Expect a moment of despair, as we say goodbye to another student.
Newfound Defiance
After lunch was over, I was about to go exploring when...
*DING DONG, DING DONG*
...an announcement went off.
"Upupupu! Fellow comrades, you should imme-immediately come over to the oracle room inside Babel's Tower. You should c-c-c-come beary...very quickly!"
"What the heck was that?" I asked to myself.
Yoruko felt confused. "That was...Monocrow, right?"
"Didn't he sound somewhat different?" Shinji added.
I had no time to wonder about that, I rushed over to the tower with the others, we then made our way to the oracle room where Monocrow and Mikado were waiting.
"We're here, what's going on?" I asked.
Mikado's masked side cried. "It's over...there's no hope for me!"
"Huh...he seems a bit off." Yuki said.
"Monocrow, what's going on?" Kokoro asked.
Monocrow said nothing.
"It's no use, he is in no current state to answer." Mikado answered.
"Upupupu!" Monocrow said in a different voice. "Sorry for the late start, let's get right into it! From now on, you'll need to assemble here everyday to pick up one of these books."
"Books? But what does that have to do with anything?" Yuki asked.
"When you name is called, just come f-forward and pick any book! Inside the book, contains helpful info...if you're lucky that is, upupupu! Why don't you try out your good fortune, will you?"
"What in the world is he talking about?" Yoruko asked.
"What's happening, Mikado? Is Monocrow broken?" Emma added.
"Once you picked a book, you can check it only on the spot." Monocrow continued. "After that, you must return it back to the shelf. If you don't, it will be punishment time! Now, let's start with V-001! Come on out and pick your book."
"What? Whose V-001?!" Hibiki asked. "Answer me you stupid bird!"
"There's your answer." Mikado said. "It will be useless to try and talk sense to him right now. You should just silently oblige to his words."
He then picked a book from a nearby glass shelf, read it on the spot and then placed it back on the shelf.
"What do you mean by that?" Shinji asked.
"Don't you have someone that can answer those questions for you now?" He sighed. "Me, in my useless, pathetic, current state, can barely muster up the strength to do anything."
"Wow, guess seeing that photo last night really shook you up, didn't it?" Hajime smirked.
"Why else do you think I'm like this now? If you excuse me, I must take my leave. I even have to leave with just my legs. Woe is me..."
He then walked away in a huff.
"Next up is R-007! That's you over there!"
"I think he means you, Ro-Ro." Setsuka said.
I sighed. "If I must, I must..."
I went up to the class shelf and picked a light blue book, I opened it up and it had nothing but blank pages, until I came across one page filled with letters and numbers.
'The first is CIW3N, the second is DOSV3, the third is PZO67, the fourth is DS7FD, and the last one is 3OIO1...'
It look liked some kind of code, and it wasn't just all random, it was almost like a sequence of codes...but for what?
"Hey, if you're done looking, then get moving!" Monocrow said. "Weeeeeee don't have all day!"
I put the book back where it was and walked away as the others had their turn.
"So, what was that all about?" Yoruko asked.
He said nothing.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!"
Still no response.
"What in the heck is up with that stupid bird?" Hibiki asked.
"Then I'll meet you here tomorrow." Monocrow said. "Same time, same place!"
He then left.
"Ah, he disappeared." Yuki said.
"What is up with this pacing?" Shinji asked.
"Something's not right, we'll need to be extra cautious." Kokoro hummed. "I have a very bad feeling about this one."
"Then what should we do?" Hibiki asked.
"I think I may have a theory. Come and meet me in my room in ten minutes, I'll explain then."
"You found something?" Setsuka asked.
"I'll tell you all then, make sure you're not late."
"Well, if you say so." Hajime replied.
We then left the tower and went back to the cruise. When a few minutes passed, we made our way to Kokoro's room, she let us in and closed the door behind her.
"So this is your room." Yuki said.
"I apologize if it's messy." Kokoro replied. "But that shouldn't be an issue, right?"
"Well, a lady could learn to up their room from time to time." Emma said.
"Anyways, what did you find out?" Setsuka asked.
"When we were back at the tower and we each had to read a book, did any of you notice anything about them?" Kokoro asked.
