A/N: This chapter is, as you can probably gather, the start of the first trial. It's important to note that I've decided while writing this story that I would attempt to reference how trials work in the actual games to an extent. I say to an extent because it's not going to be exact, and I'm not going to reference everything. Expect to see references to things such as Non-stop Debates and Rebuttal Showdowns. I may also include references to some others in later chapters as well, but I don't want to spoil anything I have in store. Still, I'm not going to do everything, because that would mean I'd be obligated to include them, and doing everything may also risk breaking reader immersion. For that reason, don't expect me to narrate Naoko doing a Hangman's Gambit or Psyche Taxi.

On a more unrelated note, here's the group's seating order, from left to right:

Sasa, Takeshi, Yasuo, Mareo, Haru, Michio, Mariko, Eryu, Naoko, Yori, Mine, Hoshi, Ishi, Kimi, Bankei

Oh, and one more thing: This story is officially up on AO3!

"THANK YOU ALL FOR ATTENDING. NOW, TO REITERATE, DURING THIS TRIAL, YOU WILL ALL BE TASKED WITH ROOTING OUT THE KILLER AMONG YOU. IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING SO, ALL BUT THE KILLER WILL BE FORGIVEN. OTHERWISE, ALL WILL BE PUNISHED."

Naoko was the first among the students to speak up. "Alright, everyone. I know this is going to be hard, but...well, we have to get through this. So, are there any questions?"

Sasa sheepishly raised her hand. "I have a question."

"What is it, Sasa?" Naoko asked.

"I-if it's okay, can I ask...how Keiko d-d-died?"

"Wait, what?!" Kimi interrupted. "What do you mean you don't know how she died?!"

Sasa went stark white at this outburst. "I-I didn't look i-in the storage room. I thought it'd b-be too scary."

"And you didn't look at the file that we were all given?" Mareo asked.

"I th-thought there might've been pictures," Sasa admitted, her eyes trained on the floor.

"Well, there's no need to worry," Hoshi replied. "I've checked myself, and there aren't any pictures. Just a brief description."

"Really?" Sasa asked. "O-okay. Thank you. I just...I didn't know."

Mareo sighed. "Well, okay, I get it. Don't worry, it's clear how she died. Naoko and I investigated her body, so we can speak with certainty in regards to the cause of death."

"That's true," Naoko agreed. "According to our findings and the file, the cause of death was blood loss. She bled out because of a cut to her throat. It was caused by a knife that we found still in her neck."

"Then that should be our first topic of discussion, correct?" Bankei posited.

"For once, I agree with Bankei," Eryu replied.

"Eh-heh. Couldn't help but make a jab at my expense, could you?"

Naoko readied himself for the first hurdle. This would be the part where they began to share their thoughts. Of course, not everyone's thoughts would be well-founded. Naoko, being the one that did the majority of the investigating, would have to make sure that the group didn't lose sight of the facts.

"What I'm wondering is…," Mareo began, "why did the killer leave the knife there?"

"You mean at the crime scene?" Ishi asked.

"Leaving the knife at the crime scene makes sense to me," Takeshi commented. "Who'd want to be caught carrying a bloody knife?"

"That's not what I was talking about," Mareo corrected. "I was referring to the fact the knife was still in her neck."

"The killer may have not wanted to stay at the scene for long," Yasuo suggested.

"Okay, so," Haru responded, "the killer must've gone in there quick. Then, they slashed her throat and left!"

"No, that's wrong," Naoko interrupted. "Sorry, Haru, but that doesn't make sense to me."

"Huh?" Haru responded. "What the hell's wrong with that? Are you saying the killer would want to stick around next to a dead body?"

"No, I definitely agree with you on that," Naoko replied. "But I don't agree that that's all that happened."

"Are you referring to the impact wound we found?" Mareo asked.

"Exactly," Naoko replied, "the impact wound on her face. I think it's likely that she was bludgeoned before she was attacked with the knife."

"Why would the killer do that?" Mariko asked.

"That's a good question," Eryu agreed. "If I had a knife, and was going to use it to commit murder, I wouldn't use an entirely different weapon beforehand, unless there was a good reason for me to do so."

"Good reason? Like what?" Michio asked.

