Chapter 2-4
Ode to a Positive Soul
"I must apologize if I start to cry. It has been so amazing, my time here at Hope's Peak Academy, and the people I have befriended. Each of my classmates has a special place in my heart, and I cannot wait to see what all of them accomplish when we leave here.
"I know it might be a bit cliché, but there was something I wanted to sing for you all. It may be a bit silly, but I feel like it would be the best way to convey the feelings in my heart. Ahem…
"Chaque jour va être exceptionnel
We'll stick together even after we say farewell
C'est notre monde et nous y vivons tous
You'll forever be in my heart, and are my muse
Merci beaucoup, Hope's Peak Academy~"
-Angelique Angolmois's graduation speech/song
Day 07, 1:25 PM
Monokuma Park
Western Side
Twenty-three graduates were formed around the western side in the wretched park. Most of them were staring at the horrible sight of the charred corpse that had once been such a positive, kind-hearted person.
Yitro couldn't bear to look at her body anymore, he was leaning against the wall of the fire station. Ken and Drake were standing near him, fearful of how what he might do in his grief.
That fear was justified when the Kubs showed up.
"Whoa, damn, that's fucking extreme," Monokid bellowed. "Someone here must be a music critic, because she got roasted! Hardcore!"
"You could say," Monosuke remarked, "that her final performance was well-done!"
"Brrlblblblghghg!" Monophanie barfed.
"Are you two trying to compete with Father with insensitive comments?" Monotaro asked. "Because if you carry this on, we'll-WHOA!"
The red bear held his paws up in self-defense as Yitro moved towards them, ready to stomp the ever-loving shit out the bear cubs. Ken and Drake held him back, with Saiko standing between the offensive cubs and the furious former swordsman.
"You'll just get yourself killed!" Saiko snapped at him.
"I don't care," Yitro huffed furiously when he stopped struggling. "They don't get to talk about her like that!"
"I'm sorry, Yitro, but you're going to have to take it. Getting yourself killed isn't going to help yourself, or her, or anyone! Get a grip, they're trying to provoke you."
"We are?" Monotaro asked, scratching his head. "Um, we came here to announce that the investigation will start soon. Father is getting the trial room ready."
The graduates exchanged glances, the realization of the horrid situation dawning on them all. They didn't really know what to say or do, for the most part, the murder had happened so suddenly.
"Is it at all possible," Isaac spoke up, "that we can get a death report?"
"Nope," Monosuke declared. "None of us built a tech store, so you don't get a tablet!"
"Can we ask you all questions this time too?" Hara inquired.
"We'll only be able to answer specific questions," Monotaro replied. "Everything else, we'll have to say that we cannot answer it. You're welcome to try!"
"Wait, about the questions," Eisei spoke up, pulling a lollipop from his pocket, "the motive question come specifically to mind. Could you please inform us where we stand on that now?"
The Kubs exchanged glances, or at least the ones who weren't finishing vomiting did. Monodam spoke up, "IF-YOU-WOULD-LIKE, WE-CAN-START-THE-INVESTIGATION-NOW. ASK-QUESTIONS-AND-WE-WILL-ANSWER-WHAT-WE-CAN. WOULD-YOU-LIKE-TO-COMMENCE-THE-INVESTIGATION?"
Now the graduates paused, until Isaac scanned all of them. No one was raising an objection, then his eyes rested on the one person there who couldn't.
Kimiko was still unconscious, a bloody injury on her head that was the obvious reason for her state. Shuuya and Crystal had carried her over here, and Pyrrha was trying to take care of her. As the romance writer cradled the woman's head in her lap, to ensure it didn't lay on the cruel park's ground, Isaac felt a wave of dread.
"Before we begin anything, we need to know," he asked the Kubs, "what is going to be done about Kimiko, with her condition?"
"What do you mean?" Monotaro asked.
"Can she receive any medical attention? What if she dies, or doesn't wake up before the trial?"
"Haha, brings new meaning to dead woman walking," Monokid cackled, "with how our trials can go!"
"KIMIKO-HASHIRIYA-IS-A-TOURIST-OF-OUR-TOWN," Monodam stated. "SHE-WILL-BE-PART-OF-THE-TRIAL."
"But she's unconscious," Hara pleaded, "and she might die!"
"HER-STATUS-IS-BEYOND-OUR-HELP-BUT-IT-IS-TOO-COMPLICATED-TO-EXPLAIN. PLEASE-UNDERSTAND-THAT, LIKE-WITH-EVERYTHING-ELSE-IN-PENJAR, THERE-ARE-MORE-ASPECTS-AT-PLAY-HERE-THAN-YOU-REALIZE."
"Youse should really be more concerned with youse'selves right now," Monosuke remarked. "Because this trial may be your last if you don't do a proper investigation. Youse wanna know what'll happen if you fail, huh?"
"Come back here, you couple tiny-tittied twerps," Junko Enoshima shouted, her maniacal voice echoing down the hallways. "You're just delaying the inevitable, and when I'm in play, things happen sooner rather than later! I just wanna cave in a bitch's head, is that so wrong?!"
Kimiko and Mahiru were sprinting as fast as they possibly could, trying to get away from the murderous model. They didn't seem to get a good enough lead, and eventually, found their way to a large flight of stairs. When the two made it to the top, Kimiko turned around and clenched her fists.
"What are you doing?" Mahiru shouted. "She'll kill you."
"If you think I'm gonna run from some supermodel bitch," Kimiko declared, watching Junko skip up the stairs towards her, "then think a'geen!"
"Haha, I'm the harbinger of death!" Junko proudly declared, coming up to Kimiko's level as she prepared a mighty swing. "You underestimate me-"
A booted foot kicked square in Junko's chest, and there was a split second where the psychotic model was suspended in midair. Eyes bugging, staring down at the foot that had countered her, breasts bouncing in slow-motion as if everything she did had to have some kind of fan service moment.
Then she flew through the air, crashed headfirst on the stairway, bounced down as she slammed down with each horrible impact, and then collapsed at the bottom of the stairs. Her limbs were all bent in odd angles, and she was barely moving.
"Ohhhhh," Junko whimpered, though far more annoyed sounding than in pain, "oh that fucking hurt. Shit, what happened to my OP powers? I call foul!"
Kimiko stomped her foot down, and spat, "I doo'nt care where we are, or who you are, but you're still just a bitch. And I am a bitch breaker!"
Mahiru raced over, grabbing Kimiko's arm and pulled her onwards. "Don't stop moving! We need to get somewhere safe!"
"What? Huh?! Where's safe here?! This is Hope's Peak Academy in hell!"
"Please, just listen to me! Jeez!"
Mahiru led Kimiko for several minutes of frantic retreat, going up two stories until they found themselves in a bowling alley, of all places. The biker gang leader collapsed in a chair, huffing and puffing from all the heavy sprinting. Mahiru lay on several chairs like a bed, gasping for air.
The two had a minute to recover, and then Kimiko spoke up. "Okay, you want to tell me… what the hell is going on?"
Mahiru stared at the biker gal, and said, "I… I don't know where to start."
"How did I get stuck in here a'geen, first of all?!"
The photographer sat up, keeping eye contact with Kimiko. "As far as I know, there are items that are scattered around Penjar, things that were taken from Hope's Peak Academy before it was destroyed. Ever since you all arrived in Penjar, we've had visitors here."
"But where is here? And I wasn't touching an item this time, I was… I was with someone."
"I don't know, maybe something has happened to give you a chance to visit here again. And what here is, is… well, I'm not entirely certain, but I think this is some kind of afterlife."
"If I recall, I was told that this is definitely some place between life and death, and despair is involved. How does that involve you, Mahiru?"
The redhead hung her head, sighing miserably. "I'm stuck here."
"What? How?"
"I'm not entirely sure. But it's been so long, maybe I'm just a fragment of Mahiru, maybe I'm a cruel mockery of her. I've been through so much… I… I…"
The photographer burst into tears, Kimiko staring at her with the utmost confusion. She wanted to comfort this sobbing girl, but the last time she had seen her, she was on a violent murder streak.
"Kimiko, I don't know what is real anymore, I cannot tell you in all honesty, but there are some moments of clarity. And when I get them, it's usually when I don't have much longer to live."
"But, how can I help?"
The photographer shook her head more, and muttered, "I… I don't know how. God, I would do anything, ANYTHING, to get a better sense of lucidity! I just… I just know one thing.
"I want to help you, Kimiko, because if you don't get out of this Killing Game alive, you will die in the living world."
