Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Danganronpa series. I only own Hikari Seishin and her family. I also do not own any video games I mention in this fanfic.
Note: I try to make the story as canon as I can with obvious creative liberties. Please let me know if any of the original cast is OOC and I will do my best to fix it.
I keep forgetting to say this whenever I post chapters, but I just want to say thank you for all of the views, bookmarks, favorites, and reviews! They really help motivate me to write sooner than I plan.
I realize that I'm a definite fan of the concept of foreshadowing so, dear reader, keep in mind that what's going on in the story, particularly with Hikari, has a reason for happening. Might not be obvious at first, but as the story progresses I hope you'll discover some "aha" moments.
In reply to Dove's review, I can definitely see how you can compare Hikari to Mikan, but we have only scratched the surface when it comes to Hikari's story. I even have a sequel planned focusing on Hikari's past and what happens after the game. You are definitely on the right track with a couple of theories; I'm excited to see how you'll react when you learn more. =)
Chapter Fifteen
In the Name of Justice
"Well, now that we've decided to believe Saionji…now what?" Ibuki asked with an uncertain smile, not sure how to proceed with the trial.
Chiaki glanced upwards in thought. "If the killer was luring Saionji into a trap, then something that was used there might be a clue."
"Do you mean the letter?" Peko suggested calmly.
"…No, it was probably the gummy."
Hikari raised an eyebrow toward her close friend, confused. "The gummy?"
"Hey," the Gamer called out to Hiyoko, "when you woke up, was the gummy already there?"
"Ah," Hiyoko blinked with surprise, "now that you mention it…I feel like it wasn't…"
Chiaki nodded with understanding. "…Just as I thought."
"…Just as you thought?" Hajime repeated with a puzzled look.
"If the killer planted evidence while Saionji was there, she would've thrown it away if she found it."
"Which means…" Nekomaru said with his gruff voice, "the gummy was placed inside the closet after Saionji fled from the beach house?"
Hiyoko gaped. "The killer returned to the scene of the crime? After I left?"
"They wouldn't have to do something that troublesome as long as they hid somewhere within the beach house," Gundham pointed out with a scowl.
"That's impossible! There's nowhere to hide! I even glanced inside the shower room as I was running away…but there was nobody there!"
Kazuichi frowned. "Then…does that mean the killer came back?"
"Hmm, I wonder…" Chiaki mused. "At any rate, the solution to that problem is connected to what really happened… That's what I think."
"Do you think the killer might've been hiding?" Hajime asked.
Hiyoko laughed at the boy to her right, mocking him. "You spent all that time thinking just to say something so pointless… How disappointing… Didn't I just say that there was nowhere to hide? Do I have to explain it in another language so you can understand?"
Hikari sweatdropped. And there's our normal Saionji…biting remarks and all…
"No, there should've been a place for them to hide," Hajime argued. "A place you didn't look, Saionji."
"Wh-What are you saying? Stop being annoying or I'm gonna make Owari bop you on the head and shut you up for good," Hiyoko fumed, glaring at the plain teen.
Hajime sweatdropped slightly before clearing his throat to answer her. "The killer was probably hiding in the closet."
"The closet…? That's where I was locked up!"
"After you woke up, you said you rushed out of there, right? Then…you probably didn't look inside the closet very carefully."
"But could two people even hide in such a small space?" Peko inquired, a hand to her chin. "And without Saionji knowing?"
"That's why the killer made sure to arrange a hiding place," Chiaki replied, coming to Hajime's assistance. Hajime smiled a little towards the Gamer in gratitude, giving him a moment to think of a place where the killer hid in that closet unbeknownst to the Traditional Dancer.
"What about the surfboard case in the closet?" he finally asked. "I'm pretty sure they could have hidden in there."
Hiyoko gasped, surprised. "Huh? Inside the surfboard case?"
"But the shelf it was on…it was pretty messy, don't you think? Two surfboards were stacked on the top shelf…and there were surfboards that weren't even in a case. The killer probably did that on purpose to secure a hiding place. Cuz we haven't been on this island that long, so the closet shouldn't have been that messy…I think," Chiaki explained.
The Spirit Medium closed her eyes, trying to remember how the closet looked like yesterday when she was looking for a beach towel or blanket. "Yeah…I don't recall the closet being messy when I went to the beach house with Hinata yesterday, although I didn't really look in the closet during the investigation earlier…"
"Then…the killer was close to me during that time?" Hiyoko asked breathlessly, obviously horrorstruck. Hikari frowned, knowing that feeling all too well from the last trial, almost becoming a murder victim herself back then.
Hajime nodded slightly. "Yeah…they were quietly holding their breath and hiding very close to you. The killer hid silently, and after making sure Saionji left… They finally left the surfboard case."
That makes sense…well, as long as they can fit inside the surfboard case… Hikari thought to herself, nibbling the tip of her thumb subconsciously.
"I agree with that as well!" Nagito concurred cheerfully.
