-This is made by Starrshard on Ao3 and Wattpad, please check them out. I have been given permission to upload this to, as they do not have an account on this website-
And so it has happened again.
The students had already taken their spots around the circle. Yaomomo's eyes darted around the ring. Kyouka and Katsuki had been replaced by X-ed out images of their faces upon their podiums.
Monokuma sat on Toga's lap on the golden throne. The girl was dressed in her usual schoolgirl outfit, her yellow eyes twinkling as she gazed over the students at her disposal. A small blade twirled in her free hand, the other occupied in being wrapped around the monochrome bear. She appeared much like child cuddling her teddy.
The bear laughed maniacally. "Puhuhuhu! It's time for our fourth case already! Ooh, I'm hyped! Are you all ready? Let the class trial begin!"
Class Trial : Start!
"We should begin with the Monokuma File and establish some basic facts." Fumikage started off the trial as usual. "Yaomomo, if you would please..?"
"Ah. Right." Yaomomo took out the tablet and read off of it. "The victims were Kyouka and Katsuki. Kyouka appears to have died from a pierced heart..." She paused to swallow, attempting to rid herself of the tightening feeling in her throat. No. Don't show them your feelings. You must stay strong. Strong. She steeled herself and continued after a mere breath's break. "And Katsuki appears to have died from a heart attack.
"Both of their bodies are also heavily disemboweled, and the organs are all slashed." She looked up at her classmates. "That's it."
"Alright. Again, there's gaps of information in the File that we must find. That includes the relative time and orders of the deaths, as well as the weapons used," Fumikage stated.
"We should start by determining the order of the deaths again," Mirio said. "Last time, it was a discussion starter."
"Then let us discuss," Fumikage prompted. "Who was killed first? Kyouka or Katsuki?"
Non-Stop Debate : Start!
Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #4, Syringe, Flask, Katsuki's Blood Pool, Fumikage's Account, Denki's Account, Blood in Vent
"So, the death order... Katsuki was discovered first. He was outside the gym," Nejire mused.
"Kyouka was killed inside and discovered second. Perhaps she died first?" Hitoshi suggested.
"And Katsuki was killed on the way out. That makes sense," Mashirao jumped to agree with his friend.
"But there's no proof of that! I mean, we can't exactly testify to it," Mei said.
"Yeah, it's not like anyone saw them or something," Eijirou commented quietly.
"No, that's wrong!"
Fumikage's Account : Counter!
"No. Someone can testify to that, and prove that Katsuki was not at the gym until after Kyouka had arrived. Fumikage, could you elaborate?" Yaomomo handed it over to the witness in question.
"Yes. In fact, last night, I was walking by and glimpsed someone entering the gym. They appeared to be female and had a short, simple hairstyle," Fumikage said.
"So you're saying you saw the killer enter the gym? Then Kyouka must've already been there or entered shortly afterwards," Izuku concluded.
"That's right," Fumikage agreed.
"But how do you know Katsuki wasn't in there, too?" Shouto prompted.
"Because there's another account that aligns with mine," Fumikage said. "You recall that, right, Yaomomo?"
Another account, which aligns with Fumikage's, and proves Katsuki arrived to the gym after Kyouka... it's got to be... that one!
Select a Truth Bullet!
...
Mezou's Account : I got it!
"Mezou. That's right! He said he saw Kyouka enter at around eleven, and she was the only one in the gym with him. He left shortly after, and didn't run into anyone on the way back," Yaomomo exclaimed.
"Hey, I can explain my own accounts," Mezou huffed. However, there was no iciness behind his words. He's warming back up to us. Perhaps it's the time he's been spending with Fumikage recently.
"So Kyouka arrived to the gym quite a while before Katsuki ever went near the gym," Tamaki mused. "M-Mezou... you don't happen to know..."
"Know what?" Mezou questioned. His tone was blunt but not cutting. However, it was enough to make Tamaki shudder slightly.
"Um, you know, did Katsuki ever go to the gym on a schedule before he... uh... died?" the Florist spluttered out.
