Alright, this is it, we're at the main reason why you guys are here—the Deadly Life/Investigation portion of the story! As this is the second time we've been here, I'm pretty sure you know how things work. These chapters are usually the shortest in the batch, ranging anywhere from 7K to 10K words.
This is also the time for theories! I like reading the theories you guys tend to come up with, so please, by all means, do so! I've had the killers and victims planned out for a full year at this point, and while I have made some tweaks with the killers to make the narrative a little better, they've mostly gone unchanged.
So, that said—bring in your A-Game fella's, because it's time to do some investigatin'
Welcome to…!
[Chapter 2 – A Tale of Lies and Secrets – Deadly Life]
[Day 8]
[Play: All Star Apologies]
He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He didn't want to believe what it was he was seeing. It just… made no sense. He rubbed his eyes, trying to make the illusion go away, but it just wasn't possible. Because it wasn't an illusion. It wasn't fake.
He had seen dead bodies before—he had become desensitized to them. So when he saw Daphne's corpse back in the beginning days of the killing game, he wasn't too fazed by it. But this? This was different. Unlike Daphne, he knew who this person was. He knew what their struggles were. How their thought process worked. How they must've felt just before they died.
He knew what they feared. He knew what they loved—who they loved. He knew he knew he knew.
Tomura had taken the time out of his days to spend time with them. To make them feel better. He sat next to them when they were feeling low. He made food with them. He ate with them.
He understood them.
So perhaps that was why he felt a warmness in his eyes. Perhaps that was why he felt tears in his eyes. He wanted to look away, but like a car crash on the side of the road, it was hard to NOT see what was in front of him.
And what was it, you might ask?
Right in front of him, in a pool of their own blood, was Deliah Edwards.
"Why her?" Shigaraki thought, wiping at his eyes again, this time to wipe the tears that had begun to form. He never cried for a person's death before—at least not in a long time. "This can't be happening… not again…."
"N-No… this… this isn't…." Velma said, her eyes wide. "Is that… that can't be…." The detective said, blinking a few more times before a realization hit her. "The body discovery announcement! It hasn't gone off! Maybe she's—"
But like a cruel wake-up slap, before Velma could even finish that sentence….
[Stop OST]
*BING-BONG-DING-DONG!*
"A-hem! This is a special Mono-Mono Camp announcement! A body has been discovered! Everyone, please make your way to Monokuma Theater to begin your investigations! After a certain amount of time, a Camp Trial will begin!"
[Play: Welcome to Despair]
And that was when reality hit the group of three like a ton of bricks. Someone murdered yet again. Despite what everyone thought, despite everything that people said, someone took the life of another within the walls of this camp. The reality of the situation finally sank into Shigaraki as he wiped at his face again, this time sucking back all the emotion he was feeling, and locking it behind a wall.
He couldn't let his emotions control him. He wasn't going to let the fact that the body in front of him belonged to a friend distract him from what needed to be done.
The teal-haired man looked over to Harry, who was still staring at the corpse, eyes wide, mouth agape. The boy had been paralyzed in fear, and the grief-stricken face the boy had only seemed to make it worse.
"Harry," Shigaraki said, gaining the boy's very subtle attention. His eyes moved a fraction from their original spot, now glancing at Shigaraki as the boy's mouth closed into an emotionless expression.
"Y-Yeah…." The boy stammered, trying to collect himself.
"If you want, you can sit this one o—"
"No." Harry's flat tone of voice was enough to solidify the fact that the boy wasn't going anywhere. "I made a promise to Deliah that nothing would happen to her in the killing game. I was wrong. I was stupid. I should've stayed with her. I should've—"
"But you didn't," Shigaraki interrupted, placing a hand on his shoulder as Harry's eyes began to water. "You couldn't have predicted that this would happen. It wasn't your fault that this happened, so don't blame yourself," Shigaraki stated, letting go of the boy's shoulder.
Though, as if his words went through one ear and out the other, the boy broke down into tears. His body began to shake as ugly sobs filled the air. Shigaraki bit back the urge to snap at him, but his sadness was justified.
From what he knew, Deliah and Harry knew each other, and they knew each other well. The first day of the Killing game showed that in spades. Harry was willing to fight for her safety. It told Shigaraki a lot about the boy. Harry cared about her—one might even have said that he loved her, but to see her here, dead because of someone else's selfish actions?
It was demoralizing.
