Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Danganronpa series. I only own Hikari Seishin and her family.

Note: I try to make the story as canon as I can with obvious creative liberties.

Chapter Nine

Execution Is Always Better with Zest

Everyone suddenly turned to the stressed out Nurse.

"…Huh? What the fuck?" Fuyuhiko mumbled in surprise.

"U-Um, um…um…How should I put this…? Um…" Mikan stuttered. "I-Is Komaeda-san…really the killer?"

Teruteru's eyes widened in shock. "Um…What are you saying? He's already confessed, hasn't he?"

Mikan's body shook with nervousness, but still went on. "I-I already know that, but…There's just something a little strange…"

Hiyoko glared darkly at the bandaged girl. "If it's only a little strange then keep your mouth shut…Your ugly face is stressing me out. It makes me wanna puke."

Mikan cowered, whimpering. "A-A-Ahhh! I-I'm sorry!"

Hikari closed her eyes in disgust. "Your personality makes me wanna puke, Saionji…" Hiyoko turned her head away and crossed her arms with an "Hmph!" The Spirit Medium ignored Hiyoko's mini-tantrum and smiled encouragingly towards Mikan. "Tsumiki-san, what is a little strange? Please explain."

Teruteru's lips twitched upwards. "B-But…we know who the killer is…"

"Simply listening is…acceptable…" Gundham said softly, arms crossed. Then he abruptly got into a pose. "However, I won't allow it to end with mere play! Now then, let us lift the curtain for a bloody spectacle!"

Many of the teens argued amongst themselves about whether or not Nagito was the killer, not giving Mikan any chance to speak. Fuyuhiko smirked, "He killed him with the knife that he hid."

"No, that's wrong!" Hajime exclaimed. Everyone turned to Hajime for an explanation. "That knife might not be the murder weapon…That's what you wanted to say, right Tsumiki-san?"

Fuyuhiko frowned, confused. "The hell are you talking about…? It's obvious the knife was the murder weapon."

"But…based on the entry wound on Togami-san's body," Mikan began to disclose, "The actual weapon should be roughly five millimeters in diameter…"

Ibuki pouted exaggeratedly. "Five millimeters in diameter…? That's like waaay skinnier than a knife!"

"Hey! That better be true! If you screwed up, I'll sell your fuckin' ass to a whorehouse!" the Yazuka threatened. Hikari sweatdropped and resisted the urge to sigh or facepalm.

What is with these people…? Are those with the title of being SHSL all this odd? I hope I'm not that strange compared to them...

Nagito smiled cheerfully, looking at the panicked Nurse to his left. "Is this what you were trying to say, Tsumiki-san? As long as we can't prove that the knife is the murder weapon, we can't assume that I'm the killer."

"Wh-What are you saying…!?" Mahiru grilled. "No one else can be the killer! It has to be you!"

Nagito beamed, eyes closed. "Hey, don't blame me. Tsumiki-san's the one who said it."

Mikan sobbed. "I-I'm sorrrrrryyyy!"

Chiaki remained silent for a moment, her hood over her head, looking downwards. "…Hey Komaeda-san…Are you still hiding something?"

Hikari shot a quick glance at Nagito. Still!? What is he hiding now?

The Gamer lifted her hood over as she placed a finger to her chin. "Like, during the blackout…Did something happen between you and Togami-san that we don't know about…?"

"Who knows?" Nagito asked with a singsong tone.

Ibuki closed her eyes, her index fingers on either side of her head, trying to concentrate. "What happened during the blackout…? Hmm…Hmmmmm…" She opened her eyes with a giggle, getting excited. "Ah! If you cross your eyes like this, it gives you double vision!"

"Don't get distracted!" Kazuichi scolded the Musician. "Our lives are at stake, you know!"

"Nobody can see in the dark…No matter how hard you think about it, the truth is beyond your sight…" Nagito said cryptically, before smiling with pride. "Don't you think that's a pretty clever metaphor, despite the fact that it came from me?"

Hajime blinked. "No, that's not it."

"…Not it? What's not it?"

"Even if we couldn't see what happened in the dark…I'm pretty sure someone could've heard it." Hajime looked at the eccentric girl with dyed hair. "…Isn't that right, Mioda-san?"

Ibuki leaned forward, hand over her eyes like a visor, her other hand on her hip. "Fo' reeeaaalz!?"

"Besides Seishin-san, you were the one who told me, remember? How everyone was shouting during the blackout…You were the one who identified to me on who said what."

Hikari stood a bit straighter, having heard her name in the discussion again. However, she relaxed slightly since Hajime was the one who mentioned it. The black-haired girl was blown away by Ibuki's power of listening as she heard the Musician's account about what happened during the blackout.

"Such perceptive hearing! Impressive! I'd expect no less from the SHSL Musician!" Nagito praised enthusiastically.

Hiyoko restrained herself from bursting out in laughter. "It's a good thing that your ears are awesome because your face, style, figure, and personality totally suck."

Hikari rolled her eyes. There's no point in trying to reprimand this girl…It's like talking to a brick wall…

The other bespectacled teenager looked deep in thought. "However, after hearing what Togami-san and Komaeda-san said in the dark…It almost sounds like…Togami-san fought back against Komaeda-san or something…"

Nagito placed a hand on his hip. "Well, that's exactly what happened." He then crossed his arms, looking at his classmates. "As a sign of respect for Mioda-san's talent…I have a small confession to make. I was actually shoved out from under the table by Togami-san."

"He…shoved you out?" Teruteru asked quietly.

"Just as the blackout occurred, I hurried to duck under the table and grab the knife…but Togami-san, wearing his night-vision goggles, caught me and shoved me right out from under the table." Nagito hugged himself, smiling despondently. "That's right…I'm so incompetent that I couldn't even grab the knife…" He composed himself after a few moments to continue. "After getting shoved out from under the table, I was just as confused as you guys. I lost sight of the glowing paint, and I didn't even know where the power cord was…Before I realized it, the lights had come back on and Togami-san's body was lying under the table…"

Hikari stared at Nagito with a deadpan expression. His talent came in handy for him yet again…If Togami-san didn't do that, Komaeda would've been dead instead.

"From the very beginning, the idea to throw a party," Nagito explained, "hiding the knife, setting up the blackout…It was all going according to plan…" He closed his eyes, shrugging with a grin. "Unfortunately, my plan failed. And all thanks to Togami-san's night-vision goggles. What happened after that…even I don't know."

Fuyuhiko glared towards the Luckster. "Y-You failed…? Th-Then you're not the one who killed Togami-san?"

Hiyoko's jaw dropped. "Th-Then we're right back to square one!"

Nagito crossed his arms, smiling gently. "Meaninglessness…What other word is brimming with so much despair? But you can't give up! You need to have hope, do your best, and move forward!" His eyes were steadily looking crazed again. "Rising to the challenge again and again is why you guys are the symbols of hope!"

No one replied to the irrational teen; they were all in a stunned shock. The whole time that they were down here in this underground death trap felt wasted in a way, the debates leading them in endless circles. Hikari frowned, not wanting to know what happens if they couldn't come up with a blackened. Probably the same outcome as if we voted for the wrong person… She watched each of her classmates as she spoke up. "…What do we do now?"

"Well, if the knife isn't the murder weapon, there's no definitive proof that I'm the killer," Nagito reasserted.

Mahiru glared at Nagito. "Sh-Shut up! We'll be the judge of that!"

Teruteru clenched his fists, nodding. "Y-You say you were shoved away, but…you can't actually prove it, right?"

Nagito smiled knowingly, arms crossed. "The same question could apply to Seishin-san."

Hikari felt a vein start to throb above her left eyebrow as her feelings towards Nagito teetered between pity and anger. "Will you stop implicating me!?" She swore that the Luckster was beginning to have an affinity of pissing her off.

Gundham started talking as if ignoring Hikari's outburst. "So…even if a different weapon was used, it does not mean Komaeda-san has been cleared of suspicion!"

"B-But…there's another reason why I don't think Komaeda-san is the killer…" Mikan said meekly.

The Cook blinked in surprise. "Th-There's still more!?"

"Based on what we discussed…Togami-san was killed under the table, right?"

Sonia tilted her head. "Is there's something wrong with that?"