"Yes, actually. He enjoyed late night training. He often arrived a bit before midnight. He didn't let off on that habit even after he was framed for his actions during the dark hours in Kouji's case," Mezou explained.
"So it's certain. Kyouka was killed before Katsuki," Fumikage concluded.
"But with that aside... there's something I find peculiar..." Hitoshi murmured. "It's about your account, Fumikage."
"What about it?" The raven-headed boy would've cocked an eyebrow right then and there, if only he actually had eyebrows.
"Well, you said you saw a girl with a short, simple haircut enter the gym, right?" Hitoshi said. "This may be crucial in determining the killer. Because that person could very well be the killer that Fumikage saw."
"Did you see any other defining features of hers?" Eijirou asked the Nightwalker.
"Well, I only saw her for a split moment as she entered. Out of the side of my eye, I saw movement, and when I turned, I only saw the back of her shadowed head vanishing into the gym. I have given all the details I know. She had short, simple hair, the tips at just the right length to brush her shoulders. And she was most certainly female, based on her body shape. No guy in this class would look quite so slender." Fumikage elaborated on his sighting.
"There are five girls present right now," Mashirao said. "Yaomomo, Tooru, Tsuyu, Mei, and Nejire. So the killer Fumikage saw must be one of them!" he declared boldly.
"H-Hey! Don't pin them as the killer quite so quickly!" Tamaki protested, but he was ignored by the majority of the group as they began buzzing with excitement at such an easy trial.
"Yaomomo always wears her hair in her trademark fluffy ponytail. Fumikage would've recognized it instantly, so it's not her. Tsuyu and Nejire both have long hair. That only leaves two girls: Mei and Tooru." Hitoshi glanced at the two girls. "It must've been one of them."
"Hey! Don't blame us so quickly!" Mei exclaimed.
"Y-Yeah!" Tamaki suddenly called out again. "Guys, hold on! We can't jump to a conclusion so quickly!"
Double!
"I can't believe it! I've been working on our best escape plan all this time, and you suspect me?!" Mei wailed.
Triple!
"I wasn't even awake last night by ten! Why are you blaming me all of a sudden?" Tooru protested.
"Don't suspect them so quickly!"
"I am obviously not the culprit!"
"It's impossible for me to be the culprit!"
Mass Panic Debate : Start!
Truth Bullets: Mezou's Account, Fumikage's Account, Fumikage's Autopsy - Kyouka, Syringe, Blood Pool - Kyouka, Blood in Vent
"G-guys, don't pin blame so quickly!" Tamaki yelped.
"I cannot believe you guys would suspect me so easily!" Mei said, disappointed.
"I know exactly where I was last night..." Tooru began.
"Why, may I ask, are you defending them?" Shouto inquired.
"All this time, the only thing I've done is work in the lab," The pinkette continued.
"...and it was definitely not anywhere near the gym!" Tooru declared.
"W-well, I believe you guys are all overlooking an important fac-" Tamaki stuttered.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE MY HARD WORK WOULD BE FOR NOTHING!" Mei yelled.
"Well, do you have an alibi that can be confirmed by another person?" Mashirao asked.
"Who cares?! All we know is that the culprit has to be one of these two!" Eijirou wailed.
"Your hard work is not gone to waste, Mei," Hitoshi rushed to comfort her.
"N-No... but I know I was definitely sleeping in my room!" Tooru said, her voice wavering.
"No, that's wrong!"
Mezou's Account : Counter!
"No... I don't think that the culprit necessarily is Mei or Tooru," Yaomomo said.
"Huh? How could that be? They're the only ones who fit Fumikage's description!" Izuku replied.
"They're the only ones present who could fit the description," Yaomomo corrected. "According to Mezou's account, Kyouka entered the gym at about eleven. Fumikage, when did you see our mystery girl?"
"I'm not certain, but it must have also been around eleven. I made it back to my room at eleven-fifteen. I had made a stop at the cafeteria between seeing her and going back, so I believe eleven is a reasonable estimate," Fumikage explained.
"That lines up pretty closely with Mezou's account," Nejire said. "So it's almost certain that the girl Fumikage saw was Kyouka!"
