Kuma Kuma Land Case File #1
Victim #1: Otto Von Skylar
"The victim has received several broken bones, as well as internal bleeding."
"Cause of Death is blunt force trauma."
"The time of death was approximately 12:11 A.M"
"The body was discovered outside the Hotel in the resort district at 8:40 A.M by Shiho Jiyu"
TRUTH BULLETS
Locked door
Condition of Otto's Room
Otto's Glove
Lachlan's Theory
Soo Yeong's Autopsy
Broken Cellphone
Open Balcony Door
Sticky Residue
Security Lock
Shiho's Account
Imitated Murder
Location of Otto's Room Key
Strong Winds
Missing Glove
Maddie's Account
Location of Cellphone
Otto's Dress Attire
Red Herring
Chloe's Physicality
Annabelle's Theory
Chapter 7: Night Baron: Act Three
9:35 A.M Day Two
Resort District
Hotel
Basement (Trial Room)
The Elevator shuddered as it reached the basement level before the lavish door slid open revealing a large extravagant chamber.
Shirokuma sat in a podium before a large Carousel Wheel that made up the center of the room.
Along the wheel rested twenty different podiums each of them marked with a corresponding name. There were even long bars that rested between each of the podiums, further giving the impression of Carousel. The only difference was that the center was open so that everyone could see one another.
"Heh I don't know about you guys, but I'm about sick of these rides." Patrick mused as he slid his hands into his pockets.
"Oh, there's nothing to worry about kiddo! I promise you all will have a safe trial, and that no harm will come to you during the trial." The white bear said as his beady eyes stared at the large group.
Tomoko frowned slightly. "I noticed that you put some emphasis on during the trial. Which means we have to worry about one of these death games if we fail to catch the blackened or if we are the blackened ourselves."
The pale bear hung his head low a moment. "Well, of course, I don't want anything to happen to any of you, but I'm not able to make those kind of decisions. However I promise that a fair game awaits any party, so please do your very best so we can avoid any more bloodshed."
"Perhaps it is merely an act, but you do sound rather sincere." Tiana mused with a thoughtful expression as she slowly strolled towards her podium.
"Of course I am! My big brother and I are two sides of a coin. But if you'll please take your places, I'll explain how this all works. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask." Shirokuma said as he patted a paw against his chest.
One by one each of the surviving students took a podium, with Sigmund being the last as he relied on his crutch to step upwards. As soon as he stepped upon it, bars suddenly raised back from behind each of the students, effectively blocking them from leaving their place. Suddenly the Carousel Wheel began to slowly turn...
"Alright, I'm calling bollocks on your nice act! What exactly is this for?" Lachlan asked as he glanced around with a frustrated expression.
Shiho nodded her head slightly as she extended a hand before feeling the bars behind her. "Y-Yes please explain. I'm not a big fan of enclosed spaces."
The white bear cleared his throat. "Please don't panic. It's merely for your own safety, so you don't fall off the Carousel. Also, it's to protect you all from one another, sometimes these horrible trials can bring the worst out in people."
"So you mean to say this is for our own good?" Chloe asked with a dubious expression as she raised a slender brow.
"Yes, that's exactly right Miss Bellemort. Your wellbeing is my top priority!" The bear chimed before stroking his chin. "Now to explain the trial phase, it is rather simple. You'll all present your evidence as you try to determine who killed poor Mr. Skylar. When you all feel comfortable with your decision, you just let me know and we'll move to the voting phase. I won't enforce you all to vote, as I know it must be terribly hard to vote to put someone in such a dangerous position. However, you should know that if you refuse to vote, there's a chance the wrong person will be chosen. Which of course means those of you who are innocent will have to face a death game as a group."
"So it behooves us to take part in this democratic process, even if it a particularly ugly scenario." The Plastic Surgeon mused as he brushed a few bangs to the side of his face.
Kaizoku nodded his head in response. "Yarr it seems like a foolish endeavor to not vote at all, lest we all wish to tempt davy jones this morning."
"Tch would you knock off the pirate schtick, we've got a killer to catch and I can't understand a thing you're saying!" Dolly said through Becky, before looking slightly perturbed at the puppet's comment.
"Heh fair enough. Sorry I get so into it, that it's hard to stop myself at times." The Sailor admitted with a sheepish smile. "I'll try to keep it dialed down though."