Kimiko shivered, and grumbled, "Shit, I just want to know what happened. Could you just tell me-"
The main door to the bowling alley opened. Both girls froze, and stared at the person coming in. Kimiko felt her heart starting to race, and her body was locking up. Whatever was going on in this bizarre realm, it was making her quite fearful for her life…
"Yes, we know we'll die if we don't guess the true culprit," Isaac snapped at the Kubs. "If you're not going to be clear about anything until we start the investigation, I guess we'd best do this now."
Monophanie wiped her mouth of that unusual style of vomit that still stained her maw. "Ptew! Um, if you're sure. We'll answer questions, even when you all split up to get answers."
"Just start off by explaining where we stand with the motive now," Eisei said, pointing his lollipop at the bears before placing it in his mouth. "I believe that is the most important thing right now."
"Very well then," Monotaro said, pumping his fist. "Let's do dis!"
INVESTIGATION START!
Saiko moved over to the body, with Isaac and Futaba helping her clear the scene as best they could. Before anyone else could react, Souma stepped forward, gesturing for everyone to pay attention to him.
"Before we break off into groups, we should all be hear what the Kubs have to say," he suggested. "We want, as they say, all our ducks in a row."
"I'm with you, my friend," Eisei chimed in, walking over to the Kubs. The dentist was only slightly taller than these Kubs, he almost blended into the mix of absurdity. "So, may I start us off?"
"Fire away, Eisei," the public speaker said.
"Okay. Kubs, did someone ask you a question that would result in the murder?"
"Sure did," Monosuke said proudly, slapping his stomach. "We got two people who asked a question!"
"Two?!" Shinobu cried out in horror. "Oh no, oh no no no!" *TRUTH BULLET*
Eisei pulled the lollipop from his mouth, twirling it around as a thinking tic. "If I recall, the rules were that if someone who asked a question committed a murder, it covers everyone who made an inquiry based off the motive. At least that means we don't have to worry about that."
"What, about multiple murders?" Aka balked, pointing at Kimiko. "She could have died too!"
The dentist pushed his lollipop back into his mouth, and muttered, "Yes, that is a major concern. The rules are that if someone kills two people, they are to be immediately executed, but the murder set-up could have resulted in both of their deaths." *TRUTH BULLET*
"Was that the rule change that was part of the deal?" Drake asked, kneeling down in front of the Kubs. "That the Deviant Tourist can kill two people?"
"GUESSING-THE-RULE-CHANGE," Monodam said, facing the cartoonist, "CAN-ONLY-BE-DONE-DURING-THE-TRIAL."
"That might be what we'll start with then," Souma said with a slightly frustrated huff. "But we have to guess two rule changes for this trial." *TRUTH BULLET*
Eisei shook his head, then asked, "I personally have a question: I couldn't see much at all with how thick the mist was getting, was that your doing?"
"It was more Father's doing," Monotaro admitted. "We cranked up the mist's output, it made for things to be way more atmospheric!"
"Not to mention short people like you," Monokid shouted, pointing at Eisei, "got no reason to live."
"You're shorter than me," Eisei commented.
"I AM NOT SHORT, YOU FUCK!"
"Don't waste time arguing with the little bastards," Emanuel snapped, rubbing his forehead. "We got enough problems here, especially since I'm going to have to admit, the mists were definitely far thicker and more obscuring." *TRUTH BULLET*
"Oh joy, you're willing to cooperate," Ishiku remarked, receiving a very sharp glare from the Bête Noir.
"Don't push it, puta. Anyway, Kubs! No one has left Penjar, correct?"
"No, all twenty-six of you are still here," Monophanie said, then she lowered her head and added, "I mean, all twenty-five of you now."
Emanuel scanned the area, and said, "There's twenty-three of us here, we're missing two people."
Fiora covered her mouth in shock. "Ye… Yejoon's not here."
"What?!" Yitro snapped. "That bastard is not accounted for."
Crystal, who had remained quiet since she was still sore and fatigued, glanced towards Aka. The skier was avoiding all eye contact, as if trying to ensure no one could pry something out of her.
"Hikari isn't here either," the military adviser commented, causing Aka to flinch.
"Wait, what?" Ishiku declared, searching the area for the steampunk model. "Where could she be? Are we sure she's okay?"
"Come to think of it, has anyone seen either of them?" Blake remarked. "Hikari wasn't in her room, and neither of them were at breakfast."
"Two MIA, two possible victims, two possible culprits," Eisei listed off, shaking his head. "This is starting to become a terrible case of duos." *TRUTH BULLET*
Shuuya rubbed his chin, and glanced at Ken. The cavalryman was dead silent, seemingly more interested in keeping Yitro from doing anything rash. The bounty hunter remembered what had happened earlier, when Ken said he was watching Hikari's house.
He also remembered Ken disappearing when they investigated her house. Shuuya felt it all very suspicious, but he wasn't going to say something right away. *TRUTH BULLET*
"Wait a minute," Aka said, very nervously glancing around at everyone. "Are… are we sure that body is Angelique? I mean, are we sure?"
"It is her," Yitro bitterly spat out. "Her locket was in her hand. Angelique would have done everything she could to protect that in her last moments."
"But… what if that's someone else, and they put Angelique's locket in their hand? We have two people missing, we don't even know if that person is one of us! This could be a horrible set-up by Monokuma!"
Aka frantically scanned the group, but they didn't seem to be buying this. Crystal spoke for them when she said, "These Killing Games have never involved a fake victim like that. Though it is a terribly tragic truth, the victim there has to be Angelique."
"Plus, she was with Kimiko all day before we lost track of them," Hara said, staring sadly at the unconscious woman. "If someone was going to attack Kimiko, Angelique would have been there too." *TRUTH BULLET*
Pyrrha felt Kimiko shiver in her unconscious state, the park's rocky floor uncomfortably cold. She tried to help the woman be more comfortable, as Anzu knelt over her friend.
"This poor girl's been through so damn much," the actress lamented, putting her hand on Kimiko's shoulder.
Kimiko and Mahiru froze up when the door squeaked open. Small footsteps echoed in the spacious bowling alley, and then the petite figure walked over to them.
"Oh, Chihiro," Mahiru said, hurrying over to the programmer. The feminine boy stared in concern at the redheaded photographer, then went wide-eyed when Mahiru hugged him tightly.
"M-Mahiru? Are you okay?" Chihiro asked, as he returned the hug. The photographer was shivering, trying so hard to hold in sobs, and it resulted in her squeezing him tighter in the hug.
Kimiko stood up and walked over, seeing the redheaded girl who had last time gone on a murderous killing spree, that this petite sweet thing had seen the end of… and they were hugging. It made no sense, but Kimiko couldn't deny how close they looked right now.
Mahiru eventually let go of Chihiro, and cupped his face. "Chi, you need to go to the others. Junko has gone insane, murderous and mad. Find them, and stay safe. She'll kill you all if she can."
Chihiro's eyes were so wide with terror, he was shaking hard and clutching Mahiru's arms. "N-no. I didn't think she… she would-"
"Chihiro! You need to be a man now, strong, like you've told me you want to be," Mahiru told him. She rested her forehead against his, and whispered in addition, "I believe in you. You are reliable, just please, please stay safe."
"But… but what about you? And who is she?"
Chihiro pointed at Kimiko, who nervously waved at him. Mahiru waved her hand, saying, "I'm staying with her. We have to do something that is very important, you just have to trust me. Do you, Chihiro?"
The programmer nodded, despite the tears in his eyes. Mahiru shuddered as she took a deep breath, then cupped his face and kissed him. It lasted a good few seconds, then she said, "Now go, my reliable man."
The programming genius walked towards the door, glancing back once more at Mahiru and managing a smile for her, then he left. The photographer sighed, and wiped the tears from her eyes.
She turned to Kimiko, and said, "He should be fine. This game is almost over, we just have to handle Junko."
"How do you know that?" Kimiko declared, putting her hands on her hips. "If you love that boy, you should be going with him. You should be trying to survive for his sake too!"
"I'm going to die soon, Kimiko. Whenever I grow conscious of this place, I know what is going to happen. I know happened, I know everything that happened. EVERYTHING."
Mahiru pulled her camera off of her neck, and hurled it down to the ground with a furious shout. The device broke into several pieces, and then Mahiru stomped on them.
"Every! Single! Time!" she shouted. "If I'm possessed, if I'm scared to death, if I'm happy! E… especially when I'm happy! Damn it!"
Mahiru stopped stomping on the camera, and leaned against the railing. She stared at Kimiko, who was all manners of shocked.
"This place doesn't work on the same level as the real world, Kimiko. Time is irrelevant."
"How the hell did I get here? Can you at least tell me that?"
"My guess is that when you took that blow to your head, your concussion, or even your comatose state, was like your gateway here. The evil in that town, it wants to try and bring you all here, maybe it's seeking a way to join the real world?"
