So I know I said at the end of my last story that I would include all of the evidence discovery, even if it's the same as canon, but that lead to an 8k word investigation chapter earlier. So after that, I thought it over, and decided to only show what's changed from canon. Not that it really matters too much, since this case is very similar to it's canon counterpart, so I only have a bit to show. Inside the killing game, anyway. In any case, feel free to let me know which way you'd prefer to see it.
I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 14
Secrets From The Past
It wasn't very easy for everyone to mobilize after the announcement played. For one thing, it gave no indication as to where the crime scene was. As such, the only people on the scene for a while were the girls, now changed back into their everyday clothes.
"Wh-What the hell is this!?" Akane asked.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! Wh-Why... Mahiru!?" Mikan shrieked.
"F-For heaven's sake, what in the world is going on...!?" Sonia asked.
"...Ah, hold on a sec!" Chiaki stopped them just before they reached the entrance of the beach house. "Those things beneath you... be careful not to step on them."
"...Beneath?" Peko's eyes drifted to the sand.
"You know, the footprints in front of that door. There are footprints leading out of the beach house, right? That's probably an important clue. So, don't step on them."
"I-If you mean evidence..." Sonia trailed off.
"...Monokuma mentioned it in the announcement, right? After a certain amount of time, we'll hold a class trial..."
"Another class trial!?" Ibuki shouted.
"Then... are you saying this is...?"
"Thaaaaaat's right! One of you guys killed her!" Monokuma cheered, appearing out of nowhere.
"K-Killed... that's impossible!" Mikan argued.
"Oh? Are you gonna say it could be an accident? But if you guys think that's an accident, that still means this death was caused by someone else's actions, right? That also counts as... a legitimate murder. Though such details fall into a grey area, on this island, I will make sure it's clear to you guys... On this island... dying from sickness is basically the only death that's not considered a murder. Well, it's impossible to get sick and die on this island. Not when Monomi takes such good care of people... Oh, speaking of which."
Almost as if on cue, Monomi appeared a few feet from Mahiru's body, and looked absolutely miserable. She didn't say anything in response to Monokuma's jabs.
"There it is! The silent treatment attack! This is like the number one thing that hurts me! Well fine! I'm not gonna lose to your bashing! I've decided to become a tough kid!"
"Th-This... is the worst... Once again... this horrible nightmare... Another victim... and it's all because of Monokuma..."
"Jeez! It's not my fault!" Monokuma argued. "...Huh? Then whose fault is it, you ask? To find out, we hold the class trial! Sooooo let's begin already. No whining, just begin already. Okaaaaaay, I shall pass out the Monokuma File #2. This should start to feel familiar. Now then, do your very best to investigate! I'll see you later at the class trial!" With that, he disappeared.
"C-Class trial... Investigation... This... is horrible... It's just... too horrible..." Monomi cried.
Maki gave her a pitiful look. "Couldn't you have stopped this? Don't you have that kind of power?"
Once again, she gave Maki a scared, distrusting look. "Th-That... I did have the power before he appeared..."
"Even if she tried to stop it... Judging from Monokuma and Monomi's relationship, there's no doubt she'd get stopped herself." Chiaki pointed out.
"Yes... Monokuma took everything away... including the Magic Stick... and the surveillance cameras... The only thing I can rely on... are these ears... but they can only hear about 3 times that of a normal person..."
"So basically, you have no idea what's happening on this island in the first place..." Peko asked.
Monomi sobbed. "...I'm just the worst... A powerless rabbit like me... is the worst..."
"In that case, hurry up and get out of my way..." Maki demanded as Monomi disappeared from the area.
"Hey, now's not the time to focus on somethin' like that..." Akane said. "More importantly, what should we do?"
"Eeeek...! D-Do we... have to do it again?" Mikan asked. "Th-That cruel thing... We have to do it again?"
"I cannot believe it..." Peko said. "Mahiru was killed by one of us...!"
"I know it sucks." Maki said. "But we have to do this. If we fail... Mahiru would've died for nothing. And her killer will get away with it."
