Welcome to what might be the shortest trial chapter in this story. Huh, neat. Not that that's saying much, since the average seems to be 8k words. Don't really have much to say about this one that I didn't already say in the previous chapters or would be better off saying afterwards, so...
Oh, 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.
In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 31
Rule of Threes
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! I'm sure you guys are starving by now, but let's get revved up and raring to go! Whoever survives will be treated to a special lunch. Guess what? Rabbit curry is on the menu!"
"Huh? I'm not the main ingredient, right?" Monomi asked.
"While rabbit is far from my preferred meat, I must agree with Monokuma." Maki started. "I want to bring this trial to a swift conclusion. Let's start by going over the incident, so that everyone from both houses are on the same page."
"Um... I discovered Gundham's body a little before 7:00 a.m." Sonia recalled sadly. "I headed over to Grape Tower for Monokuma Tai Chi and found the body there... Hajime, Chiaki, Hiyoko, and Maki were also with me."
"It's not like we planned it that way." Hiyoko explained. "We just happened to run into each other on the way to Grape Tower."
"And then... the five of us discovered Gundham's body..." Sonia finished.
"The body discovery announcement was made soon after." Chiaki added.
"We heard the body discovery announcement too... from Strawberry House, obviously." Nekomaru said. "But the contact elevator was broken, so we were stuck. We tried calling for a little while, but no one came to pick up. By the time we thought to try going to Strawberry Tower, you guys were all in the middle of investigating Grape Tower, which cut us off. Eventually, we just went back to trying to call you guys."
"Everyone satisfied with that basic outline?" Maki asked. "Moving right along, let's move to the subject of the murder weapons. That's rather simple, isn't it?"
"Technically speaking, the pillar is what killed Gundham." Hajime said. "Though, an explosive was planted and used to topple it on him. As for Byakuya and Fuyuhiko, they were both killed by shots from a crossbow."
She nodded. "Seeing as the three murders are essentially split into two incidents, I think we should cover one before the other, switching between them to tie up loose ends. That said, Gundham's case probably has the most evidence left behind, so let's focus our attention there."
"Gundham's case...? How come?" Hiyoko asked.
"Because, despite the killer seemingly having more opportunity to remove evidence from that crime scene, there's no sign that they did so. Furthermore, all we have for Byakuya and Fuyuhiko is that they were shot with a crossbow. Other than that, all we can rely on is Nagito and Nekomaru's testimonies. If it weren't for Gundham, this would almost be the perfect crime. In any case, like I said, we should probably start by discussing his case. Now, first question-"
"H-Hold on, Maki...!" Nekomaru interrupted. "Why are you just taking control of the conversation? You're being a lot more talkative than usual!"
"...Like I said, I want to bring this trial to a swift conclusion. Looking back, I feel I've been slacking in my job. My talent, more than anyone else's here, revolves around criminal acts, and I have the most experience with police work out of all of us. Therefore, I've decided to take the lead here. The conversation is less likely to be derailed then, wouldn't you agree?"
"That... is true..."
"And look at it this way: The trials are undoubtedly the part of this game Monokuma enjoys the most. Getting through it quickly is depriving him of that sick pleasure."
"Oh, I don't know about that..." Monokuma chuckled. "Watching Maki go off the deep end is plenty entertaining! Though I will admit it's taking longer than I'd like..."
"Hmph... The first question we have to solve is, what's Gundham's time of death?"
"There wasn't anything written about that in the Monokuma File..." Chiaki recalled.
"Oh, I know this one!" Nekomaru interrupted. "Assuming the loud rumbling sound this morning was the explosive and the pillar falling over... then Gundham died around 6:30 a.m.!"
"Rumbling...?" Sonia repeated.
Maki shook her head. "Not quite. Remember, our group in Grape House discovered the body shortly after that time. But when I heard that rumbling sound, I was still trying to sleep. It's the same for the rest of you guys, right?"
"Yeah..." Hajime agreed. "I was so tired, I drifted off to sleep right after."
Chiaki nodded. "It's the same for me."
"Sonia? Hiyoko?"
"Oh, well... that sound everyone heard... I did not hear it at all." Sonia admitted.
"...To be honest... it's not just her. I didn't hear a rumbling sound, either." Hiyoko added.
"Huh...?" Hajime stared between them.
Maki also stared, before shrugging. "Well, what's important isn't who heard it, but when those who heard it did."
"Are you saying my radio clock is off?" Nekomaru asked. "That's impossible!"