"Seriously," sighed Akane loudly, "nobody asked what you think…"
"There's no way the killer would leave Saionji by herself if they were trying to frame her," Nagito said logically, blatantly disregarding Akane's remark. "If Saionji was left alone and ruined the evidence the killer had planted, it would've messed up their plan… Instead, it makes more sense to think that the killer was hiding in the beach house, watching Saionji!"
The athletic brunette glowered at the Luckster. "Sayin' whatever ya want even if we didn't ask… All right, if ya don't wanna friggin' get punched, just stand still and lemme punch ya!" Akane growled, cracking her knuckles. Nagito quieted down, his light green-grey eyes focused on the floor in front of him while a couple of people sweatdropped at Akane's threat. Raising an eyebrow, the Gymnast continued talking. "Oh, you've shut up. Then…grit your teeth…!"
"Sorry Owari, it's not like that…" Nagito interjected calmly before turning to his left with a smile. "Hey Monokuma…can I ask you about something that seems strange to me?"
"I believe Prince Shotoku was from the future. A man from the future is always directing the flow of history," the plush bear stated from his golden throne.
What? Prince Shotoku? What is this bear even saying? Hikari thought as she twirled around to stare at the bear with a weird look. However, Nagito wasn't having any of Monokuma's nonsense at the moment.
"I'll listen to your story about men from the future some other time…" the boy said with a bored expression and went to the topic at hand. "As I recall, the body discovery announcement is made when three or more people discover a body, right? Is the killer also included…among those three or more people?"
"Y-Yeah…that's true but… Well…something like that…is basically what it's supposed to be…" Monokuma mumbled quietly.
Nagito's grin widened, arms crossed. "…You don't sound very articulate." After a short pause, the stuffed bear exploded, paws raised in the air.
"Jeez! You're pretty annoying for noticing something like that! I know it sounds like an excuse, but the body discovery announcement isn't supposed to be used for deduction! It's intended to create a fair trial… It's supposed to let everyone know a body has been found."
Hikari bit the inside of her cheek as she glanced at Nagito. Komaeda really is a dangerous person… He can even play Monokuma like a fiddle to get the information he wants… I have to be on guard around him at all times…
"So you're saying it's unfortunate that I used it for deduction?" Nagito asked with a hint of frustration laced in his voice. "I understand your excuse but… Depending on who actually found the body, it's possible that your 'three or more people' rule could be deadly."
Monokuma tilted his head from side to side for a few short moments before replying to the logic-driven teen. "Well…as long as I keep things ambiguous, I can respond to situations with some flexibility."
"Flexibility, huh…? So what about this time? Is it three people including the killer or not?"
Hikari could tell that the evil bear was getting irritated by Nagito's persistence, sensing a heavy, negative aura behind her where the stuffed bear was sitting. "Jeez," Monokuma groaned loudly. "Fine, fine. You want me to say it? It doesn't include the killer this time, okay? …All done."
"Which means…" Nagito declared with satisfaction, "three people other than the killer discovered Koizumi's body…"
"What's…wrong with that?" Hajime questioned, not sure what Nagito was doing with this line of thinking.
Nagito simply smiled, waving a hand toward Hajime. "Nothing, I just thought it was somewhat strange. More importantly, let's get back to our original topic." Hikari narrowed her eyes, staring at the Luckster.
No…I think he knows something… Why else would he trouble himself to ask Monokuma about the body discovery announcement…? Who were the three people beside the killer that saw Koizumi's body? Who triggered the body discovery announcement? Saionji was one… Souda was first among us at the diner who got to the beach house… Maybe Hinata? The announcement came on not too long after he rushed out the diner though… The black-haired girl closed her eyes tightly, feeling stumped. Argh…! Komaeda must be onto something… I just don't know who that third person could be!
"U-Um…we were just saying that the killer was hiding in the surfboard case, right?" Mikan asked meekly.
"And after Saionji ran away, the killer got to enjoy the simple life of destroying evidence…" Ibuki added, her eyes closed.
"However," Gundham cut in, his hamsters perched on his shoulders, "before we proceed any further…there's something we have to make clear. The killer blocked the roadside door with Koizumi's body before Saionji ran away, but what about the blood?"
"What did the killer do with the blood on their body?" Nagito posed the question to the group.
"Maybe they simply washed it off," Chiaki replied blankly.
"We stated before that they couldn't use the shower, right?" Fuyuhiko pointed out. "So washing it off would've been impossible."
"They didn't have to use the shower… If they used something other than the shower…"
Hajime's eyebrows furrowed. "If they just needed to wash off the blood, they didn't necessarily have to use the shower. They could've just as easily used something else."
Hikari tilted her head in confusion. "Like what?"
"The drinks inside the refrigerator. Couldn't the killer have used those to wash off the blood?"
Peko shrugged her shoulders. "In theory, but…that's impossible…"
Hajime blinked in surprise, wondering if he made a mistake. "…Wh-Why!?"
"Try to remember the refrigerator carefully," the silver-haired Swordswoman advised, her arms crossed, "and then you will understand…that there's no possible way the drinks in the refrigerator were used! One drink wouldn't be enough to wash off the blood."
