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.
A/N: Thank you so much for your continued support of this story! I really appreciate your views and wonderful reviews which kept me motivated to continue it despite going back to my job and not having much time to spare. I hope everyone has a happy and safe new year! Also, happy birthday Hajime!
Chapter Twenty-Three
Proving One's Innocence
Akane, Hikari, and Mikan finally reached Monokuma Rock, being the last ones to arrive. "Is everybody heeere!?" Monokuma called out as he scanned the area to make sure no one was missing. "Do you guys wanna go to the class triaaaaaaaaal!?"
Not really… Hikari muttered mentally, squinting and blinking frequently since she was still without her glasses.
"Hey, jerk! Hold it right there!" Monomi yelled with her paws in the air angrily. "Oh, I almost forgot!" The stuffed rabbit waddled over to Akane, Hikari, and Mikan. "Here you are, Hikari!" Monomi said happily. "I found your extra pair of glasses in your nightstand drawer where I left it on your arrival to the island. It did take me a minute to realize that they were buried underneath all of your hope fragments and other things," she explained as she reached a paw holding the glasses towards the Spirit Medium who took the hazy red object. The young woman put them on and looked around to make sure the lenses were the correct kind. "Just make sure not to break these, though. That's the only spare you have."
Hikari smiled, thrilled she can see once again. "Thank you so much, Monomi! I had no idea that I had another pair in my room," Hikari beamed, letting go of Akane and Mikan before showing the two girls gratitude as well. "Thank you Owari and Tsumiki for guiding me here," she said with a small bow.
"Ah, don't sweat it, Seishin! Like I said before, I'm just returnin' the favor when ya took care of me in the hospital!" Akane replied with a half-hearted wave of her hand, her cheeks dusted pink from the praise.
"O-Of course! I always want to help a friend in need!" Mikan squeaked, her own face turning rosy.
Monokuma was still irritated by Monomi's sudden entrance and outburst. "What? Don't get in my way. You're just a dumb little sister who's short a few brain cells."
Monomi spun back around to face the black-and-white bear. "My brain works just fine! Hey, hey! Monokuma! What did you do with Nekomaru!?"
What? Nidai's still not back? Hikari wondered as she visually searched for the large, burly found eye contact with Chiaki and when Chiaki recognized what Hikari was doing, the Gamer gave her a small shrug of the shoulders with a somber expression. I thought he'd be here for the trial… His injuries must be really bad…
"I see…so you've come to avenge him…" Monokuma nodded to himself, his back turned to Monomi who jumped in a panic.
"Avenge!? That sounds like he died!" she cried out in fright.
The bear turned around, paws covering his permanent grin. "Puhuhu… 'Sounds like,' you say…? Oops! Anyway, since Nekomaru is unfortunately unavailable today, let's just say he's absent… N-Now then, I gotta go first!" Monokuma declared while squirming in ecstasy before dashing off behind Monokuma Rock.
"Ah, hold on!" Monomi shouted angrily as she ran after him. "I won't let you escape!" Once the two stuffed animals had left the area, the troubled teens looked at each other helplessly.
"H-Hey…did you hear what he said…?" Kazuichi said nervously, gritting his teeth.
"Don't worry about it, there's no way Nidai is dead…" Fuyuhiko assured the others despite appearing to be very concerned himself. "He's just trying to piss us off…!"
"Of course he's not dead. There's no way, not in a million years," Akane insisted strongly, her eyebrows furrowed intensely. Hikari frowned as she watched the Gymnast clench her shaking fists. The Spirit Medium placed a hand over the tan girl's trembling one in an attempt to provide some form of comfort, causing Akane to take a deep breath and calm down slightly.
Nagito smiled at his peers, seemingly unfazed by Nekomaru's absence. "More importantly…it's best if we worry about ourselves for now. If 'something' happens here…every one of us except Nidai will die!"
I don't know which one I prefer…"normal" Komaeda or sick Komaeda… Hikari thought derisively while doing her best to keep herself calm around the Luckster. They both creep me out…
"Why-Why are you so excited about that…!?" Mikan whimpered, her body shaking like a leaf.
"Who knows…?" Nagito wondered out loud. "Maybe I'm just looking forward to seeing poetic justice prevail."
Gundham narrowed his red and grey eyes at the smug-looking teen. "What are you saying, fiend?"
"You'll find out soon enough…" the white-haired boy replied with a chuckle.
"…Then let's go," Chiaki said calmly.
Akane, looking fired up, slammed her fist into her other hand hard. "All right! Let's hurry up and get this over with!"
"Yeah…" Hajime weakly nodded, "you're right…" He turned towards the rocky monument with trepidation as the second stone Monokuma began to quake and open its mouth deafeningly to let the escalator down to the group of teens. I can never get used to this… These trials are not getting any easier… He blinked in surprise when he felt a pat on his right shoulder as his friends started to get on the moving staircase. Hajime glanced back to see Hikari right behind him, retracting her hand back to her side.
"It'll be okay…" the Spirit Medium said supportively to the worried plain boy. "We're all in this together. The sooner we get there…the sooner we can get this over with, right?" She stepped around him to the escalator.
"Yeah…" Hajime repeated himself before shaking his head a bit and followed Hikari onto the escalator. "But how are you feeling? Do you think you can do this with your injury?"
The black-haired girl turned her head to her left to give eye contact with Hajime, Hikari being a couple of steps ahead of him which caused the two to be at eye level. "I don't think I have much of a choice…" Hikari said with a wry smile. "My head doesn't hurt as bad as earlier, thanks to the ice; it's really just an annoying throb now. Besides, Monokuma would never let me skip out on a trial, especially one which I might be involved in since I was attacked after discovering the body with you." Hajime opened his mouth to apologize to her for not preventing the attack but Hikari already turned around and entered into the elevator. He sighed with a frown before walking into the contraption that would bring the group to the trial grounds.
When the bespectacled girl stepped into the elevator, Chiaki got a hold of Hikari's arm. "Hey, hey. I almost forgot to give this to you," Chiaki said, taking out a Monokuma File and handed it to the Spirit Medium. "I kept it safe during the investigation since you weren't able to look at it. You should read this now before the trial starts," the Gamer advised her friend just as the elevator doors closed once everyone was inside. Hikari smiled appreciatively at Chiaki before going to her accustomed spot in the elevator which was behind Hajime and in front of Nagito. She felt comfortable there since she was close to Hajime and, as a bonus, she didn't have the Luckster in her line of vision. Once the elevator began making its descent, Hikari turned on the tablet that contained the Monokuma File.
All right… What am I dealing with…? Hikari asked herself as she swiped a finger up on the white screen to access the information and pictures of the victims. The blue-eyed teen felt her heart drop to her stomach once she saw the photos of her slain friends. She knew how Ibuki's body looked since she was one of the first people to discover it. Hiyoko's photo definitely sent a shiver up Hikari's spine, the Spirit Medium having had no chance to see Hiyoko's suspended body in person. Saionji… You didn't deserve that…no one deserves to die like that… The troubled girl closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to center herself in order to continue reading the File, knowing she didn't have much time before the elevator stopped. She steeled herself and began to read, her eyes glassy from unshed tears.
