"Hmm? Whatever are you talking about?" Kiyo asked me.
"What I'm talking about is Miu's murder." I clarified in a stern tone.
"Huh? Kiyo?" Gonta asked.
"Ohhhh… So Kiyo is the culprit." Angie said.
"That hasn't been decided yet. We still need to hear his testimony before anything." Ryoma said.
"Why do you suspect me?" Kiyo asked me calmly.
"Because now we know the culprit hid Miu's body instead of moving it immediately, you no longer have a suitablealibi during the time the crime occurred." I answered. "Not only that, but now that we know most if not all the actions the culprit took from the start to finish of this crime and it's set up, I can't help but think your actions have been suspicious lately."
"Well, Kiyo? Got anything to say to that?" Kaito asked him.
"Hurry up and answer, you degenerate! We're waiting!" Tenko shouted as everyone turned to the tall, lean teen. But unlike Tsumugi, who started to panic because of the suspicion, he started laughing.
"Kehe...kehehehe…" He chuckled. "Keheheheheheheehehe…"
"...What is so funny?" Keebo asked.
"I was just thinking…" Kiyo answered. "So this is how it feels to be accused of being the blackened. What an intriguing experience this is. I wonder...did Tsumugi feel this way when she was accused?"
"I-Intriguing?" Himiko repeated nervously.
"But if I am the culprit as you claim, then you'll need more than that to prove it. Such weak logic is not enough to condemn me to death." Kiyo told me before he gave me a serious expression with a pose. "Tell me, Rin. Are you prepared to use your reasoning to duel me?"
"..." I then raised my finger again as I pointed at him in defiance. "If it's a battle of wits you want, I'll show you just how powerful my reasoning can be!" I shouted at him. And thus, the start of our final few debates started.
"I, of course, am not the culprit." Kiyo defended himself as his podium moved to the center of the courtroom.
"The crime occurred around 8 p.m." Tenko began. "You don't have an alibi for that time, do you? You filthy degenerate!"
"No, I do not have an alibi at that time, as I only entered the Meet and Greet at around 8:15. But there are others that lack an alibi as well, like Ryoma, Rantaro, and Maki. They should be suspects as well." Kiyo shot back.
"I-I can use magic to prove you did it." Himiko threatened nervously.
"Do you really think now is the time for such utter foolishness?" Kiyo rebuked.
"The culprit was followed by Miu to the fourth floor. Your lab is on that floor, right?" Kaede asserted.
"Angie's lab is also on the fourth floor, and the crime didn't occur in either room. You can't suspect me just from that." Kiyo shot back.
"The culprit hid Miu's body under the floorboards so they could move the body at a later time, confusing us on how long the crime could have taken." Shuichi stated. "You could have used that extra time allotted from hiding the body to form alibis that could help prove your innocence for any time we suspected you of committing the crime."
"I agree with that!" I joined in, snapping my fingers as I did. "Kiyo, you may have an alibi after 8:15, but it's highly suspect."
"How come?" Rantaro asked me.
"Think about this. The culprit hid the body under the floorboards, correct? They then left the empty room and went on their way, preparing an alibi for themselves that would help them evade suspicion. For example, like allowing Ryoma to lure him to the Meet and Greet."
"He...allowed me to bring him to Gonta's lab?" Ryoma asked with a shocked expression.
"Yes. You said it yourself, right? You saw Kiyo in the dorms at around 8:10, and then he started a conversation with you. That gave you the chance to bring him to the Insect Meet and Greet. That's why we didn't suspect him of the crime at first."
"Then, when I thought I tricked him into following me, it was actually me who was tricked?" Ryoma asked me, anger now in his voice.
"I believe so. There was no way for you to know." I nodded.
"But why would Kiyo have Ryoma bring him to the Meet and Greet? I mean, Gonta was the one who was really gathering people for it." Keebo said.
"That's right. You and Ryoma were uncovered in this mission. Kiyo shouldn't have known that Ryoma would lead him straight to an alibi." Kokichi nodded. I gave it some thought before I nodded at an idea.
"If we think closely on when and where the culprit was right after killing Miu and what they would have to do right after, then it will make sense." I told them. Shuichi soon picked up on what I was saying and gasped.
"He would have been on the fourth floor, and to get to any other parts of the school, like the dorms, he would have to pass Gonta's lab on the second floor!" Shuichi exclaimed.
"You got it. He would have to pass by the lab, since it's right next to the stairs. So what if, by chance, he heard voices from the lab." I suggested.
"Voices?" Angie repeated.
"By that time, Keebo and I were stuck in the lab with Kokichi. Shuichi and Kaede soon came after." Tenko said.
