"...Tatsuo, you're the only guy we haven't confirmed yet, right?" Tapping my finger on my chin deep in thought, I glanced over at him.
"Yeah...?" Tatsuo replied. "But you have my-"
"I think Tatsuo's the culprit." I interrupted him, announcing my revelation to the group. However, instead of the gasps and expressions of shock, I got when I realised Shunsuke was the killer, this time I was met with silence.
"W-What?!?" Tatsuo exclaimed, appearing to be the only one who was alarmed. The others just seemed...confused.
"Tatsuo...Killed Yukari?" Finn nervously chuckled. "You sure about that, Chiyo?"
"Yeah, don't get me wrong. You're like...a genius!" Akihiro tried to flatter me. "But...It's Tatsuo! Tatsuo's not a murderer. He's not a bad guy!"
"I can't believe it either. Ever since day one, Tatsuo has been against this whole killing game! He wouldn't just...kill Yukari! Even in self-defence!" Kairi defended him. "Besides, he could totally take her anyway! Why would she even target him? Yukari was rude, but she wasn't stupid!"
"Oh, you all." Ryoko shook her head at everyone. "Tch. Here is exactly where my so-called belief and doubt complex comes into play!"
"What do you mean?" Yuna wondered.
"Right now, you're all believing in Tatsuo. You don't even want to imagine your precious and most trustworthy friend committing a murder! But you need to doubt him! Unravel him! Pick him apart and find the truth! If you don't well...I guess you don't value your lives at all! Believing in him now is like a death sentence." Ryoko firmly said.
"...You guys may be confused." I ignored Ryoko. "But, I swear if you listen it would make sense!"
"Tatsuo...is a killer?" Kokoro repeated.
"I've seen some...pretty weird stuff," Shouko admitted. "But, even this sounds impossible. It's...It's Tatsuo, you know?"
They all...really do seem to trust Tatsuo.
Well, I did too. But after my realisation, can I still rely on him?
...Who am I kidding? I can't blame them for believing in him. I couldn't even believe it myself when I found out.
But, he's the only option.
"...Tatsuo may be the murderer." Kenjiro, who was the only one actually listening to me, nodded. "We just need to think. He could be extremely...suspicious."
"Exactly- Well, it doesn't sound like he is suspicious now, but let me explain-"
"I have an alibi," Tatsuo spoke up, cutting me off. "You...Heard it yourself, Chiyo. Satoshi and Hidemi were there too." He then glanced at the step-siblings he had just mentioned.
"..." Satoshi just remained quiet, thinking to himself about the case.
"I...think I understand what Chiyo is trying to imply," Hidemi said.
"You want to talk about your alibi, huh?" I folded my arms.
-
Select Truth Bullet
> Tatsuo's Alibi <
"Here it is!"
-
"You mean the one where you claim to spend a few hours in the gym during the night?" I continued. "Yeah...At first, that made sense. There was no way you could create the crime scene, right? But after I thought about it, you totally could have-"
"Slam the brakes."
"H-Huh?" I almost jumped at the sudden interruption.
Tatsuo had chimed in, shaking his head at what I was saying. "Hold on, Chiyo. What do you mean it made sense...At first? It still does."
"...What are you implying?"
"I-I'm just saying." He sighed. "I'm an innocent guy. My alibi is perfectly clear. So I want to know...How exactly I'm suspicious."
Tatsuo doesn't seem as panicked, defensive, or dismissing as Shunsuke.
Well...he does sound slightly defensive, but nowhere near as loud as how Shunsuke got. In actuality, Tatsuo seems...fine? Relaxed? Sure, the accusation startled him but he's taking it well.
This...really is weird. To be honest, I didn't even expect him to interrupt me like that.
But, I've got to show him where his alibi falls flat! That's what's important right now to move this case along!
-
Rebuttal Showdown
Truth Blade: Gym Records
-
Tatsuo: Chiyo, I'm sorry to say this but...
Tatsuo: Your accusation makes no sense. At all.
Tatsuo: You knew I was in the gym for a good portion of the night.
Tatsuo: That's my alibi, and it makes sense. I couldn't have killed Yukari.
