Chapter 3: Best-Laid Schemes, Part V (Deadly Life)
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*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!
As soon as the announcement went off, most of the others rushed to my side. Hirou, Daigo, Luka... quite a few of us were observing Kozue's dead body now. There were still a few missing students, like Umiko, but I felt some glimmer of hope that they were okay.
Unlike Kozue, lying there, dead in a pool of her own blood. And that twisted bear, watching everything.
Luka: (sobbing) Who could have done this?! WHO COULD HAVE KILLED HER SO BRUTALLY?!
Daigo: I... I don't know...
Kaiji: Listen, an investigation will help us out a lot. Am I correct?
Hirou: You sure are, Kaiji.
Kaiji: Thanks for making me feel better.
Hirou: You're welcome.
Monokuma: Oh well, enough sappy talk! She's dead. Somebody made her dead. You need to find out who made her dead. Or else I'll make you all dead!
Daigo: ...Shut up, Monokuma! This is where I draw the line! Mugen was blissfully unaware, Haruhi made peace with her fate, but Kozue... you can tell that she rather clearly didn't want to die! This is what you caused, Monokuma!
Monokuma: I wasn't the one who killed her, Daigo.
Daigo: Grr...
Monokuma: If I really was the culprit, then I'd be executing myself. And besides, I wouldn't. Rules for me and not for thee!
Daigo: ...
Monokuma: But I've said what I had to say. Onto more important stuff, ya bastards!
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(Investigation: Girls' Changing Room)
Of course, the investigation would have to start from the crime scene. The girls' changing room in which Kozue locked herself in, and hid in, and died in.
Monokuma: I think everybody here knows the drill by now. Every murder comes with a Monokuma File, it'll help out the investigation, yadda yadda.
Once again, he shoved it directly into my hands.
Monokuma: They trust you the most, I think. Read it out for them.
Kaori: ...Whatever you say.
Monokuma: Good!
As I started reading the details behind Kozue's demise, he left the scene. By the time I had finished, he was gone, out of sight.
Monokuma File #3: The victim is the Ultimate Volleyball Player, Kozue Sumiyoshi. The victim's body was discovered in the girls' changing room. The estimated time of death is 4:00 pm. The cause of death was blood loss after being stabbed multiple times. The victim had additionally been cut around the mouth after death.
Hirou: Isn't it obvious to us...? I hate to say it, but it's...
Kaiji: Murder. Murder is the word you're looking for. The file proves it.
Monokuma File #3 has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaiji: And besides, Kaori, about time I finally do an autopsy, huh? It'll make me feel a lot better about myself...
Kaori: Okay then, report-
Kaiji: Don't underestimate me.
Kaiji then knelt beside the body and took a good, hard look at it. He then turned his head to acknowledge me.
Kaiji: Well, I can draw up a conclusion. Judging from how her mouth was slit... we're looking for a left-handed culprit.
Daigo: Really?
Kaiji: 'Tis true.
Kaiji's Autopsy has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaori: Hold on, can I have a look?
Kaiji: (sigh) You again, always trying to-
Kaori: I mean no offence, Kaiji. I need to see the body.
Kaiji: Alright, have it your way.
He let me pass, and I took a closer look at Kozue's body. More specifically, her face. Her mouth was open in terror, and from there I could see that all of her teeth were intact. Why her teeth, of all things? They just so happened to become important later.
Kozue's Body has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaiji: You done?
Kaori: Yeah.
Daigo: Now then, we've gotta talk about what Kozue did.
Hirou: Right then.
Luka: She ran off after Masao's death, didn't she?
Kaori: Yes, she bolted into this room, and I believe she pushed a bench behind the door so that nobody could get in.
Daigo: Huh. So then how did the killer get in?
Kaiji: It appears... one of the benches has been moved. There's a bit of dry floor behind the door.
Hirou: Only one person could have moved this bench... Kozue!
Kaori: That's what I think happened.
Moved Bench has been added to the Truth Needles.
It was then that I noticed something. A small case, like the one you hold retainers in, making a rattling sound when I picked it up. Almost instantly, Luka reached out and tried to seize it from my hands.
Luka: Hey! That's mine! Give it me back! Give it me back!