Sigmund cleared his throat. "Not to interrupt, but is there anything else we should know Shirokuma?" He asked as he eyed the pale bear.
"Um well if at any point you all reach a point where the room is split on a decision, we'll hold what's called a scrum debate. It basically consists of both sides debating back and forth until a clear winner emerges. Beyond that, if I think of anything else, I'll chime in." The bear said before holding up a paw. "Let the first trial begin. Good luck to all of you!"
"So long as I have the wisdom of the Tarot on my side, luck is not something I require," Seikatsu said as she pulled out her deck of cards, before shuffling them.
Haruto blinked in surprise. "Wait you're actually going to do that here? Are you sure that's the best use of our time?"
"Hold on. Don't knock it. I bet she can totally figure out who did it!" Churi said with an earnest expression.
The Tarotologist hummed softly a moment as she closed her eyes. Several seconds passed as the room seemed to fixate on her. "...The reading is inconclusive."
"That was sort of anticlimactic." Kanade murmured softly as she stared down at the touchscreen on her podium.
"Alas I didn't expect our answer would come so swiftly, and yet I still had hope." Utano sighed quietly. "I suppose we have no choice but to do this the old fashion way."
Naruhiko grunted. "So not to rock the boat or anything, but how the hell does this kind of thing work? Last time I was involved with the law, was over a speeding ticket."
"Well with Otto gone it means that if we were to blindly guess we'd have a 5.26 percent chance of guessing correctly. So we have to do everything to raise that statistic." Maddison said as she scribbled something down on a notepad.
"Perhaps we should start with the basics of the crime and work forward from there?" The Ultimate Knight proposed as she drummed her gauntlets along the podium.
"Ooooh! Leave it to me. I've got this!" Annabelle exclaimed as she seemed to wiggle in place, before clearing her throat. "I believe this case was inspired by a murder case from an anime." *TRUTH BULLET*
"You've got to be kidding me. Your big solution is this based on some sort of anime?" Lachlan asked with a dubious expression. "I had the feeling that your talent was overstated, kid. Just let me handle this case."
Kaizoku's brow furrowed marginally. "I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the little one. I know it sounds bonkers, but hear her out?"
The Journalist sighed before shaking his head. "Fine just make sure this isn't a waste of our time. We can't afford to be wrong," he said as he tapped his arm impatiently.
"Hmph, you shouldn't underestimate me just because I'm small," Annabelle said as she rested her hands along her tiny hips. "Because in an investigation, you gotta explore every option. It's the only way we're going to figure out who murdered Otto. Before I continue, Doctor Moon can you first tell us what you found? It's reallyyy important." She insisted as she stared at the surgeon.
The fair-faced teen nodded his head in response. "Of course. I'd be more than happy to. The damage to the body, along with the Kuma Files, lead me to believe that the obvious cause of death was blunt force trauma due to Otto falling to his death. The back of his head seemed to have impacted first, causing his skull to crack along with breaking his neck. Mercifully his death should have been relatively quick." *TRUTH BULLET*
"Jesus I didn't like the guy, but still to go like that. No one deserves that." Patrick murmured before shivering slightly.
"Yes it is quite disturbing, however, I am curious as to how this case seemingly mimics an anime. Could you possibly explain yourself?" Tomoko asked as her eyes narrowed as she stared at Ultimate Forensic Investigator.
The blonde nodded her head softly. "Well, it's like this. We found Otto's room locked, and Captain had to force the door open as even the security lock was engaged. That's when we found his room key lying in the middle of the floor." *TRUTH BULLET*
"W-Wait the room was locked? But how is that possible? How could the killer have pushed him off, and then locked the door let alone engaged security lock if the key was still in the room?" Kanade asked as she rubbed at her forearm in a reassuring gesture.
Haruto sighed softly. "Well it's not a pleasant thought, but the theory I proposed was that perhaps this wasn't a murder but a suicide. We don't know what Otto's motive was, but it could have pushed him over the edge."
"It's time for a new headline!" Lachlan exclaimed as he slammed his hand onto his podium as the Carousel continued to spin wildly.
Truth Rebuttal
"What are you getting so excited about? I'm just stating the most obvious scenario." The Parental Figure offered as his brow furrowed.