"We can't assume they used just one drink…" Hajime defended himself. "They could've used a bunch of them to wash it off!"
Peko let out a curt laugh, her lips forming a small smirk. "Hmph… Didn't I say it was impossible? There were no water bottles in the refrigerator."
"No, there were water bottles inside the refrigerator," Hajime stated adamantly. At this point, the crimson-eyed young woman was starting to become uncharacteristically agitated.
"H-How many times do I have to tell you? There were no water bottles in there whatsoever…"
"That was after the incident, right? But before the incident…there were water bottles in the fridge. And the killer took all of those water bottles and used them to wash the blood off their body!"
"So you're saying the water bottles are gone…because they were all used? That's a logical fallacy!"
"It's not a fallacy… There should've been evidence inside the trash can. Evidence like a lot of thrown away plastic water bottles… Isn't that right, Nanami?" Hajime glanced at the girl to Hikari's right.
"Ah, you're right," the Gamer confirmed. "Those bottles looked like they may have been filled with water."
Hajime nodded before turning to Hikari. "Seishin, did you remember seeing any water bottles in the refrigerator at the beach house yesterday afternoon when you went to grab some soda for us?" Hikari stood straight up, a bit startled by the sudden question.
"Yesterday afternoon…" she blushed lightly at the mention of their shared afternoon together at the beach. That felt like weeks ago… The Spirit Medium closed her eyes in an effort to recreate the memory of getting the two soda bottles. "Yes…I remember that the drinks were organized by what liquid was what. There were sections of soda, juice…and water. I can clearly recall that I debated at that time whether I should go for soda or water."
"Then…the plastic water bottles were used in place of the shower," Sonia conjectured.
Ibuki closed her eyes in thought, her index fingers touching either side of her forehead. "Dousing your body with lots of water bottles is such a simple and easy to understand explanation!" Hearing that, Hajime blinked in realization and his skin gradually paled, the boy looking very troubled.
Naito chuckled, grinning at the uneasy teen. "It seems you've realized who the killer is…"
Hajime flinched slightly, gaping at Nagito. "…Hm?" How'd he…?
"See? Just as I thought."
Fuyuhiko's complexion also was a sickly pale, wildly looking between Nagito and Hajime. "H-Hold on… Y-You know who the killer is…?"
Hikari looked just as shocked. T-They do…from just that!? Who could it be?
Hajime could feel a cold sweat forming on his face as he looked at who he believed to be the killer. "Is it you…Pekoyama!?" The stoic young woman closed her eyes, remaining silent.
"Hey…what are you being quiet for?" Hiyoko snapped, biting her lip. "They're accusing you of being the killer…"
"Then I should ask you this: why do you think that I am the killer?" Peko asked in a clear tone.
"I remember when we were all meeting up to go to the beach…" Hajime said, still looking a bit pallid. "Your appearance when you came to the diner…"
Hikari raised an eyebrow. Pekoyama's appearance? She was wearing her bathing suit. There wasn't any blood on her, but she was… The girl widened her eyes at the same realization that Hajime came to.
"If the killer really did wash the blood off with water bottles, they'd have to drench their entire body… It would've taken a while for the water to fully air dry…"
"That's because there were no towels at the beach house," Hikari spoke up, feeling a bit nervous with everyone's eyes on her again but she knew she had to support Hajime's claim from any incoming arguments. "I mean, there was only the one beach blanket in the beach house that I used yesterday, but I accidently left it in the library when Hinata and I dropped off the books we borrowed. I don't think the killer would've known that since it was only the two of us."
Sonia cocked her head to the left, blinking. "May I ask what color the blanket was?"
"U-um…it was a dark green…" Hikari replied, not sure why the Princess would ask a question like that.
"Oh! That was the blanket Mioda, Owari, and I borrowed from the Rocketpunch Market yesterday morning. We used the blanket on the sand at the beach in front of the beach house to sit on as we planned where festivities would go for the girls' outing," Sonia explained excitedly, her eyes twinkling like stars.
Ibuki nodded, smiling. "We left the blanket over the wicker chair inside the beach house because I figured that it would disappear like any used clothes I leave in my laundry hamper!"
Monomi started swinging with pride. "Of course! It is a teacher's duty to take care of her students so that is why I take care of all the dirty laundry on the island!" A huge pause of silence lingered in the air as every teen present processed what the rabbit said.
"What the hell!?" Hiyoko screamed in disgust. "You handle all of our underwear!? That's way beyond the level of perverted!" Many of them mumbled in agreement, though Kazuichi seemed a bit spaced out in his own little world. Hikari gave the neon-pink haired Mechanic an annoyed look.
I bet he's picturing what Nevermind's underwear looks like… Typical…
Monomi looked shocked at the allegation. "I-I only wash them, I promise! I even wash everything by paw!"
