"O-Oh my god!" I exclaimed, staring at the unusual scene in front of me.
Kei's cold, dead body.
I was so surprised and startled, I couldn't even bring myself to rush over to the body. I just stood at the doorway, confused as my mouth hung agape.
It doesn't make sense! Mei has to die for the rest of us to live. No one else had to. But then why is Kei dead in front of me?
And is Mei even dead? Or is Kei the only one? Is the time limit still going on?
Questions kept rushing in and out of my head while I waited for the body discovery announcement to play, but it never did.
I figured it made sense, seeing as only Mizuki and I had seen the body so far. It still would've helped to alert everyone of our findings.
I...I can't just stand here forever. I need to access the situation.
"Mizuki! What happened here?" I rushed to the other girl in the room. Her reaction to Kei's body was a complete contrast from mine: instead of being panicked, she was amused, almost bursting out into laughter.
Many people wanted Kei dead...Reina, Toshiro, Arashi, Mizuki. Anyone could've killed him! Even Ryuto or Mei.
"Oh, well I just found him here." Mizuki shrugged. "I'm not complaining though. He totally deserved it."
"No, he didn't! No one deserves this!" I argued but sighed to regain my composure. "Did you do this?"
"What? Of course not! I know I hated the guy, but I'd never break our promise, remember?" She replied, surprised I even suggested she could've been the culprit.
I'm glad to see she's still keeping that promise that we made ages ago.
"Well...Then where's everyone else? I went to the dining hall but no one was there." I interrogated.
"Oh, that's because we waited ages for you, but you never turned up. So we started without you! Anyway, I don't really know where everyone is." She replied.
"What does that mean?"
"We all split up after breakfast to find that traitor girl, but I just stayed up here. They could literally be anywhere. I didn't expect to see a body during my search though!"
I nodded, turning back to Kei's limp body.
Never in a million years did I expect to see him dead. He's been such an important yet dangerous member of the group. And it doesn't help that everyone could be a suspect. Along with that, the time limit might still be in place, so are we even going to have a trial, or are we all just going to die?
Even if the time limit expires, I still have the slightest bit of hope that we'll all live. However, seeing Mei's body is not something I would like to see. This situation is just terrible...
But if we do have a trial, I need to be prepared. No body discovery announcement has played yet so no one else knows about the murder, and it would take too long to find everyone. Am I really going to wait for another person to stumble upon the body?
No...I need to take the initiative. I'll start the investigation myself, without Monokuma's permission!
INVESTIGATION: BEGIN
Alright, this is going to be difficult. I don't have a Monokuma File or an autopsy report from Gin. I don't even have anyone else's input except Mizuki's. I'm sure a real investigation will begin at some point, but for now, I should just rely on what I have.
Firstly, I cautiously approached Kei's body. The only wound I could visibly see was his head wound. It didn't seem that big, but judging from the large amount of blood on his head, I could tell it was deep. Also, since it was on the back of his head, does that mean he was attacked from behind? A surprise attack perhaps...
Another thing to note was how dry the body was. It seems like he wasn't soaked from the sprinklers last night. Does that mean he died after they were set off?
I get that everyone wasn't really friendly with him, but was killing him necessary?
Whatever. This must be Kei's cause of death. I'm sure of it.
TRUTH BULLET FOUND! - Head Wound
I also remembered his eye wound. I figured this would be a good opportunity to inspect it closer.
Moving aside his blood-soaked hair from his face, I was greeted by the injury. It was so gruesome, almost like it was fake. The infected skin, the glass shards that were almost impossible to see, the disgusting gashes. It was unreal.
"Woah! So that's what he was hiding. It's kinda cool up close..." Mizuki commented on the wound, shoving me out of the way to get a closer look at it.
At least I know that injury wasn't his cause of death. Mizuki seems a bit too excited to see it though...
Since there was nothing else notable about the body, I decided to examine the room.
The most obvious thing was the burnt and charred walls. The room was unrecognizable from when we first saw it. It was no longer a pristine cushioned white, but now a smoky black.
This must be where the fire happened that triggered the sprinklers. I could still smell the heavy gasoline and smoke.
But why was the lab burnt in the first place? What does it have to do with Kei's death? And is burning a whole room even allowed?
TRUTH BULLET FOUND! - Mizuki's Burnt Lab
The next thing was the tactical knife in Kei's cold right hand. It seemed to be like the ones from his lab and had some blood on it. But why was it here? Kei has no stab wounds. Is it even related to the case at all?
No, it must be. Especially since it's covered in blood.
