The Ultimate Spies (Part 9) (Deadly Life)
…
"...Um, is he dead?"
"Takumi!"
"What?! I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking! I mean, he looks dead."
"Still, try to have some compassion…"
"Sorry…"
I could barely even hear the voices of my classmates speaking over each other. Really the only emotion running through my mind is…
Confusion. What the hell is wrong with this guy? He's been acting strangely since we found Nadia's body: but not in a suspicious way. It's like he's sick or something, but from what I saw earlier today, this isn't just some normal run of the mill sickness.
Takahashi looks like he's about to collapse. The pilot is clutching his head and I can hear him grunting in agony.
"Make it...stop…" He starts to say. "Make it stop!"
I could really care less about the prick but seeing him in pain like that did pull at my heartstrings just a little bit. We need to get to the bottom of this, especially because…
"He's not dead." I say definitively. His breathing is a little labored, but his chest is moving up and down signaling that he's still alive and well.
Plus, the Body Discovery Announcement didn't play despite us all being here.
Mari breathes a dramatic sigh of relief. "Thank God, I can not handle another dead body right now."
"Aw, you would've missed Taka?" Fran smiles. "That's awfully nice of you, Mari!"
Mari shakes her head with a frown. "No, it would've made the case even harder." She complains, crossing her arms.
I sigh, rolling my eyes. Taka is currently unconscious, his face pale and his body shivering uncomfortably. However, he isn't dead, which I guess is a good thing.
I look around, searching for someone to help me pull his body into the elevator. I don't have to choose someone though, as Akumu quickly steps up to the plate.
"I'll help you," He says with a smile. "It's the least I can do considering how much Takahashi has done for us. Even if he is a bit unpleasant…"
I chuckle, grabbing hold of Takahashi's legs while Akumu grabbed onto his arms. "You got that right."
The two of us strain to pick his body up from the ground, but we find our footing and start walking towards the elevator with the ginger asshole in hand. As we approach the elevator doors, they open up, almost as if sensing we're there.
We place Takahashi in the corner of the room so he doesn't take up too much space, and sit him up.
"Phew, he's heavier than I thought!" I remark.
Akumu nods. "Yeah, good thing us two strong boys are still around! Otherwise we'd be screwed!" He laughs, flexing his non existent muscles.
I look around, and sadly frown at the scene. Akumu is only joking of course, but it is true that we've lost a lot of our strong members.
How many more people are we going to lose? We started with 20 and now we're down to 14 people…
As people start to pour into the elevator, it's even more obvious how many members we've lost. Hiiro, Nadia, and Sonoda are all absent this time around, making the elevator feel much more roomier, even with Takahashi taking up space while sitting down.
"Who ever thought we'd be here again?" Clara sighs. "I'm getting awfully sick of this elevator."
Leonia nods. "People continue to murder and put us in this situation. With how complicated this case is, it's honestly a little worrying. I wonder if the killer will be able to get away with it this time…"
Shiro gulps, messing with the drawstrings on his hoodie. "I d-don't want to die...but I don't want anyone else to die e-either. It's a lose-lose situation…"
"The way I see it, the killer chose to kill Nadia and Sonoda." Norikazu says. "I don't wish death upon them, but they made their decision despite knowing the consequence if they get caught. So, good riddance if you ask me."
"Pretty cruel thinking, Norikazu." Fran frowns. "It's not the killer's fault: it's Monokuma's."
Norikazu crosses his arms. "I do believe that people wouldn't kill without Monokuma and his motives: but ultimately it's not all Monokuma's fault. We're all human beings capable of making our own decisions, yes? I know I would never kill anyone, what about you?"
Fran bites her lip. "Well of course not. I could never intentionally end the life of another."
"And that's because at your core, you are not a killer." Norikazu says. "However, the same can not be said for some people here. Deep down, some people here have always had the capability of being a killer. This killing game is just something that finally awakened it."
"I see what you're saying." Akumu nods. "You must believe in the serial killer gene, right?"
Norikazu shrugs. "I don't know if it's a gene or something else. All I know is there are people who'd consider murdering and people who'd never."
"...Serial killer gene?" Koko repeats. "That sounds like something out of a TV show! Does something like that really exist?"
Akumu smiles. "Allow me to explain. The MAO-A is an enzyme that is encoded by the MAOA gene. It is partly related with things like dopamine and serotonin, which we all know are responsible for the feeling of pleasure and our mood.
Well, another thing that MAOA is related to is something called the 'warrior gene', which some people call the 'serial killer gene'.
Most human beings have a normal, functional MAOA gene. However there are some with MAOA deficiency. Because MAOA is related with a person's mood, especially when it comes to aggression, some scientists believe that people with lower MAOA levels are more likely to be aggressive and violent, even going as far as to kill someone.
Scientists even did an experiment with two groups of people: those with healthy MAOA levels and those with the deficiency. The participants had to provoke each other via 'punishment' in various ways, such as selecting a box with a rat in it for the other participants to touch, or even something like choosing a jar full of cockroaches for the other participants to stick their hands into.