Anyway, back to the topic of the blanket… Hikari thought as she shook her head a bit to regain focus. When I got the blanket from the beach house, it was actually on the wicker chair like Mioda said… No wonder it had a little bit of sand on it when I grabbed it.
"So you said you went swimming so you'd have a cover story," Hajime accused Peko, trying to steer the discussion back on track. Peko just stood there silently, eyes closed.
Kazuichi gaped at the composed young woman to his right.
"D-Don't just stay silent! Say something!"
"Hold on, you bastard!" Fuyuhiko roared at Hajime, his eyes burning in anger. "You saw her at the diner… You never saw her near the beach house, right!? So maybe she really was swimming!"
Hikari glanced at the Yakuza, flabbergasted. Why is he defending Pekoyama? Is it because she defended him earlier in the trial when we focused on the arcade game?
"No one saw her swimming!" Kazuichi argued.
"No…" Fuyuhiko said quietly, "I saw her… I…after I ran into you bastards at the diner, I crossed paths with her on my way home… S-So…there's no doubt, she would've arrived at the diner from the opposite direction of the beach house."
Hajime frowned, already seeing the flaw in the Gangster's testimony. "Hold on…that's strange… You told me that you didn't see anyone. Don't try to tell me you forgot about that."
Fuyuhiko gritted his teeth when he realized that, starting to get worked up. "Ngh… N-Not so fast…! It's too soon to decide she's the killer! We haven't established how the killer was able to leave the beach house!"
"N-Now that you mention it…you're right…" stammered Mikan shyly.
"The roadside door was blocked, and if it's impossible to leave from the beachside without leaving footprints… Then how the fuck did the killer escape!?"
The Musician also noticed Fuyuhiko's unyielding insistence of Peko's innocence, fidgeting a bit nervously. "Um, why are you all so fired up, Kuzuryuu? You're not the suspect, Pekoyama is."
"Wh-Who cares about that!?" the blond male snapped at the girl to his left before locking onto Hajime. "Answer me! If you got an explanation then show me what you got!"
"…We might have an answer," Chiaki said after a pause.
"…Huh!?"
Peko stared at the Gamer, an eyebrow raised. "…Do you, really? This mystery seems unsolvable."
"Well, if Pekoyama is the killer, then I might just have an answer to that mystery…" Chiaki stated, glancing upwards with a finger to her chin.
"I see… Then let's hear this alleged method of escaping the beach house!"
"First…let's establish how the killer escaped…"
Hajime glanced at Chiaki. "If the roadside and beachside doors aren't options, the only other thing I can think of is… Well, nothing really…except that small window in the shower room."
"Heh," Fuyuhiko scoffed, "don't you know how high that window is? There's no way Pekoyama could've reached it…"
"B-But…what if, for instance, she got help from someone…?" Mikan guessed in an unconfident tone.
Akane shrugged. "She mighta reached it by ridin' someone's shoulders, but then that person woulda been left behind."
"Is it possible an object was used?" Sonia asked. "A rope, for instance…?"
"And what happened to the rope after they used it? And don't say something stupid like they threw it outside!" the Yakuza contested with a smirk.
"Of course not!" Nekomaru agreed. "That would violate the school trip rule!"
Hikari nodded. "Right, the 'no littering' rule. Even if it might be considered as evidence, rules are still rules…"
"You see, there's no way they'd be able to escape from that window…!" Fuyuhiko asserted with confidence.
"…No, they'd just have to use an object," Chiaki countered simply, poised with just as much sureness.
Ibuki smiled, sweatdropping. "Nanami, don't fall asleep on us! We just said they couldn't use an object!"
"You did?" Chiaki asked, tilting her head to the side. "I thought you were saying they couldn't dispose of an object."
Mikan gasped in enlightenment. "I see! You don't have to throw it away if you can just hide it somewhere on your body!"
"Huh? Pekoyama was wearing a swimsuit, remember? Where would she even hide such an object?" Hiyoko objected before glaring at all the boys present. "…And if you say she hid it in her special place, I'll stab you in yours!" Almost everyone sweatdropped, Kazuichi coughing a little.
Hikari felt her eyebrows furrow for the millionth time this trial as she tried to think what Peko could have used to escaped. She only wore her swimsuit… I don't think she carried anyth- The Spirit Medium paused in mid-thought as she laid her eyes on the Swordswoman. W-Wait… It can't be that, right? How could she have…?
Hajime was also thinking the same thing because he turned to Peko and asked, "Pekoyama…you carry that bamboo sword on your back at all times, right?" When she didn't respond, Hajime continued. "If I recall correctly…you had it then, too… Despite the fact that you had a swimsuit on, you were still wearing your bamboo sword."
"A-Are you saying she used that bamboo sword to escape through the window…?" Nekomaru asked incredibly.
"Yeah… Pekoyama used that bamboo sword as a stepstool and escaped out the window."
Akane grinned widely, a hand on her hip. "You see, I knew it! I knew it was a ninja! Didn't I tell ya? A ninja coulda climbed that easily! Ninjas know a climbin' trick where they lean their sword against a wall and use the handguard as a stepstool."
