With one last rumble, the Elevator came to a stop after a minute or so. Through the fence door, Ichijou could see nothing, even as it swung open. The group waited in a confused silence for a moment, before the lights finally switched on, a crackling sound being heard from above. Ichijou was temporarily blinded by the change in light, rubbing his eyes as he tried to adjust them. He could hear that he wasn't the only one either, a few displeased groans puncturing the silence. When Ichijou could finally see, he saw exactly why the room had been so blinding. Much of it was covered in sparkling steel, looking not unlike a futuristic setting, the walls plated in the stuff. Standing out were sixteen polished wooden podiums in a large circle in the middle of the room, a large throne opposite the elevator door, and a large steel door behind that, the polish more muted than the rest of the room. From above, Monokuma dropped down, landing neatly in the seat.

"Hello hello! Nice to see you all again!" The monochrome bear said in his usual, sickeningly cheery voice. "Please, find the podium with your name on it and take your spot so that we can begin!" he ordered.

The group began to enter, circling the podiums until they found theirs. As he searched, Ichijou happened to spot three unusual things. The first was a few spots away from the podium closest to the elevator door, which had a metal stand topped by a rectangle in its place. Ichijou ignored it for now, moving to try and find his spot. On his way around, he stopped at the podium that was on the far right from the elevator door, which had no name on the odd, glowing screen. As he continued, he also noticed that the podium closet to Monokuma, opposite the elevator door, only read 'Kasumi', which meant Monokuma was indeed going to every length to keep her true name hidden. Ichijou finally found his own podium one spot away from Kasumi's, on the other side of Ishihara's. To his right was Sanada, standing there already, as if he'd known his spot was there the whole time. Across from his podium, Ichijou got a better look at the metal stand. Displayed at the top was a picture of Andou Moriko on it, black drapes and a blood colored cross signifying her passing. Within a few more seconds, the last of the Students had filed into their spots, Ishihara giving Kasumi and Ichijou a nod as he stepped in between them.

Those closest to Monokuma turned as he began to speak. "Welcome, Students of Hope's Peak Academy, to our first Class Trial! Allow me to-"

"H-hey! Wait a second," Kobayashi interrupted. Pointing at the empty podium in front of her, she asked, "Where's that guy? The Sixteenth Student?"

Monokuma sighed, "Unfortunately, they will not be joining us today!"

Uzatei frowned, "That's hardly fair..."

Monokuma snorted, "I disagree! Think of it this way: if it ends badly for you guys, it goes badly for Number 16 too! That person is just placing your trust in you."

Kasumi snapped, "Attendance is mandatory."

Monokuma snarled, "I told you I couldn't pin them down: if they don't wanna show, they won't! They have no choice but to be excused from voting as well, but that's their loss. That's the definition of special circumstances. I even wrote it down there, in the rules, to cover my cute little tail. Maybe you should give them a read sometime!" Ichijou noticed Kasumi's eye twitch in irritation at the comment.

Monokuma cleared his throat, before continuing, "So, as I was saying, let me explain the rules. Now that the investigation is concluded, you must use what you have learned to uncover the Culprit. When deemed appropriate, you will all vote on who you believe the 'Black' Culprit is. If you are correct, the Culprit will be Punished. If you are wrong, and vote a 'White', innocent Student guilty, the Culprit will Graduate and be allowed to leave, while everyone else Flunks, and is Punished."

"So, nothing new then?" Kasumi scoffed, turning away from the bear and back to the center of the room.

Monokuma snarled, "If you want to take the lead and bring up the first topic of discussion, be my guest!"

Yokozuna butted in, asking, "I have a question! What happens when you're Punished?"

"Fine, let's begin with...cause of death!" Monokuma stated, as if the Snowboarder hadn't said a word.

"Hey..." Yokozuna pouted.

Minami ignored her, beginning, "Very well. Andou was discovered in the Cabin closet, charred black." There was a collective shudder as those who remembered the corpse recalled its grisly appearance.

Nagasaki, a spot away from Yokozuna, muttered, "I don't think the cause of death can be clearer than that..."

Mikage the Farmer adjusted his sunglasses, musing, "Oh really now?" He gave a shrug, chortling, "I guess if you just want to point out the obvious, fine."

Uzatei crossed his arms over his chest, "Really? I mean, I didn't go over the scene either, but I was planning on being smart about it and keep my mouth shut about it."

Mikage clicked his tongue, saying, "Perhaps it's because I didn't go to the scene that I can look past the obvious and see the truth. All I had to do was give the File a look to find the answer."

Unimpressed, Kasumi suggested, "Well, go ahead then. No one's stopping you."

Mikage accepted the challenge, stating, "You really think she burned to death? It was obviously to hide the real cause of death: the bludgeoning! It was right there in the File: the Culprit bashed Andou's head in and burned everything down to hide any evidence like hair or fingerprints."

Sanada gave a booming laugh, making the Farmer scowl. Sanada stopped, stating incredulously, "Wait, you're serious?" He cracked a smile, before laughing even harder.

Even Ichijou could see what was wrong. "You're not really telling us who did it," he stated.

Ishihara shook his head, "How do fingerprints help us? We can't exactly check them."

Kasumi nodded, "Indeed. Besides, knowing how the Victim died isn't really important at the moment. I think Monokuma was just attempting to throw us off."

Saruta sighed, "We don't really know how much time we have to spare. Shall we try to cut to the chase?"

Mikage's sour look was plain as he crossed his arms over his chest in a huff. He retorted, "We...you...we don't know that it won't help! Think about it, could someone like Furugori or Ganaha bludgeon someone to death? If she was killed like that, it would have to be someone big, like Minami."

"And the weapon of choice?" Kobayashi asked.

Mikage grimaced, "I didn't look at the scene..."

Ganaha snarled, "Then shut the hell up and stop wasting our time you numbskull!" Defeated, Mikage turned away, muttering to himself.

Kasumi ignored him, continuing on, "Now, I think it would be best to go through the events of the fire first. After lunch, everyone went off on their own business, be it relaxing in their Lodge, chatting elsewhere, you name it. The only known exceptions were Tamura-san and Andou-san, whom went to the woods. Some time while they explored, they became separated from each other, likely due to Andou's free spirited nature." The amnesiac suddenly turned to Ichijou, asking, "Please continue."

The Luckster gasped, a little surprised, "Eh?" Looking around at the expectant eyes of the others, he cleared his throat, going over a few things in his head. "Alright, let's see..." he muttered.