After all the participants were done being 'punished', they were given the opportunity to retaliate against the other participant. Meaning that they could choose to have something bad done to them.
Amazingly, the amount of people who chose to retaliate and the amount of people who chose not to was almost even. And even more fascinating: both groups of participants had one key difference between each other…"
"The MAOA gene." Evelyn surmises.
Akumu nods. "Exactly. Almost everyone who chose to retaliate were the ones with MAOA deficiency while those who didn't retaliate were the ones with the healthy levels. Of course, it was only an experiment, and one could argue that the decision to retaliate or not could be based on something else like the severity of what they were punished with, or something as simple as their personality. Still, it opens up an interesting conversation, right?"
"I dunno." Takumi frowns. "It kinda sounds unfair to me. I mean, I'm sure that some people with MAOA deficiency are maybe a little more aggressive than most people, but aren't born killers. Anyone can be a killer. I mean, look at people like Hiiro. He didn't want to kill Satoko, but a situation arose where he ended up doing so."
"Still, put yourself in Hiiro's shoes." Evelyn juts in. "He had two options: kill Satoko like Kuro wanted and ensure Koko's safety, or try to attack and subdue Kuro to ensure Koko's safety. It's quite interesting because both are two aggressive options, but one more than the other."
"Killing Satoko was the easier and more aggressive option." Jack surmises. "I bet Hiiro is one of those people lacking in MAOA…"
"No, no, no," Takumi quickly shakes his head. "Like I said, that was a totally unique circumstance! Akumu, would I be right in saying that in incredibly stressful situations, our bodies function a little differently?"
"Well, I'm not a scientist but I do think so, yes." Akumu agrees.
"Imagine Kuro, a violent and aggressive boy, comes up to you threatening to kill someone you love." Takumi says. "Like Evelyn said, there's two options. The choice of either option does not depend on something like MAOA or whatever. It's just human instinct!"
"Ah, I have a theory!" Koko suddenly says. "I agree with Takumi: MAOA doesn't come into play with a sudden, stressful situation. It's only a factor when something is premeditated. I guess an example we'd all understand is Ritsu…
She chose to kill Silver because she thought he was evil rather than just telling us and figuring out a plan that didn't involve murder. If this MAOA thing is true, then you could say she was one of the deficient ones."
Mari smirks, twirling her hair and looking at a certain someone. "Another example would be Clara. She tried to kill Takahashi rather than talking it through with him or us."
Clara sighs, narrowing her eyes and I frown, butting into the conversation. "Well, another point about that MAOA thing: in that experiment, the participants knew nothing about each other, yes?"
Akumu nods. "Yup! They were all strangers."
"Well, maybe that also played a factor into their decision." I suggest. "They were strangers and knew nothing about each other's lives or personality. It's easier to hurt someone you know nothing about and who does something bad to you than it is to hurt someone you know who does something bad to you.
You guys have to remember, we all may be kind of close now, but in the beginning we were complete strangers. Hell, even now we still don't know everything about each other. I think it's unfair to say Clara has some serial killer gene or something. She's in a killing game and being bullied by some random guy she's known for a couple of days. It was wrong of her to try and kill him, but the reason she tried to wasn't aggression or anything, it was an opportunity: escape this ship and get rid of an asshole."
"Oh come on," Mari rolls her eyes. "The only reason you're defending her is because she was going to save you with the Savior Perk. It's so painfully obvious you guys are all over each other..."
Clara's face instantly reddens. "That's not it at all! Anyways, I don't like to think I have some serial killer gene. Like Seizo said, it was the heat of the moment and I've already apologized several times. Would someone with the MAOA gene actually express remorse?"
"That's something I'm unsure about," Akumu admits. "Can people really be aggressive and apologetic?"
"It's a possibility," Takumi says. "Like I've been saying, every person is different! We all have unique personalities and do unique things. Some fake 'serial killer gene' doesn't decide what we do."
After that, the elevator became quiet. We discussed everything from if Monokuma or the killer were truly to blame, the MAOA gene, and even the justification of Clara's actions from way back when.
Death and murder is something no one likes to talk about but in our case, it's an inevitable conversation.
Even now, at least one of us is about to be executed. We all know it but it's become such a routine that it's starting to become less and less unnerving.
It's honestly terrifying how used to this we're getting...Makes my stomach turn thinking about it.
I'm the charming actor known for my boyish good looks and irresistible personality: I didn't sign up to play the role of the junior detective!
I gulp, glancing around at my classmates as the elevator starts to move. At least one of us will be gone…
But what if it's all but one instead?
This case has been unlike any other, with two deaths this time around. Not only that, but all sorts of weird shit happened that makes it even more confusing!
Nearly everyone's in agreement that this case will be hard. This time in the elevator might just be our last…
Truth Bullets
Monokuma File: The victim is Nadia Levitsky. The body was discovered in the penguin exhibit of the HFH Zoo.