"Oh yeah, I did." Yuki answered. "The books had blank pages, but there was one page that had something on it."
"You mean those sequences of letters and numbers?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, I tried to remember what it was and then I thought of something we had forgotten about."
"I think Yuki is talking about the reset codes we heard about." Shinji said.
"That's correct." Kokoro nodded. "I have a theory that the codes you each found in those books, may be the codes we were looking for."
"Oh, that's right." Yoruko turned on her handbook. "The book had five strings of letters each written on it. There are four hyphens separating five strings you have to input on the handbook."
"And if we input that code, we'll be able to find out something big." I said. "Can anyone remember the code?"
Yuki sighed. "No, I'm afraid I can't remember it."
"I don't even remember the first letter." Hibiki said.
"In that case, I'll read it out." Kokoro checked her handbook. "Make sure you're ready to type it in, Owen."
"Oh, you're going to give it a go?" Setsuka asked.
"Yeah, Monocrow said to try our luck." I replied. "So I'm gonna do it."
"Just before we do, is there a chance that it might be dangerous?" Hajime asked. "Or it could benefit Void in some way?"
Kokoro nodded. "The first was CIW3N, the second was DOSV3, the third was PZO67, the fourth was DS7FD, and the last one was 3OIO1."
I typed in each code as she said and I then tapped the 'confirm' icon. Suddenly, my handbook played a cheerful tune and then showed a message.
"What the?" I blinked.
"Did it work?" Yuki asked.
I held out the handbook so everyone could see the message...the background was pitch black, and the message was written in blood.
'THIS WORLD IS NOT REAL! THIS WORLD IS NOT REAL! THIS WORLD IS NOT REAL! THIS WORLD IS NOT REAL!'
It kept saying the same sentence over and over...what the hell?
"Huh, what...what the hell is this?!" Hajime exclaimed.
Kokoro's eyes were wide open.
"What does that mean, and why is it written in blood?" Setsuka asked, trying to look calm.
"Why is it saying that over and over?" Hibiki shivered. "I...I don't like that!"
"Not real?" I asked in shock. "I hope this isn't jumping the gun, but does this mean we're in a virtual world?"
My heart thumped at my question, so it is true! We're in a virtual world, not the real one!
"H-hold on!" Yoruko said, who looked scared. "Are you telling us that the room we're in right now...isn't real?"
"That's nonsense!" Yuki denied. "No matter how you look at it, this is the real world!"
"Y-yeah, why should it be when we're all here?" Shinji asked.
Kokoro was still silent.
"Kokoro, is this what you were trying to find out?" I asked. "Are we...inside a virtual world?"
"I see...so this is how you wish to keep bringing despair to everyone, Mikado." Emma said to herself. "That no good bastard!"
"Virtual world...it's not even real?" Kokoro asked herself as she dropped her handbook which didn't break. "That...why...why didn't that...never occur to me?"
"Hey, Koko? Are you okay?" Setsuka asked her.
Kokoro began shivering as her face went pale. "No! No! No! This was all virtual...ah! All this time...this wasn't real! Why didn't I never think of that...somebody please...answer me!"
"Woah! What's going on with her?!" Shinji asked in shock.
"Is she having a panic attack?!" Yoruko added.
"We need her to calm down and take deep breaths!" Setsuka said. "Help her sit down on the bed."
I couldn't believe what I was seeing, learning that the world we're in isn't real and then Kokoro suffers a panic attack?
'So that reset code was meant to reveal a big clue to us, but also scare someone in the process...Mikado, you WILL pay for that!'
I sat next to Kokoro with my arms around her and after taking several deep breaths, she calmed down.
"Hic...I'm sorry you saw that." Kokoro cried. "I was...so shocked that my body started to panic."
"Hey, it's okay...just keep taking deep breaths." Setsuka replied. "Keep breathing slowly."
"So the world we're living in isn't real?" Hibiki asked. "Is that what the creepy message is saying?"
I nodded. "Yeah, it seems that we are in a virtual reality, or VR for short."
"But that's impossible." Yoruko said. "How can someone or something create a virtual reality like this? The best VR and AR games I've seen look like cardboard cut-outs compared to this."