"CAUSE OF DEATH
"There are two victims this time: Mioda Ibuki and Saionji Hiyoko. Mioda Ibuki's cause of death was a crushed windpipe as a result of choking. There are no other external injuries. Saionji Hiyoko's cause of death was blood loss due to her throat being slit by a sharp-edged tool… It appears her death was instant."
Hikari nodded to herself when she finished reading. Just like Komaeda told me… At least he was honest that time… Hey, wait a second… What about time of death and whatever? Is this it? the Spirit Medium thought incredibly as she tried to swipe at the screen with her finger in case she missed anything but to no avail.
Suddenly, the lift came to a stop before its doors unhurriedly opened up for the teens to exit, light pouring into the dimly lit elevator as Hikari looked up from perusing the File. She quickly squinted her eyes to avoid being momentarily blinded. When her sensitive eyes adjusted to the transition of dim to bright, Hikari noticed the backdrop of the trial grounds was altered once again. Instead of seating for an Ancient Roman amphitheater or having a beach theme, the walls resembled those of a stone castle from medieval times. Above each entrance into the trial grounds was a narrow-arched window in parallel to the enormous and ever-present tablet screen. Hikari cautiously walked out of the elevator with her friends, their footsteps sounding loud against the cobblestone floor. This really feels like we're in a dungeon… Hikari thought uneasily as she heard the noise reverberate off the walls. In front of the SHSLers sat an eager Monokuma on his golden throne just as he had been the previous two times when the group of teens arrived there.
"My, my… It feels pretty toothless with all these empty seats…" the evil bear quipped while everyone went to their podiums silently, feeling the weight of the gloomy atmosphere of the place and its new décor.
Monomi started weeping, her ears drooped forward. "Well, two people got killed at the same time…and Nekomaru's not here either…" Her tears instantly vanished as the rabbit glared at Monokuma nearby. "Hey, hey! Is Nekomaru really not participating? If he's alive, you should invite him!"
"…Why bother?" Monokuma answered Monomi, the bear tilting his head innocently to the side, causing the bunny to jump in panicked astonishment.
Hikari sensed her face losing color at Monomi's words. I-If he's alive? Even Monomi is considering that Nidai could be dead…?
"Don't lose faith, Seishin," Chiaki said softly to Hikari's left, the Gamer focused on the empty podium. "Nidai doesn't have a memorial picture on there so he's still alive…I think." Hikari sweatdropped but felt herself calming down, knowing Chiaki was comforting her in her own way.
The Spirit Medium couldn't help but sneak a glimpse across the circle of wooden podiums towards Hajime. She frowned, feeling her heart drop to her stomach as she saw him standing alone in between two memorials, Mahiru on his right and Hiyoko on his left. Catching her staring at him, Hajime saw the sorrow in her deep blue irises.
I'll be okay, Hajime thought to her as if his message could reach her telepathically, the boy giving the ponytailed girl a determined nod. We will get through this and bring Mioda and Saionji's killer to justice. We'll make it out of this alive or die trying… He felt a bit relieved when Hikari reciprocated the nod with a weak this point, Monokuma was losing his patience and wanted the trial to commence.
"Now then…let's begin!" he declared sinisterly, his appearance looking quite ominous before he broke into his signature hysterics. "It's the beginning of the long-awaited class trial! Please enjoy it to your heart's content!" Once Monokuma made sure that Monomi was tied up tightly, the stuffed rabbit suspended next to him, the bear recited the opening statement he always said before the discussions went underway. "Now then, let's begin with a simple explanation of the class trial. During the class trial, you will present your arguments of who the killer is and vote for 'whodunnit.' If you vote correctly, then only the blackened will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong person…I'll punished everyone besides the blackened, and that person will earn the right to leave this island! …Oh well, who cares about this boring explanation? Let's get on with it already!"
To no one's surprise, Nagito was the first to speak up. "I don't mind starting the trial, but…I don't really have a grasp of how the case played out. You know, because I was asleep the whole time."
"Keh," Kazuichi snickered scathingly, "even if you do grasp it, you're just gonna confuse the heck out of us, aren't ya?"
"But Komaeda's not alone. I don't really get it either," Akane admitted, a hand on her hip.
"You're fine…" the Mechanic assured her in a carefree tone. "Your head's empty anyway."
The Gymnast glared angrily at the jumpsuit-wearing teen. "Empty head…? Heh, what's wrong with that…?" She flexed her biceps and started shouting, "Listen up! The emptier your head, the more dreams you can stuff inside it, y'know!" Everyone sweatdropped at her way of thinking.
"Anyway…" Chiaki said coolly, "we shouldn't proceed with the trial if those two can't participate in the arguments… Since they're the first witnesses, why don't we ask Hinata and Seishin to explain the incident and the sequence of events?"
Hikari blinked, feeling her face heat up. H-Huh…? I'm already in the spotlight…?
"Then…let's start with when we split into the Hospital Team and Motel Team because of the Despair Disease," Hajime began to explain.
"The Hospital Team consisted of Komaeda, Mioda, and Owari—who were infected—and Tsumiki, Kuzuryuu, Hinata, and myself," Hikari stated shyly after she cleared her throat, still uncomfortable with having everyone's attention on her.
Sonia nodded. "The other five on the Motel Team were…myself, Tanaka, Souda, Nanami, and Saionji."
"Spending the night at the hospital was prohibited," Fuyuhiko said, hands in his pockets, "so Hinata, Seishin, and I had to sleep at our cottages."
"I woke up at my cottage on the day the incident happened…" Hajime described, a hand on his chin as he thought back. "Tsumiki came by to wake me up and told me that Komaeda had recovered from his symptoms."
"I also stopped by Hinata's place when I saw Tsumiki there," Hikari blurted out rapidly before biting the inside of her cheek, balling up her hands to prevent anyone from seeing them tremble. Why do I still feel so angry about that incident…? I mean, it's over and done with… The Spirit Medium blinked as everyone was still staring at her as if she had more to add. "U-Uh…So I was there when Tsumiki told Hinata about Komaeda's improvements."
"A-Anyway…" Hajime continued, feeling his ears burn as he remembered what he woke up to that morning. "We immediately headed over to the hospital, and after we confirmed his recovery…Seishin and I made Tsumiki rest in the on-call room since she hadn't slept all night, while we waited in the hospital lobby. And then…I saw the incoming signal light on the surveillance camera blinking before our scheduled time. When I pressed the button to turn on the monitor, what appeared onscreen was…"
"It showed someone wearing a hospital gown and a hemp bag on their head," Hikari said, taking over when she noticed Hajime was beginning to look troubled as he recalled what happened on the video. "They were…climbing a stepladder…"
"Amazing!" Nagito exclaimed earnestly. "That's such a heart-pounding story! And then what did you do, Hinata?" Hikari blinked and closed her eyes, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance.
Really, Komaeda? You're such an asshole… Hikari cursed inside her head, knowing that Nagito was pretending to ignore her just to push her buttons. Hajime frowned, looking from Nagito to Hikari. The glasses-wearing girl waved a hand dismissively. "Go on, Hinata…" Hikari murmured, her eyes still closed.
"Seishin and I tried to stop them, of course…" Hinata continued on with his account. "We rushed out of the hospital and ran to where the video was being recorded—the music venue… But we were too late… By the time we arrived, the person wearing the hemp bag on their head was already hanging from the ceiling. I thought I should tell the others right away, so I headed back to the motel. I…I didn't know Seishin wasn't following me there until I reached the motel."
