Truth Bullets
Monokuma File #3: The victim is Remy Lander, the Penultimate Animal Photographer. The time of death was 4:26 AM. The cause of death was blunt-force trauma to the head from a fall. In addition, the back of the body has numerous tiny cuts.
Monokuma File #4: The victim is Karen Oshiro, the Penultimate Jujutsuka. The time of death was 4:35 am. The cause of death was blood loss. The victim's throat was slit. This was done in a single cut. The body also has some small bruises, but otherwise, there are no other injuries.
Fallen Tree: A fallen tree. It blocks the barrack's stairs, preventing access to the second floor. The window next to the stairs was broken when the tree fell.
Kenji & Sehiko's Account: Seihiko came downstairs at about 4:20 AM. As he came down, Remy woke up and said he was going upstairs to take pictures of the storm. After that, Kenji woke up. Soon after, the tree fell.
Broken Window: The window on the second floor overlooking the gym is broken.
Remy's Pictures: Two photos of note were recovered from Remy's camera. One is a picture of the woods from one of the upstairs windows. The other is too blurry to fully make out, but someone with long hair is just out-of-frame.
Caught Threads: A few white threads Ikeda found stuck in the glass of the broken window to the gym.
Ikeda's Account: It took five to seven minutes for Karen to fully bleed out. Her throat was slit from behind. Whatever was used to slit Karen's throat was small, thin, and very sharp.
Bloody Sheet: A bloody sheet found shoved down one of the toilets in the barrack's shower room.
Pocket Knife: A small pink pocket knife found down one of the toilet's under the sheet in the barrack's shower room.
Scratched Side Room Lock: The lock to the side room in the gym has various small scratches on it. The door leads to a small side room, with a different door leading outside.
Smeared Floor: There are various smears on the gym floor below the broken window. There is a very faint print of a few small toes near the smear.
Homura's Account: When the storm stopped and it was light enough to see, the only people on the upper floor of the barracks were Homura, Isao, and Ikeda.
The Storm: From about 6:00 PM yesterday to 6:50 AM this morning, a huge thunderstorm covered the island. The powerful rains and high winds created a lot of noise, and blew the cots used to cover the windows of the barracks back into the building.
Barracks Blueprint: A blueprint of the barracks found by Homura. Though the writing is ilegible, it does show the layout of the barracks clearly. The stairs are halfway between the far wall and the wall shared with the gym, with at least 20 feet on each side.
Aspirin Bottle: The aspirin bottle from the first aid kit found in a bush in the woods near/underneath Remy's body. It is totally empty.
Upon hearing Ikeda's declaration, Shiori sighed with relief. It wasn't Rika! For certain now. She discreetly looked over Ikeda's expression, and she noticed that he looked pleased, but not in the smug way she had seen before. Good to know that Ikeda really does have a heart.
For her part, Rika leaned over her podium, toes just barely touching the ground for how far forward she was. "Really? You really didn't see until after the announcement?"
"I swear," Ikeda replied, smiling. His expression quickly changed to a hard frown when he looked over at the rest of the group, particularly Take and Homura. "And before you accuse me of lying to help her, I have nothing to gain by getting us off track. Because of who was present in the building, there is no third option. Either I was the person who triggered the Body Discovery Announcement, which would mean Rika was the killer; or I wasn't, and Rika was counted in the three people needed to trigger the announcement."
Shiori looked out at her friends. Having it all laid out, Kashie nodded, agreeing with Ikeda's logic. Gorou looked happy that his hunch had paid off. Rika still seemed to be reeling from the revelation that she wasn't responsible for killing her best friend. Nervously, Shiori glanced at Isao. He still seemed distracted, somehow, but more in the moment.
"I don't see how this really helps us," said Take. "We've gotten rid of one suspect in one of the two murders that we have to solve. Big whoop."
Isao looked up, finally truly engaged with the discussion. "It helps a lot, actually. Rika is now an important witness for Karen's case, and who knows how what happened to her ties into Remy's side of things."
"Which we haven't even fucking touched on," grumbled Kenji.
"I know you're, like, really upset about this," said Homura, quietly. "I mean, Remy was your friend and stuff, but… You gotta admit, he was a space case. He probably just… got distracted, and didn't get out of the tree's way in time."
Kenji gripped his podium. "It's not like we've actually even discussed any of this! Just because you think he was stupid doesn't mean we can ignore his side of things!"
"Then let's do that," Shiori suggested. "Maybe… maybe it's like Isao said. The things we know now about Karen's case might help with Remy's, and vice versa." I hope so, Shiori thought. Remy might've been kinda spacey, but I don't think he's quite that oblivious…
NON-STOP DEBATE
START!
Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #3 | Broken Window | Seihiko and Kenji's Account | The Storm
SHIORI: Okay; what do we know about Remy's death?
KASHIE: We found him outside…
KASHIE: … Under the broken upstairs window.
GOROU: He died from a fall, according to the Monokuma File.
GOROU: Not a great way to go.
RIKA: He had a bunch of scrapes and things on his back, too...
SEIHIKO: I mean, the simplest answer…
SEIHIKO: … Is that he died falling from the upstairs window.
ISAO: The falling tree breaking the window certainly didn't help.
KENJI: Okay, but just because he fell…
KENJI: ...Doesn't mean he couldn't have been pushed!
SEIHIKO: I'm not saying that.
HOMURA: Still! Occam's Razor! 'Whatever's simplest is usually right,' right?
IKEDA: That phrase doesn't always apply to crimes.
-Truth Bullet Selected: Monokuma File #3-
SHIORI: Wait, that's wrong!
BREAK!
"Seihiko, there's something about Remy's body that makes me think he might… not have fallen from the upstairs window." Shiori knew her assertion seemed strange, so she plowed on. "It's Remy's wounds! All those scrapes and stuff. They probably came from broken glass, right?"
"Well, duh!" said Homura. "What's your point?!"
Gorou rolled his eyes. "You don't have to be so snappy."