Kaori: I'm sorry Luka, but it's evidence now. You'll get it back when the Class Trial's over, ok?
Luka: No way!
Hirou: Please be quiet. We don't want you causing a ruckus.
Luka: Ugh! Fine, then.
Luka's Case has been added to the Truth Needles.
Hirou: Something's been on my mind right now.
Kaori: And what is it?
Hirou: You'd need a girl's e-Handbook to gain access to this room. You noticed the scanner outside?
I took a brief peek at the scanner stationed outside of the room.
Kaori: I do.
Kaiji: Really? There's no scanner in the inside of the room. Anybody could have opened it.
Hirou: By "anybody", you mean... the victim?
Kaiji: My mind says yes.
Scanner has been added to the Truth Needles.
Daigo: Excuse me everyone! We're forgetting about the elephant in the room here!
Luka: Silly Daigo, there's no elephant-
Daigo: There are footprints caked in Kozue's blood outside!
Hirou: What the-?!
I took another glance at where the footprints I noticed earlier were leading to.
Daigo: They... they lead to the doll room! We need to get there! Now!
Bloody Footprints has been added to the Truth Needles.
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(Investigation: Doll Room)
On Daigo's cue, we rushed towards the doll room on the third floor as fast as we could. And once we got there, bursting the door open, we saw a sight. Souta, his eyes gazing dead ahead, clutching a pair of scissors in his right hand.
Souta: ...Ah... ah...
Hirou: What's wrong?
Souta: ...I-
Hirou: Excuse me?
Souta: ...
Hirou: He won't say anything.
Daigo: So we've caught him red-handed, huh?
Hirou: Let's give him the benefit of the doubt... for now.
Daigo: Dude, we literally found him, with bloody shoes, holding the murder weapon!
Souta's Silence has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaiji: I don't think so.
Kaori: Why's that?
Kaiji: Those scissors are clean.
Daigo: Couldn't he have washed them in the swimming pool?
Hirou: I don't think so. If he threw them in, then he'd have to jump in to retrieve them... and his clothes look rather dry.
Kaiji: Too much hassle, eh?
Kaori: I believe so.
Clean Scissors has been added to the Truth Needles.
But before we could get another word out, she stormed in. She seized one of the plush toys on the shelves. And she ripped it apart.
Madoka: There. Found them. First try, too. Am I damn lucky?
Daigo: Wh-why? How do you know?
Madoka: I didn't know. I was with Ayane and Yukiharu at first. Just a lucky guess.
I looked at what Madoka had ripped out of the plush. Another pair of scissors - those ones were however bloody. Almost certainly the murder weapon.
Bloody Scissors has been added to the Truth Needles.
Hirou: On another note...
Kaiji: Aside from that ripped-up plush toy and a pair of missing scissors, all of the sewing equipment here... is exactly as it was left before.
Madoka: You're telling me that...?
Kaiji: None of the sewing equipment was used. None of it.
Kaori: Thanks for the hunch, Kaiji.
Kaiji: You're welcome... for once.
Doll Room's State has been added to the Truth Needles.
Madoka: Look, I have something to say.
Hirou: Go on.
Madoka: You know? The very beginning?
Daigo: The very beginning you lied to us?
Madoka: No. Monokuma gave us all toolkits and sewing kits. Boys got toolkits, girls got sewing kits.
Kaori: Yes.
Kaiji: So the only way those scissors could have ended up in that plush... was through a sewing kit.
Kaori: (That is correct.)
Toolkits and Sewing Kits has been added to the Truth Needles.
Madoka: And by the way, we're done in here. Take Souta and scram.
Kaori: Listen, it might be a good idea to regroup with Ayane and Yukiharu at the phone booth.
Daigo: Well, if that's the case, then we're going off on our own.
Luka: You know, I'm doing the opposite. I'll follow you.
Kaori: Okay... Luka?
Kaiji: It's settled, then. We'll see you later.
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(Investigation: Phone Booth)
We split off afterwards. Daigo, Hirou, Souta and Kaiji went one way, while me and Luka went back to the phone booth together. Madoka stayed behind in the doll room, as far as I could tell - nobody really trusted her a great deal, not especially after what she did.
