Hooray for 8k chapters! Of course, our last trial was just about 10k, even with me trying to rush things along with Albert's commentary and summary, so I think we got lucky this time around.
So, here's the third in a trilogy of chapters I decided to call the "Maki chapters" for some reason. This time: Class Trial addition! I said I'd get this up within the next few days, and I did. Good for me. I get a cookie. Anyway, you all read the previous chapter (unless you're skipping ahead, you cheater), so I shouldn't have to say anything. Just keep in mind, no matter what you think of the outcome of this trial, I'm not just killing characters off willy-nilly. There's a method to my madness.
As always, if there's anything you feel I could do to improve my writing in the future, whether for the trials or in general, feel free to let me know.
With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 23
Cat and Mouse
CLASS TRIAL! ALL RISE!
"Now then, let's begin with a simple explanation of the class trial. During the class trial you will present your arguments for 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 punish 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!"
"I don't mind starting the trial, but... I don't really have a grasp of how the case played out." Nagito said. "You know, because I was asleep the whole time."
"Bah, even if you do get it, you're just gonna confuse the hell out of us like always, right?" Hiyoko spat.
Maki huffed. "While you have a point, it would be prudent to establish a basis for our discussion."
"Since you're our first witness, why don't you explain the incident and the sequence of events?" Chiaki suggested.
"You're really putting me on the spot, huh?" Maki muttered. "Okay, well, let's start at the very beginning. Because of the Despair Disease, we decided to split into two groups, who I'll refer to as the Motel Team and the Hospital Team. The Hospital Team consisted of Akane, Ibuki, and Nagito, who were infected, and Fuyuhiko, Hajime, Mikan, and I, who were there as caretakers."
"The other five on the Motel Team were... myself, Gundham, Byakuya, Chiaki, and Hiyoko." Sonia recalled.
"Spending the night at the hospital was prohibited, so Hajime, Maki, and I had to sleep at our cottages." Fuyuhiko explained.
"I had a hard time sleeping the night before the accident." Maki admitted. "Since I saw no point staying in bed, I headed toward the hospital early. When I arrived, Mikan was just finishing some miracle work, and Nagito was recovering from his symptoms. We talked for a bit, and I eventually made her rest in the on-call room, since she stayed up all night. From there, I made my way to the lobby, to wait for Fuyuhiko and Hajime. That's when... I heard the radio spark to life, before our scheduled transmission time. Before I could react, I heard... Ibuki, singing on the other end."
"Amazing!" Nagito beamed. "That's such a heart-pounding story! And then what did you do, Maki?"
"I got a bad feeling, since Ibuki was supposed to be at the hospital. So before I knew it, I was sprinting to the music venue. I thought, if she was in danger, I could save her... But I was too late... By the time I arrived, Ibuki was hanging from the ceiling. Since we would need to investigate, I then decided to go tell the others, and rushed over to the motel."
"Why the motel?" Nagito asked.
"It was closer to the music venue, and there were more able-bodied people there. At least, that's what I was hoping for, but only Chiaki accompanied me."
"But I remember feeling a little relieved because not long after, we met up with Hajime, Mikan, and Fuyuhiko." Chiaki explained.
"...We were looking for Ibuki and Akane because they went missing from the hospital." Hajime added.
"After I rested for a bit, I started counting everyone at the hospital..." Mikan explained. "And then... I noticed they were gone... So... I sprinted out of the hospital... Coincidentally, I ran into Hajime and Fuyuhiko, so I pled with them in various ways to see if they could help me out."
"Don't say it like that and confuse people..." Fuyuhiko scolded.
"Afterwards, I led my motley crew to the music venue, since I knew that was where Ibuki was." Maki continued.
"But the door wouldn't open." Fuyuhiko said. "Since we had no other option, the five of us broke down the door... And when that happened, we didn't just find Ibuki's body! We also found Akane's! And not just that... Her body was pinned to a pillar."
"That's when we heard the body discovery announcement not once, but twice in a row..." Hajime said.
"So that's how the case played out." Nagito nodded. "Thank you... I understood it very easily..."
"Well, it's clear what the problem with this case is." Fuyuhiko decided. "When Maki left the music venue, who-?"
"...Wait." Nagito interrupted. "How do I know anything Maki just said is true? Sorry, I'm only being impartial right now... And the story I just heard... is clearly suspicious. Maki, if you're the only one who heard the radio broadcast and the first one to discover Ibuki's body... then you could be lying as much as you want right now, right?"
"...I understand. You want me to confirm I'm not the killer, is that right?" She thought for a moment. "Well, sorry to say, but I have two alibis that clear my name quite nicely. Firstly, Mikan can attest to the fact that I was at the hospital mere minutes before the murder occurred. If you think I could strangle someone to death in that little time, let alone set up their body, you're more insane than I thought. The other piece, which I'm sure you know, Nagito, is this." She produced her invitation ticket, which was stamped today.
Hajime produced an identical ticket. "Yeah, there's no way Maki, or I, could have imitated that movie, so neither of us can be the killer."
"...Of course you're not. I already knew that."
"...Huh?"
"Before the incident, Maki had never watched the movie... Her 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... Isn't that right, Monokuma?"