Kimiko opened her mouth to speak, closed it to think, and then spoke again with much more calm. "If this is a Killing Game, then maybe if the evil wins it, it can escape?"
"That's not a bad theory, but I cannot confirm it. I've never seen the end of the Killing Game."
"I'm pretty sure I've seen this horror movie before, eh," Kimiko said with a half-hearted laugh. "If I die, I get stuck here; that woo'd be my best guess. Shit, I hate Killing Games! Does everyone who die in Penjar get stuck here?"
"No, I've only seen the living members as visitors. You, and that other girl…"
Mahiru rubbed her forehead, and muttered, "I'm sorry, I wish to God I could be more clear to you. But my head, it's swimming so much. My thoughts… I feel like my brain has become a maze, and there is no map."
"Look, Mahiru, let's try to get something straight out of you, one way or another," Kimiko instructed. "Maybe we need to find a way to end the Killing Game in this world."
"I've tried everything!"
Mahiru gripped her head, huffing in frustration. "I tried doing everything to maintain peace from the start, I've tried winning the Killing Game, I've fallen to Despair, I've locked myself away, I've done EVERYTHING!
"But… every time, at one point or another, I suddenly become aware of my failures. Sometimes I remember, repeating the same thing for the umpteenth time…"
"Okay, okay, I'm soo'ry," Kimiko hurried over to her, gripping her shoulders. "Please, please calm down."
Mahiru had tears falling from her eyes, the saddest smile on her face. "You know how I kissed Chihiro just now? I've done that, so many times. I've fallen in love with him so many times, and not just him. I've grown close to different boys, and sometimes even a girl, and I… it's like I'm told that it wasn't meant to be.
"The Killing Game delights in taking that away from me, right after it happens all over again. Can you imagine what that is like? To fall in love with someone, and then one day realize it's happened again and again, and with other people? And that's not even counting…"
She locked up, eyes widening in terror. Mahiru stared at the door, and Kimiko saw the same thing she did: bright red, murderous light shining through the cracks of the doorway. That feeling of icy dread, it sent nerve-wracking shivers up Kimiko's spine.
"Mahiru? Mahiru!" she shouted, shaking the redhead. "Please, before it's too late, try to tell me one thing: what's going on in Penjar? You seem to know what happens before it does, what do I have to do?"
"You mean if you wake up?" Mahiru asked. The words came out as chilling, though she looked sick with worry. "I told you last time: recognize the true evil, don't let it trick you."
"But what does that MEAN?!"
"It means when you face evil, don't let it win." *TRUTH BULLET*
BAM!
The door swung open so violently, breaking it off of its hinges despite them being metal bolts. The two women jumped, and then faced the figure at the door.
Junko stood there, bathed in the sinister red light that had flooded the hallway behind her. She was standing on legs that appeared broken, with blood staining her clothing, her skin, her face. The model was using the bat like a cane…
And it was dripping with much more of the crimson life fluid than before.
"Oh my, you are quite the case study," Junko said, tapping a pair of glasses that were somehow suddenly on her face. "It is my hypothesis that you are a possible monkey wrench in the spanners.
"You don't get to just come into my Killing Game," she growled, as she tore the glasses from her face and chucked them at the ground. Her eyes blazing with hateful energy as she stared at the two. "And then just invite yourself out! You don't get to do that, you don't get to just leave my field of despair!
"I'LL STUFF THIS BAT DOWN YOUR GODDAMN THROAT UNTIL YOU SHIT IT OUT BEFORE I LET YOU FUCKING INTERFERE WITH MY GAMES!"
"Are we sure we cannot do anything for her?" asked Anzu, staring at the others pleadingly. "That head wound is so terrible."
"The only one here with serious medical training is the dentist," Samson pointed out. "I don't think he can treat blunt force trauma."
"That is indeed out of my expertise," Eisei admitted. "But I am knowledgeable on how to help a patient who might be suffering fatal symptoms. I'll stay by her side."
Souma pat Eisei's shoulder, silently thanking his friend. "As concerning as Miss Hashiriya's condition is for us all, I think we have learned all we can from the Kubs currently. It's time to spread out and get this investigation done properly.
"Saiko will investigate the body with Futaba and Isaac. Fiora, you are in charge of finding Yejoon. Dra-"
"WHAT!" Fiora hollered, gripping her fedora. "I'm just supposed to go 'oot there alone and find the serial killer for you all? Why the hell woo'd I do that?!"
Souma groaned, rubbing his forehead, as he spoke again. "How about Ken go with you? He would be perfect for defense, correct?"
"I want to find that monster," Yitro said with a snarl. "He talked about burning people to death when he bragged about his murders."
"I'll go with them," Ken said, saluting Souma. "I won't let any harm come to them."
"I have to go off to find the creepy, murder-y man yet a'geen," Fiora grumbled as she stomped off with the two men alongside her. "Why can't I do something more important, or better yet, have me find the really hot girl instead?"
"Hey, I'm seeing that really hot girl," Aka shouted angrily at her, then she turned to Souma. "I have to find Hikari, I need to make sure she's okay."
Souma nodded, then turned to the others. "Ishiku, Odelios, why don't you two go with her? Best not have small searching parties."
"Go after the really hot girl, yessir," Ishiku declared.
Odelios saluted too, though the sight of his rubber chicken in his hand definitely did not give the same confidence. The two guys, along with Aka, left the scene to hunt for the missing steampunk model, and Souma turned towards the rest of the group.
"Now, as for-"
"Don't even think of telling me what to do, fancy suit," Emanuel snarled, pointing at the public speaker. "I'll do as I please, to solve this case."
Souma scoffed, and said, "So long as you stay off the sauce, that is fine by me."
"Fuck you."
As Emanuel walked over to the fire pit where Angelique's body lay, Blake stepped forward. "If it's alright with you, I want to check the fire station. There's a lot of things I still need to find out."
"I'll go with him," Shuuya volunteered.
"Me too," Samson said, cracking his knuckles as he added, "Whatever caused all this came from there, most likely."
When they walked off together, Crystal shook her head. "I don't recall large wood piles in the fire station; however, I think I remember where they were last time I saw them."
"If you feel up to investigating, take Shinobu and Drake with you. I don't want any loose ends, and I trust your judgement."
Crystal moved to straighten her jacket, then remembered she wasn't wearing it. It was a ruined mess at the other end of the park. Sighing regretfully, she glanced over at Drake and Shinobu, and motioned for them to follow her.
This left Souma with Ignatia and Hara, both women staring at him expectantly. The public speaker smiled, and said, "If you two would accompany me, we have this park to start looking through."
"I hope we can see something with all of this mist," Hara said. "It's still so thick."
"We're going to have to try, my dear," Souma said. "Just get your future husband to help us when he's done helping your friend. Time is of the essence."
Ignatia clicked her tongue, and headed off, doing her own thing as per usual. Souma shrugged this off, no sense in trying to stop the stubborn mute. He turned towards Hara, and said, "Would you please accompany me, Miss Pathik? There is a place of interest I would like a second opinion on."
"Of course. Let's get to the bottom of this, fast."
Hara glanced over at Isaac before she walked away. He was circling the fire pit, trying hard not to look at the charred corpse. It was impossible not to smell it, which made him gag slightly. He whispered in French before he approached his investigator friend.
"Please tell me that she didn't suffer long, Saiko," he said. "She was a good person."
"I'm fairly certain she didn't last long. If she did scream, she was awake, but not for long," Saiko replied with a sullen sigh. "It takes a lot of fire to do that, which makes me think the culprit wanted to ensure the victim died."
Futaba was squatting at the bottom of the fire pit. "There's so much char down here. I am pretty sure that someone soaked the bottom of this with kerosene or the like." *TRUTH BULLET*
"Yes, I've seen arson like this before," Isaac said, rubbing his right arm. "Whoever did this really wanted to make a statement with the amount used."
"Considering the target is dead," Emanuel, who stood nearby and spoke mostly to himself, "and how much they singed the Monokuma statue, they're definitely going for the horror aspect."
"First a victim who looks like he was turned to stone," Futaba grumbled, "now a victim who was incinerated. Maybe they're hoping that we'll think it was a demon or something."
"The shock of violent death is a tool too," Isaac remarked. "I think that that the shock value of this murder was meant to off-put us."
Emanuel scoffed. "Is that so? Shocking murders aren't exactly something we're all unused to by now. If they really wanted to do something effective, they should murder those who solve the murders, not the bystanders who don't contribute."
Saiko leveled a rather pissed glare at the Bête Noir. "I would ask you refrain from making comments like that, directed at Isaac and me. Or I might take one of these logs and bash you with it."
"Touchy, aren't we, puta?" Emanuel said, rolling his eyes. "I was referring to me, because I can ask the hard questions. Like, how did the killer bring so much wood over here in so little of time?"
