Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit Hole, Part IV (Deadly Life)
----
*DING DONG BING BONG*
Monokuma: A body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time, which you may use however you like, the Class Trial will begin!
I wasn't expecting it to end like this. Even after Monokuma told us that we were supposed to kill each other, that the one who was controlling him was in our midst, that the box would contain information bound to drive somebody to murder, everyone tried to make friends with, to spend time with, to trust each other.
And somebody had betrayed that trust by killing one of our own.
After he had gave the announcement, Monokuma suddenly appeared in front of us, as if to mock what had just happened.
Monokuma: So there you have it. The undeniable reality that this Mutual Killing Game is real.
Souta: Ah... This is no fun at all.
Yura: (gulp) I don't really have anything to say. Airsoft hurts a lot, but it doesn't normally kill you.
Madoka: Obviously. But this isn't a game, Yura.
Hirou: Mugen's almost certainly dead.
Madoka: By almost certainly, you mean certainly? A body discovery announcement went off.
Umiko: ...Please... Please let us go now...
Monokuma: Nope! What do you think I'm gonna do, let everyone leave and go on some stupid road trip across the globe? Screw that! It's far more fun to investigate a dead body! Look, there's one over there!
Kaori: His name was Mugen Kojima, sir.
Monokuma: Oh. Mugen Kojima. He drew the short straw, unfortunately. Because obviously there's no saving throw against getting murdered, you know!
Ayane: Is this some kind of twisted joke? Because if it is, I'm not laughing.
Kozue: ...Do you really believe that this is a time to be making jokes?
Monokuma: AHAHAHAHA! I sure do!
Yukiharu: What the hell?! Mugen's dead! I repeat, Mugen is dead!
Luka: (gasp)
Daigo: You're insane!
Monokuma: Sure I am! What's your point?
Daigo: Somebody we knew just got killed!
Monokuma: Somebody you only knew for around 4 days! Ah... nearly forgot the cruel irony of this. In Japan, our homeland, 4's associated with death. How fitting that the fourth day opened up with somebody dead!
Luka: ...Uh...
Monokuma: Geez... there's still quite a lot of you guys! Only 3 witnesses need to see a body for a body discovery announcement to be broadcast, and we've got a jam-packed hallway!
Yura: ...
Hirou: Don't aim that at him. He'll see it as...
Yura: Fine.
Monokuma: Nobody responding to me?
Daigo: ...
Umiko: ...
Kaori: ...
Monokuma: Good.
Kaiji: Where do we go from here?
Monokuma: Oh, forgot to mention, but... you'll also get a little Monokuma File when murders happen! Tell you all who died, where they died, when they died... y'know, a little headstart! But not too much information - don't want to give the game away!
Madoka: It's like you want to see us fail-
Monokuma: Shut up, you! Now chop-chop, if you want to decide whether 14 go down with him, or just 1! Upupupu~
Monokuma then vanished, just as quickly as he appeared. We were left standing in the dorms's hallway, with Mugen's corpse still in his dorm room.
Ren: We could use the time before the Class Trial in any way, shape or form, remember? That's what he said.
Ayane: This is no time to play games, Ren. One of us has killed him. And if we as a group are to continue living, we have to find the culprit.
Ren: Right...
Hirou: Um... Kaiji? Where have you gone?
Souta: Eh?
Indeed, Kaiji had sneaked away from the others while we were distracted talking among ourselves. He re-emerged from his dorm room a few moments later, wearing a rather large and battered tan trenchcoat over his usual black waistcoat.
Kaiji: You know, my father used to wear this. When he investigated a mystery, more specifically.
Madoka: Like father, like son, huh?
Kaiji: (sigh) In a sense.
Madoka: So...?
Kaiji: It pains me to say this, but... it's time we got to work. We'll start off with his dorm room.
Kaori: Agreed.
----
(Investigation: Mugen's Dorm Room)
With a heavy heart, I heeded Kaiji's order and took a step into the crime scene: Mugen's dorm room. My aim, their aim, was simple - find as much evidence as we could about the murder, so that Mugen's killer may be brought to justice. My first initiative was to read the Monokuma File - the report into Mugen's death.
Monokuma File #1: The victim is the Ultimate Game Master, Mugen Kojima. The victim's body was discovered in his dorm room. The estimated time of death is 10:10 pm. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the front of the skull, resulting in cranial fractures and immediate death. No other injuries were detected.
Monokuma File #1 has been added to the Truth Needles.