"And the killer arrived later, after Mezou was gone," Tsuyu said. "That makes sense."
"Okay, okay... so Kyouka died a while past eleven, maybe around half-past," Tooru pondered. "And the killer can still be anyone."
"By anyone... is that including Katsuki too?"
"Hm?" Tooru looked up, her eyes meeting the Electrician's.
"Is there any possibility that, like last time, they killed each other?" Denki suggested, averting his eyes to avoid meeting the Artist's. "He died because... augh, Yaomomo, back me up here!" He looked to her as Tooru tilted her head in confusion.
Katsuki's cause of death... we can get it from...
Select an answer:
Monokuma File
Syringe
Slashed organs
Time of death
Monokuma File : I got it!
"The Monokuma File said that Katsuki appeared to have died from a heart attack," Yaomomo stated.
"Then who disemboweled the bodies? Who'd go around doing that on purpose? And why? It makes no sense! It's like someone has a death wish for all of us, or something..." Tooru's voice trailed off.
Denki slumped and Yaomomo paused. She's right. "Yeah, that's a good point," Denki muttered.
"Hey, while we're on the topic of the Monokuma File... I have a theory I'd like to share," Shouto spoke up again.
Oh yeah, Shouto's theory. "What is it?" Mei spoke up to ask.
"Well, notice the wording of the Monokuma File. It says that it appears that Kyouka died of a pierced heart and Katsuki a heart attack. The key word is appears. How does Monokuma create the File? He watches the scene through the security cameras the villains installed in every room. Either that or he pops out like he always does with a portal and hides to watch it in person.
"Both possibilities have one fatal flaw, however. If something internal happens and kills the person, Monokuma has no sure-fire way to confirm it, since he can't tamper with the body. As a result, saying Katsuki died of a heart attack may possibly be inaccurate."
As soon as Shouto shut his mouth, the trial room erupted in chaos.
"Are you saying the File could be wrong?! It's never been wrong before!" Izuku cried.
"How are we supposed to figure out a case if supposed 'given' information is inaccurate?!" Tooru wailed.
"Y-Yeah! If the File's wrong, then how are we supposed to figure it out?!" Denki wailed.
"Like we did every other time this happens!" Mezou yelled. "Use our investigation clues to figure it out!"
"Hey hey, we can't do that if don't have any basic info to work with!" Nejire piped up in response to the Heavylifter.
"It's impossible!" Eijirou wailed.
Yaomomo's eyes flitted anxiously from person to person in the trial room. The voices were rising, bouncing off the walls and encasing everyone in layers of horrible sound that instilled a ringing deep in the girl's ears. Calm down. Everyone has to calm down.
Come on, what can I say to restore order..?
"Come on guys! I have an idea!" Mashirao suddenly called out over the din. Everyone instantly shut up.
"So, we have to either confirm or disprove this theory to move on, right?" Mashirao said. "Since we can't confirm it, we just have to disprove it!"
"And how do we do that?" Mezou asked.
"Well, the File says Kyouka died of a pierced heart and Katsuki died of heart attack, right? So we just have to prove those two facts, and the theory will be disproved. If we can't, then we can consider it. Or we can ask Monokuma himself." Mashirao turned to look at the bear. "Monokuma? Can you confirm or disprove?"
"My lips are zipped!" Monokuma grinned. "You can't ask me anything about anything!" Over his ears, Toga gave a small, fang-toothed smile.
Mashirao sighed. "Then we'll figure it out ourselves."
"So... Kyouka..." Fumikage pressed the discussion onwards. "She died of a pierced heart. So in turn, we must figure out what the weapon used to kill her was."
"Then let's discuss," Nejire prompted.
Non-stop Debate : Start!
Truth Bullets: Syringe, Dart, Fumikage's Account, Monokuma File #4, Shouto's Theory
"Kyouka was killed from a pierced heart. That must mean the weapon is something sharp that they stabbed her with!" Izuku declared.
"But we have to find that item. We've got to find something at the scene," Hitoshi insisted.
"If it was used to stab her, it must have blood on it," Tamaki reasoned softly.
have blood on it : Copy!
