldn't help himself.
This room is a mess though. I wonder if I could search every corner of this room in time. Minori sighed, now taking a look at the room as a whole. He didn't want to waste too much time, only eyeing each corner and scanning each object at least for two seconds. He didn't find anything but mere children's toys. There were magazines, board games, and tool kits- but strangely enough, he has yet to find a source of light. Sure, he spotted a broken lightbulb, but considering the lack of bulbs used throughout the setting he didn't bother to inspect it more.
He frowned. There's really nothing? No candles or flashlights... Weird.
Truth Bullet #014 - MonoLottery! Room
Summary: From inspection, there seemed to be nothing that can be used as a source of light.
I guess that was a waste of time.
Minori bit into his lips. Although it was a thought to be noted, he couldn't help but feel tired already. Okay, what's next to check... His mind instantly rolled to the lab room. Ah, there might be someone there too, after all. I better take another walk down the tunnel and see how easy it is to get lost too.
The pseudologist headed his way towards the lab room. Since it was closed, he had expected for the room to stay closed, however once he turned the knob it opened slightly easily. He was shocked, but decided that Monokuma kept it unlocked for 'investigation' purposes. Knowing the headmaster, Minori could assume such. He walked into the lab room and found a few people inside- Kamui, Ryoichi, and Fuwari.
"Hello, Minori," Kamui greeted, noticing Minori. "Are you here to check the tunnel as well?"
The pseudologist nodded, still a bit surprised from how the mortician acted against Monokuma. Honestly, he did not expect such an aggressive response from Kamui. The mortician was always so polite and quiet, Minori would've never guessed that the mortician was quite aggressive. "Y-yeah."
Fuwari hummed her curiosity. "So, this was what's hidden inside of the lab room. How interesting. I wonder if there are any dark entities inside of the tunnel for me to perform my seances."
Ah, right. Minori turned to the spirit medium. "Fuwari, may I ask you a question? I need to hear your alibi."
Fuwari hummed in response, the pseudologist suggesting she was fine. Minori cleared his throat. "Alright. Can I ask what happened during the time you were ill? I need to confirm a few things that Kakuma and Fumio have told me. I need to see if what you said aligns with their's."
The spirit medium thought for a moment, almost as if she was wondering how to word herself. However, it didn't take long as she began to speak. "So, you do suspect me?"
"N-no, it's nothing like that!" Minori quickly shook his head. He didn't know why, but the aura surrounding Fuwari grew everlasting darker. "I just wanted to hear your alibi, that's all!"
"I see. My apologies. I do not mean to scare you in such a manner." Fuwari politely bowed her head to Minori, greatly regretful. "I must be much more tired than expected. I just cannot comprehand why someone would be manipulated to commit such an act towards our poor Ko."
"N-no, I understand you completely... You just woke up and then you get thrown into this right away." Minori sighed. "I understand."
"I see." Fuwari nodded. "During my time of illness, I remember Kaniza having brought me my food and medicine. Because I was in such a state, I couldn't remember much other than taking my pill and eating. I recall that my glass had been labeled with my name as well. I woke up later to see all of you talking about the killing game being over. I was dearly confused."
"Ah, I see." The pseudologist cupped his chin and took mental notes. "Your alibi aligns with Fumio and Kakuma's. Thank you."
The spirit medium smiled. "Of course. I appreciate it."
Truth Bullet #011 - Charity to the Sick (CONFIRMED)
Summry: Kaniza had given the sick their meals and medicine. She had provided them a cup of water, their pills, and their meals. However, it is said that the sicks' cups have been labeled with their names.
Since there were three people who had said the same thing, Minori would suggest that the same would be confirmed for Haruko's case. Of course, he couldn't ask him, as he was, well, dead. However, Minori knew he could look into the chocolatier's room later. So, he decided to wait and talk to Ryoichi.
"Hello, may I ask you for your alibi?" Minori asked as he eyed the man.
Ryoichi's eyes widened. "What? Do you suspect me?"