A few minutes went by, but it felt like hours. Eventually, Harry collected himself, snorting back any snot that came out of his nose as he wiped his eyes. His expression shifted from one of sadness to one of determination, though there was some pain in his eyes. "I'm going to find out whoever did this… and when I do, I going to make them wish they had never been born."
Harry's declaration was almost cliché, but it was justified.
It only took a handful more minutes for everyone else to arrive. When they all saw who it was, nearly everyone gasped, and once again, a deafening silence overtook the area.
"S-Someone… killed again?" Nikki was the first to speak of the new arrivals, a nervousness to her tone.
"Shit… this isn't good…." Neil murmured looking away from the doorway.
"Oh god! This can't be happening!" Jaune cried out, fear in his expression.
"B-But… I thought everyone promised they wouldn't kill!" Ruby said a pained expression on her face as she looked to the floor.
"See! I called it! I knew it would happen again!" Natsuki spat, anger in her voice.
"So… we all know what happens now, right?" Monika asked a look of resignation on her face as a thick blanket of silence washed over everyone once again.
"We have to condemn another one of us to death…." A thought similar to that echoed out in everyone's mind, yet no one said another word. And just when things couldn't get any worse….
[Play: Mr. Monokuma's Lesson V3]
"Hazzah! I am here!" Monokuma stated, earning nothing but scathing glares.
"You… this is your fault. All of it, everything single last fucking droplet of blood that's oozing from her is on your hands," Dio snarled as Monokuma waved him off.
"Oh Pah-lease! I only supplied the motive. It wasn't even a bad one! I mean, they were just secrets! C'mon people, nobody got hurt over a little secret, right?" Monokuma said, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face as he looked over to Deliah, then back to the group. "Oh, who am I kidding! She did! Someone killed over a silly little secret! Now that's just pitiful!"
"Get on with it," Shaggy spat. "The less we see of you, the better."
"Oh, you wound me," Monokuma said, looking down at the floor. "Eh, I have regenerative capabilities, so that wound only stung! You all know what I'm here for, and that's this: The Monokuma File, Numero dos!"
Monokuma gave the file to Shigaraki. "Happy investigating!" And then, with that, Monokuma disappeared.
[Stop OST]
And just like that, they were all thrust into yet another investigation. Yet another grizzly murder scene. It was time to put another killer to justice.
"Time to put all my biases away and focus on the facts. For Deliah's sake, and for everyone else's…"
[Play: Homicide]
"Before everyone leaves, I want o read out the Monokuma file. Then, we can split up and look around. Okay?" Shigaraki stated, garnering everyone else's attention.
"You seem to be pretty determined," Max commented as Shigaraki nodded.
"Yeah, because I knew Deliah, maybe not as much as Harry did, but I knew her enough to actually give a shit this time. So, everyone, listen up!" Shigaraki stated, booting up the Monokuma file as it flashed with the number 2, before showing an image of Deliah's body, just as it was shown to them in real life, and a colourless, detailed holo-scan of her with pink circles around where the wounds on her were, beside of which was a box of information.
"The Victim was Deliah Edwards – The Ultimate ?. Her body was found at the entrance of The Monokuma Theater. The victim had a slash across their throat and wrists. The victim died at 3:00 PM, and the body was found at 3:30 PM. There are no traces of any foreign chemicals in the victim's body at the time of death. The cause of death is unknown."
"All of this information is… concerning. The fact that the cause of death is unknown is also concerning…."
Truth Bullet #1 – Monokuma File: Contains the details of the death of Deliah Edwards.
Truth Bullet #2 – Cause of death: the cause of death is unknown.
Truth Bullet #3 – Wounds: Deliah had her wrists and throat slit.
Truth Bullet #4 – Time of Death: Deliah died at 3:00 PM
"W-Wait, she died at 3:00 PM?!" Velma choked, looking away. "We… we were just standing there, talking… she must've heard us… damnit."
"No, she was already dead by the time we started talking, Velma. There would've been no way for us to save her. Don't think like that," Shigaraki said, shaking his head.
"Hey! Look at this!" The voice came from Nikki, who was already kneeling by the body. She was tugging at something in Deliah's hand. After a few more tugs, she was able to get it out without damaging it. "It's a note! But's already ripped," Nikki said, frowning.
"Well, w-what does it say?" Ruby asked as Nikki began to read aloud.