Yukiharu: Hey, Kaori, Luka.
Luka: Yes?
Yukiharu: Something's been bugging me.
Ayane: Do you both understand? The body discovery announcement went off while Kaori was alone.
Kaori: That is correct.
Ayane: And Monokuma said that three people must have seen the body for it to be triggered.
Kaori: That is also correct.
Ayane: If we figure out who saw it first, then considering that this is a physical murder...
Yukiharu: We've got 'im.
Ayane: True.
Body Discovery Rule has been added to the Truth Needles.
Yukiharu: And if there's one silver lining I can take from it, it's that I managed to get some newspaper article. Have a read.
He handed me over the article. And I began to read it.
Kaori: "REIGN OF TERROR IN OSAKA: The city of Osaka is in shock today as yet another body was found; the 7th victim of a serial killer popularly known as the Kuchisake-onna, after an infamous youkai. The Kuchisake-onna is said to be clad in a trenchcoat and surgical mask, armed with a pair of scissors, and primarily targets homeless people near the Aikuchi Dental Practice. Victims are found with their mouths slit, and one of their teeth extracted. The Aikuchi Dental Practice has been contacted for comment..."
Luka: Ah... What does that have to do with me?!
Yukiharu: You wear a mask.
Luka: Yeah, so what?
Yukiharu: Could it be you?
Luka: What are you even suggesting?!
Ayane: Now now, just because she wears a similar mask doesn't mean she's guilty. We get there when we get there.
Yukiharu: (bored) Right then, Ayane...
Newspaper Article has been added to the Truth Needles.
Kaori: So, this Kuchisake-onna... the serial killer operates in Osaka, am I right?
Yukiharu: Why else would it say that all of the victims were homeless people in Osaka?
Luka: Well, my family's dental practice is located in Osaka...
Kaori: So?
Luka: And- oops! Too much information!
Kaori: (What did she mean by that?)
Luka: I shouldn't really be giving out my personal address willy-nilly. Could cause a lot of problems down the line, tee-hee!
Aikuchi Dental's Location has been added to the Truth Needles.
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*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~
Once we assembled together at the doors to the elevator, we counted each and every one of us to make sure that nobody was missing. There was me, Kaori, of course, and Daigo, and Kaiji, and Hirou, and Luka, and Souta, and Madoka, and Ayane, and Yukiharu-
Umiko: Ahhh! So sorry, so sorry, so sorry!
Hirou: Ah, Umiko. I bet you didn't want to see another body?
Umiko: Ye-yeah. I heard the announcement, and I...
Monokuma: Where have you been this whole time?
Umiko: In... my dorm...
Monokuma: Coward.
Hirou: Don't aggravate her further. I don't think she would have been able to cope with seeing Kozue's dead body.
Madoka: What a prissy, little-
Monokuma: Look, there is the elevator, here are you students, get in, now!
Ayane: This is what he wants, but if we play along now, we'll have more time to think of a plan later. Get in.
The giant doors swung open, and then the elevator's doors. Without any resistance whatsoever, we filed in, and as soon as the last one of us had entered, the doors closed behind us.
Then it started going down.
Souta: ...Uh...
Yukiharu: What's up with him?
Umiko: Do you ex-expect me to k-know?
Souta: ...Eh, ah...
Luka: I always though he was some sort of weirdo.
Ayane: We do not know whether he is innocent or if he's guilty. This country would have most likely convicted him by now...
Madoka: Tsk tsk tsk, his own damn fault.
Kaiji: We don't know yet. Just wait and see.
Silence engulfed us that instant. And so the elevator went down, with all of us on board. The vast majority feeling paranoid about the latest killer within our midst. And that one student, hoping that the fact that they killed Kozue would not come to light.
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...
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TRUTH NEEDLES:
Monokuma File #3
Kaiji's Autopsy
Kozue's Body
Moved Bench
Luka's Case
Scanner
Bloody Footprints
Souta's Silence
Clean Scissors
Bloody Scissors
Doll Room's State
Toolkits and Sewing Kits
Body Discovery Rule
Newspaper Article
Aikuchi Dental's Location
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Chapter 3: Best-Laid Schemes, Part V, End
10 Remain