"Exactly. And while you all were there…" I began. "Kokichi explained his plan to you, right? That's how Keebo was able to record his voice."
"That's true. Kokichi told us everything about the plan." Keebo nodded before his eyes widened in shock. "Aaaah! He couldn't have…"
"But he did." I shook my head. "He listened in. Hearing the voices, he became curious and eavesdropped on the conversation. There, he heard all the details about Kokichi's plan, and how Ryoma and I were helping gather people."
"So when Kiyo saw Ryoma at the dorms…" Kaede said with a shocked expression.
"He took that chance to give himself an alibi without arousing suspicion." Maki finished. Kiyo remained silent after I explained how he could have tried to give himself an alibi for the crime.
"So, Kiyo, if you have any objections, you can-"
"Your deductions are fiction!" Kiyo shouted, cutting me off and completely throwing me off my guard for the second time this trial. "Well, since you've given me the option, I will most certainly object."
"...Does everyone have to object while I'm talking?" I muttered in annoyance.
"Kehehe...Now then, I shall bear witness to your abilities, Rin! Do entertain me! Show me just what kind of Ultimate you are!" Kiyo shouted as our second duel began. "You say I allowed Ryoma to lure me to the Insect Meet and Greet. But that was just a coincidence. I had no way of guaranteeing that this Meet and Greet would serve as a suitable alibi, after all. The way this crime was set up proves that. If you take that into consideration, then your entire reasoning is faulty at best!"
"Faulty? How so? I fail to see how my reasoning is off. You overheard Kokichi's plan, and then let Ryoma take you to the Meet and Greet." I asked him.
"But think about how the culprit set up the body. They made it look as if Miu had just committed suicide that morning. It was the first thing we discussed. If the culprit wanted us to think that Miu was killed this morning, then that would mean they would have planned to also have an alibi for this morning as well. But that isn't the case for me."
"Hmph, it's clearly your obvious lies that are faulty!" I shot back. "You did set up an alibi for yourself this morning! You helped set up the magic show!
"Hrk…!" Kiyo recoiled from my statement.
"Rin's right. Kiyo was actually the first person to come by and offered to help us." Angie said as she pressed a brush into her cheek.
"Yeah, he did...but he really didn't do much. All he did was move some light equipment and set up the curtains. I almost forgot he was there." Himiko grumbled.
"So Kiyo prepared an alibi for himself for when the crime actually occurred and for when he wanted us to think Miu died." Shuichi noted.
"Then this just means there's further proof that Kiyo might be the culprit. That strengthens Rin's case." Rantaro said as he glared at Kiyo.
"And I haven't even asked about the main crux of my argument, either." I added before I shot Kiyo a stern look.
"..." Kiyo had a dark expression on his face as he grasped at the watch hanging from his uniform.
"Oh? What's wrong, Kiyo?" Kokichi asked with a concerned look before it went to being one of a naive child. "What's wrong, what's wrong, what's wrong! Hey, what's wrong? Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!?"
"I-Is Kiyo quiet cuz...cuz Kiyo really is culprit?" Gonta asked nervously.
"Please answer us, Kiyo! We don't want to doubt you, but we need to find the truth." Kaede said.
"Truth…? What truth?" Kiyo asked with slight anger and annoyance in his voice. "You talk about proof, but you avert your eyes from it all the same. You think I'M the culprit? There's evidence to prove someone else is actually the culprit!"
"Wh-Wha-!? Evidence that shows someone else is the culprit!?" Tenko exclaimed.
"I'm talking about the purple piece of cloth found at the crime scene." Kiyo explained. "That hasn't been brought up at all in this trial. I was suspicious of it when I first saw it, but none of you seem to care, and I think I know why."
"You know why?" Ryoma questioned.
"It's because it puts suspicion on Rin." Kiyo shouted as he pointed to me.
"Rin?!" Kaito exclaimed.
"That's right. Think about it. That piece of cloth was made of a fine, warm cotton, and was a rich, royal purple color, unlike Kaito's silk, light lilac-purple colored coat or Kaede's pink vest! Who's the only person here who's outfit matches that description?"
"Th-That would be…" Keebo began to say, but couldn't find the words.
"...Rin." Maki finished with hesitation.
"That's right! His almost iconic, deep purple jacket that he always wears. That's what this piece of cloth must be from." Kiyo stated. "If a torn piece of his jacket was at the scene, then that can only mean that Rin is the culprit."
"B-But Rin has an alibi for the time! He was talking to Kaito during that time!" Kaede argued.
"Does he?" Kiyo asked.
"Huh?"