"Maybe not your clock. Tell me, Nekomaru, when the clock in Strawberry House's lounge went off, what time was it on your own clock?"
"7:30, I think."
"And what time did it say on the clock?"
"I, uh... Didn't check. I haven't really paid attention to clocks since I got my own built into me."
"I anticipated your negligence, and checked the clock for myself. The killer seems to have forgotten, or not realized, the fact that I have a watch of my own. When I compared it to the clock in the Strawberry House lounge, I found that the clock was two hours behind."
"Two hours...!?"
"But isn't it kind of unlikely that no one in Strawberry House would've noticed the clock was off?"
"Maybe, if every other clock in the Funhouse wasn't also altered."
"Wh-What did you say...?" Sonia asked.
"You heard me. Someone went around last night and changed all the clocks in the Funhouse to the exact same time: two hours behind Nekomaru's time, or "real" time."
"But... why?" Nekomaru asked. "If someone were trying to trick us for some reason, it wouldn't have worked, anyway. Even if they didn't know about your watch, we were able to figure out the trick almost immediately thanks to my radio clock."
She shrugged. "Maybe they didn't plan to have you around that long?"
"Huh? What does that mean...?"
"It means, this trick was actually an attempt to lure Nekomaru out, specifically. Come on, do I really have to spell it out for you guys?"
"That's it..." Hajime realized. "They made use of the Monokuma Tai Chi activity in the morning."
"How did they use it?" Nekomaru asked.
Maki answered. "We were required to go to Grape Tower every morning at 7:00 a.m. for that, remember? But if they messed with every clock except yours, what would that do?"
"We wouldn't be able to attend on time... but that wouldn't affect Nekomaru." Hajime explained. "His radio clock has the exact time."
"In doing so, someone intended to lure him to the tower two hours before everyone else."
"H-Hold on..." Nekomaru argued. "It's true I tried to go to the tower early in the morning, but that was because of the explosion! The only thing stopping me was what happened to Byakuya and Fuyuhiko."
"That explosion was likely unexpected for this person. After all, it did ultimately end up being their demise."
"Huh?"
"Oh, surely you've realized it by now? If that explosion didn't happen, the pillar didn't fall, and Nekomaru arrived at the tower all by himself, who would've been waiting for him there?"
"G-Gundham...?" Sonia muttered.
Maki nodded. "Gundham wasn't entirely an innocent party in this. It was him who altered the time in the Funhouse to lure out Nekomaru, no doubt with the intention of committing murder."
"P-Please hold on! We do not know that for certain!" Sonia argued. "There is no evidence that Gundham planned to harm anyone. Without evidence, that is pure conjecture!"
"Actually... there is some evidence." Hajime interrupted. "While we were searching his body, we found a coil of metal wire. It's safe to say the Gundham was planning something."
"That does not proof he was going to murder Nekomaru! How could one even use a wire to kill someone? Strangle them? Nekomaru is a machine!"
"She's right!" Nekomaru agreed. "I haven't had any breathing issues since I got this new body of mine!"
Maki sighed. "Look, guys, it really doesn't matter how Gundham planned to commit murder, or even if he planned to at all. Whatever he planned, he obviously didn't get the chance to pull it off. What we're here to discuss is what actually-"
"There's another way to use that wire to kill. You guys just haven't noticed it..." For the first time since the trial began, Nagito finally spoke up.
"...What?" Maki asked.
"I-Is that true!?" Sonia gasped.
Nagito sighed. "...You guys... are the same as usual... You're unable to clear a path to the future with your own powers, so you just stand there and falter... What a waste of talent! And you all intend to fight the Future Foundation? You make me laugh!"
"What did you just say?" Maki asked again, glaring at him.
"Regardless... it's not like I want to die with the rest of you, so I guess I should lend a hand."
"Hey Nagito... what happened to you?" Nekomaru asked.
"Yeah, why aren't you talking like a lunatic anymore?" Hiyoko asked.
"I've learned a valuable lesson: ignorance is by far the greatest shame..."
"...Huh? What does that mean?"
"It doesn't matter!" Maki interrupted. "Like I said, it doesn't matter what Gundham was planning! We're here to discuss what ended up happening!"
"Maki, I appreciate your efforts." Nagito said sincerely. "Even in these stressful times, after all you've been through, you're still fighting to maintain some semblance of order in our group. Regardless of if that effort is selfish or not, I think there's something beautiful about it. I wonder what drives that effort? Is it for the people who died so far? For Mikan?"
Her glare deepened. If looks could kill, Nagito would be included among the list of victims. "You... You have no right to use her name against me...!"
