The Ultimate Spies (Part 10) (Deadly Life) (Final)
There are many things to say when it comes to Takahashi Jirou. Or whatever his name really is...
He's an arrogant prick who reminds us of his talent every five seconds.
A loud mouth who doesn't think of his words before they leave his mouth.
And a complete total douchebag that most people dread being in the vicinity of.
But there is one word I didn't think I'd ever use to describe him, and yet here we are.
"Tell me, Takahashi." Norikazu says, a smug smile on his face. "Are you a killer?"
The Texan's eyebrows immediately furrow, wiping his face to dry the water that Norikazu spilled on him. "Are you a dumbass? A killer? Hell no! What the hell is even going on here?"
"Um, well, you see…" I nervously laugh. I relay everything that's happened so far to Takahashi, including the fact that he's been passed out for quite some time.
He frowns. "I see. I don't know why the fuck I passed out like that, but I'm wide awake now thanks to short stack over here. And I am sure as hell not going to let someone sully the name of the Ultimate fucking Pilot."
Norikazu glares at Taka, but returns to his stand.
Taka straightens himself out, drying most of the water off of him and doing his usual intimidating standing pose at his trial stand. "Well? Are we gonna start this shit or what?"
"As I was saying before," Fran starts, looking rather nervous as Taka stares her down. "Takahashi is the one with the password to the temperature control panel, yes? As such, he'd be the only one capable of changing the temperature to kill Nadia!"
I nod. "It's true. As far as we know, there's no way to bypass the password."
"Tch, I didn't take advantage of being the leader and having the password to kill Nadia." Taka insists. "What if the killer just managed to guess it?"
Monokuma suddenly bursts out laughing, drawing the attention of everyone in the trial room
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh Taki, you know as much as I do that the password is impossible to just guess!" He cackles. He then looks at all of our stares and clears his throat, sheepishly smiling. "Ahem. Resume."
Taka glares at the mechanized bear.
"Impossible to guess, huh…" I repeat. "Taka...what is the password?"
Taka immediately snorts. "What makes you think I'd tell you? I don't see why I'd ever tell you anything that important."
"Because, this could prove your innocence." I frown. "C'mon, just answer the question. There's no harm in doing so now..."
Taka thinks for a moment before sighing, shaking his head. "...It's 13560392587."
Aha, that's what I thought. It truly is an impossible password that no one would ever guess, so the theory holds strong that Taka could've been the only person to change the temperature…
Using the password.
However, I think I might be onto something, thinking back on a certain event that transpired early on in the investigation.
But I'll put that aside for now; right now I need to continue questioning Takahashi.
Because, as much as it sucks to admit...I'm pretty sure the guy is innocent. But my opinion isn't the only one that matters: I need to convince my classmates that he's innocent too. In order to do that, I need to grill him even further…
"That settles it then, right?" Evelyn asks, pointing to the voting screen. "I think we're all ready to vote now. If Taka is the only one who could've changed the temperature to kill Nadia, he's the killer. And per Monokuma's special rules regarding two culprits…"
"Since this is a very special scenario with Sonoda Eisen, the Ultimate Salesman, being our second victim, I have a special clause! Whoever killed him, whoever that may be, is not considered to be blackened IF two conditions are met! Number one, if they are not the same person as Nadia Levitsky's killer, and number two, if Nadia Levitsky's killer is alive!"
"Wait, so there's a possibility that this killer's murder didn't even matter at all?" Evelyn questions. "That would mean they killed Sonoda for no reason."
"Yes-siree!" Monokuma nods. "If the aforementioned conditions were met - then you only need to focus on Nadia's murder! This one didn't matter at all. However, there is a possibility you will need to focus on this one! If Nadia and Sonoda's killer are one in the same, then you'd of course want to focus on both murders to help find the culprit, and if Nadia's killer is dead then it works the other way around - where Nadia's murder doesn't really matter, since the culprit can't be executed if they're already dead, and Sonoda's is the one you're going to want to focus on."
"Woah, woah, woah, slow down Eve," Fran chuckles. "We'd need to make sure that Taka also killed Sonoda, since both conditions have to be met."
"Ah, I see…" Evelyn laughs. "Wǒ de cuò!"
Taka's eyes bounce back between Fran and Evelyn, his expression growing agitated. "Hey! You can't just pin everything on me! I didn't kill the Russian chick or Mr. Monopoly!"
"But the temperature couldn't be changed without you." I say once again. "So...you're the only one who could've killed her. Taka, there's no way out of this one."
Look look, I don't think the guy did it but I have to play the part of the detective protagonist so the others don't get upset. I don't want to make myself look suspicious by defending him so obviously.
After all, since there's two victims in this case, two people might be working together. It sure as hell isn't Takahashi and I, but the others might not believe that so easily.
And so, I must paint him as the suspect! But then of course reel it back in and try to find something to prove otherwise…
Takahashi did not look happy in the slightest, and balled up his hands into fists, seething in anger as he glared at me with hateful eyes. "Seriously? Is that your only reason? You keep spouting it over and over again like that proves I'm the damn killer. You should know better than anyone else that just one coincidence can't make you a killer."
I frown, thinking back to the case. One coincidence? No, that's not right...
"One coincidence is just generally suspicious, sure," I nod. "But two...that's definitely enough to consider you a top suspect!"
There's something else about Takahashi that's been bothering me...and it just might prove he's the killer.
Well, to the others. If I bring it up, it might be too hard to come back from it.
But, it also might open up a discussion that we need to have!
Gah, what to do?!
Zero Time Moral Dilemma
Uh oh, Seizo's in trouble! He is stuck between two choices that could both have extreme consequences. It's up to Seizo to use his imagination and imagine what two scenarios could occur, and then make a decision based on that.
In reality, he'll be getting the help of some special people who'll make the decision for him!
Option A: Tell the others about the second coincidence.
Option B: Hide the truth of the second coincidence.
I close my eyes, imagining the two scenarios
Option A
-It'd help open up that important discussion I was talking about earlier.
-It really is kind of suspicious…
-It might be too hard to come back from.
Option B
-It's a lie! Which isn't really something I should be doing in a class trial…
-I can spin it so Taka looks more innocent than he actually is.
-The others might not believe me…
Ok, ok, I've thought about the two scenarios...the one I feel like will work the most is…
Option B!
I took a deep breath. I have to lie to them. I'll hide the real truth, but try and find a way to still start that discussion. Time to prove Taka's innocence by making me look like an idiot.
The truth is, Taka is either lying about being one of the unconscious people or something else is different with him.
Because, he's the only person who woke up from his slumber before the investigation began.
The reason is very unclear, and I was going to use it against him. After all, because he has an aquarium key, he could've easily locked him and Takumi in there after killing Nadia and just pretended to be unconscious.
But I think I'll go another route…
"Well? What is this coincidence you're talking about, Seizo?" Clara asks from next to me.
I bite my lip. "Well...Taka is the only one...who passed out! We still have to figure out why that happened."
Taka put a hand on his forehead. "Is that really the coincidence you're talking about? You dumbass, how does that help prove I'm the killer?!"
"Because...what if Nadia or Sonoda injected a poison inside you while they were trying to fend you off?!" I suggest.
"Oh dear." Takumi gasps.
"Or, maybe the reason for you falling unconscious is because you felt so guilty!" I continue on.
"Seizo, as much as I'd like to paint Takahashi as a suspect using flawed reasoning, we do have to play by the rules." Norikazu sighs.
"O-or we might get it wrong and be executed." Shiro reminds me.
"Hehe, sorry guys…" I sheepishly chuckle, blushing at the faces of my disappointed classmates. "...But, you know what? I just thought about something we should talk about before we continue talking about the whole password thing."
"And what's that?" Leonia asks. "Please don't let it be irrelevant again…"
"I promise it's not." I say. "We need to talk about this...why the unconscious people fell unconscious in the first place."
"Ooo, that's right!" Koko nods. "We never did establish that."
"I mean, I just assumed it was irrelevant." Isami admits with a shrug.
I shake my head. "Nothing in this case is irrelevant. An entire group of people passed out of nowhere and were unconscious for presumably hours. Nothing could wake them up but allowing the effects of whatever knocked them out to wear off. That's something that definitely warrants discussion. And who knows! It could very well bring up something that further incriminated our dear leader or reveal why he passed out during the investigation."
"Well, let's talk then." Jack says.
Non-Stop Argument
"The reason we all passed out...it's irrelevant, right?" Isami wonders aloud.
Mari scoffs. "Like Seizo said, it isn't. You guys probably got drunk and passed out."
"I don't remember drinking." Norikazu huffs. "I think it might have something to do with stress from the fallout of the second trial."
"But why were some of us unaffected?" Leonia questions. "People like Fran would've definitely passed out if that's the case."
"H-hey!" Fran frowns.
"It's honestly so obvious." Takumi says confidently. "I hate to admit it, but it's all those grapes we ate! They put us in a food coma!"
Koko laughs. "If that's the case I would've been in a food coma our first week here…"
Truth Bullet: Cotton Candy Grapes, fired!
"I agree with that!"
"Escape to the truth with me!"
BREAK!
"Takumi, you're almost right on the money!" I nod. "The cotton candy grapes definitely played a part in the unconscious people's downfall. After all, everyone who ate one found themselves unconscious, right?"