-
Chiyo: According to the gym records and Hidemi...
Chiyo: You were in the gym from about 12:40 to 2 am.
Chiyo: That's only four minutes after she died, so you definitely could have been responsible for her death.
-
Tatsuo: That's just impossible.
Tatsuo: I could have been available before and at the time of her death, but not after.
Tatsuo: If I was occupied during those times in the gym...
Tatsuo: Then I couldn't have murdered Yukari along with moving and setting up her body.
"I'll cut through those words!"
-
"Huh? Did I say a contradiction?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "You just proved my innocence by bringing up the gym records anyway. So what's the big deal?"
"Look, what you're saying is true. No one could have gotten killed by Yukari, then moved her body and set up the crime scene in four minutes. That's just not possible." I admitted, and then faced him. "But that's the thing. We're all under the assumption that the murderer created the magic trick set up directly after killing Yukari."
"Wait what...?" Akihiro was just bewildered. "What does that even mean?"
"Let me just try to explain." I shrugged. "All of us are thinking that as soon as Yukari was killed, that's when the culprit took her to her lab, etcetera etcetera."
"So what are you saying...?" Shouko wondered.
"I'm saying that what if the crime scene was created later? Not as soon as she died, but let's say a few hours later." I then explained my theory. "This is what I'm thinking must have happened...Tatsuo murdered Yukari and went to the gym to secure an alibi four minutes later. Once he was there long enough, that's when he prepared the crime scene and moved the body. In the end, the magic trick may have only been set up at two or later, not directly after her death!"
"Chiyo, that's a perfect idea!" Hidemi complimented me.
"O-Oh, thank you."
"That...That makes sense!" Kairi gasped. "Aha! So...Tatsuo killed her then?"
"...I can't believe it." Finn sighed, not wanting to doubt him. "That can't be right, T-Tatsuo?"
We all turned to look at him, but he remained silent, slightly feeling a familiar sensation of unease.
"Uh, Tatsuo?" I called out to him. "Was my idea right or...?"
"Your...idea?" He hesitantly repeated.
"Yeah? Is it correct that you moved her body after leaving the gym?" I asked once again.
"The g-gym?" Tatsuo stuttered, seemingly trying his best to slow his words to flow. Although, they just kept getting caught up in his throat. "It's...Well, i-it's..."
"Tatsuo?" Hidemi slowly said his name, attempting to get him to focus. "Are you alright?"
"Me...? I...I-I..."
"Dude? You're starting to freak me out here!" Akihiro nervously said, rubbing the back of his head.
"..."
"...Tatsuo?" Finn tried to call out to his friend yet again.
"..."
Silence.
Sweat dripped down his face as he desperately attempted to create some sort of word from his mouth to answer, but nothing came out.
Then, Tatsuo just stood there. His body was trembling, his expression was blank and his hands were gripping the podium in front of him as he stared at the ground, unable to speak or move.
"What happened to him?!?" Kairi immediately asked. "Is he...ok?"
"D-Doesn't seem like it," Kenjiro replied.
What...is Tatsuo doing?
Wait. No, it can't be...
He...froze up! What the hell?!?
Tatsuo told me about this before. Right after he and his girlfriend got in that accident and he saw her, he...completely froze! Just like he's doing right now.
I guess this is how he responds to situations like these...By freezing entirely.
Then fuck. He really must feel guilty!
So...Is he the killer?
Well, freezing up isn't helpful! Now Tatsuo can't answer us at all. What are we supposed to do?
Kenjiro then spoke up again, noticing Tatsuo's behaviour. "This response. It makes him...seem like a guilty man."
"So this is his reaction?" Ryoko placed her finger on her chin before grinning. "Interesting. Much different than Shunsuke's. It's a shame though."
"It's...A shame?" Kokoro repeated.
"Why of course it is. How in the world can I mess with him when he's..." she gestured to him. "Like that. There won't be any fun reaction or any arguing. Tatsuo at this point is like some sort of statue."
"H-How are we going to figure out the rest of the case if...he won't talk?" Shouko wondered.
"I have no clue." I sighed.