"Yes, no mistakes there." He confirmed.
"Which means there's no way Maki, who never saw the movie, could commit murders that imitated it. Or... did anyone tell her what happens in the movie? Of course, no one did, right?"
"Nagito... what are you doing...!?" Hajime asked.
"Well, since we're opening with Maki's witness testimony, I thought we should solidify the foundation... It also provides a good warm-up."
"Wh-What warm up!? This isn't a game, you know!"
"Chill, Hajime." Maki interrupted. "He's just being impartial. I would have done the same in his shoes, albeit in a less roundabout manner. Regardless, this wasn't a waste of time. We've proven my testimony reliable, provided an alibi for you, me, and, by extension, Mikan, since I was with her the moments leading up to the crime. With that, we cleared 30% of our suspects so far."
"So... is it safe to assume that Ibuki climbed the stepladder of her own accord?" Byakuya asked.
"I'm almost positive." She said.
"Then Ibuki is the blackened?"
"If Ibuki committed suicide... then who killed Akane?" Gundham asked.
"...Right. A murder occurring in the same spot as a suicide sounds highly unlikely."
"Like I said before, it's pretty clear what the problem with this case is." Fuyuhiko repeated. "The killer murdered Akane while Maki was gone... So all we gotta do is establish who could've possibly done that!"
"Then let's ask Maki..." Gundham decided. "How long would you say you were away from the music venue?"
"...It couldn't have been longer than ten minutes." She said.
"So you're saying they killed her and pinned her up in less than ten minutes?" Hiyoko asked. "There's no way that's possible!"
"That's why the killer stalled for time by making the music venue a closed room." Fuyuhiko explained. "The killer blocked the venue door from the inside to try and keep us from entering right away."
"However, that door is the only entrance to the music venue, right?" Sonia asked. "If they blocked the door from the inside, the killer would not have been able to leave either."
"Yeah, you're absolutely right... Which means... when we broke down the venue door, the killer was still inside!"
"Haaaah! Th-They were!?" Mikan gasped.
"If that's the case, the only suspicious people are those who don't have an alibi for that time... And that's one of you! Byakuya, Hiyoko, and Sonia!"
"M-Me too!?" Sonia asked.
"What the hell!? Why am I getting accused again!?" Hiyoko snapped.
"Could you clarify why we three are the suspects?" Byakuya asked.
"The others all have alibis." The Yakuza answered simply. "Maki, Chiaki, Mikan, Hajime, and I all broke down the venue door together... Gundham met up with Maki at the motel right before that... And if Nagito was laid up in the hospital, the only person that leaves is one of you!"
"There's another person who doesn't have an alibi." Nagito pointed out. "You know... Nekomaru."
"ME TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?" Monokuma roared in his best Nekomaru impression.
"Hey, why are you talking like... huh?" Monomi asked. "Y-You're kidding, right...? You're... not up to something weird, are you?"
"P-Please stop making bad jokes..." Sonia requested.
"Anyway! If the killer was hiding inside the venue, we should obviously doubt the people who don't have alibis!"
Hiyoko looked about ready to throw a tantrum, but Maki interrupted her. "I agree... if the killer was hiding inside the venue. However, there's also the possibility that the door was locked from the outside."
"From the outside... how?"
"Chiaki, Hajime, and I discovered a semitransparent glob stuck to the edge of the music venue door."
"Semitransparent glob... like rubber, maybe?"
"That semitransparent glob... must've been glue." Hajime decided.
"Glue!?"
"Yeah, I think so too." Chiaki agreed. "It had a firm, gel-like chewiness... and I could smell workshop chemicals the moment I put it in my mouth... Based on all that, I'm certain it was glue."
"That glue was only applied to the areas where both doors touched..." Hajime continued. "By pouring it in the gaps of the closed door, they must've sealed the venue door from the outside."
"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.
"Right." Maki agreed. "However, the killer wasn't trying to stall for time or prevent access. They just wanted us to think the doors were locked from within."
"...Wh-What'd you say!?" Fuyuhiko asked.
"That drumstick... wasn't it a little too obvious? I think it's pretty clear that was a red herring."
"Are you saying the drumstick was a trap the killer set on purpose...? Then I..."
"Ha! You totally fell for it!" Hiyoko mocked. "Hurry up and apologize, already!"
Byakuya shook his head. "I think we could all do without another sliced stomach right now, thank you."
"In a quarrel, both sides are to blame." Monomi added. "That's why it's better to just have no sides at all!"
"Wow. It's pretty sad that that's not the dumbest thing I've heard all week." Maki muttered.
"So... During the ten minutes Maki left the venue, the killer murdered Akane and created a closed space?" Gundham asked.
"They then pinned her up after killing her, right?" Sonia added.
"Awww... What unimaginable speed for a slowpoke like me...!" Mikan muttered.
"We already know you have an alibi." Hiyoko said. "If you're not gonna say anything useful, then just keep your dirty mouth shut."
"Hiyoko, how about you just shut up for once!" Maki snapped suddenly, catching the other students off guard. She cleared her throat. "I mean, we don't have time for that right now. Besides... the killer doesn't need to be some amazing multitasker. There are other possibilities we haven't explored yet."