"Why the motel?" Nagito asked.
"Because it was close to the music venue and, unlike the hospital, there were more able-bodied people there… At least, that's what I thought, but the only person who came with me was Nanami."
Chiaki smiled softly. "But I remember feeling a little relieved because not long after, we met up with Tsumiki and Kuzuryuu."
"…We were also looking for Mioda since she disappeared from our sight," the Yakuza explained, closing his eye with a frown.
"After I rested for a bit," Mikan said in her high-pitched voice, "I started counting everyone at the hospital... And then, I noticed Mioda was gone… So…I sprinted out of the hospital… Coincidentally, I ran into Kuzuryuu, so I pled with him in various ways to see if he could help me out."
"…Various ways!?" Kazuichi asked in disbelief, his mouth gaping.
Fuyuhiko's cheeks turned dark pink as he pretended to fix his tie. "Don't say it like that and confuse people…" Hikari tried hard to hold back a smile as she observed the flustered Gangster.
I'm glad he's getting out of his shell… The old Kuzuryuu would've been yelling and cursing at Souda and Tsumiki… Hikari thought proudly towards her eyepatch-wearing friend.
"After I heard from those two that Mioda disappeared," Hajime resumed his testimony, causing people to focus their attention onto him, "I had a feeling she was the person wearing the hemp bag… So I immediately led them to the music venue."
"So why wasn't Seishin with you…at the motel, Hinata?" Mikan inquired, fiddling with her fingers absentmindedly. "You said that…you both went to the music venue, right?"
Both Hajime and Hikari blinked, a bit taken aback. "Uh…well…" Hajime mumbled, at a loss for words.
"It's okay, Hinata. I can answer," Hikari volunteered, somehow feeling like she had courage to talk then. I guess Tsumiki wasn't nearby to hear my perspective the three times I said it…? "I didn't follow Hinata out of the music venue and to the motel because I fell into a brief state of shock. I believe I also experienced this when I first saw Koizumi's body a few days ago… When I came to, I looked around to find myself there alone. It felt very hot in the room even though the doors to go outside were wide open. I assumed that Hinata was going to get more help so I started going to the stage, hoping that there was a chance that the hanging person—Mioda—was still alive… I took a few steps before hearing what sounded like footsteps behind me. Then I felt a sudden pain in the back of my head before I lost consciousness."
"So…what happened when you guys got to the music venue?" queried Akane, the Gymnast looking at Hajime, Chiaki, Mikan, and Fuyuhiko.
"When we arrived outside the place, the door wouldn't open," the blond male responded with a frown. "Since we had no other option, the four of us broke down the door… And when that happened…we didn't just find Mioda's body! We also found Saionji's! And not just that… Her body was taped to a pillar."
"We found Seishin unconscious and wounded next to the pile of broken electronics. She was lying on her front facing the stage and her glasses were broken inches away from her head." Chiaki added specifically.
Hikari glanced at her close friend quizzically as Chiaki remained her usual unruffled self. Why mention all of that? Are those details supposed to be important?
"That's when we heard the body discovery announcement not once, but twice in a row…" Hajime said solemnly. "Fortunately it wasn't three times... When we realized that, we rushed over to Seishin and helped her get a bit more comfortable while she was unconscious."
"And after I checked on Seishin's vitals…" Mikan said, emphasizing her role as a Nurse, "we decided to lower the hanged body, didn't we?"
Hajime nodded with a pained look. "When we removed the hemp bag… Just as we feared…it was Mioda."
"So that's how the case played out," Nagito stated with a smile, his arms crossed. "Thank you…I understood it very easily…"
"Well, it's clear what the problem with this case is," Fuyuhiko declared with confidence. "When Hinata left the music venue, who-?"
"…Wait," the Luckster interrupted abruptly. "How do I know anything Hinata just said is true?" Hikari started to feel her head throb annoyingly as she glared at Nagito while Hajime looked completely taken by surprise. "Sorry, I'm only being impartial right now… And the story I just heard…is clearly suspicious. Hinata, if you and Seishin were the only ones who saw the hanging video and the first ones to discover Mioda's body…then you can be lying as much as you want right now, right?"
Figures he would try to stir unnecessary trouble up… Hikari thought bitterly before coming to Hajime's defense. "Hinata's not lying. Like you said, I also saw the video and discovered the body too!"
Nagito gave the Spirit Medium a sidelong gaze with a knowing smile. "Do you know who attacked you? It's very possible that person could've been Hinata. He could have left to make you think that you were alone only to return to the scene in order to ambush you before running to get the others." Hikari blinked, stunned with that possibility.
Hajime's face paled slightly as he started to notice inner conflict dancing in his fellow eyewitness's eyes. The ahoged teen felt cold sweat start to form on his face. "L-Lie…!? Why would I lie!?"
"Obviously, so you could make us ignore what might be an inconvenient truth for you," Nagito simply said.
"…Do you doubt me?" Hajime asked, his insides squirming in panic. Hikari inhaled deeply, feeling as if he was directing the question towards her even though his light brown eyes focused on Nagito.
D-Do I…? Hikari internally questioned to herself, looking down to stare at the wooden surface of her podium. I shouldn't… We talked about trusting each other the other night… She bit her bottom lip, the familiar sensation of guilt spreading inside her body.
"If you're not lying, I would like you to prove it…" the Luckster happily challenged Hajime. "C'mon, try to prove it to me! Prove you're not the killer!"
Chiaki tilted her head to the side. "Did Hinata kill both Mioda and Saionji as well as attack Seishin?"
"The fact that the bodies and the unconscious Seishin were imitating the movie…" Nagito began to say before Hajime loudly interjected.
"I'm not the killer!" the brown haired boy strongly asserted. "I mean, there's no way I'd be able to imitate that movie…"
"…Of course you're not," Nagito agreed with a chuckle. "I already knew that."
Hikari blinked, looking flabbergasted by Nagito's instant change of behavior with the conversation. What…?
The Luckster started to explain. "Before the incident, Hinata had never watched that movie… His invitation ticket is proof of that. Each person only received one ticket, and they're marked with a stamp that shows the date and time…" He shifted his body a little to gaze in the Spirit Medium's direction. Hikari stood up straight, feeling a chill run down her spine as she felt all the muscles in her body tense up. "…Isn't that right, Monokuma?"
"Yes, no mistakes there," Monokuma clearly affirmed. Hikari never felt so relieved to hear the evil bear reply behind her.
I totally forgot Monokuma and Monomi were behind me… Hikari thought as she deeply exhaled in ease, a hand on her chest. This trial is making me a wreck… I wish I wasn't involved…
"Which means there's no way Hinata, who never saw the movie, could commit murders that imitated it," Nagito concluded as a matter-of-factly. "Or…did anyone tell him what happens in the movie? Of course, no one did, right?"
Kazuichi gaped in astonishment at Nagito, gripping the hem of his dark grey beanie. "H-Hold on a sec! You're the one who brought this up in the first place!"
"Komaeda…what are you doing…!?" Hajime demanded heatedly, not too happy to be put on the spot like that.
The Luckster smiled nonchalantly. "Well, since we're opening with your witness testimony, I thought we should solidify the foundation…" His smile grew wider as he added, "…It also provides a good warm-up."