"I...don't know," Eryu admitted, not looking particularly happy with himself. "I'm as confused about that point as you are."

"I have a suggestion!" Mine cut in. "Maybe the killer tried to attack her with the knife, but she dodged out of the way. Then, the killer punched her, and she was staggered."

"If that happened," Yori replied, "I'd expect there to be signs of a struggle in the room, but such evidence wasn't found."

"So, what you're saying is," Bankei spoke up, "it doesn't seem likely that the killer had a reason to attack with anything other than the knife, if that was indeed available. Interesting."

That statement caught Naoko's attention. It certainly was a conundrum they were faced with. Based off of their assumptions thus far, Keiko having been hit in the head with a fist or blunt weapon didn't make much sense. Of course, those were just assumptions. That made Naoko wonder if there was a reason for it, that they had just not considered yet. If the killer had the knife, why not use it straight away?

"...Maybe," Naoko began, "the killer didn't have the knife at first."

"Didn't have the knife, you say?" Hoshi asked. "Do you really think that, or is that just an idea of yours?"

"Well, right now, I think it makes the most sense," Naoko explained. "It would explain why the killer would hit Keiko, before attacking with the knife."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Kimi cut in unexpectedly.

"Kimi?" Naoko asked. "Do you have a problem with my theory?"

"Of course I do!" Kimi replied. "It's ridiculous! Why would the killer not have had the knife from the beginning? It doesn't make any sense! Do you need someone with their head on straight to knock some sense into you? 'Cause I'll do it!"

Naoko didn't like where this was going at all. Kimi was giving him a hard time because of what he was suggesting. Granted, it might've sounded strange, but Naoko was sure there was a good explanation for it. If he was right, he could point to exactly how the knife played into the murder.

"If there's a knife at a crime scene," Kimi argued, "do you assume it was just lying around? Of course not! The killer must've brought it to the crime scene. They're the one that used it, after all. That head wound doesn't matter in the slightest!"

"I'm not saying the knife was just lying around," Naoko countered. "In fact, I think that it was brought to the crime scene, but not by the killer."

"You think Keiko brought it?" Kimi responded. "Why the hell do you think she'd do that? Is it because she cooked dinner last night? Because that doesn't matter! That knife could've been from anywhere!"

"Allow me to prove you wrong," Naoko defiantly said.

"Wait, what?" Kimi asked, taken aback.

"We know for certain where that knife came from. It came from the kitchen. Yasuo told me himself that one of the knives on the rack was missing."

"Indeed," Yasuo said. "From one look at the knife in question, I can confirm that it is the same knife that went missing."

"Wait a minute," Kimi interrupted. "If that's true, then anyone who's ever been in the kitchen before could've taken the knife."

"Anyone who's ever been in the kitchen after we had dinner last night, actually," Yasuo politely corrected. "It wasn't missing before then."

"So, after dinner," Naoko began, "did Keiko enter the kitchen?"

"Yeah, actually, she did," Mariko chimed in. "I remember seeing her after most of us had left the cafeteria. The only ones left were some of us who wanted to stick around and talk. She came out with a glass of water, so I didn't think much of it."

"Really?" Hoshi asked. "Interesting. So, when she made that trip to the kitchen…"

"She could've taken that opportunity to take the knife with her," Naoko finished.

"That is interesting," Bankei said. "Such a nice young lady snuck a knife onto her person? Fascinating. Are you next going to suggest that she herself was intending to kill?"

"I wasn't going to suggest that," Naoko replied. "What are you driving a-"

"I don't think she was," Yori interrupted.

"Huh?" Naoko said, surprised. "Yori, why do you say that?"

"I suppose it was a poor decision on my part not to say it earlier," Yori began to explain. "I suppose I came to the same conclusion that we did previously, that the killer had brought the knife. However, at this point, not only do I think she took the knife, I think I know why she did."

"Okay," Naoko replied. "Then why?"

"Well, to summarize, after dinner, Keiko approached me and asked to speak privately. We ended up going into the computer room, and there, she expressed concern in regards to some of the people here. She said that, while she didn't like to think about it, she was worried about her own safety. I suggested that she find something to defend herself with, to put such worries to rest."