TRUTH BULLET FOUND! - Tactical Knife
I noticed the mysterious cloth that was laying there on the floor. After picking it up, I thought it was just some normal piece of torn fabric. But when I brought it to my nose, that's when I realized what was wrong with it.
I immediately felt tired, like I wanted to doze off right then and there. My eyelids suddenly felt heavy. I would've fallen asleep if it wasn't for Mizuki.
"Hey! Snap outta it!" Mizuki grabbed and began to shake me aggressively. "Don't go smelling random stuff. That's dangerous!"
"Huh...?" It took me a while to return back to normal.
"So you were sleepy, hm?" She snatched the cloth out of my hands. "Oh! I see. This is probably covered in chloroform."
"Chloroform?"
"Yeah. That weird-smelling gas thingy that knocks people out. People usually smother fabric with it so they can sneak behind people and bam! Knock them out! Like in movies and stuff!" She explained.
"I think I get it now...but why is it here?" I wondered.
"Beats me." She said, putting the cloth back on the ground.
So someone was knocked out by this? Was it Kei, or someone else entirely?
TRUTH BULLET FOUND! - Mysterious Cloth
I picked up the nearby fire extinguisher that lay next to Kei's body. Judging from the giant splatter of blood in it, I guess this must of been the murder weapon. It is pretty heavy, so it could definitely kill someone if you hit them hard enough.
There was also a matching bloodstain on the floor next to where the fire extinguisher originally was. This must be the blood caused by the impact of the hit. If that's true, then Kei died in this room, and the killer moved his body so it would sit upright at the back of the room. Yeah...that makes sense so far.
TRUTH BULLET FOUND! - Fire Extinguisher and Blood Splatter
As I placed the weapon back on the floor, I felt my hand brush past an unfamiliar object. I went to pick it up, realizing it seemed to be a small white fragment. One of its sides was extremely sharp while the others were jagged like they got broken off from somewhere.
But what exactly is this? And where did it come from?
TRUTH BULLET FOUND! - Small White Fragment
I got up from the floor and made my way to the corner of the room, where a variety of suspicious items were.
The largest item was a bucket that looked like it belonged in the Ultimate Gardener's lab. The bucket was rusty and the handle would create a loud jarring screech whenever you tried to hold it. That wasn't even the worst part. The bucket was stained crimson as inside it was blood.
A bucket filled with blood...
Whose blood was it? And why is it even here?
Furthermore, the stains implied that the blood had been spilled or poured somewhere. I wonder what happened...
By the bucket was a large paintbrush that belonged in Nanako's lab. The hair of the brush was also colored blood-red and was frayed. Looks like someone doesn't know how to carefully use a paintbrush.
If the brush has blood on it, does that mean the blood trial is fake? Or is it related to something else...
TRUTH BULLET FOUND! - Bucket Of Blood and Paintbrush
Near the bucket was a gas mask. I guessed it had to also be from Nanako's lab, as that was the only place in the whole school that had a mask like this. It appeared to be used, but why exactly? There was nothing in the room that could suggest any poisonous or dangerous gas from what I knew, so what was the purpose of this gas mask?
TRUTH BULLET FOUND! - Gas Mask
There was a cherry red can of gasoline as well. It was accompanied by a small golden lighter, the word 'Shizuka' engraved in it.
"Wow, they even got branded lighters too?" Mizuki commented, peering over the shoulder to see what I was looking at. "Geez, that's a bit too much, dontcha think?"
"Yeah, I have to agree with that." I nodded. "I thought they were an electronics company?"
"Well, they could put their name on anything and it would sell out, so I guess they have other stuff than stupid weird technology." She shrugged, giving the best explanation she could. "Hell, I don't have a clue. You don't you ask the Shizuka guy?"
"Do...you mean Kei?"
"Yeah, him."
"Mizuki. He's dead. He's right behind you, dead." I sighed, shaking my head in disappointment.
"Well, I don't know! It was worth a shot. It would be funny if he just got up though, but it would suck for me." She responded.
"Why would it suck? Wouldn't he being alive be a good thing?"
"No way! I prefer him like this. He doesn't make any smart comments or any annoying conclusions. I hope he stays dead!" Mizuki grinned. "Now, put that lighter down! I don't want you turning into a bad girl and smoking up in here!"
"There aren't any cigarettes though. And I would never smoke..." I didn't bother to argue with Mizuki any further. I was still hung up on what she said about Kei. That was not what I expected to hear. I get that he was sometimes a bad person and kept secrets, but I never said he should die. No one should have to die because of this sick game...