"It says: Come to the Movie Theatre at 2:45 PM I—and then it just cuts off from there," Nikki said, glancing up at the trash can. "Oh! Wait, there's another piece of paper!" Nikki said, reaching up to grab it. "This one says: Meet me at the park— and, awe, it cuts off there as well… darn," Nikki pouts.
Truth Bullet #5 – Torn note: There is a torn note in Deliah's left hand. The note reads: "Come to the Movie Theatre at 2:45 I—"and cuts off from there.
Truth Bullet #6 – Torn note #2: There is another torn note that is half inside of the garbage can next to Deliah's body that reads: "Meet me at the park at—" and cuts off from there.
"Alright, so now we know where half of us are going to go, and the other half will stay here," Velma started. "Me, Dio, Erina, Monika, Jaune, Ruby, and Nikki will head to the park, while the rest of you guys, Shigaraki, Max, Neil, Natsuki, Harry, and Shaggy will remain here to scope things out," Velma finished as the people who she mentioned followed her to the park.
"Whelp, that just leaves us, doesn't it," Max scoffed, crossing his arms.
"Don't even start, asshole," Shaggy snarked as Shigaraki rolled his eyes.
"Bickering can be saved for the trial. Split up and look for clues, we can't stay here for too long. We have a timer over our heads," the teal-haired man remarked as the two went their separate ways. Neil stayed by the door, not looking at the body in the slightest. "Right, his hemophobia," Shigaraki thought, walking over to Neil.
"Hey, Neil," Shigaraki said, spooking the boy.
"G-Gah! Oh, it's you… don't fucking sneak up on me like that, jerk!" Neil snapped, causing Shigaraki to recoil.
"Sheesh, sorry kid," Shigaraki said as Neil shook his head.
"Whatever. Look, I—"
"I'm not going to make you investigate the body, I just want to get your opinion on something," Shigaraki said as Neil raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" Neil asked, crossing his arms.
"Well, if Deliah's throat was slit, but the cause of death is unknown, what do you think happened?" Shigaraki asked as Neil recoiled.
"Look, I'm no expert, but it should be obvious. She couldn't have bled out, not that fast, at least. Even if her wrists and throat were slit, it would take hours for that to occur. If I were to guess? She probably suffocated on her own blood before she bled out."
Truth Bullet #7 – Neil's account: Neil is under the belief that Deliah either choked on her own blood, or she suffocated from a lack of oxygen.
"Jeez, for a guy who hates death, you're crazy knowledgable about it," Shigaraki said as Neil shrugged.
"Honestly, I blame what's on T.V."
And with that out of the way, Shigaraki moved on to the next thing on his mind, and that was the body itself. Walking over to the corpse, Shigaraki sighed, seeing Harry kneeling next to it. As Shigaraki approached, Harry moved out of his way.
"I still can't believe it…. She's dead…." Harry said, shaking his head.
"I know. I can't believe it either. But we have to face the facts. It's better that we acknowledge it than try to deny it," Shigaraki said as Harry sighed.
"I know. It's just…." He paused, standing up. "I should have asked her where she was going. Maybe if I stopped her, I could've prevented this," Harry said as Shigaraki raised an eyebrow.
"Do you mind elaborating?" The teal-haired man asked as Harry nodded.
"Right. Deliah was walking away from the cabin area, and she was mumbling something to herself. When I asked her where she was going, she said she was going to meet up with someone. She didn't say who it was, though," Harry said as Shigaraki nodded.
"And what time was this at?"
"Uh…." Harry started, rubbing the back of his head. "I think it was 1:50 PM. That was the last time I saw her, alive, at least."
Truth Bullet #8 – Harry's account: Harry last saw Deliah at 1:50 PM on his way from the main camp area to the cabins. She said that she had plans to meet up with someone. She didn't explain why, or who it was. After that, it was the last time Harry saw her again, alive, at least.
"1:50 PM? Something's up here…." Shigaraki thought, humming. "Thanks, Harry," the man said as he began to inspect the body, starting with the neck. Using his two index fingers, he pried upon the wound. "That's deep. How did she survive for as long as she did?" Shigaraki muttered to himself, catching Harry's attention.
"What do you mean?" The blond asked as Shigaraki shook his head.
"If Neil was correct about how this stuff worked, then she should've died in seconds. Instead, Neil told me that it would've been impossible for her to have bled to death. Not to mention, her skin is pale enough to assume that she suffocated. Something's not right here," Shigaraki started as his eyes widened. "The trachea and the esophagus are cut… that's how deep this cut went. There's no way she could've survived longer than a second… unless…."