The Investigative Journalist shook his head. "Leave this investigation to the professionals. It is impossible for this case to be a suicide."
"Hey there's no need to be so rude about it, but I haven't heard any reason why my theory is wrong." Haruto countered.
"If you want your proof, you only need to look as far as the crime scene. Otto's body is all the evidence we need. Need I remind you that he was found on his back, facing upwards. By your theory, he would have had to leap off the balcony backward, which I find highly illogical. If he was going to commit suicide, why go about it in such a bizarre manner?" Lachlan asked *TRUTH BULLET*
The Parental Figure frowned. "While that does make some sense, it's not conclusive evidence. Annabelle heard a scream last night, it's possible his suicide wasn't intentional. Perhaps his fall was an accident?"
Lachlan sighed lowly. "You want so badly to hope that none of us are capable of murder. However, the railings on the balconies are at least four feet high. The chances of him accidentally falling in such a manner are exceptionally low."
"Low but not impossible. We don't know what was going on last night." The other boy countered quietly as he bit at his thumb. "And is it so wrong to have faith in those around us?"
"That sort of naivety is dangerous in our situation. Let me spell it out for you though. His cellphone was discovered far away from his body and it was shattered. Both Soo and I concluded this was irregular. What it suggested was that it fell at a different time than the body to explain where it landed. I don't know how a dead man could have tossed a phone, so the logical conclusion is that his killer threw it away to hide some crucial evidence!" Lachlan exclaimed as he pointed his finger at Haruto. *TRUTH BULLET*
End Rebuttal
The Parental Figure bowed his head slightly. "I concede your point, unfortunately. Though it still doesn't explain how someone managed to lock his room if the key was found lying in the middle of the room."
"Yo not for nothing, but didn't Otto have a balcony room? Maybe someone climbed over using one of those? And then pulled all that other junk to make it look fishy." Naruhiko suggested before shoving his hands into his leather jacket.
"No I'm afraid that's simply impossible." The Mathematician said as she shook her head vigorously. "The numbers simply don't add up, I can't imagine a normal person making such a leap."
"Stand back toots and prepared to be amazed, but I speculate it was our unassuming blind chick that did it! She's got the chops and athletics. Heck, she probably drew our attention to the stiff just to make herself look innocent." Dolly said as she held up Becky who had her little arms crossed.
"N-Not to be rude but that does seem like quite a stretch. Even if she was that physically capable, without eyesight how could she have accomplished everything she did without falling?" Utano asked with a skeptical expression.
Churi nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah besides Shiho is such a sweetie. There's no way she'd hurt a fly, even if it was a really mean fly!"
"Ugh time to buck up and smell the roses. People aren't what they seem and most of the time they really suck. She had those fancy sensors right? I bet she's a lot more capable then we give her credit for. I bet this is all a con, so we'll underestimate her." Becky said in a gruff tone.
"No, I swear I would never do something like that. I promise my sensors just picked up something when I was jogging back earlier. That's when I stumbled across Otto." The Runner said as her normally bright expression was soured. "I tried to shake him, but I realized it was already too late. I'm sorry everyone." *TRUTH BULLET*
Laris tapped along her armored arm, before shaking her head. "Shiho you have nothing to apologize for. This isn't your fault, besides you don't even access to a balcony room so how else could you have reached a balcony?"
Seiketsu cleared her throat. "Not that I have any faith in the ludicrous notion of Shiho being our culprit, however, we have to keep in mind that four rooms in total remain vacant. Two of which include balconies. So if we suppose the theory of climbing balcony to balcony is possible, any of us could have secured the extra key from the lobby. Remember that the rooms haven't been upgraded with digital locks yet. So theoretically it's possible."
"Well even if it's possible, practical is another matter entirely. I mean we only have a handful of athletes, but I can't imagine any of them clearing that distance." Tiana mused as she pulled her crop out, before tapping her podium.
The Ultimate Paralympic Athlete shifted slightly on his one foot. "Well there are many things I'm capable of still, but jumping balcony to balcony is outside my wheelhouse."
"Heh don't look at me. Like I said before I'm all about strength training, but if I tried to make a jump like that I would have ended up a pancake myself." Patrick said as he folded his arms across his jersey. "Not to beat a dead horse, but the only person I've seen make a leap like that was Chloe."
