Twelve, twelve and five more. Six to three, five to eight. Nine, nine four. Eleven to twenty nine, four and seven. Thirteen down ten.

"Hey, wait a minute." Mikanne looked to me, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Six to four, down two, up nine until back to six again. Twenty, thirty eight, back to three.

"Zaki...are you cheating?" He asked, worriedly.

"Huh?" I looked up, lowering the cards from my hands. "N-No, what makes you say that?"

"It's just...every time we've played this game, you have near-perfect runs." Mikanne looked to the side. "I mean...I won't be mad if you say you are. I'm just wondering, really…"

Cheating...am I cheating?

I examined the cards in my hands. One, three, six, seven, nine. With my three, seven, and nine I could combo the next turn and win the game.

As far as I was consciously aware, I wasn't cheating at all. I was reading my cards, planning my moves...and reading Mikanne. Not his cards, but him. I looked at his face as it shifted from one emotion to the next. I could see his fingers twitch when he hesitated to pick a card, his pauses slowing down time as he continued to stall his decision.

Is reading my opponent cheating? I've...never been called a cheater before. I didn't like it. I'm not a cheater, I'm...I'm sure I'm not.

"No, Mik. I swear I'm not cheating." I shook my head, sincerely. "Maybe...maybe this is the game I'm the best at."

"But Zaki, you say that for every game we play together." Mikanne pouted. "Starlight Avengers XV, Final Dreamshines RPG, checkers-"

"I stopped playing checkers." I crossed my arms.

"What?" Mikanne asked, surprised. "But you're the checkers king! You even beat Mr. Armstrong in class!"

I shook my head. "Yeah, but Mr. Kohn beat me. That means I'm not the checkers king."

"Mr. Kohn probably got lucky." Mikanne pointed to me. "I bet you'd beat him in a rematch!"

I shook my head again. "There won't be a rematch, Mikanne. I'm learning how to play chess. I don't want checkers to confuse me."

Mikanne looked down before looking back to me. "If you're not cheating, how do you win so much?"

I felt at my head. "I mean...I guess I just...plan. Plan and plan...I wish I could play my life as well as I can play games."

Mikanne placed down two cards, smiling with semi-confidence. "Well then, how about these beauties? Can the game king overcome this?!"

Blinking, I giggled and placed down my cards. "I knew you would play those cards."

"H-Huh?" He looked down again. "Aw, you won? And acting like my card combo was so predictable…"

"I mean, yeah." I pointed to Mikanne. "Your face told me everything."

Mikanne looked to me again. "My face?"

"Mhm...you always have this look when you're about to put down a zero-two combo." I explained. "It told me you were going to do that on your next turn, so I was able to jump off your two with my three-six-nine combo, giving me eighteen more points. That put me over one hundred points, so...I won."

Mikanne nodded along, trying to understand me. "Wow, you can tell that just by looking at my face?"

"Mhm." I cleaned up the cards.

"I guess if I wear a mask, then I'll finally beat you!" Mikanne chuckled.

I smiled lightly. "Sure. Wanna try?"

Well, he did try. Mikanne put on a pumpkin mask that he had made for this year's upcoming Halloween party. But...even with the mask, I managed to beat him. It was a close call that time.

"I-I'm sorry, Mik…" I gulped, looking down. It wasn't my intention at all to win over and over again. Even though he was wearing his mask, the fact that he was Mikanne didn't change. He had the same body language, the same habits.

Mikanne took off his mask, sighing. "Maybe you're just too good…"

It was from that day on that I started to cheat. Not cheating to win...I would lose on purpose. I felt guilty, I didn't want to lose my best friend over some games. I don't know why I'm so good at games.

No...I'm not good at games at all. I'm good at reading people. I'm good at planning.

Is it cheating...to be good at that?

What really is cheating?

...

I think over the years, I finally learned what it meant to be a cheater.

And then...I became a cheater.

I wasn't really paying attention to Monobotto's commands. I didn't even have many truth bullets to upload besides the ones that I came up with from the observatory. Other than that, I don't really know what happened during everyone's investigation. I'm...pretty blind right now, it feels strange to be in this position.

Naturally, I didn't really have any opening statement for the trial once it began. I just stood there, awkwardly. What am I supposed to even say? Well, Sayino is dead. I know that much.

"Perhaps we should start with the events leading up to Sayino's discovery?" Riko asked, tilting her head lightly. "I feel like a timeline will be essential for solving this case."

"Agreed." Zraiko crossed his arms. "Let's start with the last time we saw Sayino alive."

"It was at the party…" Mest felt at his temple. "Sayino excused herself to see Mei."

"And as we know from Mei, they did meet." Zraiko turned to the vigilante. "Correct?"

"Yeah." Mei nodded. "I was almost finished cooking cuando Makora wanted to drag me to la fiesta."