"Unless what?!" Harry snapped.
"Unless the killer kept her alive long enough to suffocate," Shigaraki stated.
Truth Bullet #9 – Deep throat wound: Deliah's throat wound is deep enough to the point where both the trachea and esophagus are cut.
"W-What?!" Harry shouted, stepping back in alarm. "B-But why?!" The blond said his expression one of distress as Shigaraki shook his head.
"It's just a hunch. There have been stories of people surviving having their throats slit, so for all I know, Deliah could've struggled to survive on her own terms, which seems more plausible compared to the killer letting them live long enough to choke," Shigaraki confirmed, moving his way down to her wrists. Pulling up the sleeves, he raised an eyebrow.
"O-Okay…." Harry said, looking away from the body.
"Huh, that's weird. These cuts are shallow," the teal-haired man commented.
"What does that mean?" The blond-haired boy asked as Shigaraki stood up and dusted himself off.
"It means either the killer did this on purpose to distract us on how she died, or because they wanted to go the extra mile to ensure that she died. Either or, it's pretty nefarious."
Truth Bullet #10 – Shallow cuts on wrists: The cuts on the wrists were shallow, but were enough to draw blood.
"The more we learn about what this asshole did, the more I want to strangle them…." Harry spat, crossing his arms.
"Tell me about," the sudden voice of Max crept up behind them, catching the two off guard.
"Oh, Max. Uh… what is it?" Harry said, looking at the boy with a raised eyebrow.
"I found a few things that might be useful, as well as a theory as to who could've done it," Max said, crossing his arms. "Over here," the boy said, glancing over to a faded red stain on the trash can.
"A bloodstain?" Shigaraki muttered as Max nodded.
"Yeah. It almost blends in with the black because of how faded it is. But what's even stranger is how it's smudged, almost like someone was wiping blood off of them," Max said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Makes you think, doesn't it?"
Truth Bullet #11 – Blood on the edge of the garbage bin: There is a mysterious bloodstain on the garbage can where Deliah had passed away.
"Also, I think it should be obvious, but whoever wrote the notes is the killer," Max stated as Shigaraki and Harry both nodded in agreement.
Truth Bullet #12 – Mysterious note sender: The person who wrote the notes is also the person who murdered Deliah, obviously. Whoever they are, they are the ones responsible for this crime.
"Is that everything?" Shigaraki asked as Max shook his head.
"Nope, as I said, I have a theory on who it could be," Max started, narrowing his eyes at Shigaraki with a confident expression, and in a whispered voice, he spoke. "I think it was Natsuki."
"H-huh?!" Harry sputtered. "But why? I mean, I know the two didn't necessarily get along, but to go as far as to kill Deliah?!" The blond-haired boy said as Max huffed.
"Well, think back to what she said during the motive announcement," Max said as Shigaraki closed his eyes.
"Speak for yourself!" Natsuki snapped. "I don't want my secrets being spoken out loud, fuck that!" the pink-haired teen spat"
"I don't know about you, but that sounds suspicious to me," Max said, crossing his arms.
Truth Bullet #13 – Max's Account: Max thinks Natsuki committed the crime based on what she said after the motive was announced.
"We can't assume just yet. But, we will keep that in mind for later," Shigaraki said as Max nodded.
"Your right, but still. I'm going to hold on to my suspicions. I won't say anything, but that's just my theory," Max said, stuffing his hands into his pockets once more.
"Well, it looks like we're practically done here," Shigaraki announced, gathering everyone's attention.
"What'd you guys find anyway? I looked all over the place back there, and all I saw was a backdoor that was slightly ajar," Natsuki said, huffing.
"Y-yeah, same here. It was by the arcade area. It hooks up with a pathway, but we don't know where it leads," Shaggy said, rubbing the back of his head.
"A secret pathway?" Harry muttered. "Odd… and with it so out in the open, too…."
"Yeah, right? Still, though, we should head down to the park," Natsuki said, furrowing her eyebrows. "But you still didn't answer my question though, what'd you guys find?"
"Ah, right, my bad," Shigaraki started. "Well, for starters, the killer is the person who wrote the notes, that much is obvious, but the rest I want to save for the actual trial," Shigaraki said as Natsuki shrugged.
"Alright, whatever, I guess, Natsuki said, heading for the front doors. Before she could, however, Shigaraki placed a hand on her shoulder. "What?" Natsuki squawked as Shigaraki sighed.