She is unclothed, and her body is pale and nearly blue. She died of hypothermia.
Akumu's Account: Akumu stayed behind to watch over the unconscious group who were in the penguin exhibit with Nadia. He tried to wake them up, but to no avail.
Garden Party: After the scavenger hunt, some people went to the garden to hang out and try some cotton candy grapes.
Cotton Candy Grapes: One of the many fruits found in the garden. They happen to be located right next to Monokuma's Death Flower.
Unknown Time of Death: Unfortunately, it's impossible to tell what the time of death in this case was.
Chandelier Crash: While investigating, the chandelier in the middle of the zoo area crashed on a number of the students, causing minor injuries. Monokuma insists it was built to be stable, so it's clear it was tampered with.
Chandelier Thread: The thread holding the chandelier to the ceiling snapped, causing the crash. The way it snapped looked very clean, as if it was intentional.
Missing Memories: The unconscious people can not remember what happened to them after they went to sleep. AKA they have no idea how they ended up in the penguin exhibit with Nadia. Additionally, Takumi has forgotten his awful behavior over the course of the past few days.
Wire: A long string of piano wire from the park was found near the chandelier, going all the way to a hidden spot of the zoo.
How the Wire was Cut: The way the piano wire was cut to make the chandelier crash is extremely important. Did someone cut it themselves or did they have a way to cut it without them being there?
Muddy Footsteps: There's a pair of muddy footprints near the watering hole, but they stop there. They were definitely not left by Nadia.
Strange Behavior: Takumi and some of the others have been acting rather strangely as of late. Completely unlike themselves. Additionally, they found themselves unconscious and ended up in the same room as Nadia's body.
Ice and Mud: Not only is Nadia covered in bits of ice, but dried mud can also be found across her body.
Wounds of Struggle: Nadia clearly struggled to not be locked in the penguin exhibit. There's various scratches across his body, and her nails have blood underneath them.
Temperature Control Panel: The temperature control panel for the penguin exhibit is usually set at the relatively comfortable temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. However, someone changed it to be set to the terribly cold and dangerous temperature of negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bypass Code: The bypass code used to unlock the zoo was kept a secret from everyone but Takahashi.
Aquarium Ladder: The ladder in the aquarium isn't attached to the railing of the aquarium anymore.
Emergency Mode: When the oxygen level of the aquarium is too low, the control panel locks. When the room is too hot and the control panel overheats, the server room shuts off the control panel completely.
Aquarium Keys: Having learned from Hiiro not to entrust just one person with a key to a room, Takahashi gave Nadia, Seizo, Isami, and himself each a key to the aquarium.
Aquarium Control Panel: Just like the zoo, the aquarium has a control panel of its own. It's used to change the temperature of the water and the air pump. Unlike the control panel in the zoo, it has no code.
Monokuma File (The Sequel): The victim is Sonoda Eisen. The body was discovered in the garden. Time of death is roughly 11:32 AM.
He is surrounded by a pool of his own blood and nearly all the bones in his body are broken. The cause of death is from a fall. Death was immediate upon impact.
Drawing Diagrams: Norikazu's diagrams depicting the two ways Sonoda could've fallen. One depicts the possibility of his death as an accident while the other shows the possibility of his death as a murder.
Norikazu's Account: Norikazu alleges that Sonoda was investigating the Monokuma Death Flower with Mari before he died.
Knife: A knife was found near Sonoda's person. It appears to be unused, however, as Sonoda does not have any stab wounds.
Sprinklers: The sprinklers in the garden were forced on for some reason.
Suspicious Note: A note was found in Sonoda's pocket.
Congratulations on your prize! Here is some info on the truth of the order in Monokuma's Face Your Fear Challenge Extravaganza…
Scavenger Hunt: The scavenger hunt might have something to do with the case.
The prizes and attendees are as follows:
Lion Exhibit: Won by Takahashi. This prize is some kind of ornate box.
Monkey Exhibit: Won by Takumi. This prize is a paper listing more details on the codenames given to the 20 participants of the killing game.
Giraffe Exhibit: Won by Takumi. This prize is 10 thousand Monocoins.
Penguin Exhibit: Won by Clara. This prize is a ticket to skip your turn in Monokuma's Face Your Fear Challenge Extravaganza.
Mari's Account: According to Mari, she was just about to enter the garden when she heard Sonoda's scream. As soon as she ran in, he was falling to the ground. She claims that she didn't see anybody leave, meaning the killer was still in the garden following the CCmurder.
Monokuma's Death Flower: Monokuma's Death Flower is a mysterious flower in the garden, presumably engineered by Monokuma himself.
Tarp: There is a tarp near the entrance of the garden, despite there not being any plants there.
Unwell Takahashi: Takahashi found himself feeling dizzy and unsteady during the investigation. He claims he's fine, but his skin is pale and his pupils are dilated. Additionally, he collapsed shortly after the end of the investigation.
The elevators creak open, and the group of us step into the trial grounds (Jack is dragging Takahashi along with him).