"So, in summation," Hoshi replied, "when Keiko entered the kitchen, she took the knife, not to attack someone, but to defend herself."

"Why would she use a knife to defend herself, though?" Takeshi asked. "Do we not have access to anything better? Y'know, like pepper spray, or tasers?"

"THE STORAGE ROOMS ON THIS FLOOR DO NOT CONTAIN TRADITIONAL SELF-DEFENSE TOOLS. THIS INCIDENT IS AN ANOMALY, CONSIDERING HOW QUICKLY IT OCCURRED. TO BE FULLY TRANSPARENT, I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN ALL OF YOU."

"You're disappointed in us?" Naoko asked, very much unamused.

"YES."

"That's just wrong!" Michio countered. "It's your fault any of this is happening, IMONO!"

IMONO paused for a moment. "MAKE WHATEVER CLAIMS YOU WISH. THIS INCIDENT STILL OCCURRED DUE TO THE TERRIBLE DECISIONS MADE BY ALL OF YOU. THE KILLER, IN PARTICULAR, I AM MOST DISAPPOINTED IN. HOWEVER, AS ONLY I AND THE KILLER HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LATTER'S IDENTITY, I AM CURRENTLY UNABLE TO RIDICULE THEM DIRECTLY. STILL, KNOW THAT WHETHER YOU ARE UNCOVERED OR NOT, YOUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE VERY MUCH DESERVED."

"Enough, IMONO," Eryu replied. "This tangent is pointless. We need to focus on the case."

"Didn't it say it knows wh-who the killer is?" Sasa pointed out.

"YES, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING YOU MUST UNCOVER FOR YOURSELVES."

"Okay, so," Naoko said, redirecting the conversation, "we've covered the murder weapon. If Keiko brought it to the crime scene herself, this could help us narrow down who the killer is."

And thus, the discussion was ready to begin again. With the knowledge they now had, they had access to various possible perspectives on just how the crime could've played out.

"So, from what I'm getting here," Michio began, "since Keiko herself had the knife, the people that have been in the kitchen aren't suspicious anymore...But that means that anyone could be the killer."

"Anyone might be an exaggeration," Yori corrected. "We know now the killer may have gone to the crime scene...without a weapon of their own."

"Are we sure that the killer really punched her?" Bankei asked. "Maybe they did bring a weapon."

"Maybe," Yori admitted, "but we have little evidence of that right now."

"If the killer didn't have a weapon," Takeshi began, "they probably weren't planning to kill."

"Then do you think she might've called someone there?" Ishi suggested.

"I bet she did!" Mine agreed. "She could've written them a letter!"

"I agree with that," Naoko chimed in. "I think that Keiko writing a letter is a very real possibility."

"Yes!" Mine cheered. "It's like when I gave you that letter!"

"Can we be sure that she actually did, though?" Mariko asked.

"I'd say so," Naoko replied. "In her room, we found a notebook. While there wasn't anything written inside, we noticed signs that at least one page was ripped out."

"At least one page?" Ishi asked. "Does that mean she could've sent more than one letter? Could she have been killed by more than one person?!"

"NO. THAT IS NOT HOW THIS SYSTEM WORKS. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE KILLER."

"Oh," Ishi said. "Well, if she wrote a letter, then maybe she did call someone there. But wait, why wouldn't she just call someone to her room?"

"Considering how you originally interpreted me inviting Mine to my room, maybe it was because of how it would sound," Naoko suggested. "I can see her being concerned about people getting the wrong idea."

"Yeah, maybe," Ishi agreed. "I'd imagine her thinking that she'd sound like she was just looking for a little fun. Guess I can't blame her if she actually was, though. There's not much to do here."

"Are we really considering whether or not Keiko was worried about people thinking she wanted a booty call?" Takeshi asked in a surprisingly unfazed manner.

"Yep!" Ishi replied happily.

"C-can we move on, please?" Sasa asked, blushing.

"Okay," Naoko replied. "If she sent a note to someone asking to meet, it probably had to do with the secrets that IMONO handed out. She was the one that suggested people talk one-on-one."

"That's true, but how many of you even attempted to do so?" Bankei asked. "The only example of that I'm aware of is Mine and yourself."