"Just so I know, where were you during the time of the murder?" Shigaraki asked as Natsuki scoffed, shrugging his hand off her shoulder.
"Well, duh, that's easy. I was with Monika and Ruby at the bonfire. Monika wanted me to help out, so I did," Natsuki said, crossing her arms. "Happy?"
Truth Bullet #14 - Natsuki's account: She was with Monika, Ruby, and Nikki, helping to set up the campfire for the party.
"Yes, now we can go," Shigaraki said as everyone began to make their way to the park. Once they got there, they were met with Velma, who had a shocked expression on her face upon seeing them. "Oh, you guys are done already?" The detective asked as Shigaraki nodded.
"Yeah, but I think I'll save the information I have for the trial. It would be better if we got everyone's opinion anyway…." Shigaraki started, looking around. "Speaking of which, where is everyone? I don't see Dio, Erina, or Nikki," the teal-haired man said as Velma snapped her fingers.
"Ah, that's right. Take a look at these," Velma said, handing Shigaraki two pieces of paper. The first one read: —2:30 PM, I want to discuss something with you, but only if you come alone. I'll make sure no one is there beforehand. Please, trust me, this is important. And the second one read:Go to the cafeteria at—then it stopped.
"More notes…." Shigaraki grumbled, lifting up the shortest one. "And this one says to meet at the cafeteria. I take it that's where Nikki, Dio, and Erina are?" Shigaraki asked as Velma nodded.
Truth Bullet #15 – Torn note #3: Velma gave Shigaraki a note that she found, it reads: "—2:30 PM, I want to discuss something with you, but only if you come alone. I'll make sure no one is there beforehand. Please, trust me, this is important."
Truth Bullet #16 – Torn note #4: Velma gave Shigaraki another note that she found, it reads: "Go to the cafeteria at—"
"Exactly, but more importantly, those pathways over there," Velma pointed towards the pathways by the statue. "the first note we found in Deliah's hand says to meet at the theatre at 2:45 PM, but it takes an hour to walk from the park, and 30 minutes to run, so Deliah would've gotten there in 30 minutes if she booked it to the Theatre," Velma started as Shigaraki raised an eyebrow.
"So the times on the letters are wrong?" Shigaraki asked as Velma smirked.
"No, they're 100% factual. As I said, those pathways, they're shortcuts. I don't know how, but they are. I had Dio run down them to see how long it took to get there, and when he came back, it took him 15 minutes. I even timed it again just to make sure," Velma said as Shigaraki went wide-eyed.
"How is that even possible!" Shaggy said as Velma shrugged.
"I don't know, but what I do know is that Deliah used the path, along with the blackened, to get to the movie theatre from the park in such a short amount of time," Velma stated as Neil spoke up.
"Are all of them like this?" The scientist asked as Velma nodded.
"Yes, they are. Dio helped us out majorly here. All of them take 15 minutes to clear. That's how the killer got around so quickly."
Truth Bullet #17 – Park's pathways: The park has four pathways, all of which can be cleared in 15 minutes. This is how the killer got between the park and the movie theatre so fast, and subsequently, the main camp.
"Alright, everyone split off, I want to talk to Velma, alone," Shigaraki said as the group surrounding the pair left to go look for more clues, leaving the two alone. "Alright, I want to ask you something. Why were you at the movie theatre when we first met up?" Shigaraki asked as Velma sighed.
"Well, I saw someone leave through the backdoors while I was on my walk. I was about to try and stop to talk to them, but then you showed up," Velma said as Shigaraki nodded.
"Then that has to be our culprit. Did you get a good look at them?" The teal-haired man asked as Velma shook her head.
"Unfortunately, they were too far away to see, sorry," Velma said, looking at the floor.
"And this was at 3:00 PM, right?" Shigaraki asked as Velma hummed in acknowledgement. Shigaraki let out a sigh, crossing his arms. "This is getting stranger and stranger by the minute."
Truth Bullet #18 – Velma's Account: Velma was walking down the street, but saw that someone was running away from the movie theatre through a backdoor at 3:00 PM. She couldn't make out who it was, and before she could stop them, Shigaraki showed up to talk.
"Alright, that's all, thank you, Velma," Shigaraki said as the detective nodded.
"I wish I could've been more of a help with this. Despite this being my talent, I'm used to investigating robberies or money laundering schemes, not murders…. " Velma said, sighing.