Minori noticed that the investigator was a bit shaky, his face a bit pale. It was obvious that the Ultimate was scared of the others. "I do not suspect you," the pseudologist said, trying his best to not intimidate the Ultimate. "I want to ask what happened while you were lost."
"During the tunnel..." Ryoichi frowned, now averting his gaze. "Mr. Watanabe, I unfortunately think that providing an alibi for me is impossible. I-I was lost! There are no aliens or people who can cover for me..."
Minori sighed. He's really jumpy. "Saori said that she might've heard your voice while you were lost."
"Oh, she did?" Ryoichi thought for a moment before his lips curved to a sudden confident smile. "Well, I do remember calling out for anyone while I was lost! I didn't think that anyone would hear me though... I mean, the sirens are louder than a UFO itself."
"I guess." How is he so sure about that UFO part? Still, that does confirm that Ryoichi was behind Saori, I guess. Since he did say that he was calling out for someone and that Saori did hear him, his alibi is probably secured. Minori crossed his arms. "Do you know who was behind you, or who was last to enter the tunnel?"
"No." Ryoichi shook his head. "I didn't look behind since I couldn't even see anyways. Sorry about that. I mean, I did walk back up to the lab room after the lights turned on, however I believe that doesn't account much for anything. Sorry, Mr. Watanabe."
Minori nodded. "Alright."
Since it's most likely that Nezumi went in after Ryoichi, I should ask the thief if he heard Ryoichi's voice as well. There's a slight chance that Saori's covering up for Ryoichi and vice versa. And considering Saori was able to hear him, Nezumi should as well especially considering that our voices should echo inside of a closed space.
Minori walked over to Kamui. He didn't need to ask for his alibi, considering he was present with the pseudologist during the time down the tunnel. "Kamui," the white-haired man began as he eyed him. The mortician turned to face him. "Have you found anything here?"
Kamui frowned. "I was about to walk into the tunnel after I checked the room. I haven't found anything around here."
"I see." Minori bit into his lips. "Can I go with you?"
The mortician nodded. "Of course. I can't say no to someone who wants to solve this case anyways."
The pseudologist smiled a bit to himself as he walked down the flight of stairs, Kamui following him behind. They had started their way down the flight of stairs, noticing that the temperature was dropping slowly as they continued down. Although the tunnel seemed narrow at first, it began to widen as they reached the last few steps, now moving downwards. Having walked in while it was dark before, Minori instantly realized how wide and spacious the tunnel was. It would've been fairly easy to get lost if you couldn't make sense of directions, and especially if it was dark. Considering that the tunnel was wide as well as spacious and lacking in any decor, there were no telltale signs of where someone was if they were lost.
A few minutes had passed until Kamui and Minori finally reached the end, now looking upon the gigantic fan which was now permanently stopped. Minori had to admit that he was surprised that Seiga was able to turn off the fan, but he couldn't express his feelings at the moment. He had to investigate.
Alright, so it seems like it was fairly easy to get lost if you're bad at directions and if it's dark... Alright, that makes the people who have gotten lost more credible. I don't want a lot of people lying about being lost, after all.
Truth Bullet #015 - Tunnel
Summary: The flight of stairs were narrow, but as the tunnel goes on it starts to widen and is spacious. It should've been fairly easy to lose your way if you were either bad at directions or if it was dark.
Minori decided to take a look at the shattered bottle from the ground, deciding that it may be best to piece things together as accurately as he could. He didn't want to touch the poison in fear of being poisoned somehow, but took a look at the labels, piecing each shattered glass with his eyes.
Hm... It seemed like Monkuma was using some special type of poison. The label is written in zeros and ones... Strange.
Minori did not mind the title of the poison however, now taking a careful look at the ingredients and warnings. He knew he shouldn't expect much, but his gut instinct was telling him otherwise. He read silently before his eyebrows furrowed. Wait... Hmm..