"Well…Even if that's true, I feel Komaeda-san looks…you know…clean…"

Nagito's expression brightened instantly. "Nobody's ever complimented me on my appearance before! Not even my own mother!" Many of the students sweatdropped.

Mikan blushed lightly, clasping her hands to her chest, eyes squeezed shut. "Nyehhh…I'm not talking about your looks!"

Hikari sighed softly. "I get what Tsumiki-san means…which also clears my name. Neither Komaeda-san nor I were stained with blood from the scene. The killer most definitely would have been covered in blood given the bloodbath we saw under the table."

"Yes…! That's it, Seishin-san," Mikan confirmed, vehemently nodding her head. "There were even bloodstains on the inside of the tablecloth…"

Peko crossed her arms. "If he stabbed Togami-san to death, it's strange that he did not get splattered with an appropriate amount of blood…"

Nagito beamed. "I didn't get any blood on me? That is weird, heh."

Akane closed one eye, looking at the white-haired boy. "You just used somethin' to block the blood, didn't ya!?"

"Something that might've been used to block the blood splatter…What do you think it could've been? Hm…I guess we did see something I could've used…Isn't that right, Hinata?"

"You're talking about the bloodstained tablecloth we found in the storage room…right?" Hajime asked.

"If there are bloodstains on it, then that settles it! Komaeda-san used the tablecloth to block the blood splatter!" Fuyuhiko proclaimed.

Gundham frowned underneath his scarf, puzzled. "But that was found in the storage room, right? Are you suggesting he hid it there after the murder?"

"You mean after the lights came back on?" Nekomaru asked gruffly. "What would he have done if we had seen him?"

"That's true…" Hajime agreed. "That tablecloth was pretty big, so even if you tried to hide it and take it with you…"

Nagito stared at his hands. "Wearing a tablecloth, going under the table, getting a knife in a blackout, and stabbing someone…That's not just impossible for someone like me…Wouldn't it also be impossible for you guys, too?"

Hikari placed a hand to her chin. He has a point…It is basically impossible for that scenario…

Chiaki quietly stood next to the Spirit Medium in deep thought, her cat hood over her head. "Maybe…the killer didn't necessarily stab Togami-san under the table."

The Breeder started to become frustrated. "No, there's no mistake that the murder occurred under that table."

"Even the inside of the tablecloth was bloody…so there's no denying Togami-san was killed there," Mikan agreed with Gundham.

Chiaki tilted her head. "But that doesn't mean where Togami-san got stabbed and where the killer did the stabbing are the same…right?"

Hikari glanced towards her pink-eyed friend in confusion. Nagito held back a chuckle, looking at Hajime. "Huh? Hinata…you look like you're onto something."

Really? Hikari turned almost straight ahead to face Hajime who seemed very pensive.

He frowned, obviously frustrated. "I feel like I'm onto something…but it's still not clear as to what that is…"

Chiaki raised a finger upwards in confidence, her hood having slipped off her head again. "Under the table, but not under the table… If it's somehow possible, it's the only way that makes sense! Moving forward, we should put aside all unnecessary preconceptions and just choose the answer…I think."

Hikari took an exasperated breath, her head feeling like it is getting filled with fog. I feel so lost in this discussion…

Hajime suddenly blinked, startled. "I got it! The killer must've stabbed Togami-san from under the floorboards!"

Mahiru gasped. "U-Under the floorboards!?"

"The floorboards in the old building are full of gaps, and there was no carpet laid out under the table. If they stuck the weapon through one of the gaps, they could've stabbed Togami-san to death."

Hikari closed her eyes, feeling a rush of grief come over her after hearing how the killer murdered her peer, the person who would have stood to her right if he was alive now. She gripped her necklace just imagining what Byakuya must've felt when being killed.

"If so, Hinata, that means that the killer was able to get under the floorboards. But from where? And how?" Nagito asked.

"I don't know that yet," Hajime admitted, "but…I have a feeling there's someone here who does know." His eyes settled on the gothic-looking teen. "Hey Tanaka-san…You dropped your earring in the dining hall, right?"

Gundham stared right back, saying softly, "…Are you referring to the Hell Hound Earring?"

"About that earring…"

"…I said," Gundham hissed, "are you referring to the Hell Hound Earring?"

Hajime sweatdropped, deciding to use his words carefully. "About that 'Hell Hound Earring'…You dropped it beneath the floorboards, right?"

Gundham chuckled to himself menacingly. "Kehehe…Just a bit longer and I would have reduced everything, including that old building, to ashes…" He then got into one of his signature poses. "However, it's just as the old legend said! The Hell Hound Earring has returned to its owner, to me!"

"Is it safe to say that…that earring is the one hanging from your right ear?" Hikari blinked, studying Gundham's head, seeing that Gundham was indeed wearing a gold earring on his right ear. Hajime explained further. "Tanaka-san wasn't wearing an earring during the investigation…And if he had it on by the time the class trial began…Then that means that Tanaka-san was able to retrieve his earring from beneath the floorboards during the investigation."

"So…Tanaka-san knows how to get under the floorboards," Peko said hesitantly.

Gundham started to chuckle again, looking very proud. "Kehehe…It's understandable. After all, you fools only view the world through eyes of glass…"

Hikari itched her cheek a bit. Well, I am wearing glasses…

The Breeder grinned, his hamsters sitting on his shoulders. "But I am different! With the power of my Four Dark Devas of Destruction, it is of no concern!" He moved into a pose, a hamster on his uplifted left hand, another still on his shoulder, the third on his right hand, and the fourth one on his scarf. "Truly, this is the 'Evil Fourth Eye!' Before the might of the 'Evil Fourth Eye,' all visual chaos is rendered asunder!"

Hiyoko placed her hands on her head, eyes closed. "What should I do!? I'm embarrassed just listening to him, let alone standing next to him!"

Seeing his classmates' quizzical faces staring at him, Gundham relented. "Fine, I shall tell you all! The answer was in the storage room! One of my Four Dark Devas of Destruction…Mirage Golden Hawk, Jum-P, has seen beyond the chaos. A Secret Passage of Doom leading to the underground lurks beneath a large assortment of random boxes…After securing a lighter from the supermarket, I threw caution to the wind and ventured below the floorboards. And as a result of that lonesome battle…I was able to recover the Hell Hound Earring with my own hands! Fuahaha! Tremble with fear, fools! Behold my power!"

"Anyway…it sounds like you can go under the floorboards from the storage room," Hikari said.

"Then that has to be how the killer did it," Chiaki affirmed. "If the space beneath the floor is empty, it's not that far to move from the storage room to the dining hall." Chiaki moved her finger from the storage room to the crime scene in Mahiru's diagram. Hikari stared at the diagram quietly as the discussion continued.

"I see…" Nekomaru grunted, arms crossed. "If they passed through the storage room, I understand why the tablecloth was put there."

The voices were becoming distant to Hikari as she couldn't tear her eyes away from the diagram, but more specifically the area of the murder. Her eyes widen slowly, oblivious to the conversation around her. H-How…did I not realize it after hearing his story…? Was he really going to... The Spirit Medium bit her tongue as she felt blood drain from her face, refusing to look in that direction. She clenched her fists under the surface of her podium, trying to control her trembling. It…makes the most sense if I was the closest to the table…but still! He was a friend to me at the time...Is he just like the others back home? Friendly in front of my face until I am no longer useful and then see me as a ghost freak? Was he just pretending this whole time? Hikari kept her eyes glued to the wooden podium in front of her, fighting the urge to gaze upon her so-called good friend the past couple days. The bespectacled girl didn't think she could handle the attention to this realization just yet. She was still in complete shock, not noticing the Gamer's quick glance of concern towards the Spirit Medium.

What got Hikari out of her stupor was Fuyuhiko's angry protest. "Wh-What the fuck are you saying!? I'm not the killer!" Hikari blinked, surprised, seeing some classmates deciding that Fuyuhiko was guilty.

Huh? What exactly did I miss…?

The Yakuza's patience was obviously at its limit by this point. "Don't mess with me!" he growled, fists clenched in rage. "I'll fuckin' kill you!" Hikari sweatdropped.

That definitely won't help your case if you are actually innocent…

Mahiru crossed her arms, frowning. "But when the party started…nobody saw you, you know? That means you have no alibi!" The photographer pointed at Fuyuhiko accusingly.