"And...you said you passed out, right?" Kyohi asked, blinking.

"Sí. It was…" Mei tugged at her jacket. "...around the time I saw Kimizai. We passed him in the halls, verdad?" She looked to Fraize for confirmation.

Fraize nodded. "Sí, creo que this is true." He rubbed the back of his head. "Though my memory is a bit fuzzy...no recuerdo mucho."

Mest then nodded, lightly. "And you say you got a text from Kozaki to meet at the Final Puzzle Room. Then you found Mei and passed out, right?"

"Yeah, eso es correcto." Fraize nodded.

"Hold it!" I felt at my head. "I never sent you a message to meet...in fact...you sent me a message to come and see you."

Fraize shook his head lightly. "Pero, I never wrote a message to you like that at all."

"This is a clear discrepancy of events." Mest looked down in thought.

"Then let us go over this!" Riko smiled. "Why did Kozaki and Fraize receive messages from each other?"

Well, everyone started to toss up their theories into the air.

"Maybe being knocked out caused them to forget." Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "You know? When someone came up behind them...blam!"

"I disagree." Zraiko shook his head.

"Huh?" The hockey player blinked. "Why's that?"

Zraiko frowned, lightly. "Neither of them seemed to have any desire to visit the Final Puzzle Room. Why do it now?"

Kyohi looked to the side. "Maybe they wanted to investigate it just to be safe?"

Fraize rubbed the back of his head. "Lo siento, but I really don't know…"

I looked down, crossing my arms. "As far as I can remember, I never mentioned wanting to check out the room."

"Come on now.." Mei scowled. "You think those messages were real?"

"That is also something that leaves me confused." Zraiko crossed his arms. "Something about them doesn't seem right…"

A thought suddenly floated into my head. Maybe this whole time there was a reason why I felt strange about the message I got from Fraize. And so...I acted on it.

"Just one second!" I looked to Zraiko, holding one of the few truth bullets I had made for myself. Fraize's Invitation.

"You sound confident." The hacker scratched his chin. "What's your reasoning?"

"It might be a long shot, but...there's a detail in the message I received that was bothering me." I nodded.

Yeah, that's right. This part of the message I received is the reason why it could've been faked.

The way he used my name.

"Well...in private, Fraize and I spent time bonding together. It was when I was experiencing a pretty big emotional blow." I sighed, feeling my right arm.

I noticed Mei look away, possibly out of guilt.

"And, well…" I nodded. "I asked Fraize to stop calling me Kozaki, at least in talks between the two of us."

Riko perked up, giggling. "Aww, you have couple nicknames for each other?"

"I bet they're...Ketchup and Mustard!" Kyohi smiled. "'Cuz Kozaki wears red and Fraize wears orange."

Zraiko raised an eyebrow. "I thought mustard was yellow."

"T-That's besides the point!" I waved my arms, flustered. "My point is, if Fraize really sent this message, he would've called me by my nickname instead of my real name."

Zraiko then crossed his arms. "Are you sure about that? He could've slipped it up."

"No, I know he wouldn't do something like that." I looked to Fraize, smiling. "Because...he is the type of person who takes the significance of names to heart. Of course, I won't go and spill out why. That's something he should do when he feels ready." I closed my eyes. "But I completely trust him."

The tour guide smiled back to me. "Gracias, amigo."

There was some slight skepticism in the air.

"Yo puedo vouch for them." Mei crossed her arms. "Kimizai has expressed the importance of names to me as well."

"So this is...just one of those things we have to go off on because of belief?" Zraiko didn't look all too impressed, though he sighed and caved in. "Alright, alright. Just don't let this be the reason why we get executed."

"Hmm...this then introduces a problem." Mest looked to the side. "If the messages were indeed forged...well…"

"What is it, Mest?" Kyohi asked, blinking. "Fraize was knocked out, so the culprit could've taken his Bottolet to forge a message, right?"

"The-tablets-are-not-locked-with-a-password." Monobotto explained. "All-you-need-is-the-user's-Bottolet-to-send-a-message-as-if-it-was-them."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Kyohi blinked. "So...what's wrong with that?"

"Kozaki still had his Bottolet at the time." Mest tilted his head. "How, then, could a message have been forged?"

Hmm...I guess I have some ideas, but...I'll take some time to think about it just to be sure.

What does it take to forge a message?

That would be the Bottolet belonging to the user in question, as Monobotto just stated.

Are there any unique circumstances that could change that?

Hmm...instead of trying to think of how the message could've been forged from my own tablet, I need to think of how it could've been forged from another place. There are some areas that can be explored. One of them being...

Can Bottolets be hacked into?

Monobotto said as long as the tablet itself isn't damaged, it would be fine. So if someone in particular was very skilled in programming, they might have been able to change their own tablet's identity. Not only would that have forged a message from Fraize or myself, but for anyone. All with the very same tablet…

"Zraiko." I turned to the hacker. "I'm not accusing you, but...is it possible for the Bottolets to be hacked into?"