Truth Bullet #016 - 01110000... Poison
Summary: This strange type of poison had been used as the motive of this case. Apparently from the warnings, the symptoms which would be caused from whiffing the poison are the following- an increase in temperature. Taking a whiff from the poison is strongly advised against, however it wouldn't kill someone. In worst cases, the poison would only cause a flu.
This is strange... Hmm, but shouldn't the poison eventually kill us? Monokuma... Minori cupped his chin, pondering as he moved towards the fan's control panel. He was now eyeing the panel alngside Kamui, looking at the shattered 'On' button. Minori smirked inwardly, knowing it was Seiga's doing.
"I suppose we are safe in here since Seiga has destroyed the controls," the mortician inquired.
Minori nodded. "Yeah. I wonder if Monokuma will repair it though, considering he is able to somehow restock the bottles inside of the infirmary."
"Ah, right." Kamui bit into his lips and shook his head, slowly. "I would hope not."
The pseudologist agreed silently. "Hm, alright." Minori turned back, deciding that there was nothing else of importance. At least, nothing that was related to the murder. He waved to Kamui before heading back up the tunnel, walking up the stairs and back into the lab room where the others were.
Alright. I guess I should look for everyone else. Hm, I guess the rest are either at the dormitory or around there.
Minori began his way towards the dormitory where he found a few of the other students gathering around, some investigating inside of the chocolatier's room while others talking outside. He noticed a few people- Asami, Kaniza, and Nezumi.
He walked into Haruko's room where the three stood, the trio noticing him within seconds. The knight was the first to speak, waving her hand and smiling at the pseudologist. "Hello, Minori!"
Minori smiled back in return. "Hello." He then noticed Nezumi who was rubbing his eyes, seeming to have been in tears earlier. He could see Kaniza comforting him, rubbing him in the back as she eyed the pseudologist. Minori couldn't help but worry he came at a wrong time. He felt immediate sympathy for the thief. Guess I'll investigate the room first then.
Minori eyed Haruko's room, noticing it was much more cheerful and sweet than his own. There were lights everywhere, the walls a chocolate light brown color and the ground covered in a candy-shaped carpet in the middle. He saw that Haruko's bed was messy and undone, the green blankets everywhere on the wrinkled bedsheets. He could see that the small desk next to the bed was a bit messy, the platter Kaniza had brought messy with bits of food to the side and water spilled.
Hm, I guess Ko ate his food though. He ate almost everything. Minori eyed the platter closely. It looked like he took his medicine too. I don't see the pill anywhere.
Minori then took a look at the cup of water. Oh. The cup has Ko's name written on it. The pseudologist looked to Kaniza's way, but quickly shook his head. He'd have to ask.
Truth Bullet #017 - Haruko's Platter
Summary: Haruko seemed to have eaten most of his food and drank his water. He had taken his pill as well and his name had been labeled.
Minori sighed. He decided to first talk to Asami, wanting to not bother Kaniza and Nezumi as of yet. "Hello, Asami," he greeted with a small nod. "May I ask you a question regarding about your alibi?"
Asami smiled sweetly, saluting the pseudologist. "Of course! Please ask."
The pseudologist smiled back. "Alright. I want to know what happened when the lights had shut off when we were in the tunnel."
The knight crossed her arms, now thinking hard. "Alright, let me think for a moment." She tapped her foot. "When the lights shut out, everyone else had moved into the tunnel. I was the last person to enter inside after Sheina since I wanted to make sure all of you were fine, however I unfortunately ended up lost myself... Haha, well, when the lights turned on I made my way back to the lab room in order to regroup with the others."
"Mhm, I see." Minori nodded, making notes in his head. So Asami was the last to enter. "Your alibi aligns with the others'. Saori said that she met all of you guys in the lab room, after all."
Asami's smile widened. "Oh, really now? That's fortunate! Thank you for those kind words, Minori!"
Minori smiled.
Truth Bullet #018 - Asami's Testimony
Summary: Asami said that she was the last person to enter into the tunnel and is most likely the first to head back to the lab room after the lights had been turned back on.