"No, Kuzuryuu-san definitely has an alibi. Isn't that right, Nanami-san?" Hajime calmly looked at Chiaki.

The Gamer stared into space for a moment before blinking. "Um…Oh, you're right. I saw Kuzuryuu-san after the party started. There's no way he could've been waiting under the floor before then." With that said, Fuyuhiko's posture relaxed.

"You should've said that earlier, dumbass," the blond male mumbled under his breath.

"It's still your fault," Mahiru argued. "Like…why were you even lurking around the old building in the first place?" Fuyuhiko fidgeted slightly.

"Sh-Shut up…"

Teruteru stroked his chin in thought. "Maybe there really is a secret passage to go under the floorboards from the outside, and he came to spy…"

"…What'd you say, motherfucker!?" Fuyuhiko threatened. Some of the teens looked at the Cook strangely as he giggled to himself.

"Wow, he got chewed out, but he looks super happy!" Hiyoko gasped in surprise.

"Regardless," Gundham articulated with his arms crossed, "it's impossible to go under the floorboards from outside. Nanami-san and I already confirmed that…"

Sonia nodded slightly. "Then someone definitely went under the floorboards through the storage room during the party."

"During the party…" Mikan began to say softly. "It was probably during the blackout…"

"Well, if someone disappeared during the blackout, no one would've noticed," Chiaki determined.

Teruteru pointed a finger towards the Gamer. "But walking down that dark hallway to the storage room is like trying to make eggs benedict without any eggs!"

Kazuichi scratched his cheek gently. "You're right…I couldn't even see the office in that darkness, and that room was much closer…"

"…But is it really impossible?" murmured Hajime, hand to his chin in deep thought. "It might be better if we examine that possibility a little bit more…"

"It was super dark, y'know? There's no way you'd be able to find your way to the storage room!" Ibuki stated, itching her head.

"It appears…we're getting close to the final stage…The blackened or the spotless… Which is superior…? I think it's time to settle this." Hikari froze when she heard the smooth-talking voice nearby.

Do not look at him…Do NOT look at him… the girl cautioned herself, knowing she'd obviously give away what she knew from just the look on her face if she was to look at him. Instead, Hikari focused on trying to keep her composure.

"I know…The killer had a light with them!" Hajime verbalized loudly, making Hikari jolt in surprise, breaking her concentration.

"But where could they have found a light?" Ibuki asked, puzzled.

"There was one nearby for sure," Hajime declared, pointing at the kitchen's equipment list. "See? It's written on here, the kitchen's equipment list." His finger tapped on one item in particular. "It's the portable stove."

"P-portable stove!?"

"The portable stove isn't powered by electricity and it's also small enough to carry around…So the killer used the portable stove to move from the hallway to the storage room during the blackout!" Knowing this might be because of her feelings towards the boy, but Hikari couldn't help but see Hajime as a cool and confident protagonist in a book or movie. The small-statured girl stared at him star struck with a light blush tinting her cheeks.

"I see…" Nagito said slowly. "I never considered the portable stove, but there's a hole in your argument." Hajime blinked, taken aback.

Teruteru grinned perversely. "A hole? What kind of hole? It would be great if you could explain it to me in…much more detail." Suddenly, noticing the disgusted stares directed at him, he started to sweat. "Ah, I wasn't making a perverted joke or anything! It's really not a perverted joke! I'm-I'm serious! Hm…"

Mahiru glared at the short male. "Repeating yourself just makes it even more suspicious!"

"Now then, Hinata," Nagito challenged with a very serious look in his eyes. "Will you battle against me?"

Battle? Between Hinata and Komaeda? Hikari blinked, her eyes darting between the two boys, her goal of not looking at Nagito forgotten. Luckily for her, Nagito's focus was on Hajime alone.

"…Will you be able to break through my argument?" Nagito mused. At first, Hajime seemed shocked and a bit troubled before he took a deep breath and stared the Luckster down with resolve.

Damnit! There's no way I'm going to lose against someone like him! Hajime thought to himself, seeing that Nagito wasn't the person he thought he knew.

"Did you forget what Souda-san said earlier?" Nagito asked condescendingly. "He said the hall was too dark to see the office. The light from the stove you mentioned…It contradicts his testimony…Or are you intentionally doubting his testimony?"

Hikari frowned, discouraged. He does have a point…Wouldn't Souda-san have been able to see that stove light during the blackout if the killer was travelling with it in the hallway? She looked to Hajime, hoping he has a comeback.

"I don't doubt what Souda-san said!" the tie-wearing teen declared, getting annoyed. "What are you trying to say…!?"

Nagito crossed his arms. "The reason Souda-san couldn't see the office…was because the hallway was dark, right? So if a light was shining in such a dark hallway…Wouldn't Souda-san have seen it? After all, he was walking in the hallway, right?"

Hikari blinked, a bit stunned. That's what I was thinking? Is he a mind reader…? She started to feel chills rush through her body. I really hope not…

"Komaeda, did you forget?" Hajime asked sternly. "Or are you pretending you forgot?"

Nagito closed his eyes with his signature smile. "…Huh? What are you talking about?"

"There should've been a wall that blocked light. I'm talking about the fire door in the hallway. If you close it, it would form a perfect wall in the hallway. Plus…the hallway rounds a corner just beyond the fire door…So even if there was a small gap in the door, as long as they pass the corner, the light still wouldn't peek out."

"I see…To actually notice the fire door, just as expected as the SHSL…" Nagito paused, blinking. "Oh…You still don't remember your talent, do you?"

Hajime faltered a bit. "Wh-Who cares about that now…!?" Seeing that Nagito insulted her friend and person of infatuation, Hikari slammed her hands on her podium, seeing red.

"Sh-Shut up!" the Spirit Medium yelled at the Luckster, her anger causing her small body to shake. "You're the one who set up the opportunity for murder…You were the one who was going to murder…You…were going to murder…!" She bit her bottom lip, her face turning scarlet, closing her eyes tightly, too mad to even look at the boy.

"Komaeda-san, what are you plotting? For someone who insists that he's not the killer, you are quite nosy," the swordswoman remarked with her velvety voice.

Nagito raised his hands in mock defense. "You ladies sound so scary. If you're that angry, why don't you take a deep breath…?"

"You sure like to piss us off! How about I shut your fuckin' mouth for you!?" Fuyuhiko snarled viciously.

Hikari breathed out through her nose, still fuming. Said the words out of my mouth…Does he even know that I know what he was going to do?

"Heeeeeey!" Monokuma interjected. "It's okay if you guys fight, but I won't allow a burly brawl that might offend people! More importantly, can you hurry up and decide who's the blackened already? Time runs out when I get bored."

During Monokuma's interruption, Hikari learned the answer to her mental question. Nagito caught Hikari's stare and looked at her with an arrogant yet nonchalant expression. The Spirit Medium paled. H-He does know…It's as if he's telling me that he seriously would've done it when he had the chance…and he wouldn't care if I died… She frowned, clasping her necklace out of nervous habit. Hikari was very sure that, at this rate, she would die from the amount of stress accumulated from her inability to use her talent and being put into this deadly situation with no guarantee of survival. My heart can't take much more of this...I'm probably going to have a heart attack soon if this continues…

Mahiru quickly captured Hikari's attention with her sudden outburst in response to Gundham regarding the crawlspace under the floorboards. "Wh-What!? A shining liquid in the dark!?"

Hikari blinked, confused. Shining liquid?

Sonia tilted her head to the side a bit. "If there was a shining mark like that, they would've been able to move to it in the dark, right?"

"And in doing so, it might have been possible for them to use that mark to target the victim," Chiaki speculated.

"The mark you're talking about is the glowing paint that was applied to the knife, right?" Hajime asked.

"Ah!" Nekomaru roared in realization. "By using the glowing paint as a target, they were able to judge where to stab even in the dark!"

"I see," the Traditional Dancer concluded. "The killer didn't target an actual person, they just struck the moment the glowing paint moved!"

"That would be the moment someone grabbed ahold of the knife!" Sonia exclaimed with a serious air about her.

Komaeda smiled calmly. "So…the killer used the mark that I prepared for finding the knife as a mark for stabbing…" His grin grew as he started to get excited. "I see…That's why Togami-san got killed when he took the knife…"

"But if they were able to do that," Chiaki mentioned, "wouldn't that mean that the killer knew about Komaeda-san's plan all along?"