"So that's what you're thinking." Zraiko crossed his arms.

"Monobotto is always careful with its words." Mest nodded. "It did not say taking another Bottolet was the only way. That must mean our culprit used some other means of forging."

"And naturally, hacking is one of the biggest possibilities." Zraiko shook his head. "But no, I am not the culprit. I was with Kyohi, Riko, and Mest for the entire time up until we found Sayino."

Zraiko has an alibi, I see. After all, it wouldn't even make sense for him to be the culprit. Not after how hard he worked to finally send out a distress call. The killing game, for him, was over. There was no need for another murder.

But...even if Zraiko isn't the killer...could he be completely innocent?

Before I could press further, a new discussion swept in.

"I would like to address one thing." Mest crossed his arms. "Zraiko, Riko, Kyohi, and myself could not have committed the crime. That means...it had to have been one of you four we found in the room still alive."

"Q-Quoi...?" Weise asked, distressed. It was the first time in the trial he spoke up, and...I think I know why. "B-But, c'est impossible!"

"I must agree with Vayrne." Mei nodded. "We were all knocked out. There's no way any of us committed the crime."

"But what if the killer knocked themselves out after the crime?" Kyohi asked, trying his best to participate. "Then...Then wouldn't it have been possible?"

Damn, he has a good point there. I know for sure I saw Mei and Fraize unconscious in the room when I arrived. Sayino wasn't anywhere around at the time. By that logic, the killer had to have come into the room after me.

But...But that would mean…

"So you're saying…" I crossed my arms. "That Weise did it?"

And this...was exactly why Weise had been so quiet. Because he was emotionally convinced...that he killed Sayino. The fashion designer covered his face, already feeling defeat. He had killed someone before, albeit it not even being his fault. But...his clean record was now ruined. It wouldn't be far fetched for him to be suspected of Sayino's murder.

"S'il vous plaît, it wasn't me…" Weise shook his head, his voice soft and shaky. "I...I didn't kill Sayino…"

"Please, let us not have accusations at this time." Riko held her hands together, worriedly. "I'd...like to have all of our evidence cleared up before then."

"Alright, I understand." Zraiko nodded. "This, however, does not change the fact that the four who were knocked out are lacking cohesive alibis."

So...he's saying the killer has to be either myself, Fraize, Mei, or Weise?

I...I can't imagine any of them doing something like this. And at the same time...I know for a fact I am not the killer. It just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Something here is foul...but I don't quite know what.

"So Fraize, you said you went to the puzzle room after receiving the message." Kyohi felt at his shoulder. "Then you passed out, right?"

Fraize nodded in response.

"Then...at some point after, Kozaki was lured to the Final Puzzle Room as well." The hockey player continued. "So then...who could've lured him over if both Mei and Fraize were unconscious, Sayino was missing, and the others were still together?"

I crossed my arms to think. Well...the only unaccounted person for this whole thing is...Sayino herself.

That can't be right, though. I'm sure of it.

"And then after Kozaki was knocked out, some time passed and Weise eventually ended up there as well." Zraiko turned to myself and Weise. "You two, we have yet to hear your testimony. Speak up, then."

Going with what the others were thinking, I explained everything I experienced up until losing consciousness. Once I had finished, they turned to Weise expectantly.

But Weise couldn't manage to say anything. He was too afraid, he didn't want his words to be used against him. He stood in place, quivering and desperately looking for help. He feels like he is the culprit, no matter how desperately he doesn't want to be. Iif even he is convinced…

No, I made a promise.

"I'll explain everything that happened after I woke up." I offered. "Weise and I woke up at around the same time, and...right now it looks like he isn't ready to talk."

There were mixed feelings in the group. Some of us felt bad for Weise, others seemed to be impatient.

Well...when I say others I mean specifically Mei. She was always the impatient type, though. It wasn't a surprise.

"Okay…" I looked to the side. "Here's what happened…"

I opened my eyes to be greeted by a wave of fatigue. My body felt unwilling to move, pushing me to fall asleep again. I succumbed to that will to sleep, simply because...everything was just exhausting.

Close your eyes, let yourself slip away. I'm tired of this constant tug of war. Every passing day feels like a loss even if we haven't lost another one of us. The killing game was pushing me to my limit...and all I wanted was a break.

That sleep was cut off when I was woken up by Weise. The young fashion designer shook my shoulder again and again. "Mon amie, wake up!" He begged me to come out of the realm of sleep. "Please, please help!"

Opening my eyes again, I looked over to Weise to see he was just inches away from my face. I had never seen him so distressed before.

"She's dead, she's dead!" He cried out, still shaking me.

Who...Who's dead?