"Yeah, the only thing we can do is investigate." Chiaki agreed. "Cuz... we should never forgive that. Killing... is something we should never forgive. The killer has their reasons... I understand that. It was the same for Teruteru, too. It's really all Monokuma's fault... I understand that, too. But... even so... We should never forgive... killing."
"Regardless, everyone is going to die if we don't do it. In order for us all to survive, we must do it." Peko decided.
"Then let's do this!" Akane agreed.
"Mahiru... probably wants us to do this, too." Sonia said. "She would want us to reveal the truth behind her death..."
"I-I understand..." Mikan said. "If everyone's doing it, I will do it too but... B-But... please give me a little time... Please give me time to calm myself down a little. Also... I will go and tell the others who aren't here about this... I-I shall... excuse myself... for now." Tears streaming down her cheeks, Mikan stepped outside the beach house.
"Then... let's begin." Chiaki decided. "Who killed Mahiru Koizumi...? Why was she killed...? We gotta find out and solve this already."
Maki nodded. "Right. Let us begin. Chiaki, you're with me."
Hajime arrived shortly after they began, and with Maki's aid once again, along with the aid of the other girls, he was able to make rapid progress in investigating the crime scene. However, it quickly became clear to him that he wouldn't be able to understand the motivation of the murder without understanding more about Twilight Syndrome. He asked Chiaki about it, but she instead encouraged him to check out the motive for himself. Maki assured him that she had the crime scene under control, and that he was free to go as he pleased. He noted that it was odd for her to not want to check something like that out for herself.
Regardless, Hajime and Chiaki made their way to the park on the central island. Once there, however, they ran into a face that they weren't expecting to see.
"Why hello there, Hajime and Chiaki." Nagito greeted. "I'm glad you guys are doing well."
"N-Nagito!?"
"It feels like... it's been a long time since I was able to talk to you two like this. Even though we haven't spoken... for just a few days..."
"...Why are you here?" Chiaki asked.
"Well, there's no need to worry about a loser like me... More importantly, did you hear? Apparently Mahiru got killed this time. Jeez, how horrible... She was the heart of our group, always spirited and very eager to talk... For her to be killed... If only I could have taken her place, I would have gladly done it... But still... you guys will be able to shine because this outcome is full of despair, right!? That's right, no matter how dark the despair, hope can shine much brighter and stronger! Hehe! Though I do feel bad for Mahiru, this is quite exciting! How will everyone overcome despair this time!"
"Looks like... you feel no remorse." Chiaki said.
"So why are you here?" Hajime asked. "Who told you about Mahiru?"
"Y-You don't have to make that scary face." Nagito said. "I'll tell you, you know... Monomi."
"Yes, it was me." Monomi confirmed, appearing beside Nagito.
"You... why'd you untie Nagito without anyone's permission?" Hajime asked.
"D-Did I do bad? I just wanted everyone to get along... and, you know... cooperate..."
"There's no way we'll get along! You already know what kind of guy he is!"
"But... fighting among friends is what Monokuma wants you guys to do..."
"Hajime, you should forgive her." Nagito said. "Monomi is making a valid point, too."
"...You have no right to say that!"
"But now's not the time for friends to fight. There's going to be a class trial for Mahiru, right?"
"Th-That's right!" Monomi agreed. "That's why everyone must work together and have Monokuma..."
"...Enough!" Hajime snapped. "Enough already... just... go away already..."
"...U-Understood." Monomi disappeared just as quickly as she arrived.
"Nagito, you too... hurry up and get lost..."
"Well, I'm a little lonely but... I guess I'll do that. I already saw the true ending of that game, so there's really no reason for me to be here."
"...True ending?"
"So, although I might be a little late... I, too, will do some investigating for a while. I will try to be useful... in my own way."
"Who do you want to be useful to?" Chiaki asked. "The killer? Or us?"
"...Isn't it obvious? I will always be on the side of hope."
As Nagito walked off, Hajime shook his head in frustration. Everything would be much easier to deal with if Nagito weren't there. "...Dammit!"
"Hajime... let's just move on and start the game." Chiaki urged.
"...You're right." As they approached the arcade machine, Hajime spoke up again. "Hey, can I ask you something? Is there a walkthrough for this game?"
"...Hm?"