"We must continue though." Hidemi declared. "Despite his...state, I'm sure we can solve the rest. True, not having his input will be a disadvantage but...We must keep going."
"Right." Satoshi gave a much shorter reply, still backing up what his step-sister had said.
"Then...What now?" Kokoro took her eyes off of Tatsuo. It appeared like she was...sympathising with him.
"Yeah. I'm still going to need a little convincing." Yuna admitted.
"Then let's figure out where each boy was...supposed to be." Hidemi gave a sideways glance at Satoshi after seemingly calling him out. "That should give us a good idea of what exactly happened."
"Right. If I remember correctly then..."
-
Select Truth Bullet
> Sleeping Arrangements <
"This is it!"
-
"On the crowded side of the tent were Finn, Kenjiro and Satoshi. Then on the other was Akihiro and Tatsuo." I stated.
"Yep! I remember being an absolutely terrific roommate to Tatsuo. Isn't that right?" The influencer glanced at him, but still got no response. "Oh...Right."
"But obviously, not everyone followed those arrangements," Kairi said.
"As we've discussed earlier, Satoshi and Kenjiro were together in the dining hall." I continued. "Then, Tatsuo was allegedly in the gym. That leaves Akihiro sound asleep on one side and Finn on the other."
"Hold on." Yuna stopped me. "The attack started...at the guys' place, right?"
"Mhm. That's where Yukari set her sights." Hidemi answered.
"Then if Tatsuo and Aki were together when the whole thing started then...wouldn't Aki wake up?"
"What are you saying?" Kairi said.
"I get it if Finn, Satoshi or Kenjiro didn't hear a thing. The last two weren't even there and Finn probably just heard Aki's sleep talking or his own snoring."
"I-I just want to say again that I don't snore!" Finn chimed in.
"But Akihiro was literally right next to Tatsuo! He would've heard everything!" She carried on with her argument.
"That...is true." Kairi nodded.
I can see where she's coming from. But...I know that can't be right.
Geez, Akihiro sure is a strange sleeper.
-
Non-Stop Debate
Truth Bullet: Kokoro's Account
-
Yuna: If Tatsuo had slept next to Finn, Satoshi or Kenjiro...
Yuna: Then I would understand!
Kairi: But he was right next to Akihiro.
Yuna: Exactly!
Yuna: If Tatsuo, or any other guy, got attacked by Yukari...
Yuna: Then Akihiro would have definitely heard-
"No, that's wrong!"
-
"There's no way Akihiro would have heard a sound last night." I crossed my arms. "...Aside from Finn's snoring of course."
"H-Hey!" Finn exclaimed.
"Huh?" Yuna glanced at me. "Why?"
"Ask Kokoro. She's the one who remembered."
Kokoro perked up once I had redirected everyone's attention to her.
"Uh..."
Crap. She went from being so bubbly to now quiet.
Hmmm...Maybe I can push her a bit.
In a good way, of course!
I gave her a little thumbs up as encouragement for her to continue. Kokoro looked down at her feet but took a deep breath.
"Um...I remember hearing Akihiro saying that he could sleep through literally...everything." She explained.
"Yep. He brought it up once while Hidemi went through the sleeping arrangments." I added.
"And he kept saying it when we were eating together too!" She continued, slightly smiling at her helpfulness.
"Right on." I grinned. "He may have been joking, but it sounds like Akihiro...Can literally sleep through anything."
"I told you I could!" Akihiro said. "See! I slept through...a murder."
"That's not something to be proud of," Satoshi told him.
"I-I'm not proud! I just realised what I said!"
"Right." The forensic scientist just rolled his eyes.
"B-But..." Shouko said. "Part of me...is still hoping that Tatsuo is innocent."
"Seriously?!?" I exclaimed. "I thought everyone was on the same page now."
"N-Not really," Finn mumbled. "It's not like I'm disagreeing with what you're saying, Chiyo!"
"No, that is exactly what you are doing." I corrected him.
"It's just...I don't want to doubt Tatsuo."
"Oh, not this again." Ryoko yawned.
"He's never agreed to the killing game or murder itself. How is he going to be a killer so easily?" Kairi argued. "It just...doesn't suit him at all!"