"Ooh! I bet they used a dart!" Nejire jumped to speak out.
"Perhaps it was a regular old knife that they took out of the kitchen," Hitoshi said.
"How about broken glass?" Tsuyu suggested.
"Maybe a javelin?" Mirio mused.
There's something wrong with one of those statements... Come on, what is it?
Discussion : Repeat
"Kyouka was killed by a pierced heart. That must mean the weapon is something sharp that they stabbed her with!" Izuku declared.
"But we have to find that item. We've got to find something at the scene," Hitoshi insisted.
"No, that's wrong!"
have blood on it : Counter!
"There was nothing at the scene that could be used as a weapon and actually had blood on it," Yaomomo said. "Tamaki is right; the murder weapon would certainly be bloodied if it was used to stab her heart."
"So the killer killed her with something else, and left?" Mei asked.
Yaomomo nodded. "Yeah, that's righ-"
"I disagree with that!"
Break!
"I still think the dart was used!" Nejire declared boldly.
"Wh- Nejire, I don't think-"
"Hey, I want to speak my mind here too!" The blue-haired girl replied. "Equal voices, equal debate, right?"
Rebuttal Showdown : Start!
Nejire Hadou : Momo Yaoyorozu
Truth Blades: Fumikage's Autopsy - Kyouka, Mezou's Account, Syringe, Dart, Flask, Denki's Account, Syringe, Kyouka's Blood Pool
"So, you guys found a dart by the weights, right?" Nejire began. "That dart had poison on it. Why would there be poison on the dart if it were not to be used as a weapon in the murder? It makes perfect sense!"
"But there was no blood on the dart. How would have the killer used a dart to stab someone and gotten no blood on it at all?" Yaomomo retorted.
"They poisoned her! They must've stabbed her in the heart with a poison-coated arrow, and the poison flowed through her, infecting her entire body-"
"I will cut through your argument!"
Fumikage's Autopsy - Kyouka : Cut!
"Hey, how's that wrong? What if the File was wrong?!" Nejire protested.
"The File may have been wrong, but one person would've immediately realized that if your claim were true," Yaomomo said. "Fumikage did an autopsy on Kyouka. If she'd been poisoned, then he would've instantly noticed the signs of poisoning."
"Indeed. There would've been discoloring, swollen patches, inflammation, blue tongue, tinted skin, those kinds of symptoms. I noticed none. Only slashed organs. It was a mere bloodbath, with a lack of hidden tricks," Fumikage said.
"Oh. I guess that does make sense," Nejire said thoughtfully, sounding defeated and tired.
"Anyway... is there any way to actually determine what Kyouka's murder weapon was, if it was taken away?" Izuku questioned.
"Probably not. But judging by the shape and size of the slit-shaped hole in her heart, I believe it was a blade," Fumikage replied. "And the depth of the wound suggests it was thrown, since outright stabbing would've created a deeper indent. However, what was used is unlikely to be important, though, considering our other clues."
"So now that the matter of Kyouka's murder weapon has been determined, we should move on to Katsuki. The File says he died of heart attack. How is that possible?" Mezou inquired.
"Well, what other strange stuff did we see around the scene of the crime?" Mei prompted.
"There was the dart, the flask of poison, the syringe, and of course all the various items around the gym. However, no equipment had any trace of blood on them except the syringe, which was hidden in Katsuki's body, so it would obviously be bloodied," Shouto said.
"Can poison cause a heart attack?" Eijirou asked.
"Some poisons can. Hemlock can shut down the entire central nervous system. In fact, most poisons are neurotoxins designed to do that," Tsuyu spoke up.
"How do you know so much about poison?" Mezou asked in a questionable tone.
"When I was a frog hero, I studied some of these types of things. I wanted to see if I could develop my quirk so I could secrete a stronger poison," Tsuyu explained. "However, the poison we found in the vent was clearly a lethal venom, secreted from a venomous snake or spider. It would not stimulate a heart attack, of all things."
"Alright, then which of the items do you believe was used in the murder of Katsuki Bakugou?" Fumikage asked, his eyes fixed on Yaomomo. He clearly expected her to answer.