"Actually," Yori corrected, "Ishi and I spoke to each other about her own secret last night."

"Yeah, and we even got to enjoy a nice soak in the washroom!" Ishi added.

"Alright, then," Bankei replied. "What was everyone else doing last night? If anyone was outside their rooms after the announcement played, I'd say that that makes them a suspect. Am I wrong?"

Bankei wasn't entirely wrong, all things considered. While they still didn't know when exactly Keiko died, so long as someone was outside their rooms and unaccounted for after the announcement played, they potentially had an opportunity to kill Keiko. That meant that for their next discussion, everyone's alibis were of utmost importance.

"So," Bankei began, "what did everyone do after the nighttime announcement played?"

"I had just gotten settled in my room when it played," Haru claimed. "I was out like a light not long after."

"Yori and I were in the washroom," Ishi said. "We can totally vouch for each other."

"I was taking out the trash when that announcement played," Michio added. "I finished up a couple minutes later, then went to bed."

"I was in the bathroom when it played," Mareo added. "I was chatting in the cafeteria before and after that."

"Were you really in the bathroom, though?" Bankei asked.

"I mean, yeah," Mareo replied. "Is that really all that suspicious?"

"Bankei, are you really pointing fingers right now?" Eryu asked. "For all we know, you could've been anywhere."

"I was in my room, Eryu," Bankei claimed. "Now who's the one pointing fingers?"

"At least Mareo came back a couple minutes after the announcement played," Eryu pointed out. "Nobody can support your alibi."

"No, that's wrong," Naoko interrupted. "Sorry, Eryu, but there's one person that can back her up. Isn't that right, Mine?"

"Yeah!" Mine said. "Not long before the announcement, Bankei and I had just finished chatting."

"Indeed we had," Bankei agreed. "I must say, Mine, you're a surprisingly good listener."

"I saw her enter her room with my own eyes," Mine continued. "After that, I went to the gym to practice my capoeira."

"Oh...Fair enough," Eryu admitted. "But that only confirms what she was doing before the announcement played, not after."

"I dunno," Mine replied. "She'd have to be quick, if she really was outside her room afterwards. I'm positive that it was only a couple minutes after the announcement played when I wrapped up and left the gym. That was when I ran into Michio."

"You ran into Michio?" Naoko asked.

"Yeah," Mine replied. "When I left the gym, Michio rounded the corner. He said he had finished taking out the trash, and we headed off to bed together."

"Well, that would support his alibi, then," Eryu noted. "Still, it doesn't necessarily mean that Bankei never left her room. She could've done so after you two entered your rooms, for example."

"Well," Bankei replied, "so could anyone who claimed to be in their rooms, which includes a good deal of the people here."

"What if someone snuck out to meet her after everyone else was already in their rooms?" Mariko suggested.

"That would imply they planned to meet up at around 10:30, as we in the cafeteria went to our rooms together not long before that," Hoshi pointed out. "Do you think Keiko would want to meet with someone that late?"

"I specifically said that nobody should be outside their dorms by 10:30," Eryu said. "I don't think Keiko would ignore that rule just to talk to someone privately."

"I would agree with you on that," Hoshi replied. "I can't think of any reason why she couldn't ask to meet someone sooner."

"There's also the fact that, according to the file," Naoko added, "death occurred shortly after nighttime began. 10:30 doesn't fall under that umbrella, at least in my opinion."

"So, the people that can't be accounted for shortly after the announcement are the most likely suspects," Yori concluded. "That still leaves us with multiple suspects."

"Is there not any way to narrow things down?" Hoshi asked. "We established earlier that Keiko most likely met someone to talk about whoever's secret she had."

"Unfortunately," Yasuo replied, "we've been unable to locate Keiko's phone. Thus, we have no way of knowing whose secret she was given."

The gears in Naoko's head began to turn even faster. What Yasuo said...he knew it wasn't true. There was a way for them to figure that out, without the need to locate her phone. They just had to confirm who had whose secrets. And fortunately for Naoko, a certain someone had already demonstrated a way to effectively and discreetly do so. He just had to remind everyone of that, and the case would soon after be solved.

INTERMISSION