Chapter 4: Out of the Frying Pan, Part V (Class Trial)
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When the elevator stopped and the doors opened up, we quietly filed out back to the courtroom in which our fates would be decided. It had once again received a massive overhaul in look and feel, if the green curtains and carpet, darker green floor and walls, and brown columns were any consideration.
Everything else: the throne, the podiums, the doors, was exactly as they were originally, and had been since the very beginning. Two more death portraits had been put up behind the podiums where Luka and Hirou once stood. As we stood behind our own podiums, Yukiharu looked around, and made an unnerving observation.
Yukiharu: Can't you fucking believe it? Half of us are dead.
Umiko: What the... Are you for, uh, for real?
Yukiharu: Of course I am! We're dropping like fucking flies!
Madoka: We sure are. Sooner or later there'll be none of us left, and then Monokuma will have to think up of an endgame.
Monokuma: Well at the very least we're getting an endgame! There's one in which somebody else had to pick up the slack - I was there for it. Mind you, I really want that blue-haired lucky bastard's head. Probably that of his cutesy-wutesy-butesy-dutesy researcher girlfriend as well. Or that of his tall archer friend who won't shut up about aliens. Or that of that museum curator with glasses and a really big rack who's the reason why they're still hanging out with each other.
Kaori: And-
Monokuma: But that game's over now. They've won fair and square. So what can I do? Torture you bastards, of course! Ahahaha! Now that's fun.
Kaori: Give me a moment to-
Monokuma: I've also heard of a few stories that never see their conclusion. Oh, I remember one that got delayed indefinitely, eventually cancelled entirely, all because one zealous fanboy just wouldn't shut up about it! How truly despairful! Upupupu~
Daigo: What does that have to do with Hirou? Or are you just making a cruel joke for the sake of it?
Monokuma: Oh I assure you, it is crucial, Mr. Bushida. That story was untimely cut short - just like the one of that gemcutter over there!
Ayane: His name was Hirou Shinju.
Monokuma: Ah, Hirou Shinju! I knew a few people just like him. Bulky muscles, kind personality, ended up dead around this time. It's hard to break away from a few clichés, to be honest.
Yukiharu: Just fucking shut up already! Can we get it over and done with?!
Monokuma: Mind your language! Also, be patient! Anyways, for one of you, this will be your last Class Trial, one way or another. Why, you may ask? Because you broke the really pretty gem just a few hours ago!
Of course Monokuma's opening speech was a tailor-made mockery of Hirou's good name. I swear that if he had been respectfully cremated and buried, then his ashes would be rolling in his urn.
Monokuma: You know the rules, all of you. Time's of the essence; especially when you're trying to find out who was to blame for the death of that precious little gem! Argue! Debate! Lie! And at the end, vote for who you think did it!
Umiko: What if... we get it wrong?
Madoka: We must indeed all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately. That's if we don't nail them.
Monokuma: And if you do, the spoiled "blackened" gets sold off - that is to death! Completely free of charge! You may be asking, "How can you sell this for such a low price?", and I say "because it's total crap."
Daigo: What?!
Monokuma: Yes, if you get it correct they basically get tossed out like the worthless piece of sparkly jeweled shit they are. I've said enough, probably need to wash my mouth out with a little bit of soap. All rise for the Class Trial, everyone!
Ayane: Well, the prosecution is ready. I guess.
Kaori: (And so, once again... the Class Trial... began.)
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Ayane: Everyone, I know this is a tense situation, but we need to remain calm, and alert. I think we should start off with something that should be easy to prove.
Kaiji: That is, the cause of death and the murder weapon, right?
Ayane: You're correct.
Kaiji: Good. Now then, we found three guns of interest during the investigation.
Souta: Three?! You only needed one!
Kaiji: My point is that two of them are red herrings.
Souta: And why's that?
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(Non-Stop Debate)
Yukiharu: I mean, why the hell did they need to use all three guns?
Kaiji: Probably to divert attention away from the fatal shot...
Daigo: But they only had to shoot Hirou once to be done with it!
Yukiharu: See? So only one of those guns had to be used.
Madoka: Maybe two were never fired at all...
TRUTH NEEDLE: Souta's Testimony
Kaori: No, that's wrong!
BREAK!
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Kaori: Souta has a point.
Madoka: Souta? That idiot? What point does he have?
Kaori: He heard three loud bangs while in the art studio.
Daigo: I take it that they were gunshots?
Kaori: Most likely, yes.