Saiko started to pull through the wreckage, grumbling under her breath as she did so. "I'm already on that, you washed-up bastard. I shouldn't have to take lip from a drunk who is probably going to pass out at the trial again!"
Isaac walked over to stand between Saiko and Emanuel, the tension getting to be a bit much between them. Futaba snickered under her breath about how the two should just something and get over with it, then she noticed what Saiko was digging through.
"You know, come to think of it, this looks like a bunch of that flammable stuff from the fire station," Futaba remarked. "I'm seeing bits of newspaper and cloth, like those oily rags and such that were there.
"And… wait a minute, is this melted plastic?"
The anthropologist pulled out a warped, burnt piece of plastic from the bottom of the pile. Despite how badly the fire had ravaged it, she could still make out what it used to be. "I think this has to be a plastic container, like the kind of stuff lighter fluid is in."
"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking," Saiko said. "The killer used a whole bunch of that, and then stacked some of the wood to make it look like a giant log pile. Destroying evidence or whatever, looks like Isaac's theory of shock value has a bit more truth to it." *TRUTH BULLET UPDATED*
"I can think of a few reasons why they'd do that," Isaac remarked. "But there is one thing I think we need to consider: how long would it take to do all of this?"
"Not like we can time a test run, reporter boy," Emanuel remarked, rolling his eyes.
Reporter Boy glared at him, then he turned to Futaba. "Can you time me? I'm going to test something."
"I gotcha," the anthropologist said. "I believe you're on the right track to do so. Maybe you should try helping out more, Bête Noir?"
"I think I will," Emanuel said with a scoff. He walked towards the fire station, as Isaac broke out into a sprint through the park. Saiko continued investigating the fire pit, as Emanuel entered the ironically named building.
Day 07, 1:45 PM
Fire Station
Emanuel walked into the building, careful not to trip on the fire hose, or slip on the water that was still there. He glanced around at the mess of a station, and noticed that several of the piles were significantly shorter. There were far less newspapers and oily rags, just as the others had deduced.
Blake was searching a bunch of the cabinets, and was growling in frustration. "Most of it is gone. Kerosene, lighter fluid, even those small canisters of gasoline are gone. Someone really cleaned the place out."
"They wanted to make sure their victim didn't survive," Shuuya remarked, shaking his head as he watched Blake. "The poor woman, but at least we know it wasn't you."
"Oh really now?" Blake said, a humorless smile on his face. "Why, because it wasn't 'professional' enough?"
"More or less."
The bounty hunter walked through the building, observing everything that was missing. He rubbed his chin, and remarked, "Here's what I'm concerned about most: there was a lot of heavy stuff, all that newspaper and oily rags. And the latter were just that, oil-slick rags. How did someone move all of this stuff without looking and smelling like a mess?"
"You wondering how long it would take this to set up?" Blake asked. "Because I'm telling you right now, if you knew where everything was, and moved fast, it's not going to take you all day."
Shuuya regarded him, then attempted to pick up a great deal of the newspapers. He strained slightly at the weight, and attempted to sprint towards the door. Emanuel was in his way at first, but the bounty hunter was quick enough on his feet to avoid him. He hurried out of the building, as the Bête Noir regarded him.
"Are you sure you should be saying that much, Blake?" Emanuel asked. "You're going to end up the prime suspect at this rate."
"I was with Shuuya for most of the day, at the housing area," Blake responded with a scowl. "While setting all of this up wouldn't take very long, I was with him since about 11 AM. Tell me when exactly I could have set this all up, and kidnapped those two women, when I had a professional bounty hunter with me." *TRUTH BULLET*
From the other side of the station, Samson cleared his throat to catch their attention. "If you two are done, I found something that I'd like a little bit of explanation, Blake."
The trader was standing in front of open drawers, and was holding an electronic remote. Blake and Emanuel came over, just as Shuuya came back in. The bounty hunter was about to speak, when Samson spoke first.
"I found this in the shelves up there. Blake, what exactly is this?" he asked.
"That's a master remote for the remote fire starters. You use that to program the spark machines and the laser trip wires. Using that, you can set up which laser trip wires set off which spark machine, or set them off manually."
Samson stared at the device, and said, "Wait a minute, what's this about the spark machines and laser trip wires?"
"Blake and I had a conversation about that earlier today," Shuuya said, walking to them. "When I found him in here, he said those items were missing. How many were there, Blake?"
"Three of each, but there was only one master remote. They were in those drawers, right there," the pyro said, pointing at a separate cabinet, a short distance from the one Samson had found the master remote. "When I discovered they were gone, I was… concerned. That's when Shuuya found me.
"The spark machines, you put them down and then set up the metal wires for where you want the spark to make contact with. It's used for fuses, or to be placed on the surface of where the machine was put; that could be what set off the lighter fluid trails." *TRUTH BULLETS*
"And the laser trip wires set them off?" Samson asked. "Holy shit, they could simply wave their hand in front of the laser to start a fire. Or remotely set them off."
"No, that's not possible," Emanuel remarked, tapping the cabinet they found it in. "If that remote was in the cabinet when you three showed up, then the killer must have programmed the laser trip wires and spark machines, and then left the remote here."
"The remote also lets you know when a laser trip wire is, well, tripped. Why just leave it here?" Blake remarked.
"That remote is almost the size of a brick," Shuuya added, raising an eyebrow. "If someone was carrying that around, we would have noticed." *TRUTH BULLET*
Emanuel clicked his tongue, then he walked away from them, looking around the area. "Heh. Then I guess we just have to ask ourselves, who exactly was the last person to be in here?"
Day 07, 1:49 PM
Streets of Penjar
Near the Main Plaza
"No no no no no!" Fiora screamed. She was on Yitro's back, wrapping her arms and legs around him, in an attempt to stop him. It really wasn't working, the movie maker forcibly piggy-backing on the former swordsman wasn't slowing him down much.
"You did it, did you?!" Yitro roared at Yejoon, who stood calmly a short distance from them, arms crossed and mask on. "You killed Angel! YOU DID IT!"
As Fiora struggled to pull back on Yitro, and Ken moved to get in-between the enraged man and the serial killer, the latter man was still rather calm.
"Angelique is the victim?" Yejoon said. "I wasn't even aware."
There was a wheezing gasp, as Monokid came running towards them, out of the mist. He tripped, fell on his face, then lifted a paw. "Yo! Yeou! Angelique Angolmois was the victim! You got a limited amount of time to investigate! Move your ass!"
As Monokid rested on the ground, the graduates were busy trying to subdue Yitro. Yejoon pulled his mask up, as he shook his head and sighed in regret. "Will you please control yourself? I have something to say."
Yitro, growling furiously, finally managed to calm down enough for Ken and Fiora (mostly the former) to prevent him from attacking Yejoon. The fox artist spoke ever-so-calmly.
"I did not kill Angelique. I wasn't a part of this murder, in any way. I," he said with a smug smile, "didn't even ask a question as the Motive would have allowed."
"Even if you didn't ask a question, you're a Goddamn serial killer," Yitro snapped. "Your word means nothing to me!"
"Nor me," Ken said, glaring daggers at Yejoon. "There is no reason to trust you, you dishonorable fiend. Where were you during all of today?"
Yejoon shrugged, then glanced to the side. "Keeping myself scarce, for reasons that should be obvious. Now, what is it you all want?"
Yitro huffed furiously, then muttered, "This was a waste of time. If I cannot beat the answer out of him, then we're done here. We found him, that's all I need."
He stormed off, with Ken right beside him. Fiora, falling off of his back, scrambled to get to her feet. She then realized that there was a hand extended to her.
"You seem several levels of flustered," Yejoon said, helping her up to her feet; she was startled at how strong he felt. "Can you tell me what has happened?"
Fiora stammered at first, but then told him everything she knew about the murder. Yejoon listened intensively, a serious expression on his face despite the movie maker's rather animated way of describing things.
"You were rather lucky that the fire hose didn't literally spew fire," he commented, "considering how Monosuke designed that fire station."
"How could a hose spew fire?!"
"Gasoline or kerosene then. It matters not, for what is important is to find out who did this. I don't have a likely suspect this time."
"You mean because your sister is dead?" Fiora asked, nervously poking her fingers together. "Thinking back on it, I think you knew she killed Takeo."
"Yes, that was my suspicion from the beginning. This murder, however, is completely different. And they'll be coming for you again."
"WHAT?!" Fiora squeaked, gripping her fedora. "But… but… after last trial-"
"That's not going to matter, Fiora, but I believe you can have the strength to defend yourself this time. I highly doubt anything I say is going to be taken seriously."
"Everything you say is taken very seriously…"
"Thank you, my dear; however, let me ask you something very important."