After one more moment, he finally began, "While Andou wandered the forest, she probably came across the Cabin-"

"Oh oh oh, not so fast," Sanada interrupted. Ichijou gave him a sour look, and the Debater explained, "What was happening at the Cabin before Andou arrived?"

"Uh..." Ichijou mumbled, hesitating. Regaining his thoughts, he continued, "Oh right! The Culprit was at work, gathering the things we found at the Cabin for whatever reason. They went to the Cabin first, and waited until Moriko came along."

Yokozuna interrupted, "Oh yeah! What was-"

Kasumi stopped her, suggesting, "Excuse me, Yokozuna-san, would you please hold that thought until Ichijou finishes?"

After a moment, Yokozuna nodded, "Okay, I guess..."

Grateful, Ichijou nodded, before continuing, "So, Moriko came along, and the Culprit grabbed her, hit her on the head, and chained her in the closet. Then they started the fire and left."

As Ichijou finished, Kasumi looked over to Yokozuna, who cleared her throat, beginning, "So, as I was saying, what was with the bird? How did the bird help kill Andou?"

Furugori added, "Something else was bothering me; Andou-san just...came along?"

Interrupted again, Ichijou looked to Kasumi. The girl saw his plea, and began, "I think the two questions answer each other."

"Eh? Really?" Yokozuna asked.

Kasumi nodded, "Did anyone really examine the bird?"

Ishihara grimaced, "I don't really like dead things..."

Minami remembered, however, "The bird's wing was broken."

Sanada nodded in understanding, "I see! I didn't notice myself. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to the scene."

Tamura gasped, realizing, "Of course: if Moriko-chan had heard the cries of a hurt bird, I think she would have gone to investigate." He was also sure to mention, "We didn't really get close to the Cabin though..."

Furugori continued, "Oh! You're saying that she came, hearing the bird, then got attack by that lamp?"

Kobayashi smirked, "The lamp just jumped out and got her?"

Furugori flushed, scratching the back of his head as he muttered, "Y-you know what I mean..."

Thinking back to his story, Ichijou cleared his throat, before continuing, "Anyway, so, the Culprit lured Andou to the scene with the bird, knocked her out with the lamp, and then moved her to the closet."

Ganaha entered the conversation, bringing up, "Oh yeah, it was kinda weird, wasn't it? Andou had the chain around her wrist, but it wasn't attached to anything. The rod thing would have been the only thing to tie it too, but it was broken."

Yokozuna suggested, "She broke it trying to escape!"

Nagasaki Ayumi mumbled, "Fire damage..?"

"Whoa whoa," Kobayashi said, as if onto something, "Maybe it was used to knock her out?"

Ichijou wanted to agree with Kobayashi, but he said, "Wait a minute, then why was the lamp bent?"

Sanada pointed out, "Well, if she was unconscious, Andou-san couldn't have broken the rod herself. That is, unless she woke up."

Minami added, "And I can't imagine the fire snapping it in half like that."

Furugori suggested, "Well, maybe the Culprit tried to use the lamp, but it didn't quite work, so they had to use the rod."

Kasumi furrowed her brow, grumbling, "Then what was the chain for? It certainly wouldn't do much good tying Moriko down to a broken piece of wood. Also, I'm no doctor, but I don't think she was struck twice."

Saruta concurred, "Indeed, I believe the only blunt trauma she sustained was one blow on the head."

Uzatei sighed, "This is getting strange."

Ichijou scratched his head, adding, "You could say that again..."

"This is getting strange..." Uzatei repeated. Kobayashi giggled as Ichijou pouted.

Uzatei shrugged, "You said I could!"

Minami cleared her throat loudly, reminding everyone why they were here. Kasumi nodded, "Thank you, Minami-san." A gloved hand at her chin, she began to think, before musing, "Was Andou knocked out before or after being put in the closet, or was she knocked out at all?"

"What do you mean?" Yokozuna asked, not understanding.

Kasumi elaborated, "Let's skip ahead a bit. When the fire started, how did it spread? How did Andou come to die?"

"She got burned up," Mikage said.

Sanada laughed, "Oh, the bird changes his tune?"

Mikage rolled his eyes, "Buzz off."

Kasumi nodded, "She did indeed get burnt up, but it's not impossible that she died by some other means."

"Hey, you were all ganging up on me for suggesting the same thing!" Mikage raged.

Tamura next to him, hands in his jumpsuit pockets, nodded, asking, "Yeah, he has a point. You going somewhere with this, Kasumi-san?"

Kasumi nodded, stating, "It's possible she could have suffocated."

Sanada's visible eye pierced her, as he demanded, "And the evidence? It would take longer for that to happen, but I don't think any of us here could predict how the fire burned. I think that if it would burn naturally, she may have suffocated, but it would take much longer than the time period in which we noticed it."

Minami nodded, "The fire did seem to start unusually quickly."

Saruta explained, "I had the best view, but I wasn't watching a clock. I'd say we noticed it around 5:10, judging by the amount of time it took me to descend the slope and reach the Ranger Station."

"5:10?" Minami repeated, turning her gaze on Uzatei, who avoided meeting the Contractor's eyes.

Kasumi let out another sigh, before suggesting, "Perhaps we should move on..."

Furugori frowned, "Why do we keep changing subjects, Kasumi-san?"

With a teasing smile, Kasumi reminded him, "You called me 'chan', earlier, didn't you?"

Furugori flushed, "Er, I-I c-could c-c-call you ch-ch-chan if you w-w-want."

Mikage snorted, "Whoa! Don't overheat on us, computer boy."

Ichijou noted, "He does have a point though..."

Kasumi explained herself, "Until we make some kind of a breakthrough, what choice do we have but to poke and prod at the case?"

"True..." Nagasaki muttered.

After a moment, Ichijou tried to take the lead, saying, "So, if we noticed the fire at 5:10, it must have started..."

Tamura shook his head, "It's pretty dry, and since it was started indoors, I imagine it was started at about 4:50. It would take a while to spread on the polished, hard wood."

Sanada nodded, "So Andou must have been knocked out for quite some time..." Realizing something, he suggested, "Perhaps she was knocked out by the lamp, then chained in the closet. Then, after a little while, she woke up choking, but managed to break free from the rod before she died."

Ishihara muttered, "Seems reasonable."

Turning his head, Sanada replied, "Does it now?"

"Eh?" Ichijou and Ishihara said at the same time.