He raised his hands in a defensive manner. "All I'm trying to say is, I think everyone feels the same way regarding Gundham's death. In the same way you would want to know the truth behind why she died if she were the victim, shouldn't we also strive to learn the true circumstances around Gundham's death?"
He smirked. He knew he was manipulating her. And while she knew it just as well, she was still powerless to it. "...I'll agree, on one condition. If we run out the clock, everyone votes for who I tell them to vote for, no questions asked."
"A-Are you saying you know who the killer is?" Hajime asked.
"...Yes, I do."
"Th-Then... who is it?" Sonia asked.
"I can't tell you, because you won't believe me. That's why I was planning to use the time we have to lead you through my process of deduction. If the rest of you insist on wasting my time, however, then you're going to have to believe me when the time comes. Does everyone agree to this deal?"
Everyone agreed, with varying degrees of reluctance. Monokuma giggled atop his throne all the while. Maki shrugged. "Fine, then. Nagito, start your explanation."
"Well... first of all, the wire itself is not enough. But when combined with a specific item, there's a way it could be possible."
"...A specific item?"
"Of course... the Ultimate Weapon."
"U-Ultimate Weapon!?" Hajime gasped.
"Isn't that... the thing you get when you beat the Final Dead Room?" Hiyoko asked.
"So... Nagito knows what the Ultimate Weapon is?" Sonia asked.
"Of course I know... but I'm pretty sure everyone else has seen it, you know?"
"We've seen it...?" Hajime asked.
"Enough riddles." Maki pressed. "What's the Ultimate Weapon?"
"In order to clarify that, we first need to solve the secret of the Funhouse."
"The secret of the Funhouse?" Nekomaru repeated.
"You still don't realize it? Jeez, get it together... You're supposed to be the "Symbols of Hope", aren't you? Ah, I forgot... Except for Hajime, of course."
"...Except for Hajime?" Sonia repeated.
"If we make it out of this... I'll explain it to you guys." Hajime said.
"The secret of the Funhouse... it's undoubtedly related to the Funhouse's structure." Maki said. "For now, let's throw out our preconceived notions regarding the two towers, and stop imagining that they're the same place."
"Wh-Why are you saying that now...?" Sonia gasped.
"Yeah! Didn't I already check this with you guys so many times?" Hiyoko whined. "Why are you changing your mind now?"
"Just bear with me. Obviously, we weren't wrong in assuming the two buildings are the same area. Not after Chiaki's e-Handbook experiment was a success." She gestured to the Gamer, who nodded.
"Oh yeah, the e-Handbook was still there..." Hiyoko recalled. "That's why we thought they were the same building. But what are you getting at? They're the same place, but different...?"
Maki fingered her cat-ear hairband. "Unfortunately, I don't have any evidence regarding my theory. But I know Nagito does."
"I thought it would come to this." He said. "Fine, I'll tell you guys a big hint that can help you solve the secret of the Funhouse!"
"Give us the answer, not a freaking hint!" Hiyoko snapped.
"But then it wouldn't mean anything. I need you guys to do this class trial properly. It's also important for me because it will help me... determine something..."
"But how do we know your hint is any good?" Nekomaru asked. "It's suspicious that you're the only one who knows it."
"I have a good reason for that. The reason I'm the only one who knows it... is because I was the only one who performed the appropriate action."
"You're talking about the Final Dead Room, right?" Hajime asked. "You cleared the Life-Threatening Game there and found something, didn't you?"
"That's right... The hint is what I saw after I cleared it. In the depths of the Final Dead Room, there was a hidden room surrounded by concrete... And there, a small, conspicuous window waited, all by itself. From that window, I saw some very strange scenery."
"...Strange scenery?" Chiaki repeated.
"Instead of explaining it, it might be faster just to show you. At an opportune time, I found a perfect camera in the Final Dead Room..."
"You took a picture?"
"Yep..." Nagito had a creepy grin on his face as he reached into his pocket and produced a digital camera. "...See, this is it."
The picture was quite odd. It showed a brick building, presumable the exterior of the tower, surrounded by a boreal forest. "Let me explain it to you again... I took this picture on the 1st floor of Strawberry House... from the secret room within the Final Dead Room. But... don't you think it's weird? If the Funhouse's structure is what you guys have been thinking... Then there's lots of things that don't make sense in this picture, right? Then let's begin. Shall I call it... Thinking Time?"