"And it seems we're back to our earlier assumption. If the only way to reach Otto and leave required a balcony, you seemingly possess the prowess and access to the said balcony." Tomoko pointed out as she eyed the Fashion Designer.
Chloe rolled her eyes before huffing. "As much as I didn't care for him, he wasn't the effort of killing. If you vote for me, you're only going to put all of us save the real killer in danger. Besides I've never watched an anime in my life, didn't the little one say this crime was clearly influenced by one?"
"Well, I believe Anna was in the process of explaining herself earlier before she was interrupted. Perhaps she can offer some insight?" Tiana suggested as her stern expression softened slightly as she stared at the child prodigy.
"Right! It's time to show I'm more than just a super cute face!" The girl chirped as she pulled her goggles up. "Lachy was absolutely right earlier! This isn't a suicide case at all. Nor was the balcony used in that manner at all. Our culprit only made it appear like the room itself was locked up tight. That fact is they used a really sneaky method to throw us off."
Sigmund quirked a single brow. "And precisely what kind of method would that be? It seems like the room was genuinely locked as it not?"
"Oh it was locked alright, but our culprit used a clever way of doing so. You see this method is deceptively easy, using a piece of clear tape they adhered it to the security lock as they moved out into the hallway. Then they simply pulled it taut causing the security lock to engage, before shutting the door. Creating a sealed room murder. I found a sticky residue along the door, which confirmed my theory. Which was another part used by the culprit in that anime I was talking about." Annabelle explained. *TRUTH BULLET*
"Wait a second. Could someone actually do that? That's wicked smart!" Naruhiko mused as he rubbed at his chin.
Lachlan sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm inclined to agree with the pipsqueak. After investigating the crime scene, Soo and I conducted a further investigation throughout the hotel. I found an empty tape dispenser in the trashcan in the kitchen. I'm assuming the culprit probably disposed of it, sometime last night or this morning." *TRUTH BULLET*
"Guys this is all incredibly interesting, but it seems like we're still no closer to finding a suspect," Utano said as he rested a hand on his forehead. "At this rate, we're all going to be snuffed out."
"Aww don't be so down Utano! I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this in no time. I mean we've figured a few things right?" Churi asked as she gazed around the revolving room.
"I'm not so sure. It seems like all we know is the method of sealing the door and the location of the crime. I'm sure no one really has an alibi either." Kanade said quietly as her lips pressed together.
"Actually there is something worth noting. We did discover a glove that belonged to Otto on the balcony, it was against the base of the railing." Kaizoku stated. *TRUTH BULLET*
"Poor guy. Must have tried to grab on after he was pushed off. His glove must have fallen off in the process eh?" Patrick suggested with a somber expression.
Annabelle shook her head. "That's not how it happened. You see the glove was another element from that anime, in the series it's based on the glove is merely a plant. Between it and the balcony door being opened, it serves a single purpose." *TRUTH BULLET*
"I keep crunching ideas in my add, but nothing is adding up. What could someone possibly hope to achieve?" Maddison asked before adjusting her glasses.
"...It was a diversion, wasn't it? The crime wasn't actually committed in that room." Laris said abruptly. *TRUTH BULLET*
"Mr. Knight is absolutely right! Think about it for a second. Why would the culprit leave the balcony door open and the glove just lying there? It wasn't an accident, it was a way of making us arrive at a single conclusion. They wanted us to believe the crime occurred on the Fourth Floor when it actually occurred on the Fifth Floor!" Annabelle exclaimed loudly. *TRUTH BULLET*
"She does raise an interesting point actually. If I'm not mistaken the room directly above that one is vacant. When you think about it, it would be much easier to reach the balcony directly below that one, than it would be to lunge out to an adjacent one." Soo pointed out as he rested a hand on his chin.
Sigmund frowned slightly. "Not to belabor a point, but this still doesn't exonerate Chloe. Nor does it help us narrow our suspect list very much. As it stands, I believe the only two of us with credible alibis are Haruto and Annabelle, as they were together around the time of the crime." *TRUTH BULLET*
The Fashion Designer offered a long sigh, before resting a hand along her hip. "Fine, I'll admit that I am more than capable of clearing that distance. Laris even witnessed it first hand, when I lunged to his balcony last night."