The first trial grounds were kind of fancy, the second ones were creepy and cheap, and these ones are…
"Weird." Fran remarks. "Very weird."
For one, it's pretty damn dark in here. The walls are made to look like a cave with a bunch of strange cave drawings, drawn onto the wall with chalk. The floor is also made out of the same cave-y material, but with these glowing lights of all different colors embedded into the ground, the only thing responsible for the lighting of the room.
"I think it's kind of pretty," Isami says. "Better than blood splattered walls, no?"
"You got that right." Evelyn agrees with a solemn expression, glancing at Satoko's portrait.
Monokuma is of course sitting on his throne, gazing at all of us with that cocky expression of his. "My, my, my, did some of you disappear? Just a few days ago there were sooo many but now you're almost half of what you used to be!"
"Haha, very funny." I roll my eyes. "There's no way you forgot the last two trials."
Monokuma nods. "Actually there is! When I was a cub, I found out I had short term memory loss!"
"Can bears really get memory loss?" Norikazu raises a brow.
"I don't think so…" Fran frowns. "But Monokuma isn't just a normal bear, he's some robotic menace."
"The slander," Monokuma gasps, putting a paw over his mouth. "You know, I could have you lynched for bad mouthing a royal like myself!"
"You're royalty?" Mari scoffs. "That's hilarious."
"I'll have you know that both of my creators are very important people!" Monokuma proudly declares. "One is the leader of a very influential organization while the other caused a global massacre! Sounds like royal behavior to me…"
...Creators?
"Again with these stupid stories." Jack crosses his arms. "Can you just be quiet and start the trial?"
More of my classmates express their annoyance with Monokuma's blathering mouth, but I couldn't stop focusing on what he said. Up until now, he's always said something stupid like 'my parents', or 'when I was a young cub', to keep up his facade of being a real bear.
But now, he just mentioned having 'creators'. It could be a slip of the tongue or a freudian slip, but I dunno...Something about what he said sounds awfully familiar.
A global massacre…
"Seizo, let's go!" Akumu snaps me out of my thoughts, motioning to the trial stands. "Monokuma is going to be starting the trial soon."
"O-Oh," I nod. "Got it."
I shake the strange thoughts out of my head to worry about later, and go up to my trial stand. I take a look around, observing the three new portraits that substitute where Hiiro, Nadia, and Sonoda once stood.
Hiiro's portrait is covered by a caramel colored, drippy X, most likely to resemble coffee.
The portrait of Nadia is covered by an X with devil horns, to represent her daredevil talent.
And lastly, Sonoda's portrait is marked with a...huh? It looks like just a regular X if you view it from one angle, but if you view it from another, it disappears. This one I don't get. Sonoda is clearly dead, and this has nothing to do with being a salesman…
Whatever, it isn't worth mulling over. We got a trial to solve! And as the Ultimate Actor, it's my job to solve this murder!
Er, these murders. Almost forgot that there's two bodies this time around…
"Ugh, I don't feel good." Takumi complains, putting a hand on his forehead. "We really might lose this one…"
"It's an unsettling reality, but I'm sure we'll be fine." Akumu counters, trying to stay positive as always.
"The funny thing is, one of us is feigning worry right now." Leonia notes. "Whoever they are, they're an excellent actor…"
"H-Hey, don't suggest that I did it…" I nervously laugh.
Jack puts Taka sitting with his back resting on his stand and then returns to his own stand. "There are many variables to consider, including the fact that we have two separate murders to think about. I hope the roll of the dice this time around is in our favor…"
"I-If we do lose, maybe M-Monokuma will take pity on us and l-let us live anyway?" Shiro says, looking up at Monokuma with puppy dog eyes.
"No." Monokuma bluntly answers.
"We don't need Monokuma." Isami confidently says, a fire in her eyes I never noticed before. "We can do this ourselves."
"As cruel as it may sound," Norikazu says. "It might actually be easier discussing things with a smaller group of people. That way not as many people are talking over each other."
"Takahashi often helped lead discussions," Clara brought up. "I wonder if his temporary absence will affect us?"
"Oh, that reminds me." I say. "Monokuma, are you going to do anything about Takahashi? I mean, he's just sitting here unconscious and clearly sick. He'd be better off in the infirmary being treated with medicine and stuff."
Monokuma shakes his head. "No-siree! He is present and alive, and so there's no reason for him to go anywhere. If he happens to get worse, then we can worry about it. But for now, he can stay put right where he is!"
"I hope he's ok…" Koko sadly says. "It's so weird how he just got sick out of nowhere."
"Nevermind about that," Mari interrupts. "Let's start the trial already. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can get out of here and I can get my much needed beauty rest."
"How can you rest easily after watching someone get executed?" Fran cringes.
"And nevermind the fact that we could be the ones executed." Clara sighs.
"Ok, ok, ok, enough chitter chatter!" Monokuma announces, standing up on his throne. "Let's get this thing going already, alright?"
I take my signature deep breath, balling my fist.