I slowly stood up, feeling at my head. Dead? No...that's impossible. Nobody can be dead. The...The game is over…

Weise grabbed me by the hand to lead me across the room from where we were sleeping on the floor. That's when I saw that...we really did have another death on our hands. And there she was. Sayino…

I was overwhelmed with emotion. No, overwhelmed doesn't even describe it. I was overloaded, all these feelings screaming and shouting at me at once. I broke.

I dropped to my knees. That was the only thing I could do. I couldn't believe it. It made no sense at all.

Why?

That's all...that's all I wanted to know. Why was she dead?

Well, literally it was because there was a knife in her chest. You can't exactly live in a situation like that.

I just wanted to know...who would do this?

The killing game was over...we all celebrated together. We were all content and confident that we would all survive together.

And yet…

It felt like a slap in the face, a punch to the gut, a bullet through the heart. Everything shattered in an instant, all of our naive hopes.

…

Seeing Sayino like this reminded me why hope disgusted me so much. We naively believed that the game was over. We lowered our guard and we let another murder happen. Sayino...Sayino is dead because we were hoping for the end.

It just goes to show hope is as empty as an abandoned promise.

And what do we have now?

We have a miserable reminder as to why we all are truly fools.

I looked over to Weise to see him covering his face and sniffling lightly. I stood up to pull him in for a hug and pat his back gently. He didn't say anything in response.

Looking around whatever room this was, I noticed that Fraize and Mei were nowhere to be seen. I was confused, after all I had seen them myself before I passed out. Where did they go?

My mind started to catch up when I realized everyone must have gone investigating Sayino's death. They must've already investigated this room, then. After all...it's the room where her body was found.

So then...what's there to investigate?

Weise was still failing to find anything to say. I stepped away so that I could move his hands away from his face. He might've been wearing tear proof mascara, but that didn't mean he himself was tear proof.

"Talk to me, Weise." I showed him a gentle smile. "You need to be strong right now, okay?"

Weise shook his head. "Kozaki...je suis the killer…"

"What?" I asked, not knowing if he was telling the truth.

"C'est true...it has to be true…" Weise sniffled. "Because...nobody else could've done it…"

"What do you mean?" I tried to comfort him. "Come on, buddy."

"Vous, Fraize, and Mei were sleeping...Riko, Kyohi, Mest, and Zraiko were still at the party…" He looked down. "I'm the only one who could've killed her…"

"Do you remember killing her?" I asked him.

"N-Non, but...I didn't remember killing Neizami either!" He burst into tears.

I sighed, patting Weise gently. "...There has to be someone else who killed her."

"S-Someone else?" He asked, voice quivering.

I nodded. "Go to your room so that you can rest for now. You can't investigate anything like this."

"Okay…" He looked down, biting his lip.

I patted him on the head. "There's not much time left for the investigation, now is there? I have to hurry. Go on, then."

Parting ways with the fashion designer, I headed into the library. The secret room, I remembered it. There might be more just like it. If I can just prove it…

I tried to look all over the first floor. No, I could only find the freezing chamber or...whatever the hell it was. So then, I tried searching on the second floor next. Time was trickling down, and my search had been fruitless.

It's the mastermind. The mastermind killed Sayino. Nobody else could've done it. I'm sure.

I guess...thinking so much about the mastermind caused my mind to enter a trance.

Out of time...I'm out of time…

I can't stop...where is the mastermind? Where is that fucker? I have to find this Erito Zou-whatever the fuck his name is. Erito must've done this. O-Or even just one of Erito's cultist goons. I don't give a damn who, I just have to find them!

…

Out if time...there's no more time…

Time, the time...no time…

No time...out of time...time, what's the time?

And then...I felt a slapping force against me.

After I had finished sharing, the hacker spoke up. "You think...that Erito came out of hiding to kill Sayino?"

"I don't think so." I frowned. "I know so, I'm convinced. I have evidence that can support my theory, and I'll do all I can to find the truth."

"And what if that truth is that one of us really did kill her?" Zraiko asked, critically.

It seemed as though he was thinking I was being hopeful, that I was being naive. Maybe I am, I won't deny it. I don't want to see anyone else die. Why? Why die? Right when we're going to finally get out? No, there's no way any of us killed Sayino. I refuse to believe it, even if that refusal is my downfall. Is it so foolish, so stupid, so ignorant? To just close my eyes and pray?

"He says he has proof." Kyohi nodded. "I want to see it." He then looked me in the eyes. "It's what you found in the observatory...right?"

Yes. That's exactly it. I know that it can't be a coincidence that Sayino ended up with the flashdrive, then ended up dead.

"Not so fast." The hacker shook his head. "If we're going to make such accusations so dire such as claiming the mastermind killed Sayino...I want definitive proof that it absolutely couldn't have been one of us. And I don't just mean with alibis. After all...the motives we received might be relevant to her death."