"Wait if you saw her do this, why didn't you say something sooner? I demand an explanation!" Tiana said as she cracked the air with her crop.
The Ultimate Knight shut her eyes a moment, before shaking her head. "Because I for one have faith in Chloe. Having seen her perform such an act of acrobatics, there's no way she would think to pull off such a crime using the same tactics. It's just illogical."
"While it's a roundabout use of logic, I can concede that it does make an inkling of sense. Unless she's playing a very dangerous game, I can't see her outing herself only to be the killer." Tomoko mused. "Of course we should let the evidence speak for itself. It may be too soon to discredit any of us, besides the aforementioned pair."
"U-Um Seikatsu? Have you divined anything with your cards?" Dolly asked timidly as she gazed over at the Tarotologist.
The Ultimate Tarotologist shook her head. "Alas even as a font of wisdom, even the Tarot possesses limits. However, when I keep trying to do a reading, I keep receiving Suits of Swords."
"Suits of Swords? What exactly does that mean anyway? I can't say I'm that familiar with anything like that." Shiho admitted with a sheepish smile.
"It's typically related to the element of the air. It may simply be nothing, or it could potentially be a clue." Seikatsu responded in a serene manner.
"Tch I can't believe I'm saying this, because it all sounds like a load of bollocks. However, your card tricks might actually hold some merit." Lachlan mused as he folded his arms. "Has anyone noticed anything about this hotel? Or even when they're on one of the rides in the park?" He asked as he gazed around the room.
"Well, the wind is particularly strong, and believe I could smell salt in the air. So I'm assuming we must be fairly close to the sea." Laris responded before her brow knitted together. "But what does that have to do with anything?"
"It relates back to the air card thingy right?" Annabelle asked as she glanced over at Seikatsu, before peering over at Lachlan.
The Investigative Journalist nodded his head. "Exactly. You were right about the crime taking place on the Fifth Floor, but I hypothesis that contrary to our belief the crime didn't occur in Room 507!" *TRUTH BULLET*
"Now you're not making any freaking sense dude. I think you have some serious explaining to do!" Naruhiko spoke up as he leaned against his podium.
TRUTH REBUTTAL
"Look we all agreed that the most likely thing is that Otto's killer used the unused room on the Fifth Floor right? They pushed him off and made it look like it was done in his own room. That way even if we realized it wasn't done in that room we wouldn't be able to determine who did it." The Punk Musician offered.
Lachlan sighed. "That is the assumption they wanted us to reach. If there weren't extreme winds, I could reach the same conclusion. Especially since his body happened to land almost directly below that particular balcony. However, it's for that reason, that I believe he must have fallen from a different balcony." *TRUTH BULLET*
"Another Balcony? Are you tripping on something man? It was only five stories, how much difference could a little wind make? Besides his freaking outfit should have made him wind resistant." Naruhiko said as he scratched along his jawline.
"You're right about one thing. His suit would have dampened the effect on his body, which leads me to believe he must have been pushed from one of two adjacent balconies. As for how much difference it could make? Let me put it to you like this, if he was pushed from Room 407 or 507 his body should have landed anywhere but directly below those balconies. The balcony side was directly in the face of the wind last night, with winds of 35-40 miles an hour with gusts up to 60 miles an hour, it should have affected where Otto's body landed." The Journalist pointed out.
Naruhiko snorted. "Hah looks like you just outed yourself as the killer! How else would you have known all that? I mean you're not even staying in a room with a balcony. The only solution is that you're the killer, you used the room on the Fifth floor, and are just trying to shift our damn focus!" he said as he jabbed a finger outward.
There was a pause before the other boy let out an audible groan. "Nitwit. I know you're too busy thrashing with your crappy music, but welcome to the 21st century. It's called a cellphone." Lachlan muttered as he held out his phone. "You probably have paid it any mind, but aside from phone calls it also records weather patterns. I became suspicious when we first examined the body and verified my concerns by consulting my phone. It's time to face the truth, the crime wasn't committed in 407 or 507!" *TRUTH BULLET*
The Musician scowled a second, before offering an indifferent shrug. "Well fuck me. I tried to be useful. You got me, sounds like you've got a point."
END REBUTTAL
With one step at a time, we grew closer to the truth, however, what awaited us brought us anything but comfort.