This is going to be the hardest trial yet, with two murders to solve.
Not only that, but our dicktator is out of commission, infected with a mysterious illness.
It's easy to want to give up, but there's no way I can now! Nadia and Sonoda are both counting on me.
I'll find out who froze Nadia to death, and if Sonoda's death was an accident or if someone really pushed him off of the garden balcony.
Let's do this!
Everyone is counting on me (again, I have no idea why…), and I'll be sure to live up to their expectations.
Time to solve some murders!
TRIAL START!
"Now then, a simple explanation of the class trial," Monokuma starts. "Argue your hearts out and vote for who you think the killer is! Your votes will determine the results of the trial. If you can figure out 'whodunnit' then only they will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong one... then I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and they'll be given the right to return back home to Earth!"
"Are there any special rules since there might be two killers this time around?" Leonia questions.
"Upupupu, I'll address all of that at the end of the trial." He responds with a giggle.
"As per usual, we have to wait for answers." Evelyn sighs. "However, we can at least try to find some starting now. Where do we even begin though?"
"I say Nadia's murder." Isami says. "It's the one that happened first, yes?"
Akumu nods. "That makes sense. Something that we still don't know is when Nadia was killed. I think we should start there. Having a better picture of her time of death will open the door to figuring out who could've done it!"
"Well then, let's begin discussing." Fran nods.
Non-Stop Argument
"Ok! The time of death...it was yesterday right?" Koko questioned. "Sometime before the night time announcement?"
"No, no, it must've been in the morning I think." Fran shakes her head. "While we were all searching for the unconscious people!"
"I wasn't even awake and even I know it was last night…" Norikazu sighs. "Before the morning announcement."
"Hm, I think it was probably around 7:03 AM!" Takumi nods. "Yes, yes, I am quite sure."
"That's awfully specific…" Evelyn nervously laughs.
"There's no way we could determine her time of death." Clara says. "I mean, we just don't have any evidence to support any of our theories."
Truth Bullet: Unknown Time of Death, FIRED!
"I agree with that!"
"Duet with me in looking for the truth!"
"There's absolutely no way to determine the cause of death." I nod. "It's just not possible! Like Clara said, we have no evidence that would give us any hint on when it could've been. All we know is the last time anyone saw Nadia was last night. Because most of you guys were out of it, I'm sure that none of you have anything more to add?"
Everyone looks downward, indicating I'm correct.
I sigh. "It would've helped to know when exactly she died: or even an estimated time of death! However, I don't think it would've helped a whole lot. After all, we do have some evidence that will help to determine who couldn't and could've done it!"
"Oh?" Mari tilts her head. "Do tell."
There's something that might help create an alibi for a specific group of people, while also putting some other people on the spot.
Unfortunately, I'm one of the people who'd be put on the spot…
But still. I have to reveal this.
Question: What piece of evidence gives some people alibis?
Truth Bullet: Strange Behavior, fired!
"Remember how some of the others were unconscious?" I ask. "It'd be pretty damn hard to kill someone if you weren't even conscious. As such, I think it'd be safe to assume none of the unconscious people are the killer."
"Which would mean the suspects are…" Takumi taps his finger on his chin.
"Seizo, Fran, Akumu, Mari, Jack...and Sonoda." Leonia answers, clearing her throat after mentioning the second victim. "Am I correct?"
"Yup, that's right." I answer. "One of us is most likely the killer. Er, I mean, it's obviously not me…"
"Not me being one of the suspects…" Mari rolls her eyes. "Again."
"Aw man," Akumu chuckles. "Guess I gotta prove my innocence, huh?"
"Well I know I didn't kill Nadia." Fran says. "I could never do that to a friend!"
"You think I could be a killer?" Jack frowns. "I'd never stoop so low to end the life of another after what happened a few days ago…"
"So, we're all in agreement then?" Norikazu asks. "The unconscious people are safe. The true killer is among those who were awake."
"Looks like it." I nod. "Alright, let's try to prove our inno-"
"Wait a second…"
I turn to see Mari wagging a finger in the air.
"No way am I going to let you guys paint me as a suspect for the third time!" She scoffs. "You're being way too quick to just pin the blame on one of us."
"It's not a personal attack or anything," I say. "It's just the only logical conclusion!"
"Seizo, you can't even do your own laundry." Mari laughs. "Do you honestly think your little theory is right?"
My face turns red. "Y-Yes I do! Now are we going to talk about it or are you just gonna insult me?"
"Oh, we'll talk about it alright." Mari smirks. "I'm not losing this one, Seizo!"
"Bring it on, Mar Mar." I nod.
Rebuttal Showdown
"I'm so tired of being painted as the villain.
Listen, we literally just said a few minutes ago that we didn't know the time of death!
So how can we say for sure that someone in the conscious group is Nadia's killer?
You're right: an unconscious person couldn't have killed Nadia, obvi. However, what if someone who was in the unconscious group was faking it the whole time?" Mari argues.
"That's a very clever theory.