Shiori cleared her throat. "Here's the thing; the scrapes are all on Remy's back. If he'd fallen out of the window near the tree, how would he have fallen out backwards? And, if the tree broke the window, which we're pretty sure it did, why would Remy have as many wounds as he does? He'd have only gotten a few from the glass still left in the frame, right?"
"...Where are you going with this?" asked Kenji.
Time for the wild theory, I guess. "Well, what if, instead of the outside window, Remy fell through the window over the gym?"
"The fuck?" said Take. "This is stupid. You're making this way too complicated."
Kashie's eyebrows furrowed. "But… we hadn't figured out how that inside window could have broken. This seems like it could be at least possible…"
"But he was outside!" Homura objected. "How'd Remy end up out there then?"
"Someone could have moved the body," said Gorou. "But I wanna hear what Rika has to say about this. She was in the gym right around the time of death."
Rika tensed up a bit at being called out. "But… but I don't remember seeing Remy or anything…Just the window shattering."
"That's pretty decisive then. Maybe we're on the wrong track." Seihiko gave Shiori a somewhat hard look. "Sorry, Shiori. But I don't think this theory holds water."
Shiori could tell she was sweating from nerves now. No, this feels right! What am I missing?
THINKING TIME
Why does Rika not remember seeing Remy's body in the gym?
A: Remy's body was never in the gym
B: It was too dark for Rika to see the body
[C: Rika fainted just as Remy fell through the window]
SHIORI: This is the answer!
"I've got it! Rika, you said you fainted right when you heard the window breaking, right?"
Rika blinked. "Yeah…?"
Shiori smiled and said, "And what was I saying caused the gym window to break?"
There was a quiet moment as Rika thought, but then understanding dawned on her face. "Oh! Remy falling! So you mean, I fainted just as Remy was falling, and so that's why I don't remember seeing him?"
Ikeda nodded in agreement. "It is also possible that, due to you fainting, your memory of right beforehand is foggy. You've only fainted before upon seeing a dead body, correct?"
"So… I did see it, which is why I went to sleep, but I don't remember it?" Rika, unfortunately, sounded confused again.
Kenji seemed intrigued, but his expression still seemed cautious. "...We established earlier that the tree and the gym window are pretty far away. So, if Remy died by falling into the gym, it could not have just been an accident. Someone pushed him."
"No, no no no!" shouted Homura. "Rika, you didn't see it because this still makes like, zero sense! There's still the whole problem of 'how the heck did Remy's body end up outside!?'"
Gorou rolled his eyes. "Oh wow, what could it possibly be? Maybe, oh, I don't know, the culprit moved the body?"
"Um!" Rika raised her hand. "I uh, I definitely didn't see Remy or anybody moving his body! But uh… there was a lot of blood around Karen, and mixed in with the glass… maybe that was from Remy?"
Ikeda seemed deep in thought. "If there were some piece of evidence that connected the scene at the gym to where we found Remy's body, that could indicate Remy was there at one point, and that someone moved him. But if there is no such connection, we can't say conclusively where Remy fell from." He gave Shiori a small glance. "But, let it be known that I do find the argument for Remy falling into the gym compelling."
For a second, Take gave Gorou a sly look and seemed ready to speak, but Gorou cut him off. "Oh my god, if you accuse me of moving him I swear—"
Take grinned. "I mean, it has happened before—"
"Oh!" Suddenly, Mr. Saiki stood up from his stool. It looked like he was about to say something, then he glanced up at Monokuma above him. He winced, cleared his throat, and sat back down before he spoke. "I… just remembered. Rika, has your fever gone down? I hope you took the aspirin."
"I did," Rika replied, a bit perplexed by the sudden change in topic, "But just once. I think I lost the bottle? I couldn't find it when I changed. But I… I thought I took it with me to the gym."
"Oh dear. Where could it have gone?" Mr. Saiki asked, pointedly. Shiori swore he was giving her a glance out of the corner of his eye.
This is a hint, Shiori realized, and immediately pulled up her Truth Bullets. He found or saw something but isn't sure if any of the rest of us remember it… There!
SELECT EVIDENCE: Aspirin Bottle
SHIORI: This is it!
Trying to seem casual, Shiori said, "Hey Mr. Saiki? You were the last person to leave the crime scene, right? Did you find something?"
Mr. Saiki smiled, apparently pleased that Shiori had gotten the hint. "As a matter of fact, I did." He pulled out the aspirin bottle. "I found this. Right by Remy's body."
Take leaned forward and nearly pushed off his hat as he tried to push his bangs out of his. "What the fuck is that?"
Reijirou just smiled. "It's aspirin. The bottle of aspirin I gave Rika, actually. It's empty."
"Back up! Back right up there, buckaroo!" cried Monokuma. He was fuming. "I thought the gardener kid found it!"
"No," Kenji said, flatly. "I was there when he found it though. I… fuck, I forgot until Shiori mentioned it. But, there! We have proof. No way Remy could have had it before falling. He must have fallen into the gym, because that's where Rika was, and she had it last."
"And, based on what we discussed before," Kashie continued, "It seems more likely that… that Remy was pushed, rather than falling on accident…"
"Plus, you know, since Remy died from falling, someone must have brought him, and the aspirin bottle, outside," said Gorou.
"Oh, wow, this is..." said Isao, nervously wringing his hands. "Can we establish the situation of the crime scenes a bit more clearly? Because I get the feeling we're gonna need to be clear about what is and isn't possible, and where people were…"
"Because it's gonna be time to make accusations and you wanna get your story straight?" sneered Take. "Sure, set up whatever the fuck you want."
We do need to establish where everyone was, Shiori agreed internally. And maybe that will help us figure out who could have moved Remy, and who pushed him...
NON-STOP DEBATE
START!
Truth Bullets: Homura's Account | Remy's Pictures | Kenji & Seihiko's Account
RIKA: Uh, what did you wanna talk about, Isao?
ISAO: I want to get an idea of where everyone was when Remy died.
RIKA: Well... I already said I was in the gym…
KASHIE: Shiori and I were downstairs near the stairwell.
HOMURA: I had been sleeping near the gym side of upstairs…
HOMURA: ...But when the tree fell I moved a ways away and ran into Isao.