The motives...that's right. I had yet to think about who could've gotten a motive from Sayino. Then...someone really could've…

"The motive we found in Sayino's room was for Weise." Kyohi looked to the side. "And, well...gosh, it revealed things even I didn't know about her. I saw Sayino as a sister to me, and with how many stories she told me...I thought I knew everything. Well...clearly I was wrong…"

I looked down to the ring of truth bullets, spinning it around so that I could examine for myself what the motive was.

...I see.

So then, I guess that means I have to prove that this motive wasn't the reason for Sayino's death. Let's do it.

"The motive makes it clear." Zraiko shook his head.

"Clear?" Mei asked, crossing her arms. "Porque?"

"Because…" The hacker adjusted his glasses. "The motive gave Sayino a reason to attack Weise."

Kyohi knocked on his helmet. "If I'm remembering this right, then...the motive didn't say Sayino had to kill Weise."

"Q-Qoui?" The fashion designer asked, frightened.

"Read it for yourself." Zraiko looked to Weise.

Weise looked to the side. "Hnn…"

"The motive was directed to Weise, was it not?" Mest pressed his index finger to his temple.

"That is correct, however…" Riko looked to the side. "I do not believe that the letter was the only thing in the motive."

"Qué quieres decir?" Fraize asked, tilting his head.

Kyohi raised his hand. "Oh! I think I know what she means!"

Well, in order for me to know what she means, I have to check all the evidence. I read the notes of all the bullets, then finding the perfect one to use.

"I think that's it!" I called out to Riko. Truth bullet in hand, Mysterious Flash Drive.

"Yeah, that's it!" Kyohi nodded to me. "We found a flash drive in Sayino's trash. It must've come with the motive letter!"

"How can we know that for sure?" Zraiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, let's just ask Monobotto!" The hockey player turned to the robot. "Well? Did the flash drive come from the motive letter Sayino got?"

The bucket of bolts tilted its head to the side. "I-suppose-I-can-admit-that."

"Well...there it is!" Kyohi smiled, proud of himself.

I didn't think Monobotto would be so willing to admit that. I wonder what it could be thinking about…

"Kozaki, can you share with us what you found in the flashdrive?" Kyohi asked of me.

I nodded. "You've got it."

Yes, if this flash drive was in Sayino's possession, it only solidifies my theory that Erito must've killed her. I explained to the others everything I had found in the observatory, well...everything except for what was in Weise's file. That was only because...I don't think he could handle that due to how he was currently feeling. If Sayino had this information, maybe he killed her because she was getting too close to the truth of his identity.

No, not just that. The truth of this whole killing game. If she had discovered everything and shared it with us…

"And because of this, Sayino was killed by the mastermind - by Erito Hajimoto?" Mest tilted his head lightly in thought. "This is the conclusion you have reached, Kozaki?"

"Yes." I gave my affirmation.

"Sorry, I have a problem with this." Zraiko shook his head. "That being...what would this flash drive be doing in the motivation letter about Weise? These two things seem to have no correlation whatsoever."

It seems like Zraiko is cracking down hard on me. I don't blame him. These are some serious accusations, after all. I'm claiming that the mastermind killed Sayino, after all. It's good that he's questioning me.

That just means I get the chance to further solidify my argument!

"Then Zraiko...will you go one-on-one with me?" I looked to the hacker.

He adjusted his glasses, understanding my request. "So be it."

"It-seems-like-you-two-will-do-battle-in-" Monobotto began.

"We shall settle this with a Truth Bullet Quick Draw." Zraiko adjusted his glasses, cutting off the robot.

Feeling insulted, Monobotto was silent for a moment's notice. "Right. Then-let-us-"

"Load those damn life points, I'm ready." I took in a deep and heavy breath with a blazing determination.

Another silence from Monobotto.

"...What the hell are you waiting for?" I glared to the robot. "What? Afraid that I'm going to prove your puppet master is a killer?"

Monobotto tilted its head. "Oh. I-have-nothing-to-fear. I-already-know-Master-Erito-is-a-killer. A-dirty-bloody-killer. A-monster. A-madman. His-body-count-is-massive. Killing-for-him-is-as-easy-as-snapping-your-fingers."

The trial room was silent. At least...until Kyohi spoke up. "Well, gosh. I can't snap my fingers."

I sighed, shaking off Monobotto's taunt. I've gotta show everyone that there is a reason why this flash drive ended up in Sayino's possession. With everything in order, I faced Zraiko head on.

From which motive letter did this flash drive come from?

As we just discussed, it must've come from the letter about Weise. I nailed that one pretty quickly.

What was in the motive letter concerning Weise Vayrne?

The motive was about how Sayino's parents owed money to Weise's father. If you just looked at that...it's understandable to think they have no correlation.

What were the contents of the flash drive?

Zepto Files was the truth bullet of my choice for this one. After all, I read the files for myself.

What connection do the files have to the motive?

