hirowriter - I guess it's not a joke, per se... it's just the way she worded it has a very sexual connotation.
Anyway, I'm back after another random hiatus... This time, I blame Persona 4 Golden .
Not much else to say, so enjoy the rest of the trial! I hope you haven't forgotten everything so far, lol.
IZANAGI: You... You know who the culprit is!?
HISOKA: It's quite simple when you think about it. The culprit has gone to a lot of effort to erase their tracks, but Saito could only have been killed by one person...
HISOKA: That's you, Tomoe.
AURORA: It just keeps coming back to Tomoe...!
TOMOE: Um... I think I'm lost. What did I do this time?
HISOKA: Fine, I'll spell it out for you. We've already figured out the violin used as the murder weapon is the one that was next to Saito's body...
HISOKA: No one noticed Saito stop playing, which rules out the possibility of the culprit taking Saito's violin off her and then filling it with ice.
MIHARU: Ah. Which means that the violin we found in the music storage room is the one Saito was playing...
HISOKA: Exactly. Putting it simply, the two violins were switched. The murder weapon was brought down from the storage room, and then later replaced by the one Saito was using.
HISOKA: Which brings me to my point. Did you see anyone move the violin into the storage room?
TOMOE: Nope! Too bad I didn't, or we'd know who the culprit was...
HISOKA: And with that, I rest my case. You were the sole occupant of the music room all morning...
HISOKA: If you truly did not see anyone move the violin into the storage room, that leaves you as the only possible culprit.
TOMOE: Eh? That's...
MIHARU: But the violin in the storage room was clearly set up to look like the weapon... why would she deliberately draw suspicion to herself?
HISOKA: Reverse psychology, of course. She knew we would discover the violin in the A/V room is the real murder weapon, thus making it appear as if she had been framed.
AKEMI: ... Is that really the best explanation we have?
DAISUKI: She's got a point, dude. That's seems a stretch, even for Tomoe...
HISOKA: I am fully aware of how unlikely it sounds. However, I am simply adapting my explanation to our knowledge of events.
HISOKA: No matter how odd her actions may seem, Tomoe must be the culprit as long as she remains the only person capable of accessing the storage room.
KURODA: (His explanation seems way too unlikely, but he does have a point...)
KURODA: So, in other words all we have to do is prove there was a way to get the violin into the music storage room.
IZANAGI: That would indeed make it possible for someone other than Tomoe to be the culprit... but is there a way? I cannot think of any, myself!
AURORA: We won't know unless we try! Let's just put our heads together like usual and think of ways you can sneak a violin past Tomoe!
ERIKA: No... let's not be hasty. It is often easier to break things down into steps, rather than try to tackle the whole problem at once.
AURORA: Break it down? Put don't we just have to figure out how they can sneak past Tomoe?
ERIKA: It may seem that way at first, but logically speaking there are multiple points we must prove. For clarity, we shall henceforth refer to the murder weapon as Violin M, and the violin Saito was playing as Violin S.
ERIKA: Our narrative thus far is that the culprit took Violin M from the storage room and brought it to the A/V room prior to the murder. After killing Saito, they falsified Violin S to make it look as if it was the weapon and moved it to the music storage room, presumably prior to the investigation.
ERIKA: With that in mind, the first thing we must establish is how the culprit moved Violin M from the storage room to the A/V room without drawing notice.
:==:| Nonstop Debate! |:==:
Useable Ammunition:
::| Tripwire Bomb
::| Volume Control
::| Turned Up Music
::| Note
AURORA: If they moved it, why not just grab it and run?
AURORA: If you're super fast, then no one would see you!
MIHARU: They would need to move through three floors...
MIHARU: That's basically the entire academy.
AKEMI: I'd just hide it, personally.
TOMOE: Yeah! Under your clothes, or maybe just behind your back!
DAISUKI: Violins are pretty big, you know...