After a moment, Hajime spoke up. "If the structure of the Funhouse is what we thought it was... Grape House and Strawberry House should link to the tower in the middle. Which means, if you're viewing the tower from Strawberry House, you should see Grape House behind it. But in this photo, I don't see anything behind the tower... no shadow, no shape, no Grape House at all."
"I see... and is that it?" Nagito asked.
"...You said this photo was taken from the hidden room inside the Final Dead Room, right? If that's the case... then that means it should've been taken from the 1st floor of Strawberry House."
"Yeah, it should have been."
"Then... this is definitely strange. This photo doesn't look like it was taken from the 1st floor. The angle suggests it was taken from higher up."
"That's right. Good call. In summary... this is the truth contained in this photo: The 1st floor of Strawberry House is located in a high area, and Grape House is not behind the tower... From this point on, do your own thinking. Now that you've finally met the same requirements as me. If you guys are truly "Symbols of Hope"... you can easily solve a simple mystery like this. It might be possible for Hajime to solve it too, even though he's just a normal high school student... Despite the fact that you don't have a real talent, you already know about the other clue."
"...You're referring to when you suddenly appeared on the 2nd floor of Grape House, right?"
"I'm asking you just to be safe... At the time, where do you think I came from?"
"...The top floor, right?" Chiaki asked.
"Such sharp eyes... So you realized it already."
"The top floor... so the 3rd floor?" Hajime asked.
"But... the Monokuma Archive should be the only room on the 3rd floor of Grape House..." Sonia recalled.
"What does it mean?" Nagito asked rhetorically.
"...I got it!" Hajime suddenly shouted. "I know the secret of the Funhouse!"
"Then let me hear it. What kind of answer will you give, I wonder?"
"In the picture Nagito took from Strawberry House, I didn't see Grape House at all... So where did Grape House go? There is only one possibility... It was in a position where it couldn't be seen from Strawberry House. Which means Strawberry House and Grape House are in the same building but on different floors."
"Then... the two houses aren't two separate, three-story buildings... they're actually one six-story building!?" Nekomaru shouted.
"If you think about it like that... Based on Nagito's picture, it's clear where Strawberry House is located. On top of Grape House... That's where Strawberry House is located. Because of that, the photo taken from the 1st floor of Strawberry House was at a high angle... Altogether, this means the 1st floor of Strawberry House is also the 4th floor above Grape House."
"Oh snap!" Sonia gasped. "I never expected that the two houses were connected vertically..."
"B-But... the two houses are clearly completely different shapes." Hiyoko pointed out.
"It never occurred to us that they were the same building because it was structured with two different shapes..." Chiaki explained. "...A quadrilateral and a hexagon, overlayed atop each other to misdirect how we would perceive them... And it worked, didn't it? Disregarding the tower... We fully believed the two houses were two separate, distinct buildings."
"In order to conceal the unique design of the Funhouse... Monokuma put us to sleep so we couldn't look at the outside of the building when he brought us to it."
"You've just been Kuma'd!" The bear cheered suddenly. "Kyahahaha! Don't you think a building full of so many surprises totally deserves to be called a Funhouse!?"
"Then... it's true?" Monomi asked. "The building was really like that?"
"That's right! Those two houses exist on different floors in the same building!"
"Constructing a building like that on your own without my knowledge... H-How horrible...!"
"...Then what about the towers?" Hiyoko asked. "Were they stacked on top of each other?"
Hajime nodded. "Yeah, Strawberry Tower and Grape Tower should've also been different floors inside the same building... Just like Strawberry House was on top of Grape House... Strawberry Tower was on top of Grape Tower."
"But then... How was Chiaki's e-Handbook in both places at once?" Nekomaru asked.
"...Maybe it was simply moved?" Chiaki suggested.
"It was moved between floors?"
"You can't think of a device like that? A device that moves things to different floors in the same building?"
"You... must be talking about an elevator!" Hajime realized.
"An elevator?" Sonia repeated. "But where would there even be an elevator?"
"It's the tower itself... The inside of the tower is one big elevator! Which means the tower was designed so that the whole room goes up and down like an elevator. So whether you enter from Strawberry Hall or Grape Hall... It all leads to the same room, right?"
"So that's why we could only enter it from one side or the other..." Hiyoko realized.
"And that's why sometimes, after pushing the button, we had to wait for the door to open." Nekomaru said. "We were basically waiting for an elevator to arrive!"
"P-Please hold on..." Sonia interrupted. "if the inside of the whole tower ascends and descends like an elevator... Then why is there a picture of a strawberry on the far back door when you enter from Grape Tower... and a picture of a grape on the far back door when you enter from Strawberry Tower?"