Nagito thought for a moment. "If they couldn't have done it while Maki was away from the venue... They must have done it earlier than that."
"But when Maki got to the venue, only Ibuki's body was there, right?" Fuyuhiko asked.
"And when you went back with everyone else, Akane's body was there too, right?" Nagito asked her. "But it's possible that the body was just revealed at that time, when Akane was actually killed earlier."
"J-Just revealed...?" Mikan repeated.
"Of course, the body wasn't revealed on its own. The killer did that, too... Here, I have proof." He produced a small but thick, black shred of paper.
"Hm... that scrap of paper..." Gundham said. "Is that what we found in the baton lighting at the music venue?"
"That's right, but... just what is this scrap, anyway?"
"That scrap..." Hajime started. "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 colour as that scrap. There was also a tear along the edge of the wallpaper, wasn't there? If so..."
"You're right... If you overlay the scrap that was caught on the lighting with the tear in the wallpaper... it fits perfectly!"
"I see..." Sonia said. "So the scrap that was caught on the baton lighting was originally part of the wallpaper..."
Maki nodded. "And of course... the reason it was there was because the killer set it up to cover Akane's body from my view."
"But it would have taken quite a long time to pin up a hidden body." Gundham argued.
"No, the body was already pinned up and it, along with the pillar, were hidden behind the wallpaper."
"What!? They hid the pillar!?"
"By hanging the wallpaper around the pillar, they created a slightly larger pillar. So, when I first discovered Ibuki's body, Akane was already there as well. In my panic, the diameter of one of the stage's pillars wasn't at the forefront of my mind, so I easily fell for the trick."
"Well, that's understandable." Nagito said. "I mean, it makes sense that you'd notice Ibuki's body right away."
"So they used the baton lighting on the ceiling to hang the wallpaper?" Sonia asked.
"The baton lighting forms a perfect circle around the pillar... so using it to hang the wallpaper totally fits."
"Then... the reason the wallpaper was covered in so many stickers was to make it look like that pillar..." Mikan realized.
"That's how they hid the body." Maki agreed. "Then, after I left the music venue, all they had to do was peel it off and stuff it in the storage room."
"But the killer made a mistake." Chiaki added. "They accidentally ripped off a piece of the wallpaper. And because of that, a scrap was left on the baton lighting."
"The killer must've been in a hurry." Nagito said. "If their plan took too long, Maki 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.
"But the crime itself would be much easier to pull off since they don't have much to do while Maki's gone. They just have to peel off that wallpaper and stash it in the storage room... It's not that big of a deal."
"Then... when was Akane actually killed?" Fuyuhiko asked.
"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, but... what is that?" Monomi asked.
"Are you kidding me!?" Monokuma gasped. "You haven't seen my masterpiece, "The Wizard of Monomi 2.5D"!?"
"Heeeey! Don't put my likeness in your movies without my permission!"
"You're pretty noisy... for someone who eats moss balls."
"I don't eat moss balls! I just enjoy looking at them!"
"Can you two be quiet!?" Hiyoko asked impatiently. "We're trying to have a trial here, remember!?"
"I knew it..." Mikan muttered. "There are so many similarities, it must have been intentional..."
"Ibuki's death by hanging matches the scarecrow's death from the movie..." Fuyuhiko said. "Not just that, but Akane getting pinned up with arrows matches the lion's death..."
"It's as if both crimes were replicas of scenes from the movie." Gundham pointed out. "Although the mutilated tin man was omitted..."
"But why would the killer go through all that work to imitate the dumb movie?" Hiyoko asked.
"Based on what we know, the reason the killer chose these imitations isn't that difficult to figure out." Nagito explained.
"The reason the killer imitated two of the murders from the movie was so we'd mix up the killing order." Hajime answered.
"Then... Akane was actually killed before Ibuki...!?" Fuyuhiko realized.
"A valid line of reasoning..." Gundham said.
"Yeah, it's valid." Chiaki agreed. "The condition of Ibuki's body suggests that as well."
"What do you mean?" Gundham asked. In an instant, his confusion switched back to bravado. "Hmph... If you're going to cry and beg like that, then I guess I'll hear about the condition of Ibuki's body."
"...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!"
"Look, Ibuki died by hanging, right?" Maki answered. "So the only time she ever walked was before she died, right?"
"What's wrong with that!?"
"We found faint bloodstains on the soles Ibuki's slippers. But Ibuki suffered no external injuries. Which means, she must have walked at some point after Akane died. Or, at the earliest, while Akane was bleeding out."
Sonia thought for a moment. "If Ibuki stepped on her blood..."
"It means Ibuki was still standing while Akane was mortally wounded." Hajime finished. "Which means Ibuki was still alive at the time Akane was killed!"
"Don't underestimate the power of the Evil Eye!" Gundham warned before laughing. "Fuhaha, is that it!? A shepherd dressed in his Sunday's finest still reeks of lamb, Hajime Hinata!"
"...D-Does that mean you have a rebuttal?"
""Does that mean you have a rebuttal?"... Hmph, that's a good line. But... are you sure you're sure? If I show you how serious I am, this world might be destroyed, you know!"