Umiko: But if all of them were fired, th-then...
Ayane: We will have to find out through process of elimination which gun was used in the crime.
Kaori: I think I may know already which one it was.
Ayane: Which one, you say?
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(Multiple Choice)
1. The flare gun.
2. The revolver.
3. The shotgun.
Answer: The shotgun.
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Kaori: The shotgun. That's my hunch.
Yukiharu: So, why the hell are you thinking it's the shotgun, huh? Huh?!
Ayane: Again, process of elimination.
Yukiharu: Have you even noticed the revolver found near his goddamn hand? For all we know, he could have shot himself!
Daigo: I mean, a unloaded gun found next to the body of a man shot in the head. I'd hate to say it, but it kinda looks like a suicide...
Monokuma: Oh! The fourth Class Trial just so happens to be surrounding a suicide? Sorry, but I've heard this story before already. Not saying that it's definitely a murder; I'm not supposed to be helping you.
Kaiji: That's going against your rules, isn't it?
Monokuma: True, young... Drat, I forgot your last name.
Kaiji: Kudo.
Monokuma: Oh yeah, Kudo!
Umiko: Hirou... Hirou couldn't have killed himself!
Daigo: And why do you believe so?
Umiko: Ka-Kaori? You do know... right?
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(Select Truth Needle)
TRUTH NEEDLE: Bullet in Wall
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Kaori: We found a bullet in the wall of the shooting gallery that could be traced back to a revolver, as Kaiji said.
Kaiji: And considering that Souta heard only three gunshots, and three guns were used, then we can conclude that the revolver's purpose was for that.
Daigo: Wait, so you're saying... Hirou didn't kill himself?
Kaiji: No, and neither did-
Madoka: Just cut to the chase already.
Kaiji: Fine. One down, two to go.
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(Non-Stop Debate)
Daigo: So, it wasn't the revolver after all...
Souta: Which means that we're looking for another weapon.
Madoka: And we're looking for signs of it being tampered with!
Souta: As in having been handled recently, you say?
Kaiji: Mind you, there was something wrong with the shotgun in the shooting gallery.
TRUTH NEEDLE: Loose Shotgun
Kaori: I agree with that!
BREAK!
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Kaori: Kaiji, you're right. That shotgun seemed a bit loose when I checked it.
Kaiji: I'm... right? You agreed with me? Thank God! At least I finally got you to confirm my findings! Not the other way around like it always is!
Yukiharu: Give me a break, Kaiji.
Kaiji: No. She's out there stealing my thunder.
Yukiharu: But if it wasn't for Kaori, we'd all be dead by now! Don't you hear me?
Kaiji: Well, going back to the shotgun, we found a bullet from a revolver, and a flare from a flare gun. So...
Umiko: That one's shot... is the only one unaccounted for!
Daigo: So it's safe to say that the shotgun was the murder weapon?
Kaori: Yes.
Ayane: Excuse me. I have a question for you, Kaori.
Kaori: What do you want to ask me?
Ayane: His body was burned. Does the Monokuma File confirm it?
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(Select Truth Needle)
TRUTH NEEDLE: Monokuma File #4
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Kaori: Yes, it does.
Monokuma: Wow, my Monokuma Files have been a godsend for you bastards, am I right? You always rely on them for a point or two in the right direction, is that so?
Umiko: Ye-yeah... I'm still a bit scared of you...
Monokuma: Don't worry, I care for all of my students here! Even if they're a bunch of rascals-
Daigo: Liar.
Monokuma: Who are you calling a liar?
Daigo: You. You don't care about us at all. Why else would you throw us into this Killing Game?
Monokuma: To see whether or not you crack under pressure, that's all!
Daigo: That's wrong. What you truly want is to crush our hopes. Either lock us all in to eventually die, or watch us die by killing one another! That shall not stand any longer!
Monokuma: Enough with the grandiose speeches, Mr. Bushida. I've heard one too many.
Daigo: (sigh)
Ayane: Anyways, the consensus is that the shotgun was the weapon used to kill Hirou.
Kaori: It is.
Ayane: Something's not right about that conclusion.
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(Rebuttal Showdown: Vs. Ayane Mitsurugi)
Ayane: You're overlooking a key piece of evidence, everyone.
Kaori: What are you talking about?
Ayane: The flare gun. I'm almost certain it was used to not just kill, but also burn him.
Kaori: That's not how it happened, Ayane!
Ayane: But my theory kills two birds with one stone. You have to accept it.