Anyway, it's safe to guess that Kei's family has other items, but focuses on its technology. That is what they're successful for after all. And this gasoline and lighter must be from Kei's lab. I did see some cans in there. Plus, he had pretty much anything in his lab, so the lighter should be from there too. That probably caused the fire.
Well, that's obvious. The real question is who did it?
The last notable thing was a small bottle, right in the center of the room. The cap was off and gone, leaving just the empty bottle. I wondered about what contents might've been inside, but that question was answered when I read the label.
'Monokuma's Special Poison.'
And Mizuki thought Shizuka company branding everything was annoying. Monokuma even branded his own poison. What's so special about it though? And why does it sound strangely familiar...?
I turned the bottle around in my hand so I was facing the back of it. There was a big warning that read:
'This enchanted liquid is highly potent and takes effect immediately. Please handle with care. Though its volatility is low, this liquid is very dangerous when vaporized. In a gaseous state, it is heavier than air, it breaks down in minutes, and it is susceptible to hydrolysis. So it is possible for you to poison someone to death without any complications. Keep this liquid secure by storing it in a cool place in a glass or plastic container, away from sunlight.'
So it's stronger and deadlier in a gaseous state? That might be important. But Kei doesn't seem to be poisoned. It looks like he died from his head wound, so why would a bottle of poison be here? How was this used in the case?
TRUTH BULLET FOUND! - Monokuma's Special Poison
Now that I think about it, Mizuki's lab catching on fire might sense. If the killer threw the bottom of poison into the fire, then it would vaporize and turn into a gas. Maybe everything is connected after all...
TRUTH BULLET UPDATED! - Mizuki's Burnt Lab
That's about everything in this room so far. I might have to check back later to see if any new information appears.
But now what? I've investigated this room, so where should I go?
In the end, I decided to follow the mysterious blood trail that led out of the room. It would most likely take me to another place related to the case or at least give me some insight into what happened.
However, as I followed the trails and Mizuki happily followed, I noticed that they seemed too perfect. They were clean, sharp, and symmetrical. Almost like they were fake.
Brushing it off, for now, I continued down the trail until I arrived at a door the bloodstains continued through. It was a classroom door, the same classroom with that grotesque smell of death. I tried to open the door to see if the trail continued and if anything was inside, but it wouldn't budge, so I decided to peek through the small window.
Inside, I saw a figure. The fluorescent lights that hung from the ceiling weren't on so it was impossible to see their face, but the figure seemed to be hanging...
Wait, hanging?
Oh no, this isn't good! Are they ok?!?
Inching my face closer to the window didn't help, as I still couldn't tell the identity of the mysterious body.
They were completely still like they've been like that for a while. But...I need to at least help them!
I firmly grabbed onto the handle and continued to try and pull it open, but it wouldn't move at all. I need to open it!
After continued to force it open, it still stayed shut.
I need a plan B...
"Mizuki!" I called out to her.
"Hm? What is it, my angel?" She replied almost immediately, stepping out from behind me.
"I'm sorry but, could you try and break the window?" I asked. "I need to see what's going on in there and the doors locked shut
"Hm? Oh, of course! That's easy!"
I'm surprised. That didn't take that much convincing.
She clenched her fist and began repeatedly pouring against the glass window. Then, after 5 or 6 punches, the glass finally shattered. Mizuki removed her fist, ignoring the bleeding and throbbing pain that must've happened.
"Ha! Piece of cake." Mizuki bragged with a smile, wiping her fist against her clothes, staining them.
Once she was done, I carefully inserted my hand through the smashed window, avoiding any shattered glass that stayed stuck to the window frame. My arm made its way down to where the handle should be, but instead, I felt something wooden inserted through it.
I've...felt something like this before.
A baseball bat? Why would a baseball bat be in here? This reminds me of Gin's case...
No! Never mind what it is! That's not important right now. I need to move it out of the way first.
I used my strength to push the bat out of the handle as I heard it hit the ground with a small thud.
Perfect.
Mizuki and I both pushed the door until it was open. Taking a cautious step inside, I noticed that the room was a mess. Chairs carelessly on the floor, broken lights, windows covered with large metal plates.
Not only that, but a very apparent bloodstain was splattered on the floor. Slowly, my eyes shifted from the blood to what was hanging above it. It was a horrific sight.
A cold, dead hanging body.
Another person dead.
No...This shouldn't have happened! Why them...
Why did this have to happen...!
-
Happy birthday to our lovely and kind gardener, Haru Hana! (February 7th) 💖💖