Truth Bullet #019 - Order of the Lost
Summary: From to the lab room, the order of people who were lost were Asami, Sheina, Nezumi, Ryoichi, and Saori.
Minori looked towards Kaniza and Nezumi, moving to their side. "Um, hey," he said, awkward as the duo eyed him. He didn't know how to start, especially considering how vulnerable Nezumi must've felt right now. Minori bit into his lips. "If it's alright with the two of you, may I ask you two for your alibis during the time we were in the lab room?"
"I-I didn't do it!" Nezumi cried, throwing his hands up. "K-Ko's body... I-I can't even stand to think about it." The thief rubbed his eyes for a moment before slowly looking up at Minori. "I-I'm fine, but I'm seriously not the culprit! I-I know I have a bad alibi since I got lost, but that doesn't mean anything!"
"O-of course." Minori couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. "I'm trying to make sure everyone else's alibis align with your's."
"O-oh..." Nezumi cupped his hands, fiddling with his fingers. "Um, so you want to know what happened during the time in the tunnel. I-I got lost after Ryoichi went inside, and since I was bothered by the sirens I ended up losing my way... I lost my sense of direction and I didn't want to make things worst, so I just stayed in one spot until the lights went back on... I-I mean, I did hear Ryoichi call out for anyone, b-but I wasn't sure if I should go look for him or not!"
Minori nodded. Alright, that concludes the fact that Saori and Ryoichi aren't covering for each other.
The thief bit into his lips. "S-so after the lights turned back on, I heard footsteps going back up to the lab room so I followed the noise. I ended up gathering with Asami and the others, and so I waited for the rest of you guys inside the room."
"I see. Thank you." Minori could see the thief breathing a sigh of relief. Of course, the pseudologist did not want to stress the thief out by suspecting him, but in any given circumstances did he have to. The white-haired Ultimate scratched his head and eyed Kaniza. "May I ask you a few questions?"
Kaniza smiled. She was in no way offended by his remark. "Of course!"
"Alright." Minori nodded to himself. "I know that your alibi is solid since you were with me and the others during the tunnel, so you were present to see everything, right?"
Kaniza replied, "Yup! I was seriously praying to the stars for our safety!"
The pseudologist awkwardly laughed in response. "Haha, yeah." He crossed his arms, his hand slowly running against the flap of his scarf. "However, I want to ask you about the time before that. You were the one in charge of tending to the sick, so I wanted to ask you about the time you brought them their food and how you prepared it."
The astrophotographer tilted her head, almost confused by his question. She then stopped with a small nod. "I see. That's definitely something to note, huh?" She chuckled to herself. "I don't blame you. So..." She tapped her chin. "I just prepared the sick's meals with the extra dishes prepared in the kitchen with Kamui, Sagiso, and Asami. I set up the meals accordingly to what I feel like would work for each person, so Kamui suggested I should label the meals with their names. I didn't know how to label their meals, so I decided to label their cups instead. I mean, the stars wouldn't tell much about what each person specifically wanted to eat, but I thought it would be nice to try. Hahaha..."
Minori's brows furrowed. "So that was Kamui's suggestion?"
Kaniza bobbed her head. "Yup! He's smart, huh?"
"Yeah." The pseudologist cupped his chin.
Truth Bullet #020 - Kaniza's Testimony
Summary: Kaniza had wanted to prepare special meals for the sick, so Kamui suggested she should label them with the sick's names accordingly. She had prepared the meals alongside Kamui, Sagiso, and Asami.
Minori averted his gaze. He looked at Haruko's plate before turning back to the astrophotographer. "When you brought over their meals, were some of them awake already? Might I ask if you tried waking them up?"
"I didn't want to bother them too much, but I did wake them up slightly to tell them." Kaniza giggled. "Honestly, Kakuma looked so adorable when he's sleeping. It's funny to think he's so stuck-up when he sleeps so adorably! Maybe he had been blessed by the stars!"