However, you have to remember Mari: we inspected each and every one of the unconscious people. Akumu even tried to wake them up! I don't know about you, but it's nearly an impossible feat to fake unconsciousness" I refute.
ADVANCE!
Mari rolls her eyes. "Ok, fine. Maybe everyone who was unconscious really was unconscious…
But, what if the killer killed Nadia before they became unconscious? I mean, we have no evidence to suggest otherwise, right?"
"Fair point, Mari.
But everyone was unconscious at the same time. How could the killer have forgone that? They were put into the same situation as everyone else." I argue.
"UGH, ok…
Well…
Look! I'm just not going to believe you. There is NO evidence to prove anyone's innocence in this! Honestly, now that I think about it, there's no way we can determine who the killer is with such little evidence on our hands!" Mari snaps.
Truth Bullet: Wounds of Struggle, fired!
"Cut!"
BREAK!
"Actually Mari, I was just about to get to that." I lie, remembering something super important. "It's actually something I've been thinking about for a while!" I lie again.
Ok look, I didn't really think about it until now but I'd look awfully smart if I say that I've been thinking about it the whole time, right?
I think I've figured something out. And if I'm right, then it explains why a certain event occurred earlier during the investigation.
"What are you even talking about?" The runway model frowns.
"Well, you were talking about how there's no way to prove my theory about the unconscious people being innocent could be proven." I answer. "But, that's where you're wrong. If everyone could please roll up their sleeves, Mari and I can come take a look."
"W-wait, huh?" Shiro questions. "But w-why?"
"Don't worry, we're just going to look for something." I smile.
Everyone reluctantly does so, rolling up their sleeves (if they have any).
Mari and I go around one by one, examining our classmates' arms, wrists, and even shoulders. We even examine Taka, who is thankfully already wearing a short sleeved shirt.
When we were done, I nod triumphantly: the outcome I was expecting came true without any hindrances.
"So, uh, what was the point of that?" Evelyn questions. "Felt awfully invasive."
"Sorry…" I sheepishly smile. "I just had to prove something to Mari."
"Well can you explain already?!" Mari complains. "I still don't know what looking at my classmates' arms has anything to do with proving their innocence."
"Well Mari," I say. "Who's arms had fresh wounds on them? Not the ones with faded scars or bruises, but fresh wounds that look as if they were just made a few hours ago."
Mari thought for a moment before answering. "...That would be Francesca, Jack, and Taka."
"Correct." I nod. "However, you're forgetting two people…"
I roll up my own sleeves to show off my own wounds. Mari frowns for a moment before gasping. Slowly, she takes off her jacket and her eyes widen as she realizes what I'm getting at.
On her arms are the same fresh wounds as Fran, Jack, Taka and I.
"B-But what is this supposed mean?" Mari questions. "These are the wounds from the chandelier crash."
"Ah, I see…" Isami speaks up. "The killer would bear similar wounds to you all."
"And why is that Isami?" I smirk.
"Because, Nadia didn't die without a fight." Isami reveals. "She has wounds of struggle on her body. Most prominently: the underside of her nails.
"Seizo," Isami interrupted, beckoning me over to her. "Take a look at this."
Isami carefully dragged Nadia's arm out from under the sheet, and then grabbed a hold of her hands. She pointed to Nadia's fingers, which at first glance just looked dirty, but then I realized what the 'dirtiness' really was.
"Is that blood?!" I gasped.
Isami nodded, setting Nadia's arm back down. "Yes. Underneath both sets of her fingernails is dried up blood, probably from the killer."
"N-Nadia must've been fighting back against the killer and scratched them up in the process," Shiro concluded with a gulp. "But in the end…"
"Oh! OH!" Takumi gasps. "Nadia doesn't have any external wounds, right? So the blood couldn't have come from her!"
"The blood has to be the killer's." Leonia continues. "And because this is such a recent event…"
"The killer would have wounds somewhere on their body, most likely their arms, because of Nadia's resistance." Norikazu finishes.
"So those without any wounds, which are all the unconscious people plus Akumu are…" Fran starts, slightly frowning.
"Completely innocent." I nod. "The killer has wounds: point blank, period. But all the unconscious people are unscathed and A-ok! That's the evidence that makes them innocent and incapable of killing Nadia. Which brings us right back to where we started…"
"With our pool of suspects being those who were conscious this morning, sans Akumu." Evelyn realizes. "Wait, isn't this kind of a good thing? We've narrowed down the killer to just a small group!"
"I guess…" Mari mumbles, defeated.
"Well, to narrow it done even further: where did you guys get your wounds from again?" Koko nervously laughs. "I completely forgot."
I nod. "No problem. We got them from the chandelier crash."
"Ah, that's right!" Koko says. "That's still so strange to me. Why on earth would the killer go out of their way to crash a chandelier onto all of you?"
"Hm, could it be…" Clara looks at me with a curious expression.
I think for a moment. Could it be what?