"Well, Hanamura-san!?" Nekomaru challenged, cracking his huge knuckles.

Hikari's mouth dropped slightly. Hanamura-san's the killer!? She quickly recovered from the turn of events, remembering she helped Mahiru with the diagram. That's right…he wasn't in any of the pictures Koizumi took right before the blackout…We just assumed he was in the kitchen… The deep blue-eyed girl observed the Cook's current demeanor as he anxiously denied knowing anything.

"Then can I ask everyone a question instead?" Nagito quipped. Hikari was about to subconsciously retort before Mahiru beat her to it.

"Y-You again!? Just stop already!" Mahiru demanded, becoming impatient with the Luckster's antics. Hikari let out a breath she didn't know she held in. She honestly felt relieved that Mahiru stood up to him instead of herself doing it. The Spirit Medium felt very uncomfortable being around the pale teenager now that she knows the truth.

Teruteru tried to regain his composure, nervous sweat still forming on his face. "N-Now, now! We should give everyone a fair opportunity to speak!"

"If Hanamura-san is the killer, then that would mean that he went to the storage room during the blackout…And just what did Mioda-san hear during the blackout?" Nagito wondered aloud for everyone to remember Ibuki's account.

Peko blinked, frowning. "She heard…Hanamura's voice in the dining hall?"

"Doesn't that prove Hanamura-san was in the dining hall during the blackout?"

"Th-Th-That's right!" shouted Teruteru. "That's exactly it!"

Mahiru inspected her evidence again, a finger to her cheek in thought. "But Hanamura-san was in the kitchen the moment the blackout occurred, right? So…why was he in the dining hall?" Hikari silently nodded in agreement.

Teruteru nervously poked his index fingers together, looking to the side uneasily. "I-I thought the blackout was only in the kitchen, so I panicked and ran there…Of course, the hallway was dark, too…But somehow I managed to move along the wall towards everyone's voices."

"Well," Nekomaru sighed lightly, making sense of Teruteru's story, "it's not too far to move along the wall from the kitchen to the dining hall…"

"…That sounds fishy!" Akane argued, hand on her hip. Hikari's eyebrows furrowed. Teruteru's account did make sense and sounded plausible, but it also sounded suspicious. She wasn't sure how Teruteru could move around in the dark and Kazuichi couldn't. The mystical girl figured that Teruteru reached his destination because it was also the source of everyone's loud voices. She also wasn't certain if the fire doors were used before or after the Cook was in the hall.

Or maybe they weren't even used at all...I didn't investigate the hallway…Maybe I should've done more in the investigation… Hikari frowned, feeling that she wasted a lot of time during the data-gathering stage trying to use her talent when deep down she knew that she would fail again. But…I had to try…I'm the only one here with the talent to communicate with ghosts. It was worth a shot, she thought to herself, trying to perk up.

Ibuki was beginning to get aggravated. "But I heard Hanamura-san's voice in the dining hall! Ibuki swears on her honor!"

"That's right," Nagito chortled. "Hanamura-san was in the dining hall, not the storage room. Which means…he's not the killer."

"…No, that's not it," Hajime objected, knowing they were missing something important.

Teruteru gawked at him. "Wh-Why…?" He suddenly exploded in anger, on the verge of a tantrum. "Why do you want to keep falsely accusing me!?"

Hajime frowned, starting to feel guilty. "It's not like I want to blame you…I just…"

Hikari frowned, feeling empathy towards the Cook. I understand how he feels…I was accused not too long ago…but…if he is the killer…he just doesn't want to be executed…No one does…that's why we have to do this…

"You should be so proud of yourself, Hinata," Nagito exalted, arms crossed over his chest. "You're just progressing toward the hope you believe in…" Both Hikari and Hajime grimaced slightly at his words. However, Nagito wasn't finished talking. "Now, Hinata…show me more of your hope. Will that be enough to crush Hanamura's hope?"

He's getting creepier the longer this goes on… Hikari thought with concern. Does he even care if he lives or dies? Is it really all about his twisted concept of hope?

Nagito looked at Teruteru. "Let me ask again…Did you go to the storage room during the blackout?"

"Th-There's no way I went to the storage room! I was somewhere totally different!" Teruteru asserted.

"I definitely heard Hanamura-san's voice!" Ibuki boasted, proud of her acute hearing ability. "It's handsome! Unlike his face!"

"Maybe it was a recording or something…?" Mahiru suggested.

"Nope, definitely a live voice!"

Teruteru smiled, starting to feel confident. "Right, as long as I have her testimony…The fact…that I was in the dining hall…cannot be disputed!" However, someone was ready to shut down the Cook's lifeline.

"Just because we heard Hanamura-san's voice in the dining hall doesn't mean that he was literally in the dining hall," Hajime remarked.

"Huh? Wh-Why…?"

"Remember the floor in the dining hall? It was full of gaps, right…? So even if you shouted out from under the floor, it should have sounded like the voices in the dining hall."

At this point, Teruteru was beginning to panic, grabbing his hair anxiously. "But…but-but-but-but-but-but…!"

"I see…" Peko acknowledged Hajime's reasoning. "So he brazenly shouted from under the floor to make us think that he was in the dining hall."

Hikari frowned, looking at the short boy. "…Is that true, Hanamura-san?"

"H-Hold on a second…" he spluttered.

"C-Can you explain this, Hanamura-san!?" Mikan squeaked, her hands turning to small fists to her chest.

"I told ya to wait a sec, ain't IIIIIIII!?" Teruteru exploded, raising his fists in the air. Mikan shrieked in fear, not expecting the Cook to fly off the handle like that so suddenly. "What're y'all even sayin' anymore!? I'm tellin' ya I was in dat dere dinin' hall durin' da blackou'!" He persisted angrily, his accent becoming thicker and harder to understand.

"…Where are you from again?" Hiyoko asked.

"Oooh I was born 'n West Azabu and raised 'n South Aoyama!"

Hiyoko giggled, smiling happily. "Hey, you guys! This guy's a major liar!"

Chiaki gripped the ends of her hood thoughtfully before she spoke. "If Hanamura-san was in the dining hall during the blackout, he should've been there after the power returned, right?"

"Well, I believe so," Nagito testified with a smile. "There's no way that he could've gone back and forth in that dark hallway."

"Huh?" Mahiru wondered. "Was Hanamura-san actually there during that time?"

"I-I sure was…" Teruteru alleged. "I was dere da whoooooole damn time…"

"Something like this shouldn't be decided by gut instinct. People's lives are at stake," Nagito cautioned.

Hikari's face deadpanned. However, you sound so untroubled…like you don't care at all…

"Daaaamn right!" Teruteru roared, a vein visibly throbbing on his forehead. "You guys shouldna been decidin' this on the spot with your hazy memories!"

Hiyoko stared at him, disgusted. "His accent is getting even worse! He's definitely lying!"

"However…I am not sure. I believe that he was there…and I believe that he was not there," Sonia said, looking downcast.

"Nghhhhhhh…! Is there any way we can decide…!?" Nekomaru bellowed in frustration.

"…Why don't we consult his memories?" Chiaki suggested calmly.

Teruteru was still in a rage, his eyes wide. "Grah! Cher, don't be sayin' dings like dat don't make no sense! Can you even prove I wasn't in da dinin' hall!?"

"I probably can," Hajime said coolly.

"Gaaaargh! You again!?"

"If you're claiming that you were in the dining hall when the power came back…then you should know how Tsumiki-san was positioned at the time, right!?"

Hikari blinked and then sweatdropped. Oh yeah…I totally forgot about that what with the murder and whatnot…

"Wh-Whaaaaaaat!?" Teruteru blurted out, dumbfounded.

Mikan whimpered loudly. "Don't make me remember! I-It's so embarrassing!"

"No," Hajime said quietly, "this is a very important question…" He turned to the Cook challengingly. "Well, Hanamura-san? If you were really in the dining hall at that time, you should know the answer to that!" Teruteru started fidgeting nervously, looking around to his peers for some kind of help. Hajime continued, "It was a pretty clever way of tripping. There's no way you'd forget about it so easily."

Mikan started sobbing. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry. I showed you something so…unsightly…!"

"H-H-How about it!?" Ibuki stuttered, sweatdropping at the mental image of Mikan in that pose again. "You can answer, Hanamura-san!?"