Mari dramatically gasps. "That's right! All of you losers who went to that garden party became unconscious while the rest of us were unaffected!"
"I'm good," Fran admitted. "I'm not a big fan of candy floss."
"I'll have to pass too," Akumu said. "I have a sandwich in the fridge calling my name!"
"Cotton candy is not good for your figure, even if they happen to actually just be grapes." Mari claimed. "Hard pass from me."
"I'm interested." Leonia nodded. "I see no harm in at least trying."
"If you guys swear they taste like cotton candy, then I'm all for it." Clara smiled. "I miss the cotton candy from the fairs back home."
"I know exactly what you guys are talking about, and I'd love to try them again!" Evelyn beamed. "Ooo, these are going to be muy delicioso!"
"U-Um, I'm also interested." Nadia spoke up. "I've never had cotton candy before, though."
Additionally, Koko, Isami, Shiro, and Norikazu were the ones who invited everyone to the garden party.
Mari's almost correct. All but two of the unconscious people were also participants of the garden party!
"Seizo, you said I was 'almost' right earlier." Takumi brings up, snapping me out of my thoughts. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well, the cotton candy grapes are a culprit in your guys' case, that's for sure." I nod. "However, I think something else in the garden caused you all to fall unconscious."
"Something else?" Evelyn repeats. "But the grapes were the only thing we ate there, as far as I know."
I nod. "You have a point. But consider the fact that the grapes were in proximity to something else. Something...deadly."
"Oh, oh, oh!" Takumi eagerly raised his hand. "I know this one! You're talking about that flower!"
Monokuam's Death Flower
This gorgeous flower lures insects in due to its vibrant purple color and heart shaped petals. However, if an insect, or any organism for that matter, touches it's pollen, their hands will become sticky with the substance and they'll start to feel itchy all over. If they can't resist the urge to itch, the pollen will spread across their skin and seep into their body, making them feel sick…
What type of sickness you ask? Why don't you find out? Upupupupu…
I shook my head. "Just another scare tactic from Monokuma. We just don't touch the pollen and we'll be fine!"
"Seizo, look at this!" Takumi demands, immediately pointing to the plant. "What is this? Take a close look."
I squint my eyes. At first, it just looks like a regular bush, or vines or something. But upon closer inspection, I realized what made Takumi so surprised.
"Those are...the cotton candy grapes, right?" I ask. They're super picked over and only a few are left, but sure enough, it's a grape vine.
Takumi nods. "Yup! Like I said before, my memory has been foggy, but I know for a fact that I've laid eyes on this before. I didn't put two and two together before, but isn't it a bit strange how this is right next to the Monokuma Death Flower?"
"Monokuma's Death Flower and the cotton candy grapes are right next to each other." I surmise. "They have to be related somehow. I'm willing to bet that the grapes are harmless - but their proximity to the flowers contaminates them!"
"We ate the grapes but didn't touch the flower, which is why the effect we felt didn't make us itchy or anything like that." Norikazu says.
"And why the effect only knocked us out! Not anything deadly like the description of the flower says…" Koko nervously shivers, presumably thinking about what would've happened if she had felt the true effects of the flower.
"Maybe so, but we're only theorizing." I say. "We need to hear from the man himself what the effects of the flower are." I cross my arms, looking at him.
"Well Monokuma? This is important to the case so you have to help us out."
"You know, I don't have to do anything." The bear huffs. "But since I'm feeling especially nice today, I suppose I can help you out.
It's just as you all think: touching the pollen activates the super uncomfortable itchy feeling alllll over your body that may or may not be deadly.
However, inhaling the pollen also has a negative effect! It starts to mess with your mind, making you say all sorts of weird things that you normally wouldn't! Prolonged exposure can even lead to...unconciousness."
"Bingo." I smirk. "We got our cause, you guys! It was the pollen of the flower all along."
"I guess the unconscious effect all hit us at the same time because of the garden party!" Clara thought aloud.
"And I felt the effect much earlier than you all and probably passed it on to you guys because I was spending so much time in there!" Takumi gasps in realization. "Scandalous!"
"Awesome!" I say. "That's one thing down, now we jus-"
"If I may interject."
Jack is shaking his head at me while wagging one of his fingers. "No, no, no, Seizo. I don't think we can just stop the discussion there. You're forgetting something rather important."
I frown. "What do you mean? Are you saying that the flower didn't knock everyone unconscious?"
"No." Jack answers. "I think that part of your theory is right. However, there's something that just doesn't make sense that you must address before we move any further."
I sigh. "Alright, I think I know where you're going with this. Let's talk, Jacky boy."
Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How?
Seizo's classmate is doubting part of his theory!
When a classmate believes Seizo but still has doubts about a certain topic, Seizo must play the game of Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. He'll answer all six of these questions depending on the topic, and depending on whether or not the question is important or not to the topic.
Once Seizo's classmate approves of his answers and fully grasps the situation, then Seizo can finally move on!
"So the Monokuma Death Flower...where is that again?" Jack questions.
"The garden, of course." I answer. "Right next to those cotton candy grapes."
"And what is the effect?"
"Uh, well it depends. If you touch it you become itchy all over and something potentially fatal may occur. But if you inhale it, your mind starts to go a little crazy and you could even fall unconscious."
"When did the effects hit everyone who started acting weird and fell unconscious."
"Well, that's a little more complicated than you might think. I believe that because Takumi had been spending a lot of time in the garden, he passed some of the effects to everyone. That's why some of us were acting weird throughout the week. However, it was those who attended the garden party after the scavenger hunt that started acting even more erratic and eventually fell unconscious."
"Alright...well there's two people who don't fit your description of attending the garden party and falling unconscious. You know who they are right?"
"Yup. You're talking about Takumi and Takahashi."
"Exactly. Well you started to talk about how Takumi fell into the unconscious group…"
"Yeah, I'll elaborate more. Takumi, for reasons totally unknown to me, has been spending a ton of time in the garden. I'm willing to bet all that time made him the first 'victim' of the Monokuma's Death Flower. It warped his mind, making him say all sorts of weird things and acting completely unlike himself. He didn't know it though, and continued to spend more time in the garden. That's why even though he didn't attend the garden party, he still ended up falling unconscious."
Jack crosses his arms, looking me right in the eyes. "Well thought out. But there's one more concern I have that I don't understand...Takahashi. Why did he fall unconscious?"
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. I've been thinking about this for a while. Taka...he didn't attend the garden party. Not only that, but he didn't spend that much time in the garden like Takumi.
But, he fell unconscious like everyone else. And we of course have to remember his little episode earlier after the investigation.
Why did he fall unconscious…
I have to think back to what he told me…
Monokuma's Face Your Fear Challenge extravaganza…
The scavenger hunt…
Trying to solve the puzzle in the Lion Exhibit…
Failing miserably at solving the puzzle…
And then…
And then…
…
After the scavenger hunt.
Wait.
Huh?
No way.
I mean, c'mon, it's ridiculous…
But it's also the only possibility…
Shit. I really hope the dead can't haunt me…
"Well, there's only one way Taka could've came into contact with something in the garden...it was...because of Nadia."
BREAK!
Everyone's eyes stared at me in shock, like I just shot their puppy with an AR-15.
Taka is the only one who looks like he understands what I'm getting at…
"Nadia?" Jack repeats. "What does that mean? What does she have to do with allowing Taka to come into contact with something in the garden?"
I sigh. "Look, I have no idea why she did it, but the fact of the matter is, she's the only one who could've done it to Taka. It was after the scavenger hunt and the garden party…"
"Oh, Taka, you should've tasted the grapes!" Nadia said, throwing herself over me.
"H-Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" I asked, trying to throw her off of me. She was relentless however, and put her hands all over me.
"They were so delicious!" Nadia said, pulling one out of her pocket. "Here, just have one!"
"N-" She shoved it in my mouth, forcing it down my throat.
"Nadia…" Mari said quietly. "Why the fuck are your hands on Takahashi?"
"Shhh…" Nadia whispered, putting a finger to her mouth. "Just let it happen."
Mari clenches her fist. "The bitch should be glad she's dead because thinking about that is making me want to wring her neck…"
"S-So Nadia fed Taka a grape…" Shiro surmises. "And you t-think that's why Taka fell unconscious too?"
"That's right." I nod. "Taka didn't go to the garden party: the garden party was brought to him. The grape Nadia put in his mouth caused him to feel the effects of the flower!"
"That makes sense." Clara agrees. "But the question is why Nadia did it. Was it just a coincidence and she was acting strange, feeding him that grape?"
"Or did she have something more sinister in mind." Norikazu frowns.
"Well, you all are forgetting something. And that'll tell you the true answer."
Taka is crossing his arms, looking a lot more emotional than usual. Almost as if in a sad state of shock…
He sighs, looking up at me. "Think about it. Remember what Monokuma just told us and what you were talking about with Jack. That'll show you whether or not she did it on purpose."
I gulp. It feels wrong to even think about speaking ill of the dead...but I have to see this case through to the end - and that means analyzing everything.
So, did Nadia do it on purpose or not...?
Hangman's Gambit
"What tells us whether or not Nadia fed Taka the grape on purpose or not?"
?-?-? / ?-?-? / ?-?-?-?-?-?
Alright, so we know Taka probably fell unconscious because Nadia brought the dangerous cotton candy grapes to him.