"I feel like I'm just going to repeat the 2nd Day and 4th Day again, and then get a Game Over... So if there is a walkthrough, can you tell me about it?"
"When you get a Game Over... that's the walkthrough."
"...Huh? What do you mean?"
"Do you want me to tell you? I'll tell you if you want. There's a hidden command."
"...A hidden command?"
"You should have seen it too. You know, that thing that was displayed on the Game Over screen."
"Is that...?" Hajime's eyes widened with realization. "Are you talking about the message that says, "Down five"?"
"Just so you know... that doesn't mean you down five drinks or something... It means you have to press down five times."
"Then the hidden command is...!"
"You just have to press the down button five times when you're on the title screen. If you do that, you... should be able to go to the real game."
"S-So that's the trick... Just as expected of the Ultimate Gamer."
"It doesn't have anything to do with being a gamer. This is just... you either get it or you don't. In fact, Nagito got it on his own so it looks like he managed to beat the game. C'mon, give it a try."
"Y-Yeah... I got it..." He waited for the title screen to show up before inputting the command. Suddenly, the colours changed, and the subtitle "Truth Edition" was added. "The screen changed... she was right..."
"This is the real game..." Chiaki said. "Twilight Syndrome Murder Case's Truth Edition."
Hajime pressed START, and the game cut to some scrolling text, providing a synopsis of the game and a recap of the previous days Hajime already played. Then, before any gameplay started, a cutscene played.
It showed a schoolyard, and there was a tall boy standing in the middle of the shot. A second passed, and two more people entered the shot, another, shorter boy and a girl.
A text box appeared, and it was labelled Girl D. It said, "Hey, Guy G. You said you wanted to speak with us?"
Another text box appeared, this one labelled Guy F. "This better be fucking important. We got exams coming up, you know."
The boy who was there originally finally spoke. His text box was labelled Guy G. "I know, sorry. But trust me, this is important, and it won't take long. Girl D, Girl E is a friend of yours, right?"
"Y-Yeah, that's right..."
"Well, her and Guy F's sister... they're both in my class. And ever since I got here, they've been getting more and more aggressive with each other. If it doesn't stop soon... I'm worried one of them might end up getting hurt."
"Tch... Is that all?" Guy F asked. "What a waste of time. I don't care what my sister's getting up to. She can handle herself."
"B-But..."
"I'll talk with Girl E about it." Girl D said. "I don't know if she will listen to me, but I'll at least try to resolve the issue."
"Right... Alright. I guess that's all we can do for now. Thanks, guys. I'm sure this will all work out."
Suddenly, the scene faded back to the main plot.
I stormed out of the room. Out of the building. My friends tried to stop me, to talk to me, but I went right passed them. I needed my space.
Useless. Worthless. That was the best I could muster, huh? A short conversation, I thought that would stop a murder? Why was I such a fool?
I wasn't sure where to go, exactly. As I exited the building, I slowed down. No matter how far I ran, I couldn't run from the past. With nowhere left to go, I sat upon the stone path in front of the administration building. I had my face in my hands.
The past... Why did the past always find a way to come back to bite me? No matter how much work I put into working up for my mistakes, I keep paying the price, with interest.
I... I am making up for it, right? I'm not just the same kid that let Sayaka and Leon die, am I? I mean, I know that there's no way I can change what I've done. No one can change the past. But... anyone can be redeemed. That's what I've always believed. By that logic, I can still redeem myself, right?
I paused, looking up slightly. What did I say? No one can change the past? Well, that wasn't entirely true. Toshihide was able to do it. Through whatever bullshit powers he has, he was able to message his past self and let him know to summon me. If... if only I could do something like that.
I stared up at the sun, dulled slightly by the red clouds of pollution. If I could go back... I could fix everything. That was the thing that stopped me before, right? In all those cycles Toshihide experienced, I couldn't save my friends, but that was because I was still green. Still a child. I needed the killing game in order to mature. If I could go back, though... and retain all my experiences... then I could save everyone...
I shook my head. No. That wouldn't work. Even if I got Junko arrested and saved Natsumi from getting murdered, something new would just rear its head. That's always how it works. No one can know with 100% certainty how the future is going to play out. That's just how it is. The universe would always pull out all the stops to ensure that "fate" is satisfied.