Why would the killer make a chandelier fall onto us…
It couldn't have been to kill us, because we walked away with such minor injuries.
"Ouch…" I muttered. The pain wasn't anything crazy intense, but it definitely left me with some cuts and bruises from the shattered glass and the impact.
"Wow! What happened here?! Are you guys alright?"
A familiar voice shouted, and I quickly heard footsteps coming towards us.
"Ngh," Akumu tried to lift the chandelier off of us, but to no avail. "Dang, this thing is awfully heavy!"
"Come on you guys," Taka said in a strained voice. "We all need to push up on it at the same time."
"You expect me to try and lift this thing?!" Sonoda complained. "It weighs a ton!"
"Well, if we all work together we should be able to." Fran said encouragingly. "I don't want to have to be stuck under this any longer than I already have to."
Come on, there has to be a way to find out the killer's purpose…
…
…
…
Oh!
I see.
Clever, clever…
"What is it, Seizo?" Akumu asks. "Your smirk is scaring me..."
"Oh, um, sorry…But anyways, I think I found out why the killer made the chandelier fall on top of us." I say. "It benefited them more than you might think."
"How so?" Jack asks.
Question: Why did the killer make the chandelier fall?
They thought it was ugly and decided it had to go
They wanted to injure some people
They were trying to kill someone
"Haha, got it in one take!"
Answer: They wanted to injure some people
"They were perfectly content with just injuring some people." I reveal. "Not for their own personal pleasure or anything like that. Because they wanted people to be just like them."
"Just like them?" Koko repeats. "In what way?"
"Injured." I reply. "They needed more people to be injured because they realized something. Nadia hurt them, so their blood would be under her nails. We'd realize that people with injuries are the only ones who could've killed her, so we would've examined each and every person to look for those fresh injuries.
They would've been found out soon after, with no chance of defending themselves. So, they realized they had to do something…
They came up with the plan to have the chandelier crash. I'm not exactly sure how they did it, but they managed to do so: injuring five people, which therefore increased the number of suspects and increased their chances of getting away with their crime."
"Ah, that makes sense!" Takumi nods. "The killer couldn't create an alibi for themselves since they already had their injuries. But what they could do is eliminate alibis from other people so they'd be looked at as suspects too!"
"Exactly!" I say. "It's honestly a clever plan, because now we can't pinpoint a single person as the killer based on their injuries. We have to do more work to find out who the killer is…"
"Oh cry me a river." Evelyn shakes her head. "We'll do as much work as we need to do! C'mon, let's move onto something else that can actually expose Nadia's killer, because remember…"
"We still have to talk about Sonoda's!" Fran sighs. "Oh! And by the way, Seizo. You said only five people, but you forgot about Sonoda. Remember, even if he's still dead he's still a suspect."
"Oh, uh, yeah." I nod. Oops, I really did forget about the possibility of him being a suspect.
"Well, where to begin…" I think aloud.
"Ah, actually, I'd like to talk about something that doesn't make much sense to me." Leonia suddenly speaks up. She straightens her glasses and clears her throat. "Ahem, Seizo, you mentioned how all the unconscious people were all unconscious at the same time, no exceptions. However, there is something to consider. Nadia was obviously not unconscious if she could fight back. Why is that?"
I gulp.
"I, uh…" I stammer. "I...don't really know." I blush.
"I see…" Leonia frowns, crossing her arms. "Very well…"
Shit! She's losing trust in me. This is the part where Taka would usually step in to help. But unfortunately the man is out of commission for the time being.
So what the hell do I do?!
Why was Nadia able to fight back? No clue.
Everyone awkwardly looks at me. I've been on a roll but I don't know the answer to this question, so I can sense their trust in me dropping…
Damn…
…
…
…
Hm.
Maybe…
"Well, wait." I say. "There is something that Nadia experienced differently from everyone else while she was unconscious. This also explains why she was the only one to die."
"Oh that's right." Jack nods. "It is pretty strange that only Nadia died despite not being the only one in the room."
"To explain that, we have to keep something in mind…" I say. "The reason Nadia woke up from her unconsciousness and why she was the only one to die is…"
Hangman's Gambit
"Why did Nadia wake up? And why was she the only one to die?"
?-?-?-?-?
Nadia's cause of death was hypothermia. She died because the temperature in the penguin exhibit was way too cold.
W-?-?-?-?
The others and I were certainly cold while investigating, but Nadia was in a unique situation than the rest of us…
W-?-T-?-?
The lack of clothing on her made her freeze faster.
W-?-T-E-?
But that's not the only thing…
W-A-T-E-?
The most natural substance in the world was unfortunately the cause for Nadia's quick downfall…
W-A-T-E-R
Answer: Water
BREAK!
"Water!" I exclaim. "The killer dunked her in the watering hole, obviously making her wet. I believe this is what woke her up. Everyone else was dry, and we just tried shaking them awake. But being dunked in water is sure to snap anyone out of their unconsciousness. Am I right, Monokuma?"