Hajime stared, confused.
"You're so frightened you can't even make a sound... It seems you've realized our difference in status. However, the time for conviction starts now! You better entertain me to the fullest! You're saying the blood on Ibuki's feet belonged to Akane? Hah, impossible! Try to remember the crime scene... There was no blood on the floor!"
"That's not it..." Hajime said. "The reason there was no blood on the floor is because the killer wiped it away afterwards."
"D-Don't say such foolish things...! You don't have proof of that at all..."
"...Yes, I do. If you look closely... there's a streak on the floor where blood was wiped away."
Chiaki nodded. "When the killer tried to hide Akane's body, they probably cleaned the blood at the same time but... Ibuki must've already stepped in it, and the killer didn't even realize it."
"The reason they wiped off the blood on the floor... was so we'd mix up the order of the murders, right?" Fuyuhiko realized. "Even if they're able to hide Akane's body, it'd be bad if her blood was left out in the open."
"Plus, with all the arrows in her body, they probably served to plug the wounds and stop her from bleeding..." Chiaki pointed out.
"Actually, the bleeding will stop once the heart stops beating, so I don't think they had to go that far..." Mikan explained.
"However, aside from you, I doubt anyone else here is aware of the details of the circulatory system." Maki added. "The killer likely didn't know, and tried using the arrows as plugs anyway."
"Um, speaking of that..." Hiyoko started, glancing warily at Maki. "Do you think the killer turned up the heater so it would screw with Mikan's autopsy?"
"Th-That's right! I didn't know the time of death because of the heater!"
"If the time of death wasn't mentioned in the Monokuma File, just to keep concrete evidence from us..." Hajime started.
"...Yep, since we have all this evidence, there's no one else who wants to object, right?" Chiaki asked. "Then it's decided! Akane was killed before Ibuki!"
"It appears that... it is wiser to retreat for now..." Gundham admitted. "Fine then... But regardless of good or evil, there's no deceit in upholding one's convictions."
"Now then, let us resume our debate..." Sonia said.
"Ah, wait a sec." Nagito interrupted. "There's something I want to run by Monokuma first."
"Huh? Again?" Hiyoko asked. "Didn't something like this happen last time, too?"
"Hey, if the victim actually committed suicide, what are we supposed to do?"
"The same as always..." Monokuma answered. "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!?"
"Um... Nagito?" Sonia asked. "What do you mean, "if the victim actually committed suicide"...?"
"I know what he's getting at." Maki said. "It wasn't a possibility before, since Monokuma said there was only one killer. But now that we know Akane was killed first, it's possible that Ibuki killed both our victims this time around. First Akane, then herself, out of guilt."
"You read my mind." Nagito praised. "Just what I'd expect from the Ultimate Criminologist."
"But doesn't that seem odd to you?" Byakuya asked. "Akane's death is clearly not an accident. Why would Ibuki kill, and then have a change of heart?"
"She was afflicted by the Despair Disease, remember? That means anything can happen..."
"But if Ibuki's the killer, she wouldn't have been able to falsify the sequence of the murders, right?" Chiaki pointed out. "After Maki saw the hanged body, the sudden appearance of Akane's body soon after means... the killer had to be alive at that time."
"Then she was alive!" Nagito agreed. "When Maki first discovered Ibuki, she was just pretending to be dead... If she waited until Maki left, that's when she could've made her move and messed with the crime scene."
"Sh-She hanged herself, remember!?" Fuyuhiko snapped. "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..." Chiaki said. "Her body would've been defenceless in that state. If anyone touched her, that alone would've ruined her plan."
"On top of that... I've seen my fair share of death." Maki admitted. "Even from that distance, I'd be able to tell a dead body from a pretender."
"Hmm, I see... so that means... There's no doubt that someone killed those two." Nagito decided. "I'm glad. Now I'm free to search for the killer."
Maki sighed. "Alright, so... back to square one: alibis."
"Since Maki has heard the broadcast, it is clear what time the crime took place!" Sonia said.
"Ah, but just to be sure... That radio doesn't have a record function, does it?" Chiaki asked.
"The radio? No, I checked." Maki answered.
"Then... the broadcast you heard was actually live?" Mikan asked.
"Technically, yes. But that doesn't mean the audio I heard was." With that, she reached into her pocket and revealed her ace in the hole. "I found this in Ibuki's cottage, along with many others like it."
"A... tape recorder?" Byakuya asked.
"It's not unusual for musicians to record and play back lyrics and such when they're coming up with new songs." Maki explained. "Ibuki, as you would guess, had a lot of recorders in her cottage. Most of them were still unused, but I found quite a few that were, including this one, with lyrics for "I Squeezed Out the Baby But I Have No Idea Who The Father Is." However, I found no recorder for "From Me to You Too," despite both songs being from the same concert."
"That is odd..." Sonia said. "What does it mean?"
"Let me spell it out: The song I heard Ibuki singing on the other end of the radio? It was "From Me to You Too." But it wasn't a full performance, obviously. It sounded like she just was singing to herself. Because that's exactly what she was doing... when she was recording it!"