Out of the four items; javelin, dart, poison, and syringe... it's got to be- that one!
Mind Mine : Start!
...
Syringe : I can see it now!
Break!
"The syringe... it's the only possibility," Yaomomo said slowly. "But how?"
"Have you ever heard of how injecting a syringe of air between a person's toes will kill them?" Fumikage asked. "This is called an air embolism. Air enters a vein or artery and blocks it, causing a heart attack."
"Oh... so it all makes sense now!" Nejire remarked. "The killer injected air into Katsuki's artery and caused a heart attack. And they hid the syringe in his corpse! So cruel, so creative..." She trailed off, her voice wavering.
"So the File was right," Eijirou said slowly, shakily. "and Shouto's Theory is wrong."
"Ah. I admit to being wrong, then," Shouto said calmly, "That is the nature of theorizing. You must be prepared to admit defeat."
"However, this discussion has also confirmed another one of my suspicions," Mirio spoke up. "The disembowelment happened after the victims were killed. If they'd been killed by the disembowelment process, the File would've said so."
"Then what was used to disembowel them?" Mei asked.
"Likely some small blade or other sharp object- Kyouka's murder weapon, perhaps. The slashed wounds said as much, and you need something that's sharp enough to cut through skin and muscle," Fumikage replied. "And of course, they took it away with them. Besides, it should be relatively unimportant unless we see otherwise later."
"Then let's move on," Yaomomo pressed. "Nejire did remind me of something... I'd like to talk about the dart."
"Oh, the poison dart," Tsuyu remarked.
"Are we sure the poison in the flask was the poison on the dart?" Tooru asked for confirmation.
"Yes. I checked; it's a match," Tsuyu replied.
"So where did the poison itself come from?" Tamaki asked. "We should figure that out first, instead of trying to figure out how the dart ties into the case, if we can establish that..."
"Do we know where in the school poison can be found?" Mezou asked.
Poison in the school... you'd find it in...
Choose the Answer!
Closet
Nurse's Office
Vending Machine
Kitchen
...
Vending Machine : I got it!
"The vending machine in the cafeteria... the lower row of the machine dispensed poisons. There was one of each. Last I checked was last evening, at about six o'clock for dinner, and all the poison was still there," Yaomomo said.
"Then someone took poison from the vending machine after you left and before midnight," Fumikage said. "Does anybody have any idea who it may have been?"
Someone who has an idea of who it may have been- I know who...
Select Someone!
...
Denki Kaminari : It's got to be you!
"Denki. You may have seen something," Yaomomo said.
"Wh-What?!" Denki jumped, eyes widening. "A-Are you suspecting me?!"
"No, not at all," Yaomomo soothed her voice to calm the anxious teen. "But you... you and Kyouka were together in the cafeteria until eleven. When did you get there?"
"About six-thirty," Denki replied shakily.
"So you would've seen anybody who tried to use the vending machine," Yaomomo said. "It's perfect. So, did anybody use the vending machine while you were there?"
"Umm, umm- no. Nobody except... Kyouka. She got up to get a bottle of water. She came back with exactly that," Denki said slowly, his voice slowly tapering off. "No... no, that can't be right."
"The poison is Kyouka's," Fumikage mused softly. "That lines up with Mezou's account, too. He said she headed straight to the darts station. She must've brought the poison in the flask with her, and dipped the dart then."
Wait a minute...
Kyouka... poisoned the dart? Why... why would she..?
"Wh-What? Kyouka... tried to kill?!" Nejire yelped. "But- how..?"
"I agree with Nejire," Yaomomo spoke up, her voice small. "Kyouka... No, I don't think it's in her nature to do such a thing..."
She didn't want to even consider this outrageous, insane possibility. Kyouka? Kyouka?! Her best friend tried to kill someone? No, that couldn't be right. Absolutely not... it was impossible...
"Nature has nothing to do with this," Shouto said patiently. "I thought we already established that. In this foul place, nobody can be entirely trusted to not have the nature to kill. Would anybody have expected sweet Ochako to kill? Or good-natured Yuga? Or Hanta and Mina, who used to be the best of friends? Nothing can be ruled out here."