HISOKA: Indeed. Hiding it would not be a practical solution.
AURORA: Well, how else could they have done it?
IZANAGI: People were ||all over the academy...||
IZANAGI: Moving Violin M would indeed be a difficult task!
KURODA: You've got that wrong!
Ammunition used: Turned Up Music
KURODA: No, that's not entirely right. There was a time when we were all gathered in one room - after the speakers were turned up, we all went into the music room.
AURORA: Oh, of course! We said that's why the culprit pulled that stunt in the first place, didn't we!
TOMOE: Hm... but if everyone was gathered there, how were they going to move the violin?
AKEMI: If they were the only one who was gone, then they'd obviously be suspicious...
MIHARU: You'd think that, wouldn't you?
MIHARU: Think back. Someone did leave the room.
TOMOE: That makes it easy, then! Who was it?
KURODA: (Th... That's right! It was...)
:==:| Make an accusation! |:==:
1:| Izuki Shunari [DEAD]
2:| Yoshikawa Daisuki
3:| Kosaka Ichigo [DEAD]
4:| Kangaeru Hisoka
5:| Hayashi Kuroda
6:| Kato Miharu
7:| Mayaka Tomoe
8:| Suzuki Rei [DEAD]
9:| Takahashi Haruna [DEAD]
10:| Aurora Rouleau
11:| Honda Akemi
12:| Masaoka Kioshi [DEAD]
13:| Miyuki Saito [DEAD]
14:| Tsukasa Erika
15:| [Hatakeda Izanagi]
16:| Matsuda Takao [DEAD]
KURODA: It could only be you!
KURODA: It was... Izanagi.
IZANAGI: ...
MIHARU: While the music was turned up, you were the only one who left the music room...
MIHARU: That would be the perfect opportunity to move Violin M down to the first floor without anyone noticing.
DAISUKI: Wait... you're saying that Izanagi is the culprit?
MIHARU: He's the only one who was able to move the violin down... so yes.
DAISUKI: Ha...! I don't believe that for a second!
DAISUKI: Besides, I've got a problem with your reasoning. Listen up, and I'll tell you!
:==:| Nonstop Debate! |:==:
Useable Ammunition:
::| Cabinet
::| Timer Bomb
::| Monokuma File
::| Volume Control
DAISUKI: Izanagi left to get the tools while everyone else was in the music room...
DAISUKI: But the violin was ||in the storage room,|| yeah?
MIHARU: I remember... during that time, no one entered the storage room.
AKEMI: And the only entrance to it is through the music room, right?
DAISUKI: To pull that off, he would need to get the violin from the storage room...
DAISUKI: ... and then sneak it past a room full of people.
DAISUKI: There's no way no one would notice!
AURORA: He's got a big jacket! Maybe he hid it under his clothes!
IZANAGI: A violin is much too bulky for that to be possible, Aurora!
AURORA: So you're saying you invented a collapsible violin?
IZANAGI: T-that is not what I said at all...!
KURODA: You've got that wrong!
Ammunition used: Cabinet
KURODA: Hey, Daisuki. What if the violin wasn't in the music storage room?
DAISUKI: If it wasn't?
DAISUKI: Then... I guess there'd be no problem...
KURODA: Exactly. Izanagi didn't have to move it past everyone, because it had already been moved somewhere else.
HISOKA: Somewhere else... I assume you have a place in mind?
KURODA: One of the cabinets in the headmaster's office. Dust has been cleared away, so something was definitely stored there recently.
IZANAGI: ... Hah. I see you think I am the culprit, but I could not have committed this murder...
IZANAGI: However, do not forget I have an alibi! I was with you and Miharu at the time the murder occurred!
KURODA: A-ah, yeah...
KURODA: (Crap! I forgot all about that!)
KURODA: (He couldn't have killed Saito remotely... so how did he do it? Or am I wrong...?)
MIHARU: Don't give up so easily... It's still be possible for him to be the culprit.