"Um, I hate to interrupt, but what do mean by...virtual reality?" Shinji asked as he felt awkward. "And what's up with AR...and VR? I can't keep up."
"Big bro, have you been living under a rock?" Yuki asked him. "Read the news or something."
"It's just as Owen said, VR stands for virtual reality." Yoruko answered. "It's the result of when a computer system creates a virtual space that imitates reality. But the technology is still far from what we consider actual reality. Our senses feel too real for this to be VR instead of the actual physical real world. And AR stands for augmented reality, it's basically pasting virtual info on top of reality."
"Then is it possible that we're inside an AR machine which created this virtual world?" I asked.
Kokoro sighed. "No, it appears to be much more advanced. I always had a suspicion that not everything in this world was as it seems."
"What do you mean?" Hajime asked.
"We're possibly inside a BCI-type of a virtual world system."
Yoruko's face went purple a little. "T-that can't be...even the most advanced tech barely has an interactable interface. And you're saying this is BCI?"
"What does BCI stand for?" Setsuka asked.
"Brain-computer interface. In other words, you connect your brains directly to the computer to connect to the virtual world. As your brain receives a direct transmit from the computer, you would be able to feel virtual reality as a real one."
Hibiki gasped. "Oh I get it! It's similar to a Nerfgear from Spear Art Online!"
"I'm quite surprised to know that you're well informed of that stuff, Yoruko." Emma said.
Yoruko blushed. "Well, I think it's because I'm also a bit of a technological geek."
'Well I think that's kinda cute, but I'll keep that to myself...'
"I didn't understand any of that, but it's like, we're in a computer, right?" Shinji asked.
"So to sum this up, this Isle of Nowhere doesn't exist in the real world and it only exists inside a BCI virtual machine." I said. "Well, it might explain how Mikado is able to do those magic spells and why Monocrow is able to talk. But that leaves me with another question, if someone dies in the virtual world, do they also die in the real world?"
"That's a good question." Setsuka replied. "If only there was a way to find out."
"Come to think of it, I never thought it was hot or cold, or anything out there." Shinji said. "This is the first time I even acknowledged the weather."
"We just assumed it was weather being clean and nice." Yuki added. "But if this was actually the virtual world, the weather won't have any meaning on us."
"Well, now that we know about this, it's up to us on whether we want to accept it or not." I said. "But more importantly, since we've cracked the code and unlocked the message, Mikado will definitely have something to say about it."
"Yes, he's gonna want to say something about this." Kokoro nodded. "Emma, I think the time for you to make a choice is fast approaching."
"Yes, I'm aware that the clock is ticking, now that you all know about what you've just worked out." Emma replied. "I still need a little more time to decide on whether to defect from Void or to remain as one. That is why...I plan to face Mikado on the second floor of the tower...tonight."
"What? You're gonna meet him on your own?" Hajime asked.
"That is exactly what I plan to do. He has been watching my every move, ever since I failed my goal. He will also want to know what my decision will be. And to be honest, I'm nervous about meeting him alone. I would like a few bodyguards to come along with me, but still be able to hide when I meet up with Mikado, would that be okay?"
"Well, if you want b-b-b-bodyguards, h-h-h-how about me and Hajime?" Shinji offered.
"Oh, having two of the strongest men to protect me?" Emma responded. "Why certainly, I think you two will be a fine choice."
"O-o-okay."
"Alright, then it's decided." Hajime said.
Suddenly, Mikado turned up. "Pardon me for interrupting. But you weren't by any chance, planning to meet with me alone, hmmm?"
"Argh!" Yuki gasped.
"Woah, when did you get here?" Yoruko asked.
"What are you doing a in girls room? Get out, you pervert!" Hibiki remarked.
"Have you forgotten? Mikado used teleport!" He responded. "Call me whenever and I'll be there anywhere, anytime. I'm like despair incarnate."
'More like death incarnate...'
"Well nobody asked for you!" Shinji exclaimed. "So get out!"
"Wait, so you heard the whole thing, huh?" I asked. "About the codes and what we've worked out?"