"Shouto is right. We cannot rule of the possibility of Kyouka trying to kill somebody on something so shallow," Fumikage said. "Have you all learned nothing over these past few weeks? You have to believe that anyone would kill."
"N-No! No, it can't be!" Yaomomo cried, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes. She didn't want to think about it, didn't want to believe it... Not Kyouka, not her best friend... she was already dead, and to think her final thoughts had been of murder would be too much.
Inside, somewhere in her head, she knew she was stupid and ignorant to think such a thing. But she didn't want to believe it...
And maybe, to fight against it would make it false.
"I... I stand by Yaomomo!" Denki called out, her voice breaking. His eyes shone with disbelief, with tears, with blind wishes and fear.
"I agree with her, too!" Nejire yelped.
"How fucking stupid... it's like Ochako all over again, except this time there's half the class defending the wrong side," Mezou grumbled bitterly.
"HOLD ON!"
Break!
"'Half the class defending the wrong side?! You guys have got another split opinion?" Monokuma grinned. "In that case... it's time... FOR A SCRUM DEBAAAAATTTTEEEEE!"
"Hehehe... this'll be fun!" Toga smiled and threw Monokuma the controller. He snatched it, inserted the key, and the trial room began to glow.
For Yaomomo of all people to side so blindly on the blatantly wrong side of an argument... how surprising, Fumikage mused, observing her from his side of the debate. Are her emotions getting the best of her ration judgement? Disappointing, I must say.
And because of her, everyone else got riled up... she really has a way with the class, doesn't she? Enough so to drag us all into this pointless argument.
Scrum Debate : Start!
Did Kyouka intend to kill with poison?
Kyouka did not intend to kill: Yaomomo, Tsuyu, Tooru, Nejire, Mei, Denki
Kyouka intended to kill: Tamaki, Mirio, Izuku, Fumikage, Mashirao, Eijirou, Mezou, Shouto, Hitoshi
"There's no way Kyouka has the nature to kill someone!" Yaomomo declared, her voice desperate for her wish to be the truth.
"Mezou."
"In this game, you cannot deny someone's actions with their 'nature'," Mezou retorted bitterly. Recalling Ochako, are you?
"Her behavior was fine before... she wasn't acting odd!" Denki claimed.
"Shouto."
"That's incorrect; her behavior has been odd since Yuga's crime," Shouto replied.
"It's impossible for Kyouka to be the killer when she died before Katsuki!" Nejire reasoned.
"I'll do it."
"Kyouka may not have succeeded in being a killer, but she had intended to," Fumikage stated.
"What reason would Kyouka have for killing?" Mei inquired.
"Mirio."
"Perhaps her reason was for her family, and she was inspired by Yuga's escape," Mirio suggested.
"Who was Kyouka targeting anyway, out of all her friends?" Tsuyu asked, in a last ditch attempt to turn the argument around. Odd for her, of all people, to defend that someone couldn't have been cruel.
"Tamaki."
"She could've targeted anyone, especially someone she didn't know too well," Tamaki murmured. Like Mei, or Hitoshi, or the Big Three.
Crouch Bind : Set!
D - W - D - A
Full Counter : Break!
"You can all quit your petty argument now," Fumikage hissed, eyeing the girls and Denki as the podiums began to shift back into circle formation. "It's a waste of time to argue something so blatantly clear. Kyouka obtained poison from the vending machine and intended to kill someone, only to have her victim retaliate and kill her."
"Yaomomo... please," Izuku murmured, his voice soft. "I know that you don't want to believe it... I know you don't want to think that, in her last moments, Kyouka had been trying to kill someone. But it's the truth. And that's the reality of our life here... that the truth is never what you want it to be."
Yaomomo stared, stunned, her silver eyes wide as she looked from one person to another. The other girls and Denki merely looked forlorn, their gazes lowered. It was, of course, reasonable: Yaomomo had merely gotten their emotions working out of impulsiveness. There was no rationale, so it was relatively easy to convince them of the truth.