Hajime nodded. "That makes sense. On top of that, we found recording tape in the pile of smashed radio parts, even though it had no recording function. The killer must've tried to dispose of the recorder by hiding it's pieces with the radio."
"Exactly." Maki's smirk left her face. "However, I'm not sure I like the implications this evidence brings up."
"The implications?" Hiyoko repeated.
"Why would the killer go to the effort of using a recorder? Because they were trying to disguise the time of the crime. But the crime couldn't have happened afterwards, since I discovered the body immediately after hearing the broadcast. Which means... the crime actually took place earlier. Much earlier."
Chiaki nodded. "Probably around midnight or dawn to avoid witnesses."
"But why did the killer go to the trouble of making a fake broadcast just so Maki could go to the crime scene?" Sonia asked.
Maki fingered her cat-ear hairband. "I... I think I might have an idea. But before I come out and say it, I think we should confirm my theory even further. If we do that... the killer's identity should become clear."
"...Huh!?"
"You fiend... Are you saying you already know who the killer is!?" Gundham asked.
"...N-No. I don't." It was so unlike her, to make such an obvious lie. Before someone could call her out on it, however, she pressed forward. "Anyway, I think our next step should be determining where the killer took the music venue radio when they played the recording."
"Couldn't they have just done it at the music venue...?" Mikan suggested.
"Perhaps, but I doubt it. They knew I would be arriving soon, so they would be putting themselves at risk. Plus, the acoustics of the music venue are designed well, obviously, but in the recording I heard... I didn't notice until now, but ignoring all the static the radio gave me, it still sounded... cramped. Wherever the radio was, it was far from a professional audio studio."
"The radio's range doesn't extend far." Byakuya said. "The motel would be too far, and even assuming it could reach the movie theatre, that place probably has similarly noticeable acoustics. I think the only two places that would work are the music venue, which we ruled out, and the hospital."
"Actually, doesn't the hospital make the most sense?" Hajime said. "Maki heard Ibuki's singing from the room she was staying in, right? The killer must have left the recorder playing in there to make Maki think the murder was happening recently, but they would need to retrieve it in order to do the broadcast."
He turned to Maki. "That's what you meant, when you said the killer's identity would become clear when we figure out the location."
"Hajime, have you figured out who the killer is?" Nagito asked.
"Hajime..." Maki's voice was almost a beg, but she stopped herself. They had to find the truth.
For his own part, Hajime looked pained as well. But he raised his hand and pointed at who he believed the culprit to be.
"Mikan... you're the killer, aren't you?"
"...Eeeeeek! U-Um... what are you talking about?"
"Like I said... aren't you the killer who murdered Ibuki and Akane?"
"K-Killer... h-huh? Haaaaah!? I-I'm the killer...? Wh-What is this!?"
"Hey, it's not like I'm saying she's innocent or anything, but isn't that kinda impossible?" Hiyoko asked. "The killer did all these crazy tricks, like the wallpaper, and the broadcast. Mikan's basically only good at medical stuff. She's just not smart enough to do something like this."
"Sh-She's right!" Mikan agreed, a little too quickly. "A clumsy, slowpoke like me killing someone...? Th-That's completely out of the question!"
"But... you and Maki are the only ones." Hajime argued. "Thanks to that broadcast, you two are the only ones who have the advantage of an alibi..."
"An alibi...? Was that the killer's goal?" Sonia asked.
"Now that you mention it, you guys brought that up earlier..." Nagito recalled. "Only Hajime, Maki, and Mikan have alibis."
"I-It's just a coincidence!" Mikan gasped.
"But you're the only one who could've played that recording during that broadcast." Hajime pressed. "Is that also a coincidence?"
"Haaah!?"
"At the time, you told Maki you would go upstairs to rest. From there, you took the tape recorder from Ibuki's room and played it through the radio, and had Maki listen to it on the other end!"
"Hah, wa... ha-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa..."
"Furthermore, Maki heard the broadcast at the hospital lobby... If someone wants to go upstairs from outside, they have to pass through the lobby."
"So it's impossible that someone who wasn't already in the hospital went inside for the broadcast!" Fuyuhiko realized.
"Not only that... I was still delirious from the Despair Disease..." Nagito said.
"So that must mean...!" Gundham started.
"P-Please wait a second!" Mikan begged. "Wh-Wh-What are you saying...!? I-I'm the killer...!? That's impossible! There's no way I could kill someone!"
"It's not literally impossible..." Nagito countered. "Can't you give a better defence than that?"
Her eyes darted frantically through all the faces in the courtroom, before finally settling on the Criminologist. "M-Maki! Say something, please! Don't leave me now...!"
Maki flinched, but refused to meet anyone's eyes. She seemed to be deep in thought. "I-I know. I'm trying..."
"J-Just like Hiyoko said, it is really hard to tie it all together..." Sonia admitted. "I mean, Mikan... is the killer...?"
"I agree... it is truly difficult to believe someone could be killed by such a slow-witted woman..." Gundham added.
"That "slow-witted" remark is not necessary..." Sonia said.
"Nyuh... it's fine... I've been like this for a long time..." Mikan said. "In a tournament for social punching bags, I'd easily win first place with my soft reputation... Nnh... even I can't deny that..."