The artist smirked again, and tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. "Where were you today when I wasn't with you?" *TRUTH BULLET*
Day 07, 1:35 PM (Taking place before and simultaneously during the previous two events.)
Monokuma Park
Center Area
"Ignatia, dear, please be careful," Hara called out. "There's metal shards everywhere, they could cut right through your shoe!"
The mime nodded, gesturing a thanks as she proceeded by dragging her feet more rather than stepping. Sure enough, she was kicking pieces of metal that would have been bad to step in.
Souma was standing in front of the ruined statue located in the center of the park. The "art" had been ruined by the explosion, and he was holding a device he had found close to the wreckage.
"If I recall correctly," he said, as he examined the small, box-like object, "this is a fire starting device, a spark box if you will. I recall seeing them in the fire station, another tool for Monosuke's idea of literate humor."
"It blasted the statue, or whatever it was, to heck and back," Hara commented. "Did it light a trail leading up to the statue?"
"Causing an explosion, which anyone could make a small one from all the stuff in the fire station," Souma pointed out. "As much as I hated this artwork, it seems to have been a casualty in this as well." *TRUTH BULLET*
Hara glanced out to Ignatia, who was sweeping her foot around to see if she could find something. "Ignatia, was the explosion what drew you and Eisei to the park? When we heard it in the tavern, we came out here."
Ignatia nodded, pointing towards a path. It was the central path leading to Monokuma Park, from the central road and in-between the Monokubs' buildings. The mime gestured to the Monophanie's theater, which had no backdoor leading to the park, and then gestured the route she and Eisei took.
"Okay, you two were in the theater and then you came out here to investigate the explosion," Souma interpreted. "Easy enough to understand." *TRUTH BULLET*
Hara sighed, and glanced back towards the western fire pit. "It's still so hard to believe that someone would do something so cruel. I just have a difficult time processing that someone went to all this work, with the intent of murdering that poor woman."
"Two poor women, actually," Souma said. "We should investigate the other fire pit, see if there are any clues."
The three of them headed over to the eastern fire pit, which was still burning brightly. The flames roared like a bonfire, and the three of them exchanged glances.
"I forgot that we never put this one out," Souma admitted. "But does the firehose even go that far?"
"I don't think there's a good point in putting it out, the fire would have destroyed anything hidden in there by now," Hara pointed out. "Thank God that Crystal got Kimiko out of there in time."
Ignatia tapped one of the wooden logs that had been thrown from the pit in Crystal's efforts to pull Kimiko out. She continued to tap it, until Hara noticed, and thus a complex and confusion one-sided conversation took place.
While Hara tried to interpret Ignatia's words, Souma studied the area. He found Crystal's jacket nearby the pit. He sighed as he picked it up, trying to see if it could be salvaged, but it was definitely ruined.
"She said it was custom-made, what a terrible shame," he commented, before dropping it back to the ground. As he saw the burning light highlight the area, something dawned on him. He puzzled over it, and then muttered, "Wait… if I'm right…" *TRUTH BULLET*
"Souma?" Hara called out to him. "I think what Ignatia is telling me is that the fire pit is almost entirely, if not all, wooden logs."
Ignatia nodded a great deal, and gave Hara a congratulatory slap on the back. "Oof," Hara responded, rubbing the area. "Easy there, Ignatia."
"So the one here is mostly wood? I wonder why that is." *TRUTH BULLET*
"Maybe if we go into the tavern, we could find out?" Hara suggested.
The three entered the tavern, missing Emanuel walking over towards them. Having just missed them, the detective scoffed before glancing at one of the pathways. The Bête Noir studied the closest one, and muttered to himself, "Amateurs, doing it halfway."
He continued to search the edge of the park, inspecting the backdoors and pathway, until he came across something that he hadn't really expected to find. Several things, in fact.
"Hello hello," he said with a triumphant grin. "Call me a useless drunk, but you all are gonna eat shit when I bust this case wide open." *TRUTH BULLET*
Day 07, 1:49 PM
Western Tavern, Bar 'n Grill
Stockroom
Souma, Hara, and Ignatia were surprised to find someone in the stockroom, or rather the two beings who were there. Drake was studying the inventory, with Monodam nearby him.
"Why is he with you?" Souma asked Drake, eyeing Monodam.
"HE-ASKED-ME-TO-ACCOMPANY-HIM," Monodam said, "AS-HE-INVESTIGATES. MY-SIBLINGS-ARE-HANDLING-THE-OTHERS."
"No, not why is Drake here, why is… you know what, never mind," the public speaker said, shaking his head. "Drake, have you got any information?"
"Well, it's not good, I'm sorry to say," the cartoonist responded. "There was an overabundance of wooden logs back here, for the fireplace."
"Oh right, the tavern has a really big fireplace," Hara remarked. "It was part of the decor, but I didn't think that it would need that much wood."
"This stockroom has a lot of stuff in it, and the wood was one of the biggest parts," Drake explained. "Monodam told me that he keeps it fully inventoried, and that the amount that was in the fire pit out there was in this stockroom."
"That fire pit? What about both of them?" Souma asked.
Drake stared at the bundles of firewood, and said, "There's still some here, but I don't know if there was enough for both. Either way, it answers the question of where it all came from…" *TRUTH BULLET*
"Oh dear, this is really bad," Hara remarked. "Everyone had access to this room, and it is connected right to the park! Anyone could have set this all up!"
"It's still utterly baffling," Souma said, as he nudged some of the firewood with his foot, "how someone managed to cart this much outside. Even if you leave the backdoor open, that is a considerable amount of heavy lifting."
"I don't even know how they managed to do it without getting wood pieces all over their arms and such," Drake said, scratching his head in confusion. He walked over to a shelf he had left his sketchpad on, and started to draw. "I mean, the amount of trips it would take…"
Ignatia walked over to him, silently observing his skill as he tried to make a picture over the events. As they worked on this angle, with Souma and Monodam observing, Hara made her way into the tavern.
Crystal was sitting at the bar, holding a glass in her hand. Shinobu sat down on the stool next to her, quietly talking to her.
"Listen, you saved someone's life," she was saying to Crystal. "You're a hero! I know what is happening now is horrible, but you still saved Kimiko from that fire pit. If you hadn't, she'd be dead too."
Crystal let out a long sigh, and knocked back her drink. Setting the glass on the counter, she muttered, "Story of my life, Shinobu. Save someone, lose another. Story of my effing life."
She leaned against the bar, rubbing her forehead. Groaning, strained, she noticed Hara approaching them. "Hello there. Any idea who did it yet?"
"Crystal, sweetheart, don't tell me you're getting drunk at a time like this!" Hara exclaimed, nervously staring at the woman.
"Just one shot, I'm not getting sloshed. We've had enough drunks at a trial… we've had enough trials."
Rolling her eyes, the military adviser glanced between the two. "I was just going to wait until we ran out of time, and then listen in during this trial to add my input. I just feel terrible, alright?"
Shinobu reached over and put her hands on Crystal's shoulders. "We know you're upset, but still, please, talk to us."
"At least tell us what happened," Hara pleaded.
"What happened? I went outside for some fresh air, then when I saw all the wood in the fire pit, and I started walking forward. I… I triggered some kind of laser trip wire, and then there was a blazing trail heading for the fire pit.
"I put it out with my jacket… damnation, that was one of the only material items I held close to my heart. Thought it was done there, but then the explosion happened in the middle of the park. Guess I missed something or what, I dunno, but then two fire trails started, and I got Kimiko out of the pile before it was set ablaze." *TRUTH BULLET UPDATED*
Hara nodded, then said, "Here, I'm going to go find that thing you were talking about. It might be very important."
As the explorer headed outside, leaving Shinobu to comfort Crystal, she had to move through the stockroom. As Drake and Souma were talking about how much effort all that lifting would take, the public speaker asked a direct question.
"Drake, where were you when the explosion went off?" he asked. "I apologize for the bluntness, but I feel like someone should start gathering alibis. Futaba and I were in the café." *TRUTH BULLET*
"Oh, I, um, was nearby," Drake muttered, blushing slightly and glancing away. "Not nearby you, I was around here. But I was alone, so I don't really have anyone who can back me up."
"I-CAN," Monodam spoke up.
"Thanks, Monodam, but from what I remember, the Kubs cannot be witnesses for us."
"NOT-ACCORDING-TO-THE-TRIAL, BUT-I-WILL-STILL-BACK-UP-A-FRIEND. THAT-IS-HOW-YOU-GET-ALONG, AFTER-ALL." *TRUTH BULLET*
Day 07, 2:00 PM
Housing Area
"HIKARI!" Aka called out. "Come on, babe, please come out here! HIKARI! This isn't how I wanted to be shouting your name, girl!"