"Yes, I heard everything." He sighed. "I wish to admit that most of my plans are ruined, now that you are aware of this world being nonexistent. But that doesn't mean that I don't have a backup plan. I always have one, just in case."
"And how many backup plans do you have?" Emma asked.
"Well, I'll tell you this alone. I will comply to reveal them to you...if you come to the second floor of the tower and meet with me...alone!"
"Why? So that you can murder her?" Yoruko asked. "No way!"
"Didn't I tell you before after Yuri's trial? Mastermind or not, even I cannot bend the rules of the game!"
Shinji pointed at him. "Bullshit! You can bend them anytime you want!"
"I guess you're feeling better now, if you're able to say stuff like that." I said.
"Well, let us just say that something on the fourth island is not supposed to be there and it did threw me off." Mikado replied. "But now that my back up plan is in place, I'm feeling much more back to normal now."
"Woo-hoo, good for you." Yoruko rolled her eyes.
"Everyone...it's okay." Emma said. "Mikado knows everything about us and he has us all under his thumb. I will agree to your terms."
"Oho! Splendid!" Mikado replied happily. "Then I shall see you later tonight. How does 6:30pm sound?"
She nodded. "You have a deal."
"Wonderful, I will see you then, don't be late." He then grew darker as he faced us. "And if anyone tries to interfere, I will murder her without hesitation!"
The room was silent as Emma felt worried.
"Well then, I must be going now. See you soon, Ms. Magorobi, fufufufu!"
He vanished in his normal way once again.
"What a piece of shit!" Hajime exclaimed. "There's no freaking way we're backing out of this one."
Shinji looked at him. "Say Hajime, mind if I have a private word with you?"
"Oh...okay, man." Hajime replied.
"Anyways, let's call it a day for now and wait for when the meeting arrives." I said.
"Right, we'll see you guys later." Shinji said. "Let's go, Hajime."
"Yeah, see you guys, as well." Hajime added as they both left.
Yuki sighed. "Big bro..."
"It's okay, Yuki." I said "They appear to wanna have time alone after hearing everything we've talked about."
"I suppose all we can do now is just wait." Yoruko said. "Emma, please tell us you're gonna be safe."
"I will be...if Mikado thinks he's going to pull a fast one on me, then he doesn't know that we void members can strike back." Emma replied.
"But if something goes wrong, then please come straight back to us, okay?" Setsuka said.
She nodded. "Yes...after all, I may have found a reason to start changing."
I blinked. "A reason?"
"I'll let you know about it later...well then, wish me the very best of luck. And make sure you take it easy, Kokoro, alright?"
Kokoro nodded and Emma left the room.
"Kokoro, are you feeling any better now?" I asked.
"Y-yeah...I'm going to need to sleep for a while." She replied.
Setsuka nodded. "Alright, then we'll leave you be until it's dinner time."
"Then let's go." I replied as the rest of them left.
I held Kokoro's hand and she smiled before we shared a kiss.
"Thank you for being here with me." She said quietly. "I love you."
"I love you too, Kokoro. Rest easy." I replied and left her room.
'Virtual reality...so we're stuck in a virtual simulation system. Then what is the reason for it? And if it's being watched over...who is exactly watching us?'
The dinner hour had arrived and after having a feast filled with lunch boxes from the marts, Emma was ready to leave.
"The time is 6:15pm." She said. "I'll be taking my leave."
"So you've made your choice." I replied.
"It's taken me a long time...but I finally have it and it's one that I have made with my own free will. But I wish for Mikado to hear it first."
"Okay, but please come back if he tries to kill you, okay?" Yoruko asked.
"Certainly...I'll see you all later. Ta-ra!"
Emma left the diner and the rest of us left, possibly to do something to take their mind off other things.
"Hey umm...Owen?" Hibiki called.
"Yeah, what's up, Hibiki?" I responded.
She blushed a little. "Can we spend a little time together? I wanna talk to you about out my future in music."
'Oh right, she and Kanade were Melody Rhythm...I guess she wants some advice on what to do in the future.'
I nodded. "Sure we can, we can go now if you want."
"Yay! Then come on, take my hand!"