"Simple." Maki finally spoke up again. "The elevator is designed so that only the floor moves. The different doors are just part of how each level's walls looked. It had nothing to do with the elevator itself."
"Then... where do those doors lead?" Hiyoko asked.
"Ah! Was I right!? Do they actually lead outside?" Nekomaru asked.
"I want to say that but... they're probably just for show." Chiaki explained.
"Just for show... Why was something like that necessary?" Sonia asked.
"So we'd falsely believe that the doors were connected to where their picture signified. It was actually very efficient. Because of that, we totally misunderstood the building's structure."
"Okay, I think I get it, but..." Nekomaru paused. "What does any of this have to do with how Gundham planned to kill me?"
"Quite a lot, actually." Nagito answered. "After all... this Funhouse is strongly connected to the Ultimate Weapon that he planned to use!"
"The Ultimate Weapon... is the Funhouse itself, right?" Maki said. "Gundham planned to use the building structure itself to kill Nekomaru."
Nagito nodded. "Like me, Gundham... probably realized the secret of the Funhouse from the scenery... and then thought of a way to kill making use of the building structure."
"You are making it sound as though Gundham went into the Final Dead Room as well..." Sonia said.
"That's probably the case." Maki said. "He had that metal wire on him, after all. There's nowhere else in the Funhouse that someone could acquire something like that. He probably planned to put up more measures to prevent us from finding out after exacting his plan, but... Well, we know how that ended for him."
"But more importantly, using the building itself as a weapon... such a spectacular crime! Ahahahahaha! It truly deserves to be called the Ultimate Weapon!"
"...I-I never... expected the Funhouse itself to be the Ultimate Weapon...!" Chiaki exclaimed. "...Oh well, let's just press on ahead."
"I-Is it really alright to accept this situation so readily!?" Sonia asked.
"I mean, that's not what's important. The thing that's really important is... the killer who interrupted Gundham's plan... Like, who's the murderer?"
"Thank you. Finally, we can get back to the relevant discussion." Maki sighed.
"Hey, how do we know Nagito isn't just lying again?" Hiyoko asked.
"There's no way I'd lie at such an important moment." He explained. "I don't want to die either..."
"Weren't you the one who was going on about how he didn't mind dying before!?"
"You're right... There was a time when I thought I could become a stepping stone for your hopes, but... I will sincerely retract that remark. I'm disappointed too, you know... If this was a murder for the sake of hope, I'd happily sacrifice myself..."
Maki shook her head. "There is no such thing as murder for the sake of hope. Murder is simply murder. Forcibly sacrificing the lives of others, simply for your own desires? Only the mentally deranged could see any justifiable reason for that."
"I see..."
"Um, regardless..." Sonia started. "I am still hesitant to accept all of this. And I still have no idea how the wire could be combined with the building structure to kill someone."
"Just so we can hurry and put this part of the discussion to rest, I'll give you a quick and easy answer." Maki said. "Gundham planned to make Nekomaru fall. On top of being the easiest to lure there, Nekomaru also has a special quality that allows him to bypass the sensors in the tower."
"You're talking about... his good night button." Hajime recalled.
She nodded. "Gundham planned to engage Nekomaru, knocking him out and tying him up. He likely would have tied him to one of the door handles, if I had to guess. From there, he'd make his way over to Grape Tower. Because Nekomaru's functions would all be shut down, the sensors wouldn't pick him up, and the elevator would go down, creating a 4-story drop."
"Eventually, my alarm would wake me up, and I'd naturally freak out..." Nekomaru said. "I'd probably slip the wire off of the door, and fall to my death. Holy shit... that crazy bastard really thought of everything, didn't he!?"
"I-I cannot believe it..." Sonia muttered. "Why? Why would Gundham do something like that?"
"Probably for the same reason the culprit of this case set out that trap that interrupted his plan." Maki explained. "Self-preservation? For the good of the group? It doesn't matter why. Only who."
"Well?" Hiyoko asked. "You said you already know who the killer is. Do you plan on actually giving us any hints?"
"I've given plenty, but I know subtlety isn't your strong suit."
"Here's an idea..." Chiaki started. "How did the killer manage to get away with breaking the rule regarding the maximum number of victims?"
"Yeah, that's the only mystery regarding this case that we still haven't discussed." Hajime agreed.
"What's there to discuss?" Hiyoko asked. "Monokuma probably just forgot his own rules."
"What the- Hey! I take offence to that!" The bear protested. Suddenly, he found the attention of everyone in the room on him. "Huh? What's with the stares?"