"For all we know, Kaito could be lying to back him up. He said so himself earlier. He doesn't need evidence to believe in someone, especially his sidekicks. Perhaps Kaito's unwavering faith is what got Rin an alibi in the first place. And even if they did meet up, who's to say they aren't mistaken or lying about the time they started chatting?"
"Th-That's…" Kaito stuttered.
"Can you prove it? Can you prove that Rin truly isn't the culprit?" Kiyo asked. Everyone remained silent at that, each of them wearing faces of discomfort and frustration of now being in this situation. "See? You can't suspect me until you at least clear Rin of suspicion. Now, we should promptly deal justice to the true culprit of this crime, Rin Wakuri." Kiyo declared.
"No, Rin...isn't the culprit." Shuichi said in a pained voice, as if the accusation against me had wounded him.
"And what is the basis of that statement?" Kiyo asked him.
"It's...It's…!" Before Shuichi could come up with something, I held out my hand to stop him. "R-Rin?"
"...I've got this." I told him in a soft, dark voice.
"My, my. What a dark expression you have there. Are you accepting your fate as the blackened of this case?" Kiyo asked me. No...that's not it. It's just...what's this feeling, welling up inside me…? I've...felt like this before, I think. Many times, in fact. It's always the same. Within the whirlpool of intense pressure, a pressure that holds many different lives on this thin line, I feel this burning conviction to cut down all the lies and discrepancies that hide the truth from everyone. It's an intense, righteous anger that hides inside me, ready to lash out at anyone who tarnishes the name of justice. But more than anything else, it's like a pure desire to…
I then sharpened my eyes like katanas as I swiftly and immediately pinned Kiyo down in my sights, my red eyes almost glowing with an intense aura as I pointed back at him.
With just a single gesture with my finger, I'll strike with everything I have! For this is a pure desire...to relentlessly pursue the truth and corner my foe with pure logic!
"No, that's wrong!" I shouted fiercely, my statement, gesture, and confidence behind it all sending everyone back in shock, almost as if the air itself knocked them back at the sound of my shout. "Sorry, Kiyo, but I'll have to object to this accusation as well." I replied with a cocky smile.
"T-That fire in your eyes…! Where did it-?!" Kiyo mumbled to himself as he held his hand near his mask. I brought my finger up to my forehead and wagged it back and forth with a 'tsk, tsk, tsk'.
"You say that I'm the culprit? Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's quite impossible."
"I-Impossible?" Angie asked, still shocked by my sudden confidence in my posture and tone.
"Of course. I have an alibi after all." I smirked as I put my hands on my hips.
"A-An alibi? Preposterous. I just explained how-"
"Oh not that one." I cut Kiyo off. "I have a different alibi that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm not the culprit."
"Wh-What!?" He exclaimed.
"We discussed how the culprit must have hid the body under the floorboards of the empty room to move the body to the Research Lab at nighttime when they wouldn't be spotted, correct? If that's the case, it can't be me. I was stuck in Gonta's lab with Kokichi till morning."
"Y-You what!?"
"Rinny is right." Kokichi joined in, a similar grin to my own forming on his face. "The two of us got punishment from Gonta for tricking him. You were there, so you should remember that."
"Exactly. Gonta told us that we both passed out during our punishment and let us sleep there until 7:30 a.m, with him keeping watch over us. By that point, I wouldn't have had time to move the body to Miu's lab, since people were awake by that point."
"He's right. Angie and I were already awake and heading to the gym by that time. We would have ran into him if he carried Miu down at that time. And if not us, the others who helped us would have spotted him as they came to join us." Himiko confirmed.
"B-But then how did your jacket get torn in Miu's lab?" Tenko asked me.
"Another simple matter. I gave Miu my jacket yesterday when I met up with her." I responded.
"Huh? Why?" Kaito asked me.
"Gonta. Care to repeat what you told Kokichi when you told him you saw Miu?" I asked.
"O-Oh, s-sure." Gonta nodded as he recalled what happened. "G-Gonta saw Miu yesterday. She wore big purple jacket then. When Gonta got close, Miu...use 'secret woman weapon', so...Gonta ran away."
"Secret woman weapon?" Maki repeated.
"I saw it too. When Gonta was going around grabbing people, Miu apparently had the bright idea to strip down to her underwear so Gonta would be too flustered to grab her." I explained.
"S-She stripped down to her underwear!?" Kaede exclaimed in a flustered voice.
"So that's why she was only in her underwear at the scene?" Shuichi asked nervously.