"Must you be lewd," Odelios chided her, "in front of my child?!"
He was covering Rubarrow's ears, or rather squeezing his fist around the rubber chicken's head. Aka scowled at him, and shrugged.
"You really going to keep acting silly, after what's happened? I mean, come on, this is serious."
"Then stop calling out to Hikari like you're trying to make a mating call," Ishiku replied.
"HEY! I'm stressed, okay? This isn't the fun kind of action, like high-speed sports gives you! This is her safety I'm concerned about! And…"
Aka rubbed her face, groaning miserably. "Okay, I'm sorry, guys, I really am. Let's just… let's think about this. Is there any place she could be besides here?"
Ishiku glanced around at the houses, until he saw one in particular. "You know, maybe we don't know where she is, but there is one place we should look."
He pointed at the house that had been Angelique's. Odelios and Aka exchanged glances, and both sighed. "It might be worth checking out there," the clown said.
"Yeah, but only for a bit," Aka remarked. "Remember what Monokuma said last trial? He'll kill anyone who doesn't show up in time, and I'm getting more worried!"
The three walked over to Angelique's house, and opened the front door. There, sitting on the side of the bed, was Hikari. She was looking through a book, heavily engrossed in it.
"HIKARI!"
Aka screamed in joy, she was so relieved to see her. The steampunk model jumped and turned around, eyes wide in shock. The skier sprinted over to her and seized her in a tight hug, declaring, "You scared the hell out of me!"
"Well… you just scared the heck out of me," Hikari remarked. She was muffled for a moment when Aka kissed her good, and then looked her over. "I'm… I'm sorry I went missing."
"We're just glad you're okay, Hikari," Ishiku said, grinning happily.
"Rubarrow wants to know," Odelios barked, pointing at her, "why you are in Angelique's room!"
Hikari blinked in surprise, staring at the rubber chicken in Odelios' hand. "Rubarrow, I just… wanted to make sure that her stuff didn't disappear on us."
"Wait, sexy," Aka said, "how'd you know she was the one who died?"
Hikari pointed down near the floor, and nearby the bed was Monophanie. The pink Kub waved at them, though seemed rather sad currently.
"I was told to find Hikari, and inform her of what happened," Monophanie explained. "Daddy says we have to give every guest of Penjar a fair chance, so we're allowed to go out and let those who don't gather for the body discovery the basics."
"Like who the victim is," Hikari said, sighing sadly. She lifted the book, and the others could now tell it was a Hope's Peak Academy yearbook. "She had this within her belongings. She… left so many notes and messages. The poor girl… she…"
Hikari clutched the yearbook to her chest, as a couple tears leaked from her eyes. "I just didn't want anything of hers to be thrown away and never seen again!"
"Takeo's stuff got taken away," Ishiku said, frowning in concern. "I guess you thought the same thing would happen?"
"Yes. Angelique, I got to know her a little, and I knew of her work. I mean, how could I not, she was an amazing performer, and…"
"I'd really hate to be serious one here," Odelios interrupted. "And when I say I hate that, trust me, I HATE it. But Hikari, you were gone all day, and now we find you here. What gives?"
Hikari wiped her tears away, her eyeshadow smeared slightly now. "I… I cannot say."
"What?" Aka said, covering her mouth in shock. "Hikari, you cannot be serious! I was super worried about you, like the not fun kind of thrilling! Come on, please talk to me!"
"Aka, I wish I could tell you. But as it stands now, I truly cannot say anything." *TRUTH BULLET*
They were about to try and ask her more, but the city-wide intercom spat and whined to life…
Day 07, 1:58 PM (Two minutes before the previous event.)
Monokuma Park
Western Pit Area
"Kimiko?" Anzu said, as the biker gang leader began to shake. "Oh no! No no no, is she having a seizure?"
"Eisei," Pyrrha called out, alerting the dentist's attention, "what do we do?"
Eisei dashed over, and examined Kimiko. The shaking wasn't too strong, but it was persistent. "I don't know exactly, but hold her close. If it gets worse, we'll need to ensure she doesn't bite her tongue."
Anzu gripped Kimiko's hand, holding it again. Pyrrha held onto her shoulders, and prayed to all powers above to give mercy to the lady. Eisei watched intensively, recalling all knowledge he had on what to do in these kind of circumstances…
Kimiko snarled at Junko, and shouted, "You miserable, evil piece of shit, you were never that hot to begin with!"
"My tits are way better than yours, rubber burning bitch!"
Before the argument could continue, there was a flurry of movement from Junko. Her broken bones, the limbs visibly injured, didn't slow her down in the least. She moved like a monster from a horror movie, jerking and twitching but unnervingly fast.
The model slammed into Kimiko, knocking her against the railing and over it. It happened so fast, she couldn't even comprehend it until she landed hard in the seating area of the bowling alley.
With the impact to her head, she couldn't comprehend what was going on. She heard a shriek, someone yelling for someone else to stop. Was that Mahiru? Her vision was fuzzy, her head spinning in agony. She could feel blood running down her face.
…
…
"… stop… I… let you!"
"Cam… unt… think… you can… ME?!"
…
…
Sounds of impact, screams of pain. The noises were down at Kimiko's level, but going into the alleys. She could hear laughter, sadistic and cruel laughter.
…
…
…
Crashing sounds, bowling pins being knocked over.
…
…
There was a sudden boost of adrenaline, and Kimiko felt herself gaining strength immediately. It was like her body was telling her that if she didn't get now, she was dead.
And as she struggled to her feet, the imminent threat was bearing down on her. Junko was, somehow, walking across the bowling alleys towards her, bloody baseball bat in one hand, and a freshly blood-splattered bowling pin in the other hand.
"No…"
Kimiko stammered as she saw what was behind Junko. In one of the alleys, Mahiru's bloody body was laying among scattered bowling pins. The head trauma was visible even from this distance. Mahiru was dead.
"You're next," Junko said, cackling as she walked on broken legs but no pain or hinderance coming from it. "You're next, and when I am done with you, I'm going to Penjar and busting up your friends!"
With Junko close now, there was only the ball return between her and Kimiko. There were several bowling balls there, and the biker sprinted for them. Grabbing a bronze-colored one, she lifted it up as she leapt for Junko. The two women screamed at each other…
… as Kimiko brought the bowling ball down on Junko's head. It smashed her skull, spurting blood from the wound. The model dropped her weapons and collapsed to the ground, as Kimiko landed without coordination as well.
Managing to get back to her feet first, Kimiko held onto the bowling ball with a firm grip. Huffing furiously, she pulled herself towards the battered supermodel.
Junko was twitching, but her insane grin was back on her face. "You really… gonna kill me?" she said, laughing along with that horrible twitch going through her. "Thought you were against doing that… especially in a Killing Game."
"This isn't a Killing Game, this is just some twisted delusion created by a supernatural nightmare," Kimiko hollered. "You're just a figment in this, a possessed being who acts like a crazy psycho killer. If Mahiru was the same way and came back, that just means I gotta put you down to stop the killing."
"Ha! You… you think this is me twisted? This… this is me normal."
Junko jerked side to side, blood spraying from her head wound, before she continued. "I'm the original gangster, the head bitch in charge. I caused ALL of it to happen. Hehe, but no one except for my friends know that. I did it all…
"And," she said, her face contorting into the most diabolical of grins Kimiko had ever seen, "when I say I am responsible for all of it, I mean ALL of it. I did it all for despair… hah… hahahaha…
"Even the situation you're in with Penjar, that was all MY doing! It's amazing how well a plan can come together! Oh, and Kimiko darling? Please, say hi to Angelique's charbroiled body for me.
"She's dead. And if you really think about it… it's your fault."
Rage like she had never felt before in her life blinded Kimiko. She raised the bowling ball, and brought it down. The sickening crack and splatter didn't upset her at all. Kimiko brought it down again, and again, and again and again and again.
It was only when she lost all of her strength that she stopped. Dropping the ball, it rolled away down one of the aisles, leaving a blood trail where it rolled. Kimiko fell to the floor, so exhausted that she couldn't see straight. As she stared up at the ceiling, she could hear more noises.
The bloody bowling ball rolling down the aisle, towards the pins slowly but surely, was a distant rumbling. There were people coming into the bowling alley, trying to find out what was going on.
Someone was running over to Mahiru's body. They were sobbing, bawling over her, a heart-breaking sound. People were moving over to her, and repulsed at the sight of Junko's caved-in head.
Kimiko couldn't make out who most of them were, but then she saw Teruteru move towards her. He reached down to her, and whispered as he clutched her shoulder, "I'm sorry, belle fille, but you need to go back now. Have faith in your friends."