D-?-D / ?-?-? / ?-?-?-?-?-?
Even though he didn't attend the party, she fed him one of the grapes from the party.
D-I-D / ?-?-? / I-?-?-?-?-?
But we have to remember she was under the effects of the flower, making her act strangely…
D-I-D / N-?-? / I-N-?-?-?-?
So it's hard to figure out whether or not her actions were truly malicious.
D-I-D / N-O-? / I-N-?-?-?-?
Taka told me to remember what Monokuma told us.
D-I-D / N-O-T / I-N-?-?-?-?
Monokuma talked about the effects of the Monokuma's Death Flower…
D-I-D / N-O-T / I-N-H-?-?-?
As well as how you get those effects.
D-I-D / N-O-T / I-N-H-A-?-?
You can get it one of two ways…
D-I-D / N-O-T / I-N-H-A-L-?
Number one is by touching the flower. Number two is...oh shit! Prolonged...inhalation!
Answer: D-I-D / N-O-T / I-N-H-A-L-E
BREAK!
"T-That's it!" I gasp. "Prolonged inhalation! But…"
"I didn't inhale any of that shit for longer than the second Nadia held it in front of my face." Taka frowns. "Which means, I got it the other way. The more dangerous way…"
"By touching it?" Akumu asks.
Taka nods. "Bingo motherfucker."
"Wait, wait, wait," Koko holds her hands up in the air. "But I thought you said you didn't go to the party and you haven't been to the garden all that much. But now you're saying you touched it after all?! I'm so confetti-used…"
Taka opened his mouth to speak, but I cut in. "Taka didn't touch the flower. Someone else did. The person who fed Taka the grape…"
"Wait...you're saying Nadia touched the flower, touched the grape, and then fed the contaminated grape to Takahashi?" Isami questions, twirling a piece of her black hair.
"That's the theory, yes." I sigh. "I don't want to believe it but it really seems like the only explanation."
"Well, I don't think it sounds too far-fetched." Fran says. "Except for one thing. Don't you remember the effects of touching the flower?"
The effects of touching the flower...We don't know too much about them but there is one known fact…
Question: What do we know about the negative effects of the Monokuma's Death Flower?
It makes you ascend
It gives you a Vision
It makes you itch and burn
"Haha, got it in one take!"
Answer: It makes you itch and burn
"Well, that's easy." I nod. "You get itchy, right?"
Fran smiles. "Yes, yes. So, think about it. If Nadia had to touch the flower to put it onto the grape that she eventually gave to Taka, she must've also had to feel the effects too, right?"
"NO, THAT'S WRONG!" I screech. "There's something you're forgetting about Nadia."
Fran tilts her head. "What do you mean?"
Question: Why didn't Nadia feel the effects?
She's just that powerful
She wears gloves
The flower doesn't affect anyone over a certain height
Answer: She wears gloves
"Nadia wears traditional Russian clothing." I explain. "She looks like she walked straight from the Mother Motherland. Part of her outfit includes something that keeps her skin from coming into direct contact with the flower…
Her outfit definitely gives me Russia vibes. She wears a fur lined dress with a furry hat that's probably a ushanka. She completes her rather warm wearing outfit with matching fur lined boots and gloves.
"Nadia's gloves saved her from any negative effects." I finish with a confident smile. "And so, she could 'poison' Taka with no problem at all. She didn't feel any of it."
"I just don't understand why." Leonia admits. "Nadia poisoning Taka with the grape contaminated flower...how does that benefit her?"
The trial room grew silent.
Nadia did 'poison' Taka on purpose. She knew that by touching the flower, then the grape, and finally feeding it to Taka - she risked his death.
Which means she had only one motive, that everyone was beginning to realize.
"Nadia...wanted to kill Taka." I answer.
"Poor guy can't catch a break," Takumi sadly frowns. "First Clara and now this?"
Clara cringes. "Please don't bring that up right now…"
"Nadia wanted to kill Taka?" Akumu repeats. "I can't imagine her as a killer, but it certainly seems like the case."
"Why Nadia…" Fran sighs. "I never thought you'd stoop so low…"
"S-So she meant to kill Taka, but ended up dying herself…" Shiro says. "Does that mean...the killer is Taka?"
"Oh, that's correct!" Evelyn nods. "We still need to discuss Taka being the only one who could've killed Nadia!"
Taka rolls his eyes in response.
Alright, well I guess that's all figured out. We solved why the unconscious people fell unconscious, and how Taka was 'poisoned' by Nadia in an attempt to kill him...for some reason.
Now we need to circle back to Taka's suspicion. The one with the password who could've changed the temperature to kill Nadia. I think now it's a good time to bring up something…
Non-Stop Argument
"How long are we going to keep this trial going for?" Leonia asks. "We all know Takahashi is the only person capable of being the killer."
"And we all know you're the only person capable of being a fucking bitch." Takahashi snorts.
"Looks like someone's panicking…" Norikazu smirks.
"Taka killed Nadia in retaliation for her trying to poison him." Isami suggests.
"What he should've done to Clara…" Mari mumbles.
"Pardon?" Clara frowns.
"So, to summarize," Akumu starts. "Since Takahashi is the only one who can do anything to mess with the temperature control panel, he has to be the culprit?"
"I-I guess it's true after all…" Shiro says quietly, nervously glancing at the pilot. "Are we really about to lose our leader?"
Truth Bullet: Emergency Mode, FIRED!
"No, that's wrong!"
BREAK!
"Sorry Kumu, but that's not true." I shake my head. "There is one more way to affect the temperature control panel. If the aquarium overheats too much, the server room shuts down the control panel."
"Wait, but isn't that only in the aquarium?" Jack asks. "It's a safety precaution for the fish, right?"
I nod. "That is true, yes. However, I realized something about that."
We began walking down the hall and quickly discovered where the beeping was coming from.
"The server room…" I frowned. "What's going on?"
Everything in the server room looked fairly normal, although none of the small towers in the room were blinking, and the main tower was blinking red rather than the usual blue and green colors.
OK, so maybe not so normal.
"What's wrong with the tower thingies?" Mari questioned, covering her ears to muffle the sound of the obnoxiously loud beeping.
"I'm not sure," I answered, completely puzzled. "It's like it's shut down or something."
"I think I finally understand the power outage from earlier." I declare. "And the true nature of what actually happens during 'Emergency Mode'. Because, what Mari and I witnessed was Emergency Mode!"
"How so?" Fran questions.
"Well, remember the state the aquarium was in when we entered it earlier?" I ask. "It was clearly way too hot."
Opening the aquarium was like walking into some sort of steamy bathhouse. It was unbearably hot and steamy, especially when compared to the penguin exhibit room.
Looking around, I saw the fish tanks were full of bubbles, and the tanks were all foggy. I spotted some fish desperately trying to get some air from the surface.
"The aquarium more than likely overheated to a dangerous temperature, causing the Emergency Mode to trigger, shutting down the control panel's mechanisms and causing the power to go out!" I surmise. "Isn't that right, Monokuma?"
"You're right on the money!" Monokuma says cheerfully. "Because all of the power on the third floor is derived from the one singular tower in the server room, everything shuts off when the aquarium overheats! I probably should've wired it better…"
"But what does that have to do with the temperature control panel in the zoo?" Leonia asks. "If the server room truly shuts everything down, then the killer wouldn't have been able to change the temperature."
"EHH, WRONG!" Monokuma blurts out. "The control panel in the zoo works differently! When the power goes out, it only shuts down the protected password mechanism!"
"But why?" Takumi raises a brow. "How can the control panel even continue to function when the power is out?"
"Upupupu, because it's a safety precaution!" Monokuma answers.
"Safety precaution?" Mari repeats with a frown. "That sounds like total BS."
Monokuma shakes his head. "No-siree! This is actually something commonly used in real zoos. Because the control panel in the zoo could potentially be used to kill somebody, I had to make it so the temperature could be changed even during Emergency Mode! Because unlike the control panel in the aquarium, the control panel in the zoo doesn't automatically set itself to a safe temperature during emergency mode!"
I sigh. "I get it. If Emergency Mode happened and you couldn't change the temperature in the zoo, it'd be uncomfortable and like Monokuma said, potentially dangerous."
"Exactly!" Monokuma nods. "I always make sure you kids are as comfortable as possible during your stay on the HFH Enterprise."
"Only the killer took advantage." Clara frowns. "They figured out the temperature could still be changed. They caused Emergency Mode to occur, which in turn took off the password protection on the zoo control panel. They misused Monokuma's safety precaution against Nadia."
We all grew quiet once again, finally coming to terms with how the killer killed Nadia. Which meant…
"Am I off the hook yet, you assholes?" Taka sneers.
"No, no, no." Norikazu shakes his head. "Just because the temperature could also be changed with Emergency Mode doesn't mean you couldn't have changed it using the normal method-"
"Actually," I cut Norikazu off. "It does. Because Taka wouldn't have had to cause Emergency Mode to happen since he could've just used the password. That would've been a lot more work for him. Plus, think about it. Out of all the ways to kill someone, would Taka really use one of the most complicated methods and the one that automatically points to him?"
Norikazu purses his lip, crossing his arms. "...Fine. I guess you're right. Takahashi didn't kill Nadia after all…"
Yes! Finally! Taka is cleared of all suspicion.