Kasumi thought on it for a moment, before saying, "If Andou had woken sooner than expected, the Culprit would be in a hefty spot of trouble."

Kobayashi nodded, "It must have been started after five then, right? She wouldn't have time to react."

Kasumi shrugged, "I see no grounds to deny that. Let's keep that in mind as we move on."

"Changing the subject again, huh?" Ichijou mumbled, feeling there was more too discuss on that front.

Uzatei interrupted, "Excuse me. One thing I was curious about: how did the fire start?"

Ichijou opened his mouth, before mumbling, "Good question."

Ishihara asked, "Did anyone find any matches or something like that?"

Tamura shook his head, "No, not at the scene, and not in the Storage Unit either."

Yokozuna wondered aloud, "What other ways are there to start a fire?"

Nagasaki quickly muttered, "Flint and some other stones, friction, glass, a lighter..."

Ganaha noted, "We don't have a lighter either, do we?"

Saruta suggested, "There's the Kitchen, but the idea of getting a stick or something, setting it alight, and carrying it through the forest down to the Cabin seems quite risky.

Kasumi nodded, "They must have had some certain method of starting a fire."

Kobayashi wondered, "How about a friction fire? How would you do that?"

Uzatei grumbled, "That seems like an annoying waste of time..."

Nagasaki grunted, "H-hardly..."

Furugori wondered, "It doesn't seem likely though. If the Culprit took too long in starting the fire, they'd have to worry about Andou waking up, right?"

Nagasaki nodded, "It's time consuming, but otherwise reliable."

Minami pointed out, "And we didn't see any notable stones near the scene of the crime."

Ichijou mumbled, "So that leaves...the lens? How do you start a fire with a lens?"

Sanada explained, "You use it to focus light on a narrower point, producing enough heat to burn."

After a moment, Ichijou wondered, "Oh...would a pair of binoculars be able to do that then?"

Sanada raised an eyebrow, "Binoculars?"

Yokozuna said cheerily, "Oh! I saw them! They were under the bed! And all broken."

Sanada sighed, "Another piece of evidence I missed. Perhaps I should search with you next time, Kasumi-san."

Finally, Minami answered, "No, I don't think the binoculars were used to start the fire. The plastic blocks too much light, and the lens is facing the wrong way..." Realizing something, she added, "But: a lens taken from a broken pair of binoculars..."

Uzatei asked, "Were they broken?"

Ichijou nodded, "Yeah, they were! So that's how the fire started."

Tamura noted, "Oh! And the Culprit could have just taken the lens with them. It's small, easy enough to pocket. That's probably why we didn't find it."

Looking over at Kasumi, Mikage scoffed, "How long have you known?"

The girl shrugged, "I had my hypotheses, Naoki-kun."

Uzatei shook his head, "Using a lens to start a fire sounds even worse than using friction!"

Fully aware that the sun was basically a large ball of gas and fire, Ichijou mumbled, "Eh?"

Ganaha grumbled, "He's kinda right though. It would take a while! Wouldn't it?"

Nagasaki shook her head, "With some dry grass or paper, you could do it fairly quickly."

Uzatei clapped his hands together, "There we are! Nice job everyone."

"Moving on..." Kasumi suggested.

Thinking about something, Ishihara asked, "Hey, Kasumi-san, did you get a chance to see that plastic bottle?"

Kasumi shook her head. Curious, she asked, "Where was it?"

Remembering, Ichijou answered, "Under the window."

Kasumi verified, "The large one in the large bedroom?" Ichijou nodded.

Nagasaki queried, "And...what was in it?"

Furugori shook his head, replying, "It was empty, and half melted."

Yokozuna asked, "Well...what was in it? Like before? How many plastic containers are here?"

Tamura wondered, "They'd be in the Kitchen, maybe?"

Saruta said, "It didn't come from the Medical Building, that's for certain."

Minami asked, "There were no odd stains at the scene either... Wait, Nagasaki-san said she smelled something."

The Survivalist nodded, "It's didn't smell like...a normal wood fire."

"Perhaps..." Sanada mumbled, before saying clearly, "Monokuma! Would you allow us to quickly go investigate the original home of the bottle?"

Monokuma shrugged, "Nah, figure it out for yourselves."

Ganaha pouted, "That's not fair..."

Monokuma growled, "Course it is! I say something, every one of you listens. Perfectly fair!"

Kasumi bit, "Except the Sixteenth Student."

"Shush you!" Monokuma grumped.

Ishihara scratched his head, ignoring the bear and saying, "Maybe we should just quiet down a think about it? Why would someone want to bring a liquid to a fire?"

Uzatei suggested, "Water? To put it out? Or keep it from spreading too far, or in a way the Culprit didn't desire?"

Ichijou mumbled, "The only other thing would be...if it wasn't to stop the fire, it would be to help it, right?"

Kasumi gasped, "Of course."

After a moment of silence, Mikage asked, "You gonna tell us your epiphany there?"

Tamura guessed, "You're thinking about oil, right?"

Kasumi nodded, explaining further, "It would allow the Culprit more control over the fire: they could control how fast and far it burns." Thinking on it, she suggested, "Perhaps the circumstances of Andou and the closet might become clearer with oil in the equation. For example, perhaps what happened was that Andou was successfully knocked out with the lamp, but woke up after being chained up in the closet. She then tried to break out, but the fire had already spread to the other side of the closet door by a clever application of oil. She would have been trapped. It also substitutes paper or dry grass as something that burns easily for starting the fire."

Tamura asked, "But when did they grab it?"

Ishihara suggested, "They probably got it after lunch, there was probably a little while when no one was there. I left, so..."

After a moment, Saruta noted, "Well, I imagine they weren't too liberal with the use: if they spread it too closely, they might not have had a chance to escape, and we'd have two Victims on our hands."

Ishihara noted, "Yeah, it seems reasonable, but...I dunno, there's a few too many maybes and what-ifs..."

Minami concurred, "I don't disagree."

Ganaha shrugged, "Fine, let's just change subject again!"

Ichijou suggested, "Maybe we should talk about where the Culprit went after the murder?"

Yokozuna replied, "Sure, why not?"

Without a moment's hesitation, almost as if he were bursting to say it, Sanada repeated what he'd said earlier, "I do believe that, once the fire was started, no one went up the slope to the First Level until after the announcement. It would be quite risky for our Culprit, no? How would they look, fleeing from the fire, running into someone else? It would be much more reasonable to hide in the Ranger Station, forest, or Auditorium, and claim ignorance."

Tamura nodded, "That leaves me, you, Uzatei-san, and Kobayashi-chan."

Mikage demanded, "Okay, alibi's, let's hear 'em."

Minami looked over to Tamura, pointing out, "You were the last to see Andou."

The ASCAN flinched, before nodding, "Yes, I was. Like I said, we were separated. I don't have an alibi: I wandered the forest until around dinnertime when I decided to head back. I heard some of the others calling me and went to investigate. You know the rest."

Yokozuna looked over to Sanada, asking, "And what about you?"

The Debater explained, "I went to the Auditorium sometime after four, where I was until Kobayashi fetched me about an hour later."

Kobayashi Nagisa added, "I saw you around 4:30, I didn't see you head into the Auditorium though."

Sanada raised an eyebrow, "And where were you?"

"The Ranger Station! Just relaxing, you know. It's kind of out of the way, but not enough to be too much of an issue," Kobayashi explained.

Furugori pointed out, "In the time before the murder, you were just not doing anything?"

Kobayashi seemed a bit taken aback for a moment, when Uzatei stepped in, saying, "Now now. The fire started after five, but I went to the Ranger Station at 5:05, and there she was. How did she cross the distance from the Cabin to the Ranger Station in five minutes?"

Furugori conceded, "Oh, good point."

Minami butted in, "Now that we're on that subject. What brought you to the Ranger Station?"

Becoming a little nervous, Kobayashi sputtered, "Er, we just bumped into each other..."

"Not what I asked," Minami pointed out with a grumble.

Uzatei swallowed, before answering truthfully, "We promised to meet up beforehand."

Kobayashi gave an unladylike snort of surprise, before hissing, "Why!?"

Uzatei shrugged, "It slipped. It was just a quiet meeting between friends, no need to overact."

Noticing Kobayashi's nervousness, Ichijou pressed the point, asking, "Couldn't you meet up anywhere? Why the Ranger Station?"

Sanada noted, "You did say it was rather out of the way."

Uzatei and Kobayashi kept shooting each other glances. Mikage looked between the pair, before beginning to snigger at them.

Noticing, Yokozuna asked, "What's so funny?"

Smiling, Mikage laughed, "What, isn't it obvious?" The others looked around in silence, causing Mikage to frown, "Really?" Scratching his head, he suggested, "What reason would a young boy and a girl have to meet in a private, out of the way location?"

Ganaha's eyes widened in realization, and she muttered, "Don't tell me..." After a moment, she cried out, "Auuuuugh I've seen this befoooooore!"

Kobayashi suddenly blurted, "But we've only done it once!" The ensuing silence was deafening, only broken when Kobayashi clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Gyahahahaha!" Monokuma suddenly burst into laughter. He snorted, "And to think you just met yesterday!"

"Th-that came out wrong!" Kobayashi tried to explain, turning redder.

Kasumi, hand over her face, muttered, "Just say it right and save yourselves the embarrassment!"

Uzatei jumped in, explaining, "We were enjoying each other's company, but the only intimacy that happened was a bit of kissing..."

"Called it," Mikage said with amusement.

"You didn't call anything," Sanada insisted.

Nagasaki frowned with a bit of displeasure, "L-lewd."

Thinking about it, Saruta said, "If you met at 5:05, and I estimate I noticed at 5:10...Ishihara called a short while before then..."

Monokuma began laughing again, asking, "You just slip and fall on his lips, Kobayashi!?"

Face still burning red, Kobayashi snarled, "Shut up!" Clutching at her head, she groaned, "Can we just stop talking about this? Please!?"

Uzatei frowned at Kobayashi, "Was I that bad?" Sanada and Mikage could no longer hold their amusement in, the former holding his hand over his mouth as he shook with light chuckles, the latter roaring as he slamming his fist on his podium. Uzatei pouted, "Now I'm confused: what's so funny?"

"They're pricks! That's what's funny!" Kobayashi snarled.

"I think that's quite enough," Kasumi stepped in (though for perhaps the slightest of moments, Ichijou could have sworn he saw the edge of her lips twitch).

Furugori nodded, "Yeah, I think the point is that they're innocent."

"Yet so very guilty," Sanada chortled.

Ichijou noticed as Tamura looked away awkwardly. He didn't want to think the ASCAN had done it, but...

Minami honed in on the ASCAN, growling, "So, Tamura-san: do you have any evidence that can clear your name."

Ryunosuke said nothing, clearly in deep thought. After a moment, he lit up, smiling, "I do, as a matter of fact. How could I have started the fire if I took nothing to the lower level with me but the jumpsuit on my back and Andou?"

Sanada asked, "So, when did you separate from Andou-san? You must have some guess: I'd be quite surprised if an Astronaut Candidate, say, couldn't estimate time based on the location of the sun in the sky, and it was quite clear today."

Tamura swallowed, sweating a bit as he tried to remember. "Don't keep us waiting!" Ganaha said, keeping pressure on him.

"Th-three, three thirty. Around then," Tamura said.

Ishihara grimly replied, "That's more than enough time to go get the things you needed and go back down."

Tamura shook his head, "No! Sanada-san said no one went back up."

"Ah ah ah!" Sanada chided. Explaining himself, he said, "That was in the context of escaping the fire. We are now discussing a wider time period before then." He smiled condescendingly, musing, "Trying to twist my own words...you have another thing coming." Tamura looked away again, silent. Sanada frowned, disappointed, "No?"

Yokozuna summarized, "So, Tamura-san left Andou alone in the forest, got the things to start the fire, lured her into the Cabin with the bird, and then went back out into the forest?"

Realizing something, Ichijou said, "Hey! That can't be right!" as eyes turned to him, he explained, "Why would Tamura need to catch and wound a bird to lure Andou to the Cabin? Couldn't he just say something like, 'I wonder if there's anything here we could use?'"

As Tamura took a breath of relief, Kobayashi clapped her hands together, saying, "Good point!"

Sanada shook his head, "Not necessarily. It's possible he could have planted the bird there beforehand."

Kasumi wondered aloud, "How long would it take to set up the crime scene, plant the bird, and find Andou again? In the time spent away from the Cabin, she might have found and helped the bird before Tamura could return, no?"

Sanada was quiet for a moment, before admitting, "You got me there."

Ishihara looked over at him, asking, "Why are you being so adamant against Tamura?"

Minami noted, "It's obvious, isn't it?"

Ichijou nodded, looking over at the Debater, "With all the possibilities removed, there's only one option left."

Monokuma interrupted, "Voting time?"

Sanada frowned, "Not even going to give me a chance?" Monokuma was silent.

Uzatei admitted, "Well, I suppose we should..."

Monokuma replied, "If I feel you guys have nothing meaningful left to discuss, I'll get this crap over with. In the meantime, continue!"

Sanada nodded, "Fine, fine." Looking around in thought, he decided, "Well, let's be fair. Would I go into the forest with a nice suit like this? It didn't come cheap, you know." He fanned out his navy blue suit coat, showing it off.

Kobayashi shook her head, "You've got like, two more in you Lodge right?"

Sanada sighed, "True..." Looking over at Uzatei, he asked, "So, Fashion Designer, how did that turn out for you? Are the other outfits cheap copies of your work?"

Uzatei laughed, "You think I wear my own overpriced brands?" He stopped, and mumbled, "...Oh wait, we're on camera, aren't we?" Hardening his gaze, he said, "None of my clothes are particularly unique...wait that came out wrong."

Turning on the Debater, Kasumi demanded, "Stop trying to change the subject."

Sanada smiled, "Fair enough." Continuing, he said, "So, I claimed to go down a level about an hour before the fire was discovered, and Kobayashi claimed to see me at roughly the time I would have arrived at the lower level. Was there anything else you noticed about that time?"

Kobayashi thought for a moment, before saying, "I didn't really get a good look at you, I figured you were just wandering."

Narrowing his eyes, he suggested, "You couldn't say for certain whether or not I was holding a backpack?" Kobayashi shook her head and shrugged. Sanada studied her for a moment, before sighing, "Oh well. If there's nothing left to clear my name, or condemn me for certain...I'm at a loss."

Kasumi mumbled, "I can't say I'm confident about voting just yet, but still..."

Yokozuna nodded, "I don't wanna Flunk or get Punished whatever any of that is."

Mikage sighed, "Aw, don't worry your pretty little head over that nonsense." Nagasaki gave him a sour look, and the Farmer seemed to avoid her gaze.

Trying to think, Ichijou began to look around at the others, who were quiet as they thought. Leaning away from his podium, Ichijou wanted to check something. Looking down at Ishihara's shoes, they were covered in more ash than dirt, same with Kasumi's.

The girl, who had opened her mouth to say something, stopped, noticing Ichijou. "What are you looking at, Ichijou-san?"

The Luckster answered plainly, "Oh, your shoes."

Mikage laughed, "What? Why? Envy?"

Ichijou shook his head, "Well, no, I just noticed earlier that Yokozuna, Nagasaki, Tamura, Kobayashi, and Sanada had more dirt than ash on their shoes, while everyone else but Uzatei had more ash than dirt."

There was a brief silence as everyone looked around, checking their shoes. Kasumi herself didn't even bother, seeming to be in deep thought.

Tamura noted, "I don't think that's notable. I mean, I was in the forest all day."

Yokozuna nodded, "Yeah, me too. We were in the forest this morning, and then we investigated."

Furugori looked up from his shoes, before realizing, "Wait a minute...so you were in the forest, Sanada-san?"

Sanada shook his head, "The Auditorium floor it quite dirty, and I found myself pacing it numerous times."

Ichijou blinked, wondering, "Then...what about you, Kobayashi-san? Uzatei-san?"

Attention split between the two, whom recoiled under the gazes. Uzatei quickly rebuked, "Now now, I simply noticed they were dirty, and wiped them on the grass. I'm quite conscious about my looks, do you think I would want to track ash and dirt everywhere? How unsightly." As Ichijou looked over to Kobayashi, Uzatei quickly raised a finger, snapping, "And I don't think Kobayashi is any less innocent. We've already cleared our names."

Kobayashi grumbled, "Is it really that weird to have dirty shoes?"

Sanada nodded, smiling knowingly, "It is when you claim to have been in the fairly clean Ranger Station since around 4:30, before going into the Auditorium."

Kobayashi pouted, "The Auditorium wasn't that dirty at all!"

Kasumi sighed, "Now you're just denying facts..."

Kobayashi's eye twitched, and she looked around at the others, before saying, "Come on! Didn't I tell you? I have an alibi for past five o'clock! The Culprit had to have been there when the fire started!"

"Or did they?" Kasumi suddenly said, making the Park Tycoon choke on her words.

Nagisa gave a loud sigh, grumbling, "Now you're starting to sound like Sanada."

Kasumi retorted, "You're starting to sound nervous."

Kobayashi gritted her teeth, "You know what? You can find somewhere else to sleep tonight." Kasumi didn't offer a response, simply staying silent.

Feeling out of the loop, Ichijou asked, "Kasumi-san, what are you talking about?"

Minami grumbled, "You are being really smug, in an aggravating kind of way."

Kobayashi snarled, "She was like that when we were playing that board game earlier!"

That got a reaction out of the amnesiac, prompting her to respond, "I was not!" Regaining her composure, she said, "Come now, think. Instead of focusing on what was there at the Cabin, focus on what was not."

Ichijou considered the scene, but he was only able to think that there were many things not there. At the silence, Kasumi, unable to wait, finally began, "Yesterday, when Ichijou-san and I searched the building, it was between 5 and 6. At about the same time today, the fire started. However, there was one large difference between then and now. Do you remember, Ichijou-san?"

Not quite following, Ichijou answered, "The cicadas?" Kasumi nodded.

Unsatisfied, Uzatei asked, "Your point?"

Elaborating, Kasumi began, "Yesterday, when we reached the Cabin, all the doors and windows were closed except one, the window in the master bedroom. Through that one opening, the building was swarmed by cicadas. If the fire had been started after five, it would have been the same, no? And yet, there wasn't a single burnt or suffocated insect in the building: not in the cabinets, seat cushions, closet."

Getting a bit frustrated, Gahana grumbled loudly, "Cicadas in the Cabin? What cicadas!? How were we supposed to know about the cicadas!?"

Sanada shook his head, "No, I remember. She mentioned them being in the Cabin around the same time Monokuma told us about them."

Kasumi nodded, "Well, Kobayashi-san: how do you explain that?"

Gritting her teeth, the Park Tycoon snarled, "Who says I have too! Besides, they could have just flown out when the fire started, right?"

Looking over to Saruta, Kasumi asked, "And when we got to the Cabin, how many doors or windows were open?"

Saruta shook his head, "Just the one in the master bedroom." Tamura nodded as well, concurring.

Kasumi continued, "If the fire had started in the master bedro-

"If! If!" Kobayashi interrupted, before asking, "And what if it wasn't?"

Kasumi didn't blink as she continued, "Doubtful. What better place to get sunlight to start the fire than that open window? What room is closest to the closet door? The lamp, the broken binocularas... So much was in there, but not a single dead cicada. The bugs weren't there because the never approached the Cabin, as a result of the fire. Pointing her finger at Kobayashi, she insisted, "Your alibi holds no weight!"

Slamming her fists on the podium, Kobayashi snarled, "There's no proof!"

Kasumi shook her head, "Ichijou supplied the evidence: you're wearing it, remember?"

Eyes widening, Kobayashi glanced down at her boots, before stammering, "But, but...Sanada's shoes are the same! And Uzatei cleaned his. Isn't that more suspicious!?"

Uzatei frowned, mumbling, "Hey, trying to pin it on me..."

Kobayashi looked around in a panic, exclaiming, "N-no! I didn't mean too, Uzat-, er, hon-"

Still a bit disheartened, Uzatei asked, "Our little meeting...wasn't just to create your alibi, was it?"

Visibly shaking, Kobayashi quickly answered, "N-no! Of course n-not, hon-hon-hon...hon..." Her voice slowed, and she stopped, looking down, face displaying her despondence.

As she went silent, Mikage asked, "So? Now what's her deal?"

Kasumi began, "Perhaps we should go over everything from the beginning?" Tightening her gloves on her hands, Kasumi began, "After the incentive was given and lunch finished, our Culprit went into action. Knowing Andou Moriko and Tamura Ryunosuke were going to be in the forest, they began to plot. Taking a backpack from the Storage Units, she gathered a pair of binoculars, a chain, and some locks, before sneaking into the Kitchen and stealing some oil. Having what they needed, they headed into the forest, unaware that they were tracking dirt on their boots. Reaching the Cabin, they began to set up the murder, putting the chain in the closet, smashing the binoculars, and preparing the oil. Then, they wounded and captured the bait: a bird. Injuring its wing, the left it in the master bedroom and waited."

"Andou, hearing the bird's cries, came to the Cabin sometime before 5:00, having separated from Tamura. Entering, she came up to the second floor, trying to find the bird, when the Culprit attacked her with the lamp, hitting her on the head and disabling the small girl. Then, they dragged her over to the closet and chained her up, ensuring she couldn't escape. The Culprit then spread the oil throughout the house, to control the fire, before tossing the bottle outside. The blaze was started with the lens from the binoculars, which began to burn as the Culprit fled the scene. At 5:00, the cicadas began to unearth themselves, but by then, the fire had already spread enough to block the window, and none of the bugs infested the Cabin."

"Andou awoke in the closet, before her death, but it was too late. By the time she broke the rod she'd been chained too, the fire had spread to the closet door, no doubt heating the handle, trapping her inside. Unable to do anything, Andou had no choice but to accept her fate. Meanwhile, the Culprit had trekked through the forest, having reached the Ranger Station, where Uzatei joined them a short while later, giving them an alibi."

"But that alibi doesn't quite hold up, does it, Kobayashi Nagisa?" Kasumi queried.

Eye twitching, face full of fear, Kobayashi continued to look around the Courtroom. Seeing Uzatei, still hopeful for an answer, she spoke, "I...I...met with you because...I..." Slumping, she admitted, "I needed an alibi." Uzatei gave her a look, before letting out a forlorn sigh and turning away from her.

Frowning, Kobayashi tried to offer an apology, saying, "I-I still kind of l-like you-"

"Man, this is getting hard to watch. Let's call it a night, shall we? It's voting time!" Monokuma cheered. Ichijou noticed his screen change as Monokuma explained, "Just press the ugly mug of the person you think is the Culprit!"

Ichijou looked down at his screen, seeing fifteen faces and one dark gray spot in the shape of a human head. One of them was colored light gray, and a quick look made Ichijou realize it was Andou. Looking around, he found Kobayashi's image, complete with the earrings, and pressed it, being a little surprised when it reacted to its touch, returning to the neutral screen with his name on it. After a few moments, the votes were cast. From behind Monokuma's chair, a multicolored wheel with an arrow pointing inwards at the circle on a telescoping rod rose, angling down so everyone could see it, each colored slice having a name on it, except the red one, which read 'Sixteenth Student'. It began to spin, the colors blending as it sped up. After a moment, it began to wind down, the arrow pointing on Kobayashi's white colored name on the dark pink section of the wheel. Monokuma spoke, "Well, we're off to a great start, with every vote unanimous. And...Kobayashi Nagisa is indeed our Culprit! Talk about a wild ride of a murder! Almost had some people thrown for a loop."

Ishihara beamed, "Whoa, Kasumi-san, that was good!"

Still disgruntled, Minami demanded, "How long were you planning on keeping us waiting? We could have solved this ages ago."

Kasumi insisted, "I had to wait for just the right moment. There were still some things I was foggy on."

Kobayashi snorted, "Way to cut through it, huh, you damn..."

Ichijou blinked, before mumbling, "Fog...cut..." Putting them together, he could only think of one equivalent term, "Kirigiri?" Those in ear shot gave him a look as he shrugged, "Just popped into my head."

Kasumi sighed, "You said that about my name as well..."

Sanada shrugged, "Well, it does sound something like a name, a surname even!"

Kasumi frowned, "I'm not some pet."

"Kirigiri Kasumi...kinda rolls off the tongue!" Ichijou smiled.

The newly dubbed Kirigiri grumbled, "Fine. I suppose it doesn't sound too bad..."

Furugori shrugged, "I-it suits you."

Uninterested, Ganaha mumbled, "Are you guys done?"

Saruta noted, "I think our Culprit should offer an explanation."

Ishihara nodded, "You came up with that idea pretty quick..."

Kobayashi frowned, arms crossed over here chest. Tamura glared at her, crying out, "Why? Why Andou? Why Moriko-chan?"

Joining in, Yokozuna cried, "You're awful!"

Nagisa gritted her teeth, hissing, "Why do you think? It was be bored to death or try to get out. And getting something, or someone, a little extra on the side didn't hurt either. I've had that idea since yesterday, and then I got the opportunity today...but if I'd spent a little while longer working out the kinks..." Snarling, she added bitterly, "And don't pretend any of you actually care! We've been stuck here two days! You only solved this 'mystery' because you thought it was fun, Kasumi, Kirigiri, killjoy, whatever the hell you want to call yourself. Prancing around, acting so much smarter than everyone." Kasumi didn't deny or agree, simply giving the Park Tycoon a hard look.

Ichijou stated, "Calm down, Kobayashi-san!"

"Calm down!? I'm a murderer! I get stuck in in this crap situation and do just about the worst thing anyone can do! I didn't see that body, but..." Kobayashi paused, shuddering.

Sanada sneered, "Oh, you're apologetic now that you've been ousted..."

Kobayashi looked away, still bitter. Monokuma butted in, "Well, I'm done waiting. It's Punishment time! You should probably empty your pockets."

Swallowing with nervousness, the Park Tycoon reached into the inside of her vest, pulling out her ElectroID and a binocular lens, which had no doubt been used to start the fire that took Andou's life. Starting to get a little anxious, Kobayashi asked, "Wh-what's Punishment time again?"

After a moment, Monokuma chortled, "Upupupu." His laugh became a bit louder, intensifying and increasing until he was practically rolling in his seat, "Gyaaaaaahahahahahahaha!"

KOBAYASHI NAGISA HAS BEEN DECLARED GUILTY OF MURDER

PREPARING EXECUTION...

Before the Park Tycoon could react to the Headmaster's ominous laugher, the steel door opposite the elevator creaked open. Once it had been cracked open slightly, a claw on a chain snapped out, lashing itself around Kobayashi's waist. It wasted no time in pulling her into the Execution Chamber, where she was pulled into what appeared to be a black and white roller coaster car. A red mechanism came from above and locked her into place. Her nervous seemed to fade, especially as Monokuma hopped into the seat next to her with a brown bag on his back, getting locked in as well, though she didn't exactly seem pleased either.

Rumble in the Iron Jungle

The roller coaster creaked to a start as it began to crawl up the steel track, the alternating black and white paint chipped and flaking. The car also occasionally rattled ominously, pushing Kobayashi into nervousness once again. She gripped her red safety guard as the coaster ascended to a great height. At it peaked, and began to head down, there was an uncomfortable lurch in the car, and it began to fall, picking up speed rapidly. It shook and jostled as it roared down the track, taking turns and bends roughly, before doing a harrowingly small loop. As it seemed to come off the tracks for a moment, and Nagisa began to become afraid.

The coaster car began to rise, taking a spirally track straight upward. Rather than slow, it sped up, accelerating. Kobayashi eyes spun as she got dizzy, and she failed to notice Monokuma's escape, as the safety guard was released and he hopped off the coaster, his brown bag unfurling into a parachute. Kobayashi spun and spun until the car shot off the track like a bullet, shooting straight upwards, spinning, the last car attached spiraling out to the side. The whole car began to slow, the plummet, turning gentle as it crashed back into the rickety roller coaster. Rusted screws popped, rails bent, and a sizable part of it collapsed, crashing down around the roller coaster car. Some distance away, Monokuma's parachute came to a stop, and the bear came onto the ground unharmed, letting out a cheer and jumping into the air as a dust cloud rose from the wreckage.

The Students in the Courtroom, having seen every second, stood silent, mouths agape or covered in shock as the door closed and Monokuma returned to his seat. Looking around at the 13 left, the bear shrugged, giving an exasperated, "Well, sooooorry I didn't say something earlier. You can't be that surprised, can you?"

Ishihara shook his head disbelievingly, "So 'Punishment' is...death?"

Saruta, though mostly calm, said with a bit of worry, "Then to 'Flunk' is..?"

"Death!" Monokuma laughed.

Horrified, Ganaha realized, "Then if we were wrong, we'd have..."

"All died. Come on, wasn't it obvious? What part of the 'Mutual' in 'Game of Mutual Killing' didn't you understand? Are you really so shocked at the death penalty? Isn't it better to just have murderers get snuffed out too? A fitting end, I'd say!" Monokuma explained.

Arms crossed over her chest, her voice contemplative, Yokozuna noted, "Not that I disagree, but..."

Kirigiri shook her head, "That was just...inhumane."

Monokuma shrugged, "So? Who cares how the job gets done. This way was more fun anyway." Looking over at Ichijou, he added, "Besides, didn't you say you wanted to check out a roller coaster?"

The Luckster swallowed, looking away, grimacing. He muttered, "There has to be a better way..."

Monokuma disagreed, "Eh, nah. This is about as good as it gets!"

Uzatei twitched, "You disgusting bear. Tell me, do you have one of these monstrosities for each of us?"

"Of course!" Monokuma laughed. "In other words, if you have the guts to kill someone, you better do it right!" he added. Waving them away, he demanded, "Now get gone. See you next time, kids!"

Crestfallen and frightful, the Students trudged over to the elevator, loading up. One, however, stopped. Ichijou watched as Kasumi quickly slipped Kobayashi's ElectroID into her pocket, entering the elevator last, just before the fence gate creaked shut, and the Elevator began to rumble upwards.

Sanada muttered, "I suppose we really shouldn't be surprised. Like he said, this is a Game of Mutual Killing. The stakes are high, no?"

Minami grunted, "Which only makes the fact that Kirigiri toyed around with everyone even worse."

Noting the tone of her voice and the lack of any honorific, Ichijou retorted, "Don't give her a hard time! If not were her, we'd have all..." Ichijou stopped, shuddering at the very thought.

Mikage snorted, "I agree with Minami though. Screw this Trial bullcrap. There's no sense in messing around."

Nagasaki nodded quietly in agreement, and Ganaha added, "Seconded."

Yokozuna admitted, "Well, Kasumi-chan, why did you hide it? Mitsuzi-kun was the only one who could have known."

Sanada figured, "Reasonably known, at least."

Ichijou admitted, "Even I didn't think about it."

Kirigiri muttered, "I...wanted to say something to you and Minami-san earlier, but...I didn't. I don't know why I didn't either." Trying to explain herself better she said, "But us dying if we failed, that was something I didn't know! If I had..."

As the elevator came to a halt, Minami said, "Well, we'll see, won't we?"

Ishihara shook his head, "We don't want another murder to happen!"

Uzatei said grimly, "Of course we don't, but we shouldn't discount the possibility..."

The dark thought lingering in everyone's minds, most of the students headed back towards the Lodges. There hadn't been a nighttime announcement, but the sky was dark and starry, but the sound of cicadas on the lower level implied it was sometime between eleven and twelve. The only ones to stay back were Kirigiri, whom still stood on the elevator, and Ichijou, who had noticed, and hung back. When the girl saw Ichijou, she left the elevator, approaching, saying, "You don't need to worry about me, Ich-...Mitsuzi-kun."

Ichijou smiled, "Huh? I know you'll be fine. You're stronger and smarter than me, at least." Smile fading, he turned and took a look skyward, trying to find the moon. Luckily, the waxing white light was easy to spot, uncovered by clouds.

Kirigiri shook her head, "You impressed me though: I certainly didn't think the states of our shoes would be important."

Ichijou shrugged, "I don't know why it caught my eye. I wasn't sure why Nagasaki and Yokozuna's shoes were more dirty than Minami's until the Trial, but I think Sanada's were what made me want to check Kobayashi's and Uzatei's."

Kasumi smiled, "Well, if there's ever another case in the future, your help may be needed." Ichijou returned the smile, and she added, "And thank you...for the name. Kirigiri...I like it. I fits with my broken ElectroID too." Ichijou grinned wider, holding his arms behind his head. She quickly noted, "But please, continue to call me Kasumi."

Ichijou snapped to attention and gave a mock salute, "Understood, Kasumi-chan!"

The girl gave another smile as she finally took off her gloves and untied her hair, noting, "You know, your optimism is quite infectious. Keep it up, Mitsuzi-kun." As she turned away, she was unable to see Ichijou's light frown, the Luckster going after her back to the Lodges, trailing the others.

As they approached, Ichijou noticed that the Restaurant and Storage Units were closed, shutters over the Restaurant windows, the doors on the Storage Units shut tight. As they reached the Lodges, Kirigiri bid farewell, going off to Kobayashi's Lodge while Ichijou went to his own. Entering, he suddenly felt drowsy as he moved towards his bead, turning of the lights and plopping down on the comfy mattress. Before he drifted away, the faces of Kobayashi and Andou flashed through his mind, keeping him awake for a longer than he would have liked. He dwelled on those two for several minutes until exhaustion finally took him.

Several hours later, in another Lodge, Kirigiri Kasumi had found herself drifting in and out of sleep. It was a bit after three when she got weary of it and exited the bed, only wearing her skirt and one of Kobayashi's blouses, having been unwilling to wear the black and white pajamas unless they were clean. Thirsty, she began to head for the bathroom, but stopped, remembering the water was shut off. Disgruntled, she decided she'd find water somewhere. Donning her blazer and shoes, she stepped outside, the air slightly refreshing, though not chilly; just a bit cooler than her air conditioned room. Looking over to the Restaurant, it was shuttered, which meant she wasn't going to be finding any refreshment from there. Remembering the Medical Building, she knew there was a sink inside. Hoping the water wasn't shut off there too, she headed across the grassy clearing, reaching the Building with no trouble. She half expected to see Saruta sitting at the desk like normal, but the room was empty. Heading over to the sink, she turned the faucet...and nothing happened. Frowning, she tried to think, the only thing coming to mind being the mini-fridge in the Ranger Station. It was quite a walk, but perhaps it would tire her out and allow her to sleep better.

Heading down, Kirigiri arrived at the Station in good time, heading to the second room and going for the fridge. Opening the door, she lit up as she saw a water bottle. Reaching in and snatching it, her mood fell, as she could feel that it was simply hollow plastic. Pulling it out, there was barely any left, just a few drops on the bottom: not even worth drinking. Placing it on top of the empty fridge, she closed the door, before going back to the upper level, defeated. As she left the Station, she realized that the one who spent the most time there might have been Kobayashi. Perhaps she'd even emptied the bottle to give the illusion that she'd stayed there longer. If so, it was like she was spiting her from beyond the grave.

Kirigiri's heart sank as she thought of her. The Park Tycoon had let her stay safely under her roof, and Kasumi was beginning to feel as though she had effectively killed her. It was harsh, but she had to admit that it was better her than everyone else. But what if it had been Ichijou? Was any one life worth that of the others? She didn't want to think about that.

Her thoughts were interrupted in the ascent, however. As she came near the top of the cliff, the moonlight was suddenly blocked by someone at the lip of the cliff. Suddenly fearful, she looked at the figure blocking the light. She wasn't aware of it, but her jaw had dropped at the sight.

Standing in a dramatic pose, foot partly off the edge of the cliff, arm on his knee as he looked down, was a figure wearing a form-fitting gold full-body suit over his masculine frame. His hands and feet were donned by white gloves and boots. Around his waist was a red belt, and his torso was adorned by an ivory vest. Flowing from his back was a split red cape, the bulky part around his neck covering his shoulders. His head was covered in part of a jumpsuit as well, and his face was covered fully with a mask. A lower part of the mask protruded a bit, the black linework making it resemble a dragon's snarling snout. There were also two red spots, marking the sharp, intense eyes. Sprouting from the top of the mask were two gold horns. Though they made him look a bit demonic from the silhouette, Kasumi could guess the effect he was going for.

In a surprisingly deep, booming voice, he laughed, "Ha ha ha! Imagine my surprise when I see someone skulking, only for it to turn out to be Kirigiri Kasumi. Well met!" Pulling his foot back and fanning is arms out to the sides and rotating them, he proclaimed, "I am the Winds blowing from the East, that make evildoers shiver in fright! I am the one dubbed 'Super High School Level Justice' for my burning spirit in upholding peace where the arms of the law cannot!" Punching one fist forwards, the other staying balled at his side, he boldly proclaimed, "I am...Gold Dragon!"

CHAPTER 1 END

SURVIVORS: 14

Quite a few things going on this chapter! Gold Dragon appears and 'Kirigiri'...Kirigiri...doesn't that sound like the family name of 'Kirifuji' from my last fic!?

I kid, I kid. However, I will point out a bit of trivia you may or may not have known. Ichijou didn't pull the name out of thin air: in kanji, kirigiri means fog cutter, which is why it was chosen for Kirigiri Kyouko (apparently, my source is the wikia). Why it was chosen for Kirigiri Kasumi? Well, I can't say quite yet.

Now, there's an exploration next chapter, but after that we'll be having our first Free Times! There will be two each in chapters 2, 3, and 4. Andou and Uzatei already had them, Kobayashi sorta died, Ichijou, Kirigiri, and the Sixteenth Student are out of the running for various reasons, so choose wisely.

You can find the poll here: /1850880

Lastly, Design notes for the Chapter. If you were disappointed by the Trial, I don't blame you! I also have a bit more of my thoughts on the deceased. You can read more here: /JGP8SS87

Thank you for reading, see you next time!