"I believe so. She didn't have time to change between being seen by Gonta and following Kiyo to the fourth floor." I then turned to Kiyo and gave a cocky smile. "And before you ask why I gave Miu my jacket, the answer should be obvious. I gave it to her so she could keep some modesty while she roamed the academy instead of just walking around in almost nothing."
"So the culprit tore off a piece to implicate you in the crime?" Kaede asked.
"Why would they leave only a torn part of the jacket? Why not just leave it all there?" Himiko asked.
"That would be far too suspicious. If the culprit wanted us to suspect Rin, then leaving the entire jacket would be far too suspicious. We would ask ourselves 'why didn't Rin dispose of this', so he left a tiny torn piece of it instead. That might make us think there was a struggle against Miu, and that fragment was something that was easily missed." Rantaro said.
"Erk…!" Kiyo recoiled once again. This confirms it. This new found confidence I feel...it's from experience. I was afraid to believe it before, but now, I think I can at least acknowledge it. The Class Trials are where I can shine. They're where I feel the most confident in myself and my skills. And I think it's all because of experience. I still don't fully understand, and I've been desperately trying to ignore it since it stems off of Tsumugi's words, but if this helps me protect everyone, then I can't hold back because I'm worried about what this might mean. If I am scared of it, all I have to do is rely on the others. They said it themselves. They trust me. They believe in me. I'll do the same. All I have to do now, all I need to focus on, is continuing my assault on this killer!
"So Kiyo, does this make things all clear now?" I asked.
"All clear…? This...is all clear?" Kiyo asked in a fragile voice as he began to hold himself and trembled. "Kehe...kehehehe… What are you all talking about…? All...clear…? Wh-What...is...a-all clear…?" He began to sweat nervously as he shook, dark shadows now covering his face as he made an expression of terror. "What is… What are you… A-All clear…? Wh-What are… You all...you. You what? Wha-Wha-What are-" Then his trembles stopped completely as his stance completely changed. His posture became more straight, his chest puffed out a bit more, and his eyes narrowed as he calmed down. I immediately saw the difference. Something happened to him. Something about him is different.
"Sweet Korekiyo, calm yourself…" He told himself in a soft, light almost-feminine voice as he caressed himself. "His words are all hollow. There is no meaning to any of them. You must teach this ignorant boy a lesson." Kiyo then returned to his original trembling self as he began to take deep breaths.
"Y-Yes, you're right… Okay, I'll teach him…"
"What is...going on with him?" Ryoma asked with a concerned tone as he looked at Kiyo.
"It's like he's talking to someone who isn't here." Rantaro noted. Yes...that's exactly right. It's almost as if...he's possessed, or at least it seems that way.
"Kehehe… Not yet. Nothing is clear at all." Kiyo mumbled before he shot his hands to his sides in a grand pose. "It's full of doubts! Of mysteries! Of a dense, impenetrable fog! Nothing is clear at all!" I prepared myself as Kiyo began hurtling his arguments at me desperately. This is the final push. I just need a little more and it'll be over! "You say I'm the culprit who killed Miu? Impossible! It has to be you! Even with your supposed 'alibis', it's you who's the culprit we are searching for! Your words are nothing but a delusion! You would taint our minds with your delusions!?"
"Like I said, it's impossible for me to be the culprit. My alibis tell the story. There's nothing delusional about it." I shot back. "That torn piece of my jacket is just a red herring left by the culprit in order to place the blame on me. In truth, that was all your doing wasn't it? You took this unfortunate mishap of Miu walking in on you and turned it around in such a brilliant way, but now the truth is being revealed! Just admit it, Kiyo!"
"Admit to it? Admit to what!? I've done nothing wrong!" Kiyo yelled back angrily. "If I'm the culprit, explain this! What could have possibly been my motive, Rin!? We each got another's motive video! I didn't get my own, surely you know that! If I didn't have a motive to kill, then I can't possibly the culprit!"
"You're right. If you don't have a motive, then it's highly unlikely that you're the culprit." I nodded.
"Uh!?" Kiyo stammered.
"Rin, what are you saying?" Keebo asked me.
"I'm admitting I don't have any evidence that proves that Kiyo had a motive." I shrugged in a bored manner. "I can't really deny that claim of his without evidence, can I? Can't bluff my way out of this problem either."
"Th-Then-"
"However," I interrupted Gonta. "Just because I don't have evidence doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
"..." Kiyo glared at me with his darkest expression when I said that. I smirked. I'm on the right path.
"Alright everyone, I'm counting you!" I said with a smile that might rival Kaito's.
"Huh?" Shuichi gawked.
"Us?" Maki questioned.