"Well, Monokuma?" Maki asked. "You're the first and last authority on the rules of this game. This trial can't be considered fair if we don't know how the killer managed this."
"Ah, jeez... I'm not really sure how to explain it... I don't want to reveal who the killer is... But I also want a fair trial... To put it simply, the one behind this case passed the Final Dead Room with flying colours."
"The Final Dead Room... I assumed it was something like that..." Hajime muttered.
"But if that's the case, shouldn't they have received the same prizes I did?" Nagito asked.
"Well, that would normally be the case, yes. But they traded everything besides access to the Octagon in exchange for the right to break exactly one rule between that moment and the end of this trial."
"What!? What kind of prize is that!?" Nekomaru roared. "What's the point of having rules if you're just allowed to break them!?"
"Hey, I've got a long history of mixing business with pleasure! That's like, the whole point of the killing game! As long as it makes things more interesting, who cares if I let someone break one little rule? Oh, but don't think I'll let the rest of you get away with not following my rules! This was a special, once-in-a-lifetime instance!"
"But... why would the killer use this chance to break the rule regarding the number of victims?" Sonia asked. "There are many other rules that could have been so much more helpful to break... And yet, they just used their opportunity to create more bloodshed!?"
"That's another good point..." Chiaki realized. "We brought it up last trial, but the more victims you create, the more evidence you leave behind. Why would the killer go out of their way to kill three people?"
Monokuma shrugged. "Hey, I'm only telling you this so you can have a fair trial. I couldn't claim to be impartial if I let you make assumptions limited by the rules, after all. This way, you at least have a way to guess how the killer managed this trick."
Maki cleared her throat, bringing the attention back to her. "Now, obviously, the culprit couldn't have been Gundham. That'd make this whole thing way too complicated. Unfortunately, I also find it quite unlikely that Nagito cleared the Final Dead Room before this morning, so that rules him out. Therefore, it stands to reason that another person cleared the Final Dead Room, and this third person is our culprit."
"It should be pretty obvious at this point who that third person is." Nagito said. "Even to a talentless Reserve Course student like Hajime."
Hajime was silent for a long moment. Finally, he pointed across the courtroom to his target.
"...Maki. You were the third person, weren't you?"
She quirked an eyebrow at him. "What are you talking about, now?"
"At one point in our investigation, you disappeared. We didn't see you again until the trial began. The only other person down here was Nekomaru, who came from Strawberry House. On top of that, you spoke of the Strawberry House crime scene as if you saw it for yourself. You went to Strawberry House during the investigation, didn't you?"
Before she could answer, Nekomaru confirmed for her. "Yeah, she did."
"But with the contact elevator disabled, that only leaves one explanation. Maki, you had access to the Octagon, didn't you?"
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, maybe I cleared the Final Dead Room. So what? You've got no proof when I cleared it. I did it this morning, just before Nagito did."
"No, that's impossible." Hajime had a familiar look in his eyes, a look that made Maki shiver. The same look he always had when he was close to solving a mystery. The same look he had when he had a killer cornered. The same look he had before he struck the killing blow... "Maki, you were stuck in Grape House this morning. But the Final Dead Room's entrance is located in Strawberry House. There's no way you could've only cleared it this morning!"
Her shivering increased, and she found it hard to breath. "That's... No... You're wrong... You're assumption is all wrong!"
"You said the same thing during Mikan's trial, didn't you?" Nagito asked. "Remember how that turned out?"
"Wait... If Maki's the killer, that actually explains something I witnessed last night!" Nekomaru interrupted. "Right before 10:00 p.m., I saw Maki sitting on the stairs in Strawberry House. I assumed she was just conserving her energy like everyone else was, but... the stairwell she was sitting in was the same one where we found the crossbow. The same stairwell where Fuyuhiko and Byakuya died..." As he spoke, his robotic face twisted to a betrayed expression. "I thought we had a true heart-to-heart in that moment, but... by then, you were already setting up your trap, weren't you!?"
"N-No... You have no proof! This is all just conjecture!" She glanced around the room. Everyone's eyes were on her, their gazes accusatory. "So... Kazuichi, Peko, Mikan... This is how alone they felt in their final moments, huh? You know, even if she did lose her mind, Mikan was still correct in her assessment. You guys... really are just bullies. You spout nonsense about the power of friendship, but the second someone stops playing along, you all turn your backs on them. Or am I suppose to believe this is my fault? That I'm the one with the problem?"
"...Does that mean you admit it?" Hajime asked.
"Hell no! I know who the killer is, and I'm not dying for them!"