"Um…um…" Teruteru mumbled, uneasy. "Huh? Uhhhh…huh…That's weird, it just slipped from my mind."

Mahiru shook her head. "There's no way it would slip from your mind…Especially not a pervert like you…!"

"U-Um…Even so…" He quickly glanced at Nagito. "K-Komaeda-san! Say something!"

"Hmm…" Nagito sighed, dissatisfied. "I guess you might have to give up now…"

The Cook gaped at him. "Wait…give up? What do you mean, 'give up'…?"

"Hanamura-san…I'm disappointed too, you know…It's lonely watching someone I admire reach the limits of their hope. It kind of feels like a broken dream…"

"Komaeda, what are you doing!?" Hajime demanded angrily. "Why are you messing with the killer like that…!?"

"Ho-Ho-Hold on a sec!" Teruteru yelled, getting riled up. "Don' go movin' dis along on your own like I really am da killer!"

Nagito raised an eyebrow, looking down at him with a patronizing glance. "Huh? But it's already decided, right?"

The Cook stared at the Luckster in utter disbelief. "Da-da-da-da-da…hm…da-da-da-da-da…" He suddenly jumped and waved his fists furiously. "Da murder weapon hadn't been cleared up yet, cher!"

"It's no use!" Hiyoko exasperated, her hands on her head. "I can't understand him anymore!"

"It appears he's saying…'The murder weapon hadn't been cleared up yet!'" Monomi spoke out, swaying back and forth from the rope she was tied up with.

Ibuki gasped. "You understand him!?"

"But it's such a sad defense…This is too cruel…" Monomi sobbed, looking depressed.

"Oh! 'F you callin' me the killer den where da weapon!?" Teruteru shouted, glaring at everyone.

"Come on, Monomi!" Mahiru ordered, sweatdropping. "Enough with the whimpering and translate!"

"U-Um…" the stuffed rabbit sniffled. "He said…'If you're calling me the killer, then where's the weapon?'"

Hikari blinked. "Oh…that's right…We never decided what the actual murder weapon was…"

"The weapon, huh…?" Nekomaru contemplated out loud. "It's not the knife, right?"

"Judging from Togami-san's wounds…It was a thin, edged tool that's roughly five millimeters in diameter!" Mikan explained meekly.

"Also, if they stabbed from under the floorboards, the weapon would need to be at least fifty centimeters in length," added Gundham.

"…After all this, who cares about the weapon?" Nagito asked casually.

Hikari glanced to her right, staring at the memorial picture of their deceased friend. She gripped her hand into a fist. No…it wouldn't be fair to just end it like this without knowing how Togami-san was killed… "We need to know the truth…" Everyone turned to the Spirit Medium to hear what she had to say. "It's not right if we don't learn exactly what happened. I believe…it won't give Togami-san peace if we didn't see this through to the end. He was always the one who told us to find the truth, right?" She frowned. "Not knowing what happened to our friend definitely won't give me peace of mind…" The small girl's eyes looked at everyone's, eventually locking onto Hajime's almost pleadingly. Please Hinata-san…I feel like you investigated the most out of us all…You must be able to figure this out… Everyone fell silent as Teruteru was still having a fit, consciously ignoring Hikari's small motivational speech. Hajime stared back at her quietly, his eyes slowly moving to the memorial next to her before closing his eyes, nodding.

Togami-san probably wants that too, Seishin-san, Hajime thought, his resolve getting stronger from listening to Hikari.

"Fine, I got it…" Chiaki said softly. "Let's try thinking about what the weapon was." Hikari smiled at her friend, feeling relieved that her friends want to continue.

Hajime's eyes snapped open. "That's it! The weapon must be the iron skewer!" he blurted out loudly.

Mahiru jumped a bit, standing right next to the plain teen. "Huh!? The iron skewer!?"

"Before the party, as Togami-san was confiscating all the dangerous items, he spoke to Hanamura-san about a missing iron skewer…"

"So that missing iron skewer is the weapon!?" Nekomaru shouted in surprise.

Mikan gasped. "An iron skewer would match up with the wounds perfectly!"

"Hey Hanamura-san!" Akane called out, cracking her knuckles. "Where'd ya hide the iron skewer!?"

Teruteru, realizing that he was in a path of no return, panicked into hysterics. Fuyuhiko looked agitated. "You probably dumped it somewhere on the island, didn't you!?"

Hikari placed a finger to her chin. "I don't think so…There's a no littering rule. I remembering reading it when we arrived on the island."

Momoni shook around in her rope restraints in agreement. "If he had violated it, the island sirens would be ringing nonstop."

"Island sirens…? Just for littering!?" Kazuichi asked, sweatdropping.

"Also…I was on guard duty and I never once saw Hanamura-san leave the old building," Chiaki confirmed.

"Whiich means…he obviously hid it somewhere in the old building…" Peko stated.

"It's probably the kitchen again, right!?" Hiyoko said as if that was very apparent.

"Hanamura-san…" the Team Manager said, staring at the small Cook, "just man up and be straight with us."

Teruteru only gripped his hair tightly, his eyes wide with fear, uproariously yelling nonsense before going on the defensive. "OH WHAT DA HELL YOU EVEN SAYIN', YOU STUPID COUNTRY HICK!?"

"He said, um…" Momoni hesitated, "'Oh what the hell are you even saying, you stupid country hick.'"

"I guess…we have no choice but to somehow find out for ourselves…" Chiaki concluded.

"Ah'm na' hidin' an'thing!" Teruteru barked. Teruteru just repeated this over and over, his voice growing louder each time.

"He said…'I'm not hiding anything!'" Monomi translated.

"Where would the weapon be!?" Teruteru demanded.

Hajime was the one who answered him with his own question. "Could the iron skewer have been hidden…inside the piece of meat on the bone!?"

"Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-!?" Teruteru screeched before trying to compose himself, sweat drenching his face. "What are you sayin'…? Dere's no way I'd hide anything…in a place like that…"

"Th-That's clearly impossible! I mean, that's inside the food!" Akane shouted, aghast at the thought of contaminated food.

"'Impossible'…That's what Togami-san and I thought…That's why we overlooked it…" Hajime sadly chuckled at this fatal error. He firmly stared down Teruteru as he continued. "But in fact…the only place you could hide the weapon was inside the food that couldn't be inspected. Out of all the dishes you prepared, the only one that could hide a weapon as long as an iron skewer is…the meat on the bone!"

"WHAT NOWWWWW!?" Nekomaru thundered towards Teruteru.

"I-I-I'm usin' mah right to remain silent!" Teruteru bawled, color starting to drain his chubby face.

Hiyoko glared at him, her fingers gripping the hems of her kimono's sleeves. "There's no way that exists here!"

"W-We need to confirm this now!" Ibuki said with a sense of urgency.

"So if we eat that tasty-lookin' piece of meat and find the iron skewer inside…Bullseye!" Akane exclaimed, drool starting to form in her mouth. Hikari refrained from gagging at the thought of Akane eating contaminated meat.

Kazuichi turned to the stuffed animals. "All right, Monokuma or Monomi, one of you hurry and bring over that piece of meat!"

"One minute…" Akane murmured, getting pumped up at the idea of eating delicious meat. "Just gimme one minute…I'll eat the whole thing…!"

Teruteru ran his hands through his hair anxiously. "Wait now hold on a second! Time out! Time out!"

Nekomaru was starting to get restless. "What are you doing!? Hurry up and bring it over!"

"Ah…about that…" Monomi started to say, still swinging from her rope restraint.

"Huh? Where did Monokuma go?" Mahiru asked.

"I'm…right here…!" chirped the stuffed bear. Hikari turned around to find the two-toned bear not on his throne, but on a nearby steel chair munching happily on the sought-after meat on the bone. "Nom…I'm already eating it!"

"Gyaaaa!" Ibuki screamed. "A bear that eats meat! ...Wait, now that I think about it, that's pretty normal." The Spirit Medium smiled a bit, sweatdropping.

This seems to be typical of Mioda-san…

"Om nom nom…What is this…? So yummy," Monokuma hummed as he tore at the meat with his teeth.

"D-Dammit!" the Gymnast cursed loudly. "That's my meat!"

Hikari smiled nervously at Akane. Honestly, it is best that you didn't eat it… she thought to herself, not daring to say it out loud to the food loving girl.