"...I don't want to doubt anyone else either," Kokoro spoke up.
"S-Seriously?!?" I stammered. "You guys! Tatsuo is our best lead here!"
"He's also our friend too! And I know you consider him a friend as well, Chiyo." Yuna argued. "And no one...wants to watch a friend die."
"B-But...Tatsuo's our only hint. If we don't push further then..." Satoshi tried to reason with them.
"Then, we could all die. Everyone, please!" Hidemi pleaded with them.
"J-Just from his actions and response to everything...It's as if the word guilty is written all over his face." Kenjiro observed. "You have to realise this."
"I-I don't usually throw my buddies under the bus like this but..." Akihiro surprisingly was on our side. "Tatsuo is our only option here! We've got to think logically...or whatever!"
Logically, huh? Damn, it seems like Shimura rubbed off a bit too much on Akihiro.
"I didn't even know that word was in your vocabulary." I teased him with a smirk.
"Hey! Not the time, Chiyo!" Aki argued.
"Hm...What a shame." Ryoko dramatically looked off into the distance, sighing and resting her hand on her hand. "It seems like the group is...split, you could say. Split directly down the middle."
She then offered a sideways glance towards Monokuma, a slight grin appearing on her face.
"Young lady!" Monokuma raised his voice. "You...said it."
"Hm? Oh my, said what?" She played the dumb card, acting innocent.
"Y-You know. S...S-S..."
"S-Split?" Kenjiro finished his sentence.
"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! You're all split, each and every one of you!" The bear announced.
"No...No this again." I groaned, my head now in my hands.
Ryoko knows exactly what she's doing. Of course, she would instigate this!
"It's time for the one, the only...The Morphenomenal Trial Grounds!" Monokuma loudly clapped after his own declaration, even though none of us except Ryoko were really that excited.
"Do we seriously have to-"
"Obviously we do! How else will you settle your dispute?" The bear laughed after interrupting me, before pulling out the key that was twice his size out of nowhere again.
Upon inserting it into the keyhole in front of him, the courtroom began to shift once more, our podiums rising as I desperately hung on.
Not long later, we were left in two rows facing one another, preparing to argue.
This part of the trial is the worse! Not to mention, terrible for someone afraid of heights.
However, I just need to convince everyone that Tatsuo may be guilty. That might be easy.
As long as everyone on my side cooperates and goes through everything we know, we have this in the bag!
-
- Scrum Debate: Begin! -
Could Tatsuo be guilty?
He can't be:
- Yuna
- Kairi
- Finn
- Kokoro
- Shouko
- Tatsuo
-
He could:
- Chiyo
- Satoshi
- Hidemi
- Ryoko
- Kenjiro
- Akihiro
-
- Begin! -
-
-
Kairi: Tatsuo was against murder from the start. How is he now guilty?!?
"Kenjiro, you got this!"
Kenjiro: Just because he was against murder...doesn't mean he wasn't able to commit it.
-
Shouko: Tatsuo said he was in the gym...
"Satoshi, go ahead!"
Satoshi: So? He had plenty of time to create that...bloody crime scene, even after being in the gym.
-
Finn: I don't get it...Tatsuo would never lie to us! I mean...It's Tatsuo! Come on!
"Akihiro, show 'em!"
Akihiro: Uh, he definitely did lie! That's why we're accusing him right now.
-
Kokoro: I...I don't want to doubt any more people. N-Not after Shunsuke!
"Ryoko..."
Ryoko: But Kokoro...Doubt is completely necessary for a killing game!
-
Tatsuo: ...
"I got it!"
Chiyo: Tatsuo...Say something! Speak up! Why won't you defend yourself?!? Is it because you really are guilty?
-
"This is our answer!"
-
The courtroom returned to normal after our fiery debate, everyone's eyes now resting upon a still frozen Tatsuo.
"Man...We can't keep defending you much longer." Finn sighed. "Please, admit it...or argue or...something!"
"Finn and Chiyo are right. You have to speak up!" Hidemi urged him.
This led to everyone pleading with him to finally talk.
Well, everyone except Ryoko and I. She was more so observing with a sick sense of amusement.