"Wow! Just like a Japanese ninja!" Sonia exclaimed enthusiastically. Hikari smiled weakly.
But Pekoyama's not really a ninja…I think.
"Well, it is a bamboo sword, but…I'm sure a slender girl like Pekoyama could easily use it to climb…" Chiaki explained.
Hajime looked at the silent silver-haired young woman. "Well, Pekoyama…do you have anything to say?"
"H-Hold on a sec, you bastard!" Fuyuhiko growled, glaring daggers at Hajime. "You're sayin' she used her sword as a stepstool and went out the fuckin' window!? Then what about the sword!? It would've been left in the shower room and she wouldn't have been able to recover it, dumbass!"
He does have a point… How did she retrieve her sword? Hikari thought, her body tense as she watched Fuyuhiko yell at Hajime with such ferocity.
"K-Kuzuryuu… Why do you even care…?" Hajime asked, not sure why the blond was so upset about Peko being the killer.
The smaller of the two boys gritted his teeth. "Sh-Shut up! Just shut the fuck up and answer me! If you have an answer then fuckin' give it to me! If she used the bamboo sword as a stepstool, it would've been left behind!"
Taking a deep breath, Hajime stared the Yakuza down. "If she used her bamboo sword as a stepstool, she could have recovered it with her sword bag. When she leaned her sword against the wall to use as a stepstool, she tied her sword bag to it… And after she climbed up to the window, as long as she hauled the bag up towards her… She would've been able to recover her bamboo sword!" Hajime's clarification only upset Fuyuhiko even more who was visibly shaking, his fists clenched to the point that his hands were turning white.
"I see…" Nagito happily accepted Hajime's words. "Not just the bamboo sword but even the sword bag, too… She used them both to escape… Owari said she's like a ninja, but it's nothing as silly as that… Simply put, only Pekoyama could've performed this feat! An escape plan befitting of the SHSL Swordswoman!" Then the Luckster frowned, looking saddened. "Even so, how disappointing… If you'd only let me work with you… It would've been an even greater plan…" Hikari rolled her eyes, annoyed.
And Komaeda was behaving so well too... He's much more tolerable when his mouth is shut…
"H-Hold on! You're just making assumptions!" Fuyuhiko exclaimed, a vein throbbing over his left eyebrow. "Y-You don't have proof! I won't accept this unless there's proof!" He pointed a finger in anger toward Hajime. "Got it, you bastard!?"
"…It's fine," Peko said softly. Fuyuhiko spun to her in complete shock. The Swordswoman opened her eyes and crossed her arms. "Saying anything more would just be an exercise in futility." Hikari frowned, feeling a bit uneasy.
What is going on? Kuzuryuu is fighting us tooth and nail and Pekoyama just admitted to it… I don't understand…I don't really know Pekoyama that well to know why she killed Koizumi... If I had gotten to know her, would I have been able to persuade her from killing Koizumi? The ebony-haired girl bit her lip lightly, feeling a lump of guilt starting to form in her chest.
"Very well," Gundham conceded. "If you admit it, this ends now! Let's cast our votes!"
"Agreed… Hurry up and vote…" Peko acquiesced. Hikari's heart beat faster, the anxiety of casting a vote for someone's death being just as intense as the last one.
"Ah, hold on," Chiaki spoke up, hand outstretched. "Let me confirm one thing first."
Peko's eyes narrowed. "…Can it wait until after the voting?"
"This is important and it relates to the voting… It's about Pekoyama's motive."
"…My motive?"
"In the end, you had no connection to the events depicted in 'Twilight Syndrome Murder Case,' right? Then…why did you kill Koizumi?" Slowly, everyone turned their attention to Peko who seemed to have held her breath as the Gamer was talking.
"Hmph, so it's about that…" the bespectacled girl exhaled slowly. "Let's see…if I must answer that question… I must say…it was for the sake of justice…"
"Justice…?" Hajime repeated, obviously taken aback by that response.
"In order to…protect the justice of this world," Peko said as her lips formed a creepy smirk. "I do not sully my hands to satisfy personal grudges… There is only one reason I kill… For the sake of protecting justice! Justice is what makes humans human… It's a virtue that human beings should be proud of. Justice is the eternal sun…and the enduring moon… The protective father…and the smiling mother… If justice ever disappeared from this world… The world would immediately freeze, and people's smiles would vanish… I…will not allow that…!"
Fuyuhiko stared at Peko, deeply concerned, holding out a hand to her. "I-It's fine… Just stop it!"
"Justice must always be there to guide us, to shine bright above our heads!" Peko declared with a crazed expression on her face.
"I-I'm telling you to stop it!"
"So I must fight!" Peko yelled, making sure her voice drowned out Fuyuhiko's. "I must continue to fight to protect justice!"
Sonia gasped, eyes wide. "Th-This is… Could she be!?"
