ACCIDENTAL | lyney [✔︎]

viii.*

lumine was silent for a few moments, causing [name] to anxiously shift in her seat. only when paimon spoke up did she stop. "ahem! attention! ace detective paimon has something to say! when the countdown started, lyney did indeed go into the tunnel. but he immediately used a vent to access the opera house basement, which is where the underground core of the oratrice is stored.

"once he reached that area, he heard a voice in what should have been an empty room. since he felt something was amiss, he returned immediately. the crime scene had already developed by the time he reached the tunnel again, and in order to complete the magic trick, he did not remain there for any length of time. finally, he reached the surface, and that was when the accident happened from his point of view. therefore, he's innocent!"

relief flooded the noblewoman, despite her anger towards lyney at the moment. furina looked disgruntled, frowning in confusion.

"in other words, you believe that he knew nothing of the incident?"

"that's right," paimon affirmed, nodding.

lumine then spoke up, smiling. "moreover, i believe my opposition's reasoning is flawed."

"huh? m-my reasoning?!"

"the onstage equipment was clearly tampered with in a premeditated fashion."

"if that's the case, then if cowell hadn't entered the tunnel, who was the entire setup meant to kill? assuming that what you say is true, lyney only needed to kidnap the young girl to cause a new disappearance case. what would the point of killing someone onstage be?" paimon added.

"w-well. your denial is very strident, i'll give you that! but what proof do you have to back your claims?"

"do you happen to remember how you refuted lyney's alibi initially?"

"of course i do. if he had been in the magic box the whole time, how could he w not heard that sound! why do you ask? ah. you're saying that he wasn't..." furina trailed off, a look of shock on her face.

"your claim has now become my weapon. the strange thud was heard during the performance, but lyney was completely unaware!"

"that's right! lyney wasn't in the box or in the tunnel. that's why he didn't hear anything strange during the performance. this means that when the crime happened, lyney had already entered the basement via the vent. the same clue you used to disprove his alibi had now become the best proof. hehe, how do ya like that?"

"tch...to think you'd use such logic...w-well then! if it wasn't lyney who committed the crimes, then who was it?"

"um, the killer was, in fact, cowell, the deceased!"

"hehe, is that so? how interesting. let's hear your reasoning then."

silence fell over the room, and lumine began muttering to herself. lyney sighed.

"look, since we're at a dead end, why not consider a different track? just like the trick as it transpired, the end result must have been utterly different from the magician's initial design."

furina cleared her throat. "excuse my interruption, dear opponents, but do you not see that the crowd is growing impatient? there is no greater sin in this opera house than an awkward delay in the performance."

"if the defense is unable to make further effective arguments, we will move on to the next stage of the trial."

"hold on a second!" lumine whispered something to paimon, who nodded excitedly.

"paimon gets it! it all comes together if halsey "disappeared" instead of "being kidnapped"! lynette escaped from the water tank, vanishing gradually and leaving only clothes behind. if there's a similar method where a person could be transformed into water..."