I, however, was on the lookout for anything bizarre.
And that's when I saw it. In the middle of the chaos, Tatsuo finally moved. His feet slowly stepped backwards as if he were trying to escape. Tatsuo's hands let go of his podium and he attempted to clench them into fists.
Then, Tatsuo winced. His face quickly reverted back to its frozen state, but from the millisecond of expression I saw, it seemed like he was holding back some sort of yelp.
"That's it." I blurted out, everyone's chatter dying down as they now turned to look at me.
"That's...it? What do you mean?" Kairi wondered, but I just pointed a finger at Tatsuo.
"So, you must have gotten a hand injury during that fight with Yukari last night." I accused him.
"H-Huh?!?" Tatsuo exclaimed, finally snapping out of his state. "My...hand?" He held his hand to his chest.
"Don't try and hide it now that Chiyo has pointed it out." Ryoko grinned, chuckling. "That's just suspicious."
Tatsuo realised what he had done and immediately let his right hand go, trying his best to act normal.
"Ryoko's right." I sighed. "It's pointless to try and hide what I noticed. Besides, this isn't even the first time."
"It's...not?" He said.
"Every time, since last night, that your applied much force on that hand, like...push-ups, clenching it, you've winced. I assumed it was stress from the murder case or too much working out but, now that I'm really thinking, it must be because of your new hand wound. Heck, you even used your left hand to do one armed push ups because your right hand must have been injured. Am I wrong?" I explained.
Tatsuo, yet again, couldn't reply and just looked down at the ground under him.
"That's not even bringing up your toolbox. I just assumed the culprit had taken it from your lab. But in actuality, it was just you, wasn't it?" I tilted my head at him. "The screwdriver was a perfect fit to hide those keys after all. Trust me, I used it myself."
"Right...Chiyo's right! She's the one who used Tatsuo's screwdriver during the investigation." Hidemi reminded us all.
"And...she's right about Tatsuo's hand." Satoshi realised.
"She's...right?" Finn repeated. "Hey, T-Tatsuo! Show us your hand! It's not injured, is it?"
The racer hesitantly raised his head, staring at his trembling hand. "I...I-I..."
Tatsuo is really struggling to say anything right now. Looks like I'll have to argue with him to finally get the truth, like how I had that big 'spar' with Shunsuke last trial.
Well...it's not really arguing if he can't say anything. It's more like I'm...dragging the truth out of him?
Shit, that doesn't sound any better!
Whatever, let's just get this started...
-
Argument Armament
-
"..."
"I...I-I..."
"I...Killed her?"
"L-Last night..."
"Yeah, that's right."
"I...did it."
> Your jacket- Wait, what?!? <
"..."
-
I just stood there, my mouth hung agape.
He...He admitted it?!?
I mean, true, that is exactly what I wanted. But we didn't even finish the debate!
"R-Really?!?" Kairi exclaimed. "Just like that! Tatsuo admitted it!"
"N-No way...!" Finn denied it.
Tatsuo sighed and avoided our glances. "I...Killed Yukari. And I froze up again in the face of my actions. And I...I hate myself for what I've done."
"But...It was self-defence, wasn't it?" Yuna said.
"I don't think self-defence involves moving Yukari's body now, does it?" Ryoko teased. "And Tatsuo is finally talking again! Isn't that just...great?"
"Then, w-what about his hand?" Kenjiro wondered.
"Chiyo." Tatsuo ignored them all and turned to face me. "Tell them exactly what you were going to say about my jacket. I'm sure that will...convince them I'm guilty."
It sounds as if he knows what I'm going to say already.
Geez. I feel kinda bad now...
"Right." I took a deep breath. "Yesterday, when the guys met up with Yuna, Hidemi and I for that whole camping idea, us girls noticed that all the guys had changed into those gym uniforms provided by Monokuma."
"Ah, those fashionable uniforms!" The bear interrupted our conversation just to advertise. "I put a lot of work into that you know! I had the finest material used just for you all."
"Yeah right. The stuff feels like garbage." Satoshi folded his arms, shaking his head. "It's almost...toxic."