The braided teen pulled something from behind her and put it on her face. "As the light of justice shines upon my mask…I expose the hearts of malevolent evil… Justice Complete!" When finished saying the catchphrase, Peko stood tall with her hands on her hips, wearing the same anime girl mask that was found at the crime scene. Everyone stared at Peko with the same kind of expression: absolute shock. That didn't stop her from continuing on her spiel for justice, making a couple of dramatic poses as she spoke. "The center of justice that is pierced by justice! The lead star of justice that shines in the night sky! That would be me…Sparkling Justice! ('^') Now then…let's execute justice! (`v`) "
Kazuichi almost jumped out of his podium, eyes bulging out, gaping at the girl next to him. "WHAT THE FUUUUUUCK!?"
"I am Sparkling Justice… In the name of sparkling, shining justice, I have come to deliver justice! (-_+-) "
Wh-What!? Is Pekoyama the same as Komaeda, hiding her true nature until she just snapped? I just don't understand what is going on at all! Hikari just couldn't believe what she was seeing in front of her, Peko wearing a child's mask while performing dramatic poses. Not many around the Spirit Medium were able to comprehend what was happening either. Sonia, however, seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.
"E-Everyone, please be careful!" she advised her friends in a shaky voice, fear evident in her eyes. "Sparkling Justice is a serial killer who claims to be an ally of justice! Clad in her various hero masks, she is a serial killer who exclusively targets other criminals… She is supposed to be…but, huh?"
Akane blinked in disbelief. "An ally of justice…? So that's why you're wearin' a mask!"
Peko nodded, her hands on her hips again. "This mask is the dividing line. Just like various idols… The sun is revered because it lies just beyond your grasp… Justice should also be the same! (*`^`*)/"=* "
Monomi raised both paws, sweating profusely. "Th-This is turning out to be a surprising turn of events!" On the other hand, right beside the rabbit was a sleeping Monokuma, a huge snot bubble forming from his nose.
"Zzz…zzzzz…zzzz…"
"H-Hey! Now's not the time for you to be sleeping! …Take a look, it's a killer!" Yet, Monokuma kept snoozing away, waking up slightly.
"Zzzz….zzz… This again…?" he mumbled sleepily.
"Huh? Sleep-talking?"
Chiaki stared blankly at the masked uniform-wearing teen, the Gamer seeming to be unfazed by Peko's theatrics. "…So what's your answer to my previous question? Why did you kill Koizumi?"
"This world must always be bathed in the light of justice. I must not allow even one shadow…" Peko answered before moving as if she was going to grab her bamboo sword from its bag. "Evil must be eliminated immediately! \(`^`)/ No matter what, I must not overlook evil! (`-`) "
"But Koizumi… She wasn't…" Hikari started to argue, but couldn't really get her mouth to say anything more.
"If you knew about that incident…then you must've played the game, am I right?" Nagito asked Peko.
"And because of that, I was able to find the killer's accomplice hiding on this island like a sewer rat…" Peko replied coolly.
"Killer's accomplice…?" Hikari whispered before she realized what Peko meant, quickly turning to the taller girl. "Wait! You mean you killed Koizumi because of that!?"
Peko whipped out her bamboo sword and postured passionately. "I was protecting justice, of course! (O `^` O) In order to protect justice…I have become its merciless sword! And…executed justice! (`.w.`) "
Hajime's lips curved downward. "Pekoyama…is this your true identity?"
"My true identity…? Hmph, I have already forgotten who I am… It just shows my determination! My determination to protect by throwing away what's most important! I'm willing to become anybody to shower this world with justice! (*`^`*)/"=* Haaaaaaaaaahahahahaha! \( xvx )/ "
"Gh…!" Nekomaru grunted impatiently. "I can't stand this anymore! Let's just end this farce already!"
Hajime nodded slowly, still feeling very troubled about this whole situation with Peko. "L-Let's go over this incident one more time and then…let's end this!" Like last trial, Hajime was left with all of the evidence to come up with the closing argument against Peko. It felt like time went by agonizingly slow for everyone as Hajime looked at every piece of evidence carefully. When ready, the teen nodded and stood composed. "Here's everything that happened in this case!" He took a deep breath and began his argument.
"The incident began this morning…when Koizumi spoke to Saionji. Koizumi most likely played 'Twilight Syndrome Murder Case,' the video game provided to us as the motive… She probably wanted to discuss it with someone else who also appeared in the game as a character. Saionji accepted Koizumi's invitation and they promised to have a more detailed conversation about it later. However…someone else overheard their exchange: the killer. The killer eavesdropped on their conversation and used their promise to devise a specific murder plan… By preparing a specific item, they planned to manipulate the two's actions.
"That item was the letters… They sent fake letters to both Koizumi and Saionji. The letter Koizumi received told her to come to the beach house at 2:30 p.m…. And the letter Saionji received told her to come to the beach house at exactly 2:00 p.m. By providing different times, the killer was able to lure the two to the beach house separately.
"Saionji totally trusted that letter, showed up at the beach house at 2:00 p.m. just like it said…and was drugged into unconsciousness by the killer lying in wait. After putting Saionji to sleep, the killer immediately hid her inside the closet…so they could frame her as the killer later.