Monokuma thinks for a moment. "Hm...should I answer, should I answer...eh, whatever! Can't hurt to. You're right, Mr. Morine! The reason that the daredevil girl became conscious was because she was yeeted into the watering hole! But that's all I'm going to say…"
That makes sense. So, the killer is the one who put Nadia into the watering hole after all…
"Wait, I think I got this one." Clara says. "The reason she died was also because of the water. Her body was already cold now, and wet. So being in the freezing penguin exhibit sped up the rate of hypothermia: killing her before anyone else even felt the effects."
"That's right." I nod. "Think about it. It's kind of like when you get out of the pool and go inside your house. Normally, you feel fine: your house may be a little chilly but you're wearing clothes and feel comfortable. However, since you were just in the pool, your hair, skin, and swimsuit are all wet, and your internal body temperature is a bit lower. So the AC feels freezing, even though it usually feels fine."
"It's the same thing that happened to Nadia." Jack concluded. "Only in her case, the 'AC' was a bit colder…"
Leonia nods along as we speak. "Very well. I accept it then, thank you for clearing it up."
I breathe a sigh of relief. "Phew…"
"Ok, now that that's over with, I actually want to bring something up." Fran says. "Something that may point us to the killer...right now."
Everyone gasps. The mood in the room immediately shifting.
"What do you mean, Fran?" Evelyn questions. "Have you figured out who the killer is?"
Fran sighs, shaking her head and pointing to me. "No, no, but Seizo should know what I'm talking about. There's a piece of evidence that greatly suggests someone is the killer…It has to do with how Nadia died."
Huh? I should know?
How Nadia died? It's hypothermia: we already established that.
"Remember Seizo?" Fran asks. "We talked about it a little bit soon after finding her body. A certain piece of evidence that only one person is related to…"
Let me think…
"Then let's go!" Fran quickly said. "I don't know about you all, but I'm freezing and Takahashi is…" She stopped, looking quite concerned.
"What's wrong?" Akumu asked.
Got it!
Non-Stop Argument
"The piece of evidence?" Mari repeats. "Spit it out already!"
"Is it something in the aquarium?" Clara wonders.
"Or maybe something about the chandelier crash." Jack theorizes.
Takumi twirls a lock of his white hair. "Or something with Sonoda's murder?"
Norikazu frowns. "Give it up, already. There's no evidence of the sortthat could prove only one of us could do it."
Truth Bullet: Temperature Control Panel, fired!
"No, that's wrong!"
BREAK!
My eyes widen to the size of Monokuma's stomach as I remember what Fran was suggesting.
"The temperature control panel…" I gulp. "The killer tampered with it so they could change the temperature to something colder: in an effort to kill Nadia. There's only one person…"
"Well?" Jack asks. "Who is it?"
I gulp, looking at them. If you killed her, I'm going to be so pissed…
Accuse: Who's the only person who could've messed with the temperature of the penguin exhibit?
Seizo
Clara
Leonia
Hiiro
Jack
Satoko
Akumu
Shiro/Kuro
Silver
Francesca
Ritsu
Evelyn
Takumi
Isami
Sonoda
Koko
Nadia
Norikazu
Mari
Takahashi
DECIDE: Takahashi
"I guess that makes sense." I sighed. "It's disappointing but true. It's still pretty cool though that the whole room is freezing cold. It really gives it that 'Antarctica vibe', you know?"
"There's a locked temperature control outside each exhibit." Jack revealed. "Monokuma came by to tell Takahashi the password in case he wanted to change the temperature in the future since he's the leader."
Takahashi shrugged. "It's not like I'm going to; these 'animals' aren't even real, the temperature is just for stupid ass 'aesthetic' purposes."
"Well, it's definitely doing the job." I shivered. "It's cold as hell…"
"The only one with the password. Our leader himself." I sigh.
"N-no way!" Shiro remarks, putting a hand over his mouth. "But he w-was always saying how he was going to e-end the killing game…"
"Liar, liar, pants on fire." Takumi shakes his head in disappointment.
Mari frowns, not saying a word.
"Oh, I have an idea." Norikazu smiles. "I'll take a page out of the killer's book. Then we can get some answers."
I raise a brow. "Whaddya mean?"
Norikazu pulls a bottle of water out of God knows where, walking over to Takahashi.
Wait a second…
He lifts up the bottle, takes off the cap, and dumps the contents onto the pilot.
"N-Nori!" Shiro blushes.
We all watch in anticipation, as Takahashi miraculously starts to stir.
No way…
His eyes slowly blink open, and he looks up confused at the illustrator.
"...What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing."
Norikazu smirks. "Good morning. We have some questions for you."
A/N: ...
What?
Why am I the one giving the author's note?
The fuck should I know? The D-Lister felt bad about leaving me out? Tch, I'm not a pussy, I could care less.
But anyways, thanks for reading...stay tuned until the next one.
Did I kill Nadia? Yeah, maybe I did! And I'll kill you next if you keep looking at me like that.
I'M THE ULTIMATE FUCKING PILOT!