"You all trusted in me. You believed in me. Now I've gotta do the same. It's obvious I can't do this alone. I don't have evidence, but one you might. If you have any idea of what Kiyo's motive might be, we need you to say it. It's the only way we can get Kiyo to confess to the crime." My words seemed to have lit a spark in everyone as they began to think about possible motives.
"His motive...it must be the Kubs Pads, right? I can't think of another reason he might have to kill." Himiko stated.
"But we each got separate videos, didn't we?" Angie asked.
"N-Not necessarily." Tenko admitted. "I-I'll be honest. I got my own."
"What!?" Gonta shouted.
"She's...not the only one." Shuichi said. "I got my own too."
"S-Shuichi?!" Kaito exclaimed. "You kept that to yourself this entire time? Why? We could have helped you deal with it."
"Tenko too." Kaede said. "If you told us, we would have helped support you through whatever you saw."
"Yes, but...I was scared." Tenko softly replied.
"Having gotten our own videos, we were worried that you all might become suspicious of us after we told you." Shuichi nodded in agreement. "But...there's something I find strange about this."
"What's strange?" Keebo asked the detective.
"I talked to Rin a few days ago, and I got encouraged to start investigating the videos. Specifically, who might have gotten their own." Shuichi said.
"Wait, really? But wouldn't that be almost impossible by yourself, especially if you don't steal them like we did?" Kokichi asked.
"Perhaps, but I've been given the title of Ultimate Detective, so I figured I should at least try. I also had a good start in the investigation. I got my own video, so I knew how someone else who got their own might react as well." Shuichi then turned to look at Tenko. "I talked to Tenko yesterday, and actually came to the conclusion that she had her own video."
"Really?" Tenko asked with wide eyes.
"Yes. You were a bit more fidgety than normal, and you were more prone to rant about males as well, though that's still pretty normal for you." Shuichi said. "Still, there were enough slight differences that I picked up on during our interaction. Of course, I only assumed you got your own video, as that was the only thing I could think of that might explain the sudden slight difference in your mannerisms."
"Wow… That's really incredible, noticing such slight changes." Kaede said before giving Shuichi a smile. "See? I told you that you were the Ultimate Detective!"
"R-Right…" Shuichi nodded, hiding his blush as he did.
"Why are you bringing this up now, though?" Rantaro asked.
"Because…" Shuichi then turned to the nervous Kiyo with a suspicious look. "I could have sworn that Kiyo got his own video as well."
"Wh-What!?" Kaito exclaimed.
"Kiyo got his own video?" Gonta asked.
"What made you think that?" Maki asked.
"He was very careful during our interaction, but while talking to him, I noticed something very concerning in how he spoke. It was one slip up on his part, but it told me something I found suspicious, but when I asked him about it, he deflected it off." Shuichi said. "It was about his sister. When he told me about her, he said 'she was the most important person in the world to him since she helped him become interested in anthropology. She was always ill, though, so she could never make friends.'"
"And pray tell why you share those words to everyone right now?" Kiyo asked in a dark voice. I thought about the words for a moment before I realized what Shuichi was talking about.
"He's using past-tense verbs! Before, when he mentioned his sister to me, he was using present-tense verbs like 'is'." I said. "He told me his sister is the most important person to him."
"That's right. He spoke to me about her before and used present-tense as well. But in that interaction, he used past-tense when referring to her. That must mean something happened to his sister between those two interactions."
"And the only way he could have known that…" Keebo began.
"Is if he saw what was on his video." Tenko finished.
"Those videos showed everyone's most important someone in danger or hurt. If Kiyo saw something involving his sister, he might assume she died or might die." Rantaro said. "That would explain his sudden shift in how he refers to his sister."
"But that's not possible." Ryoma said.
"Why not?" Shuichi asked.
"Kokichi, Rin, and I took everyone's motive videos last night to bring them to the Insect Meet and Greet, remember? Kokichi made a list of the motive videos everyone got."
"That's right. Kiyo got Angie's video, and Miu got Kiyo's." Kokichi confirmed. "The only time he could have seen it is if he had already killed Miu, which was after that talk you had with him, I assume. But that also means Kiyo couldn't have had a motive to kill at that time."
"He's got a point. He wouldn't have even known about Miu having his video unless Miu told him herself, which doesn't make any sense since she didn't have a reason for doing so, so there was no way for him to get it." I nodded, albeit a little frustrated at the impossibility. Shuichi just tilted his head at them before he spoke again.
"I-I'm sorry. What did you say? Did you say Kiyo got...Angie's video?" He asked.
"Huh? Yeah, why?" Kokichi asked.
"That can't be right. We found Angie's video in Miu's room. She got Angie's video."
"What?" Ryoma asked with a confused expression.