"I've never eaten anything like it in my entire life," the bear continued to talk as he ate. "The taste brings me back to my days in the wild."

"Th-Th-Th-Th-This…THIS IS BAD!" howled Teruteru. "Seriously, this is really bad!"

"My, my…there's something inside the meat…" Monokuma said innocently and slowly as if everyone in the room had dumbed down to a toddler's understanding. "Look what came out!" He jumped back on his throne, waving around an iron skewer with a bone as its handle.

Ibuki gasped, her hands shooting up to her face in shock. "I-Isn't that…!?"

"Is that…an iron skewer…?" Sonia asked in disbelief.

Chiaki leaned forward to get a look. "Check it out…the handle looks like it's made of bone. Pretty clever."

"The sword of destruction! Encased in bone and sheathed in meat! It brought catastrophe unto Togami-san!" Gundham dramatically remarked.

"As expected of Hanamura-san!" Nagito proudly praised. "Such a fantastic weapon from the SHSL Chef!"

By this point, Teruteru was in utter astonishment, tears pouring down his cheeks. "Y-Y-You're wrong…! I'm not the killer…I'm not the kind of person…who would kill someone…!" He started shaking his head, getting mad again. "I got it! You all set me up! You guys set me up so you could blame dis on me!"

"Jeez, what a disappointment…Such an unseemly defense for an SHSL like you. Can you really call that hope?" Nagito criticized mercilessly.

Hikari turned to the Luckster angrily. "Komaeda-san…just…shut up," she stressed, trying not to let her frustrations and fear towards him show. Luckily for her, he stopped talking, but he stared at her with an unreadable expression. Also luckily for the girl was that Teruteru was not going to concede quietly, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Y'all nothin' but a buncha poor, loudmouthed, fast-food eatin' hicks!" Teruteru yelled so fast that his words slurred together.

"He said…'You're all nothing but a bunch of poor, loudmouthed, fast-food eating hicks'," Monomi translated automatically.

Mahiru sweatdropped, her mouth twitching to a nervous smile. "Y-You don't need to translate anymore…Somehow I can…tell what he's trying to say!"

"Nevah nevah nevah shoulda wasted mah cookin' on you 'ngrates!" Teruteru ranted on.

"I guess we need to settle this…once and for all…" Chiaki decided firmly. "To do that, we need to go over the entire incident from beginning to end and make everything clear like Seishin-san said…"

Hajime nodded. "So…we need to do it!" After a few minutes of reexamining all of the evidence, Hajime took a deep breath. "Here's everything that happened in this case.

"Let's try going over the whole incident, beginning with right after the party started…Togami-san had us gather in the dining hall of the old building near the hotel. He was extra cautious about a murder occurring that night because of a threatening letter he received. Therefore, he decided to throw a party so that he could monitor us. Though one person didn't come, the rest of us assembled at the dining hall…and the party was underway. But, at that time, the trap set by a certain person was already in motion.

"They plugged three irons into the outlets in the storage room, which nearly capped the power usage…Additionally, they prepared something else that would activate at 11:30 p.m….The air conditioners in the office and in the dining hall. They had already set the timers for these. Thanks to the irons maxing out the power usage, the breaker was tripped when the air conditioners kicked on. Since the windows in the old building were covered, the blackout plunged the dining hall into total darkness.

"But when that happened, Togami-san took out a specific item that he brought in his case. That item…was the night-vision goggles. Togami-san was so concerned about a murder occurring that he brought a variety of security equipment with him. When he put on his night-vision goggles, Togami-san witnessed a certain someone making a suspicious move…He saw Komaeda guiding himself with the desk lamp's power cord so he could get under the table. That's right. Everything up to that point was all part of Komaeda's plan. The murder warning to Togami-san, the source of the blackout…It was all Komaeda." Hikari involuntarily shivered, remembering that she was the supposed to be Nagito's victim since she stood the closest to him when he retrieved the knife. Hajime went on.

"While the blackout was happening, someone else-the real killer—began making their move in the kitchen. The killer probably already knew about Komaeda's plan, so they knew a blackout was coming…That's why the killer prepared all of the items they would need to commit their crime in the dark beforehand. They needed a light source, which was provided by the portable stove in the kitchen. They needed a weapon, too…This had also been hidden in the kitchen beforehand. The long iron skewer used in the churrasco dish. The killer hid that inside that meat with the bone in it. With the weapon and portable stove in hand, the killer stepped out into the hallway…First, they closed the fire door in the hallway so their light source wouldn't peek toward the dining hall. Then, guided by the light, the killer headed toward the storage room and grabbed a specific item…That's right. A tablecloth to block the blood splatter. With this, the killer finished their preparations and snuck under the floorboards through the secret passage. They probably turned off the portable cooking stove at that point, or left it near the entrance of the door. The floor in the dining hall is full of gaps, so there's no way they could've safely held a light source. But thanks to the glowing mark they painted earlier, the killer was able to get beneath the table.

"Under the table, Togami-san found the knife that had been hidden there…If only he had retreated, he probably wouldn't have gotten killed but…He had to retrieve that knife. And, at that moment…The killer lurking beneath the floorboards stabbed straight up with the iron skewer! The killer had been waiting in the dark for the moment when the glowing paint began to move.

"After they murdered Togami-san, the killer…purposefully shouted from beneath the floorboards to make it seem like they were still in the dining hall. Afterward, they came out from underneath the floorboards and rushed back to the kitchen. And then, after hiding the murder weapon in the kitchen, they rejoined the group as if nothing had happened. There's only one person who would've been able to commit this crime…Especially if that person is someone who'd think of an unexpected way to hide a weapon inside food…Isn't that right…Hanamura Teruteru!?" Everyone glanced between Hajime and Teruteru, the suspense thick in the air. "That's what happened…How about it? Did I get anything wrong?" Hajime asked the Cook.

Teruteru went back to a submissive state, eyes full of tears and snot running from his nose. "Th-This…is a mistake…A mistake, I tell you…I would never…I would never kill anyone…Would…never…" Suddenly, he burst into tears and started wailing.

Peko closed her eyes solemnly. "It seems…this is the end."

Monokuma started to laugh uncontrollably. "Geh-hehe…It looks like your argument has come to a close. Let's move along to the nerve-wracking voting time! Now then, please pull the lever in front of you and cast your vote." Suddenly, the surface of each podium transformed into a touch screen showing every student's pixelated face. Besides the touch screen was a silver lever with a Monokuma head at the top. "Oh, just a reminder…Make triple sure you vote for someone! If you don't vote…I'm gonna eat you up just like that meat from earlier…"

Monomi sobbed loudly, looking very depressed. "Ughhhhh…! Wh-Why did this happen…!?"

"Who will be chosen as the blackened!? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one!? Puhuhuhu! Such heart-pounding excitement!"

With trembling fingers, Hikari touched the pixelated face of Teruteru before grabbing the lever and pulling it. The Spirit Medium felt as though time had slowed to almost a standstill when she was casting her vote. Hikari closed her eyes tightly, feeling tears form in her eyes. I'm so sorry, Hanamura… She felt her heart become heavy with sadness as Teruteru's wailing kept going.

The huge tablet screen showed a large slot machine, the reels spinning. A moment later, the reels, from left to right, started to slow down. Each reel stopped to reveal Teruteru's face which caused all three symbols to flash red, the slot machine's colorful lights going off as well. Below the reels, the word "GUILTY" flashed on and off and gold coins flowed from the payout dispenser. Bouquets of vibrant flowers and confetti started to appear on the screen. However, it was anything but celebratory for any of the SHSLs. Everyone stepped away from their podiums and gathered together and subconsciously stood around Teruteru.

Monokuma jumped up with glee. "Correct! That's right! This time, the blackened responsible for killing Togami Byakuya is Hanamura Teruteru!"

Teruteru finally stopped screaming, yet his face was completely white and was foaming from his mouth. "N-no…nononononono…!"

Even Fuyuhiko's skin turned pale. "A-Are you serious…!? Out of all these people…Are you saying a ponce like him is the one who killed Togami?"

Nekomaru clenched his fist. "B-But…" Tears started falling down the burly young man's cheeks. "WHYYYYYY!? WHY DID YOU KILL HIM!?"