"I see... You're still holding out..." Nagito said. "Well, you don't have to admit it. We're going to decide who the killer is with a majority vote anyway. So... why don't we just go ahead and start voting? It's obvious that Maki is the killer."
"H-Hold on a sec..." Hajime tried to speak up.
"...You know, Hajime. This class trial... this killing... It's merely the opening act, you know."
"Heeeeey!" Monokuma snapped. "What do you mean this class trial is just the opening act!?"
"Perhaps I should say... it's just a farce? Just a boring farce... So boring, so stressful... I'm so painfully bored that I might develop stomach ulcers... Seriously! Let's just hurry up and finish this before I collapse from poor health!"
"Nagito... something definitely happened to you, didn't it?" Hajime asked.
"...Hm?"
"At some point during the investigation, your behaviour became even weirder... What... what actually happened? Did you discover something?"
"...Well, let's just leave that fun for later, and finish this opening act already..."
"Ah, you said opening act again!" Monokuma growled.
"Listen to me!" Maki snapped. "I'm not the killer! If you vote for me, every single one of us will die! Are you okay with that?"
"And yet, you don't have any actual argument to present." Nagito said. "If you did, you would have presented it by now. It seems... this is the end. Normally, we'd end up listening to Hajime lecture us with a veeeery long summary of the case... But there's no reason to waste anymore time on this opening act, so I'm going to end this right now!"
"H-Hey... what are you...!?" Hajime started.
"First of all, by messing with all the clocks in the building, Gundham tried to lure only Nekomaru. The elevator was probably broken by that point. However, while setting up his plot, he fell victim to a trap set by another student. The night before, Maki had set up explosives wired to a pressure plate, designed to knock over the pillar onto whoever triggered it."
"H-Hold on... if the pillar missed, what would the killer have done then?" Nekomaru asked.
"Their plan was a balancing act of uncertainties, but even if they failed, they probably wouldn't have minded. Because their plan relied on traps, there was no evidence linking them to the crime. Besides, the sound of the explosion was highly likely to attract the others, and the crossbow set up in Strawberry House was a much more accurate trap."
"I see... they were likely to kill someone with their plan, one way or another." Chiaki said.
"...I'm going to continue summarizing the case, okay? After hearing the sound of the explosion, many of the students began to stir, and Fuyuhiko and Byakuya made their way downstairs to check what happened. With that, Maki had three victims for her trial, and she cashed in her free rule-break so she could get away with killing more than two people."
"I'm not the one who broke the rule!" She insisted. "Everything else you described is accurate, but that's the one point you keep getting wrong. This isn't my trial. This isn't my murder. This isn't my rule-break. The blackened and the victims have nothing to do with me."
"Are you saying... you still have more?" Hajime asked. "You still have room to argue?"
"The very crux of your accusation relies on the idea that, by setting the traps, I became the blackened of this crime. So, allow me to ask you a question. When did I kill them?"
"Huh? Gundham died around the time Monokuma Tai Chi was supposed to start, and Fuyuhiko and Byakuya died shortly afterwards."
"I didn't ask when they died. I asked when I killed them."
"That's the same thing!" Hiyoko snapped.
"No, the intent of the question is much different."
As Hajime came to another realization, he gasped. "...We've been looking at this all wrong. The answer was in front of us this whole time!"
"Huh? What does that mean?" Nekomaru asked.
"Do you guys remember how we reached the conclusion of Kazuichi's trial?"
"K-Kazuichi's? Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?" Sonia asked.
"Because, it's just like this case. Maki was the one who set up the trap... but by Monokuma's rules, the "blackened" is the one who triggers it."
Maki nodded. "I believe Monokuma put it in very simply to understand terms. If I loaded a gun, and someone else used that gun to kill someone, I wouldn't be the blackened, would I?"
"A-Are you serious!?" Nekomaru roared.
"You're pulling that same trick again!?" Hiyoko snapped.
"But... if that is the case... then who is the blackened?" Sonia asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Maki asked. "There's only one person it could be. Well, one for each victim, at least."
"It all comes down to the pressure plates." Hajime said. "Both the explosives in Grape Tower and the crossbow in Strawberry House were triggered by pressure plates on the floor. When the victims stepped on their respective pressure plate... it triggered the trap to go off and kill them."
"H-Hold on... by that logic, the killer would be..." Sonia gasped.
"That's right." Maki interrupted. "That's the truth of this case. It's a triple-suicide."
"...That's the rule that was broken." Chiaki realized. "It wasn't the rule regarding the number of victims allowed per killer, but the rule regarding how many killers there could be at once."