Now this is where things get harder. It has to be something about Weise. If I recall correctly, his file did mention information about his behavior. Then, the connection clicked for me. File #7 has the truth behind the flashdrive's connection to the motive!

"Bullseye!"

After a short moment to get things back in order, the hacker adjusted his glasses. "This seventh file is the connection?"

I crossed my arms, nodding. "Yeah. It has to be. After I thought about it...it makes sense."

"Then clue me in." Zraiko nodded back to me.

The reason for the connection between the file and the flash drive…

The file has information about how Weise can be threatened and how he may respond.

"Y-You see...the thing is, I do know who's file it belongs to. I-I redacted it initially because I wanted to spare him, but..." I looked around the trial room. "The connection becomes clear. That file covers over information that Sayino could've used to take advantage of Weise. It was his file. Weise is part of the Zepto program as well."

Weise's eyes widened, though...he looked away and couldn't manage to say anything at all. Maybe because of him being in shock, or being crushed by the weight of everything else…

I'll need to comfort him later, that's a promise.

I continued. "The file reveals that he's desperate to find someone to look up to. That he never had a close relation to his parents. That his mentor essentially became his father figure. Most of all...it mentions that he is emotionally unstable. He can be used...just like how Anne used him before."

Weise covered his face, sniffling lightly. Mest then leaned over to give the young fashion designer a hug. "Be more careful, Kozaki. You don't want to upset him further."

I looked down, feeling my right arm. "S...Sorry. Please forgive me, Weise. I'm only doing this to find the truth of the case…"

Weise sniffled again, his voice replying softly. "D'accord…"

I looked around the room to see that Fraize was deep in thought. He hadn't been speaking much, so I decided to inquire him on his thoughts. "Hey, Fraize?"

"Hm?" He looked at me, blinking.

"I was just wondering about...what your thoughts were." I smiled, sheepishly. "Since you've been quiet and all."

He felt his neck. "Ah, I've just been thinking...what makes Erito connected a esto?"

I looked to the side. "Hmm…"

The tour guide then smiled and waves his hands, lightly. "Continua, por favor."

The connection between Erito and these files. The connection between Erito and this case. Yes, there are things that allude to him. I think I need to find conclusive evidence.

"On to the next discussion." I closed my eyes and frowned. "I'll prove why the mastermind killed Sayino, just...bear with me, okay?"

Everyone looked around the room with unease. It seemed as though they were unsure, or maybe that they didn't think it was possible at all.

"Alright, moving on." Mest crossed his arms. "There is...much more to discuss before we try to pinpoint suspects."

"Agreed." the vigilante nodded. "Hay más to discuss."

...I felt as though maybe they thought I was crazy. Maybe...Maybe I am. Even so, I have to keep pushing for the truth I believe in.

There was this one time, I remember. A time where I was enjoying school. It was in chemistry class, around the time when we were in the organics unit. Well...isn't it a bit ironic that chemistry class is where my best school memories were made?

Ah, nevermind that for now. It can't be helped now.

Let's see, it's been some years now since this event happened. And, well...the attempt on my life certainly has caused some memories to be fragmented.

I was sitting in the front row of the class, as that was where I always preferred to sit. It was the third table away from the door - there being four tables in a row. A table had two seats, though...nobody ever sat next to me. I guess it was because...I was a nobody.

Our chemistry teacher, Mrs. Alexander, was showing us how a certain type of functional group can make a chemical smell incredibly strong. Walking across each table, she allowed for us each to waft the chemical to smell it for ourselves.

It smelled fucking disgusting, I'll say that. Mrs. Alexander explains that some chemicals that are in fruits can actually counter the smell and make it go away. After closing the cap on the bottle, she placed it back into a special drawer.

Ten minutes passed, but that horrific, vile smell was still lingering throughout the classroom. Not only that, but it could be smelled from outside and down the hall. It was so incredibly potent, someone had to excuse themselves to go to the bathroom. We all lost focus on the lesson, being so distracted by the nauseating scent. None of us knew why it smelled so horribly, at least until we found a small puddle on the table besides mine. There, in front of one of the quieter and sweeter girls, was a puddle of the chemical that Mrs. Alexander was showing us. The class burst into an uproar.

One of the students, who I would call the grade's genius, started to dig into the lunchbox of another one of my classmates. He would eventually become the valedictorian of our grade...but that didn't change how he was still quite the comedian. Everyone loved him, at least I think so. You know...I don't know if I could ever have the pleasure of calling him my friend, but he was always...kind to me. We'd pass each other in the halls where he would show a big smile and wave to me. I would wave back with a shy smile...and then blush only moments after he passed.

Ah, nevermind about that. I'm sure he was only trying to be nice anyways. When you see someone always alone, wouldn't you offer them a smile so they could feel a little better? Or perhaps...a smile that costs so little is really worth tarnishing one's own reputation?