ISAO: I remember, Homura. I guess it's good Remy came up a good bit before that.
TAKE: I mean, if he hadn't, we wouldn't have to argue about this.
TAKE: It'd be pretty clear to all y'all, instead of just me.
KENJI: Are you being so dismissive...
KENJI: … Because Remy didn't join your group before?
SEIHIKO: That'd be low, even for you.
-Truth Bullet Selected: Kenji & Seihiko's Account-
SHIORI: Wait, that's wrong!
BREAK!
Being extra careful with her words, Shiori said, "Actually, Isao, Remy went up stairs just a few minutes before the tree fell." She gave Seihiko a quick glance. "That's what you said before, right Seihiko?"
"By my estimate," Seihiko replied. "I came downstairs because it was too windy and I couldn't sleep. That was about 4:20 AM, and as I was coming down I saw Remy get up. He basically passed me on the stairs."
Kenji's gaze hardened as he looked at Take. "He was going to take pictures of the storm."
"Did you see anyone else come down around then, Seihiko?" asked Kashie, looking down at her fingers as if to count who was where.
"Nope."
Isao fidgetted. "Okay, let's settle where the rest of us were…"
Shiori nodded. "Right."
NON-STOP DEBATE
START!
Truth Bullets: Homura's Account | Fallen Tree | Barracks Blueprint
SHIORI: So we've established where Rika, Homura, Isao, Kashie and I were.
SEIHIKO: And given what I said, it's pretty obvious I was downstairs.
KENJI: I was with Seihiko, like I said before.
TAKE: And seeing as I walked with you to find the body…
TAKE: … You know for a fact I was downstairs, too.
RIKA: Take, I thought you were upstairs when we went to sleep!
IKEDA: He certainly wasn't by the time the storm cleared.
IKEDA: By that point it was only Isao, Homura, and myself.
GOROU: You managed to get downstairs before the tree?
TAKE: Yeah. Y'all were sleeping.
GOROU: Huh, buddy.I was downstairs: I'm a really light sleeper, and you didn't wake me.
TAKE: I know how to be sneaky, being a bandit and all.
-Truth Bullet Selected: Homura's Account-
SHIORI: I agree with that!
BREAK!
"Right, Ikeda. Homura, you definitely said that it was just you, Ikeda, and Isao upstairs." Now that Shiori thought about it, she did remember Take being upstairs when they'd gone to sleep. He must have been sneaky, to get past me, Kashie, and Gorou.
"By the time the storm cleared, yeah," said Homura. "Why'd you go down, Take? You… went to sleep pretty early."
Take shrugged. "That was more of a nap. Woke up from it and wanted a change of scenery."
Isao raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Okay! Okay. Now that we know who was where, we can narrow things down. Anyone upstairs couldn't have killed Karen, and anyone downstairs couldn't have pushed Remy."
"While I agree that having where everyone was at the time of the crime clearly stated is helpful, I think you are forgetting the possibility that we have a single culprit instead of two," said Ikeda, giving Isao a measured look.
"Hey, I thought we established Remy was pushed," Kenji cut it. "If you're waffling just to get info from us I swear—"
"I am not waffling." Shiori thought she saw one of Ikeda's cheeks twitch in irritation. "Even if Remy fell by accident, which I think we can safely dismiss as a possibility, Monokuma's rules state that he would then count as having killed himself. I am reminding us of the possibility that Remy and Karen were killed by the same person."
There was a moment of silence as everyone processed that. Then Homura broke that silence with a very annoyed, "Uh, Karen and Remy were on different floors. And were killed like, super close in time. How the heck would that even work?"
"It… it would answer some questions I've been having," said Kashie, cautiously. "This whole time I've been trying to figure out why someone might have killed Karen… especially if she was all the way in the gym. If… if the culprit just killed because of the motive, how would they have even found her in there? Why directly go after someone we know has good fighting skills? But… if someone pushed Remy, then realized Rika and Karen were in the gym… That's some witnesses, right?"
Shiori smiled. Kashie's really been stepping up during this case. But then a horrible thought occurred to her. "And since Rika fainted… the culprit knew she hadn't seen anything. They… they probably took advantage of that. They left Karen's body, and bloodied Rika's knife to frame her!"
Rika's face went bright red. "Someone did that on purpose!? I thought I accidentally killed my best friend! That's not fair!" Her voice cracked. "I… I'm gonna kick your butt for that! You're the biggest most awful meanie that's ever been, and I won't forgive you!"
Monokuma snickered. "Wow, sometimes I wish I could just let you bastards tear each other apart! Alas, rules are rules. Even I'm beholden to them!" He threw his head back as he laughed. "Upupu! Just makes me glad I also get to make 'em!"
"That's still assuming the person who pushed Remy could even get to the first floor," scoffed Take.
Rika frowned. "It's really that hard?"
Shiori blinked for a moment. Did she really not realize…? Oh wait! She was in the gym the whole time, so she probably didn't get to see it…
Select Evidence: Fallen Tree
SHIORI: This is it!
"Rika, I don't think you got a chance to look, but the tree that fell? It completely blocks the stairs. There was no way to get from one floor to the other using them."
Immediately Rika blushed and covered her face. "Oh my god, of course. I was so distracted back when it first came up I forgot about that…"
Of course you were distracted, Shiori thought sympathetically, You thought you'd accidentally killed your friend...
"Wait," said Seihiko, raising an eyebrow, "Shiori, if you agree that you can't use the stairs, how do you think the culprit could have gotten to the first floor?"
Shiori gulped. Okay brain, I could really use a revelation! "Um… They just… followed Remy?"
Homura looked at Shiori like she'd grown a second head. "What the actual heck does that mean?!"
But as Shiori had said it, the clues came together in her mind. "I got it! In fact, I can prove someone came into the gym this way!"
EVIDENCE ENDEAVORS
START!
PART 1: PICK THE PIECES
SHIORI: The whole thing comes together from two simple pieces of the evidence. The first?
Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #3 | Gym Window | Pocket Knife | Bloody Sheet | White Thread
[Bloody Sheet]
SHIORI: The bloody sheet left in the gym. Remember how we weren't sure how it got there? This will explain it. Once you combine it with...
Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #3 | Gym Window | Pocket Knife | Bloody Sheet | White Thread
[White Thread]
SHIORI: ...A white thread caught in the broken glass of the gym window. Two seemingly unconnected items, but they show how the culprit reached the first floor!
PART 2: PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
SHIORI: After the culprit pushed Remy through the gym window, they had to get downstairs to make sure no one found the body. With the stairs blocked, they used the window as well! And, to ensure they didn't hurt their hands when they climbed down, they used a sheet to guard their hands from the glass before dropping down. It shouldn't have left any evidence, but when the culprit pulled the sheet down, a white thread from the sheet was left in the broken glass. A trace that pulls it all together!
BREAK!
Shiori panted slightly, having gotten excited in the midst of her speech. She had forgotten to breathe.
Kashie smiled, pulling down her hood to better let Shiori see. "Shiori, that's brilliant."
"I was pretty sure going through the window was possible," added Gorou, "But I was stuck on how they did it."
"Go, Shiori!" said Rika with a triumphant fist pump.
Ikeda gave Shiori a respectful nod. "Your detective skills are growing sharper with each case."
"Now, hold on a fucking minute," Take cut in, leaning heavily on his podium. "That is a stretch, and you fucking know it."
Homura frowned. "God, I hate to admit it, but I think I agree with Take? This is ridiculous! Why do you always make things so complicated?!"
"This does seem kinda extreme," Seihiko admitted. "And I don't think the problems we run into with two killers outweigh the problems with one."
Kenji shrugged. "Look, I just wanna figure this out."
"Oh my!"
Everyone looked up as Monokuma sing-songed from his place above them. "Is that an equal split I see?"
"Wait a second!" Shiori shouted. "Isao hasn't said what he thinks."
Now everyone looked at Isao, who immediately began sweating. "I… I don't know? Why are you pressuring me like this? Kenji didn't come down firmly on one side or the other either!"
"Hmm." Monokuma did an exaggerated thinking pose. "That's too wishy-washy! Besides, last trial there was never a chance for a split! Thus, I decree we have a Debate Scrum!"
As the podiums lit up with red and blue lights, Shiori took a breath. Well, if not everyone on the opposing side is even sure of their position, this should be easier, right? She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Isao. He seemed displeased. Then he caught her eye, started, and quickly looked away. Oh boy...
SPLIT OPINION
THERE WERE TWO CULPRITS (RED SIDE)
Take, Homura, Seihiko, Kenji, Isao
THERE WAS ONE CULPRIT (BLUE SIDE)
Shiori, Kashie, Gorou, Rika, Ikeda
DEBATE SCRUM START!
ISAO: I mean… two culprits for two murders makes sense.
HOMURA: There'd be no reason for the person who killed Remy to go after Karen!
SEIHIKO: Given how closely the two murders happened, how could it be one person?
KENJI: Could the culprit have gotten away without a scratch?
TAKE: How'd yer culprit get to the gym, huh?
SHIORI: Given the evidence, there must have been one culprit!
IKEDA: Though close, the murders could have been sequential.
GOROU: The culprit came through the window into the gym.
KASHIE: Karen would been a witness to Remy's murder.
RIKA: Using that sheet, though, the culprit definitely could have gotten away!
SEIHIKO: Given how closely the two murders happened, how could it be one person?
IKEDA: Though close, the murders could have been sequential.
HOMURA: There'd be no reason for the person who killed Remy to go after Karen!
KASHIE: Karen would been a witness to Remy's murder.
TAKE: How'd yer culprit get to the gym, huh?
GOROU: The culprit came through the window into the gym.
KENJI: Could the culprit have gotten away without a scratch?
RIKA: Using that sheet, though, the culprit definitely could have gotten away!
ISAO: I mean… two culprits for two murders make sense.
SHIORI: Given the evidence, there must have been one culprit!
BLUE SIDE: THIS IS OUR ANSWER!
BREAK!
After her side's declaration, Shiori tried to catch her breath. Kenji and (thankfully) Isao seemed content with the argument's outcome. Homura seemed disgruntled, but didn't continue the argument.
Seihiko sighed. "Well, when you lay it all out like that…"
"You're just gonna accept that?!" Perhaps unsurprisingly, Take was the one to push back. "One or two pieces of circumstantial evidence? Sure, follow the plot Miss Fangirl is writing. Don't blame me when we all end up dead from mis-voting!"
And of course, Take's gonna push on this, Shiori thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him. Sir… you are hiding something. You got like this when you were trying to hide how you bullied Seihiko last investigation, and I will figure out what you're hiding now.
"You know what we need before all that, though?" Kenji asked, frustration clearly bubbling beneath the surface. "An actual suspect! We haven't found one since we dismissed Rika as a possibility!"
Rika frowned. "I really wish I had seen more of what happened…"
"You might not have seen something," said Ikeda, "But it's possible someone else did."
"But, we've gone over everything!" Homura objected. "Where everyone was, and how nobody saw anything! The culprit must have been super sneaky…"
Ikeda took a moment. He seemed to be contemplating something. Then he gave a glance to Shiori. "Perhaps no one here saw something, but that doesn't mean we can't know what someone who isn't here saw."
He's giving me an opening, Shiori realized. Why not just say it himself? But what does he mean by 'someone who isn't here'?
THINKING TIME
Who saw something that could identify the culprit?
A: Rika
B: Monokuma
[C: Remy]
SHIORI: This is the answer!
"Of course! Remy saw something!" Shiori exclaimed. "We have his last couple of photos!"
Rika began bouncing on her toes and she let out a very long "Oooooooooooooh!"
"This will really let us know what was going on right before Remy died," Kashie declared. "No more speculation."
Seihiko hesitated before quietly adding, "Um, what if the photos aren't helpful? Or if they're of nothing?"
"We'll just have to see, then," Gorou countered. "Go over the situation right before Remy died, and see what his photos contradict."