Fate...
I thought about what Toshihide revealed to me before he left this dimension. Every cycle he experienced followed one pattern. There had to be at least 10 deaths before the cycle reset. Of course, I managed to prove that that was a just a coincidence. The cycle wasn't really "resetting," that's just how it looked from Toshihide's perspective, but he was really travelling back in time to the branching point in the timeline. For the rest of us in this timeline, we all remained. Though I guess that's sort of a Schrodinger's situation. Since Toshihide isn't observing us, from his perspective we both exist and don't ex-
What the fuck am I doing!? What is wrong with my head!? I just found out that yet another girl died on my watch, and I'm postulating quantum physics!
"GODDAMMIT!" I punched the ground and gripped my head in frustration.
"Al? Are you okay?"
I flinched and scampered to my feet, turning to face the voice. Standing a few feet away was Makoto. Apparently, he had followed me.
"I-I'm fine... just, angry..." I admitted.
"At who? The killer?"
"The killer, the world, myself. Does it really matter? There's never one factor that's entirely to blame for any tragedy. It's exhausting to get pissed at everything at once..."
"Do you need to talk about it?"
"I'm not sure if I have anything to say... Talking isn't gonna fix anything. I fucked up. Another mistake that I'm just gonna have to make up for."
Makoto met my gaze. His expression wasn't upset, nor was it gentle. He understood my outburst, but he wasn't going to let me walk away just yet. He was going to meet me head on. Just like he always does.
"You know you can't do it all on your own, right?" He asked.
"I know. Even discounting the fact that the rest of you won't let me, I've already made a promise to Chihiro to let him help me. I might as well get everyone else in on it. I'm just unsure what any of us can do about it. What do I tell Fuyuhiko when he wakes up? That I let his sister die because I was a stupid child?"
He shook his head. "Al, you're just falling into Monokuma's trap."
"His... trap?"
"Junko obviously knows we're watching the killing game. That scene in the game wasn't part of the motive, so why did Monokuma include it? He was just trying to mess with you."
I facepalmed. "Fuck... you're right. And it worked. What the hell is wrong with me?"
"Well, the fact that you haven't slept in a few days might explain it."
"...You know about that?"
"I had a hunch." He explained. "Celeste told me that she started kicking you out of the observation room whenever it got late. And that started happening around the same time Byakuya started seeing you in the archives. Have you been sleeping... at all?"
"The last time I slept was after the first trial... So, about four days."
Concern was plain on his face. "Al, you know it's not unusual for people to start hallucinating at the point you're at, right?"
"I know... it's just, I can't rest while all this stuff is going on. I need to be doing something..."
"You know you can't be helpful to us if you're exhausted and losing your mind, right?"
I sighed. He won. "Okay, I'll... I'll get some sleep. After the trial, though. I need to see this through, at least."
"Are you sure you can handle it?"
"It doesn't matter what I can do. All that matters is that I have to."
He was quiet for a minute, obviously disappointed with that, but then he nodded. "You can stay up for the rest of the trial. But when it's over, you need to go straight to bed. I won't take no for an answer."
I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Mom."
I took a deep breath to steady myself before heading back into the building.
Hajime and Chiaki were just finishing up the game. Girl E confessed her crime to Girl D, and Guy F discovered the photos that incriminated her, leaving off with the final line "I will never forgive her!"
However, just when it seemed the game was going to end, another cutscene started up. It was a classroom. Two boys were standing in the shot, one slightly taller than the other.
The taller boy spoke, his text box once again labelled Guy G. "I couldn't do it... I can't do anything right..."
The other boy turned toward him. His text box was labelled Guy H. "...Guy G, are you alright? What are you mumbling about?"
"If... If I couldn't save her, then... What could I possibly do to save you...?"
"Sorry, what did you say? You're too quiet."
"I-I'm sorry..." With that, Guy G ran away, leaving Guy H, as well as Hajime and Chiaki, confused.
Before they could think too hard about it, the screen cut to an image of Monokuma with the words GAME CLEARED above his head.
"Looks like... this is the end..." Hajime said.