"I-It was a mistake…I'm telling you it was just a mistake…" Teruteru said weakly. "I…was only trying to save you guys…I was only trying to stop Komaeda-san from murdering one of you!"

Hikari froze, her eyes wide. "Wh-What…?" She felt her blood run cold. I…I sentenced the person who potentially would have saved my life…to…death…?

Hajime was confused. "'Trying to stop'…What do you mean?" Nagito stood nearby, arms crossed and silent.

"I spent all morning in the old building preparing the dishes for the party…" Teruteru started explaining, "a-and then…I heard a weird laughter near the dining hall…and when I peeked over there…I saw him. I saw Komaeda-san, in the middle of cleaning duty, putting the knife under the table…! I-I had a bad feeling about it…so I continued to watch what he was doing…And I saw him place the irons he brought in the storage room…and mess with the air conditioner timers…Plus, he was grinning…Just grinning by himself the whole time…" Hikari held onto her arms in order to try to stop her body from shaking as the Cook continued his account, his own body trembling. "S-So I questioned him…Wh-When that happened…he…!" Hikari swayed a bit and a wave of dizziness rushed through her body. Her vision slowly darkened as she felt all sensation of her legs leave.

"Seishin!"

When she got her bearings back, Hikari opened her eyes to a few of her classmates around her, their faces etched with worry. Chiaki knelt beside her, holding her hand as the Spirit Medium glimpsed upwards to find her upper half leaning against Nekomaru. "Seishin-san, are you all right!?" Sonia asked, concerned, kneeling down to Hikari's left.

Mikan was holding back sobs. "Y-You gave us a scare, S-Seishin-san…! Your pulse was getting weak for a minute…"

"It might have been due to stress…" Peko suggested. "This has been a very trying ordeal…"

Chiaki quietly examined Hikari, squeezing her hand gently once the two girls had locked eyes.

Hajime, now seeing that Hikari was okay, turned to Nagito, having heard Teruteru's account of the conservation between the Cook and the Luckster. "K-Komaeda…what is the meaning of this? E-Explain it to me! I don't understand…anything about this story at all!"

Nagito smiled, holding his hands up defensively. "You see, if you have a favorite boxer, don't you want him to fight against a strong opponent and win?"

"Don't fuck with me!" the Yakuza shouted, pissed off. "You better not compare us to that."

Nagito blinked, taken aback. "Huh? Am I wrong? It's a given that trials are necessary to become strong, and the harsher the trial, the stronger you become, no?" He smiled, chuckling. "For mere humans, killings are simply a tragedy, but…for worthy humans, a trial such as this can elevate their status to an even higher level. It's amazing to me that someone as untalented as myself can become that trial! There's no point in someone like me surviving…It's far more significant for to die as everyone's trial. There's no greater honor than becoming the foundation so that your values may ascend to brave new heights!"

Hikari slowly got to her feet with the aid of her friends, Nekomaru close by in case the girl collapsed again. She felt her stomach twisting as she listened to Nagito, still holding the Gamer's hand.

Mahiru looked troubled. "I-I don't understand at all! Are you saying you basically wanted to commit murder for fun!?"

"It's not the same as someone killing for fun, but…I guess it'd look the same in your eyes. I have no intention of surviving and leaving you all to die."

"Is that why…" Hajime said slowly, "you didn't mind when Hanamura-san discovered your plan?"

"Or perhaps that was intentional too?" Everyone suddenly turned to Chiaki. Hikari looked at her friend as the Gamer explained. "Komaeda-san wanted to involve us in the killing…Plus, it'd be better for him if the mystery was more complex…Is that why you blatantly revealed your plan to Hanamura-san? You expected to pique Hanamura-san's curiosity…And you looked forward to the mystery becoming more complex."

Nagito shrugged indifferently. "Well…you're basically right. It's true I was looking forward to that. That's why I took the time to tell him about the secret passage I found while I was cleaning…"

Gundham's eyes widened. "What!? That was your doing as well?"

"I just casually mentioned, 'Oh, it's dangerous if you fall, so don't get too close to it.'" Teeruteru squirmed guiltily.

Chiaki firmly stared at Nagito. "Was it also intentional to target Seishin?" Everyone stopped and showed various signs of astonishment. Hikari couldn't hide her shock, her jaw dropping towards the calm girl.

Nagito smiled innocently. "What was that?"

"If your plan had been carried out perfectly, Seishin would have been the victim here and not Togami-san. It was clear to me from inspecting the diagram Koizumi-san drew up. Was killing her part of your plan?"

Nagito chuckled, sending shivers down Hikari's spine. "Like I said before, I didn't mind who I killed. As long as it resulted in you guys overcoming that despair. I admit that killing Seishin would have made things a bit easier for me. I mean, what if she regained her talent and spoke to the dead victim? Then, my plan for hope overcoming a difficult trial would be in vain." Hikari shut her eyes, not wanting to hear anymore, squeezing Chiaki's hand.

"I-It's okay…Nanami…" the Spirit Medium whispered. "It's over and done with…I don't want to think about it anymore." Chiaki blinked at the black-haired girl before nodding quietly.

Teruteru's body shook as some of the teens remarked that Nagito was crazy. "Th-That's right! That's why I tried to stop him, you know!"

Sonia clasped her hands, looking at the Cook sadly. "But why…why did you kill Togami-san instead?"

"I-I don't know! Because…Komaeda-san was the one who was supposed to take that knife…Th-That's why…I aimed and thrusted the iron skewer there…" He suddenly screamed, grasping his hair in grief. "But why is Togami-san the one who died!? It was supposed to be Komaeda-san, not him!"

Hajime frowned. "Togami-san…probably tried to stop Komaeda from grabbing the knife…And then…in place of Komaeda…"

"…No, I don't think that's it," Chiaki said.

"…Huh?" Hajime blinked, confused.

"Perhaps…Togami-san was probably trying…to protect Komaeda-san. I believe that Togami-san was also the one who pushed Seishin away from the back table…to protect her from any potential harm." Hikari felt her heart drop as she visualized what Byakuya did during the blackout, saving her life.

"Wh-What did you say!?" Nekomaru gawked.

"Cuz…Togami-san said so, didn't he?" Hikari bit her lip as she remembered what their dear friend told everyone earlier that day.

"Don't worry, as long as I'm the leader, I won't let anyone become a victim. I will guide you all! That much, I promise."

Hikari felt a couple of tears already finding their way down her cheeks. Togami-san…

"As long as he was wearing the night-vision goggles," Chiaki guessed, "I'm sure he saw someone moving under the floorboards. And that someone…was aiming for Komaeda-san."

Mahiru looked upset. "S-So Togami-san gave his life to protect Komaeda-san? Even though he was trying to take the knife?"

Nagito laughed to himself. "I see…Togami-san is amazing…To keep his promise to protect everyone, he actually threw his own life away…And yet…I never expected an ending like this…Such despair!"

I swear…If I wasn't feeling this weak…I would slap you so hard, Komaeda… Hikari thought bitterly, her fists shaking.

The Luckster hugged himself with a crazed look in his eyes. "But…we shouldn't let him die in vain. I'm sure everyone will become even stronger by overcoming this despair…"

"Could it be…?" Peko asked, getting into a defensive position. "You knew Togami-san would protect you, so you set him up to fail?"

"…Of course not. I'm not that good at calculating. I just took some precautionary measures. The results of that were going to be my fun for later…Just kidding." Somehow, Hikari doubted that he was joking. "But I never expected it would turn out like this. I never thought I'd be the one to survive. But since it was my life that had been saved, I didn't want to just waste it…So that's why I decided to help Hanamura-san."

"Why…why…?" Hajime asked, exasperated.

Nagito crossed his arms. "Well, because…Hanamura-san decided to commit his crime because he also had strong hope, right? Which means his actions were motivated by hope…If he was willing to go that far, I thought he might truly be the person whose existence I was waiting for." The white-haired teen grinned. "I thought he might be the hope that could defeat any type of despair. In order for me to confirm it, I decided to help Hanamura-san!"

"Wh-What do you mean, 'confirm'!? Just stop it already!" Hajime shouted at him angrily.