MIHARU: Think about it carefully, Kuroda. If he has an alibi for that time, then how could he kill Saito?
KURODA: That would be... if the time the murder occurred was different.
KURODA: Is that really possible? Changing the time of the murder...
MIHARU: That's the question we need answer... If we can't, then he's not the culprit.
:==:| Nonstop Debate! |:==:
Useable Ammunition:
::| Volume Control
::| Stopwatch
::| Miharu's Testimony
::| Recorder
AKEMI: If you think about it, we're all witnesses...
AKEMI: We heard the murder ||when it occurred.||
ERIKA: Therefore, those who had company at the time have an alibi.
AKEMI: Unless the murder was done remotely, of course.
HISOKA: There has been nothing to suggest such a method is possible.
IZANAGI: It is simple. The murder occurred while I was with Kuroda and Miharu...
IZANAGI: Thus, I cannot be the culprit!
HISOKA: That sounds fairly solid to me. What do you say to that...?
KURODA: You've got that wrong!
Ammunition used: Recorder
KURODA: It may not necessarily have been live. After all, Saito was recording her performance all morning.
KURODA: If she was killed while the recorder was still running, then that recording could be played at any time to make it sound like the murder had occurred.
AKEMI: Which would let Izanagi create an alibi... I see.
HISOKA: A moment, please. There is a problem in your assertions.
KURODA: Y-yes? What is it?
HISOKA: If you are correct, then the sound we heard was recorded... which also means the speakers should have broadcast the murder at the time it truly occurred.
HISOKA: If that's the case, then why did no one hear the actual murder take place?
KURODA: (I get his point... it would have been pretty loud, so it's hard to imagine anyone could have missed it happen.)
KURODA: (But something else happened this morning... something capable of distracting everyone from the murder. It has to be that!)
:==:| When did the murder occur? |:==:
Before the bomb went off
As the bomb went off
After the bomb went off
KURODA: No one heard the murder... because it happened at the same time the bomb in the music room went off.
AURORA: Seriously!? That's a bold plan...!
TOMOE: The explosion was pretty loud, though... I could totally see something like that happening!
DAISUKI: But... is something like that really possible?
DAISUKI: You'd need to know the exact time the bomb went off, even though you're on the other side of the academy. I don't think even someone like Izanagi could keep a mental clock that well.
KURODA: No, it's doable. All you need is something like this...!
:==:| Present Evidence! |:==:
1 :| Monokuma File
2 :| Saito's Violin
3 :| Stopwatch
4 :| Recorder
5 :| Turned Up Music
6 :| Miharu's Testimony
7 :| Volume Control
8 :| Note
9 :| Tripwire Bomb
10 :| Timer Bomb
11 :| Glue
12 :| Bloodstained Violin
13 :| Thermos
14 :| Cabinet
15 :| Restriction on Tomoe
16 :| Tomoe's Testimony
17 :| Bomb Weakness
18 :| Akemi's Examination Results
KURODA: This is it!
DAISUKI: A stopwatch?
KURODA: Izanagi was also the one who set up the bomb, remember? If the timer was started at the same time the bomb was armed, you'd know the exact time it would go off.
DAISUKI: A-ah, yeah... I didn't think of that.
AKEMI: So, what happened after that? Did he just rewind the recording and play it?
MIHARU: That's likely, yes. Monokuma told us how the recorder works during the investigation... can you play it again?
MONOKUMA: Since you asked so nicely... Coming right up!
MONOKUMA: The recording function is operated through a bright red button. Press once to start recording, press again to stop!
MONOKUMA: The button will light up if it's recording. Please remember to turn it off when you're finished!
MONOKUMA: Instant playback capabilities have also been added, but because of technical difficulties the playback will begin at the end of the recording. Use the rewind button to go back to the section of the recording you wish to review!
MIHARU: I think that's proof enough. The recording was only wound back a few minutes, so it would only take a few seconds to wind the tape back far enough to be able to create an alibi.