Kaori: There exists another solution to this affair.
Ayane: What kind of solution?
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TRUTH BLADE: Flare in Ceiling
Ayane: Hirou's body was burned. (cut) Flares are able... (cut) ...to set things ablaze... (cut) ...say for instance, human bodies? (cut)
ADVANCE!
Kaori: It could have been fired somewhere else!
Ayane: But where, exactly? (cut) It would have left... (cut) ...a noticeable hole... (cut) ...wherever it was fired! (cut)
Kaori: Allow me to cut through those words.
BREAK!
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Kaori: Ayane, we found a flare in the ceiling, remember? It was still glowing, meaning that it had been shot recently.
Ayane: And your point is...?
Kaori: It couldn't have been used to kill Hirou. It just couldn't.
Ayane: ...A hole in the ceiling...
Daigo: I noticed it, Ayane.
Ayane: Alright then, I accept your explanation, Ms. Hotaru.
Yukiharu: So if the flare gun wasn't used to burn him, then what the hell was?!
Daigo: Kaori? Do you have any answers?
Madoka: Sure, turn not to the private investigator who can probably handle this situation better, but rather the weaver who probably has never investigated once in her entire life before this. How swell.
Daigo: But Madoka, she solved three murders before this.
Madoka: True. But Kaiji could probably do a much better job at it.
Kaiji: Why else would I be the Ultimate Private Investigator, huh?
Kaori: Sorry. Daigo asked me to figure it out, so I will.
Kaiji: Kaori, wait!
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(Logic Dive)
Question #1: What was Hirou's cause of death?
Wrong Answer: Being burned.
Right Answer: Being shot.
Question #2: So when could he have been burned?
Wrong Answer: Before his death.
Right Answer: After his death.
Question #3: And was his body covered in an unusual substance?
Wrong Answer: No.
Right Answer: Yes.
BREAK!
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Kaori: I think I've got an idea. He was covered in a flammable substance... which was then used to burn him!
Yukiharu: Yeah, he was covered in something. Whatever it was, I don't know, and I don't wanna know. End of story.
Kaori: But we have to know as a group in order to get to the bottom of this!
Yukiharu: Whatever floats your fucking boat, I guess. Spit it out.
Kaori: Alright then... Hirou was splashed with...
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(Multiple Choice)
1. Water.
2. Wine.
3. Gasoline.
Answer: Wine.
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Kaori: Hirou's corpse was splashed with wine.
Daigo: Wait a second, Kaori... where did the wine come from? It's not like there was a bottle of wine conveniently there.
Kaori: (Yes... It came from somewhere else...)
Daigo: Where was the wine originally? Before it was spilt?
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(Select Truth Needle)
TRUTH NEEDLE: Emptied Sculpture
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Kaori: It came from the sculpture of a goblet in the crime scene.
Monokuma: Hey! Thanks a lot for reminding me that there's some property damage I need to clean up! And I paid some really good money for that authentic wine! Mind you, that's the least of your concerns right now... Upupupu~
Madoka: That's your theory?
Kaori: It is, Madoka. Why are you so concerned?
Madoka: No-nothing, I swear!
Kaiji: Clearly, she's more connected to this case than she's letting us on...
Ayane: Right then. We now need to talk about the burned corpse.
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(Non-Stop Debate)
Ayane: Yes, we did find a flare gun at the crime scene.
Kaiji: But that has been ruled out as a potential cause.
Souta: So there must have to be another way of setting him on fire...
Ayane: And there must have been something else at the crime scene, Souta.
Umiko: But there's nothing he could have been burned with!
TRUTH NEEDLE: Madoka's Lighter
Kaori: No, that's wrong!
BREAK!
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Kaori: There is, Umiko.
Umiko: And that is?
Kaori: A lighter. A lighter belonging to Madoka.
Madoka: Geez, stop getting me involved into this mess!
Kaori: Madoka. We found your lighter at the crime scene.
Madoka: So what?
Kaori: You have some explaining to do. Did you burn his body?
Madoka: ...The hell you talking about?
Kaiji: Looks like we've caught her dead to rights.
Madoka: Tsk tsk tsk, you're a funny bunch.
Kaori: Just admit it, Madoka.
Madoka: (sigh) Right then. If it makes you feel any better.
Kaori: ...
Madoka: Yeah, I burned the shit outta him.
Daigo: Madoka... why would you do that?!
Madoka: I have my reasons...
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Chapter 4: Out of the Frying Pan, Part V, End
8 Remain