"It's alright, Velma. It's better that we have a detective anyway. Despite being new to this, you're still really good at it," Shigaraki said as Velma smiled.
"Thanks, Tomura, you're a good friend, you know that?" Velma said as Shigaraki rubbed the back of his neck.
"Thanks…." The teal-haired man said, looking away. "Well, I better continue, there's work to be done," Shigaraki stated, walking away from the detective. He stole a glance at the park signs, then narrowed his eyes. "Uh, hey, Velma, where did you find those pieces of paper?" Shigaraki asked as Velma raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? On and around the statue, why?" Velma said, and then, her eyes widened. "The park regulations!"
"Bingo," Shigaraki said, smirking.
Truth Bullet #19 – Park regulations: If someone leaves garbage on the floor for more than 10 minutes, then they are fined 10 monocoins, or are punished.
"The killer must've either forgotten or, they had plenty of monocoins to spare," Shigaraki stated as Velma hummed.
"You're right," Velma said, crossing her arms. "But still, why just leave the evidence behind? Are they that much of an idiot?" The detective asked as Shigaraki shrugged.
"Either that or they're cocky in thinking they'll get away with it," Shigaraki stated.
"But that begs the question, why didn't they just kill her at the park?" Velma asked as Shigaraki raised an eyebrow.
"Have you forgotten already? The park has a no-killing rule," Shigaraki stated as Velma facepalmed.
"Damnit, I should've remembered that. I guess I just forgot, you know, with everything going on and whatnot," Velma said, rubbing the back of her head.
Truth Bullet #20 – Park's no-killing rule: Within the boundaries of the park, no one is allowed to kill, however, grievous injury is allowed.
As Shigaraki continued to walk around the park, He looked over to one of the garbage cans and looked inside. He raised an eyebrow as he pulled out a handle. He looked around for a switch, trying to see if it was a switchblade, but found nothing. However, there was the handle a similar grove on it, almost as if it was… and then it hit him.
"This is a knife handle!" Shigaraki exclaimed. "Thank you Toga and your knowledge about knives!" Shigaraki said, a smirk on his face.
Truth Bullet #21 - Broken knife handle: There is a broken knife handle in the garbage can closest to the gate of the park.
"Huh? A knife handle?" This time, it was Ruby who spoke up, catching Shigaraki off guard.
"Oh, Ruby, I didn't see you there," Shigaraki said as he looked beside her and he saw Jaune, adjusting the chest piece of his armour.
"Sup, Tomura," Jaune said, a half-smile on his face.
"What're you doing with your chest piece?" Shigaraki asked as Jaune raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, this? I'm re-attaching it and making sure it fits properly. I had a nap before, well, all of this started. Oh, and before you ask, I was at the park at 2:30 PM, just like I said I would be after the motive was announced, then went back to my cabin to get some shut-eye. I woke up at 3:00 PM, went to the cafeteria, and got something to drink. Ruby can even vouch for me," Jaune said as Ruby smiled.
"Yup! I was going to the cafeteria at 3:00 PM after helping Monika and Natsuki out with what was supposed to be the party," Ruby started. "I saw Jaune there, he looked exhausted. Which was why he was getting something to drink," Ruby stated as Shigaraki hummed.
Truth Bullet #22 - Jaune's account: He was at the park till 2:30 PM, then left to get some rest in his cabin before the party.
Truth Bullet #23 - Ruby's Account: Ruby claims that she left the bonfire at 3:00 PM to get some food from the fridge, when she saw Jaune fish around in the fridge, stating that he was looking for something to drink since he was exhausted.
"Got it," Shigaraki said, looking at Ruby. "Oh, and yeah, the knife handle seems to be broken off of the blade. This has to be the murder weapon," Shigaraki said as Jaune cupped his chin.
"I mean, it makes sense. But why break the knife? Wouldn't it be much easier to just, oh, I don't know, keep it on their person so that nobody ever finds it?" Jaune asked as Shigaraki shrugged.
"I guess the killer didn't think that far ahead," Shigaraki said as Jaune hummed.
"Yeah…. I guess so," Jaune said, a half-smile on his face. "Wow, this person's kinda dumb. Anyway, I'm gonna go, I gotta help search, you know? C'mon Ruby, I want some company," Jaune said as Ruby smiled.
"See you later, Shiggy!" And with that, Ruby and Jaune left. Shigaraki stood there and rolled his eyes.