Now we can finally move on.
"Ugh, so if it wasn't Taka, then who was it?!" Koko exasperatedly asks. "I feel like we've been going in circles for so long trying to find the killer but we have yet to make any progress. This trial is going to last forever!"
"Well, at least we've narrowed down even more on our list of suspects. Since Taka couldn't have done it, that only leaves the remaining injured people." Clara reminds us. "Seizo, Mari, Francesca, and Sonoda."
I bit my lip. Obviously I know I didn't do it.
And I really doubt that Mari did it. Her reaction to Nadia's dead body seemed really genuine.
So that leaves Fran and Sonoda…
How can I choose between the two? Who's more suspicious? Who has more evidence stacked against them?
I look at Fran, whose expression is full of concern. Then I look at Sonoda's portrait, who's smirking as per usual, the glint of greed ever so prevalent in his eyes.
Fran or Sonoda…
Fran or Sonoda…
Fran…
Or Sonoda…
…
…
…
I need to think over every piece of evidence…
…
…
…
And everything we talked about in the class trial…
…
…
…
And obviously everything that happened in the case and investigation…
…
…
…
Only then will I finally figure out who the real killer is.
…
…
…
And that person is…
Accuse: Who killed Nadia?
Seizo
Clara
Leonia
Hiiro
Jack
Satoko
Akumu
Shiro/Kuro
Silver
Ritsu
Evelyn
Takumi
Isami
Koko
Nadia
Norikazu
Mari
Takahashi
Francesca
Sonoda
DECIDE: Sonoda
"Sonoda killed Nadia." I nod. "I'm sure of it."
Various gasps of shock are heard around the room, with some people looking at me with questionable expressions.
"Accusing the dead seems kind of...icky to me." Koko admits, putting a hand on her forehead.
"Even if it's Sonoda…" Leonia adds.
I sigh. "Hey it's not like I want to accuse him. It's just that he's the killer and I need to expose him. Even if he's dead, we have to find Nadia's killer. Which just so happens to be Sonoda."
"What was the final nail in the coffin?" Mari asks. "I've always thought him to be suspicious but you seem awfully confident that it's him despite any concrete evidence."
The final nail in the coffin? I had to think about it, but there's one piece of evidence that happened in the case that did it for me; proving Sonoda's the killer.
Question: What proves Sonoda is the killer?
Truth Bullet: How the Wire was Cut, fired!
"Haha, got it in one take!"
BREAK!
"We have to circle back to the chandelier crash." I began, motioning to the wounds on my arm.
"By now, we all know the killer used the crash to injure some of us, so they wouldn't be the only ones with injuries. And they used a very specific method to cut the thread that caused the crash." I continue. "That method would have only been used by a select group of people who knew how something specific worked…"
Hangman's Gambit
Question: What thing would only a few people know about?
?-?-?-?-? / ?-?-?-?-?-?
The chandelier crash was an integral part in the killer's plan.
P-?-?-?-? / ?-?-?-?-?-?
You'd need to know exactly how to do it.
P-I-?-?-? / ?-?-?-?-?-?
To be able to cut something from so high up…
P-I-A-?-? / ?-?-?-?-A-?
It'd require you to know of something that'd be capable of doing so…
P-I-A-N-? / ?-?-?-?-A-?
Something privy only to a small group of people…
P-I-A-N-O / ?-?-?-?-A-?
We've already cleared most people in this group…
P-I-A-N-O / T-?-?-?-A-?
Except…
P-I-A-N-O / T-H-?-?-A-?
Him.
P-I-A-N-O / T-H-R-?-A-?
The thing he knew about and used to cut the chandelier…
P-I-A-N-O / T-H-R-E-A-?
It's obvious, isn't it?
Answer: P-I-A-N-O / T-H-R-E-A-D
BREAK!
"Remember, the killer used the piano thread from the scavenger hunt to make the chandelier fall." I say.
"The who?" Jack raises a brow.
"Exactly." I chuckle. "You and many others don't know anything about it. But there are a few people who do. Those who participated in the Lion Exhibit puzzle during the scavenger hunt."
"Let's go with the Lion Exhibit." I decided.
Mari and Nadia nodded and the three of us made our way there.
Mari, Nadia, and I all turned to see an incredibly haughty looking Takumi, with Sonoda next to him.
"What do you two want?" I asked.
"We've come to collect our third prize of the scavenger hunt!" Takumi smirked.
"Taka, Mari, Nadia, Takumi, and Sonoda." I say. "They all tried out the puzzle."
"I didn't know that!" Koko gasps. "And out of all of them…"
"Sonoda and Mari are the only viable suspects." I nod. "However, unlike Sonoda, Mari has something going in her favor, pointing her to not being Nadia's killer…"
Mari blinks. "I do?"
I laugh. "Yes ma'am. Remember something you told me during our own investigation?"
"Mari, what do you think of Takahashi's role in this?" I questioned. "He woke up before any of the other unconscious people and is the only person who knows how to change the control panel temperature."
Mari looked quite thoughtful for a moment before looking me in the eyes. "I don't know. He could be the killer, but so could anyone of us. From the time I've spent with him, however, I choose to hope that he isn't. He may be a brash idiot with a terrible sense of style and choices that are...questionable to say the least, but he has a better heart than you think."
"You said that, huh?" Taka says with a smirk.
Mari immediately blushes. "S-Shut up!"
I nod. "Indeed. I don't know about you guys, but if I was the killer, it'd be in my best interest to paint anyone I could as the killer. Even though Taka was suspicious from the get go, Mari never once gave up on him. I don't think a killer would do that."
"I-I agree…" Shiro smiles. "M-Mari would never say something so nice if she didn't t-truly mean it…"
Mari glares at the occultist. "Speak again and I curbstomp you."
Shiro's mouth immediately closes.
I sigh. "Well, there you have it. Mari is more than likely innocent. Which means…"
"Sonoda killed Nadia…" Fran slowly nods. "Alright...ugh, before we move on, though...I think we need to establish something."
"What might that be?" Clara asks.
"Well, it feels a little icky saying Sonoda is definitely the killer and using something Mari may have said to just get us to believe it as her alibi." Fran continues. "So, to definitively decide he's the killer, we need to establish something every killer has: a motive."
"Sonoda was a greedy dick who wanted to escape the ship. Case closed." Jack shrugs.
I sigh. "I wish it were that simple...Fran has a point. We knew why Ritsu and Hiiro committed their crimes. It's only fair we also establish why Sonoda did his."
Isami puts a finger on her chin. "I wonder...Seizo, could it have something to do with that note?"
Note?
Ah! That's right!
Congratulations on your prize! Here is some info on the truth of the order in Monokuma's Face Your Fear Challenge Extravaganza…
Sonoda had part of a note in his pocket about some order…
But what does that mean?
I will have order?
Order up?
Ord-
"So by order the note probably meant the sequence in which the participants participated in the challenge. Meaning Seizo first, followed by Takahashi, Jack, and then Takumi." Isami says.
"But there's no order in that." Clara frowns. "Not alphabetically, by number of letters in their names, or anything like that."
"I agree. Even if you consider their codenames, there still isn't any reason why Seizo went first. His codename was Crimson, which isn't the first codename alphabetically." Norikazu adds.
"Or the longest or the shortest codename." Leonia continues on.
Order...The only order I could maybe think of is based on levels of attractiveness: I'm the most attractive so I went first.
But I don't think that's it…
Never in my life have I gotten to go first in any order.
My family name starts with an M and my given name starts with an S. You could say I was actually closer to the end of the line than anything else.
I'm not the tallest, shortest, heaviest, or lightest. I've always been in the middle in that department.
The order can't be anything with monetary value either, since there's no way Taka and Takumi come even close to my net worth.
So what the hell could it be?!
"Y'know what, that note could just be a lie." I shrug. Maybe Sonoda wrote it to distract us-"
"No." Monokuma says.
…
"What do you mean 'no'?" I frown.
"There is a very specific order that I chose for Monokuma's Face Your Fear Challenge Extravaganza…" Monokuma reveals. "It's you bastards' job to figure it out though!"
A very specific order?!
Gah! This makes zero sense-
"Ah, I get it."
Taka has a smug smile on his face. "Pretty obvious once you take the time to think about it."
"What are you talking about?" Takumi huffs. "I'm completely stumped!"
"As am I." Evelyn admits with a sigh.
"You're probably thinking of shit like our names and our codenames." Taka says. "But the order is something else. Something that defines all of us as a group."
Defines all of us as a group.
All of us a group…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
!
That's it!
The only universe where I'd go first is by something that I'm only called here!
Not my name, or my codename…
But my…
Hangman's Gambit
Question: Why did I go first?
?-?-?-?-?-?
When you first think of some type of order, you'd obviously think of using something with names.
T-?-?-?-?-T
But my name is Seizo Morine, so we know that can't be it.
T-A-?-?-?-T
It's not my code name either. Crimson isn't first or last alphabetically.
T-A-L-?-?-T
It's something we all share…
T-A-L-E-?-T
That defines us a group!
Answer: T-A-L-E-N-T
BREAK!
"I'm the Ultimate Actor." I smile. "The first talent listed alphabetically!"