I stood up and held Hibiki's hand as we left the diner. We took a walk along the fourth island and thinking back on it, the weather wasn't exactly cold, it still felt like the temperature hadn't changed much compared to the other three islands. We stopped outside the tower, cause we didn't wanna go inside and risk Emma's safety.
"So then, Hibiki. What have you decided?" I asked.
"Well, if I'm going to move on and still enjoy what I love doing, then I'm going to carry on singing as a solo artist." She replied.
I smiled, still holding her hand. "A solo artist, that sounds like a really good option."
"I'm happy you think so. Between you and me, Kanade was the one who would come up with the lyrics, but then I would add in ideas to make them look better and once we have the lyrics ready, Kanade plays her guitar and I sing with her and once that's done, we have a song all set to record."
"I see, do you plan to write your own songs?"
Hibiki blushed. "Actually...I was wondering if...you'd like to...write songs with me?"
'She wants me and I to write songs together?'
"Wow, I didn't expect to be asked that."
She giggled. "That's me, I'm full of surprises."
"Well...when we do get outta here, I would like to think about that. Because you never know when an artist or a band will ask for my help." I then blushed. "But deep down, I think we can work something out together."
"Really? Okay, then take as much time as you want to think about it." She sighed. "Say, can we share a hug?"
I nodded and held my arms out, she wrapped her arms around me and I smiled as we hugged together.
"HEY! YOU TWO SHOULD KISS!" Someone yelled from afar.
We gasped and pulled away, noticing Setsuka who was at the bottom part of the stairway.
"Suka?!" Hibiki blushed madly. "You were watching?"
"Just the hugging part, that's all." Setsuka replied. "Hehe, sorry for doing that, but it's gone past 6:30pm."
"Oh right, that's when Emma is meeting with Mikado." I replied. "I hope she's alright..."
"Me too. Soooo, you have a crush on him, Biki?"
Hibiki's face was bright red. "Ummm...to be honest, I-"
*KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
Suddenly a loud explosion went off.
"What the heck?!" Hibiki exclaimed.
Setsuka gasped. "That sounded like an explosion!"
"Let's hurry, I've got a bad feeling about this!" I said.
We rushed inside and I was now panicking.
'Oh no...please don't tell me Emma is...no...please no...'
"I think the explosion came from under the floor." Setsuka said. "That would mean..."
"The Oracle room, let's go!" I replied.
We rushed down the flight of stairs that would take us to the Oracle room, I was praying, praying that Emma wasn't dead...and when we arrived, the three of us saw the sight...the fourth dose of true despair filled our vision. There was a wreckage that was all over the left corner of the oracle room which looked completely and utterly destroyed like a cave-in had come crashing down. But among the wreckage...was a half-singed body...the dead body...of Hajime Makunouchi, the Ultimate Boxer.
*DEADLY LIFE*
"What the heck?!" I gasped in shock. "Hajime..."
"No...Jime's gone?!" Setsuka asked.
Hibiki held on to me. "What?! The macho boxer is dead?!"
*DING DONG, DING DONG*
"A body has been discovered! Everyone, please gather at the Oracle Room inside Babel's Tower!"
So it's true...Hajime's dead...another one gone...Shinji is gonna be so mad when he sees this.
A few minutes passed and everyone else arrived, along with Emma...thank goodness, she's alive.
"What? Is that...Hajime?" Shinji gasped. "No...why?! WHO KILLED BY BEST FRIEND?!"
"Big bro..." Yuki said.
"Dear me, what a mess." Mikado said. "And now, a part of the tower is ruined. Well, not that I really cared about it."
"Your comments are not helping right now." Kokoro said.
"Well, this is quite a scene." Monocrow appeared. "But once again, one of you has killed another student, so it's time for the investigation again."
Shinji sniffed. "No way...dammit!"
"It's okay, big bro...we'll find the killer." Yuki said.
I sighed. "Shinji, you were always there for me. Now it's my turn to be there for you. Let's work together and find the bastard who killed Hajime."
"Hic...y-yeah, thanks, leader." He wiped her eyes. "I'll keep watch over the body, it's what he would've wanted."