"I know, those two should just get a room already, it's clear they have feelings for one another," this time, Monika was the one who caught Shigaraki off guard, causing him to jump.
"Gah! Jeez, where did you come from?!" Shigaraki gasped as Monika giggled to herself.
"Oh, you know, I was just wandering around, and I overheard Ruby's testimony. I thought I'd back it up with my own, just to make sure," Monika said, a smile on her face as Shigaraki raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, let's hear it then," Shigaraki said as Monika cleared her throat.
"Well, both me, Natsuki, and Ruby were at the bonfire at 3:00 PM. Ruby left at around 3:01 PM, then came back with Jaune at 3:30 PM, saying that he wanted to help with the party. A minute later, the Body Discovery Announcement went off," Monika said as Shigaraki nodded.
Truth Bullet #24 – Monika's account: Monika's account: Monika vouches for Natsuki and Ruby, however, notes that Ruby left at 3:01 and then came back at 3:30 with Jaune. A minute later, the Body Discovery Announcement sounded.
"Thanks, Monika," Shigaraki said as Monika smiled.
"No problem, Tomura," the poet said as she walked away from the teal-haired man. There was only one more place to go, and that was the Cafeteria. He looked at the time and grimaced. 5:30 PM. They've been investigating for 2 hours. It wouldn't be long until Monokuma called the Camp Trial into session. With that in mind, he decided to use the shortcut from the park to the main campsite area—he came out of a bush beside the Counsellors cabin in front of the bonfire—Shigaraki looked at the time, and his eyes widened.
"Fifteen minutes passed. It's just as Velma said. I wonder why this is…." Shigaraki thought, shaking his head. He had no time, he needed to get to the cafeteria.
Upon making it into the building, he was met with Dio and Erina, who had been talking with one another. "Ah, and the man of the hour arrives. I've been meaning to talk to you," Dio said as Shigaraki walked over to the blond.
"Yes, Dio, what is it?" Shigaraki asked as he fished out a note from his pocket.
"I found this in the garbage can when I came in here. Take a look, why don't you?" Dio said as Shigaraki took the ripped note. —2:00 PM. Don't write back, just take the piece of paper you find on the table and put it in your pocket, read it, then meet me there at the time. I will explain later. I will give you another note once you meet me at the location said in the letter, you have to trust me, though.
"Interesting don't you think?" Dio asked as Shigaraki nodded.
Truth Bullet #25 – Torn note #5: Once again, there is a torn note, Dio found it in the cafeteria's garbage can. It reads: "—2:00 PM. Don't write back, just take the piece of paper you find on the table and put it in your pocket, read it, then meet me there at the time. I will explain later. I will give you another note once you meet me at the location said on the letter, you have to trust me, though."
"Yeah. I think I'm starting to get the big picture here. But first, since you were at the cabins, can I ask you something?" Shigaraki asked as Dio nodded.
"Go ahead, my good man, I'll tell you all you want," Dio said, folding his arms together as he leaned back in his chair.
"You were watching Max, were you not?" Shigaraki asked as Dio nodded.
"Yes, I was. Oh, but while I was, I did see something rather peculiar," Dio said as Shigaraki raised an eyebrow.
"And that was?" The teal-haired man asked as Dio frowned.
"Someone walking up to one of the cabins, Deliah's, I think it was, and slipping a note under the door. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good look at them, seeing as they had a hood over the top of their head, and they were facing away from me. I didn't think anything of it. Oh well, too late now I suppose," Dio said, sighing.
"And what time was this?" Shigaraki asked as Dio hummed.
"1:25 PM, I believe," Dio replied. Shigaraki hummed, cupping his chin.
"And here I thought I had the big picture all planned out. But this? This just throws a wrench into everything. 1:25 PM? Jeez…."
Truth Bullet #26 – Dio's account: He was at Max's cabin all day, however, he did see someone slip a note under Deliah's door at 1:25 PM. However, he didn't pay attention to who it was. However, there was one notable thing about the person, and that was how they had a hood on, obscuring their face.
"Thank you, Dio. If you excuse me, I'm going to check back in the kitchen," Shigaraki said as Dio nodded.
"Very well, I shall see you at the trial, Shigaraki," Dio said as the teal-haired man entered the kitchen. The first thing he saw was the knife set on the counter and how one of the knives was missing, specifically, the butcher's knife.
"Well, that was quick to figure out…."