"But Taka's the Ultimate Pilot, which isn't next in the alphabetical order of our talents." Mari frowns. "Even I know that much."
Koko nods. "Right, if we went that route than Fran would be next, as the Ultimate Archaeologist."
"Don't worry you guys, I'm not that dumb." I chuckle. "Besides having the first talent in the alphabet, there's also something else about being the Ultimate Actor that puts me first...care to do the honors, Taka?"
Taka rolls his eyes. "Sure...Actor. Out of all the surviving students...actor has the least amount of letters."
Takumi's eyes widen. "And, and, and, and then next is pilot! Well, they have the same amount of letters but 'P' is after 'A'!"
"Dealer is next, with 6 letters…" Jack states, starting to catch on.
"Followed by Escapist with 8." Clara nods.
"After Sonoda realized the order of the challenge, he killed Nadia…" Leonia says slowly. "...But why?"
"Ah, well he would've been next in the fear challenge!" Koko proposes. "Salesman has 8 letters too, so Sonoda would have gone after Takumi during the next round of the fear challenge."
"But we figured out the loophole of the fear challenge." Norikazu frowns. "Did Sonoda really kill just to avoid having to go through it?"
"...I guess?" I shrug. "I don't see any other reason."
Sonoda…
…
Ugh. He really killed Nadia because he didn't want to do his fear challenge?
That doesn't sit right with me…
"Well, there could be another reason."
I look to Isami who has her handbook on top of her trial stand, scrolling through it.
"W-what do you mean, Isami?" Shiro questions, observing her methodical demeanor.
"Well...Sonoda is a liar. Maybe he didn't want anyone to find out something about him…" Isami suggests.
"...Like what?" I raise a brow. "I mean, he was definitely shady and incredibly suspicious but I don't think he was lying about anything too major."
Isami looks up at me. "I do. I think he was lying about his talent."
All eyes quickly turn to Isami as multiple gasps are heard around the courtroom, with even Monokuma looking at the tinkerer in surprise.
"What makes you say that?" Clara says nervously. "That's a pretty bold claim to make, Isami."
Isami nods. "And you're right. It looks like I'm wrong."
She turns her e-Handbook to us so we can see the display.
Sonoda's profile is displayed, showing all his information, including his Ultimate talent.
And Ultimate Salesman is displayed in bold white letters, clear as day.
But…
"Well that was useless." Mari rolls her eyes. "Why would you even say something like that?"
Isami shrugs. "I had a feeling. But I guess I was wrong." She explains, ever so nonchalant.
"Yeah...you were." Mari says slowly. But her face looks troubled.
As does almost everyone's.
Sonoda Eisen…
The Ultimate...Salesman.
It feels strange.
I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about it.
But why?
He is the Ultimate Salesman. He told us so from Day 1!
And we know he isn't lying because the e-Handbook shows his talent as being the Ultimate Salesman!
So why am I so convinced Isami was actually onto something? And why does everyone look like they feel the same way?
…
Wait a second…
"Isami." I say. "What if...what's in the e-Handbook is only based on what we say?"
Isami crosses her arms. "Maybe...but how can we figure that out?"
How can we figure that out…
Ugh. The only way would be if we knew of someone else who lied about their talent or something. But I doubt that's the case…
So how can we test this theory. Think, Seizo, think…
Someone else who lied…
…
"Isami." I say.
…
…
…
…
…
…
"Check Taka's profile."
Taka immediately looks at me with an angry expression. "The fuck? Why?"
"Because," I sigh. "You're lying about your identity."
"The hell I am," He yells. "I'm the most honest motherfucker in here. The rest of you fake losers are probably lying about all sorts of shit but I tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth!"
"Relax," I roll my eyes, shaking my head at the pilot's anger. "You didn't lie on purpose. You simply mixed two things up."
"Haha, JT! When did you get all vulgar?" A voice said from outside the farmhouse.
Moments later, a tall, older version of Takahashi entered. He had a grin on his face as he waved around a remote control. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"Your brother called you 'JT'," I smile. "The nickname he called you out of love may actually help us figure this out. Because it made me realize...your name is Jirou Takahashi, not Takahashi Jirou."
Taka's eyes immediately turn away to look at the floor. "Shut up. Don't call me that."
I nod. "I know, I know. You'll always be Taka to us. But like I said, we have to check something. Isami, check his profile."
Isami nods, scrolling through her e-Handbook. She then slowly turns it to show all of us.
Beside Taka's frowning picture is the spot where his name goes. And in it reads...
"Takahashi Jirou." Takumi gasps. "So…"
"Whatever we introduced ourselves as is in our profile." I say. "When we learned each other's real names, Taka called himself 'Takahashi Jirou'. And thus, that's exactly what appeared on his profile. So with Sonoda, it could mean…"
"He introduced himself as the Ultimate Salesman when he was really something else!" Akumu finishes for me. "So the e-Handbook can't be used as proof that he wasn't lying.
"Exactly!" I nod. "Which means...he might've killed Nadia for one very selfish reason.
His real talent probably has more letters in it than Salesman. If we somehow ever figured out the truth of the order with the fear challenge, we would've realized something was off when Sonoda didn't go after Takumi. And then, his secret would've been exposed.
So, he killed Nadia to keep that very secret.
He didn't care about going through with the fear challenge: it was the order that worried him."
I look around the room, and observed my classmates' faces. Most of them looked kinda shocked, but not really.
Because it almost feels like deep down, we all knew he was lying…
But how?
"I wonder how Sonoda even got that paper that told him about the order." Koko brings up. "Didn't it say something about a prize?"
I nod. "I'm willing to bet it was the prize from the Lion Exhibit. Takumi, the prize was supposedly Monocoins. But do you remember actually getting any?"
Takumi slowly shakes his head. "No, no I don't. And my Monocoin balance from my e-Handbook doesn't show that I got any either…"
"That's what I thought." I sigh. "I'm willing to bet Sonoda lied about the prize. He figured out the order but obviously didn't want any of us to figure it out; so he lied. And because of Takumi's...erratic behavior, Takumi went along with it, no questions asked."
"Things are starting to come together." Clara says confidently. "But we've only solved one part of this case. We have a whole other body to discuss: Sonoda's."
"Well, Sonoda's case is a lot easier than Nadia's." I reveal. "In fact, I might already have an inkling as to who the killer is."
Takumi's eyes widen. "H-How so?! We only just figured out Sonoda killed Nadia!"
"Because of how Sonoda killed Nadia." I answer.
"Changing the temperature?" Clara suggests.
"Well yes, but no," I chuckle. "That's part of it. But what really told me all I needed to know was how Sonoda was able to change the temperature."
"You mean the use of 'Emergency Mode'." Jack says.
"Right. We know Sonoda used that to his advantage. But what we didn't know was how he was able to figure that out...until I just remembered something." I sigh, emotion starting to overtake me.
Every time I realize who the killer is it breaks my heart.
But this time it hurts even more. Like my soul is being crushed.
Why…
I gulp, trying to swallow my sadness. "U-Um, I think Sonoda was working with someone. They both came up with the plan to kill Nadia. But…"
Isami nods, pointing to two things nearby the corpse: a piece of paper and...a knife!
"W-wow," I say, surprised. "Where the hell did the knife come from?"
Isami shrugs her shoulders. "I'm not sure. It was just nearby his person when I first started looking around. I do not know if this was Sonoda's knife, or the killer's…"
Truth Bullet: Knife, obtained!
"One thing is for sure though." I note. "This knife wasn't used. Sonoda doesn't have any stab wounds, right?"
Isami nods. "Right. And unless someone here is exceptionally talented at hiding their injuries; none of us were harmed by this knife either."
"So why was it here?" I wonder. "Clearly it must have some purpose."
"Not sure." Isami answers. "However, I did find something interesting. Take a look at that paper."
"I think Sonoda was planning on betraying that person." I reveal. "And that person figured it out..."
"Which is why they killed Sonoda." Taka finishes for me. "Well. You might be onto something. Who's the person in question then? Who killed Sonoda?"
My heart feels tight in my chest, and I can feel myself growing warm. I feel sick to my stomach and I want nothing more than to be by myself right now, crying into my pillow...but I can't. I have to reveal this.
Even if it hurts more than anything that's happened on this ship: I have to. It makes no sense to me and I'm going to hate arguing with this person, but the facts are clear and I've figured it out.
Sonoda would need someone smart to help him out with a certain something...someone like…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
...
Accuse: Who killed Sonoda?
Seizo
Clara
Leonia
Hiiro
Jack
Satoko
Shiro/Kuro
Silver
Ritsu
Koko
Nadia
Norikazu
Mari
Takahashi
Francesca
Sonoda
Takumi
Akumu
Isami
Evelyn
DECIDE: Evelyn
"The show's over!"
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
"Seizo…" Evelyn looks beyond stunned, her eyes wide as can be and her mouth agape. "What on Earth are you talking about?! I would never kill anyone, even if they were someone like Sonoda! I'm not a killer and never will be! How could you accuse me of something like that?"
I sigh, squeezing my eyes shut. Every word she says breaks my heart bit by bit. "Evelyn...I don't have all the reasons down. But I'm sure you killed him. Or you at least helped him kill Nadia."
"Bloody Hell, Seizo!" Fran yells angrily. "How could you say something like that? You'd honestly accuse Evelyn of helping Sonoda kill Nadia of all people? Evelyn would never!"