Bastard… Hikari cursed mentally at Nagito, glaring darkly at the white-haired teen before realizing she had been expressing a new vocabulary recently. It's probably from spending a lot of time with Kuzuryuu the past few days…
Nagito's response only boiled Hajime's blood more. "Wh-What warm-up!? This isn't a game, you know!"
"D-Don't get mad…" Nagito pleaded, his hands up in defense. "I just think warming up is really important, especially since this isn't a game."
Hikari blinked and turned to her left when she heard Chiaki let out a long sigh. "What a waste of time," the Gamer complained. "Well, I knew it would turn out like this anyway."
Sonia smiled weakly. "N-Now then…since we know Hinata's and Seishin's testimonies are reliable, let us move onto the arguments." Hikari quickly glanced over at Nagito, dreadfully waiting for him to interrupt with bullshit about her own testimony. Much to her surprise, Nagito stood there quietly, arms crossed. She could tell that he wanted to say something, but he remained tight-lipped.
What is going on…? What is he hiding…? The Spirit Medium thought to herself, her eyes narrowed in thought. She felt herself stiffen when Nagito found her staring at him. He just gave her a knowing, yet belittling smile. Hikari scrunched her face in frustration and looked away from him. What the hell is up with him!? He is so full of himself! What is he not telling us!? I bet he wants me to outright ask him because it'll probably be about my account and he wants me to suffer by trying to rip apart my testimony! What an asshole!
Akane crossed her arms with a frown. "So this means Mioda definitely climbed the stepladder all by herself, right?"
"Yeah, I'm positive," Hajime affirmed with certainty.
"Then that seals it!" the Gymnast concluded vociferously, cracking her knuckles. "Mioda committed suicide!"
Gundham closed his eyes in contemplation. "If Mioda committed suicide…then who killed Saionji?"
"Hmm, a murder coincidentally occurrin' in the same place as a suicide…ain't possible, huh?"
"Like I said before, it's pretty clear what the problem with this case is. The killer attacked Seishin and murdered Saionji while Hinata was gone…" Fuyuhiko explained to his peers. "So all we gotta do is establish who could've possibly done that!"
The Breeder pivoted his body slightly to the brown-haired male. "Then let's ask Hinata… How long would you say you were away from the music venue?"
Hajime placed a hand to his chin as he tried to remember the sequence of events that happened after he left the Titty Typhoon that morning. "I couldn't have been gone for more than ten minutes…"
"So they attacked Seishin, killed and taped Saionji up within ten minutes? There's no way that's possible," Kazuichi said with skepticism.
"That's why the killer stalled for time by making the music venue a closed room," Fuyuhiko made clear to his peers.
Akane raised an eyebrow at the Yakuza to her left, appearing lost. "Hm? Whaddaya mean a 'closed room'?"
"The killer blocked the venue door from the inside to try and keep us from entering right away."
Sonia tilted her head in thought. "However, that door is the only entrance to the music venue, right? If they blocked the door from the inside, the killer would not have been able to leave either."
"Yeah, you're absolutely right…" Fuyuhiko sighed heavily, closing his eye before snapping his head up and opening his golden-hued eye with energy. "Which means…when we broke down the venue door, the killer was still inside!"
Mikan jumped in fright. "Haaaah! Th-They were!?" Hikari looked to her right, suddenly having a sinking feeling in her stomach and a burst of anxiety resonate from her core. She watched Nagito's carefree smile gradually turn more ominous as the Luckster stood silently next to the alarmed Nurse.
I…have a bad feeling…a really bad feeling about where this is going… Hikari thought as she felt her blood run cold throughout her body.
"If that's the case, the only suspicious people are those who don't have an alibi for that time…" Fuyuhiko clarified before pointing out two people from their diminishing group. "And that's you two! Nevermind and Souda!"
Sonia gasped in shock. "M-Me too!?"
"Wh-What the hell!?" yelled a panicked Kazuichi, glaring at Fuyuhiko. "Why's it gotta be us!?"
"The others all have alibis," the eye-patch wearing teen answered calmly, hands in his pockets. "Nanami, Tsumiki, Hinata, and I all broke down the venue door together… Tanaka met up with Hinata at the motel right before that… And if Owari and Komaeda were laid up in the hospital, the only person that leaves is one of you!"
"There's another person who doesn't have an alibi," Komaeda pointed out with a smile.
Hikari blinked and frowned. "You mean Nidai?"
"ME TOOOOOOOOOOOO!?" Monokuma boomed loudly, causing the Spirit Medium to jolt at her podium, grasping her chest in fright as her heart pounded rapidly.
What was that about!? Hikari grimaced as her head started to throb strongly in pain as the bear sitting comfortably behind the injured girl roared at full volume.
"Anyway!" Fuyuhiko pressed on. "If the killer was hiding inside the venue, we should obviously doubt the people who don't have alibis!"
Nagito chuckled lightheartedly. "Like Seishin?" Hikari felt her heart instantly drop into her stomach when she heard her name come out of the Luckster's mouth.
"Wh-What!?" the Yakuza sputtered, taken aback by Nagito's calm accusation. "What are you sayin'? Seishin was knocked out in the music venue!"
"Are you sure?" the hoodie-wearing young man asked, crossing his arms. "We only have Seishin's word that she was knocked out. She could have pretended to be knocked out in order to be seen as a victim."
Hikari gripped her podium with shaking hands as Nagito finally did what she expected. I knew he would do this… Him not going after me for some bullshit reason was too good to be true… she admitted to herself, closing her eyes as the color drained from her already pale face.
"There was no way she pretended to be knocked out," Fuyuhiko snapped at the Luckster, clenching his fists. "Seishin was definitely out cold. She was injured!"
Nagito placed a hand to his chin as he studied Hikari's appearance. "She could have intentionally knocked herself out at that time by tossing her glasses on the ground and falling onto the left side of her face. Seishin was treated for a wound on the left side of her face…right, Tsumiki?"
"Eek!" the Nurse squeaked in surprise, not expecting being questioned out of the blue like that. "U-Um…yes. She had a small abrasion on the left side of her face next to her eye so I disinfected and dressed it while she was unconscious…" Hikari's eyes darted quickly from Nagito to Mikan in surprise, moving a trembling hand to her left cheek.
H-Huh? Hikari blinked, stunned that she just noticed this injury. How did I get this? She winced slightly when her fingers brushed against the bandaid. Maybe the pain inside my head diverted my attention from this… It does sting a bit if I put pressure against it…
"S-See!? The killer isn't me or Sonia-san!" the panicked Mechanic blurted out, pointing at the Spirit Medium. "It could very well be Seishin! Didn't she have a similar story during the first trial!?"
"Wh-What!?" Hikari gaped at Kazuichi. "What the hell, Souda!?" Is he really agreeing with Komaeda!? Is he really trying to pin all this on me?
"Two similar events happening to you at two different crime scenes sounds very suspicious to be mere coincidences!"
"But she was going to be the victim in that trial if Togami didn't push her out of the way and stop Komaeda!" Hajime countered back to Hikari's defense.
"Also," Chiaki added confidently, lifting a finger to the air. "Seishin was indeed attacked. Two pieces of evidence prove that. One is the condition of her glasses."
"Seishin's glasses? But they're on her face," Akane said, tilting her head with a hand on her hip.