Truth Bullet #27 - Missing butcher's knife: There is a knife set in the kitchen that is missing a butcher's knife—the murder weapon.
"Doesn't leave much to the imagination, now does it," Nikki said, catching Shigaraki off guard again.
"Jeez! What is it with people and sneaking up on me!" Shigaraki said an annoyed tone in his voice as Nikki snickered.
"Oh come on, it's funny! Especially when you give reactions like that!" Nikki said, a smile on her face as Shigaraki shook his head in disbelief.
"Whatever. Did you find anything?" Shigaraki asked as Nikki's smile faded.
"Yeah, but it cut my finger, so I left it in the garbage can," Nikki said, wiping her finger as Shigaraki raised an eyebrow. He looked into the garbage can by Nikki and saw a knife blade—a butcher's knife blade.
"And that is the missing knife blade that came off of the handle in the park," Shigaraki said, smirking.
Truth Bullet #28 - Blade in kitchen garbage can: There is a knife blade belonging to a butcher's knife in the Kitchen's garbage can.
"Oh, yeah I saw that too! I didn't touch it though, I thought it was an old banana, though. Didn't know it was a knife handle!" Nikki said as Shigaraki sighed.
"Alright then," the teal-haired man said, looking down at the floor. Raising an eyebrow, he knelt on the ground and picked up something. It was another piece of torn paper. Turning it over, he saw what it read: —Wish to discuss something with you there privately. I know I've led you around from place to place, but trust me, this place is where I want to meet. Nobody comes here, and it's nice and private. I want to tell you my secret so we can begin to clear the bad air from the motive. You tell me yours, I tell you mine? Sound fair?
Shigaraki cringed. This had to connect with the movie theatre note. There was no other option. "This killer… they really thought this out ahead of time, didn't they? What kind of evil scumbag would do this?"
Truth Bullet #29 – Torn note #6: There was, once again, another half of a note on the floor of the kitchen that read: "—Wish to discuss something with you there privately. I know I've led you around from place to place, but trust me, this place is where I want to meet. Nobody comes here, and it's nice and private. I want to tell you my secret so we can begin to clear the bad air from the motive. You tell me yours, I tell you mine? Sound fair?"
After logging the last piece of evidence, Shigaraki sighed, standing up from the floor. "Well, I think that just about does it, what do you—"
Before he could finish his sentence….
[Stop OST]
*DING-DONG-BING-BONG!*
"Alright, I've given you scoundrels enough time to investigate. It's about time we had ourselves a Camp Trial, don't you think! Meet in front of the Judgement Hall to await your fate!"
[Play: Despair Syndrome (2)]
"Huh… it's almost like he's reading my mind?" Shigaraki said, huffing. "Well, let's go," the man said as Nikki nodded. If the man was going, to be honest, he wasn't ready for another trial. Not after what happened the last time. He didn't want to send another person off to their death, but he had no choice.
It was either them or everyone else.
Once everyone was gathered in front of the Judgement Hall, Monokuma appeared before them.
"Well, well, well. It seems as if we're back here once again! And here I thought you all said no one was going to—"
"Shut up and open the doors. I want to get this over and done with," Harry spat as Monokuma flinched.
"Yikes, and here I thought you'd be a sobbing mess, kid. You got guts, that's something I never would've thought about coming from you," Monokuma said, turning around to face the doors. "A-heam! Oh mighty gods of Judgement, heed my call! These unruly campers have done someone in, and now it is time to make them see their sin! Justice, Hope, Despair, open this door, and let us see who will win this affair!" And with a mighty roar, the doors opened, and a thick fog came out of the doorway.
"Well, it's now or never," Velma murmured as everyone took a step down the elegantly carpeted hallway, the blood-red light and the black and white walls made the mood just as depressing as it was the last time, and as they boarded the elevator, Shigaraki could only feel one thing as it descended into the trial room.
Anger.
[Play: To Survive]
Deliah Edwards was murdered by a selfish person. Someone who valued their secret over someone else's life.
….
And it's because of that person that Deliah will never get to see the outside world ever again.
….
He owed it to Harry, to Deliah, to everyone here to find the person who committed such a heinous act.
….
And by the end of this trial, he would know just who the scum bag who ended the life of his friend was.
The doors opened, and they were greeted with Monokuma sitting atop his throne, an evil smile on his face. "It's about time! Get to your podiums, and let the Camp Trial commence!"
-To Be Concluded in The Camp Trial-