"Mikan, stop!" Maki snapped. "Don't talk about yourself like that! That's not true...! You're not... not the killer..."
After a moment, Byakuya asked, "...Is your opinion unchanged, Hajime?"
"Do you still believe... this woman is the killer?" Gundham asked.
"Nnnh... D-Do you... hate me that much, Hajime...?" Mikan sobbed.
"No, he doesn't." Maki answered hastily. "He's just trying to be impartial. Right, Hajime?"
"U-Umm..." Hajime faltered. Everyone seemed in agreement that Mikan couldn't have pulled off this crime.
Before he could say anything further, Nagito spoke up. "...Ah, can you hold on a minute? Well... I know I'm being intrusive and all. And I mean, I have no place to say this... I missed all of the critical parts and I doubt I have anything worth saying at an important time like this..."
"Wh-What are you saying...?" Hajime asked.
"But still... there's definitely no way I can overlook the killer this time. I thought it was suspicious all along. From the very beginning... Investigating with a suspect in mind creates a different result than investigating with no leads..."
"...Hey, what are you trying to say?" Gundham asked.
"Well, thanks to that... I was able to discover a truth that nobody else knows. I've been so focused on everybody else this trial... but I guess now's a good time to say it, right?"
"You better not have kept quiet on purpose!" Fuyuhiko threatened. "This isn't a game, you know!"
"Actually, this is a game!" Monokuma corrected.
"Please don't say such controversial statements!" Monomi begged.
"Well... what do you know, Nagito?" Chiaki asked.
"Well, it's nothing big, really... Only a small, decisive clue that points to the killer."
"Are you... serious?" Maki asked.
"A d-decisive clue...?" Mikan asked. "Does something like that... really exist?"
"Let's take a look, shall we...? Regarding the rope Ibuki was dangling from... This rope... was supplied by the supermarket, right? There weren't any ropes inside the music venue."
"The supermarket again!?" Hiyoko asked. "Why does everything dangerous seem to come from there?"
"If they got it at the supermarket, that means it was brand-new, right?"
"...What's wrong with that?" Fuyuhiko asked.
"I want you to take a close look at this rope, and keep in mind it's brand-new... Near the middle of the rope... It's frayed, as if it were rubbed strongly. But why is it like this? The loop Ibuki used to hang herself is on one end of the rope... And the part of the rope that hung from the baton lighting is on the other end..."
"What's wrong with that?" Hiyoko asked.
"It means... well, from what I can infer, I think the rope was used like this. The killer wrapped the rope around Ibuki's neck, pulled both ends at full strength, and strangled her. The centre of the rope is frayed because that's the part they used to strangle Ibuki."
"Hold on..." Hajime interrupted. "I've been listening to you for a while, and it sounds like you knew about this rope clue all along... What exactly did you say to me during the investigation?"
"Not everyone cooperates at a class trial... Those who lie and conceal the truth will obviously be here too... Just like this case's killer! I was just copying them a little bit!"
"...Huh?"
"H-How is that a decisive clue!?" Mikan asked.
"Huh? You didn't notice it? I thought I made the decisive clue... very clear. Ibuki didn't die from hanging... She was strangled to death."
"That's basically the same thing!" Hiyoko argued.
"Though hanging and strangling seem similar, they're very different." Chiaki said. "The scars they leave would look different, too."
"Scars... You mean the rope burn, right...?" Sonia asked.
"But we believed it was from a hanging..." Nagito said. "Why would that be?"
"Did we perhaps fall for someone's trick?" Byakuya wondered.
"I agree with that!" Hajime shouted. "So that's what happened...! We've been falling for the killer's lie this whole time...! You said Ibuki hanged herself, but that was a complete lie, wasn't it Mikan?"
"Th-That is... well..."
"You told us the wrong cause of death! You lied, didn't you!?"
"Hah-haaaaaaaaaaaah...!"
"You should've been able to tell the difference between hanging and strangling, just by looking." Nagito said. "You, Mikan, the Ultimate Nurse..."
"Eeee... Please wait. F-First of all... I'm not a coroner... so I don't have the medical knowledge to identify injuries like that... That's why... it's not my fault if I made a mistake!"
"Y-You are right..." Sonia agreed. "And... you have been a great help to us so far..."
"But even a drunk medical student can notice the difference between a hanging and strangulation." Nagito argued.
"I'm not taking her side or anything... but being clumsy and unskilled in this area could lead to a mistake..." Fuyuhiko added.
"H-He's totally right...!" Mikan agreed. "Hehe... I'm such a clumsy mess and I got sooooo careless...!"
"But..." Maki struggled for the words. "You wouldn't make a mistake like that. If there's one thing you would never mistake, it's anything medical... You never did before..."
"Don't you think her devotion to nursing is what helped her draw Ibuki to her death?" Nagito offered. "And if not... Her symptoms were still very serious, and caused her to believe what anybody told her... It wouldn't surprise me if she willingly followed Mikan because she was nursing her."
"You're saying... she planned this from the very start?" Byakuya asked.