"That's the "Truth Edition"..." Chiaki said. "The incident's 1st Day and 3rd Day are depicted in it... Yep, now you've filled in all 4 events from the 1st Day to the 4th Day."
"Hey Chiaki, what do you think of the characters in this game?" Hajime asked.
"You mean like Girl A and Girl B?... Their names make no sense and they have no romantic chemistry either."
"No, not that..."
"While you were talking... Looks like the ending's staff roll started."
"...Staff roll?" Hajime turned back to the arcade machine.
"You should be able to find out what you wanna know if you look at it... probably."
PRODUCER: Monokuma
DIRECTOR: Monokuma
SUPERVISOR: Monokuma
PLAN/SCENARIO: Monokuma
PROGRAMMER: Monokuma
GRAPHICS: Monokuma
SOUND: Monokuma
CAST:
Tsumiki
Koizumi
Hiyoko
Mioda
Sato
Kuzuryu
Wright
Hinata
Kuzuryu
"W-Wait! Just now...!"
"See, didn't I tell you?" Chiaki asked. "What you wanna know is gonna be on there."
"Yaaaaay!" Monokuma cheered as he appeared out of nowhere. "Congraaaaats! Miracle congratulatioooooons! You have finally beaten Twilight Syndrome Murder Case! Now that you guys have played this game through to the end, you should already know... That's right, that game is a nonfiction game based on an actual past incident!"
"I-Is that true...!?" Hajime asked.
"By the way, "nonfiction" means an original story based on historical facts or records."
"Hey, answer my question...!"
"Buuuuut... even if this is nonfiction, you guys probably don't remember it. Well, that can't be helped. The school life you no longer remember is the setting for this story. At any rate... congratulations! Now then, as for the ending prize that I'm supposed to give you as a reward for clearing the game... I won't give it to ya!"
"Ending prize...?"
"There was only one ending prize, and I already gave it to the first person who beat it! Puhuhu, how disappointing!" With that, he disappeared.
"Did you say... ending prize?"
"Like... I was told the same thing when I beat it too." Chiaki said. "Man, I was too late. If I'd known something like this was gonna happen, I would've played the game sooner."
"But the ending prize isn't the problem. It's what Monokuma said earlier... He mentioned how he used our school life as the setting of the game..." The gears in Hajime's head were starting to turn.
"It looks like... there's something on your mind."
"...Huh?"
"Monokuma probably said the same thing to everyone else who's beaten the game. That this game is nonfiction... That it's the "missing link" that existed in our forgotten school memories..."
"...So do you believe it?" Hajime asked. "Do you really believe... our memories were taken?"
"I don't know but... instead of thinking about that right now, we gotta focus on solving this mystery first. Whether we believe it's the motive or not, it's clear that a murder did occur."
"If that's the case... then I need to question them directly. If I do that... I might be able to learn something."
"You're talking about the people whose characters appear in the game, right? Then I'll go too."
With his head held high, Hajime continued on with his investigation.
"The time for unparalleled hedonism... has come to an end... Come! Now is the time to fight the decisive battle! The hostility of fresh blood! The insanity of a contest of wits! The class trial is finally raising its curtains! Soooo, meet up... in front of Monokuma Rock! Once you're there, please proceed to the underground by taking the elevator located at the secret entrance. Puhuhu, I'll see you soon!"
Following the announcement, most of the students made their way to Monokuma Rock as they were instructed. The keyword being most.
"Noooo! Lemme go! Help meeee!" Hiyoko screamed. "Waaaaaaaaaaah! He's gonna do something crazy to me! I'll be ruined!"
"Hey, shut up and stay put!" Monokuma roared, pinning her down. "You stubborn little lolita!"
"H-Hey!" Monomi snapped. "Stop harrassing little girls!
"Th-This is... what's going on?" Hajime asked as he arrived.
"Hiyoko was trying to run away, so Monokuma brought her here by force..." Nekomaru explained. "But Hiyoko's still trying to run away, so Monokuma's trying to wrap her in a full nelson..."
"Running away, Hiyoko? That strikes me as an admission of guilt..." Maki remarked.
Hiyoko started to gain some wriggle room, and Monokuma snapped. "Hey! If you don't stay put, I'm gonna make you a part of this island's food chain!"