"Shuichi's right." Kaito nodded. "We saw Miu still had her belongings near her body, including her Monopad and dorm room, so we decided to check out her room and saw it on her table."
"That can't be right. We were all there last night, and we saw Miu had gotten Kiyo's video." Kokichi said as he put a finger on his cheeks. "What could this mean?" I only needed a second to ponder on the inconsistency to realize what might have happened.
"Hey, Shuichi, after you all took back the motive videos from us at the Meet and Greet, what did you do with the Kubs Pads?" I asked.
"Well, Monodam came by and said he would return the videos to their owners." He answered.
"Is that true Monodam?" I asked the small, green, metal bear.
"THAT-IS-CORRECT. I-RETURNED-ALL-THE-KUBS-PADS-TO-THE-PEOPLE-WE-GAVE- THEM-TO." He confirmed.
"Then I think I know what happened." I smirked. "I know how Kiyo got a motive to murder someone."
"Really? How?" Angie asked me.
"Remember how I said that the culprit must have eavesdropped on the Insect Meet and Greet to know about the plan and how me and Ryoma were a part of it? He must have also heard the part where Kokichi said he was going to steal everyone's Kubs Pad. If we were to discover that he got his own video and a murder happened, he would have been in trouble, especially if we started finding evidence that he was a part of this crime."
"So he decided to swap videos with Miu." Shuichi concluded. "He would have already killed her by that time, so he would have had access to her dorm room. He could easily have entered her room and swapped his own video with the one Miu got, which was Angie's."
"That's why I ran into him at the dorms." Ryoma said with wide eyes as he pieced everything together as well. "He must have just put Kubs Pad Miu had into his room when I got there. When he saw me, he was ready to secure his alibi."
"Then, when Monodam went to return the Kubs Pads, he gave Kiyo his own video again and put Angie's video in Miu's room, exactly how they were when they handed them out that first day." I finished.
"Then...it really was Kiyo." Kaede asked as multiple prying eyes landed on the twitching anthropologist.
"Kiyo! Answer us! Are you the one who killed Miu!?" Kaito shouted fiercely.
"Wh-What...is…? What on earth are you talking about?" Kiyo muttered as sweat poured down his masked face. "N-No...I'm not the culprit. S-So...why is everyone looking at me like I am…? Why! Why are you!? Why is it-"
"Calm yourself, Korekiyo." His tone and posture once again changed as he hugged himself tightly, yet in a gentle manner.
"Y-Yes…!" He answered...whoever he was talking to in these trances of his.
"You mustn't raise your voice. You mustn't stutter. You mustn't lose composure. You mustn't become flustered. You mustn't waver. Look at their horrid faces. This sorry lot is not worth agonizing over."
"Y-You're right… Yeah… You're right…"
"There he goes again… What the hell's wrong with him?" Kaito asked with genuine concern.
"It almost seems like he's talking to someone, but who?" Tenko asked nervously.
"But he's just talking to himself? He's always been creepy, but this is something else." Himiko stated.
"Perhaps he's speaking to another god, like Atua?" Angie guessed, though from her expression, even she doubted that.
"Kehehe… No matter who loudly you protest, this is a trivial matter…" Kiyo began. "I will never acknowledge your allegations. Not a single one of them. For you see, there is no real evidence that I killed Miu! Kehehe… No, I will not acknowledge it. I will only acknowledge facts, true events. I won't acknowledge fiction, mystery. I won't acknowledge...your deductions or assertions or guesses."
"Well said… Good job, Korekiyo." He told himself in that femine voice again.
"Yes… Thanks." Kiyo then said.
"That really is creepy." Himiko said with a nervous expression.
"...You're wrong, Kiyo. I do have evidence that it's you. That's why I said I needed to confirm one last thing."
"What? You do realize bluffs like that won't work, yes?" Kiyo asked me.
"I'm not bluffing." I told him. Not this time, at least. "I knew this piece of evidence was important when we talked about Miu's Spatial Pauser, but now, it's evidence that ties everything together."
"What?"
"Under the floorboards in the empty room, there was a pile of burnt ash. Something was burned there, and all that remained of whatever it was is a tiny piece of thin, white fabric! This is what ties you with this crime!"
"Hrk…!"
"It's been bothering me. It looks just like a piece of trash. I couldn't figure out what it could be, but I just had this feeling it would be important. And now that we're this far into the Class Trial, I can say with certainty I was right. It's the final key." I then pointed to Kiyo one last time and finished it. "This piece of fabric...is actually from the bandages you wear around your hands!"
"Urgh...grgh!"