Minori did not want to talk about the wedding planner. Not at all. "So you did wake them up."
"Mhm." The Ultimate nodded. "I did felt bad about it, so I left the moment I showed them their meals and medicine."
"Ah, right." Minori stopped. "How did you choose their medicine?"
Kaniza's eyes widened. "Oh, I just checked their symptoms from what Saori told me and took the medicine which fitted best. I mean, there aren't any doctors here and I doubt Monokuma would tell me anything, so I took a guess."
Minori was silent. He wondered what would happen if Kaniza were to choose the wrong medicine. Although he was glad of her intentions, he couldn't help but worry what would happen if the wrong medicine was chosen. Especially if it was taken in a large dosage. Still, her intentions are genuine. I don't think she's lying to me either. I would know- actually, wait, I don't want to tell myself that. Screw you, talent.
The pseudologist bowed his head politely. "Thank you for answering."
Kaniza winked. "No problem! You go save the world, Minnie!"
Minori awkwardly laughed, scratching his head and heading out. Hm, where should I go next? I still have to find Sheina and Sagiso. The pseudologist thought for a moment, pondering. He then walked down the area slowly before noticing the dining hall. He thought about Kaniza and the others for a second, then assuring himself and walking in.
There, he found Sheina who was looking around the area.
"Sheina." Minori walked over to the egyptologist, gaining her attention. "May I ask for your alibi?"
"Ah, fellow subject!" The egyptologist stood as mighty as ever, head held high. Always the haughty one I swear. Sheina grinned confidently, prideful of herself. "You dare to ask a question I see? Speak, subject, for my regal air will bless you accordingly!"
Minori inwardly slapped himself. "Alright, might I ask about what happened while the lights were out?"
"Heh! So you suspect me? Subject, you are far from coming close to the Son of Osiris!" Sheina laughed to herself, but then stopped. "Well, fellow subject, if you must know, I had travelled down the reigns of the cryptic tunnel after my subject Nezumi. Minutes has passed before I unfortunately ended up lost. I couldn't do anything till the lights turned on, and so I returned to meet Asami. The other subjects have followed suit! That is all I can tell you, subject. I must assure you that I am not suspect to anything!"
"Y-yeah, just making sure..." Minori sighed. He felt like his entire energy had been wasted. Well, that does make me now a hundred percent sure about the order of the people being lost. It also tightens the grip on the alibis too. The pseudologist nodded. "Thank you."
Minori didn't bother to listen to Sheina's 'subject' talk, now deciding to look around the room. There was nothing suspicious to be seen, Minori knowing that it was as clean and normal-looking as always. No dust. No disarranged chairs. Nothing out of place. The pseudologist moved close to the kitchen door before noticing the nearby trash can. Hm, there can't be anything special in there.
Still, he can't be too sure. He opened the trash can, expecting to find nothing special until he noticed an opened packet down at the bottom. There were tissues inside, however at the bottom was that packet. That packet with the title 'Sleeping Powder'. Oh shit, so this was the powder used to drug Ko...
Truth Bullet #021 - Sleeping Powder
Summary: A opened, used packet of sleeping powder was found in the trash can inside of the dining hall. It was hidden within some tissues and seemed to have been completely used. The label says that if used, sleep would be take place in about half an hour, and the effects last for about half a day if taken in high dosage. However, one must make sure to not use more than a packet of powder, or else death may take place. The powder must be mixed in with liquid.
So this was the one used to drug him... Who threw this here?
Minori's stomach churned. To see the labels on the packet made him sick to his stomach. He just couldn't imagine Haruko's state before death. He shook his head, now heading into the kitchen. There, he found Sagiso who was looking through the boxes and fridge. She was checking each specific packet of food, each fruit, each snack, etc.
"Sagiso." Minori's voice escaped the room.