There was an intense rush of light in front of her, drawing her in…
Kimiko woke up with a loud gasp, startling the three around her. The biker gang leader whipped her head around, gathering where she was, who was around her.
"That's not the normal method of awakening from a concussion," Eisei remarked.
"Kimiko, can you hear me?" Anzu asked, gripping her hand. "Thank heavens you are awake!"
"We were so worried about you," Pyrrha said. "It really is a miracle that-"
"Where's Angelique?"
Her question silenced the three of them. When they didn't answer, Kimiko began to stand. It was hard at first, and the three tried to get her to stop, but no amount of wooziness would keep her down now. She asked again, "Where is Angel?"
That was when she saw the fire pit a short distance away. Isaac, Futaba, and Saiko were finishing their investigation, when they saw Kimiko get up. The biker saw them, saw the pile of burnt wood and material… and the corpse within the middle.
"NO!"
Kimiko sprinted over, breaking away from the others. She came right up to the fire pit, and when she got close enough to the body, an intense feeling of nausea hit her. That charred corpse, it… it couldn't be…
"I know it has not been long between us, my belle fille, but I do believe I trust you," Angelique had whispered to her last night.
"She's dead," Junko's words rang in her skull.
"Hold me closer, I like the feeling of your heartbeat against mine. It makes me feel alive, so much closer to you."
"And if you really think about it… it's your fault.
"No no NO!" Kimiko screamed, falling to her knees and covering her head with her hands. "NO! It can't be! Why… WHY! ANGELIQUE!"
As she openly sobbed, the city-wide intercom spat and whined to life. There was a sadistic chuckle before a loud, fake clearing of the throat.
"Ahem! Attention, all guests of Penjar! The investigation is OVER! Hehe, yes, I know, it wasn't much time, but I let you discover everything you needed to! Don't believe me?
"Well, too bad! Please report to the front of Town Hall, at the front steps, within the next ten minutes. Anyone not there may be subject to immediate execution! Thank you for visiting our-"
"Hey, Pops!" Monosuke's voice came, slightly distant from behind Monokuma's. "Youse might need to give them five more minutes than that, they're pretty spread out."
"Monosuke, what are you doing here?! You're supposed to be assisting them out there during the investigation!"
"Well, see here, Pops, Monophanie went to find the pretty girl, Monodam's with the dork, and Monokid went to find the artist fellow. I TRIED to help that detective guy that Monokid likes, but he told me to get lost!"
"What about Monotaro?"
"I'm pretty sure he literally got lost."
With some grumbling about being unable to "find reliable children nowadays," Monokuma's impatient ramblings eventually turned back to the microphone. "Fine! You all have fifteen minutes to get to Town Hall! Thank you for-"
"Actually, youse might need five more minutes for Monotaro to find his way back."
"Grrrr… so about twenty minutes then? Okay fine, whatever, AHEM! You all have TWENTY minutes to get to the Town Hall, and thank you for visiting our lovely city of Penjar~! Upupupupupu!
"And if you see my IDIOT cub lost out there… give him a kiss for me, I miss the cute little buggar! Upupupupu! See you soon!"
The intercom went silent, and there was quiet throughout most of Penjar. The only one not so was Kimiko, who sobbed wretchedly in front of Angelique's body.
Day 07, 2:16 PM
Town Hall
Front Steps and Door
The twenty-five graduates were all formed in front of Town Hall, waiting on the bears. Four of the five Kubs were standing on the front steps, Monotaro still missing.
Crystal and Samson were quietly conversing, away from the others. Hara, Isaac, and Saiko had formed their usual trio, and shared information. Yejoon stood next to Fiora, who was quiet and nervous as all hell.
Kimiko had managed to collect herself, but she was very sullen and not responsive to the others. She was keeping her distance from Yitro, shame crossing her face every time she caught sight of him. The biker gang leader barely recognized those who were trying to comfort her.
Emanuel stood in place, smug and confident looking, holding a bag that he refused to let anyone look in. Aka stood next to Hikari, glancing occasionally at the model, who had a visage of grim determination on her face. Shuuya and Blake quietly spoke to each other, sorting things out.
Eisei offered lollipops to those who normally accepted them, then placed one in his mouth. The lavender-topped dentist strolled up to the front steps, and asked, "Are we still waiting for Monotaro? Why don't any of you know where he could be?"
"It's not like we have a fucking tracking devise on the dude," Monokid roared.
"But you keep saying this is your town, how does he not know his own town by now?"
"Please," Monophanie pleaded, "he will be back here soon, I promise you! I mean, I hope he will be. Penjar can be such a dangerous place!"
Eisei raised an eyebrow at the pink bear. "Even for you?"
"We did just get two hellish infernos in our town, in the park. Goodness me, it's so terrible, you'd think a demon did it!"
"You mean to tell me that a Goddamn demon sprung up in my park and blazed the fucking place up?!" Monokid exclaimed, swinging his guitar over his head. "… HOT DAMN! That is so metal, I cannot find the proper words for it!
"Haw haw haw haw haw! FUCK YOU, Monodam, I beat your stupid fucking tavern in the end! No party tonight in your place, because the limelight was all my demon-spawning park! I'mma gonna call it Ifrit Park now!"
"…" Monodam responded, not regarding Monokid in the least.
"Ooo, Ifrit, I love it," Monosuke said. "That's another mythological monster we have had in Penjar! We're turning into quite the supernatural sight!"
"You cannot fool us," Odelios shouted. "Everyone knows that ifrits are a summon, not a wild monster!"
"Enough with that shit," Monokid shot back, "and that's final!"
"Your fantasies are running wild again, my adorable little cubs!"
The main doors swung open, revealing Monokuma there. He waddled up towards the front steps, and waved towards the graduates. "Welcome, guests of Penjar! I've grown tired of waiting for my last idiot cub to come join us, so let's-"
"I'm here! I'm here, I'm here, I'm here!"
Monotaro came sprinting up towards the building, hurried up the steps, and into the building. "We can start now, Father!"
"Grrrrr… FINE! Fine fine fine, it is partially your show, you can ruin it if you want to. Throw the whole momentum out the window, why don'tcha? ANYWAY! Come on in, and head to the back of the room!"
The other four Monokubs turned around and ran into the building. Like last time, they scattered and the distant sounds of doors slamming could be heard. Monokuma walked into the building, as the twenty-five graduates walked in.
The two-story inside still felt as soul-sucking as ever. The chill that hit everyone's spine, the crackle of ruined tiles and trash on the floor, the creak of the foundations that said everything about this awful town wasn't to be trusted.
The huge service elevator was there, with Monokuma at the button. He pressed it, and the doors opened. They all walked in, and he hit the button again. The door to the elevator slid shut, and with that mechanical rumbling and slight lurch, the elevator started to go down…
Down…
Down…
Down to however low the trial room was…
Down all the way to this hell…
The graduates were either staring forward with serious scowls, or glancing all around at each other. Some hoped that there could be a last minute hint to who did this, but all they saw was fear, concern, and determination.
At long last, the elevator stopped. The door scrolled open, and the shock from the first time they saw the trial room was just as much as this one.
The gigantic trial room, from the floor to the high-rise ceiling, were perfect painted shades of red, orange, and yellow. That searing crimson to burning orange to heated yellow, led up to a smoky black that reached the ceiling and the center of the trial room. It was hellish, like the floor and walls were made out of solidified fire.
In the partitions around the circular room were statues, masterful carvings of demon-like beings. These women had gigantic horns, fangs from their mouths, and hair that was as frenetic as wildfire; what appeared to be flames billowed from their waist down, perfect stone carvings of beings whose lower body was a fiery inferno.
They all had very large breasts too. These ifrit sculptures were as detailed as the gorgon statues had been, the same artist who could match an Ultimate's skill was evident. How they had been made, how they got here, it was so very confusing to the graduates.
Monokuma was seated on his oversized throne again. The five Monokubs were lined up and waiting, bouncing around as they waited for the graduates to get into place around the trial circle.
"Welcome back to the Penjar Trial Room," Monokuma declared. "The PTR is so happy to see you all here, so many familiar faces. Hope you like the new decorations, the ifrit statues took a while to make!"
"Why are they female?" Monokid asked. "I thought ifrit were men! Manly butch men with strapping chests and bulging biceps! Why do they have tits?!"
"Mythological creatures are always left for interpretation," Monosuke said with a snide chuckle.
"DID YOU TURN MY HEAVY METAL BAND CONCEPT INTO A HENTAI FANTASY?! I'LL FUCKING END YOU!"
"…" acquiesced Monodam.
"Could you all please stop fighting?" Monophanie whimpered. "This is a serious trial!"
"I'm so glad I made it in time," Monotaro exclaimed.