IZANAGI: Enough! Shall I lock you up!?
IZANAGI: Not so fast! There is a hole in that logic!
KURODA: T-there is? What's the problem?
IZANAGI: You say I am the culprit, and that I manufactured the time of death...
IZANAGI: But that is not the case! You will not slip such a blatant lie past me!
:==:| Cross Swords Battle! |:==:
Useable Swords:
::| Saito's Violin
::| Recorder
::| Akemi's Examination Results
::| Monokuma File
I admit, it is true that Saito ==:/:== recorded her performance...
However, to say the ti==:/:==me of death was changed is absurd!
Simple is often better. There were others who were alone du==:/:==ring that time...
They have no ==:/:== alibi and are therefore suspicious!
Furthermore, you were not present ==:/:== for the murder...
How can you even say whe==:/:==ther the recording was rewound?
...
DEVELOPMENT!
...
KURODA: There's an easy way to prove it.
KURODA: If the recording was used, then the time of death was faked!
As I recall, the ==:/:== machine Saito used to record was damaged...
In others words, there are no re==:/:==cords of its use.
Surely you would not ==:/:== try and accuse me on chance?
There is no proof that the recording ==:/:== was used...
So you cannot say whe==:/:==ther the time of death was faked!
KURODA: I'll cut that claim into pieces!
Sword used: Miharu's Testimony
KURODA: No, that's wrong. What Miharu noticed proves that the recording was used.
KURODA: Ah, that's right. You going to say something earlier, weren't you?
MIHARU: Yup. I was going to say that Saito played the same song twice in a row.
DAISUKI: Ah! Now you mention it... that does sound about right.
KURODA: Twice? With all the music she had stockpiled, that seems a bit strange...
DAISUKI: I'm with Kuroda... Are you sure it wasn't still the same song? I mean, music with repeating sections are pretty common.
MIHARU: No, that's not possible. I saw the sheet music for the piece earlier, and none of it's movements are repeated.
MIHARU: Yes... I heard the same segment of the song twice. Saito had no reason to play the song two times in a row, so I think it's safe to say it was the recording.
HISOKA: Heh, I see. Which renders Izanagi's alibi moot...
IZANAGI: I... Ngh...!
ERIKA: I... feared it would turn out this way. However, we must take this thread of logic to it's conclusion.
ERIKA: There is one last piece of the puzzle - after the switch, Izanagi moved Violin S from the A/V room into the music room storage. If we can show how it occurred... then I believe this case will be fully solved.
AURORA: He could've hid it back in the headmaster's office, couldn't he?
AURORA: Tomoe was looking the piano during the investigation, so he could have moved it in when nobody was looking!
IZANAGI: A properly planned murder such as this would not leave such a crucial detail to chance! Everyone was searching all over the academy for evidence...
IZANAGI: Moving the violin during the investigation would be much too risky. The violin must have been already inside the storage room before the investigation proceeded!
TOMOE: Mm, I think so too. In the investigation, Hisoka was the first person to go into the storage room...
TOMOE: But if we're saying Izanagi is the culprit, then I don't think he put it there.
MIHARU: Let's remember who we're talking about, here...
HISOKA: Hmph... I did that to make the case more interesting. It would be a waste of my time to manipulate evidence twice in a row.
AKEMI: Can we just blame you for it anyway? I'm seriously drawing a blank for ways Izanagi could have done it.
IZANAGI: That is because I was not the one who moved that violin!
AURORA: That's gotta be a lie, right? We've come this far...!
DAISUKI: Damn it, Izanagi...! Just tell us the truth...
IZANAGI: I-I have no idea what you are talking about! As long as Tomoe was the only one who could move Violin S into the storage room, she remains a suspect!
KURODA: (No matter how I look at it, Izanagi is right. He couldn't have just carried in the violin without drawing attention.)