"But... Why!?" Sonia asked. "Why, Maki? Why would you do something like this? To kill three of our friends... How could you be so cruel!?"
She sadly averted her eyes. "...We can get to that shortly. Now, let's go back over this case one more time, to reveal everything that happened. Hajime, you're up to the task, aren't you?"
He stared at Maki for a few moments. It took all of his power not to ask her the same questions the others were. "Why?" "How could you?" But he knew it would be fruitless. The simple answer was, something inside her changed. Something died. She no longer cared about the lives and well-being of others. Did she ever in the first place? Was she ever truly their friend?
No, now wasn't the time for those thoughts. He could save those for later. Now, he needed to end this.
"Let's first go over the many tricks that were prepared throughout this crime. First, Gundham destroyed the contact elevator. This separated the others in Strawberry House from our group in Grape House. Next, he lured Nekomaru out by turning back all the clocks in the Funhouse by two hours. After finishing these preparations, Gundham went to Strawberry Tower with the necessary tools in hand. He obtained these tools from the Octagon, which you can enter once you clear the Final Dead Room... This means... Gundham discovered the secret of the Funhouse, maybe even faster than anyone else. That secret being that Strawberry House and Grape House are actually the same building...
"Gundham's plan was to lure Nekomaru to Strawberry Tower, push his Good-Night Button, and suspend him from one of the doors. From there, he'd lower the the floor down to Grape Tower level, creating a four-story drop for Nekomaru once he woke up. If it worked, it could have been the perfect crime. However, this plan was interrupted. Gundham unwittingly stepped in the path of the true mastermind of this case.
"The culprit of this case also cleared the Final Dead Room, and discovered the secret of the Funhouse. Using the weapons found in the Octagon, they set up traps in both Strawberry House and Strawberry Tower. While waiting for Nekomaru to arrive, Gundham stepped on a pressure plate rigged to set off some nearby explosives. These explosives were powerful enough to knock over one of the pillars in the tower, and before he knew what was happening, Gundham was crushed underneath.
"The sound of the explosion rang throughout the Funhouse, and subsequently lured two more victims to their demise. Fuyuhiko was first, running headfirst into the second trap. This time, the pressure plate set off a crossbow, shooting him through the eye. He died instantly. Byakuya followed close behind. With everything happening so fast, he probably didn't even know what caused the crossbow to go off. As such, he ended up walking into the same trap as Fuyuhiko. Nagito and Nekomaru were stranded in Strawberry House, and they couldn't trigger a Body Discovery announcement by themselves, so we didn't discover that there was a triple-murder until much later.
"The final trick up the culprit's sleeve wasn't even something they had to activate. It was an inherent part of their plot. Due to the rules of the killing game, setting off a trap that kills you is the same as committing suicide. As such, the culprit isn't necessarily the blackened of this case. Gundham, Fuyuhiko, and Byakuya are all their own blackened. Normally, Monokuma would prevent multiple blackeneds existing at once, but thanks to the special perk the culprit obtained from the Final Dead Room, they were able to bypass that rule.
"This is the truth behind your so-called "perfect" crime, isn't it, Maki Yugami, the Ultimate Criminologist?"
"Hmph... I can't say I appreciate your tone." She said. "You make it sound as if I did something wrong."
"Huh? What does that-"
"Let's end this farce. Monokuma, start the voting time."
"Hmm... this result isn't all that exciting... In any case, due to the special circumstances surrounding this case, we'll be holding three consecutive votes. Now then, please pull the lever in front of you and cast your votes. Who will be chosen as the blackeneds!? Will you make the right choices or the dreadfully wrong ones!? Please pull the lev-ngh!... Crap! I bit my tongue at the most important part!"
Everyone grabbed the levers that popped out of the podiums in front of them, and pulled them to select who they thought the blackeneds were. With that, their fates were sealed, and that was the end of their fourth class trial.
Yeah, I'm expecting some backlash. But that's to be expected with these chapters, so whatever. All I can really say at this time is, wait for the next chapter. That's the one where we explore the killer's motives, after all. Of course, I don't expect the killer this time to get much sympathy.
This would normally be the part where I apologize to any fans of the deceased and discuss their role in the story but, oops, I already did that in the previous chapters. I guess I could talk about Maki, but I'm not sure if she even has any fans, and I don't want to spoil her role in the story.
In the next chapter, we'll see the aftermath of the trial, and finally get back to what Albert and his friends are up to. Remember those guy? Yeah.