After reading it, my eyes quickly shifted attention towards a pink number on the floor.
Kaori: What's this on the floor...? Is that... a number? Written in his blood?
Kaiji: Obviously you noticed it first, because such a worthless kid like me can't compare to a mere weaver.
Yura: Stop moping, you.
Kaiji: ...
Kaori: Anyways, the number... "06187"... must commit it to memory.
Dying Message has been added to the Truth Needles.
Ren: Hey, Kaori. Hey! Excuse me!
Kaori: What do you want?
Ren: If you truly want to set yourself up as this great mind who's going to carry us all, then hurry up. Daigo's looking around under the bed, and I'm sure he'll find something before you do.
Kaori: Right, but... We've got far more important matters to discuss.
For instance, the bloodstained brick right next to Mugen's head.
Ayane: That brick is almost certainly the murder weapon...
Kaori: I can tell from the blood.
Kaiji: All we need to do is find out where it came from and who last had it. Then we've got our perp... I think.
Kaori: Agreed.
Bloodstained Brick has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaori: And besides, is anyone here a doctor?
Luka: Well, um... I'm a dentist.
Kaiji: And I'm a private investigator, so-
Luka: So I have more medical experience, relatively speaking!
Kaiji: (sigh) Always stealing the limelight, aren't you...?
Luka: Well, no! So I get to see what's up with his body or anything...
Kaori: Right. Please check.
Luka: Okey-dokey!
Luka then rushed up to Mugen's corpse, tilting her head from side to side, and then up and down. She kneeled down to glance at his hands, then looked towards me.
Luka: There's no blood on his fingertips or anything. In fact, it looks like he never got out of bed before he was killed.
Kaori: That's one step in the right direction.
Mugen's Corpse has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaiji: Right... we've found practically everything... off-colour here.
Hirou: I take it that we leave, then?
Madoka: Yeah. We do.
Daigo: Where do we go from here?
Ren: Not my own dorm room.
Daigo: Wait, Ren? If you have nothing to fear, you have nothing to hide, right?
Ren: ...Shoot.
Kaiji: What did Ren just say?
Daigo: He asked us to not investigate his room.
Yura: We'll see that as an invitation to, well... investigate his room. Thanks a lot, dumbass!
Ren: Hey!
----
(Investigation: Ren's Dorm Room)
On cue, Kaiji led the way to Ren's dorm room. A few others, such as Haruhi and Masao had already gathered around near the door.
Kaiji: Please open it for us.
Ren: No.
Kaori: He asked you, open it.
Ren: I said, no!
Daigo: Look, Ren, please.
Ren: ...Fine.
Ren reluctantly took out his own e-Handbook and scanned it in the scanner. With a buzz, the door unlocked. I turned the doorknob and took a step inside. It was rather similar to me and Mugen's: blue floor, red walls, bolted-shut windows, a table, a wardrobe, bedside drawers and a bed. With blue sheets, like Mugen's and unlike mine.
Haruhi: Hmm? Do you notice that, Kaori?
Kaori: I already did. A head that looks like Ren's has been left laid on the bed's pillow.
Kozue: And, um... what is is made out of?
Kaori: Honestly, I have no clue.
Kaiji stepped towards the head, and tapped it gently a few times.
Kaiji: Papier-mâché, everyone. Papier-mâché. Now, does that solve your question?
Kozue: Yeah. It does.
Kaori: Ditto.
Kaiji: Good, I guess...
Papier-mâché Head has been added to the Truth Needles.
I turned around to see Yukiharu rummaging through the bedside drawers. He was holding something small and rectangular.
Yukiharu: What. The. Hell?! What is that doing here?
Masao: Is that... a 17th e-Handbook?!
Yukiharu gave the thing to me, so that I could look at it.
Kaori: Looks like one. There's no name on it, but there's a picture of a red-haired girl-
Kaiji: I need this. I need to see if it works.
I gave Kaiji the e-Handbook, and then left the room, keeping the door open so that we could hear what was going on in the hallway. A buzz. Another buzz. Yet another buzz. I counted 16 buzzing sounds before Kaiji returned.
Kaiji: Baffling... This e-Handbook appears to work with every scanner around here... I can't comprehend it...
Kaori: May I have it back?
Kaiji: I'm afraid not. It can open any scanner-locked door, so it's a massive security risk. I don't want somebody else getting their hands on it.
Kaori: Right then...