"Assuming you can even make something out!" Take added in a loud, sarcastic tone.
There's definitely something Remy's photos reveal, and it isn't great for someone…
NON-STOP DEBATE
START!
Truth Bullets: Remy's Photos
KENJI: Remy woke up from the thunder and couldn't get back to sleep…
KENJI: … so he went upstairs to take pictures out of one of the windows.
HOMURA: We know that!
HOMURA: And like, he was far enough from the stairs to avoid the tree, right?
IKEDA: Also correct.
ISAO: He got pushed out of the window into the gym.
ISAO: Someone probably sneaked on him…
ISAO: ...Using the noise of the storm to cover their movement.
RIKA: But if he got sneaked up on…
RIKA: ...Then his photos might not help!
KASHIE: ...There could be background details—
TAKE: —Fuck off with your details!
TAKE: There ain't nothing. Boo hoo.
-Truth Bullet Selected: Remy's Photos-
SHOIRI: Wait, that's wrong!
BREAK!
"Isao! Remy didn't get sneaked up on." Shiori pointed to Remy's second photo, showing just a hint of a person's long hair on one side of the frame. "He caught the culprit on camera!"
"Woah," said Homura, stunned. "Uh, that's not me! Just to be like, super clear. I was definitely already over on the other side of the stairs by then."
"...But it has to be you, right?" Rika asked. "There wasn't anyone else upstairs with long hair!"
The answer struck Shiori like a lightning bolt. "Unless someone was lying. And that person would be our culprit."
CHOOSE SOMEONE
Shoiri Miura
Isao Iwaka
Kokoa Uzumaki
Kashie Hatsume
Takeo Ikeda
Hideyo Mitsugi
[Take Muto]
Seihiko Ginnaga
Homura Ideki
Kenji Ikeda
Rika Ohara
Remy Lander
Akiko Katsumi
Gorou Ishikawa
Karen Oshiro
Haruto Hanko
"The only person with long enough hair to be the one in this photo besides Homura," Shiori explained before pointing to her target, "Is you, Take!"
"Fuck off." Take growled, voice low and sinister.
Kenji hunched over his podium as he shouted, "You can fuck off yourself! You killed my— my best friend!"
"Mine too!" Rika added.
Homura flinched away. "You better not try and pin this on me, dude! I'm not gonna be your scapegoat!" She looked ready to bolt, regardless of the consequences.
"We can vouch for you," Isao said, a bit unsettled by Homura's outburst.
Seihiko sighed. "I would say I'm surprised, but I'm really not."
"Fuck off, you pieces of shit!" Take slammed a hand down. "This whole line of reasoning is stupid as hell, and you know it!"
And you're gonna tell me how? Shiori frowned, the anger from the beginning of the trial returning to her in full force. Sorry, dude, but now that I've got you, I'm not letting you off the hook for this!
NON-STOP DEBATE
START!
Truth Bullets: Fallen Tree | The Storm | Aspirin Bottle
GOROU: Do you have an actual defense…
GOROU: … Or are you just going to swear at us until we believe you?
TAKE: I have a defense. Obviously.
TAKE: If I actually pushed Remy and killed Karen…
TAKE: How come no one noticed?
KASHIE: I mean, the storm was really loud…
TAKE: Aw, 'there was wind and thunder,' boo hoo!
TAKE: The only scenario that makes sense…
TAKE: ...is both crimes happening at the same time as the tree falling!
RIKA: I thought we decided there was one culprit?
RIKA: We did this whole big argument thing.
TAKE: Sure we did, but that just for the fuckin' bear's show!
MONOKUMA: Doesn't mean it's not relevant!
-Truth Bullet Selected: The Storm-
SHIORI: I agree with that!
BREAK!
"Kashie's right about the storm, though!" Shiori objected. "It was a huge storm, and there was more noise than just the wind or thunder. The cots we'd placed in front of the windows were being blown in. I could barely hear myself think, even after the tree fell!"
Ikeda nodded. "Additionally, the time of death for Karen specifically would indicate she was killed after the tree fell, even given the time it took for her to bleed out."
"Things ain't looking great for you, buddy," said Gorou, giving Take the side-eye even as the bandit looked ready to pop a vein.
"In case you forgot," Take said slowly, as if to keep a hold of his temper, "I wasn't upstairs when the tree fell. And, you can't prove that the person in that photo is me."
"But you did admit to being upstairs at the start of things," Isao pointed out. "So, we have to at least consider you."
Immediately, Homura jumped in. "And, it can't be me! I was upstairs when we found the bodies! I couldn't have moved Remy's body."
"And, since it can't be Homura," Shiori continued, confidence building, "It has to be you, Take! It's the only explanation!"
"I ain't done yet!" Take looked more furious than Shiori had ever seen him. "There's a big fucking hole in your theory; your own evidence'll prove it ain't me!"
What evidence is he talking about? Shiori wondered. And more importantly, how do I push this further?
REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN
START!
Truth Blades: Bloody Sheet | Smeared Floor | Scratched Lock | Remy's Photos
TAKE: I think you're forgetting something…
SLASH!
TAKE: ...Your own evidence!
SLASH!
TAKE: If I'd done everything you said…
SLASH!
TAKE: ...I would've had to have moved Remy's body outside!
SLASH!
TAKE: How'd I do that with the storm raging?!
SLASH!
TAKE: I would've been soaked…
SLASH!
TAKE: And I wasn't. Checkmate.
ADVANCE!
SHIORI: You still could have moved Remy…
SHIORI: ...If you waited out the storm!
SHIORI: No one saw you before we started searching for the victim!
SHIORI: You could have been hiding.
TAKE: Where, Miss Sleuth?
SLASH!
TAKE: Rika woulda seen me in the gym or the bathroom…
SLASH!
TAKE: And there would have been blood downstairs if I'd brought Remy with me there.
SLASH!
TAKE: Oh shit! What do you know?
SLASH!
TAKE: Those are the only places to hide!
SLASH!
TAKE: Looks like your 'logic' backed you into a corner!