"She meant the broken glasses at the crime scene, dumbass," Fuyuhiko mumbled, the Yakuza appearing very troubled that he unintentionally backed Hikari into a corner. You better be right, Nanami…
Chiaki blinked blankly with her head tilted to the side at Akane and Fuyuhiko. "…Anyway, if you look closely," the Gamer started to explain as she took out Hikari's broken glasses from her hoodie's pocket, "only one side of Seishin's glasses is damaged."
"The left arm…" Hajime remarked as he studied the piece of evidence. "It appears that the arm is bent upwards… Why though?"
"She could have done it on purpose," Kazuichi babbled, still trying to clear his own name. "Seishin could have bent her glasses, tossed them, and slammed her head on the floor!"
Hikari stared at the nervous Mechanic with a deadpan expression. "Really…?"
"It is more likely that Seishin was still wearing her glasses when she collapsed," Chiaki explained, swiftly shutting down Kazuichi's accusation. "If you compare the damage of the glasses to Seishin's wound on her face, you can see that they are consistent to each other. The injury happened as a result of the left hinge scratching her face when the glasses' arm bent backwards from the impact of the fall…I think."
The ebony-haired girl blinked and carefully pulled the bandaid away from her face, revealing to the group a small red cut near her left eye. She took off her new glasses and placed them on the podium before receiving the broken glasses from the Gamer. Hikari slowly lifted the broken glasses up to her eyes, everything around her appearing very blurred if she didn't look through the lenses.
"Oh, my! You are right, Nanami!" Sonia gasped in surprise. "What an astute observation!"
"So what is the second piece of evidence you spoke of?" Gundham asked Chiaki, his arms crossed.
"The second piece of evidence is her other injury," the pale mauve-haired teen replied simply. "You wouldn't know that she was hit on the back of her head unless you looked for it. There was no blood nor open wounds on the place where she was actually attacked. Instead, there is a welt on the right side of Seishin's head which is why she was keeping an ice pack there during the whole investigation."
"So she could've slammed her head on the floor by falling backwards before doing it again to break her glasses and cause that scratch," Kazuichi weakly theorized, the Mechanic starting to doubt even his own idea about what happened.
"Are you being serious right now…?" Fuyuhiko asked the jumpsuit-wearing boy in exasperation.
"According to Seishin's account, she was knocked out right after she was struck on the back of her head. She never mentioned anything about breaking her glasses or getting a cut on her face," Chiaki argued with composure.
"When we talked about the cut on her face, Seishin did appear surprised to hear about that," Hajime mentioned, a hand to his chin in thought.
"Y-Yeah…I really didn't know…" Hikari said in a small voice, already putting on her new pair of glasses.
"B-But what about the locked venue door…?" Mikan wondered, trying to have the teens proceed since there was a general feel in the air that the trial was hitting a wall. "D-Doesn't that mean the killer was still inside when the d-door was locked…?" Hikari started to lose focus when the painful throbbing in her head wouldn't go away as the other debated about how Titty Typhoon's door was inaccessible.
I really want this to be over… Ugh, I feel sick to my stomach now, but I can't show that I am vulnerable. I don't want a repeat of the last two trials… I don't want to be seen as weak especially in front of Komaeda or Monokuma… Hikari thought bitterly as she concentrated on taking slow deep breaths, hoping that she didn't look as sickly as she actually felt.
"Hold on a sec…!" Hajime exclaimed in realization. "There's also a possibility that the door was locked from the outside!"
"From the outside…how?" the Yakuza asked in disbelief, gradually feeling a sense of relief that the accusations and evidence was shifting away from Hikari.
"There was a semitransparent glob stuck to the venue door. Maybe that's what they used…"
"Semitransparent glob…like rubber, maybe?"
The ahoged teen shook his head. "No, that semitransparent glob…must've been glue."
"Glue!?"
"Yeah, I think so too," Chiaki agreed. She moved her tongue against the inside of her cheek as if remembering a taste. "It had a firm, gel-like chewiness…and I could smell workshop chemicals the moment I put it in my mouth…"
"You put that kind of thing in your mouth!?" Hikari gawked at the Gamer in disgusted shock.
"…Based on all that," the pale mauve-haired teen carried on as if she wasn't interrupted, "I'm certain it was glue."
Akane was also flabbergasted. "I didn't know glue was edible…"
"I believe it is not something one typically eats," Sonia said, sweatdropping with a weak smile.
"That glue was only applied to the areas where both doors touched…" Hajime clarified. "By pouring it in the gaps of the closed door, they must've sealed the venue door from the outside."
Chiaki nodded, her hands on her backpack straps. "And thanks to that, a glob of glue was left where the door was stuck… Yep, it fits perfectly."
"But…if you just stick them together with glue, you'd be able to break down the door easily, you know?" Mikan pointed out, fiddling with her fingers timidly.
Chiaki looked at the skittish Nurse. "That doesn't really matter… The killer only did that to make us think the door was locked from the inside."
Fuyuhiko felt his jaw drop. "…Wh-What'd you say!?"
"First of all, didn't that drumstick we found seem really obvious? Almost unnaturally so? It was so obvious…that it makes more sense to think the killer placed it as a diversion…"
"Are you saying the drumstick was a trap the killer set on purpose…?" the Yakuza asked through gritted teeth. The blond male clenched his fists as he felt a mix of anger and humiliation swirl in his chest. "Then I…I totally fell for that fuckin' trap!" I was tricked by the killer…and I unnecessarily put Seishin on the chopping block! Fucking damnit!
Kazuichi pointed his finger accusingly at the Gangster. "Apologize to Sonia-san! And me! However, you're not allowed to slice open your stomach this time!"
"In a quarrel, both sides are to blame. That's why it's better to just have no sides at all!" Monomi chimed in with her sugary voice, the rabbit still tied up and dangling besides Monokuma who appeared to be retching over his throne.
"So…" Gundham spoke up, disregarding the interruption from Monomi. "During the ten minutes Hinata left the venue, the killer attacked Seishin, murdered Saionji, and created a closed space?"
Akane frowned, crossing her arms. "And they also taped Saionji up after killin' her, right?"
"Even quick work has limits!" the Mechanic shouted in disbelief.
Hikari absentmindedly moved her hand to her chest. No wonder I appear suspicious to them… How was the killer able to do all that in ten minutes without being caught? I would've suspected me too based on all the evidence so far.
"Awww…" Mikan whined half-heartedly. "What unimaginable speed for a slowpoke like me…!"
Nagito tapped his chin ponderingly. "If they couldn't have done it while Hinata was away from the venue…" The Luckster suddenly smiled and crossed his arms. "They must have done it earlier than that."
"But when Hinata and Seishin got to the venue, only Mioda's body was there, right?" Fuyuhiko asked, looking at both witnesses for confirmation.
"Y-yeah…" Hikari answered as Hajime nodded. "I had no idea that Saionji was killed until I was told at the beginning of the investigation."
Nagito turned to face Hajime. "And when you went back with everyone else, Saionji's body was there too, right? But it's possible that the body was just revealed at that time, when Saionji was actually killed earlier."
"J-Just revealed…?" Mikan gasped beside the Luckster.
"Of course, the body wasn't revealed on its own. The killer did that, too."