"That's a little..." Fuyuhiko hesitated. "Aren't you like the thief who suspects everyone else of being thieves?"
"I'm not a criminal, Mikan is! I mean... she's a killer, you know!"
"You've got it all wrong! Please forgive me!" Mikan begged.
"I'm sorry, but there's no way I can forgive you. I just can't forgive this crime at all."
"Um... Forgiveness or not... we still have not decided if Mikan is the killer..." Sonia reminded him.
"...Hmm, I see... You guys are kind... Well, if that's the choice everyone makes, then the only thing I can do is back off, I guess... But is that really okay? Is that everyone's hope?"
"B-But... I'm really... really not the killer... Th-There's no way I'm capable of killing someone..."
"...Is that really true?" Hajime asked.
"Eeeeeee!?"
"Stop it!" Maki snapped.
"...I can't stop!" Hajime choked. "I... don't want to do this either...! Of course I don't want to do this...! But... I need to do this...!"
"God dammit! I can't... keep doing this. I'm so tired... of being suspected, and suspecting my friends...! If that's what you want, then..."
"That's not it! I suspect them because I want to believe them!"
Maki took a step back, dumbfounded. "Wh-What...?"
"Um... I don't think belief and doubt are necessarily opposites." Chiaki explained. "I do doubt her... but I still want to believe her. Belief lies at the heart of that conflict. Cuz... if there's no room for doubt, then there's no reason to believe, is there? If you want to believe in someone... you need to overcome doubt first. Belief without doubt... is simply a lie."
Maki leaned against her podium. "A lie...?" She didn't want to lie anymore. Not to herself, or her friends. She was a woman of the truth. The question was... did she truly believe in Mikan? Could she say with 100% certainty that she wasn't the killer? Blinking back tears, she had to admit that she could not. Because her belief had no doubt to back it.
Mikan, meanwhile, cocked her head at Chiaki. "...Huh? Is that all you can say? Ah, so in the end... you're all just a bunch of bullies, huh? Justifying your actions with fancy words... M-Making excuses for why it's not really your fault... E-Everyone always treats me like that... Always... "It's all her fault..." "Sh-She's the one with the problem..." I... I'm done with that! You hear me!? I'm doooooooooone!"
Her sudden outburst sent shock throughout the room. "H-Hey... Mikan...?" Fuyuhiko started.
"It's not fair..." She muttered. "It's not fair not fair not fair notfair notfair notfair notfairnotfairnotfairnotfairnotfair... Why won't you forgive me!? If you did something wrong... you'd forgive yourself right away...! What did I do!? Why won't anybody forgive me!?"
The only one in the room with a blank stare was Nagito, who sighed. "...Is acting like this your strategy now? Well, this is annoying. Plus... to be honest, I've run out of ideas. How can we get you to admit it...? That's the issue."
"If we don't have any clues... Why don't we have her give us some?" Chiaki suggested. "I'm... the same as Maki. I don't want to doubt any of my friends... But still... the truth is one of us murdered two of our friends... That's why... we gotta stick with this until the very end. So we can break these chains of despair."
Maki stood straighter. "Mikan... I want to believe in you. So... I need you to answer one more thing. If you're not the killer, then who made that fake broadcast I heard?"
"O-Oh... are you gonna turn against me now, too... Alice?"
As the students' eyes fell on her, Maki shook her head. "No... But I swore I wouldn't lie anymore, and I won't. Above all, I'm on the side of the truth. And if you want the truth to set you free... then you need to cooperate with me. Please, help me prove you're not the killer!"
"P-Prove it...? Wait... Do you have any proof that I'm the one who fabricated that broadcast? Waaaaaaaaah! That's right! Show me your proof! B-B-B-B-Because... you're just assuming the broadcast happened at the hospital...! T-Treating my like a killer b-based on an assumption... J-Just because I was at the hospital... Th-That's totally crazy...! I didn't do anything wrong...! Why does everybody always hate me!? Please, just forgive me already!"
"I-Is this broad really okay...!?" Fuyuhiko asked. "She's emotionally unstable...!"
"I-I-I-I'm not the killer! That broadcast... I never played th-th-th-th-that broadcast!"
"Hm... It seems she finally started arguing for us." Chiaki said. "But the only one who can find the hole in her argument... is you, Maki. So... I'm going to have to leave this to you."
Maki glanced at her. She hadn't thought much of the Gamer before. Just a girl with a sense of justice and a good mind for investigating. But now, she found herself terrified of Chiaki. Even with all her talk of friendship, she had pushed Maki to this point. To condemn Mikan. To kill her. That was Chiaki's plan.
"Why do you get to decide I'm the killer?" Mikan asked. "Where's your proof!? Please forgive me alreaaaady! I'm not the killer!"
"We can't think of anybody else other than you who could've played that broadcast." Nagito argued.
"Huh? Do you have any proof? Is the background static suspicious? Is Ibuki's singing the proof? Or could it be Akane's crying?"
"I'm sorry..." Maki muttered, pointing across the room to the Nurse. "Mikan... you made a grave mistake..."
"M-Mistake...?"