SLASH!
TAKE: Time to go back to the drawing board, honey.
-Truth Blade Selected: Scratched Lock-
SHIORI: I'll cut through your words!
BREAK!
"Except there is somewhere you could have hidden! And, I have proof that you did hide there!" A picture of the scratched lock to the gym's side room appeared above her head, and Shiori smiled. "You know the gym's side room? Normally, the lock would have stopped someone from using it to wait out the storm unseen, but you're not just someone, are you? What bandit worth his salt wouldn't be able to pick this lock? Sure, in the dark, you couldn't be as neat as you usually could, but it's doable, right? And, where else could these scratches have come from? Do you have an answer to that, Take?"
It actually took a few moments for Take to reply, and though he tried to hide it, Shiori could tell he was caught off guard. "Well, why the fuck would I know why the stupid lock is scratched!? That whole place is ancient! You sure it wasn't like that before? Huh!? Can you prove it wasn't just like that before?!"
"She doesn't need to." Ikeda was giving Take a look so cold it could have frozen a pool in the middle of summer. "We know the culprit must have moved Remy's body. And, yet, no one was wet from the storm. The side room is the only place to wait out the storm with the body unseen, and you are the only person who could have used it. It's a simple process of elimination at this point."
"What?! What does any of that shit even mean!?" Take looked around at the rest of the students. "Man, if I can't even follow this crap, the rest of you must be so lost! How are we supposed to believe a story if we can't even figure out what you're saying happened?"
Shiori grit her teeth together. "Okay then. You don't get what I'm saying? Then, I'll lay it all out! How you killed Remy and Karen!"
CLOSING ARGUMENT
ACT 1
It began because of the motive. We had been banned from the camp buildings, so we decided to sleep in the abandoned army barracks. As we got ready to sleep, a storm began. During the night, at around 4:20 PM, Remy woke up, and decided to go upstairs to take pictures of the storm. He passed Seihiko on his way up. It isn't clear exactly what the culprit was planning at the time, but Remy saw something, snapping a picture.
ACT 2
Regardless of what the culprit had been planning before, a falling tree disrupted everything. It fell into the stairs, blocking them from anyone using them to move from one floor to the other. In the chaos, the culprit pushed Remy out of the window overlooking the gym. The culprit wanted to hide the body, so they had to get downstairs too. Using a sheet, they shielded their hands from the glass, and climbed down through the window.
ACT 3
What the culprit didn't realize was that down in the gym, Karen and Rika had been sparring. When Remy fell, Rika fainted, but Karen was still awake. The culprit didn't want a potential witness to their crime, so they took out a knife. (Which they just had? Hmm, not many people who just have a knife!) After a fight, the culprit managed to catch Karen off guard and slit her throat. At that moment, the culprit decided to try to frame Rika for Karen's death. They took Rika's knife and covered it in blood. They also took Rika's aspirin bottle, for some reason. They had to hide with the body, but the storm was still going. So they used their skills to pick the lock to the gym's side room, and hid in there until the storm ended.
ACT 4
After the culprit and Remy's body were gone, Rika woke up. Seeing Karen's body and her own bloody knife, she assumed that she'd lost control, and killed Karen herself. Rika used the abandoned sheet to wipe up the blood on the floor, then stuffed the sheet and the knife down one of the bathroom toilets. Once she'd hidden Karen's body in a locker, Rika waited out the storm in the bathroom.
ACT 5
Finally, after the storm ended, the culprit finished their plan. They left the gym's side room via the outside door, and took Remy's body behind the barracks. The fallen tree had broken one of the upstairs windows, so the culprit tried to make it look like Remy fell from there by placing his body beneath the window. But, the culprit didn't realize that the aspirin bottle had fallen from their pocket in the process. So, they left the crime scene to rejoin the group, hoping no one would realize they'd changed floors.
The one who did all this, the only one who could have used the gym's side room because of his lock picking skills, is Take Muto, the Penultimate Bandit!
Panting slightly, Shiori checked everyone's reactions. Ikeda looked immensely proud. Kenji clutched himself tightly, somewhere between anger and grief. Seihiko was stunned, but when he caught Shiori's gaze, he just gave a little nod. Rika was in awe, giving Shiori a little thumbs up. Homura simply gaped. Kashie and Gorou were still focused on Take. Before she could turn her attention back to her target, however, Shiori noticed that Isao, while from the waist up seeming to be engaged with the trial, was tapping his foot. He seemed antsy, eager for… something.
And Take? Take looked furious. The shadow of the brim of his hat obscured his expression, but Shiori could see the tension in his body. As he raised his head she saw nothing but his smirk, and never before had it looked quite as dangerous. "Well shit. Look at you, thinking you're so smart! That's a nice little story you told us. And I ain't gonna say anything about if it's true or not, because honestly, it ain't important anymore..." He laughed, dark and sinister. He stared at everyone. "You're all convinced."
Shiori swallowed. "Take…"
But Take didn't seem to notice her words. "And considering that, plus the fact I don't give two shits about the rules, here's how it's gonna go down…" Then, before Shiori or anyone else could register what was happening, Take had grabbed Seihiko, pulled the other boy in front of him, and put a knife under Seihiko's chin. "... Mono-fucker, you cool to let me have some fun for a bit? I know normally, we'd be getting to voting and all, but you just eat up this kinda shit, right?"
Everyone gasped and Homura immediately screamed. "Seihiko! Let him go!" She moved to try to tackle Take, but Kenji held her back.
"Be careful!" shouted Kenji.
Rika fell into a fighting stance. "You need to stop! And, I know I can subdue you!"
"But, can you do it before I slit his throat?" Take grinned.
Shiori could see Seihiko shaking. Oh God, please don't let this happen!
Monokuma, for his part, was clearly ballistic. "You realize if you keep this up, you won't even have a chance, right? You break the rules, you die!"
Take held his knife closer. "Aw, but before you kill me, I'll kill him. Right here in your courtroom. And, that's not how it works, right? Besides, I won't even do it if someone can answer my question."