KURODA: (Should I... think about it the other way, then?)
KURODA: (What would allow him to move a violin without raising suspicion...?)
KURODA: I... think I've got it. I know how you moved the violin!
AURORA: Really!? Awesome!
IZANAGI: You...!
IZANAGI: How many times must I repeat myself!? You have no proof!
KURODA: (He's not going to listen when he's like this, but I'm not backing down now!)
KURODA: Don't be so sure. This ends here, Izanagi!
IZANAGI: Do not try to intimidate me, Kuroda! I call your bluff!
:==:| Panic Talk Action! |:==:
VS IZANAGI
[+] [+] [+] [+] [+] [+]
::| Shield x6! [6 Remaining]
...
(([+])) [+] [+] [+] [+] [+]
You suspect me...? That's ridiculous!
::| Shield Break! [5 Remaining]
...
[=/=] (([+])) [+] [+] [+] [+]
I have had enough. You cannot bully me!
::| Shield Break! [4 Remaining]
...
[=/=] [=/=] (([+])) [+] [+] [+]
I am a warden, not some lowly criminal...!
::| Shield Break! [3 Remaining]
...
[=/=] [=/=][=/=] (([+])) [+] [+]
Should I throw you into jail!?
::| Shield Break! [2 Remaining]
...
[=/=] [=/=] [=/=] [=/=] (([+])) [+]
Cease your idiotic accusations at once!
::| Shield Break! [1 Remaining]
...
[=/=] [=/=] [=/=] [=/=] [=/=] (([+]))
You don't have any evidence, do you!? Give up!
::| Shield Break! [0 Remaining]
...
[=/=] [=/=] [=/=] [=/=] [=/=] [=/=]
((It isn't possible for anyone to move the violin back into the storage room!))
Box! Of! Tomoe's! Bombs!
KURODA: Let's end this!
KURODA: Of course carrying the remains of a violin would be too conspicuous... so you hid it inside a box, didn't you?
IZANAGI: ...
AKEMI: Hm? What box are you talking about?
MIHARU: He... carried one into the music room after the second bomb went off.
"Hey, Izanagi... what's in the box, anyway?"
"Kuroda...! Please keep your voice down!" Izanagi hushed him hastily, casting a furtive glance at Tomoe. Thankfully she didn't seem to hear them, her attention fully focused on investigating the remains of the piano. "This box contains some of Tomoe's bombs. I am moving them into the music room's storage."
KURODA: You said Tomoe's bombs were inside... but that was a lie, wasn't it?
IZANAGI: ...
KURODA: That way, you could sneak the violin into the storage room without anyone noticing!
MIHARU: And afterwards, you asked us to come with you to create your alibi.
IZANAGI: ...
AURORA: Hey, earth to Izanagi! Aren't you gonna say anything...?
ERIKA: Izanagi... if you have any objections, please raise them at once.
ERIKA: If you can no longer offer any defence, your silence will be taken as an admission of guilt.
IZANAGI: ...
DAISUKI: ... Hey. Can you put it all together for me?
DAISUKI: I... I wanna hear it from Izanagi, but I figure that's the only way left to make him talk.
KURODA: Yeah... let's do it.
:==:| Climax Return! |:==:
:==:| Act One
On the night before the murder, the culprit collected the things they needed for their plan; a violin, a stopwatch, a thermos filled with ice, glue, and one of each variety of bomb created by Tomoe - timer and tripwire.
To complete the setup, the culprit did two things. The first was to set up the tripwire bomb inside the piano and place the tripwire on the entrance to the music room. Set up at waist height, there would be no way that their intended target would miss the presence of the bomb.
The other thing they did was retrieve a violin from the music storage room, and hide it in the headmaster's office. Not wanting to risk accidentally being seen carrying the violin through the academy, it was put in a place where it could be easily retrieved later.
With the preparations complete, they went back to their room until morning and ate breakfast with the rest of us.