Sagiso looked over to him. A soft smile escaped her lips as she walked over to him. She loosened the scarf around his neck, using the time to adjust his clothes. "Are you fine?" She asked, motherly as she looked into his eyes. "You were crying so much earlier. Are you sure you're fine?"
"I-I'm fine." Minori's cheeks blushed furiously red. He didn't even bother to question why Sagiso was always so nosy. It was just in her nature. "Um, what're you doing here?"
The psychogeographer sighed. "Just investigating. I need to make sure I do Ko justice. I want to know how he died and who did it." The Ultimate huffed before wrapping the scarf around Minori. She then damped a handkerchief and rubbed it against Minori's eyes. A moment passed before she finished, her moving over to bring the towel to the round table. "There, you look better like that."
"T-thank you..." Minori averted his gaze. He was just not used to how kind people were. "So, uh, did you find anything useful here?"
Sagiso shook her head sadly. "Not really. I thought I might be able to find something here, but there is nothing." She then averted her gaze. "... Well..." She bit into her lips. "I did check the chocolates he made for us."
Minori's eyes widened. "Really?"
The psychogeographer nodded. "Yes, I think they're ready now."
"Ah." Minori smiled sadly. "I see. I better tell everyone else about it."
Ko's chocolates... They were made to make us feel happy, yet somehow...they make me want to cry.
The pseudologist wanted to speak more. He wanted to make this melancholic atmosphere shift. He wanted to leave and say at least something, however, he had been stopped. He was stopped abruptly by the bells ringing. The speakers ringing throughout the school, echoing and resounding as loudly as possible. The speakers sounded, and the voice was heard. That damn, accursed, high-pitched voice. That voice which belonged to him, the headmaster. Monokuma.
"Ahem! Alright, you bastards, investigation time's over! Please head to the auditorium for further instructions and be as quick as possible! I repeat, please head to the auditorium for further instructions!"
Minori suddenly felt his legs shaking. His entire body was shaking. The investigation was over, and now a trial had to commence. The pseudologist felt thousands of thoughts circling his head- Who killed Ko? Who? Do we really have to do this? Why are we doing a trial? I'm not even good at trials, I'm not a lawyer. Hell, I can't even yell for my own sake. Can I do this? Can I really do something fit for a lawyer?
However, he stopped. He took a deep breath. He had to do this. He just had to.
For Ko's sake.
Alright, the auditorium, right? Time to go.
Minori took a deep breath, and moved forward.
"So we're actually here in the auditorium..." Amyto laughed nervously, sweat trickling down from her forehead. She was anxious, eyes darting from place to place. "So, we really have to do this, huh..."
The stunt double frowned, cracking his fists loudly as possible. It was as loud as his booming voice. "Hey, keep your chins up! Monokuma's just messing with us! Shit ain't gonna happen! We're gonna do justice for Ko, after all! So don't be nervous!"
Kakuma scoffed. "So? Where is Monokuma?"
"No idea." Fuwari cupped her chin, thinking to herself. "Strange, he's not here."
Asami stood tall, confident. She was determined to keep her cool, eyes looking from place to place. "Be careful everyone. He might appear out of nowhere like he usually does."
"That's scary." Fumio scribbled into his notepad. Although it made him sound monotone, his expression told everyone otherwise. He was fidgeting in place.
"Where is he?" Rin asked, humming to herself.
Before anyone else could ask, the ground began to rumble. Everyone lost their balance, yelps and screams resounding. It took a few long seconds before something began to shift.
The pedestal from the stage began to disappear, falling into an imaginary hole into the abyss. The grumbling sound was echoing, and as soon as the pedestal disappeared did the ground began to still, silent. A few seconds passed before a ding! sound was heard, suddenly an elevator moving from the ground up. A beautiful room, the elevator doors being patterned with a velvet coat and plaid diamonds, the room colored a shining brown from the outside. There was the pattern of Monokuma's head on the top of the ceiling, the elevator then slowly opening to reveal the inside. The inside which was empty, yet as fancy as the outside.