The Spirit Medium looked extremely dumbfounded. "How…?" Hikari wondered, looking at the tall white-haired teen. "I was at the venue and I never saw Saionji before I was knocked out…"
Nagito only smiled and pulled out a scrap of black paper from his pocket. "…Here, I have proof."
"Hm…" Gundham hummed as he eyed the piece of evidence inquisitively. "That scrap of paper…is that what we found in the baton lighting at the music venue?"
"That's right, but…just what is this scrap, anyway?" Nagito asked in an annoyingly teasing manner as if he already knew what it was.
After a few moments of silence, Hajime stared at the Luckster and gave an answer. "That scrap… Isn't it part of the wallpaper in the storage room? In the music venue storage room, there should've been black wallpaper that's the same color as that scrap. There was also a tear along the edge of the wallpaper, wasn't there? If so…"
"You're right…" Nagito nodded, still smiling. "If you overlay the scrap that was caught on the lighting with the tear in the wallpaper…"
"Kablamo!" Monokuma roared behind Hikari, causing her to jolt at her podium a second time. Most of the teens jumped almost a foot in the air as a puff of smoke appeared in the circular space in the middle of the trial grounds. When the smoke disappeared, the huge roll of black wallpaper appeared halfway unfurled with one end having a tear.
Whoa… How did Monokuma do that? the Spirit Medium questioned mentally as Nagito went over to the torn portion of wallpaper with the scrap in hand.
"…See, it fits perfectly!" the pale teenager exclaimed triumphantly as he placed the scrap to the wallpaper like putting the last piece of a puzzle into place.
Sonia placed a hand to her chin and nodded. "I see…so the scrap that was caught on the baton lighting was originally part of the wallpaper…"
"And what's wrong with that?" Akane asked, confused. "Does it have somethin' to do with Saionji's body disappearin'?"
"A mere nobody like me isn't important enough to answer that…" Nagito said, smiling innocently and walked back to his podium. "But if you guys were exceptional enough to identify that scrap of paper, you can figure this out easily!"
Hikari closed her eyes and took a deep breath to keep her poise. Can this guy be even more annoying…?
"I got it…" Hajime answered, looking at the enigmatic Luckster. "Saionji's body was hidden before we found it."
"But it would have taken quite a long time to tape up a hidden body," Gundham remarked with a frown.
"No, the body was already taped up and the killer hid it, along with the pillar, using the wallpaper," the plain teen clarified.
"What!?" the Breeder yelled in astonishment, his two-toned eyes wide. "They hid the pillar!?"
"Yeah," Hajime affirmed, sounding just as astounded, "by wrapping the wallpaper around the pillar, the killer was able to create a slightly larger pillar. So when Seishin and I first discovered the body…Saionji's body was already there! However, because it was concealed within a slightly larger pillar, I didn't realize that at the time…"
"Well, that's understandable. I mean, it makes sense that you'd notice Mioda's body right away," Nagito commented, a hand resting on his hip.
"So they used the baton lighting on the ceiling to hang the wallpaper?" Sonia asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.
"The baton lighting forms a perfect circle around the pillar…so using it to hang the wallpaper totally fits."
Mikan clasped her hands timorously. "Then…the reason the wallpaper was covered in so many stickers was to make it look like that pillar…"
Hikari blinked, now starting to understand. "So that's why I didn't see Saionji when we were there… The killer must've pulled the wallpaper off of the pillar after they attacked me."
"But the killer made a mistake," Chiaki stated matter-of-factly. "They accidentally ripped off a piece of the wallpaper. And because of that, a scrap was left on the baton lighting."
"The killer must have been in a hurry," Nagito pointed out in a lighthearted tone. "I'm not sure whether or not Seishin being there was intended, but the killer had to move fast regardless. If their plan took too long, Hinata could've walked in on them."
"But going to the trouble of hiding the body and the pillar is very bold…and risky…" Mikan said in a tiny voice.
"But the crime itself would be much easier to pull off since they didn't have much to do while Hinata was gone. Once Seishin was down and out, the killer just had to peel off that wallpaper and stash it in the storage room… It's not that big of a deal."
Fuyuhiko crossed his arms. "Then…when was Saionji actually killed?"
Nagito's light green-grey eyes moved unwaveringly from the Nurse to the Yakuza. "Good point, and on that note… It's about time we shed some light on those imitation murders!"
"Um…you mentioned 'imitation murder' more than once," Monomi chimed in as she was swinging back and forth next to Monokuma, "but…what is that?"
"Are you kidding me!?" Monokuma turned to the bunny in mock surprise. "You haven't seen my masterpiece, 'The Wizard of Monomi 2.5D'!?"
"Heeey! Don't put my likeness in your movies without my permission!"
The bear sighed heavily. "You're pretty noisy…for someone who eats moss balls."
"I don't eat moss balls! I just enjoy looking at them!" Monomi corrected him.
Hikari bent over slightly, putting her weight on her arms on top of the podium, massaging her temples with a pale hand. Why do they have to be so loud…and right behind me…?
"H-Hey! Are you all right, Seishin?" Hajime asked, worried that her injuries are bothering her. Chiaki glanced over to the Spirit Medium with concern in her eyes.
"Monokuma, perhaps we can take a short break…?" Sonia asked almost pleadingly, clasping her hands.
"Hm?" Monokuma tilted his head curiously. Before he could respond, Hikari waved her other hand feebly.
"We have to keep going…" she murmured, eyes closed. "It's just a persistent headache… It's probably normal since I did get hit on the head…"
"But you shouldn't push yourself, idiot," Fuyuhiko scolded his friend.
"We have to continue…" Hikari repeated, looking up with determination towards Hajime. "We have to for Mioda and Saionji… Don't forget that we also have our lives on the line." Hajime frowned, deeply troubled from watching the petite girl suffer across the circle of podiums from him.
She's right though… We have to push onward… Hajime concluded, his gaze wandering from Hikari to the bear sitting calmly behind her. Who knows if Monokuma would even allow a break?
Mikan glanced around uneasily as a heavy and somewhat awkward silence blanketed the group. "I knew it… There are so many similarities between them, it must have been intentional…" the Nurse rambled. A couple of the teens looked confused as if they forgot what the topic at hand was. Fortunately, Fuyuhiko was quick to bring himself back to the discussion which caused the others to follow suit.
"Mioda's death by hanging matches the scarecrow's death from the movie…" he explained. "Saionji getting taped up after her death matches the lion's death… Also…how we found Seishin at the scene reminded me of the tin man's death…"
Mikan started shaking, gripping her arms and squeezing her eyes shut. "I-I really thought that we were going to hear the b-body discovery announcement three t-times…"
"It was very fortunate that wasn't the case," Chiaki said with a gentle smile towards Hikari who reciprocated weakly.
"It's as if the crimes were replicas of scenes from the movie," Gundham pondered out loud, his arms crossed.
Akane furrowed her eyebrows. "But why did the killer go to all this trouble in the first place?"
"Based on what we know, the reason the killer chose these imitations isn't that difficult to figure out," Nagito replied straightforwardly, "even with Seishin being at the crime scene or not."
"I see…" Hajime nodded to himself before voicing his theory. "The reason the killer imitated two of the murders-almost all three—from the movie was so we'd mix up the killing order."
Fuyuhiko blinked in surprise. "Then…Saionji was actually killed before Mioda…!?"
"A valid line of reasoning…" Gundham said, his eyes closed.
"Yeah, it's valid," Chiaki confirmed, lifting a finger to the air. "The condition of Mioda's body suggests that as well."
Gundham's eyes shot open and appeared taken aback, gaping at the Gamer. "What do you mean?" The shock was short lived, the Breeder immediately moving into a domineering pose. "Hmph… If you're going to cry and beg like that, then I guess I'll hear about the condition of Mioda's body."
Chiaki blinked blankly and tilted her head to the side. "…I'm not even crying."
"I'll let you sob as much as you want later! Just hurry up and tell me before I change my mind!"
"What a jeeeerk," Kazuichi scoffed.
Chiaki lightly tapped her fist into her open palm as if she figured something out. "Oh I see, you want me to explain it to you, right? Because you don't understand what I'm saying, right?"
"An even bigger jerk!? Impossible!" the Chuunibyou bellowed, dumbfounded.
"…Look," the Gamer said, disregarding the small shenanigans in order to continue at a reasonable pace, "Mioda died because she hanged herself, right? That means, when she was still alive, her feet were touching the floor."
Hikari glanced at her best friend, a constant but slow throb pulsating inside her head. What are you getting at, Nanami…?
"But…it seems Mioda was still standing when Saionji was killed. That would mean Saionji was killed before Mioda."
I…still have no clue what she's talking about… Hikari thought, giving up on trying to follow along in this discussion. I did miss out on most of the investigation… I have to put my complete trust in everyone. The Spirit Medium winced as Gundham's laughter boomed throughout the room.
"Fuhaha! Your opponent is out of your league!" Gundham declared in a dramatic stance. "It is too absurd to try to perplex me so inadequately!" Detecting danger, the Breeder glanced around for the source and sweatdropped when he caught the eye of a very irritated Spirit Medium glaring darkly right at him, sensing an ominous aura surrounding the annoyed young woman. "Ahem… My apologies, suffering Vessel of the Dead…" he muttered after he swiftly cleared his throat and collected himself. "First and foremost, Nanami, you claim Mioda's feet were touching the floor when Saionji was killed… How can a low-class creature with no psychic abilities like you know something like that!?"
Chiaki puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "Because she was doing something that's only possible if her feet were on the floor."
"It seems you suffer from a pathetic delusion!" Gundham declared, his hamsters now out and posing alongside their master.
"…You're one to talk!" spat Kazuichi, pointing at the Breeder.
Hikari plunked her forehead against the wooden surface of the podium. I give up… she bemoaned internally. These people can be so loud and obnoxious that I will die because my head will explode from pain… I just have to accept my fate…
Hajime sweatdropped and looked around at everyone, a feeling of urgency starting to grow inside his chest when he observed that the Spirit Medium was not appearing to do well. "Why don't we just listen to what Nanami has to say, okay?"
"When Saionji died…Mioda's feet were on the floor," Chiaki reiterated with certainty.
Sonia tapped her chin musingly. "If her feet were on the floor…was there any sign she stepped on something?"
"Just as Nevermind said…Mioda stepped on 'something,'" Hajime nodded in confirmation. "That 'something' was blood… There were faint bloodstains on the soles of her slippers."
"That is not Mioda's blood, right? She suffered no external injuries."
"Then it's Saionji's blood!" Akane concluded loudly.
Fuyuhiko crossed his arms. "Saionji's only wound was a fatal slice on her neck…and she died almost instantly, right?"
"If Mioda stepped on her blood…" Sonia started to murmur.
"It means Mioda was still standing when Saionji was mortally wounded," Hajime completed the Princess's thought. "Which means Mioda was still alive at the exact moment Saionji was killed!"
"You're saying that the blood on Mioda's feet belonged to Saionji?" Gundham questioned the plain teenaged boy. "Hah, impossible! Try to remember the crime scene… There was no blood on the floor! You can't step on blood that was never there…"
"Allow me to cut through those words!" Hajime objected loudly, pointing at Gundham. "That's not it…! The reason there was no blood on the floor is because the killer wiped it away afterward."
Gundham stared at Hajime incredulously. "D-Don't say such foolish things…! You don't have proof of that at all…"
"…Yes, I do," Hajime said with a quiet, yet firm voice. He pulled a photograph from his pocket and handed it around. "If you look closely…there's a streak on the stage floor where blood was wiped away."
"When the killer tried to hide Saionji's body, they probably cleaned the blood at the same time but…" Chiaki speculated as she studied the photograph before passing it along to her right,
"Mioda must've already stepped in it, and the killer probably didn't even realize it."
Hikari took one glance at the picture before giving the piece of evidence to Mikan. Who could've done all of this…? Are they really that desperate to leave the island to resort to carrying out such a complicated crime…?
"The reason they wiped off the blood on the floor…was so we'd mix up the order of the murders, right?" Fuyuhiko reasoned to his peers. "Even if they're able to hide Saionji's body, it'd be bad if her blood was left out in the open."
"Plus, Mioda's body was left out in the open, and it wasn't bleedin' from any open wounds at all…" Akane added.
"Saionji's body was probably wrapped in duct tape to stop her bleeding…" Chiaki surmised, her hands holding onto her backpack straps.
"Actually, the bleeding will stop once the heart stops beating, so I don't think they had to go that far…" Mikan reported, her hands shaking from nerves.
Sonia tilted her head slightly to the right. "Aside from Tsumiki, none of us were aware of that fact, so the killer probably did not know it either."
Kazuichi gawked as he realized an important possibility. "Maybe…the heater was running inside the music venue so it would screw with Tsumiki's autopsy?"
"Th-That's right!" the Nurse squeaked, upset. "I didn't know the time of death because of the heater!"
Hajime furrowed his eyebrows as he placed a hand to his chin. "If the time of the death wasn't mentioned in the Monokuma File, just to keep concrete evidence from us…"
"…Yep, since we have all this evidence, there's no one else who wants to object, right?" Chiaki asked. After a few moments of silence, the Gamer nodded and raised a finger to the air. "Then it's decided! Saionji was killed before Mioda!"
"…Fine then!" Gundham shouted, raising his bandaged arm upward. "But regardless of good or evil, there's no deceit in upholding one's convictions."
The Mechanic sighed, irritated. "…Can't you just shut up and back off?"
"Now then," Sonia interjected with a determined expression, "let us resume our debate…" And finish this before Seishin becomes any worse… the Princess mentally finished her statement, noticing that the Spirit Medium appeared to be using all of her willpower just to stand there at her podium.
"Ah, wait a sec," Nagito spoke up abruptly. "There's something I want to run by Monokuma first."
"Eh!? Again!?" the Gymnast sighed loudly, a hand on her hip. "Didn't somethin' like this happen last time, too!?"
Ignoring Akane's complaint, the Luckster crossed his arms. "Hey, if the victim actually committed suicide, what are we supposed to do?"
Monokuma placed his paws on his belly. "The same as always… You have to vote for who the killer is… Think about it… A suicide means you've killed the most important existence of all: yourself. Unfortunately, that means there's no blackened to punish but…I guess in a pinch I can always punish Monomi."
"Why me!?" the rabbit yelped in panic.
"Um…Komaeda? What do you mean, 'if the victim actually committed suicide'…?" a puzzled Sonia asked the white-haired teenager.