"Miu shot her Spatial Pauser at the hook you had on you, freezing it in space and covering it with those particles. However, that wasn't the only thing that was covered in the particles. Miu's hands and palms were covered, so it wouldn't be farfetched to think that the hand you were holding the hook with would also have gotten covered with those particles. Since the particles don't come out until a full day passes, you were forced to take off those bandages and burn them using one of the candles in the empty room in order to destroy the evidence of your involvement!"
"That piece of white fabric we found was thin and tiny. There's no way it was from an article of clothing." Rantaro stated.
"And the only one who wears something like bandages is Kiyo." Kokichi added.
"The bandages on your hands right now...they must be from your dorm." Ryoma stated.
"The extra uniforms in our rooms are made of the same material we're wearing now." Shuichi said. "We can test Rin's theory by testing the piece of fabric with Kiyo's bandages."
"Ah...aaaah...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Kiyo shrieked in terror.
"Well, Kiyo? Will you allow us to compare the white fabric that was found under the floorboards with your bandages?" Keebo asked. Kiyo didn't respond, only managing a few noises of terror.
"Huh? What's the matter? Why are you sweating so much?" Angie asked in a dark tone.
"Kiyo...what's wrong?" Gonta asked. I stared at the shaking, terrified, anthropologist, and I only felt sadness. Kiyo...I'm...sorry.
"Kiyo, I'm your friend. I still believe that. So I want you to tell us the honest truth about what you did." I told him with sincerity. "And to do that, I'll go over everything from start to finish. Once I do, that'll force you to confess everything you've done! That'll be...how I honor you as a friend! This...is the reality of this case!" I took a deep breath, and started my closing argument.
Climax Recreation
ACT 1
"Let's go back to yesterday when the crime occurred. Our culprit was planning something, but things took an unfortunate turn. Our culprit had taken a hook up to the fourth floor and entered one of the empty rooms, all in order to prepare for some crime they were planning. But before they could do anything, Miu barged in on them, sealing her fate as the victim in this case. Miu had just escaped from Gonta using her...let's call it her 'secret weapon'. Before she could return to her room, she spotted the culprit carrying the hook. Thinking they were suspicious, Miu had followed them to the empty room with one of her devices on hand. Upon discovering the culprit about to begin their plan, Miu aimed her gun at them. She probably threatened them to stop what they were doing, but that didn't deter them at all. Instead, it only fueled them to commit a different crime, one that would be harder to solve due to it being made on the spot due to this accident."
ACT 2
"The culprit, wanting to tie up this loose end before it becomes a problem, lunged at Miu in an attempt to kill her. Miu then fired her gun at the culprit, but this gun was special. It was one of her inventions, the Spatial Pauser. Once the particles it sent out hit the hook the culprit was carrying, the hook was frozen in space, unable to be moved. Having no choice now, the culprit pinned Miu down, and began to strangle her with their bare hands. Being physically stronger than Miu, he was easily able to pin her down and start choking the life out of her. Miu probably knew she was going to die, so she decided to do one last thing. Miu probably wanted to screw the culprit over as much as she could before she died, so she did the only thing she could. She took out her contingency plan, which was an extremely small pin, and pressed the button on it. Upon pressing the button, the pin immediately began sending out signals to a device in her lab, letting it know exactly where the pin was. However, since none of us knew about this contingency plan of hers, there was no way for this to save Miu. But it's because of this action Miu took that we were able to find evidence to pin down her killer."
ACT 3
"After a few minutes, Miu finally gave in. Once she took her last breath, our culprit finally relented. They then immediately began to cover up this on-the-fly crime of theirs. The first thing they did was dump Miu's body under the floorboards, to prevent it's discovery if anyone were to enter the room. This action would be integral to the culprit's plan, which involved confusing us on how and when the murder and cover-up happened. Unfortunately, this action would lead to the culprit's downfall, as upon being placed under the floor, Miu's body lost hold of the pin, leaving it there in the crawl space for us to discover. The culprit then took the Spatial Pauser and destroyed it, making it unusable. This would prevent us from using it to see what it does, though the culprit soon learned that this action wouldn't stop us from discovering it's use. Upon destroying the gun, I imagine the hook returned to the normal laws of physics. The culprit might have planned to return the hook to the warehouse, but then discovered the consequences of Miu shooting it with her device. The hook was covered in a glitter-like substance that couldn't be removed. It would only disappear when a day fully passed, but the culprit couldn't wait that long. They did the only thing they could, and dropped the hook under the floorboards as well. They then hid one last item. They saw that their bandages were covered in the same particles that the hook was covered in. In order to destroy this evidence, which tied directly to them, they took a candle from the empty room and burned the bandages, leaving the remains under the floor. However, the culprit overlooked one thing. There was a tiny remnant of the bandages they had burned left in the pile of ash. This would allow us to prove that they were the one who killed Miu in the end."