"Well then, I see you're already making a start on investigating." Monocrow said. "Here you go, Owen, another file from yours truly. And make sure that you thoroughly check through every place you can think of. The minor details you forgot about last time, were a little annoying. That aside, good luck!"
He then vanished.
"So it's starting again." Yoruko said.
"There's nothing we can do about it." Setsuka added. "We'll have to just do what we've done before."
Emma sighed. "Agreed, although I wish this whole charade would just end."
"Perhaps that can be arranged." Mikado smirked.
"No thanks, I'm quite alright."
As the others moved about, I got ready to focus on finding as much evidence as possible.
*INVESTIGATION START*
"Better start with the file..." I muttered.
The victim is Hajime Makunouchi, his body was discovered in the Oracle Room inside Babel's Tower. The cause of death was the explosion that killed him, but what caused an explosion to happen? The time of death is 6:35pm, which was five minutes after Emma's meeting with Mikado started. In which case, I'll have to ask one of them to give an alibi on what was discussed during the meeting. I can trust Emma but not Mikado, cause I'm sure he'll lie.
Monocrow File #4 added to truth bullets!
"We should look at the body." Kokoro said. "I think I saw something there."
We stood near the body whilst Shinji rubbed his eyes in sadness. His body was singed from the top half, he was almost unrecognizable.
"Owen, do you see the cut?" Kokoro asked. "Near the neck."
"Hm?" I looked at where she was pointing. "Yeah, there's a big one...but the cause of death was the explosion."
"Yeah, but it would appear that some kind of lethal cut was involved. We'll need to find what caused that to happen."
I nodded. "Agreed."
Lethal Cut added to truth bullets!
"I think I got something here." Setsuka said as she looked at the wreckage part. "Check this out."
I walked over to her and I could see a metal pipe hiding among the wreckage.
"Is that a pipe or something?" I asked.
"Yeah, but the pipe would have to come from somewhere."
"Most likely from the boiler room." Kokoro said. "It's on the ground floor when you enter inside the tower."
"There's a bit of blood on it to, so it looks like there was a struggle." I said.
Metal Pipe added to truth bullets!
Signs Of A Struggle added to truth bullets!
'Hmm, that appears to be everything in here, better look elsewhere.'
I left the crime scene and walked upwards, turning left to go to the boiler room and I was stunned, in the far left corner was a big hole and Hibiki was nearby.
"What the...that must've been where the floor collapsed after the explosion." I said to myself. "So it came from the boiler room, then I better look around."
I went straight to the hole, being careful to not trip up. I then saw something near a boiler that looked completely destroyed.
"I think that's a spray can, Owen." Hibiki said.
"A spray can?" I responded.
"Well, what's left of it."
So the spray can caused the explosion? Well, spray cans are flammable, but some kind of flame would be needed in order to ignite the liquid inside the can.
Spray Can added to truth bullets!
"I've seen it once before, it came from the mart on this island."
I nodded. "How do you know about that?"
"Because Suka and I went there earlier today cause we were thinking about different hairstyles."
"And when was that?"
"3:40pm. Sorry if that's not useful, since the time of death was 6:35pm."
"It's okay, the location of where it came from could be useful."
"Really? That's good to know."
Hibiki's Account added to truth bullets!
I kept looking and then saw a part of the wall that looked odd. I pressed onto it and a big part of the wall fell down.
"Woah!" I nearly fell down what looked like a passageway.
Hmm, I get the feeling that this is a secret passageway and it may have been used during the murder.
'But...who could've used it? And where does it lead to?'
Secret Passageway added to truth bullets!
Taking a deep breath, I went into the passageway and followed the stairs which took me upwards and towards a wooden wall. I then gently pushed on it and it moved a little, I pushed it more and it moved to the side, and I stepped out to find myself on the second floor of the tower.
'So this is how they did it, but this was where Mikado and Emma had their meeting.'
I then noticed something on the ground, it was like small tennis ball and it was broken.
"That's a smoke bomb." Someone said.
I looked up to see Mikado. "Bah!"
"Fufu, my apologies, I wasn't intending to scare you."
"So you're saying this is a smoke bomb."
"Indeed it is, and since it is near the passageway you found, the culprit must've used that to get to the boiler room which must be where the explosion occurred."
