Danganronpa 2: Follow the Truth

Chapter 2: Do You Have Any Hope, Brother?- Class Trial- Part 2 (Malachi)

Ren just stood there, looking away. He didn't say a word.

"H-Hold on a second, what proof is there that Ren is the killer?" Zoey asked.

"Actually... The person in metal armor Yudai mentioned... Cassius saw Ren buy it. Spencer knew that Ren got it too." Amaya said.

"Th-Then is Ren r-really the killer...?" Masa asked.

"It would seem likely to assume so." Cassius stated, smirking. "He knew of the script as well. He was someone working backstage after all."

"And because Spencer didn't see him..." Emma said, "So he's the only one who makes sense?"

Ren stayed quiet.

"But... Is Ren really the killer?" Atsuki asked.

"What? You aren't convinced?" Cassius asked. "We have to accept the fact he's the killer. There is nothing that could ever prove him innocent!" He yelled.

"No, that's wrong!" I yelled. "Cassius... You must have not seen Ren drop this."

"Drop what?" He asked.

"There was a note on the ground right by where you said he took the metal suit. It read, 'I need you to switch places with me before the last scene. Make a second outfit for me so we can switch with ease. I'm going to kill two people.'"

"What...?" Cassius said, shocked.

"This means that Ren was blackmailed again." Amaya spoke up. "And he isn't the killer."

"Blackmailed again?" Zoey frowned. "Poor Renny..." She said.

Ren stayed quiet this entire time.

"If Ren's not the killer, then where was he the entire time?" Cassius asked.

"Ren... He must have been..." I started.

"I bet he was in the boy's dressing room's bathroom." Amaya said. "Remember? That was locked."

"That's right..." I said.

"But it was unlocked by the time we changed into our normal clothes for the trial." Kisho said.

"And Ren arrived before you guys who changed..." Amaya said.

"So that must've been where Ren was!" Emma stated.

"But why was Ren in there?" Spencer asked.

"I bet it's because he needed to change." I said. "If we look at the note found at the shop again, it states that he needed to switch with someone, and that he needed a second outfit so he could pretend to be that person."

"Where's that outfit then?" Cassius questioned.

"I bet it was the charred clothes we found in the dumpster." Amaya stated. "I bet Ren ran from the stage after Atsuki went to get everyone, and went into the boy's dressing room and locked it, so nobody would walk in on him changing. Then, he took a lighter and burned the clothes past recognition, but at that point he must have heard us open the back door from the girl's dressing room, and he probably wasn't dressed yet. It'd be suspicious if we found him undressed, knowing about the metal suit, so then he grabbed his clothes and locked himself in the boy's dressing room's bathroom, and left the back door there open, with no time to close it." She explained.

"I see..." Atsuki said, "Then, when he hid, the killer must have already dumped the metal suit of armor and regrouped with us, making them seem like they were never missing."