Anonymous e-Handbook has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaori: And besides, what are those metal tools in a tin on your table?
Ren: Okay, I'll cut to the chase. They're makeshift lockpicks. Obviously not this kind of jam, but whatever floats your boat.
Kaori: I'm taking these. Lockpicking tools are illegal in Japan.
Ayane: Yes. They are. You can face a penalty of 1 year in prison for possession.
Ren: ...Damn. That's the... least of my worries.
Lockpicks has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaori: A book's been left behind on the table as well.
Kaiji: ...What book?
Haruhi: From the looks of it, it's a diary. It even says it on the cover.
Kaori: No author, though.
Kaiji: ...Where did it come from?
Haruhi: You have no idea?
Kaiji: No. I don't. Wonder why I hate myself? Because I have no idea over things I should know!
Ren: What a whiner.
Kaori: Anyways, I'm taking this. It must be useful.
Diary has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaori: Now please give me a moment to read this.
Kozue: All right, then!
I therefore turned my back towards everyone else, and opened the diary to read through it.
----
Day 1: We finally got here, Mugen and I. It's a real miracle that our families could afford all that we need to set the whole thing up - it's going to take quite a while before everything's put into place. We've decided to share this diary, as a record of our collective exploits. On odd days, I write. On even days, he writes. A simple plan.
Day 3: Most of the contractors are finished installing everything now - it just bugs me as to how Mugen's keeping them in the dark about all of this. Why would he go through all this time and effort just for some silly LARP made for his roleplaying group? I have a feeling that this is no LARP. I tried asking him about this "game", but he refused to answer. Information is being concealed from me, and I must know.
Day 5: I just feel worn out and worthless. He still won't give me the answers to my questions, shooting me down with "We're in this together, aren't we? You should know what we're talking about.", and he keeps accusing me of doing some really weird stuff. I'm no saint, but it's clear that he's starting to go down the slippery slope of madness. ...Poor him.
Day 7: Tomorrow, Mugen says that he's going to go out and find some other kids. The ideal scenario is that he'll find 14. Apparently, he also wants me and him to participate in the game he wants to play soon. Leads me to think... either this is the most high-budget LARP I have ever seen, or he is planning something far more sinister than what he's letting me on.
Day 9: Look... I'm done. Mugen's gone. He's been looking at... at this stuffed bear for almost an hour, and he's no longer speaking to me. What did I do wrong? Why isn't he talking to me? And how did he get his hands on that bear? Because I know what that bear is. I know from what someone who frequented his roleplaying sessions did. From what I've heard, the activation is scheduled for tomorrow. May God have mercy on us all.
----
Every 2nd day had been torn out of the diary. And I did not recognise the handwriting. But from the looks of it, it seems that Mugen was indeed involved in planning the Killing Game. He may even have been the mastermind. Now I wonder to myself: did he deserve to die for it? And just who was writing about him? My thoughts were then interrupted, rather rudely, by Souta.
Souta: A-ha! I finally found it!
Kaori: Found what?
Souta: Something of great interest in the mess hall!
Kaori: O...kay?
Souta: You all have to see it! Follow me!
----
(Investigation: Mess Hall)
Souta led us to the mess hall, and then I saw what he was talking about. The coffee machine on the side had been noticeably moved, so that the back of it was visible. I could see the number "412" scratched into it.
Kaori: What is a number doing, etched into the back of the coffee machine?
Umiko: (scratching her head) No idea...
Kaori: Me neither, for now.
Souta: Hmm... "412"... Where could we go from here, I wonder?
Coffee Machine has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kozue: Geez! The bin's practically overflowing with them!
Daigo: Eh?
Kaori: What do you mean?
Masao: Coffee cups. She means coffee cups. There are a lot of coffee cups that have been put in the bin.
Daigo: Why did somebody drink loads and loads of coffee overnight?
Masao: They have their reasons. Ah... at least they properly disposed of them. Littering is unclean. Unsightly, even.
Luka: And too much caffeine stunts your growth! ...Or so I heard.
Yura: Haha, then explain your own shortness, shorty.
Luka: ...I'll kill you.
Yura: Really?
Luka: Tee-hee! Just joking! Ehehehe~
Masao: This is no time for jokes. Especially "jokes" like these.
Luka: My bad!
Kaori: Right... but, it's too odd to not disregard.
Coffee Cups has been added to the Truth Needles.
Daigo: You know... I really don't know who would drink tons of coffee in the middle of the night to keep themselves awake...