"At 2:30 p.m., Koizumi arrived at the beach house. She was completely unaware that she'd been targeted for murder… Approaching her from behind, the killer struck the defenseless Koizumi with a specific weapon. The metal bat that was left at the scene of the crime. The bat was brought down onto the back of Koizumi's head, and with that, she took her last breath… According to Tsumiki's autopsy…Koizumi died instantly, so she probably never knew who killed her…
"With that, the killer achieved their goal of killing Koizumi and began to tamper with the crime scene. They dragged Koizumi's body so that it blocked the door leading to the road… Also…the mask found at the scene of the crime was something the killer personally left… I'm not really sure why… My guess is it's something similar to a calling card. That's how the crime scene we discovered was created. However, by moving Koizumi's body, the killer got blood splatter on them. Plus, the shower room had no water because it was out of order, so they couldn't wash it off… But the killer expected something like that to happen. Instead of the shower, the killer used something else to wash the blood off their body. They used plastic water bottles that were inside the beach house refrigerator. We can assume they carried the bottles to the shower room before the sequence of events had happened… In place of showering, they washed the blood off their body with water bottles instead. However…they had no choice but to dispose of the empty bottles in the beach house's trash can. Littering is against the rules, and it would've taken too much time to throw them away somewhere else. After the killer washed off the blood, they hid in a specific spot inside the closet Saionji was in. The killer hid inside the surfboard case that they had already emptied beforehand.
"After some time had passed, the sleeping drug used on Saionji wore off and she woke up… I can imagine how badly Saionji must have panicked when she came out of the closet. I mean, she made plans to see Koizumi, who lay dead right in front of her… From the shock and panic of being considered a murder suspect…Saionji fled from the beach house. Because of that, she left footprints in the sand. Everything was a trap set by the killer to frame her. After Saionji left, the killer finally came out of the surfboard case…and placed a gummy that they brought with them to shift our suspicion towards Saionji. Ironically…placing that gummy is what helped clear our suspicion towards Saionji… Finally, the killer began preparing to escape from the beach house. They couldn't risk leaving their footprints in the sand, so they escaped the beach house using a different route. …The small window in the shower room. However, that window is rather high up and can't be reached easily… Which is why the killer used…the bamboo sword they always carry with them. The killer took the bamboo sword out of its bag, tied the bag to the sword's handle…and used the sword as a stepstool to reach the small window, while holding onto the sword bag in their hand. As long as they were able to reach the window, all they had to do was pull the bag to retrieve the sword. And so the killer left the beach house and appeared before us as if nothing had happened. But…their wet hair and swimsuit didn't dry right away. There also weren't any towels at the beach house… So when the killer met up with us, they said they had been swimming for a while as an excuse…
"So how about it!?" challenged Hajime as he pointed a finger at Peko who still wore the child's mask. "This is the truth behind the incident you caused! Isn't that right, Pekoyama Peko!?"
"I see…" Peko said calmly before placing her hands on her hips again confidently. "And what of it!? (-^-+) " Hikari's jaw dropped in shock.
"Wh-What!? You're really admitting to all of it!?"
"I haven't done anything to be ashamed of! (`^`) "
"Wh-What are you saying…? You killed Koizumi…!" Hiyoko screamed at her angrily, her eyes filled with tears.
"WRONG! I punished evil in the name of justice! (-v-)=3 That's no reason to condemn me! (O`^`O) "
"Koizumi might have done something bad in the past…but you killed…" Hikari whispered, her bangs hiding her eyes, "and that is something I cannot forgive!" Chiaki blinked and smiled softly at the girl to her right as the Spirit Medium clenched a fist and looked right at the Swordswoman. "That is my reason! You had no right to kill anyone! No one does…" Hikari trailed off as tears flowed freely down her cheeks, Peko watching in silence, her expression unreadable behind her mask.
"Wh-Whatever!" Hiyoko spat. "Let's hurry up and vote so we can freaking kill this weird, crazy bitch!"
"There's no way…you can kill me…" Peko announced. "Justice can never be killed! (`^`) You should all know that as well! To protect what's most important to you, you must be prepared to throw away something equally important. Understand!? (*`^`*)/"=* Justice must carry on! In order to keep justice, to keep me, alive, you all must give up your lives! (`.w.`) " Mikan screeched in horror at the thought. Hajime also looked very anxious.
"A-Are you serious…?"
"It's not serious…it's justice! (`v`) If I fall here…who will combat the evils of this world!? (`^`) Now…follow your hearts of justice that reside within you all…and save my life to protect justice…! Hurry and carry on justice! (.O.) "
"G-Gimme a break!" exclaimed a freaked out Kazuichi. "Who's gonna die for you!?"
"I-If we let Pekoyama go… We're all gonna get killed…" Ibuki stuttered, eyes wide and her hands in the air.
"For the sake of grand justice, a few sacrifices are unavoidable! (`^`) " Peko declared.