:==:| Act Two
After breakfast, Saito and Tomoe went to the rooms they would spend the rest of the morning in - Saito in the A/V room, and Tomoe in the music room. As predicted, Tomoe noticed the bomb inside the piano and set about trying to disarm it.
She was unable to disable her bomb manually, and left to go get a glass of water. Knowing this would happen, the culprit entered the music room and started the second phase of their plan.
The first thing they did was set up the timer bomb on the underside of the piano. The stopwatch was started at the same time the bomb was armed - that way, the culprit knew the exact time the bomb would detonate.
After that, all that was left was to raise the volume of the speakers using the control panel and glue it shut. Knowing no one wanted to bother Saito, the resulting delay would cause everyone to gather in the music room to see what was going on.
:==:| Act Three
Heading to the music room with the rest of us, the culprit feigned ignorance and volunteered to get tools to prise open the panel. This meant that they effectively had the academy halls to themselves, and were able to move the violin down to the first floor without raising suspicion.
All that was left was to get the tools as asked and return to the music room as quickly as possible. Once the music was turned back down, the culprit had until the bomb went off to sneak into the A/V room.
:==:| Act Four
Eventually, the time was almost up. Sneaking into the A/V room and filling the violin with ice, the culprit simply had to wait for the timer bomb to detonate...
... and it would be time to strike. Distracted by the sound of the bomb going off on the fourth floor, none of us realised at the time that the murder had actually just occurred as well.
:==:| Act Five
Now the deed was done, they had to cover their tracks. The culprit knew the murder had just been recorded on the speakers, and so after rewinding the recording a few minutes back, they emptied out the violin and placed the ice cubes onto the recording machine.
It's possible the recorder might have malfunctioned from water damage before the recording completed, but it didn't matter - the failure of the recording would have alerted us to the fact something was wrong anyway, and as long as they were with others at the time their alibi would still have been formed.
:==:| Act Seven
But they couldn't go just yet... they needed someone else to pin the blame on, after all. To this end, they took the violin Saito had been playing and set it up to look like the murder weapon by breaking it and smearing it with blood.
Everyone else had gone up to go see what happened in the music room at this point, so the culprit was able to safely move the bloody violin into the storage room on the first floor. Placing the violin and the thermos into an emptied box, the culprit was able to get the violin into the music storage room under the pretense of delivering a box full of Tomoe's bombs.
And with that, their plan was more or less complete. All that was left was to make sure they had company, and wait for the recording to play out.
KURODA: And the one who pulled all of this off...
KURODA: Is none other than you, Hatakeda Izanagi!
IZANAGI: I...
DAISUKI: C'mon, Izanagi... it's over.
DAISUKI: So be a man, and 'fess up already!
IZANAGI: ...
IZANAGI: ...Yes, I suppose you are correct.
IZANAGI: You are all correct... I am the culprit.
DAISUKI: ... Tch.
IZANAGI: I see no reason to prolong this trial any further...
IZANAGI: Monokuma! Please proceed to voting immediately!
MONOKUMA: Upupu... Your wish is my command. If there aren't any objections, please vote for the student you believe is the culprit!
MONOKUMA: Will these innocent students get it? Or will the culprit outwit everyone and graduate as my star pupil?
MONOKUMA: We've got a confession, so it'd be pretty sad to get it wrong at this point... but you never know!
The dials on the slot machine spun, quickly coming to a rest on Izanagi's face. Right on cue the inappropriately cheerful confetti burst out of the machine, signalling the successful identification of the culprit and bringing an end to the fourth trial.
The climax return keeps getting longer and longer... I hope it made the murder more understandable, despite how long winded it ended up being :p
We're finally done with this trial though! I'm apparently unable to do them in a reasonable amount of time any more, but hopefully things should speed up from here. I'm doing NaNoWriMo this month as well, so if all goes well the next chapter should be out in two or three days.
See you then!