Evelyn nods along as Fran speaks. "Of course not! What makes you even think I'd do something like that?"
"Because, you were the one who told me about Emergency Mode, Evelyn." I frown. "And I'm sure you told Sonoda too."
"Which includes making sure their fish tanks are at optimal living conditions." I concluded. "Good to know. Well, hopefully no one adds too many bubbles or makes the fish tank too warm."
"These fish tanks usually have a safety mechanism." Evelyn revealed. "If the control panel senses the living conditions in it are harming the fish, it'll shut down the ability to control the temperature and air pump. My guess is that in an emergency, it'll also shut down the control panel completely, allowing the fish tank to safely regulate to whatever conditions are most optimal."
"Good to know…" I nodded. Geez, first Evelyn knows all about Senza Sangue, and now she knows how fish tanks in aquariums work? I'll have to keep my eye on her from now on…
"S-Sonoda was in the same room as us!" She frowns. "He could've easily overheard us."
I shake my head. "Sure. But then how would he know that the Emergency Mode also shuts down the zoo's password protection?"
"He probably just asked Monokuma!" Evelyn shot back.
"Did he Monokuma?" I asked the bear. "You can tell us the answer since it helps us out without revealing the killer, right?"
Monokuma thinks for a moment before cackling. "Upupupu, this is getting fun! All I'll say is that the first time I've revealed how Emergency Mode works was right here during the class trial!"
"Then he found out another way!" Evelyn frowns. "It's not that hard to figure out, y'know."
"Maybe to you." I nod. "But the rest of us would certainly have trouble. But Monokuma and you both know the reason you knew how Emergency Mode works...You've told me time after time after all."
Evelyn chuckled. "I told you before, didn't I? I learn a lot of weird facts through my study of language and culture."
Monokuma shakes his head. "No-siree! This is actually something commonly used in real zoos. Because the control panel in the zoo could potentially be used to kill somebody, I had to make it so the temperature could be changed even during Emergency Mode!
"You know all sorts of weird facts." I smile, reminiscing on some of our conversations. "I'm sure one of them includes something as obscure as how real zoos operate."
"Evelyn…." Koko's eyes begin to tear up. "Y-You didn't actually do it, r-right?"
"Of course not!" Evelyn answers. "I'd never kill anybody, I already told you! Look, are we even sure Sonoda was murdered? Remember, it could've been suicide or even accidental."
"It was murder." I say definitively. "Most people don't fall backwards off of railings."
Norikazu nods once again, bringing his notebook down from me. "There is a third option, but I believe it to be very unlikely since Sonoda's body fell at an angle. If Sonoda was pushed head on, he would've ended up in a more straight position. Oh, and by the way, Sonoda was pushed with his back to the railing, not with his back to the wall. So he saw the killer push him."
"Ah, so my study of angles was useful after all." Norikazu smiles.
"Seizo's right." Leonia nods. "If you're going to intentionally fall from high up, you're not going to do it with your back to the edge of wherever you're jumping from. Maybe in some action movies they do things like that, but in real life, most people jump facing the edge head on. Additionally, I don't think Sonoda could've accidentally fallen, since there's a railing in the way. Someone had to have pushed him over the railing in order for him to have fallen."
"But whatever the case, that someone was not me." Evelyn frowns. "In fact, I think we all know who it was."
"Who?" I ask.
"The person who was last seen with Sonoda." Evelyn says confidently. "Mari."
"Boo, you bitch." Mari glares daggers at Evelyn. "I didn't kill him."
"Where's your proof?" Evelyn snaps. "We all know your words aren't very convincing."
Mari clenches her fist. "...Seizo! Help me out here!"
"W-Why me?" I stammer.
"Because I said so." The model huffs, crossing her arms.
I roll my eyes. "Fine…"
Non-Stop Argument
"Mari is the killer, not me." Evelyn insists. "Doesn't that seem so much more believable?"
"True," Takumi nods. "Mari has always struck me as the killing type."
"You'll be my first victim, escapist boy." Mari sneers.
"Oh dear." Shiro remarks.
"She had the opportunity to kill him after all!" Fran adds.
"This is not very poggers at all." Jack shakes his head.
(Damn it...I don't really have enough evidence to go off of right now. So I'm going to spin some things around a bit…)
Lie Bullet: Norikazu's Account, fired!
"Time to get into character!"
I shake my head. "Norikazu of all people is Mari's saving grace. Because, he was with Mari and Sonoda when they were investigating."
"...I was?" Norikazu frowns.
"Of course." I nod. "Right Nori? You were with them, then you left, Mari right behind you. You were standing in the hallway sketching out something when you and Mari both heard Sonoda scream. Mari ran inside while you ran to get me. Remember?"
Norikazu narrows his eyes, considering going along with what I'm claiming. I can see Mari shoot me a weird look but I shrug it off, doing my best to remain confident.
…
"Yes, of course." Norikazu nods. "I went looking for you but saw you were with people already. So I went to go find anyone else who hadn't heard the scream. Unfortunately, everyone was already on their way so my efforts were for naught."
I smile. Nori's learned to trust me after all.
"See?" Mari smirks. "I can't be the killer when my alibi is more tight than your-"
"Whatever," Evelyn frowns. "There's one more thing you're completely forgetting about, Seizo. Something that shows that there is absolutely no possibility that I killed Sonoda."
"Yeah?" I frown. "Bring it on then."
Evelyn puts her hands on her hips. "I will. Because there's absolutely no way I'm going down for something I didn't do. So, let's do this."
Argument Armament
"I would never commit murder."
"It's deplorable and sick!"
"No matter the victim, no one deserves to die like that!"
"I'd never help someone kill Nadia."
"She was so sweet!"
"And Sonoda…"
"I couldn't have killed him!"
"Do you remember something?"
"Why was Mari wet after Sonoda's body discovery?
"Because, the sprinklers were on."
"So…"
"If the sprinklers were on…"
"Then the killer had to be wet! There's no other way!"
"YOU USED A TARP TO HIDE UNDER!"
BREAK!
Evelyn's whole body began to shake.
Because her ruse had been exposed.
It looks like some sort of tarp that goes over plants to protect them during a storm or something. In this case, it's probably used for plants that don't need to be watered, so the sprinkler system can turn on, water the plants that need to be watered but the tarp can go on the plants that don't need it.
But what is one of these tarps doing next to the door?
"Mari didn't see anyone leave the room once she entered." I say. "Because, the killer was still inside. And they were hiding under the tarp by the door. They did this to hide themselves and shield themselves from the sprinklers. Like Sonoda, you tried to give yourself an alibi. Only you forgot to cover your tracks by disposing of the tarp."
…
…
…
Evelyn sighs, shaking her head. "I have absolutely no idea how out of everyone, you managed to pinpoint me."
She smiles sadly. "You know exactly how Sonoda and I started to plan, don't you?"
I smile back, just as sadly. "I didn't realize it until now, but yes."
"SEIZO, HELP ME!"
Almost immediately upon entering, I was tackled by someone.
"Ouch!" I yelled, falling to the floor. I groaned and looked to see who my attacker was.
...Evelyn?!
The translator had collapsed on top of me. Her face was full of horror, almost like she'd seen a ghost or something.
I saw movement from behind her and turned my head to see what it was…
And immediately understood why she was screaming.
"What the hell's going on here?!" I yelled, grabbing Evelyn and helping her (and myself) up from off the floor.
"Hm?" Sonoda tilted his head. "What seems to be the problem, Seizo?"
Normally Sonoda wouldn't freak me out this much, but today I've never been more terrified.
Sonoda and Clara were seated at a table in the dining room...wearing a familiar suit.
Sonoda recruited Evelyn into his group. That's how the two linked up…
"Eve…" Fran's face was full of sadness. "W-what's going on? Why are you admitting to it?"
"Evelyn, you have to be joking right?" Koko said through tears. "Y-You have to be! Even if it's a cruel joke, I don't care! Just admit you're joking! You'd never kill anyone, you have to be joking!"
"This is the most unexpected ending to this case." Mari says quietly. The model who would non stop bicker with the Ultimate Translator looks sad and sullen.
"This case has thrown me for the loop." Taka sighs. "At least it's finally over...even though I don't know what the fuck is going on."
"Evelyn. I would not have thought her to be a killer." Leonia admits. "But clearly there's something more going on here. So I'll wait for her explanation before making any judgements of her character."
"I never would have thought two of my fellow HFH Enterprise Official Bank members would turn out to be killers." Clara sadly frowns. "It...really sucks."
"Why did Evelyn do it?" Takumi sighs. "Hell, why did Sonoda do it? This sucks…"
"I f-feel bad for Evelyn…" Shiro sniffs. "S-Sonoda probably manipulated her or something…"
"A killer's a killer, no matter their motive." Jack frowns. "Still...I do feel bad."
"Two people working together ended up turning against each other." Isami starts. "But one of them managed to outsmart the other. It's no surprise it was Evelyn who managed to outsmart Sonoda, and not the other way around."
"Seizo, I'm glad for your sake that your theory turned out to be true…" Norikazu glares. "Otherwise I'd never forgive you for earlier…"
"Evelyn is not a person I want to see go." Akumu says with a very sad expression. "I mean...she was my friend…"
The amount of people hurt and shocked by Evelyn's murderous act is definitely plentiful.