We'd soon come face to face with another dose of despair...
19 Survivors Remain
*AN* I just wanted to thank you all for remaining patient. I try my best to keep regular updates, but man sometimes life has other plans. In any case, I'd like to say thanks for all the support, reviews, and fanart. Seriously you all are amazing. I'd love to get some more ideas for polls if you all have any suggestions? Just let me know!
Oh also if you're looking for another fic to get invested in, I'd suggest checking out 1Glimmershine's Hidden from Hope. It's an excellent fic, and honestly written far better than anything I could come up with. My only gripe is that I couldn't make a character for their story haha.
Also there's a good friend of mine, The Celestial Sky Dragon who just recently posted a SYOC called Morning Hope Academy's New Semester of Killing. Having read and followed his work, I can say he inspired me to start writing Danganronpa Fanfiction. Please between waiting on my slow ass, give these two some love. They totally deserve it!
Review Section:
Fee5H
Of course it's important to point out that she also knows something crucial about Laris. Perhaps she believes the gesture of silence will be returned, or simply wishes to avoid being named as the obvious suspect. Though if you are familiar with the source material, you'll realize that the character killed lured to his death by a beautiful woman. I was playing on that assumption for anyone familiar with the material it's based on. Fraid to say it was a major red herring.
pokemansuperallstar
Oh I loved it! Your reviews always bring a smile to my face! Mwhehe
UltimateGaymer
Yeah typically when something is highlighted that much, it's a red herring. ;)
Raz The Giant
It was meant as a rather obscure reference. Though I was quite pleased with the ideas it gave me.
Hail2U
It's funny because there are some things that I'm obsessive about myself. Where as in other situations, I simply don't care. I suppose you can't really help random compulsions at times lol.
KingofHope
I thought it would be fun to inject the method used in that series, but even if you knew that it wouldn't give away the killer. Though I suppose I do have a major red herring.
TheBlueCzar
Yeah that was my goof up with the sleeves comment. I went back and fixed that mistake lol. I always try my best, but sometimes things slip through the cracks.
bellatrixshine
It certainly wasn't a coincidence that she was part of the group that was present in that scene! ;)
PettyPunk
It's funny because Kaizoku is one of my favorite characters to write for, even if I'm second guessing the pirate talk half the time haha.
doomqwer
Well the wait is officially over my friend! The trial is about to reach it's conclusion next time on DRAGONBALL Z!
El Torro
The great thing about the Trials is they give me an opportunity to showcase a different side to each of the characters. That breath of fresh air is important in my opinion.
Blazerxz
Though it was heavily inspired by Detective Conan, I'm still incredibly pleased with this trial as I think it has a lot of fun different facets.
The Kobold Necromancer
I love the idea of Annabelle having a switch. She goes from being the precocious child, to child genius in a blink of an eye.
Altomi
My purpose of recreating the similar murder, was to have those of you familiar with the source material, and even though who weren't to assume it was a certain someone. Though the most obvious choice is rarely the right one. So I decided to play this one differently, by digging into the motives of those involved.
BouncingFish
Believe it or not English is my first language. I know from my spotty grammar that may be hard to believe, but I never claimed to be an award winning author. That's why I'm writing on this site, rather than publishing something professionally. Hah though I do certainly appreciate your feedback. I write in short spurts and at time get ahead of myself by posting before proofreading enough. All I can say is that I'll try to be more diligent going forward.
ThePLOThand
Not yet anyways ;)
StoryProducer214
Agreed. He was antagonistic, but not a true antagonist for the fic as a whole.
Trust Me I'm Me
Can I just say that I appreciate how much time you spend breaking down each of these chapters? It really means a lot to me that someone would care this much. So thank you for that! =)
SqualinaTralala
Haha no worries my favorite random reviewer! I'm just always happy to see you in the comment section! I'm glad you're enjoying the twists and turns so far. I have a lot of fun stuff planned going forward ;)
Natsukumo1000
Well only time will tell mwhehe.
Solrac XD
Yeah I'd never make it that straight forward. If I'm pushing someone as an obvious suspect, you can be 95% that it's a fake out.
Cinderfall201
Oh dude it was amazing. I put almost 100 hours into it, before finally finishing the post game. Which of course is why my updates have slowed a bit. Haha though I'm back now!