ACT 4
"Now that they had hidden the body for the moment, the culprit went on their way to secure an alibi. As they were walking down to the second floor, they passed by Gonta's Research Lab, and heard voices. Curious, the culprit began to listen in on the conversation taking place within the room. While the culprit was committing their crime, Kokichi had actually started a plan of his own. He tricked Gonta into gathering people into his research lab for an Insect Meet and Greet to try to get everyone to like bugs more. This, however, was just a ploy for Kokichi to steal everyone's motive videos and have everyone watch them all together. I can only imagine how horrified the culprit must have been upon hearing this. This plan of Kokichi would be detrimental to the culprit, as they were one of the few people who got their own video. The culprit went back to Miu's body and grabbed the key to her dorm and hurried to her room. Once there, they swapped their own Kubs Pad with the one Miu got, which was Angie's. This would allow them to avoid suspicion if we ever tried to pin the crime to one of the people who got their own Kubs Pad. Once they had placed Angie's motive video in their room, the culprit left their room and ran into Ryoma. The culprit had heard that me and Ryoma were helping Kokichi gather people to the Insect Meet and Greet as well, so the culprit decided to use this to their advantage. They approached Ryoma and allowed him to bring them to the Insect Meet and Greet. Once there, they probably felt safe and secure, knowing they knew they now had a solid alibi, though I can't help but wonder if the suffering they endured during the Meet and Greet was really worth it."
ACT 5
"After they managed to escape the Insect Meet and Greet at 11 p.m, the culprit began the ending parts of their plan. They went back up to the empty room and grabbed Miu's body and moved it down to her research lab. They then took some rope they got from the warehouse and tied it into a noose. They tied it to the ceiling, before placing the noose around Miu's neck. They then began to hang Miu up, making it look like she had committed suicide. They placed a knocked over chair near her body to further convince us, but they weren't done tampering with the scene yet. They found a heater within Miu's lab, and turned it all the way on. The intense heat from the invention would obfuscate the time of death even further, preventing us from getting an immediate time of death for Miu. The culprit then did one last thing before they left. This whole time, Miu had been in her underwear, to avoid capture by Gonta, but she was wearing one thing that the culprit could make use of. Miu was still wearing my jacket that I had given her to cover herself up with. The culprit took my jacket and tore it up, probably using whatever sharp object they could find at the time. They then left a torn piece of my jacket in the research lab. An attempt to make it seem like I had destroyed evidence that implicated myself in the crime, but it would prove useless, as during this time, I was stuck in Gonta's research lab, unable to leave at all. With their cover up complete, the culprit returned to their room. The next morning, the culprit met up with Angie and Himiko at the gym to secure a second alibi, just in case. The culprit offered to help them set up with the magic show, an offer Himiko and Angie happily accepted. The culprit then stayed in the gym until Kokichi, Keebo, and I discovered Miu's body. This would allow them to have an alibi in case we thought Miu died only moments before we found her, which we almost did due to the tricks the culprit performed."
I snapped my fingers and pointed to the culprit with complete confidence in my reasoning and gave him an expression of righteous anger and determination, all while he trembled like a madman, his hands clutching his face as he smiled in terror. "Korekiyo Shinguji, the Ultimate Anthropologist! You're the one behind this crime! Someone like you should never speak of justice ever again!"
"Uh… Uuuhhh…" Kiyo stuttered before his second self took over.
"Sweet Korekiyo, there are times when it's necessary to admit defeat."
"A-Admit…?" Kiyo stumbled with his words before he started to shake less frequently. "Yeah… Okay…"
"So you admit it then?" Shuichi asked.
"Unfortunately...yes." Kiyo nodded. "Yes… It's unfortunate. Very, very unfortunate." Kiyo then looked up at the sky with a sad expression. "My one regret… My only regret…was not being able to send her any friends."
"Send her friends?" Gonta repeated.
"Kehehe… I will explain with due time." Kiyo told us. "For now, we should end this. I...will go gracefully. That's...all I want right now."
"...Very well, Kiyo." I replied. "We'll wait until after the vote. That'll be how we honor your dying wish."
"...Thank you, Rin." Kiyo said before he turned to Monokuma. "Let us start voting time, please."
"Roger that! One Voting Time, comin' up!" Monokuma shouted. "The heart-racing excitement as the blackened and the spotless finally face off…"
"It's...VOTING TIME!"
CLASS TRIAL END
ALL RISE!