But it's not over yet.
We need to go over this case from the very beginning, the best that I can. Only then will everything make sense, and only then can we…
Vote…
…
"This is the truth of the case!"
Closing Argument
"Our murder begins with our first killer winning a prize. A prize telling them about the order of the participants in the Monokuma's Face Your Fear challenge extravaganza.
For a normal person, the order wouldn't be anything to worry about. But as soon as the first killer discovered what this meant for them: they knew they had to kill someone before the next round of the challenge began. That's because, this person was lying about their talent, and they would've gotten caught if everyone else had realized the order.
And so, they decided to kill someone. How they came up with their victim, I'm not sure.
But how they came up with their accomplice…
The first killer recruited someone who they were beginning to get to know very well. The two were in the same group, and for unknown reasons, they agreed to work together. But the first killer had other plans…
The killer must've enacted their plan sometime in the evening after the scavenger hunt or in the early morning before Nadia's death. But they didn't need to worry: they had someone incredibly smart to help them.
They set up the chandelier trap, and somehow dragged every unconscious person into the penguin exhibit, for unknown reasons.
Then they enacted their plan. They brought Nadia to the watering hole, dunking her in. She woke up in fright, probably starting to put up a fight right away. She scratched them up, but she was no match for them. They pushed her towards the penguin exhibit, possibly rendering her immobile. Then they had to find the time to run to the aquarium to trigger the emergency mode that'd let them change the temperature of the penguin exhibit, all the way to the startling negative thirty degrees.
The rest played out. We woke up, noticed some people were missing, began to investigate, until we found Nadia dead.
Then we regrouped with everyone once the investigation began. The killer did some investigating of their own and put up a great act.
They wandered off to the garden, where I assume a confrontation erupted with the second killer. The first killer was planning to stab them - again, for unknown reasons. But they lost. And fell to their death…
The second killer had to quickly act, and tried their best to create an alibi for themselves. They turned the sprinkler system on, and hid in a tarp. But their efforts were for naught, and their intelligence became their downfall…
Care to tell us the rest of the story, Evelyn Bryant, the Ultimate Translator?"
BREAK!
…
…
…
"Can we get voting over with?" Evelyn asks with a smile. "I want that done and over with before I start talking."
I nod. "Yeah, come on, Monokuma. We're ready."
Monokuma enthusiastically jumps out of his seat, standing onto his feet.
"So you all have finished your debating, huh? Geez, having two of you dead sure is fun but it also makes everything take so much longer! Anyways, considering the trial is over, it's officially time for my favorite event: voting time! Use the button in front of you to vote for who you think killed the unfortunate victim!
Who will be chosen as the blackened?! Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one? What's it gonna be? What's it gonna beeee?"
I stared down at my screen, searching for Evelyn's portrait. While doing so, Fran and Koko's cries filled my ears but I did my best to block them out. Otherwise I'd probably start to cry too…
I locked in my vote, and nervously awaited the results…
About a minute later, a screen popped up behind Monokuma.
It was themed to be like the fighter selection screen for a video game. All of our smiling faces were displayed, and a cursor quickly scrolled over all of them, before getting slower and slower…
And eventually landing on Evelyn.
The word "GUILTY!" appeared on the screen, with confetti flying everywhere.
Then it turned off.
"Upupupu, that's right!" Monokuma exclaims enthusiastically. "Sonoda Eisen, the Ultimate...who knows what, killer is none other than the Ultimate Translator, Evelyn Bryant!"
"Please explain, Evelyn." I plead. "Why would you do something like this?"
Evelyn sadly smiles. "Well, I should first probably explain why Sonoda did what he did...only then might you understand."
"Do you know his true talent?" Clara questions. "And did it play a factor in your decision?"
Evelyn nods. "Yes and yes...where should I start…"
"Sonoda...his real talent is kind of similar to being a salesman. Only, he's much worse than your regular nagging car salesman.
He is the Ultimate Scam Artist who's made a living off of conning others. He's the type of guy to lie to your face so he could steal your credit card info, or run away with your wallet after he promises that he just needs it for 'one quick second'. He's spent the better part of his teenage life scamming, stealing, and sneaking in the shadows.
All because...he has no family. His mother died when he was young, and he never knew his father. His life was full of lies right from the start, when he discovered he could fool caring strangers into buying trinkets from him at absurd prices.
He was eventually caught and sent to a foster home, but he of course didn't stay still. He ran away from his foster home, eventually being found by a man, who took him in after realizing how talented of a scam artist Sonoda was. Sonoda spent the next few years living his life as a scam artist, stealing and lying day in and day out.
One day, he was caught. Not by the police, but by Hope's Peak. They offered to take him in in exchange for him halting any illegal activity and using his talent for good rather than his own selfishness. Sonoda didn't really have any choice, but then of course, this whole thing happened...When Sonoda woke up, he realized he was surrounded by strangers who he had no idea what they were capable of. This is why he lied, coming up with a talent that wouldn't cast any suspicion onto him. He's spent his days here paranoid and suspicious of everyone.
And things got even worse after he discovered the order in the fear challenge.
He had gone too far. Already lying about his talent. Plus, he had embodied Silver in an effort to get more people to trust him. So he knew he had to kill someone.
I don't know why he chose Nadia. Maybe he knew she was going to try and kill Takahashi. I'm not sure.
But he came to me. In my cotton candy grape drunk-like state, he told me his story. I really don't know how he came to trust me so quickly, but he did. And...I felt sorry for him.
I...I used to be somewhat like Sonoda. I was never on the streets and am not an orphan or anything, but I was very close to leading a life like his… I was lucky enough to have family and friends to remind me of life's importance and to do better. But Sonoda…
He didn't have all of that! He had no one but himself and some man who used him for his talent.
I know he's not a good person, but...I felt sorry for him. So yeah. I did tell him how to kill Nadia.
I told him he needed to make as confusing of a case as possible. In our drunken state, he convinced everyone affected by the cotton candy grapes to 'have a sleep over' in the penguin exhibit. That's the last thing I can remember.
Then, I woke up, and everything hit me. I realized what I'd done, and I felt awful for it. When I got the chance, I went to confront Sonoda.
I spotted the knife in his pocket. And knew what he was going to do. So instead of falling victim, I panicked. And pushed him…
Then I sprinted into motion, trying to cover my tracks and create an alibi, just like Seizo said. But by then it was too late. I hoped Sonoda's acts would overshadow mine, and you wouldn't have been able to find me.
But, it was for naught, and you ended up catching me anyway! Bravo, Seizo. And es tut mir leid for my crimes…"
I understand why Evelyn did what she did. But it's also annoying to hear. She felt bad for him and wished he could have the better life that she got to. And yet instead of convincing him not to, she helped him kill Nadia.
Speaking of Nadia, I think I realize why she wanted to kill Taka. She had been plagued by some secret of hers.
She even recruited me to help her get cope with it.
"Breakfast?" Nadia gasped. "I didn't know you wanted to eat with me!"
"Well, it's less like eating and more like me teaching you how to be more confident." I chuckled. "That is why you were at my door this morning right?"
Nadia blushed. "Well, um, yes, but Mari and I always eat bre-"
"Forget about Mari." I demanded. "I know she's your…'friend' and everything, but she's not doing anything to help you achieve your goal of coming out of your shell."
Nadia narrowed her eyes, contemplating my words. Finally she nodded and looked up at me. "...Ok! I will eat with you instead of Mari."
I don't know what changed her mind, but she gave up. She tried to kill Taka.
Nadia, Sonoda, and Evelyn...they all let their fear get to them.
Lack of self confidence…
Paranoia…
And pity.
These things plagued the minds of Nadia, Sonoda, and Evelyn.
But in the end...it's Evelyn who will pay the most for her fear.
"Evelyn, NO!" Fran collapses to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "No, no, no! You can't leave! Please!"
A dejected Takumi has his arms around a crying Koko, who can't muster a word. For the Food Critic, she's now adding another person she was close to on her list.
Mari can't bear to look Evelyn in the eyes. She can't even bear to open her mouth. For once, the Runway Model is absolutely speechless, despite her wish of her greatest rival here disappearing finally about to come true.
"Sympathy truly is a killer." Taka remarks, staring at the portrait of Sonoda. "Which is why I try to not have any."
"Evelyn killed Sonoda in self defense...kind of." Akumu says. "But...maybe she could've used her words to get him to stand down instead of pushing him away...literally."
"The motive got to three people this time." Leonia frowns. "Fear. It's a human emotion that destroyed three people all in the span of one week."
"If you think about it, Sonoda could've just been lying." Jack suggests. "After all, he is a con artist."
"I think after this, a lot of us will unfortunately be more on our guard than ever." Isami says. "Anyone can be a killer. Even the person you least suspect."
"I-I know how Evelyn feels…" Shiro says. "M-My heart gets in the way of my head so many times...I do t-things without thinking of the consequences. O-only Evelyn's consequence is...permanent…"
"When I think of pity, I think of lending someone a shoulder to cry on when they need it." Norikazu says. "I don't think of helping them murder...especially if it means it'll just cause more pain for them and everyone else."