For a moment, Shiori was sure Monokuma was going to just end all of them. But the bear simply narrowed his eyes. "You know what? Sure, I'll allow it, for now! You're on thin ice, kid. You draw blood? I don't care about the collateral."
No, no, no! Seihiko! Shiori's heart pounded. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Mr. Saiki was standing now, and carefully moving towards Take.
"Listen to me, Take. You… you need to put the knife down."
"Not till someone answers my question!" Take ground out each word. "Why did I take Rika's aspirin?"
Wait… that's what he wants to ask? Shiori was stunned. She had no idea; that's why she'd skipped it in the summary she'd given. From the looks on everyone else's faces, they didn't know either.
Regardless, Ikeda attempted to regain control of the situation. "What are you looking for with this answer? Why is this important enough to risk being punished?"
Take's eyes had a manic glint. "I'm already fucking doomed! Might as well see if any one of you shits are worth feeling any regret over." He held the knife so close to Seihiko's throat that a thin line of blood appeared. "Or do I get to go to hell knowing I'd be dancing on your graves if this trial'd gone my way?"
As Take spoke, a red laser sight appeared, aimed in such that whatever was shot would definitely hit Take, but it would also hit Seihiko.
Shiori immediately looked up at Monokuma, but wherever the laser sight was coming, it wasn't the bear. "I warned you! And, as we all know, I'm a bear of my word!"
Oh God, he's actually gonna do it, Shiori thought, in such deep shock and terror that she couldn't move, could hardly breathe.
"Wait!" Suddenly, Mr. Saiki was standing between Take and Monokuma, hands up in a desperate plea. "Let me calm him down. You said it's my job to work with students breaking the rules so you don't have to do this! Let me do my job! Let me fix this; please!"
Monokuma paused, calculating. "Okay," he said. "Do your thing, dear Mr. Saiki."
Reijirou swallowed. He had remained silent throughout most of the trial, trying not to get into argument with Monokuma like he had last time. And yet, somehow what he had done was probably a bigger affront to the bear. While his hint to Shiori about the aspirin bottle was something he could explain as a coincidence, what he was doing now could not. Thank God he's letting me try, He thought. I hope this won't come back to bite me later... But, now is the time to calm down Take, and make sure only the guilty party ends up dead today.
ARGUMENT ARMAMENT: COUNSELOR CONCILIATION
START!
TAKE: Oh, so Teach is gonna answer my question?
TAKE: Or maybe just try to get me to stop with the "power of friendship."
TAKE: Be my fucking guest!
REIJIROU: I will answer you, Take, if that's what it takes to get you to stand down.
TAKE: Then, do it!
TAKE: Unless… you don't know either? Huh?
TAKE: Wouldn't be surprised. Acting so high and mighty.
TAKE: Bet you just can't imagine what a bastard like me thinks!
REIJIROU: I can try, if you'll talk to me.
TAKE: Oh, you want me to talk?
TAKE: I can spew out bullshit all day, if you want me to!
TAKE: I could tell you about what I went through to make me a bastard!
TAKE: But that doesn't fucking matter anymore, does it?!
TAKE: Answer the fucking question.
REIJIROU: I will!
TAKE: Why did I take the aspirin?! Answer me!
[STAINS OUT OF CLOTHES]
BREAK!
"You wanted to get the stains out of your clothes," said Reijirou, keeping his voice calm and level, even as Take fumed with rage. "By crushing the aspirin and making a paste with it from the rain water, you could get any blood stains that you got during the incident out of your shirt. You had time to let it work when you waited for the storm to stop."
"Heh… got it in one, Teach." Take released Seihiko, and dropped the knife on the ground. "Didn't think anyone here would have the street smarts to know. It was the only thing distracting me from the fact I was sitting in a tiny-ass room with a corpse. Never had to deal with one for that long before."
He gave a harsh laugh as he added, the rest of the room deathly quiet, "What? You thought I'd never killed before? Please. Couldn't deal with being number two in my gang anymore, so I off-ed the old boss. Then the gang was really mine! They were mine; why does it matter I killed my way into being the leader? I should be called the Ultimate Bandit! Everything I could have wanted was mine! All of it! Then, I lost it, all because I got fucking kidnapped by an animatronic bear who won't even acknowledge my talent!"
Before anyone could object, Reijirou dashed over and scooped up the knife. Then, he looked at Take. "Were the members of your gang your friends? Or, were they just another kind of possession to you?" He slowly moved to touch Take's arm, and Take flinched away, as if on instinct. "Is that why you did this? Did you just… feel too alone?"
On the other side of Take, Seihiko and Homura had backed away. Homura desperately held Seihiko around the shoulders, while he held a hand to his throat. They both seemed to be in utter shock.
"Excuse you! I am not an animatronic! Does this look like a pizza joint to you!?" Monokuma stood on his podium and stomped his feet. "The absolute disrespect!" He harrumphed before clearing his throat. "But, anyway, it's time to vote! Mr. Saiki… your job is done... For now." While it wasn't explicitly said, a clear sentiment of 'go back to your stupid little stool' was implied.
Reijirou made sure that he caught Take's gaze before he moved. "You know, Homura and Seihiko might have forgiven you, if you'd apologized. You lost two people who could have been good friends to you. Or, if you'd have asked for help instead of doing... This, then, the others might have been your friends, too. We could have helped you be more than this. To stay like this, all on your lonesome? That was your choice." Having said his piece, Reijirou returned to the stool and sat.
Monokuma had finally settled back into his place. "Oh, golly gee! Look at that. Counselor Saiki isn't just a bit of set dressing after all! Well done, well done." He put his small, knobby plush paws together. "Also, can I just say: This heartbreak, this delicious drama? You can't buy that shit! Just—" He made the gesture of an Italian chef saluting their latest masterpiece. "Delicioso! Well, after that melodrama, it's voting time! As I mentioned at the beginning, you gotta get the exact combo of culprits right! So, if you think it was two culprits, vote for both! Just one? Vote just once. And again, make sure you vote, yadda yadda. Will you make the right choice? Or a dreadfully wrong one!"