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Well Subaru - that was his name - started to dig into the lunch box of his table partner. I hope I mentioned that this was the lunch box he found just this morning after losing it for a whole month behind a shelf in a classroom. So, the food was quite rotten by now. Pulling out a very brown banana, Subaru hurried over to the puddle and peeled the decaying fruit open, smearing it onto the table.

The class certainly found it hilarious. However, we didn't find it to be very helpful. At this point the bell rang and students were walking by in the hallway. We had two periods of chemistry that day, so we obviously remained. Several swearing bombs were dropped, your typical ones such as 'fuck' and 'shit' as well as some...pretty unique ones. Someone passing by said it smelled worse than their grandfather's colonoscopy bag. Now that is fucking disgusting.

After the next class period started, our class tried to organize ourselves to think of a solution to our chemical problem, no pun intended. I recalled that Mrs. Alexander mentioned that alcohol could react with these to form a new chemical. Most importantly, it would make the smell disappear. With that in mind, I went into the teacher's chemical room, with permission, to retrieve some ethanol. I knew it was there because I had previously gone to the chemical storeroom during our independent research projects. I had to create my own trinkets of iodine for my experiment, though that's probably a story for another time.

Subaru walked into the room to check on what I was doing, then seeing the ethanol in my hand and smiling. "That's a great idea! Hey, hey, hurry over!"

Looking over to Subaru, I smiled shyly and handed the bottle to him. No, I can't be the one to do it.

Subaru accepted the bottle and quite literally sprinted to the puddle on the desk. Turning it over, he sprayed out the whole damn thing. Grabbing napkins, he vigorously wiped the shit out of the desk to make sure the scent was terminated.

By the time the scent was finally gone, our second class period was as well. We didn't learn very much today, but I know for sure I'll never forget this.

I wonder, if only Mikanne was still there. If only Mikanne never moved away...would I have been sitting alone at the chemistry table? Would I have been eating lunch with teachers in the library because of special permission? Would I have found myself slipping day by day? Would I have tried to end it all? Would I have lost myself from me?

Would I have lost myself...to Danganronpa?

...Thanks for the memories, the ones we never had.

"So let's move on from the before to the after." Zraiko adjusted his glasses. "Are we in agreement?"

"Estoy listo." Mei tugged on her jacket. "Go on."

"Let us discuss how we found the crime scene." Riko changed the gears of our discussion. "Kyohi, a recap if you please."

"Right." The hockey player nodded. "We found Kozaki, Fraize, Mei, Weise, and Sayino tied to chairs to some strange machine. They all had knives with them, made to look like they were stabbed in the heart. However, that was true for only Sayino. The others were actually okay." He then knocked on his forehead. "Hmm...we also found their Bottolet tablets in a sink of some kind, though they were okay. That's because... Monobotto explained they were waterproof."

"And-that-they-are-!" Monobotto chimed.

"Besides that…" Kyohi continued. "We found a piece of paper in Sayino's pocket. It was some kind of note, though...I'm not sure what it means even now."

"Ah, that is right." Riko nodded. "It had several numbers and letters on it, like a code."

Fraize felt at his neck, blinking. "Pero, why would Sayino have this?"

The note…

I took a quick look at the note's contents in the truth bullet it corresponded to. Sayino wrote this, huh…

"What do you think these letters are?" Kyohi asked, to all of us. "I don't have a darn clue…"

Hmm...let's connect the dots, then.

Sayino's note had five letters: K, M, S, W, F. These five letters...the number five…

These are the Five Zepto files.

Yes, the note must be talking about us five. Myself, Mei, Sayino, Weise, and Fraize.

So then...what about the numbers? And hoping that she's right? Hmm...let's think deeper here.

Where else have I seen something with five numbers before?

I need to dance around for this one. Where did the murder happen?

The murder happened in the puzzle room.

Right, that means that...this might be some kind of a puzzle.

Is there anywhere we could've seen a puzzle about the number five?

Monobotto's mysterious riddle.

That's probably what this is about! I'll have to share what I've found with the others.

"Guys, I think I just might know what this is!" I nodded. "Do you remember back before the trial for Ingreis? Monobotto gave us a riddle of some kind. I'm sure this is what her note was about."

"The rompecabeza?" Mei glanced to Monobotto, seeming as though she had forgotten it.

"Five-tokens-of-the-New-World-walk-among-sealed-walls." Monobotto recited the riddle. "The-first-is-Defiance. The-second-is-Justice. The-third-is-Spirited. The-fourth-is-Visionary. The-last-is-Adventurous. Would-you-surrender-their-lives-for-your-own-breaching-or-give-up-yourself-for-their-task-beseeching-?"

So this is the riddle. Alright, now we just have to decipher it.

"We all originally believed that the riddle was talking about our precious items, though...now I am not sure." Riko felt at her chin gently. "For it is the last part of the riddle, surrendering lives...and Sayino is now no longer with us."