"The decision to murder." Clara thinks aloud. "It's a heavy one. One that you think about for the rest of your life. That's why inmates often kill themselves in prison. Their guilt gets to them...for Evelyn, she won't have any time to think about her guilt. I wonder, is it a blessing or a curse?"
"I don't want to lose you." Fran continues on, grabbing Evelyn's leg. "I can't lose you! I've lost so much already, and now you're going to leave me to?!"
This is when Evelyn herself starts to tear up. "F-Fran, I'm sorry...I'm...just really sorry. If I could go back, I'd do things differently…"
Fran just shakes her head, her cries filling the court room.
Evelyn looks up at me, trying her best attempt at a smile. "H-Hey, Seizo, can you promise me something?"
I bite my lip, doing my damndest to not cry. "W-What is it?"
"Can you...end this killing game? Before it causes any more pain?" She says, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Please?"
I immediately nod. "I will. I will absolutely end this. No matter what. I promise."
Evelyn closes her eyes, continuing to smile. "Thank you, Seizo...I really appreciate that…"
"Alright, alright, that's enough! You all know the drill by now!" Monokuma evilly laughs. "It's time for the blackened, Evelyn Bryant, to receive her punishment!"
"NO!" Fran screams. "PLEASE NO!"
"I've prepared a very special punishment, for Evelyn Bryant, the Ultimate Translator!" Monokuma continues.
"PLEASE STOP IT!" Fran continues to scream. I can do nothing but stare at the ground.
"I'm really, really, sorry...Please don't make the same mistakes I did." Evelyn says, her tears starting to increase as she begins to sob.
"Let's give it everything we've got! It's...PUNISHMENT TIIIME!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Monokuma pulls out his little gavel, and suddenly hits a red button in front of him.
There was a little screen on it that displayed:
GAME OVER!
EVELYN BRYANT HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.
TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!
There was also a little graphic of a pixelated Evelyn being dragged away by Monokuma…
A chain comes from nowhere, latching onto Evelyn. It grabs her, and snatches her away from a screaming Francesca...
World Tour of Pain
Evelyn finds herself in what looks like a traditional Japanese village.
Monokumas wearing kimonos and montsukis line the streets, talking to each other and doing various activities. Overall, everything appears rather tranquil.
Evelyn slowly begins to walk down the street, her body slowly shaking in fear. All seems well and good, until she hears a crash.
She quickly turns around, to see a car flying right towards her. There's a license plate on the front that reads "USA". Her eyes widen, and she's frozen in place as it crashes right into her.
She falls to the ground and her eyes squeeze shut in pain. When she opens them, she finds herself in what looks like a New York City-esque environment.
This time there's Monokumas wearing suits and dress suits walking the streets. Evelyn is incredibly battered, and looks around her in fear and paranoia. For a few seconds, all is peaceful and tranquil.
Until this time, several Monokumas suddenly pull out guns, pointing them at Evelyn and pelting her with bullets.
The translator screams in agony as the bullets fill her body, and her eyes close once again.
And when she finally manages to open them, she once again finds herself somewhere different. This time, she looks to be in an island environment.
There are no Monokumas to be seen, and it looks like Evelyn is all by herself.
Bleeding and unable to even walk, Evelyn drags herself across the beach, presumably searching for a hiding spot from whatever is coming for her next.
She turns her head and her eyes sparkle once she sees a tent, with a sign reading "HIDING PLACE".
Her pace quickens, and she crawls towards it as she fast as she can.
10 feet…
8…
4…
She can just about touch it. A smile manages to creep onto her face as she is just about to enter the hiding place.
But from behind her, she hears crawling sounds.
Her smile drops.
She turns her head, to see what looks like hundreds of scorpions crawling towards her.
Her eyes widen, and she tries to get away, but it's too late.
They crawl onto her, and begin their assault.
Evelyn finds herself stung over and over again.
The toxic scorpion venom filling her bloodstream, and her entire body in unimaginable pain.
She screams in horror, but luckily, it's over pretty soon.
The venom begins to overtake her bloodstream, her entire body soon pumped full of it.
The scorpions, satisfied, crawl away and go about their day.
And Evelyn, lays swelled up and dead on the sandy beach.
A Monokuma comes out of the hiding spot, wearing a coconut bikini and says one thing:
"Oh dear."
…
…
…
I'm a person with a pretty strong stomach.
And mind.
But this…
This is…
I feel…
Faint…
…
…
…
My eyes slowly blink open.
I find myself staring up at my familiar bedroom ceiling.
How'd I end up here?
Ah, that's right. Evelyn's grotesque and horrific execution made me pass out. Someone must have taken me here…
Actually, I think someone is here. I feel like I'm being stared at. I gulp, turning my head to see a incredibly surprising face looking back at me.
"Hello." Isami says. "You passed out."
"I, uh, know…" I awkwardly say. "What are you doing here?"
Isami hums, sitting on the bed to be next to me. "I don't know. Takahashi asked for one of us to watch you. So I volunteered…did you not want me to?"
"No, no, that's not it." I insist. "It's just, I never thought you'd want to."
Isami shrugs. "...Me neither. But Seizo. You know...my amnesia. It's gotten better."
"Y-yeah?" I say, starting to get an uncomfortable feeling. "Well, that's good."
Isami nods. "...Yes. I suppose it is. You know, Seizo. I quite like your company."
I gulp. "...You do?"
"I do." She answers. "Not in the way I enjoy Shiro's company, and also not in the way I enjoy Norikazu's. With them...it's more personal. With you...it's...well...I'm not sure how to describe it."
"Well, regardless, I'm glad you do." I say. "My goal is to be friends with everyone here. So we can all escape together."
"Escape together." Isami repeats. "I hope we'll be able to...but I feel like it might not happen."
"Why is that?" I ask nervously.
Isami looks at me with her cold golden eyes. "Because. You and I both know one of us is evil. And they're not going to let that happen."
I gulp once again, remembering my dream from earlier in the week. One of us is evil...one of us...is a mastermind.
"I wonder...if it's him." Isami suddenly says.
"W-who?" I ask. "Who's him?"
She looks at me once again. "...I don't remember. But...I know he's real...and he's very determined to please them…"
"Them?" I repeat.
"Someone else." She says. "Someone else who just might be bigger than he is…"
She closes her eyes, leaning onto my headboard. "Come on, Seizo. It's time to get some rest."
My heart is beating a mile a minute. Him...them…
…
I don't know what the hell is going on…
A hooded figure is watching a screen, shaking their head in disappointment. "Come on...you need to end this thing already." They whisper.
"Heizo, status report." A man in an armored suit suddenly appears by his side.
Heizo quickly shuts the screen off, turning toward the Armored Suit. "What is it? Have you done as I asked?"
The Armored Suit slowly nods. "Well, yes sir, but I still don't understand-"
"You don't need to understand a thing." Heizo snaps. "Just do as I ask. And don't tell him about it."
"Why, of course not sir." Armored Suit salutes. "...Is it true he's staying there?"
Heizo sighs. "Yes. Until it's time…"
Armored Suits nods, salutes once more, and walks away.
Heizo makes sure Armored Suit is gone, and turns the monitor back on.
On the screen is a sleeping Seizo, Isami no longer next to him. Heizo sighs, touching the screen.
"Be safe in there. And try to utilize this gift I'm giving you…"
Surviving Students
1. Seizo Morine (Crimson) - Ultimate Actor
2. Akumu Tsubasa (Azure) - Ultimate Cryptid Enthusiast
3. Clara Odette (Scarlet) - Ultimate Modern Dancer
4. Satoko Kiyomizu (Rose) - Ultimate Prodigy (2V)
5. Mari Tamatsuki (Royal) - Ultimate Runway Model
6. Koko Kagawa (Cherry) - Ultimate Food Critic
7. Hiiro Sayoama (Frost) - Ultimate Barista (2K)
8. Sonoda Eisen (Onyx) - Ultimate Salesman (3V)
9. Isami Kanagi (Lava) - Ultimate Tinkerer
10. Evelyn Bryant (Merigold) - Ultimate Translator (3K)
11. Ritsu Kuroyama (Noir) - Ultimate Spy (1K)
12. Shiro/Kuro (Cloud/Shadow) - Ultimate Oculist
13. Leonia Taylor (Diamond) - Ultimate Photoshoot Choreographer
14. Silver - Ultimate TV Host (1V)
15. Takahashi Jirou (Sunrise) - Ultimate Pilot
16. Nadia Levitsky (Indigo) - Ultimate Daredevil (3V)
17. Francesca Croft (Emerald) - Ultimate Archaeologist
18. Jack Masaki (Mauve) - Ultimate Dealer
19. Norikazu Kanno (Sage) - Ultimate Illustrator
20. Takumi Kyoshi (Cotton) - Ultimate Escapist
A/N: THANK YOU TO BARBACAR, LORD, AND OCEAN FOR NADIA, SONODA, AND EVELYN!
I loved all three characters and seeing them gone is going to be so hard. But as you've noticed with the other deceased characters, they will most definitely pop up once in a while.
Well, chapter 3 is over. And I will say, I know some parts of the case is messy :ROFLMAO: I forgot somethings over the YEAR it took me to finish the case, so please forgive me :pensivegrin: hopefully everything still made sense
BTW don't forget we have a discord! PM me for the invite.
Thank you all for reading and I CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU IN CHAPTER 4
It is my personal favorite by far :BARBARA: