"HOLD IT!" Monokuma shouted before his smile grew exponentially. "
Puhuhuhu! Good, good! This is already more entertaining! Now, the Ultimate Academy is proud to present its very own morphenomenal trial grounds!"
"Oh, the Scrum Debate?" Exisal Rin asked. "By the way, how is that going to work with me? Are you gonna lift me up into the air too?"
"Oh, no. Not even a little." Monokuma laughed at the notion. "You'll be sitting this one out, mister! Not only is your identity the topic of debate, but do you know how much it would cost to make something that could lift an entire Exisal up in the air? An amount way greater than the budget would allow! So you're grounded, mister!"
"Really? This is, like, the only cool part of the class trial. You're just trying to get back at me for being a pain in the ass, aren't you?"
"I refuse to comment," Monokuma smirked as he turned away from the Exisal.
"Killjoy." Exisal Rin grumbled.
"Anyway, it's time to kick it up a notch! Let's give it everything we've got!" Monokuma cheered as he took out his key and stuck it into the usual Scrum Debate slot to get things started.
Just like the previous times, the trial podiums began to glow before moving high into the air. Once in the air, the podiums split into two groups to settle the split opinion: 'Which one is dead?'. The first group was made up of Keebo, Rantaro, Kaede, and Tenko who were part of the group 'It's Rin!'. Meanwhile, Shuichi and Kirumi made up the second group of 'It's Kokichi!'.
"Scrum debate…START!" Monokuma shouted, kicking things off with a bang.
"Kokichi must be the one in the Exisal!" Kaede shouted adamantly, but Shuichi shook his head as he responded.
"Unless he comes out of the Exisal, we can't confirm that," Shuichi stated.
"It's not possible that Kokichi got crushed instead of Rin!" Tenko claimed, but Kirumi quickly countered.
"That cannot be proven since the hydraulic press can no longer be lifted. Anyone could be under there." The maid calmly said, but Rantaro was just as quick to give his own rebuttal.
"But Rin's jacket is under the press and has a knife tear in it." He remarked.
"Kokichi's clothes were flushed down the toilet to hide evidence and had knife tears, too!" Shuichi responded swiftly.
"Kokichi has to still be alive since the killing game is still happening!" Kaede argued.
"But Tsumugi also was the mastermind, but the killing game still continued after her death," Shuichi added.
"But it makes no sense for Rin to pretend to be Kokichi if he's in the Exisal." Keebo asserted.
"We won't know why unless we let Rin explain. For all we know, he had a good reason to pretend to be Kokichi." Kirumi replied.
"Kokichi was holding Rin prisoner, so he could have killed Rin whenever he wanted." Keebo then added.
"But Kaede brought Rin a weapon and a tool to break out of his prison, so Rin could have killed Kokichi!" Shuichi asserted right after.
"Rin only had a knife, though. Kokichi could have attacked him from afar with the throwing knives." Tenko pointed out but Shuichi shook his head.
"Kokichi wouldn't have had the throwing knives on him. It makes no sense for him to carry knives on him when he had the Exisal's control remote on him at all times." The detective insisted.
"But if that's the case, then how could Rin have possibly killed Kokichi when Kokichi had that remote? He could have called the Exisals to stop Rin." Rantaro immediately countered.
"But with the Electro Radar Kaede brought Rin, Rin could have disabled the wireless connection the remote had with the Exisal, leaving Kokichi defenseless." Kirumi shook her head.
"Why in the world won't you just accept that Rin's dead!?" Kaede yelled in utter confusion.
"Because there's not enough evidence to support the claim that Rin is dead! It could be either him or Kokichi! So until we find more evidence to prove it wrong, I'm going to believe that Rin is alive!" Shuichi declared with some much confidence, the other side couldn't find any more arguments to throw against him, ending the Scrum Debate right then and there. "This…is our answer."
"Y-You…You really think he's still alive?" Kaede asked in a weak voice as the podiums began to fly back down to ground level. "Shuichi. Is…Is it really possible Rin isn't dead?"
"...It is. With the evidence presented to us at the moment, it's entirely possible that Rin is dead, but it's just as possible that he's still alive. So until new evidence shows itself to disprove that, I'm going to believe he's alive. I can't…I won't accept the fact that someone like Rin is dead unless I see more evidence to the claim." Shuichi confidently said.
"I see. If that's the conclusion you've arrived at, Shuichi, then the least we can do is believe in you." Keebo nodded.
"Wait just a second! Even if we believe in Shuichi that Rin could still be alive and that he's the one in this Exisal, there's still a ton of answers we need to hear from him!" Tenko pointed out. "Like why in the world was he pretending to be Kokichi up until now?!"
"I second that. We deserve to hear why you tricked us for so long if it really is you in there, Rin." Rantaro frowned before shooting the Exisal a suspicious look. "Even if you are alive and in there, it's entirely possible that you are the culprit we're looking for."
"That's fair. As I told you before, I'll explain everything." Exisal Rin nodded before he began to explain. "Hmm…where to begin? I guess the very start would be the best."
"So it's just like Akamatsu said. I was stuck in the bathroom, and as I was brooding-Ahem! I mean, thinking about everything that had happened up 'til that point, I just so happened to see our resident pianist wandering around like a lost puppy. So I called out to her to get her attention. I figured if I was stuck in that tiny bathroom, instead of trying to figure out a way out myself, I could just ask someone outside to help." Exisal Rin began his explanation.
"L-Lost puppy?" Kaede let out an anxious, if a little self-deprecating, chuckle at that.
"That's when you asked Kaede to bring you a weapon and your Electro Radar," Keebo stated.
"That's right. I handed her my keys, since I guess Kokichi didn't bother taking them from me since I couldn't leave the bathroom. I then asked her to get me a weapon like a knife so I could disable Kokichi and my Electro Radar so I could disable the lock preventing me from leaving the bathroom." Exisal Rin nodded. "Once she handed those things off to me, I told her to go back to the dorms and planned my escape. I had initially planned on using the Electro Radar to disable the lock, or at the very least attempt to disable it. I wasn't actually sure if it would work, but it was worth a shot."
"Wait. What do you mean 'initially'?" Shuichi asked.
"Weeeeeeeell…funny story." Exisal Rin chuckled as the mech began rubbing the back of its head. "I didn't actually have to test that theory out since right before I was about to use the radar, Kokichi opened the bathroom door himself."
"H-He did?" Tenko asked with wide eyes.
"Yeah. Guess he figured he would check up on me or something. But that just gave me the perfect opportunity to attack him." Exisal Rin shrugged. "So before he could even realize what was happening, I ambushed him and stabbed him in his right arm. I tossed the knife away so he couldn't use it against me and so I wouldn't accidentally kill him before tossing him out of the bathroom. I tried pinning him down, but the little bastard is stronger than he looks, even while suffering an injury to his arm. He put up a good fight, but I managed to overpower him."
"Okay. I can see that happening, but that doesn't explain why you were pretending to be Kokichi in that Exisal." Rantaro pointed out.
"I was getting to that. You need to learn a bit more patience, Amami." Exisal Rin shot back, probably rolling his eyes from within the mech. "Right before I could do anything, Kokichi gave me an… ultimatum."
"Ultimatum?" Kirumi repeated with a deep frown.
"Yeah. I had no choice but to listen. That's why I had to pretend to be him using this Exisal. It was all on his orders." Exisal Rin revealed. "But now that we've gotten this far, I'd figured it was safe to finally reveal the truth to you all."
"The truth?" Shuichi repeated, somehow getting a bad feeling about this.
"Yep. The truth of this case." Exisal Rin said while spreading the Exisal's arms open for a grand pose as he spoke. "However, I don't think words would do it any justice. I think it's better to show you."
"Show? You mean you're finally going to come out of that Exisal?" Kaede asked.
"Nope. Even better." Exisal Rin told her before finishing in a much darker, serious tone. "I'm going to show you all evidence."
"Evidence?" Keebo bewilderedly asked.
"I know it's hard to believe everything I'm saying and what I'm about to say at face value, so that's why I prepared this!" Exisal Rin declared as he pulled out a small device from somewhere. "Dah-na-na-na-naaaaaaaaaa! A video camera! Kokichi said it came from the warehouse. I guess he brought it just in case something happened. Good thing he did, too. Thanks to that, I was able to film it so everyone could see it with their own eyes."
"S-See what?" Kirumi asked, finally looking nervous at what Rin was saying.
"Oh, you know… The moment the victim died…" Exisal Rin admitted.
"Wha-Wha-Wha-WHAT!?" Tenko recoiled at the abrupt and utter shock that reveal left. Everyone else was speechless or couldn't find words to speak with before Exisal Rin continued without missing a beat.
"Alright! Time to show you what really happened in the hangar! But fair warning: the following video is intended for mature audiences and contains Graphic Violence, Death, and Adult Content and Situations that are definitely not suitable for minors. Viewer discretion is advised. " Exisal Rin exclaimed before turning to Monokuma. "Hey! Monochrome bear bastard! Hook this baby up to the giant monitor so everyone can see it in glorious 4K and 60 fps, would you?"
"You don't get to tell me what to do!" Monokuma shouted…before eventually groaning and yanking the camera out of the Exisal's hand. "But fine! We can't exactly move on with the trial after such a bold declaration like that. Besides, this makes things way more interesting! These are my favorite types of indie flicks, too!"
With that, Monokuma hooked up the camera to the courtroom's monitor, and almost immediately afterward, the video began to play.
The video began by showing the hydraulic press slowly being lowered. And the one under the slab of metal…was Kokichi, shirtless and motionless as the device slowly approached him. For some reason, he was lying on top of Rin's jacket, which had a bloody knife tear in it, too.
Then, right as Kokichi was covered from view by the hydraulic press, there was a brief pause before–
SLAM!
The press slammed down, crushing Kokichi in an instant. Blood squirted out of the press like a crushed apple and flew several feet away from the press, leaving the scene the students had found when they had broken into the hangar.
Silence swallowed the trial grounds as everyone was left to stare at the monitor. Words could not begin to describe what had happened or what they were feeling. Confusion, disgust, anger, shock, and even hints of sorrow at seeing someone they had known for weeks be killed in such a brutal and needlessly cruel manner. It was only after several moments had passed that someone was finally able to speak up again, albeit in a weak, confused voice.
"...Huh?" Shuichi could only stand there completely agape as his eyes trembled at what he just witnessed. "What…just…?"
"K-Kokichi…?" Keebo muttered, his eyes stuck on the screen as his mouth slowly dropped at the utter confusion he was being slammed with.
It was finally Rantaro who managed to kickstart the group's energy again when he finally found the words to speak again.
"What the hell was that!?" He shouted, utterly appalled by the video.
"Th-That was horrible!" Kaede agreed as she visibly looked sick and had to steady herself against her podium's railing. "H-How…? Wh-Why…? Why would this…?"
"Th-That was…the moment…Kokichi got…got…got… Urk! I'm gonna be sick…!" Tenko retched as she turned away and started dry heaving at the sickening sight she was forced to see. Thankfully, she managed to keep it in, though just barely.
"..." Kirumi's usual calm was also broken, now replaced by a horrified look. But she wasn't looking at the screen where the video was shown.
She was looking at the Exisal beside her.
"By the way, just so you all know, this footage has not been doctored in any way!" Exisal Rin stated, ignoring the horrified and pale looks of the other students. "As you can see, this camera is a pretty old model. It only has the basic functions like play, record, and pause. You can't edit anything on it, so the video couldn't be changed after recording it. And I obviously didn't upload the video onto a computer to edit it, either. Right, Monokuma?"
"..." Monokuma didn't reply to that. Instead, he kept his gaze on the monitor before silently turning to the Exisal with a blank, neutral expression.
"Oh! Are you worried that answering me would break the rules? You don't have to worry about that. You're the judge, after all! You need to keep things fair and impartial, and answering this is necessary for a fair discussion." Exisal Rin told the bear.
"I see!" Monokuma finally replied before his neutral face was switched out with his usual twisted smile. "If it's necessary for a fair discussion, then I will answer! No trace of that footage was found on any of the computers inside the academy!"
"Just like I said! Since it wasn't connected to any computer, editing the footage would have been absolutely, one hundred percent IMPOSSIBLE!" Exisal Rin exclaimed confidently. "Which means that this footage is absolutely. One hundred percent. Real!"
"...If that's the case…then it would seem our suspicions can be lifted." Keebo began in a tired, sorrowful voice. "The body we found inside the hangar, crushed in the hydraulic press, is definitely Kokichi!"
"So…Kokichi really is dead?" Tenko asked, her face still a bit green even after she finally stopped herself from nearly hurling. "Why…do I feel so terrible about that? Why…do I feel awful knowing Kokichi died in such a terrible way like that."
"Because no one deserves to die like that." Kaede grimaced. "No one. Not even someone as terrible as Kokichi. He…didn't deserve to go out like this, even with how he was."
"But no matter how we might feel about it, we can't deny it anymore." Rantaro clenched his fists as he spoke. "Kokichi is dead. That's the truth of this case."
"See? I told you guys I was the one still alive!" Exisal Rin shouted. "Man, you guys were completely fooled! You really fell for that red herring, didn't you?"
"Yes, we certainly did fall for it. But now that we have seen that video, we can definitively say without a doubt that the culprit…is you." Keebo declared sadly as he pointed to the Exisal.
"Oh? How come?" Exisal Rin asked, not seeming fazed by the accusation.
"You filmed the moment the victim died, which means you were present at the scene. As the person who filmed this footage, you're the only one who could be the culprit!" Keebo declared.
"But if the culprit shot the video, why would they go out of their way to show it to–" Shuichi began to ask, but he never got to finish when the Exisal interrupted him with a shocking statement.
"That's right. You got me. Good job piecing it all together." Exisal Rin told them in a deathly serious voice. "I am the blackened you all were looking for. I am the culprit. The one who murdered Oma."
"...What?" Kirumi let out a terribly weak whisper, nearly having lost all of the strength in her voice at the confession.
"I said I'm the culprit." Exisal Rin repeated himself in a relaxed, nonchalant voice.
"B-But…why?" Tenko asked, unsure how she should react anymore.
"I already told you why. Because Kokichi ordered me to." Exisal Rin explained.
"H-He…ordered you to kill him like that?" Kaede asked in pure bewilderment.
"Yeah. Pretty twisted, isn't it, but that's just how Oma was. He was the kind of person who wanted his own death to be entertaining and a major pain in the ass for us. Fucking bastard." Exisal Rin grumbled out a curse. "When he saw how I was about to ruin his plans by escaping, he figured he'd pull out his last trump card, I guess. He told me that if I didn't listen, he would have Monokuma and the Exisals kill everyone, and that once it started, I wouldn't be able to stop it. That's why I had to listen to him and go along with his murder plan. A murder plan for his own murder."
"H-He planned for all of this? His own murder?" Shuichi asked.
"Apparently. He also mentioned how if I didn't follow his plan to the letter, Monokuma would automatically go into a killing frenzy. It was some kind of trigger that would go off if Kokichi didn't die exactly how he told me to kill him, or if I ignored his orders at all." Exisal Rin added.
"And you believed him?" Rantaro asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Would you want to test to see if he was bluffing or not? You saw what he could do with the Exisals and everything else under his control as the Mastermind. If I called his bluff, there was a very real chance you all would have suffered for it, and I couldn't risk that." Exisal Rin sighed. "So…I listened, and killed Kokichi exactly how he wanted. He wanted to die in a way that would hide the victim's identity to make the trial exciting, so I crushed him under the press. I then pretended to be him using this Exisal to further confuse you guys. That's what happened."
"But…why are you telling us this now?" Keebo asked.
"Because I already did everything he wanted, so I don't have to keep playing his game anymore. I stalled for long enough. So it's time to end this trial." Exisal Rin told them. "So go ahead. Vote for me. I won't be upset. You need to vote for me if you want to survive, so survive."
"But…if we vote for you, then you'll–"
"I've already accepted that I'll die. If I wanted to live, I would have just let Kokichi kill you all, or just sacrifice you all by winning the trial." Exisal Rin insisted. "I've been ready for this for a long time now, so I'm perfectly fine with an ending like this. I'm ready for it."
"Then…is this okay?" Tenko asked. "Is it really okay to vote for Rin?"
"It is. So go on and just–"
"I am the culprit."
"H-Huh?" Tenko gasped as she and everyone else turned to the person who just spoke.
"Kirumi?" Rantaro began in a tense voice. "Could you repeat that? I'm not sure I heard that correctly."
"I-I…think she just–" Keebo began to say before Kirumi cut him off.
"I am the culprit." The maid declared. "I am the one who killed Kokichi Oma."
"Wh-What!? What is going on!? Why are you confessing now?!" Kaede yelled as she pleaded for a proper explanation.
"Because I cannot accept this," Kirumi replied with a frown aimed at the Exisal beside her. "I refuse to let someone else try to excuse me for my own crime."
"You mean…Rin is just covering for you?" Shuichi questioned.
"I don't know what Tojo is talking about. Why would I lie for her?" Exisal Rin scoffed. "I already told you what happened. I killed Kokichi. Why are you doubting me?"
"Rin is lying. He did not kill Kokichi. I did." Kirumi once again stated, gaining more confused looks from the others.
"What…should we do?" Keebo eventually asked.
"With both of them confessing to the crime, we can't vote until we determine which one is telling us the truth," Rantaro said.
"But how do we do that?" Tenko asked.
"We don't have any other choice but continue our discussion where we left off," Shuichi told them. "If we stay calm and think about the case again, we should be able to determine who the culprit really is."
"Y-Y-Yeah! Just keep calm and carry on!" Monokuma stuttered as sweat began pouring out of his fluffy body in buckets.
"Why are you so nervous?" Tenko aimed a deadpan look at the bear.
"Then, getting back to what we were talking about before…this happened, I think we should start with what happened at the hangar after I gave Rin the Electro Radar and the knife." Kaede began.
"Ugh! Fine! Let's hurry up and get this over with then. We're wasting enough time as it is." Exisal Rin grumbled loudly.
"And why are you acting as though this is something inconsequential? All our lives are on the line here, including yours!" Tenko shouted.
"Shut up, Chabashira! Less talky, more debating!" Exisal Rin yelled. "Now then, let me prove to you all why I'm the culprit."
"Then I shall have to prove why the culprit is actually me." Kirumi shot back without missing a beat.
"Go ahead and try, but you can't stop the truth from coming out."
"I do not intend to stop it. I intend to bring it to light."
"Jeez. What a pair…" Rantaro muttered as he shook his head in an exasperated manner.
"So, what happened after I handed Rin the knife and Electro Radar?" Kaede asked, doing her best to get everyone back into the debate.
"I already told you everything!" Exisal Rin complained. "Oma came in to check on me and I ambushed him."
"Rin then stabbed Kokichi in the arm…" Keebo added.
"Then Kokichi must have disarmed Rin, took the knife from him, and then stabbed Rin back, right?" Tenko asked.
"That can't be right. The combat knife is too big to match the tear that was in Rin's jacket." Rantaro pointed out. "Rin must have been stabbed by one of the throwing knives."
"And just like Shuichi said, it wouldn't make sense for Kokichi to have the knives on him when he had the Exisal's remote control on him." Keebo hummed as he thought about the dilemma.
"So the question is how did the throwing knives get to the crime scene…" Kaede muttered.
"The answer is simple. I brought them to the hangar in order to kill Kokichi." Kirumi explained.
"But there's a problem with that logic." Exisal Rin swiftly countered. "Even if you brought the knives to the hangar, there was no way for you to get into the hangar to throw the knives themselves! The only way you could have killed Kokichi with the knives while you were outside the hangar would be if you threw them at him through the bathroom window, but I pushed Kokichi out of the bathroom when I tried to escape!"
"There's also the issue with the alarm system and the electric barrier." Rantaro nodded. "By all accounts, it doesn't seem possible that Kirumi could have used those knives to kill Kokichi if the hangar was closed off to her."
"No, that's not actually true. There was a way for Kirumi to get into the hangar." Shuichi declared. "The Exisals. The Exisals could be used to enter the hangar."
"Oh! I get it!" Kaede nodded before placing a hand on her chin. "While we couldn't get in because of the alarm system and electric barrier, that shouldn't be an issue for any of the Exisals, so if Kirumi was riding inside one of them, she would get in the hangar without any issue."
"I did see an Exisal enter the hangar last night, too…" Keebo noted. "Then…Kirumi was piloting that Exisal?"
"Is that even possible?" Tenko asked.
"Only one way to find out for sure," Rantaro said before turning to face the bear behind him. "So, Monokuma, would the alarm go off if there was a person piloting an Exisal?"
"Well, I wasn't trying to keep this secret, but since it's about the details of the hangar, I guess I can tell you guys." Monokuma hummed before answering. "It makes sense that the alarm system and electric barrier wouldn't react to an Exisal. After all, the hangar is where the Exisals are supposed to be stored. It'd be a hassle to disable the security every time an Exisal comes and goes, y'know? So even if someone is inside an Exisal, the security system wouldn't catch 'em. Cuz it'd be a hassle to leave the Exisal every time you have to put it away."
"So it's just like Shuichi and Kirumi said? Kirumi was the one who brought those throwing knives to the hangar by piloting an Exisal?" Kaede muttered. "But can just anyone pilot an Exisal? That doesn't seem like something any of us could pull off on our first try."
"...Well, Rin?" Keebo questioned the mech.
"Well…It is surprisingly easy. It's just like playing a video game. As long as you can use both your hands and feet, you should be able to do it." Exisal Rin admitted sheepishly. "Oh, but you do need to have a brain and some common sense. You won't be able to pilot one at all if you aren't smarter than a fifth grader. You hear that, Chabashira? That means you should probably not bother trying."
"Hey! Are you calling me stupid? How rude!" Tenko gave an indignant shout that the Exisal ignored.
"Anyway, with this, Kirumi could have commandeered an Exisal and infiltrated the hangar. Do I have this right, Kirumi?" Shuichi asked.
"You are correct. That is exactly what happened." Kirumi nodded. "I used the Green Exisal to enter the hangar, and then threw my throwing knives at Kokichi in order to kill him."
"Hold up. That's not enough to prove that Kirumi is the culprit." Exisal Rin interrupted. "Sure, Kirumi might have been able to enter the hangar if she managed to get in an Exisal and piloted it, but that's not what happened. There are still a bunch of holes in that logic."
"Rin has a point. Just because it's possible doesn't mean it happened." Rantaro agreed.
"Then go ahead and ask me what you think is strange about what I said," Kirumi told them. "I will answer every question you have until you all understand that the culprit could only be myself."
"Like I keep saying, you being the culprit is impossible. I'm the culprit! Why can't you just accept that?" Exisal Rin yelled.
"..." Kirumi didn't answer, causing the mech to give a loud, annoyed sigh.
"Fine. Keep on struggling desperately. It won't save anyone. I should know." Exisal Rin growled before the next discussion began.
"So if someone was piloting an Exisal, they could have used it to enter the hangar," Keebo repeated.
"But that's not what happened, because it's not possible." Exisal Rin denied the claim.
"Is getting in an Exisal and controlling it really that hard?" Tenko asked him.
"Do any of you actually know how to get inside an Exisal?" Exisal Rin asked. "These things have state-of-the-art security! They won't open for just anyone. I only got inside this one because Kokichi used his remote to open it up for me, so it'd be impossible for Kirumi to get in one."
"But outside the hangar, there were four other Exisals for her to use." Kaede pointed out.
"But they were all moving since Kokichi had been controlling them. That would make it even harder for her to get inside one." Rantaro responded.
"The Electro Hammers weren't an option, either," Keebo added. "Yesterday, all the hammers were still recharging."
"See? Without an Electro Hammer, it would have been impossible for anyone to get inside an Exisal." Exisal Rin nodded.
"No, that's wrong. Not all the Electrohammers were being charged. It's just as Kaede mentioned earlier. Kirumi didn't have her Electro Hammer with her this morning, not because she lost it or because it was stolen, but because she had used it last night to get into an Exisal."
"W-Wait, I was right?" Kaede gasped at the sudden claim. "But I only said that in a panic!"
"But you were right to doubt me. You were completely right." Kirumi admitted. "Of course I would not lose something as important as an Electrohammer. It would have been incredibly foolhardy of me to not keep good care of it despite what Kokichi had told us."
"So when you went to break into the hangar, you brought your charged Electrohammer and used it to disable the security of one of the Exisals. That's how you got in to pilot it to the hangar." Rantaro stated.
"Ah! That's right! I remember now!" Tenko shouted. "There was an Electrohammer right next to where the other Exisals were, but it had no power."
"That must be Kirumi's Electrohammer, out of power since she used it on the Exisal," Keebo noted.
"Yes, that's right. When I saw the Exisals last afternoon, there were four of them. But this morning, there were only three. That proves that someone must have taken an Exisal away from there." Shuichi explained.
"And since I had my Electrohammer this morning and it was all charged up, it couldn't have been me." Kaede clarified. "Because Kokichi told us that if we used an Electrohammer on an Exisal, it would use up all of its power immediately."
"Even if Kirumi didn't leave the Electrohammer at the scene, there wouldn't have been enough time left in the night for it to get back to a full charge by the time we all met up in the dining room," Keebo added.
"Then…Kirumi really did enter the hangar. There's no doubt about that!" Tenko exclaimed. "Then, could Kirumi really be the culprit?"
"Kirumi, I think I already know the answer, but I might as well ask for clarity's sake. Do you know how to use throwing knives?" Rantaro asked.
"Yes. I am proficient in using throwing blades and daggers." Kirumi nodded. "While I might not be as skilled as Maki was, I was still taught how to use multiple weapons in order to protect my clients. I have also been hired as a bodyguard on several occasions."
"So now we know Kirumi is telling us the truth when she claims to have brought the throwing knives to the hangar." Shuichi hummed as he put a hand to his chin. "She disabled an Exisal with her Electorhammer, infiltrated the hangar, and attempted to kill Kokichi."
"Yes. You are correct." Kirumi confirmed, a ghost of a smile now on her face.
"Now all we have to do is figure out what happened after–" Shuichi tried to say, but–
"OBJECTION!" Exisal Rin suddenly shouted, cutting off Shuichi with a powerful and fiery shout. "Why…are you still going on about this!? Why can't you all just accept that I'm the culprit!? Why…are you getting in my way again, Saihara…?" The mech asked in a low, dangerous, and enraged voice.
"Getting in your way? Rin, what are you–?"
"Fine! I admit it! Tojo was the third party that broke into the hangar." Exisal Rin confessed.
"Huh?" The detective gasped.
"You're right, and Kirumi's telling the truth! She got into the hangar using an Exisal and she was the one who brought the throwing knives! I even admit she hit Oma with two of them! But she didn't kill anyone! She is not the culprit!"
And so, as the rebuttal showdown began, the two once again prepared for a duel of wits, just like how the last trial had ended. One defending another like before, and the other still pursuing the truth.
"...You're right. Tojo used an Electrohammer and used an Exisal to enter the hangar. She also threw the throwing knives; however, Tojo is not the culprit. Because the knives aren't the murder weapon!" Exisal Rin exclaimed.
"The knives are not the murder weapon? What do you mean?" Shuichi inquired.
"Think back to the tears the knives left in Oma's clothes. Remember where those injuries were? They were on his arm and back. No matter what you say, being stabbed in just those locations wouldn't be fatal. The most damage that might have been done is the knife to the back possibly causing damage to Kokichi's spinal cord, but landing a fatal injury by throwing a knife is unlikely at best and improbable at worse. That's why the knives can't be the murder weapon, and therefore, Tojo is not the culprit."
"I'll cut through your words!" Shuichi declared. "It wouldn't matter where any of the knives hit…if it were poisoned."
"P-Poisoned?" Tenko trembled.
"So poison really was involved in the case?" Kaede asked.
"That's right. I noticed something about some poison in my lab during the investigation." Shuichi explained. "There was just a little less in the bottle than before. If that poison had been applied to those knives…"
"They would have been lethal, no matter where Kirumi hit Kokichi with them." Rantaro finished.
"Kirumi, is that true? Did you lace those knives in poison?" Keebo asked the maid, getting a nod in response.
"Correct again. As expected from the Ultimate Detective and fellow Ultimates." Kirumi nodded. "With this, I believe there can no longer be any more room for doubt. I am the culprit who killed Kokichi Oma. That is the truth of this case."
"..." Exisal Rin remained silent at that before finally letting out a loud huff. "Are you sure about this, Tojo? You know what's going to happen to you, right? Do you really want to throw away this second chance so easily?"
"I am not throwing away my second chance at life. I can say with certainty that I lived a full life, and I enjoyed it dearly. While it stings to know that I will lose my life again due to my own actions, at least I can go knowing I admitted to my crime." Kirumi replied before a small, sad smile formed on her face. "It will not take back my actions, but I can at least bow out with some dignity and grace at the end, and unlike before, I will at least get the chance to say my goodbyes, so it is fine. And this way, no one else will have to pay the consequence for my actions. This is…for the good of everyone."
"But how do you know that? Everybody thinks they're right…" Exisal Rin snarled angrily.
"This is right," Kirumi answered simply and calmly, having already accepted her fate.
"They're going to KILL you! Don't you care about that!? Don't you want to live your own life for once!? Why must you always live for someone else's sake? Be selfish for once in your life and be your own person, goddamnit!" Exisal Rin shouted before the Exisal's arm slammed down onto the ground, creating a large tremor as it did.
"Rin…"
"You–!" Exisal Rin looked like he was about to shout again, but suddenly stopped. There was a brief pause before the Exisal finally turned away from the maid. "You know what, fine. It's your life. If you want to throw it away for others, be my guest. I don't care anymore. I'm sick of trying to protect you from yourself. So go on. Shoot yourself in the foot. I'll even load the gun for you. Just don't start crying for help the moment you realize what a mistake this is."
"...Thank you, Rin. For everything." Kirumi said in a soft, grateful tone.
"Tsk! Don't talk to me, hypocrite." Exisal Rin hissed before turning away from the maid completely.
"Then…you admit that you're not the culprit, Rin?" Kaede asked.
"That's right. I'm not the culprit." He confessed curtly. "I was just covering for the real culprit."
"Then…you were trying to sacrifice all of us so that Kirumi could live?" Keebo questioned.
"..."
"Y-You…You really tried to kill us by having us vote incorrectly?" Tenko asked with wide, hurt eyes. "I knew you had changed, but do you really hate us so much you would go so far just to kill us?"
"And since Kirumi is telling us the truth about being the culprit, that means everything you told us was a lie." Rantaro pointed out in an angry voice. "Rin lied to us about doing all of this because Kokichi threatened him. I thought it was strange before, but now it makes sense. No matter how insane or twisted Kokichi was, no one is so insane that they would plan their own murder like that. Rin didn't crush Kokichi's body because he was threatened into doing it. He did it just to protect Kirumi and get us to vote incorrectly."
"But because Kirumi confessed, that plan fell apart." Kaede gritted her teeth. "I…I don't understand."
"Please, do not be angry with Rin, everyone. This is all a result of my own actions." Kirumi pleaded before tightly clenching her chest where her heart would be. "Honestly, when we all thought it was still Kokichi in that Exisal, I was thinking of doing the same thing."
"K-Kirumi?"
"I apologize, but…that's the truth. Even now, if Rin was still dead, I think I would have fought till my last breath to make sure his killer or the one responsible would meet a terrible end, no matter the cost. I…I'm just selfish in that way, I suppose." Kirumi gave a weak, pitiful laugh. "But it's over now, so there's no more need to argue. Let us start voting time and end this."
"No. It's not over yet." Shuichi interrupted.
"Shuichi? What are you saying?" Kirumi asked, bewildered by the detective's statement.
"We might know the truth now about who the culprit is, but I still want to hear what exactly happened at the hangar," Shuichi told them.
"But…we already know who the blackened is. Why does it matter if we learn what happened in the hangar?" Tenko asked.
"Couldn't Kirumi just explain all of that after we vote for her?" Rantaro added.
"...Shuichi." Kaede began before giving the detective a serious expression. "Are you saying there might be more to this case that we don't know about yet?"
"...There's just something bothering me about this," Shuichi confessed. "I know we already found the answer, but something is just…off. That's why I want to make sure we have all the pieces. I don't want us to make a fatal mistake so late into the trial. If that's what's required for us to grasp whatever lies beyond this 'truth', then so be it. Finding the truth isn't enough. We need to know everything about this case before we make a decision."
"I see. Then…I'll trust you." Kaede nodded before flashing Shuichi a smile. "If this is what's needed to make sure we understand everything about this case, then let's find it. The truth that lies within this truth. So I also say we should hold off on voting until Kirumi explains her side of the story."
"In that case, I also think we should hear her out before we vote," Keebo added his own opinion. "There are still a few mysteries left for us to solve, so it would be in our best interest to discuss those first before ending the trial."
"Ugh. Fine. I guess we can keep talking here. We've already spent all this time here. We might as well." Tenko sighed.
"If that's what you all want, then I won't argue." Rantaro agreed as he ran a hand through his lime-colored hair. "Then Kirumi. Could you tell us everything that happened on your end?"
"...I suppose so. Although I don't see any reason for this since you all know I am the culprit." Kirumi gave a slow nod with mild confusion. "But if it is to ease whatever remaining tension you all feel, then it is the least I could do to answer any remaining questions you might have."
"Then what really happened?" Shuichi asked.
"...It all started with the flashback light. That was my motive." Kirumi began. "I started planning the murder once we all remembered that Kokichi was a Remnant of Despair. I thought that if I killed him, then this game…and this battle between hope and despair…would end. And with my talents as the Ultimate Maid, I was certain I could pull this off without any issue, just as any other task I had performed."
"But we've tried to end the killing game before tons of times. Why did you think this one would be the one to really end it?" Tenko asked. "And even then, we were all planning on confronting Kokichi together to end the game. Why didn't you just wait 'till then?"
"...I was scared," Kirumi confessed.
"Scared?"
"We were naive. That was what cost us every time we tried to end the game or band together before. I was scared that Kokichi would take advantage of that and somehow be victorious again. He was the type to somehow find a winning strategy in even the most dire of situations."
"That is one way to describe him…" Rantaro muttered.
"But…was that really the only reason?" Kaede asked hesitantly.
"...No." Kirumi bit her lower lip nervously before continuing. "I…was also worried…about Rin. I was scared…no. I was terrified that Kokichi would suddenly grow bored of holding him prisoner and would just kill him outright. I couldn't wait any longer. He needed to be rescued before then, so…that's why I needed to rescue him myself. Before anyone else could get hurt. I couldn't…bear the thought of losing anyone. Not any of you…and not Rin…"
"Kirumi…" Kaede spoke in a sympathetic voice, but Kirumi shook her head.
"No. That was wrong of me. I used those feelings of mine to justify what I was going to do… To justify what I did." Kirumi stated sternly. "That was wrong of me. Going by myself was stupid…and utterly foolish. But I wasn't thinking. All I could think about…was how I had never felt like this before. How I had never been so scared for someone else, or how I had never wanted to risk everything for them not because it was my duty, but because it was genuinely what I wanted. I never met someone who tried so earnestly to treat me as an equal, or someone who so stubbornly wished to help me for no other reason than he wanted to or because he saw the person 'Kirumi Tojo' as a close friend, or someone who wanted me to be selfish and pursue my own wants over his own or others."
"And I've never…fallen for anyone before." Kirumi finally admitted.
"K-Kirumi…!" Tenko teared up a bit when she heard that. Everyone else felt the same as they all gave her looks of understanding and sympathy, but no words. Because what could they say in response to that?
"..." Exisal Rin also remained silent, and with him staying inside of the mech, no one could tell what his reaction was to the maid's confession.
"That's the real reason I went to the hangar. I convinced myself that I had to be the one to save Rin. So I grabbed the throwing knives and the poison from Shuichi's lab and then broke into the hangar with an Exisal." Kirumi continued. "But when I entered the hangar, I witnessed something completely unexpected."
"Rin and Kokichi fighting, I assume?" Rantaro guessed.
"Yes. I entered right after Rin had stabbed Kokichi in the arm and pushed him out of the bathroom. The two were still in the middle of trying to overcome the other as I entered. But as soon as the shutter opened and I got inside, they both stopped and looked at the Exisal."
"They were probably totally surprised by your sudden appearance. I doubt either of them expected an Exisal to show up unannounced." Tenko gave a weak chuckle.
"Immediately after, though, Kokichi tried to take out his remote to take back control of the Exisal I was in. So I jumped out of the Exisal before he could and threw one of the many knives I had prepared, hitting him in the back as he tried to run away." Kirumi said. "It didn't leave any lasting damage, but it was enough to stop him since the blade was coated in poison."
"The Strike-9 Poison, correct?" Shuichi asked. "But why pick that particular poison? There were far more lethal options in my lab if you wanted to kill Kokichi."
"I wanted to hear Kokichi confess his reasoning for his actions, and I wanted to hear the truth," Kirumi replied. "I wanted to know why he always lied to us and played with us like we were pawns for him to play with. And I wanted to know if he truly was the mastermind, or if he was just another figurehead like Tsumugi was."
"You mean you doubted his claim of being the mastermind even then?" Keebo asked.
"It is strange when you stop to think about it for a moment, no? If he truly was the real mastermind, it would have been easier and far more efficient for him to stay hidden and manipulate the game from afar, just like the late Junko did for her killing games. He would also be able to reveal himself as the mastermind at the end just like Junko, and as a Remnant of Despair, you would think he would want to replicate that aspect of the killing game himself."
"That…is true." Rantaro hummed with a frown. "Not only that, but he was always acting like that, too. With how he acted, anyone would suspect him as the mastermind. Especially with that message in the courtyard. Kokichi said it was a hint, but it was necessary for him to go so far out of his way just for that?"
"As a Remnant of Despair, I imagine he wanted to feel the despair of his plan being thwarted." Keebo assumed.
"But if that were the case, he would have carried out the plan more carefully and see it to the end, would he not?" Kirumi asked.
"Yeah… That way, his perfect plan that was carefully laid out would suddenly crumble away, and he'd be in utter despair." Kaede muttered.
"That's…actually a good point," Tenko admitted.
"Then did you get any answers?" Shuichi asked.
"No. It was a pointless endeavor. I had truly hoped for him to have a serious discussion with me when he was at death's door, but no matter what I asked or how I pleaded, he kept giving me the same answers. The same lies." Kirumi frowned, hints of frustration showing in her expression.
"Wh-What are you…talking about…?" Kokichi asked in a weak, scared voice as he knelt down before Kirumi, the maid aiming another knife and a cold glare right at him as he did. "R-Remnants of Despair…? What's…that…?"
"Stop lying. You told us yourself that you were the leader of a cult, so do not try to pretend you have forgotten that cult's name." Kirumi sternly spoke as she kept her weapon trained on the fallen dictator. "Just tell me the truth, and this will all be over."
"I-I…don't understand…anything…you're saying…" Kokichi continued as he took panicked breath after panicked breath.
"...Are you truly going to keep saying that?" Kirumi asked, her lips twitching in agitation as she spoke. "Then…you truly are the mastermind? You truly did this simply to torture us? To get some sick sense of entertainment out of us? Did nothing here matter to you at all?"
"I-I…I-I-I…" Kokichi trailed off as he averted his eyes. His body kept trembling as he gulped loudly, but he managed to return his frightened and confused gaze at Kirumi as he spoke up. "D-Does that matter? What I w-want to know is…why a-are you…starting up the k-killing game…when it should've ended. Y-You already…know…it's a-all…meaningless…and th-that…I'm the mastermind. S-So why…? W-Were…you always like this?"
"Be quiet." Kirumi snapped, her eyes hardening when she heard that last bit. Her gaze caused the small teen to flinch hard as he seemed to shrink back into himself in slight terror. "...If that's all you have to say, then so be it. I have to believe you when you say you're the real mastermind. And so…all that leaves now is to end this. You leave me no choice. I wish it did not have to be like this, but you leave me no other choice."
And so, the maid aimed the poisoned blade at Kokichi and readied the throw, her eyes now reflecting all the anger she had harbored since the killing game had started, now having a target for her wraith who truly deserved it. Talking was pointless. That much was obvious now. All she would get is more attempts to deflect from the situation and more lies, and she was sick of both.
She gave him a chance, and he threw it away. Some people just refuse to be helped, so she would do what she had to do.
"Goodbye, Kokichi Oma. May you find peace wherever you end up after this life." Kirumi muttered before throwing the blade.
But then–
"STOP!" Rin suddenly shouted as he dove in front of Kokichi, spreading his arm out as the knife flew right at him. And then…it hit. "Grk!"
Rin hit the ground, gritting his teeth as he held the arm the knife had stabbed. But all the while, time seemed to slow down for Kirumi, who stared at Rin with slowly growing eyes. Eyes now being filled not with anger, but with pure fear and terror at what just happened.
"No…" She muttered before panic fully seized her heart. "No no no no no no no NO!"
"Rin…protected Kokichi!?" Shuichi exclaimed.
"..." Exisal Rin remained silent still, even with what had been said.
"But why? Why would Rin protect someone like Kokichi?" Tenko shouted.
"I…don't know. It still confuses me, even now." Kirumi answered as she slowly hunched over to lean on her stand, her breathing slowly getting heavier as she remembered the awful events. "At that moment, everything seemed to stop for me. All I could think about was saving Rin. I had to stop the poison from killing him. And so, I left Kokichi, dashing toward Rin as I pulled out the antidote."
"So you had the antidote with you at the time?" Kaede asked, a little surprised at that. "I thought you were planning to kill Kokichi. Why did you bring the antidote?"
"I did use Strike-9 Poison to torture Kokichi for answers, but if he revealed that he was not the mastermind, or that he was being coerced into being the mastermind, I had planned on administering the antidote to preserve his life. If he was actually innocent of those crimes, I did not want him to die then. I would have instead restrained him in order to bring him to justice in a more proper and humane way than murdering him."
"But now that Rin had the poison in his system, you had to use it to save him instead." Keebo frowned.
"Yes. That was my first mistake. I should have used a weapon that could not have accidentally affected Rin. I should have been prepared for that." Kirumi gritted her teeth. "It was because of that single mistake that nearly cost me."
"Rin!" Kirumi screamed as she sprinted to her friend, who was still holding back his dismay as he pulled the knife out of his arm and tossed the blade away.
"God…fucking damn it Kirumi!" Rin held back a scream before aiming a loathful glare at the maid. "Why did you do this!? What possible reason did you have to do something so stupid!? Do you have any idea what you've just done!?"
"I-I…" Kirumi stammered, flinching at Rin's harsh tone before shaking her head. "I-It doesn't matter anymore! Here! Just drink this!" Kirumi begged as she pulled out the bottle of antidote and brought it toward the white-haired man. "Please, just swallow this! It's the antidote for the poison that was on the knife that hit you."
"Poison?" Rin repeated with wide eyes. His eyes fell on the bottle Kirumi was holding, and the moment he saw what it was, his expression fell, most likely in understanding. "I see. So that's how it is."
"Do you need me to help you administer it?" Kirumi asked, worry flashing across her entire face as Rin slowly reached out and grabbed the bottle.
"No…No, I can do this myself." Rin muttered softly before turning back to Kirumi. "Thank you, Kirumi. For everything."
"Don't thank me. Not for this." Kirumi nearly cried. "Just please hurry and take the antidote. Before anything else happens."
"...Okay." Rin nodded as he unscrewed the cap. And then…he brought the bottle up to his mouth and drank its contents, swallowing it all in just a couple of gulps. When he was done, he brought the bottle down as he tried to speak, but his eyes suddenly went wide as he pointed behind Kirumi. "Behind you!"
"Huh?" Kirumi could only turn around before she saw an Exisal's arm swinging right at her.
And then…everything went black.
"The Exisal knocked me out, and I don't know what happened after that," Kirumi explained. "That was my second mistake. I let my guard down and forgot about Kokichi in my panic."
"Then Kokichi must have used his remote control while you were giving Rin the antidote," Keebo muttered. "He used the Exisal to attack you, and rendered you unconscious as a result."
"I don't know how long I was out for, but when I did wake up, I was no longer in the hangar. I was outside in the cyber courtyard again, left right outside the hanger a good distance away from the shutter, which was closed again. The electric barrier was turned on again, too, meaning I could no longer get back into the hangar. I was stuck outside." Kirumi began to shake as she continued. "I…I don't know what happened after I was attacked, but the dread I felt remained."
"I-I couldn't just do nothing. And so I rushed over to the bathroom window and called out for someone to respond, but neither Rin nor Kokichi came. When that proved to be a fruitless effort, I proceeded to rush to the shutter's control panel to see if I could open it from there. When that didn't work, I resorted to trying to break it with any of the remaining knives I had on me, but…even that didn't work."
"So that's where the marks on the control panel came from…" Kaede trembled as she heard Kirumi's story.
"So you had no choice but to leave." Rantaro let out a heavy sigh. One full of exhaustion and sorrow.
"I could hardly sleep when I did not know what had happened in the hangar, but I managed to steel myself to join you all in breaking into the hangar. And when I saw what had happened…I…I initially thought the worse had happened." Kirumi admitted. "But once the shock at worn off, I began to realize…that Rin couldn't be dead. From what I knew about the case, it had to be Kokichi, because there was simply no way for a person who had poison in their veins to somehow overpower another, healthy person and survive long enough to set up this entire crime. And so, while I investigated, I prepared myself in case I needed to confess. And that's everything. That is the truth of this entire case."
"So that's what happened…" Tenko muttered as she held her arm tightly.
"Then…after Kirumi was knocked out, Rin, knowing what he knew, decided to cover up Kirumi's crime by setting up the scene." Keebo noted.
"Was that why you crushed Kokichi's body with the hydraulic press?" Kaede asked with a grim expression.
"...There's no justification for what Tojo did. Especially not when she was justifying it with her supposed 'feelings' for me." Exisal Rin growled before sighing. "But I figured I owed her that much, despite what she did. She did save my life, after all. So…I decided she should get to live, even after what she did."
"So you did it to repay Kirumi for saving your life." Rantaro frowned. "Is that all you have to say about this?"
"...I have nothing else to confess to." Exisal Rin responded in a stern, curt voice. "But anyway, that's enough now, right? The whole truth is out in the open now, so we can start voting time, right?"
"Yes. It is finally time to end this." Kirumi stated as she took a deep breath. However–
"No, we can't vote yet," Shuichi told them. "We still don't have the whole truth. This case isn't over!"
"H-Huh?" Kirumi tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Thank you for telling us everything, Kirumi. Thanks to you, I finally understand…" Shuichi began before aiming a confident and determined gaze at Kirumi. "There's another hidden truth within your testimony."
"A…hidden truth?" Kirumi repeated.
"Yes, I'm positive." Shuichi hummed. "Because there's something wrong with the testimony you've given us."
"Something wrong?" Tenko repeated.
"Kirumi said she tried to open the shutter using the control panel nearby before she resorted to using her knife to try to break the control panel to open the shutter, but that doesn't make any sense, because there's an alarm system on the shutter," Shuichi explained.
"That's right! The alarm would have gone off if Kirumi got that close to the shutter!" Kaede exclaimed.
"You're…You're right…" Kirumi muttered with slight shock. "I was in too much of a panic to notice, but now that you mention it, it did not go off at the time."
"That can't be right. We know she's telling the truth about getting that close to the shutter since the control panel is all damaged, but why didn't the alarm go off then?" Rantaro questioned.
"Do you think it just missed her?" Tenko asked in a hopeful voice.
"Nah, the security there isn't that sloppy." Monokuma shook his head as he interjected. "If a shady person got near the shutter, the alarm would've gone off without question."
"Then why did the alarm not go off when I got close last night?" Kirumi asked, now no longer understanding what was happening.
"Like I told you, this isn't over. There's still a hidden truth to find." Shuichi stated. "And we need to find it before we end this trial."
"Then let's discuss what happened." Kaede nodded before starting the new discussion without waiting any longer. "Kirumi, go over everything that happened again. Don't leave out anything!"
"Of course," Kirumi replied swiftly before recounting her tale. "I did attempt to enter the hangar by using the control panel, and I tried to destroy it with one of my knives when that failed. But at the time, the alarm system did not go off."
"But if you approached the shutter, the alarm would have activated with 100% certainty," Keebo stated.
"Maybe it was just broken, then?" Tenko suggested.
"Was there some other setting it could have been on?" Rantaro guessed.
"No, it's possible that something disabled the alarm." Kaede pointed out.
"Or maybe Kirumi's lying." Exisal Rin suddenly added in a dull tone. "We don't actually know it was Kirumi trying to break the control panel with a knife, do we? It could have been something else like an Exisal."
"No, Kaede's right." Shuichi quickly said. "There was a way to disable the alarm system. An Electro Radar could have taken it down."
"But we were only able to make a single Electro Radar to use this morning," Keebo interjected.
"But there was still one Electro Radar that could have been used," Rantaro responded.
"Yeah! Rin's! And he had it on him since Kaede brought it to him!" Tenko shouted.
"Then the only person who could have used it to disable the alarm is Rin!" Kaede declared.
"That's just an assumption, though. There's no proof that I did use my Electro Radar." Exisal Rin denied.
"No, there was evidence. The pile of scrap found at the scene is the proof." Shuichi objected. "When Rantaro used the Electro Radar we used this morning for our raid, it exploded into a bunch of little, burnt pieces due to how unstable it was. And that pile of burnt scrap metal we found at the scene looked just like what remained of Rantaro's Electro Radar."
"So Rin's Electro Radar did explode," Kaede muttered as she hummed thoughtfully.
"No, that's wrong. Unlike the cheap knockoff that you guys might have made, mine was made by the Ultimate Inventor. No matter how lackluster or disappointing Iruma's personality was or how much she whored herself out, she still had the talent of an inventor. That meant my Electro Radar was much more stable than anything you guys could make." Exisal Rin argued.
"But you told us yourself that Miu didn't get to finish it before she died." Rantaro pointed out. "You had to finish it yourself, and said that made the battery unstable. You guessed that if you used too much power with the device, it would blow up."
"...Okay, yeah, I did say that." Exisal Rin admitted sheepishly as the mech scratched the side of its head nervously. "But that still doesn't answer the why question that leaves us. Why would I use an Electro Radar just to disable the alarm system? I had no reason to waste the Electro Radar by using it at full blast just to disable the alarm."
"He does have a point. I can't think of any reason he'd do something like that." Tenko nodded.
"In that case, maybe he was trying to do something else instead," Rantaro suggested, causing Shuichi to gasp.
"I got it! Disabling the alarm system wasn't the real objective! The main objective…was to disable the hydraulic press's safety function!"
"Deactivate the safety function…?" Kirumi repeated before her eyes went wide. "No…don't tell me…!"
"The Electro Radar wouldn't have just disabled the alarm system. At full power, Rin's radar could have disabled a number of devices…including the safety function on the press…!" Kaede muttered in a horrified voice as she realized what Shuichi was getting at.
"But…why would he do that?" Tenko asked nervously, not yet getting it.
"There's only one reason that anyone would want to do that." Rantaro grimaced. "And if Shuichi's right…we've been wrong this entire trial."
"Wh-What!?"
"He's right. The whole point of it…was to hide Kokichi's cause of death." Shuichi explained.
"His cause of death?" Keebo repeated.
"If the Electro Radar was used after Kirumi was knocked out by the Exisal, then maybe Kokichi didn't die by poison. It could be something else entirely." Shuichi stated.
"The hydraulic press…!" Kaede cried out in a horrified tone. "Kokichi could have been crushed to death!"
"What!?" Tenko screamed.
"If the safety was off, there wouldn't be anything to stop the press if a living person was under it! Even if Kokichi was dying from poison, if could have still been killed with the press!" Kaede exclaimed.
"Using the Electro Radar at full power would also disable any chance of Kokichi calling an Exisal to save himself. The radar would have disabled Kokichi's remote, meaning he would be helpless to stop whatever happened afterward." Keebo began to nod, now understanding the horrifying implication being made.
"And since I was rendered unconscious by an Exisal being controlled by Kokichi, that meant he was still alive right after I was attacked. If Rin used his Electro Radar right after, he could have killed Kokichi while he was still alive!" Kirumi muttered in a lifeless voice as her eyes froze with terror.
"And if he was crushed by the press at that point, it would be Kokichi's cause of death, making Kirumi innocent." Rantaro gritted his teeth before turning the Exisal in the room. "However…"
"That would mean the one who killed Kokichi wasn't Kirumi!" Tenko shouted.
"It would be whoever was operating the hydraulic press…Rin!" Shuichi declared.
"...I see. So you finally have arrived at this point. How…infuriating." Exisal Rin growled before suddenly becoming much more carefree. "Or was that how you were expecting me to react at being accused?"
"What?" Shuichi made a sound of confusion before Rin continued.
"Sure, the hydraulic press could have been the cause of death, but that's…just a possibility." Exisal Rin stated in a sinister tone. One that was drenched in a smug sense of confidence and victory.
"What do you mean?" The detective asked anxiously.
"It's true. I could have killed Kokichi with the press. That is a possibility, but there's no way to tell, is there?" Exisal Rin asked smugly, seemingly grinning widely from inside the Exisal. "For all you know, Kokichi could have been killed by either the poisoned knife or the hydraulic press. Both are just as possible, but you'll never be able to know for certain. No. Matter. What."
"No…matter what?" Kaede muttered in stunned disbelief.
"Ha…ha ha ha." And then, without any warning, he began to laugh. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I've been waiting for this reveal! The look on your faces makes all that trouble setting this up worth it! I can't believe you actually fell for that stupid spiel about me trying to protect you from Oma, or trying to save Tojo from execution! Are you guys brain-dead? I told you already, I was DONE protecting you all. So now…it's time to really end this!"
"Now…it's my turn to take control of this trial, and there's not a single thing any of you can do to defy me anymore."