Her only response was to give up, sobbing pathetically on the ground. "Jeez, making me waste my sweet-ass time... But there's another problem to deal with besides this one... Where the heck is Fuyuhiko!? That guy... he totally ditched! He totally ditched my appointment! He... pisses... me off... Ah... aaa... aaaaa..." Suddenly, his plush body started pulsating. "Aaaa... aa... aaaaaah...!" He began to glow, and with a flash of light, right before the student's eyes, Monokuma suddenly became completely jacked, buff, muscular, and other such synonyms.
"Eeek! His anger changed his form!" Ibuki shrieked.
"...I'm right here." Fuyuhiko announced flatly.
"...Ah-huh?" Monokuma turned to face him, surprised.
"Ah, Fuyuhiko, you came... I was worried about you." Chiaki said.
"There's nowhere for me to run, anyway... So no matter the ending... I have to accept it, right? But still... I'm a yakuza! Accepting defeat is not an option!"
"Fuyuhiko, what does that mean...?" Hajime asked.
"Well... it's all good. If the trial heats up, it's all good." Monokuma said. "Anyway, looks like everyone's here, so let us depart now! I'll go first and be one step ahead of you guys!" He turned his muscular back toward them and disappeared.
"With that disturbing imagery out of the way, I suppose it's time to go." Maki decided. "There's not much to be gained from standing around. We're as prepared as we'll ever be."
"...Do you even hafta prepare?" Akane asked.
"If you don't have enough power, harness your latent energy!" Nekomaru instructed. "C'mon, bring out that energyyyyyyyy!"
"So it begins... the beginning of the end..." Gundham muttered.
"Now then, let's keep our spirits high!" Nagito said. "So we can one day find that shining hope!"
In response, Monokuma Rock opened his mouth and barfed a escalator. The students slowly lined up.
"Eeek! No matter how many times I see it, it's such bad taste! The worst, the lowest, most brutal taste!" Monomi whined.
Once everyone reached the top and entered the elevator, it began its descent underground. The students remained silent as they were brought miles beneath the earth. Maki's heart hammered in her chest, but she stared straight forward, betraying nothing.
Finally, the elevator stopped, and the student poured into the trial room.
"Aim! Defeat the boring routine!" Monokuma said. "...Sooooo, I've decided to start redecorating. How's it look? Mr. Monokuma's redecoration is awesome, isn't it? It's not like I'd allow you to think otherwise anyway!"
"To go to the trouble of doing something this elaborate..." Sonia said. "Really... what is your true intention?"
"Nothing really... Essentially, this killing game is just to kill time anyway."
"Kill time..!?" Akane asked.
"To break away from my purpose! That alone is my purpose! A purpose is only gonna be a weakness! Those who have purpose are always the weakest ones in the bunch! That's why you guys should forget about such cheap-ass purposes like "trying to survive..." And enjoy the class trial from the bottom of your heeeeeeaaaaarts!"
Everyone made their way to the podiums with their names on them. Maki took her place between Peko and Sonia, directly across from Fuyuhiko. She steeled her nerves. She would have to find the truth of this case, by any means necessary. No one was leaving this room without some blood being spilled.
And so, the curtain rose on... A trial for life, and a judgement of death... Deception in life, and treachery in death... Betrayal for life, and betrayal for death... The riddles of life, and the mystery of death... Justification for life, and rationalization of death... Faith in life, and trust in death... A life or death... Class Trial!
I didn't mention this last time, but if you're curious, that ridiculously overblown last sentence there is from a fan translation from before the game was officially released in North America. Y'know, the same translations that call Monokuma "Monobear." I've never played it myself, but when I heard that that's what Makoto says before each trial, I knew I had to use it for Maki. Of course, maybe I should look up the fan translation, just to see how hilariously bad the rest of it is.
Also, Albert needs to practice self-care. But hey, that's just the kinda guy he is, working himself to the bone just to solve a mystery and help his friends. Still, it's nice to know that Makoto is there for him. That's just the kinda guy he is, always making sure his friends can stand, and lending them a shoulder if they can't.
In the next chapter, we will begin the class trial to discover who killed Mahiru Koizumi.