Holding back tears, Maki reminded herself that she had to make the truth known. I'm the only one who heard that broadcast. Who's going to do this if I don't? "Whenever I've talked about what I heard in the broadcast, I always made sure not to say too much..."
"Wh-What's wrong with that...?"
"Not once have I ever mentioned hearing Akane in the broadcast, let alone that she was crying."
"...Aaaah!"
"So, h-how did you... How did you know that I heard anything from her this morning!?"
"Heeeeeeeeeeee...!"
Nagito thought for a moment. "The only reason Mikan knew what Maki heard... is because you're the person who played the recording of her crying... Is that right?"
"This is your just reward." Chiaki said. "The more desperately you argue, the deeper you dig yourself into a hole... You lied, didn't you?"
"...Guhhhhhhhh!"
"Is it... Is it true, Mikan?" Maki asked. "You... really are the killer, aren't you? I didn't want to believe it, but..."
"Wh-Why...? Wh-Why can't you forgive me...!? Why...!?"
"It seems... her desperate struggle is finally coming to an end." Nagito said.
"Why does everybody always hate me!? You should just forgive me already!"
"Please, just stop..." Maki begged. "It's over. After I go over the whole case one more time, your entire crime will be revealed.
"The key to this incident is the radio broadcast that only I heard. I'll start with that to unravel this mystery. When I was waiting for Fuyuhiko and Hajime in the hospital lobby, I heard the radio spark to life. This caught me off guard, because it was ahead of the scheduled time. What shocked me further, however, was what I heard on the other end. Ibuki was singing on the other end of the radio, with Akane crying in the background. The radio was set up for two-way communication between the hospital and the music venue, so I immediately ran that way, hoping to stop whatever was happening. What I didn't know was that I was already ensnared in the killer's trap. In truth, the radio was moved to a different place, somewhere within the hospital. Doing this, they planted the assumption in my mind that the murder had happened at that moment. But in truth, I was far too late.
"When I arrived at the music venue, I found Ibuki's body hanging from the baton lighting. Panicked, I ran to the motel to gather everyone else. But that was also part of the killer's trap. As if tagging me out, the killer entered the music venue and started working on their final trick. First, the killer peeled off the wallpaper covering one of the stage pillars, revealing Akane's body. Due to my panicked state, I didn't realize there was anything off about the pillar when I first arrived. Next, the killer smashed the radio and tape recorders they used for the broadcast trick. Finally, they turned the crime scene into a closed room. They broke one of the drumsticks from the storage room and placed it near the music venue's entrance. They did this to mislead us into believing the music venue was locked from the inside. The real lock used was glue. By sealing the door with glue, the killer created a locked room that could be forced open.
"With that, the killer finished tampering with the crime scene and met up with Fuyuhiko and Hajime, and eventually, Chiaki and I. They helped us break down the door to the music venue, despite being the one who sealed it... And they made us discover not just Ibuki's body, but Akane's sudden appearance as well. At the time, they pretended to be surprised, but... Inside, they were probably filled with glee that their plot had turned out so well...
She pointed across the room. "Isn't that right, Mikan Tsumiki, the Ultimate Nurse!? This whole operation was performed by you, wasn't it!?"
With a sickening smile on her face, Mikan giggled, slowly getting louder as she burst into maniacal laughter. "Haaaa... it's been suuuuuuuch a long time... This feeling... I know it well... Like the floor is collapsing... like the sky is falling down upon you... This feeling of despair!"
"M-Mikan...!" Sonia gasped. "You... what has happened to you...!?"
"...Whoa there, before that, a moment of your time!" Monokuma interrupted. "It seems your arguments have reached a conclusion, so let's proceed to our regularly scheduled voting time! Now then, please pull the lever in front of you and cast your vote. Who will be chosen as the blackened!? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one!? Let's go!"
Everyone grabbed the levers that popped out of the podiums in front of them, and pulled them to select who they thought the blackened was. With that, her fate was sealed, and that was the end of their third class trial.
Haha, yeah. I'm an asshole.
First of all, as usual, I'd like to apologize to the fans of the deceased. Mikan's a great character who, I believe, got the shaft by the Danganronpa writers. I wouldn't be surprised if they were just going off on a dare, like "I bet you can't make a character who blatantly exists as a submissive waifu, yet has deep qualities that are hidden in her FTEs, or otherwise unexplored." Thanks, guys. I'm not even her biggest fan, but I told myself that I wanted to give Mikan a bigger role in the story at large. Due to my rules, however, I'd have to really bend to let her survive this chapter. So instead, I took some of Al's advice from the finale of AH, and decided that her legacy would be how she lives on. The way she affected the survivors will affect the future.
Maki is a naturally distrustful person. I'm not sure if that comes across clearly, because she's good at pretending she's not. But really, when was the last time she revealed anything significant about herself? The only time I can think of off the top of my head is her talk with Mikan a couple chapters ago. Because Mikan reminded her of a friend from her past, Maki was able to open up to her, and realize that she doesn't want to be a distrustful liar. She was setting up for character development... and now that's all going to come crashing down, because she trusted the wrong person. Just like she always does. But we'll get to that reveal later in the story.
In the next chapter, we'll see the aftermath of the trial, and what Albert and friends are up to now.