Nagito tapped his chin with a finger. "Well…I mean, I understand Saionji's death, but I'm wondering if Mioda was really murdered. For example, it's possible Mioda killed Saionji, and then committed suicide due to a guilty conscience, right?"
"That's totally impossible!" Kazuichi argued. "Then she never would've killed her to begin with!"
"She was afflicted by the Despair Disease, remember? That means anything could have happened…"
"But if Mioda's the killer, she wouldn't have been able to falsify the sequence of the murders, let alone attack Seishin, right?" Chiaki pointed out, tilting her head. "After Hinata and Seishin saw the hanged body, the sudden appearance of Saionji's body and Seishin being assaulted soon after means…the killer had to be alive at that time."
"Then she was alive!" Nagito exclaimed with a smile, causing the Nurse beside him to jump in surprise.
"Haaaaah!?" Mikan squeaked out with eyes wide.
"When Hinata and Seishin first discovered Mioda, she was just pretending to be dead…" the boy standing next to Mikan theorized. "If she waited until Hinata left, that's when she could've made her move, attacking Seishin and messing with the crime scene."
"Tch! Sh-She hanged herself, remember!?" Fuyuhiko said, annoyed. "There's no fucking way she could've faked that!"
"And, if she was going to fake her death, I think…she wouldn't have chosen hanging…" the Gamer speculated. "Her body would've been defenseless in that state. If anyone touched her, that alone would've ruined her plan."
"Also…" Hikari murmured, closing one eye as she kept her balance on shaking legs. "I was facing the stage…practically the whole time I was there until I was knocked out… The hanging body didn't move…even when I was hit from behind…"
"Hmm, I see…so that means…" Nagito acknowledged quietly before smiling happily. "There's no doubt that someone killed these two and attacked Seishin. I'm glad. Now I'm free to search for the killer."
"Wh-What the heck!?" Akane loudly vocalized what everyone in the room was thinking.
"Ah," Nagito exhaled, poking his forehead musingly, "there's still one more issue on my mind… If Mioda didn't commit suicide, then just what was that video Hinata and Seishin saw?" At that point, both Hajime and Hikari glanced at each other with confusion evident in their eyes. The Luckster began to explain the dilemma. "According to that video you two saw…Mioda was by herself when she climbed the stepladder, right? Then, does that mean…someone forced her to do it?"
Sonia gasped. "F-Forced…? Perhaps…they used hypnotism or something?"
"I don't know anything about that!" Nagito chortled lightheartedly.
"…Don't say it all proud," growled the Gymnast towards the pale young man.
"U-Um…putting that aside…" Mikan said in a low voice. "It seems obvious that the killer did something… So…maybe we should figure out who was able to do whatever that was…?"
"So, an alibi…" Sonia stated with a serious expression. "Then our plan is to destroy the weakest alibi! Since Hinata and Seishin have seen the video, it is clear what time the crime took place!"
"Ah, but just to be sure…" Chiaki interjected. "That surveillance camera doesn't have a record function, right?"
Kazuichi scoffed, itching his cheek. "It's a cheap-ass surveillance camera, you know? There's no way it'd have some kinda sweet recording feature."
"Then…the video they saw was actually live?" Mikan asked hesitantly.
"What time did those two see that video?" Gundham questioned, his arms crossed.
Hajime furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Seishin and I saw it at the hospital…right before Monokuma's morning announcement. And we saw the body at the music venue a little after Monokuma's announcement."
"Hm… So Mioda hanged herself right before Monokuma's announcement… And since we established that Saionji was killed before Mioda…" Nagito reiterated before coming up with a conclusion. "That means the time that the murders occurred was before and during the announcement!"
"Th-Then we just have to find the person who doesn't have an alibi during that time…?" Mikan queried, clasping her hands together to her chest.
The Princess suddenly made a dramatic pose. "Now then, I shall issue my decree! Let 'Operation: Destroy the Weakest Alibi' commence!" After what seemed like hours of reporting and defending their own alibis while also attacking each other's alibis, the teens were starting to feel the futility of the situation. "Aside from those afflicted by the disease…" Sonia bemoaned, "if nobody has an alibi then…"
"Hold on… Not all of us are missing an alibi," Hajime disputed, cutting off the blond girl's lament. "In fact…Tsumiki, Seishin, and I all have alibis."
"Y-You three have alibis…?" Sonia asked breathlessly.
"Up until Seishin and I saw that hanging video, Tsumiki, Seishin, and I were actually together for a while."
"H-Hinata and I even woke up together this morning!" Mikan blurted out, her eyes squeezed closed.
The Mechanic gaped, quickly going back and forth between Hajime and the Nurse. "Heeeeyyy! What kinda situation is that!?"
"Hehe…" Mikan giggled coyly with red cheeks, "I accidentally fell asleep on top of Hinata…"
Fuyuhiko could only inwardly grimace, knowing Hikari's feelings for Hajime, as he observed the awkwardness happening before him. His golden eye went from a giddy Mikan to a mortified Hajime and to an annoyed and distressed Hikari. The Yakuza used all his self-control to refrain from heaving out a heavy sigh and doing a facepalm. I feel like I'm watching a fucking teen drama…
Hikari felt the throbbing in her head increase as a familiar anger started to warm her insides. She kept her mouth shut, biting her tongue. Stay calm… Remember, you were there… Nothing like that happened… the Spirit Medium thought to herself as she slowly made her hands into fists on the podium surface.
"I-It's not like that! She just came to tell me Komaeda's condition had improved!" the plain teen attested vehemently.
"And we went to the hospital together afterward, so we were together until right before the announcement…" Mikan clarified further.
"With me…!" Hikari stressed, glaring at the Nurse which caused Mikan to shriek and cower behind her podium, nodding rapidly.
"Y-Yes…! W-With S-Seishin too…!" Mikan corrected herself with a sob.
"I get it…" Akane said in acknowledgement. "You guys have alibis."
Fuyuhiko crossed his arms with a frown. "If that's the case, the killer must be someone else…"
Chiaki dipped her head in agreement. "…It's better if we think about it like that. The killer decided to falsify the murder sequence to hide the actual time of the crime anyway."
"So it's inevitable that an alibi for both before and during the morning announcement would be very important," Gundham noted.
"Hmmmm…it feels like 'Operation: Destroy the Weakest Alibi' has backed us into a corner instead…" Sonia commented sadly.
"But…committing an imitation murder? Is that really all that was?" Nagito wondered out loud. "Faking the time the crime occurred by falsifying the murder sequence, hiding their alibi in the process… Was that the only reason the killer made both bodies imitate the movie?"
"Are you saying…there was another reason?" Hajime questioned the Luckster.
"I feel really bad for confusing you guys so much, but that's how I feel. I think the killer had a completely different reason for falsifying the murder sequence…"
Hikari let out a shaky breath she didn't know she held in, her head in her hands, her elbows on the podium supporting her from collapsing due to unsteady legs. The Spirit Medium stared down at the grain of wood of the podium's surface as the pounding in her head continued to be a constant aggravation. I feel like we're going nowhere… Is this what the killer planned all along…? Hikari gripped her black tresses of hair gently as she bit her bottom lip anxiously. What if we can't come up with a killer? Does the trial have a time limit? What if we run out of time…? Will the killer get off the island while the rest of us get executed…!?
Days Left: 9
Survivors: 11