But finally, wordlessly, Yaomomo, too, gave in, and averted her eyes to the railing of her podium. "Fine," she muttered. "Fine." She looked back up at her classmates. "If we're going to find the truth, then we should continue."
Just don't think about it.
"If we're going to find the truth, then we should continue," she said, her eyes shifting from classmate to classmate. They're right. It's the truth... and I have to just take it.
Grieve later... remember later.
But right now, it's time to solve this case.
Because whether or not Kyouka tried to kill... she's dead now. Dead because someone took her life, ripped it from her with their own hands... so I have to do her justice.
"Um, if we're going to continue... I think we should discuss the dart. Why is it on the floor?" Mei spoke up, keeping the conversation moving.
"She probably missed," Hitoshi said. "Since nobody died of poisoning, and the poison was all still on the dart anyway."
"And how does Katsuki's death tie into this?" Mezou asked.
"Oh, I know!" Tooru piped up. "What if he was Kyouka's true victim, and he was killed for being the Porcupine Bomber?"
"That's reasonable," Izuku mused. "The last case was caused by that. Who's to say it isn't the same this time?"
"But that wouldn't make any sense," Mirio said. "According to Mezou, when Kyouka entered the gym, Katsuki was nowhere to be found. It's presumable she had the flask on her and was going to get the dart. And then what? She'd wait in the gym with her weapon ready? There's any number of people who could see her then, including Mezou. It'd be suspicious any way you looked at it."
"So Kyouka wouldn't have gone to the gym so early if she was intending to kill Katsuki, knowing he would arrive by midnight?" Yaomomo asked softly.
"Yup," Mirio affirmed. "I'm guessing that, for once, his Bomber history had nothing to do with the case."
"On that note, I have a better idea," Fumikage spoke up. "He died outside the gym, judging by the lack of stray bloodstains on the gym floor, which is rather strange. If the killer had killed Kyouka before midnight and disemboweled her, it's certainly likely he walked in on the scene or saw the killer leaving, bloody and battered. They could've killed him to tie up the loose ends."
"That sure sounds likely," Tamaki agreed. "It all lines up- the timing and location."
"How cruel... so Kacchan died... just because he saw too much?" Izuku asked, his voice shaking.
"They never intended to kill him... He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," Shouto murmured, a whimper in his throat.
Eijirou was silent. His face was stricken, his eyes squeezed shut. Yaomomo decided not to bother him, allow him to grieve in silence.
"But following the Bomber logic, if Kyouka had gone there intending to kill, she must've followed someone, invited someone under the pretense of training, or knew they'd be there and went looking," Mashirao pushed the debate onwards. "Like Mirio said, waiting is illogical since you could be seen. If she'd gone looking for someone, who else was in the gym?"
"Um, Mezou," Denki replied quickly. "He was the only one reported to have been in the gym at the time. He'd said he saw Kyouka enter."
"But what if he was the victim-turned-killer? Then it'd make sense for him to lie," Tamaki accused.
"Hey! Don't blame me again!" Mezou yelped, but everyone opted to ignore him.
"I agree with Tamaki. We found the dart by the weights, and Mezou was working on the weights, right? If Kyouka had missed her shot, that's the perfect place for it to land," Mirio reasoned.
"Well, that's inconclusive. He could also be telling the truth and the invited victim arrived later," Fumikage butted in.
"Yeah! What if he's telling the truth and Kyouka just invited someone to go train with her much later, and she really had showed up early to set up her plot? So she could shoot them at the door," Mei reasoned.
"Then why's the dart by the weights?" Tamaki asked.
"She could've attempted to shoot them once they'd entered and gone in that direction, towards her," Mashirao argued. "Or she could've missed into the door or hallway, and the victim-turned-killer moved it to throw us off."
Yaomomo's eyes flickered from person to person as the argument slowly escalated, her voice silent as she watched the people around her becoming more and more agitated.
We're not getting anywhere with this. And if we don't solve this...
What will happen to us?
Then, above all the clamor, a single voice rose to snag everyone's attention.
"Wait! I just realized- I know who the killer is!"