Mikan started to sob. "A f-few sacrifices!? Th-That's-!"
"Don't worry… The justice that you give your life to protect will never go to waste… (/_.\) "
Hiyoko gripped her blonde pigtails in frustration. "I-I can't stand her anymore! Let's vote already and execute her!"
"U-Um…" Sonia said weakly, hands clasped in front of her. "However…b-before we do that…"
"Monokuma! The vote!" Nekomaru boomed, his patience with Peko's antics gone as well. "Hurry up and let us vote alreadyyyyy!"
"Zzz…I'm awake!" Monokuma said after making a snort and a yawning sound.
"Ah!" chirped Monomi in surprise. "He finally woke up!"
"I've heard your story! Well…I wasn't listening, but who cares!?" Monokuma gushed, looking content. "Now then, please pull the lever in front of you and cast your vote." Like last time, each podium's surface transformed into a touch screen showing every student's pixelated face. This time, there were red Xs over the students who were already dead: Byakuya, Teruteru, and Mahiru. Next to the touch screen was the silver lever with the Monokuma head on top. "Who will be chosen as the blackened!? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one!? Puhuhuhu! Such heart-pounding excitement!"
Hikari closed her eyes tightly, trying not to break down. Why…Why did it have to turn to murder…? And now we're doing the same to Pekoyama… This…This is just not right! Hikari slowly moved a shaky hand over the touch screen, hesitating. I don't want to do this...but I want to survive! With that, she pressed her index finger against Peko's pixelated face before gripping the lever and pulled with all of her strength.
Just as it happened during the first trial, the huge tablet screen above everyone 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 Peko's face which caused all three symbols to flash red, the slot machine's colorful lights going off. 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. Just as the verdict was being processed through everyone's heads, Sonia was desperate to be heard.
"Pardon me! Can we please have a little more time!?" she uncharacteristically shouted. The group of teens paused from getting off their podiums and gave her the attention she was trying to get for the past few minutes. "U-Um… Pardon me… Can we have a little bit more time…?" the Princess repeated powerlessly. "Please let us continue our discussion."
Kazuichi rubbed the back of his head. "Continue our discussion…? But isn't the voting over?"
"Y-Yes, but…I cannot help but feel strange… Something about this is definitely strange…"
"Strange?" Nekomaru asked the platinum blonde. "What do you mean? There's no doubt that Pekoyama is the killer!"
"That…is true… However…"
Nagito tapped his forehead with a finger. "As a serial killer enthusiast, you're wondering if Pekoyama is really Sparkling Justice, am I right?"
"…Huh!?" Hiyoko gaped.
"Hey, Sonia-san isn't a serial killer enthusiast!" the Mechanic cried out, pointing a finger at Nagito. "She just has a little more passion about them than most!"
Ibuki made her signature finger guns toward Kazuichi. "That makes her an enthusiast!"
"Honestly, it felt strange too," Nagito admitted freely. "I mean… There's a distinct difference between what we know about Sparkling Justice and Pekoyama, right?"
"A d-distinct difference?" squeaked a surprised Mikan.
"You know...don't you, Hinata?" Nagito grinned at Hajime who frowned at the Luckster for giving him the obligation of answering the question.
"According to what Nevermind said… If she had to translate the magazine article featuring Sparkling Justice… That means it wasn't written in Japanese, right?"
"Yes!" the princess affirmed with certainty. "The magazine I read was written in Spanish! So…Sparkling Justice's catchphrase was no doubt written in Spanish as well… Which means the journalist…and Sparkling Justice…are both…!"
"From Spain!?" Nekomaru yelled in shock.
"WHAAAATT!?" Ibuki screamed, hands to her cheeks.
So is Pekoyama Sparkling Justice or not…? Hikari wondered, wiping tears from her eyes. Not that it matters much anymore since she's guilty and will be executed…
"Pekoyama…you're not Sparkling Justice…" Hajime answering Hikari's question. "There's no way that's possible…"
"Or if you insist that you're Sparkling Justice, can you try saying that catchphrase in Spanish?" Chiaki asked Peko calmly. Hajime glanced at the Swordswoman carefully.
"…Would you be able to do that?" After a short silence, Peko finally gave her response.
"Hmph…it appears that…the time has come for this mask to come off…" The braided young woman slowly took off the childlike mask, a gentle smile gracing her lips and her sharp red eyes softened. "However, that's perfectly fine… It's no longer necessary. And…even if you find out now, it's too late for you all to do anything about it. My duty…has already been finished. My duty as a tool…has already been completed in full."
Hikari stared at the somber Peko with a thousand questions and thoughts whirling in her head but only one word escaped from the dumbfounded teen. "What…?"
Days Left: 15
Survivors: 14
Note: I have realized as I was writing this chapter that I encountered a problem that I created in chapter 11. Luckily, I made it so there are no contradictions, but I hope it's not seen as a lame cop-out. Let me know if you picked up on it and if my solution is plausible. Again, thank you for sticking with me so far!