Yura: Do you mean yourself, wage slave?
Daigo: No, no, no! I'm a salaryman, but I still get a decent sleep schedule. Unlike Ren - he stays up all night. At least he gets his sleep in the evening, eh?
Kaori: You already told me that, but...
Daigo: But what?
Kaori: It could be crucial to the case.
Daigo: You're welcome, I guess!
Daigo's Account has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaiji: We're running out of time, so I tried doing the most I could... I went to the gym and retrieved the opened box. Take a look at it.
I took a look at it, obviously. There appeared to be some marks on the lock that I swear were not there before.
Kaiji: Like if something foreign was inserted into it. Take for instance, a lockpick?
A lockpick was used to open the box? Very good for Kaiji to know. It'll help us catch Mugen's killer for sure.
Open Box has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaori: And besides, Mugen died late at night.
Kaiji: ...How do you know that?
Kaori: The Monokuma File.
Kaiji: Oh. My bad. I'm always bad.
Kaori: You don't have to feel bad. Not all of us have read it yet.
Kaiji: But I did. I'm pathetic.
Kaori: Kaiji. You've been a good helper during this... unfortunate event.
Kaiji: Doubt it very much. Everyone's going to give an alibi that they were sleeping, and we'll be unable to disprove anything, and we'll get nothing done, and we'll all die.
Kaori: ...Don't be so silly. I know we can get through this.
Kaiji: Really?
Kaori: Yes.
Kaiji's Account has been added to the Truth Needles.
----
*DING DONG BING BONG*
Monokuma: Investigation time is now over and done with! Everyone, please assemble at the grand doors! Failure to do so within 5 minutes will be seen as tardiness, and will be punished accordingly! Upupupu~
On cue, we assembled at the same grand doors that I had noticed earlier on, before Mugen died. Everyone, including me, was there: Daigo, Madoka, Hirou, Kozue, Ren, Yura, Souta, Luka, Yukiharu, Haruhi, Kaiji, Umiko, Masao and Ayane.
Yukiharu: Hey, why you brought us here?
Monokuma: Well then, looks like we've got a-
Yukiharu: I said, why have you brought us here?!
Monokuma: Don't talk over the teacher! And I've brought you here to start the Class Trial, you hear me?
Yukiharu: Guh...
Monokuma: Thank you. As I was saying, it looks like we've got a full house! A shame Mr. Kojima isn't around to be with you.
Luka: Yeah. What a bummer.
Umiko: ...Mugen...
Ren: You thought of him as a friend?
Umiko: Well, no... Just a... peer.
Ren: Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Monokuma: But once you get down, I've prepared something to make sure that he'll always be with you guys in spirit!
Haruhi: Care to explain?
Monokuma: You'll see.
The doors then swung open by themselves, to reveal... a pair of metal grated doors? Through them I could see the similarly grated walls and the orange tiled floor of the room behind. There was a few buttons next to them; it was most likely an elevator. Monokuma went over to the buttons, and pressed the one on the top; a few awkward seconds passed before the doors opened up, as if they were beckoning us inside.
Monokuma: Come on in, come on in. Don't worry about me - I know a way or two about getting down! Upupupu~
We, as a whole, reluctantly stepped into the elevator. As soon as all 15 of us were inside, the doors shut behind us. Without any of us even pressing a button, the elevator started moving down, a heavy clunking sound drowning out almost all talk.
Souta: We're falling... I wonder how far down we go? Kuhuhu~
Masao: Clearly, it'll stop soon. Or maybe it is just a trap meant to kill us?
Haruhi: It sounds unsafe.
Madoka: ...Beats me.
Yukiharu: I'm sure whatever happens, we'll get the best of that monochrome prick in no time.
Daigo: Don't worry, everyone! We will find Mugen's killer! I'll make sure of that!
All anyone could do was stand and wait, fully knowing that the one who killed Mugen was within our midst.
A life-or-death deception... A life-or-death betrayal... Life-or-death mysteries... Life-or-death lies... Life-or-death truths... All of those would have to be settled in a life-or-death... Class Trial...
----
TRUTH NEEDLES:
Monokuma File #1
Dying Message
Bloodstained Brick
Mugen's Corpse
Papier-mâché Head
Anonymous e-Handbook
Lockpicks
Diary
Coffee Machine
Coffee Cups
Daigo's Account
Open Box
Kaiji's Account
----
Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit Hole, Part IV, End
15 Remain