Twenty-five people were now standing at their respective podiums. Angelique and Jin both had memorial framed pictures on stands, with a red X over their faces; Jin's also had many, many small X's at the bottom of hers.
"I'd say this was really starting to heat up, but that might be a bit insensitive," Monokuma declared. "Aw well, I'm burning with anticipation, so let the first trial of Penjar begin! Let's get ready to crackle!"
Monokuma's cruel choice of words weren't entirely off the mark. Everyone was burning, feeling the heat over how dreadful this case was going to be.
It was as disturbing as Takeo's, but different in a completely different manner. A tragic trial, for a tragic death…
*Jin glares forward, three fingers correcting the rim of her owl-themed eye mask.*
*Yejoon stares through the eye holes of his fox mask.*
*Crystal stares downwards, as if surveying a map or field.*
*Isaac is leveling a studying stare straight forward with a hand extended, as if wanting an answer.*
*Fiora is gripping the sides of her head, appearing flustered and wide-eyed.*
*Aka has a hand on her skiing goggles perched on her head, looking bravely forward.*
This was the trial for Angelique Angelmois, the Ultimate Opera Singer. She was a flirt, an older sister-like figure, a sweet and caring person who had befriended many of them. It was something that most of them were having trouble comprehending.
*Saiko has her hands on her hips, glaring downwards at someone or something.*
*Drake is nervously glancing to the side, while holding his sketchpad up and close to his chest.*
*Souma has an arm raised as he is apparently in the middle of delivering a speech.*
*Hara has her hands clasped together, staring anxiously forward.*
*Shuuya is glancing over his shoulder, with his arms crossed defiantly.*
*Eisei has a lollipop in his mouth and looks half-interested in whatever is going on.*
Who would kill someone that nice? Who planned this sinister and malevolent murder? Was the motive that strong of a desire for someone to brutally kill her, but also put a second person's life at risk?
*Blake is cracking his knuckles and growling in frustration.*
*Ignatia is glancing from the side, seemingly uninterested.*
*Hikari is taking a confident pose with a smile, hand on the brim of her hat and her chest stuck out with pride.*
*Shinobu is holding a finger up, trying to prove a point about something or other.*
*Odelios is holding up a rubber chicken and is pointing at it, as if to accuse it of the crime.*
*Yitro has his arms crossed and eyes closed, scarf pulled up slightly over his mouth.*
There's so many questions to ask, and answers to find. But after the first trial, when things became so hostile that they almost accused the wrong person, can they trust each other to do this correctly?
*Ishiku is grinning and is holding up one of his signature chocolate coins in-between two fingers.*
*Samson glares forward from underneath the brim of his hat.*
*Takeo pumps his fist into the air with gusto.*
*Emanuel gives a tired stare from the side as he is holding his favorite flask close to him.*
*Ken salutes and stands proud, staring up to the sky.*
*Angelique has her hands over her heart, silently praying.*
Doubt and worry aren't going to solve this case. It is time to fight onwards, to discover Angelique's killer and bring her soul to justice…
*Kimiko is pointing forward while shouting defiantly.*
*Pyrrha is making a heart with her hands, a sad but sweet smile on her face.*
*Futaba has a finger touching her glasses, narrowing her eyes.*
*Anzu stares forward defiantly, her frown and posture confident and ready.*
And thus, it is time to begin the Town Trial of Penjar!
Truth Bullets for Case 2:
…
The Question Motive - Monokuma's Motive was that if anyone asked a direct question about Penjar and/or Despair, they would receive an answer. Once they did, they would have to kill someone by midnight, or be executed. Anyone who asked a question committing a murder covers everyone who asked one as well.
The usual rules and standards of the Killing Game are still in place, but anyone who asked a question may ask for one slight rule change. Only the requester knows the rule change, and the innocent have to guess what it is in the trial.
Two Possible Victims? - Both Kimiko Hashiriya and Angelique Angelmois were placed in fire pits, and both could have been murdered; however, the rules of Penjar's Killing Game states that anyone committing more than one murder will be immediately executed.
Two Culprits? - The Monokubs have announced that two people asked a question for the motive. The possibility that there are two Deviant Tourists is real, but how and why can only be guessed at this point.
Two Rule Changes - If there are two people who took part in the motive, then there are two rule changes for this trial. Both are in effect.
Thick Mists of Penjar - Ever since this morning, the mists that flow through the town have become more enshrouding. It became so thick and high, it was almost impossible to see things on the ground, or people moving through the street.
Missing Graduates - Yejoon Nahm and Hikari Tetsuhime were missing since the beginning of the day. Neither of them showed up at the crime scene, and were found later after the murder. Futaba claims she saw Yejoon at one point.
Ken Kishi's Post - Ken Kishi said he would be watching Hikari's room when she chose to sleep in. However, when Blake and Shuuya entered her house, she was not there; Ken disappeared shortly afterwards. No one saw him until the murder.
Angelique Angolmois - The victim was spending her entire day with Kimiko, the two of them last seen together. Angelique wears a locket containing a picture of her first, late lover, which was found on the body. Her last action before her death was to grasp it to prevent its destruction.
Western Fire Pit - The western fire pit contained Angelique, and it is where she died. She and the pile were covered by firewood, but it mostly consisted of flammables such as oily rags and newspapers from the fire station. Liquid fire starter was heavily applied to the base of the pile, which was what caused it to burn so heatedly. The pit caught fire when a flame trail from the center of the park led to it.
Eastern Fire Pit - The eastern fire pit consisted mostly or entirely out of firewood. Kimiko was in this pit, covered by the wood. There was a singular trail of lighter fluid that almost reached the pit, but didn't; a fire trail starting from the center of the park did reach it, and set the heavily doused fire pit ablaze.
Central "Art" Explosion - At approximately 1:05 PM, an explosion went off at the center of Monokuma Park. This destroyed the "artwork" there, and alerted numerous people to the scene. Shortly after the explosion, fire trails in the center of the park led to both fire pits.
Spark Machines - A box-shaped device that, when it receives a signal, creates a spark normally used for fire starters. It can work on fuses or to catch something on the surface it is placed on ablaze.
There are three total. Two of them were found by investigating members: one near the tavern's backdoor, and one near the center "artwork" of the park. One is still unaccounted for.
Laser Trip Wires - A small box-shaped device that projects a laser straight from it. When something breaks the laser's path, it sends a signal out; this signal is used to make the spark machine trigger.
There are three total. One of them was found by investigating members, near the tavern's backdoor. The other two are still unaccounted for.
Master Remote - There is a master remote for the spark machines, which can be used to manually trigger them, as well as program which laser trip wires activate which spark machines. It also shows when a laser trip wire has been tripped. It was found inside of a cabinet inside the fire station. It is quite bulky, almost the size of a brick.
Blake's Alibi - Blake Shokyaku was with Shuuya Yukimura from 11 AM up until the murder. They were investigating the housing area for the missing spark machines and laser trip wires.
Eisei and Ignatia's Alibi - Eisei Amane and Ignatia Nazario were together for most of the day, culminating in hanging out inside the movie theater. When they heard the explosion, they came running up the central path to see what was going on, and saw a burning trail heading to the western fire pit.
Souma and Futaba's Alibi - Futaba thought she saw Yejoon, and thus pulled Souma into Ye Olde Café to hide. They hid in the café from noon, to the time of the explosion.
Fiora's Alibi? - Fiora was all over the place today, and she has only told Yejoon where she was. Since breakfast, the only time anyone else saw her was when she came out of the fire station right after the western fire pit burst into flames.
Drake's Alibi? - Drake isn't willing to share where exactly he was, just that he was around the new buildings' area. Only Monodam knows exactly where he was, but he cannot tell due to the rules of the Kubs not being used as witnesses.
Emanuel's Discovery - Emanuel found some things during his investigation of the park's edges, and has them stored in a bag. He refuses to show or share what they are, or where exactly he got them. Looks like he's going to be stubborn about this.
Crystal's Jacket - Crystal used her custom-made jacket to stop the fire trail that she seemingly triggered when stepping outside of the tavern's backdoor. It is ruined completely now, but it stopped that flame trail from reaching its destination, which Crystal believes to be the eastern fire pit.
Tavern's Firewood Supply - Monodam's tavern is heavily stacked with supplies, including an abundance of firewood. There was more than enough for one of the fire pits, and still some remaining. The firewood is plentiful, but heavy and leaves traces of wood on people carrying it. Anyone can enter the storeroom.
Kimiko's Vision - Kimiko has had two visions where she has seen the late Mahiru Koizumi. Both times, the Ultimate Photographer has warned her to not let evil trick them. Whatever the meaning behind this is, the supernatural world is undeniably tied to Penjar.
…
THE TRIAL WILL COMMENCE SHORTLY!