"Shit, that's some scary shit." Seiga laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. "What the hell is this setup?"
"Ahem! Hello, hello! Monokuma speaking!" Inside of the auditorium came the headmaster's voice. Although he was nowhere to be seen, his voice was heard loud and clearly. "Please enter into the elevator so we can start! Refusal to participate in the trial will result in punishment, after all! Choose wisely whether or not you reaaaaally want to object going inside. Anyways, that's all! See you down the trial grounds!"
Silence.
"A-are we really going in there?" The thief asked, cupping his hands. "What if it's not safe? I-I don't want to go in there!"
"It's better to listen to the headmaster. I'm pretty sure this 'punishment' he's talking about will result in your death." Kakuma scoffed. He walked passed the Ultimates and headed into the elevator.
Fuwari hummed in acknowledgment, nodding and walking ahead as well. "Agreed."
"H-hey!" Nezumi's eyes widened. He could see the others heading inside, and so was prompted to follow despite his fear. That sense of mob mentality had overwhelmed him completely. "W-wait up!"
"Minori, are you ready?" Asami looked at the pseudologist, confidently smiling. "We're going to figure out the truth behind this case."
Minori hesitated for a moment, but nodded. "Yeah."
"Haha!" Seiga laughed boisterously. "Let's do this!"
Ryoichi took a deep breath. He took more than just one deep breath though, closing his eyes. He then nodded to himself and walked. "I'm going in."
Minori watched as the rest walk into the elevator, him following after with each heavy step being taken. He walked into the elevator, and in an instant did the doors close. The elevator ringed, and within seconds was the group heading down. Down into the abyss, in complete silence.
"..."
Yes, it was completely silent. Everyone was now silent, tense. Their hearts were beating, breaths touching each other. The air was dense, movements shallow and rigid. No one bothered to speak. Nobody bothered to even look at one another. No, it was completely tense.
All of the Ultimates were in deep thought. Emotions mixed. Emotions akin to nervousness, anxiety, fear... Everyone was tense. Everyone was worried.
Who did it? Who killed Haruko Yoshikawa? How did they kill him?
Many questions surrounded the group in a synchronized manner. The elevator had descended them into their abyss of darkness, their trove of despair. Their heartbeats began to pound faster and faster until- ding! - the elevator came to a stop.
Finally, finally, the doors opened. The doors opened to reveal a dim-litted room. A room which was covered with forest green walls, the bottom lined smooth redwood ground and the ceiling being lit with a large, crystal chandelier. A room akin to a fancy trial ground. There was a tall chair which was coated in a velvet cloth, most likely fit for the overseer of the case. The overseer, the judge- the headmaster. Stands and pedestals were circled around one another, sixteen in total. Sixteen pedestals where each Ultimate would stand. Sixteen, the number of Ultimates who had first roamed the empty, horrendous school. Sixteen which now dropped to fifteen, and soon, fourteen.
Monokuma was now present at the front, his laughter echoing as he walked towards the group.
"Puhuhuhu! Welcome, students!"
Yes. This was where they were. The Reigning Academy of Ultimates.
Minori closed his eyes. This is where we now stand.
And here is the end of the investigation! I hope you are now thinking hard about the culprit, as soon after this chapter will be the class trial itself! Who is the culprit? Please discuss your thoughts and your questions! Please also vote who you think the culprit is in my profile! Also, I want your input on how you want the class trial to go. Would you like it better in script or like this? I was thinking of having most of the trial run in a dialogue-based formula akin to Danganronpa's games, but I'm not entirely sure it is fine since I do worry about breaking any of the FanFiction rules. If you do want a dialogue-based script, I will possibly mix in this sort of format while switching to dialogue as well.
Anyways, I also want to promote my friend's Danganronpa SYOC story. Please go check out KiibouMon's Danganronpa story called The Skinner Box! It is a SYOC story, so please feel free to check it and send your submissions if you want!
Well, I will soon meet you on the battle front, so have fun for now! The trial will begin soon.