Reijirou carefully watched everyone as, one by one, they clicked on their Monopads. It took barely more than a minute before there was a 'ding!' that signaled the end of the voting. Monokuma rubbed his paws together. "Alright, let's see the votes!" On the mounted tv monitor, the same graphic as the previous two trials appeared, showing everyone's names and how many votes they received. Unsurprisingly, Take received the most, with nine votes. The only other votes were one each for Karen and Remy. "And now for the reveal! Upupu!" The spinning list of names appeared next, dizzyingly fast, until it finally slowed and came to land on…
Reijirou couldn't help but sigh in relief. It was Take Muto. They got it right.
Take grabbed his hat and threw it on the ground. "Well, fuck me!"
Rika and Kenji both gave him death glares.
"I hate you… so much," said Rika, low and slow.
"Go to hell," added Kenji.
Seihiko, having recovered a bit from the earlier threat on his life, just asked, still a bit breathless, "Why?"
The rest of the group seemed reserved, but also interested.
Take bit the inside of his cheek in thought, then shrugged. "You know what? Fine. You want the story? Alright. But, you'd better remember it. If I'm gonna die on this stupid fucking island, I might as well make sure someone remembers me." He cleared his throat.
"Okay, so, you know how last trial, my fucking gang decided they were too good for me?" (Reijirou noticed Take's voice seemed a bit tense.) "Well, that night I made a little deal with myself. If the next motive was something boring, or something I could handle, I'd let it go until the next case, then reassess from there. But, if the motive was too hard to deal with, then I'd get the hell out of dodge. And, getting all my stuff locked away? Not cool."
"You killed someone because you couldn't get your stuff!?" Homura squeaked.
Take chuckled. "Specifically, I was planning to kill you. Right in your sleep! You never even would've known. But, Photo Idiot saw me. He actually kinda sacrificed himself to save you! But yeah, pushing him through the window wasn't the plan. Fuck, the whole thing wasn't planned! It was all on the fly. Bet if I'd actually been able to plan it, you fuckers wouldn't have been able to catch me."
"We would have found out," Shiori countered, her voice so controlled that Reijirou suspected she was holding herself back from shouting. "But, that's it? There really wasn't anything else to it?"
"No," Take snapped, in a way that clearly revealed he was lying.
"Wow, that was convincing," Gorou deadpanned.
Take flipped him off in reply.
"I want an answer," said Homura. She shook a bit, but her gaze remained fixed.
This is your chance, Take, Reijirou thought. You have one last chance to apologize and maybe have that off your mind before— Before the end. I want to believe you have that in you, underneath all that selfishness.
"Don't we deserve to know?" Seihiko asked. "I thought… we had some good times, you, and me, and Homura. And… if you had apologized for what happened last trial, and made an effort to be better, maybe we… we could have worked it out."
If Take had flinched when Reijirou reached out to him, then he outright balked at Seihiko's words. "You— You can't just say that! Fuck off! I don't need to apologize, and I don't need you!"
Considering his grumbling, apparently Monokuma was done with waiting. He leaned forward eagerly. "Well, if you don't have anything else to say, it's time for the final event!"
Reijirou swallowed. Everyone seemed to be a mix of uncomfortable and resigned, save for Take, who grinned. The grin seemed a bit shakier than his usual grins. "Is that so? You'd better bring it on, then!"
"I have prepared a very special punishment for Take Muto, the Penultimate Bandit!"
"—And, it'd better be worthy of an Ultimate!" Take was slowly walking towards Monokuma's podium, and while it was quite subtle, Reijirou saw that he was trembling.
Take didn't make eye contact with Reijirou, who was standing beside him, opposite Monokuma.
"Do you feel any regret?" Reijirou asked in a whisper. "I answered your question, and you said you wanted to know if you'd have regretted if any of us died, had your plan gone right."
Take didn't even look at him. "Fuck off, teach! I regret nothing."
"Let's give it everything we've got! It's Punishment Time!"
Reijirou realized that he didn't know if Take was lying or not, and now, he'd never know.
TAKE MUTO HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY!
COMMENCING EXECUTION
Like the previous two executions, a claw descended from above and snatched Take. As quickly as he was pulled into the darkness, he reappeared at the top of a Wild West-style set towering high above the courtroom. All down the slope were cheap cutouts of cowboys, tumbleweeds, and cactus. Behind Take, a huge boulder shifted, ready to crush him.
PENULTIMATE BANDIT TAKE MUTO'S EXECUTION:
MOST WANTED
Immediately, Take began to run down the set to avoid the boulder, but he lost his footing. He began to roll down the hill, becoming tangled in the tumbleweeds and hitting almost every cactus. His coat was pulled off almost instantly. The cutout cowboys let out horrible, tinny laughter. Whenever Take would almost right himself, they would shoot a blast of air from cartoonish guns his way, sending the hapless bandit tumbling down once again.
By the time he reached the bottom, Take was a bloody mess, cactus needles covering almost all of his exposed skin. The tumbleweeds had pulled and torn all of his remaining clothes. He tried to catch his breath, but as the laughter crescendo-ed, four more cowboy cutouts flipped up, and from the shadows of the set, lassos were tossed out at Take. In his weakened state, he couldn't escape them, and was soon held in place by the ropes. As he struggled, a noose descended from the ceiling and hanged him around his neck.
Take managed to take one last look at the group. There was no longer any sort of grin to hide it; he was terrified. Then, the noose pulled up as the lights went dark.
Oh, what's this? Breaking the POV shift pattern? Yeah, I really think Reijirou was the only person who could have actually answered Take's question. Plus it's fun to mess with the formula sometimes. Next time we'll still be with Reijirou like usual. I hope you enjoyed this trial. I've had certain aspects of this trial since the begining, but sometimes as you write you just end up coming across something that fits. As always, pleas please please review to tell me your thoughts, or even just if you liked the chapter. If you wanna join some discussion on the story, there's a link to a discord server for the story. The progress for the next story will be in my profile. And thanks to carryingstarlightinherwake on AO3/twitter for editing. Thanks for reading, and until next time!