"Plus…I couldn't really help myself when I also empathized with Hanamura-san…After all, he wanted to kill me but he ended up killing Togami-san instead, you know? If I left him in that confused state, this trial might have been ruined, right? But in order for our hope to grow, this trial was absolutely necessary. That's why…I decided to help him! I told him, 'I don't care if I die, so you should just focus on escaping this island…' Those were my exact words to him before the investigation…Isn't that right, Hanamura-san?" Teruteru began to whimper, wringing his hands nervously. "In the end, my help just wasn't enough, and this turned out to be a bad ending for Hanamura-san…But you should be proud of yourself. You will not die in vain! You'll become a splendid sacrifice for everyone else so their hopes can grow even more powerful!" Nagito consoled the Cook in his own twisted way.

"S-Sacrifice…!?" Teruteru screeched in horror. Some of the boys muttered amongst themselves about what to do with Nagito due to his unpredictable behavior, Fuyuhiko even mentioning about offing him.

Monokuma giggled loudly. "Kyaaaaah! 'Kill,' he said! High school students are soooo violent these days!" Hikari almost jumped in surprise, forgetting that Monokuma was even there. "But the person who's gonna get killed now isn't Nagito. It's Teruteru." Teruteru froze in fear, eyes glued to the bear. Monokuma giggled some more. "Puhuhuhuhu, what's the matter? You didn't forget, right? Cuz I told you at the beginning, right? If the blackened loses, a fun punishment awaits them."

Teruteru shook his head, holding out his hands. "W-W-Wait…! H-Hold on…! Th-That was…how should I put it…an accident…Um…an act of self-defense…Uh…not intentional…Anyway, I feel it's possible it's not my fault…"

"It doesn't matter if it's an accident, self-defense, or intentional, a murder is still a murder!" roared Monokuma, arms in the air angrily. "If you kill someone, that's murder!"

"B-But…Isn't there anything like sympathy judgments, extenuating circumstances…or maybe even probation…?"

"Impossible! I don't accept any of those claims!"

"Th-That's not…" Teruteru whimpered. He whirled around to his peers desperately. "H-Hey! Save me you guys! I was only trying to stop Komaeda…so…!"

Monokuma leaned towards Teruteru, grinning knowingly. "Be honest…After learning about Nagito's plan, you saw an opportunity, right~? You probably thought nobody would find out if you killed him after messing up his plan, right…~? That's what you thought, right~?"

"Y-You're wrong! I-!"

"There's no way a person who has no malice…would kill someone like that." The Cook widened his eyes, wincing. Monokuma smiled happily, his paws on his tummy. "In truth, you were just desperate to kill Nagito…and willing to sacrifice everybody else to survive, right~? Just be honest already…at least, in the end." The short, chubby boy fidgeted fearfully, his clothes stained with sweat before becoming emotionally overwhelmed, crying loudly. Everyone frowned, knowing the truth.

"H-Hanamura-san…!" Sonia said sadly.

"If only you didn't try to kill Komaeda-san…Togami-san would still be alive…" Mahiru chided. "Why did you try to commit murder!? Answer me, Hanamura-san!"

Teruteru hiccupped through sobs. "I…I just…I just wanted to go home…I needed to go back home no matter whaaaaaaaat! I promised…I promised Momma I'd become a full-fledged cook and save the Hanamura Diner. Momma…is waiting for me to keep that promise. Even though she's sick…and alone…she's still waiting for me. That's why I need to go home!" Some of the girls started crying, feeling sympathy towards the unfortunate young man. "B-But…if we were told that our memories were stolen…and that several years have passed since our first day…Then what happened to the Hanamura Diner!? What happened to my mom who's still waiting for me!?"

Peko grimaced, eyes closed. "So you did believe what Monokuma said…"

"D-Dammit…" Kazuichi stuttered through tears, snot creeping down his nose. "You were saying all along…'It's okay…I'll never believe something like that…' So…WHY!?"

"I-I still don't believe it!" Teruteru insisted loudly. "There's no way I can believe it…It…it has to be a lie…That's why I wanted to go home! I wanted to…go home and confirm it…I wanted to make sure…it was all just a lie…I wanted to make sure that I still have a place to call home! I don't believe it…I don't…believe…it…I-I wanted to confirm by any means necessary…I had to do something…That's when I heard Komaeda-san's plan. I-I found out he was going to kill someone if I left him alone…That's why…That's…why…"

"Soooooo you wanted the first kill?" Monokuma blurted out cheerfully.

The Cook was silent for a moment before he looked at everyone forlornly. "I'm sorry…you guys…It doesn't mean that I wanted to sacrifice any of you. But…it was the only thing I could do…And…I ended up killing Togami-san…instead of Komaeda-san…Ah…I see…I think I'm the one…who went crazy."

Hikari stared at him, her throat feeling constricted as hot tears trickled down her face blurring her vision momentarily. I…I understand, Hanamura…and…thank you…You would have been the one who saved my life if Togami-san didn't act in time…

Monokuma giggled, his paws covering his mouth. "I see, I see…interesting. But…" He put his paws behind his back, looking dejected. "As far as motives to kill are concerned, wanting to see your mom is soooo booooring." Everyone looked at the bear as if he sprouted another head.

"Wha-!?" Hajime choked out.

"Soooooooo…" Monokuma began to say, his mood instantly lightening up. "It seems there's no point in basking in the afterglow, so let's hurry up and begin the punishment!"

Monomi jumped in front of Monokuma in a panic, finally being free from her constraints. "N-No! You can't!"

Monokuma swiftly gave the rabbit a strong right uppercut to the face, sending Monomi flying across the trial grounds. "Jeez! Get outta my way!" Once he made sure Monomi wouldn't interrupt again, Monokuma took a breath. "Well then…now that the annoying little sister has been dealt with, let's get back to business…"

"W-Wait…! H-Hold on a sec…" Teruteru begged breathlessly. "I'm not asking…for forgiveness anymore…B-But…at least…"

Monokuma started laughing uproariously. "Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for Hanamura Teruteru, the SHSL Cook!"

"Hey, Hey! Call me 'Chef'! No, wait, that's not what I-! P-Please…Please tell me at least…What happened to the Hanamura Diner…to Momma?"

Still ignoring the poor boy, Monokuma shouted gleefully, "Let's give it everything we got! It's…PUNISHMENT TIIIIME!"

"L-Lies…I won't believe this…I…won't…believe…it…!" Teruteru screamed as loud as he can. "…MOOOOOOOOMMMMAAAAA!" Monokuma grabbed a gavel out of thin air as a red button rose up from the ground in front of him. His left eye glowed a bright red as he raised the mallet high in the air, still sitting on his throne. One he slammed the gavel onto the big red button, a black screen appeared on the big screen with red pixelated graphics showing Monokuma walking by Teruteru and grabbing him by the collar, dragging him away. The words "GAME OVER" and "TERUTERU HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!" stuck out on the screen.

Suddenly, a steel claw attached to a linked chain burst out from a side door, speeding past everyone, heading straight at the frightened Teruteru. The claw mercilessly clamped around the Cook's neck, Teruteru panicking, his hands automatically trying to break free. However, the chain pulled back with such speed that all Teruteru could do was just hang on as his body was dragged across the floor to the side door, the door closing behind him. Another screen popped up on the tablet above the teens. It showed Teruteru tied up against a pole by a shore, facing a sunset and an incoming helicopter that resembled a shark. Monokuma was operating the military aircraft, wearing a military vest and headphones. He pushed a button on a joystick in front of him, causing multiple missiles hurtling towards the defenseless Cook. A huge explosion erupted one they reached the boy. Once the smoke cleared, Teruteru was still all right, but dazed and covered in a yellow buttery substance. However, the punishment wasn't over for a long shot.

The helicopter then produced a large rocket underneath it, Monokuma sending it straight at Teruteru. It made an even bigger explosion, a plume of smoke rising from the impact point. When the teens were able to see the scene clearly again, they saw their friend covered in white feathers, feathers floating around him as he coughed. Moments later, the helicopter attached a rope to the pole Teruteru was tied to, lifting both pole and Teruteru into the air. It flew across the water to a remote island that housed an enormous active volcano. Hikari's heart sank as the aircraft carried Teruteru straight to the volcano, hovering above the spewing lava. However, she couldn't look away as the helicopter dropped Teruteru right into the fiery molten rock, seeing Teruteru's look of sheer terror as he plunged down into it, the lava literally frying his body before the screen went to static.

Days Left: 19
Survivors: 15