"Maybe this means that she was trying to solve the puzzle." Kyohi nodded. "After all, Monobotto did say it would be related to this riddle, right?"

Mest felt at his left wrist. "Indeed...then perhaps with this in mind, we will finally understand the truth."

I wonder what they're thinking about. Sayino...wanted to solve the puzzle? But why? "I'm not sure…" I mean...Zraiko told us all that help was on its way. So...So why?

"Everyone, may I ask another question?" Riko spoke up. "About the Bottolets in the sink...what is their purpose?"

"It does seem to be incredibly chaotic…" The tattoo artist looked to the side.

Mei squinted lightly. "It was incredibly estúpido, if you ask me."

Even Weise couldn't help but share his thoughts about it. "O-Oui...it makes no sense to me…"

This brought up a small debate.

"The killer might've tried to break the tablets." Kyohi felt at his right shoulder. "Assuming they didn't know they were waterproof, anyway…"

Mei rolled her eyes. "Like I said, el traidor fue estúpido."

Riko placed a hand onto her cheek in thought. "Is it possible that the killer wanted to clean them?"

"Clean them?" Fraize crossed his arms. "Por qué?"

"To wash out blood?" Zraiko seemed to be slightly baffled. "Or maybe to clean off fingerprints."

Weise attempted to be helpful by chiming in. "The Bottolets were dusty, oui! They needed être nettoyé!"

"Vayrne, while I appreciate the breaking of your silence…" Mei sighed. "Eso es incorrecto."

"Q-Qoui?" The fashion designer, pouted. "Why?"

"Simplemente, you do not dump electronicos en agua when they are dirty." The vigilante shook her head.

Weise blinked a few times, worriedly. "V-Vous...don't do that?"

Mei's face looked like her mouth would fall off and drop onto the floor. "V...Vayrne…"

"O-Oui?" Weise gulped.

Giving off a long sigh, Mei waved her hand dismissively. "Te diré después, this isn't the time…"

"I think that's it!" I called out to Zraiko with a truth bullet in hand, Faked Messages. "In order to have faked those messages, the killer must've handled the bottolets. They had to make sure any trace of them would not be left behind."

"None of us are expertos de forenses, though." Mei raised an eyebrow. "We can't take muestras de sangre."

"Even still...you can't deny the blood in the sink." I shook my head. "The killer had blood on them, so they tried to clean the tablets. I feel like they might've been short for time, though...since they were left in bloody water…"

A short silence.

"...I finally have the solution." Zraiko nodded. "I don't know the 'why', but I do know the 'who.'"

"Por favor, what do you mean?" Mei asked, raising an eyebrow to hear the hacker's thoughts.

Fraize crossed his arms, thinking to himself. "Hmm...sí, I agree contigo, Zraiko." He then nodded. "El traidor...it can't be the mastermind."

"Huh?" I asked, surprised. "But...what do you mean?"

He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Lo siento, but...I feel like the only person who could killed Sayino...was Sayino herself. No hay otras posibilidades."

"V...Vous think Sayino...she killed herself?!" Weise's voice quivered in horror.

Fraize looked to me, sheepishly smiling. "Zaki, I'm sorry...pero…"

I felt my right arm, frowning lightly. "You...You think Sayino really...committed suicide?"

He nodded, slowly. "Mhm."

"I must agree…" Riko gulped, looking to the side.

"It is a terrible outcome...however…" Mest crossed his arms. "It is the truth."

"Estás loco?!" Mei frowned. It seemed as though the idea of suicide was quite disgusting to her.

"Sayino...she would never do such a thing!" Kyohi shook his head, desperately. "No, someone must've killed her. E-Even if that means the mastermind did!"

Zraiko took in a calm, deep breath. "No. Sayino must've committed suicide. That...is the only way this case makes sense."

I don't know if I was blinded with emotion, but I felt...a wave of energy. A persistence, a determination. I've got to prove it was the mastermind. "The mastermind is the one who killed Sayino. I'm...I'm sure of it!"

"It-looks-like-you-fools- are-split-down-the-middle-!" Monobotto spun around. "Let-us-begin-"

"Let's do the debate." Zraiko crossed his arms. "It will let the truth come to light for us all."

"I agree." I frowned, lightly.

There was a short silence. Monobotto let out a mechanical sigh. "Start-the-scrum-debate."

With our podiums lifting into the air and organizing themselves, I found myself to be opposing Zraiko, Fraize, Riko, and Mest. On my side I had myself, Mei, Kyohi, and Weise.

It's time to fight. I'll show them all, I'll show everyone. Erito Hajimoto killed Sayino, and that...is what I am certain of.

How did Sayino die?

- It was a suicide.

- The mastermind killed her.

Debate scrum, start!

~Chapter Four, Class Trial Part One, End~