"Well, it gives us something to go on at least."
"Fufu..."
'Yeah, I'll never be able to understand this weirdo...'
Smoke Bomb added to truth bullets!
I looked behind me at the passageway and something was shining. It looked very sharp...upon seeing it closer, it was a pocket knife with a folding blade.
'Hmm? Who could've used a pocket knife like this? Well, at least I now know what was used to cut Hajime's neck.'
Pocket Knife added to truth bullets!
I left the second floor and walked down to the right side of the first floor, Yoruko was there.
"Ah, Owen...how is it going?" She asked.
"A few things so far, we also have the time of death which was 6:35pm." I replied.
"Well, I'm not sure if it'll help. But I was working on a few cocktail drinks in my room on the ship, after we had our group dinner. The time was 6:30pm when I was doing that, but then I stopped once I heard the announcement."
"That's the same time as when Emma and Mikado were having their meeting."
"Really? That's...a coincidence."
"Whether it is or not, the murder happened in the tower, so I'm pretty sure this will keep you safe."
She smiled. "True..."
Yoruko's Account added to truth bullets!
I left the section and went back to the entrance area where Emma was standing.
"There you are, Owen." She said.
I instantly smiled. "I'm so glad you're alright..."
"Yeah...me too."
I forgot everything and rushed up to hug her.
"Ah!"
"Sorry...I was so worried about you when you were meeting up with Mikado...if anything had happened to you, I..."
"I know." Emma hugged me back. "But the important part is that I'm still here and I'm with you."
"Yeah...that's what matters the most."
We pulled away and I calmed down.
"So, can you give me your account?"
"Why certainly. I met up with Mikado at 6:30pm just as I said I would. I spoke to him about my decision and when I told him exactly what I decided...he was disappointed and he begun reminding me of why I was brought into void in the first place. I didn't take kindly to his words and when I vowed that I hated everything about him, he acted as if he was ready to kill, so I took out a smoke bomb I stole and threw it on the floor, helping me to escape with my life intact."
"Ah, so you used the smoke bomb."
"Oh, did you find it?"
I nodded. "Yeah, it was right near the secret passageway, I'll explain in detail over it at the trial."
"Alright, we'll save that for later."
'But that would mean she would have to go to the boiler room and...no, I won't jump to conclusions, I gotta get this right.'
Emma's Account added to truth bullets!
I then went back to the crime scene and Kokoro had something in hand.
"I found this in Hajime's jacket." She said. "It's a cigarette lighter."
"A lighter...so this was what caused the fuel in the spray can to ignite." I replied.
Lighter added to truth bullets!
"Guys, I found this behind the pile of wood and dust." Yuki said. "It looks like a fuel can."
'Looks like we found the trigger of the explosion, but why would a fuel can be present in the boiler room?'
Fuel Can added to truth bullets!
*DING DONG, DING DONG*
"I can see that you are checking every part of the place. Well, that's coming to an end now. Make your way back to the cruise and gather together near the elevator doors, I'm sure you know the drill by now. I'll be waiting for you in the trial room, see you there!"
Guess we had everything we needed, we made our way back to the cruise and to the elevator doors. Yuki and Shinji were the last two to arrive, possibly cause of what Shinji was going through after losing his training partner and good friend. We stood inside the elevator and it took us down to the trial room. Once again, the room had changed, this time to a yellow colour.
"There, there, everyone." Mikado said. "I have no punchline for you this time, so I'll do my best to keep things on the straight and yellow."
"Mikado, I'm afraid that I too am getting tired of your amateur punchlines." Monocrow responded. "Now then, let us prepare to start the trial!"
The fourth class trial was upon us, more than half of us remained and one more would be taken away. Hajime Makunouchi, he was a good person and an effective trainer along with Shinji when they both did their best to make me a much stronger person on the outside. Now we were on a mission, to find the one who killed him and make sure Shinji gets the closure he wants as we prepare for what would be...an emotional class trial.
Yep, Hajime is gone, but at least he lasted all the way to this point unlike in the original story.
Next time! The bonds of friendship is tested as Owen pushes forward with the class trial.