"Ah! How dare you!"
"Anyway, back to important business." I cleared my throat in an attempt to continue. "We asked where the guys had gotten changed, and they told us that majority of them went to the locker rooms.
"Majority...?" Kokoro repeated.
"That's right." Akihiro backed me up. "Tatsuo was the only one who got changed in his own lab."
"Huh? And what's that?" Ryoko asked.
"He said he had some stuff to tidy up, so he just took the clothes and went back to his lab." The influencer shrugged after testifying.
"And that's when Tatsuo said one crucial thing about his jacket." I pointed out.
"You mean...when he said he had left his jacket in his lab?" Yuna replied.
"Mhm." I nodded. "Tatsuo had clearly said that he had left his jacket in his lab. It was too late for him to get it either, seeing as at that point in time, the labs were locked up."
"Wait...Something must have happened!" Satoshi realised.
"Exactly." I grinned.
"Why happened then?" Shouko said, sounding extremely confused.
"If Tatsuo told you girls yesterday that he left his jacket in his lab...then that doesn't add up to what he said during the investigation," Satoshi explained. "When we interrogated Tatsuo for an alibi, he said he had left his jacket in the gym."
"But how would that work?" Kairi asked. "All the labs were locked,"
"Sure, Tatsuo could've made a mistake when giving his account, but I doubt it." I folded my arms. "The only option left is that he took his jacket from his lab overnight."
"But...They were locked!" Kairi repeated.
"Tatsuo knew that." I carried on. "And he also knew that they unlocked after a murder had been committed. This means, that to get his jacket, Tatsuo must have known the labs would have been back open. And by that logic...he knew someone was dead. That someone being Yukari, who he had killed just moments prior."
"Tatsuo...did all that?" Finn couldn't believe what one of his close friends had done.
"And before anyone makes this point, I doubt he just assumed someone was dead and opened his lab. Tatsuo...would never think something like that. Especially with his thoughts against this whole killing game. Tatsuo is a...hopeful guy, after all." I sighed.
"Why...did he need his jacket though?" Yuna questioned.
"Of course, he didn't take his jacket for no reason. I'm sure it stopped any blood from getting on him during the crime scene set-up, right? He wouldn't be able to wash it off seeing as the water was shut off. And if he used the fountain, well, Satoshi and Kenjiro would have seen him from the dining room. Not to mention, how would he get dry?
"The towels in the gym?" Kairi suggested.
"No chance. Then, he would've been seen and added to the gym records for a second time. And how would he explain that?" I placed my hand on my hip. "It was practically a no-win situation, wasn't it Tatsuo? Am I wrong?" I called out to him.
"...No. You're completely right, Chiyo. Just like I expected." Tatsuo sighed, admitting more. "The situation was just...hopeless. I didn't know what to do. I...fled to the gym to think after killing her after all."
"And what about your injury?" Hidemi mentioned. "Can you prove its existence?"
He glanced down at his hands and, instead of replying, just took his glove off, revealing almost his whole palm and right hand in bandages.
"Oh...Oh my!" Kokoro gasped. "That really is serious..."
"I can show more if you're not convinced." Tatsuo rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.
"Well, now I'm intrigued." Ryoko teased, smirking. "Take the bandage off."
"T-The...Whole bandage?"
"Obviously. Do I look like I only want to see part of your wound? Hurry up and show it off." She ordered.
Tatsuo just took a deep breath and did as she said, unwrapping the gauze bit by bit until the whole injury was unveiled. It was a clear stab wound, penetrating deep past his flesh and almost through his whole hand, some of his fingers going numb from nerves.
"I barely managed to salvage anything and just used some ointment and bandage." He then began to wrap it again. "When I was defending myself from Yukari, I was so...confused? Scared? Stupid? She was so quick to just slash at me. At one point, Yukari pinned me down and aimed for my face and without thinking, I raised my hand to stop her. But the time I opened my eyes again, the knife was stabbed into my hand."
"Tatsuo...That sounds terrible." Yuna cried.
Seems like everyone is feeling more sympathetic during this trial.
"Hold on a second...Why in the world did Yukari go after you?" Kairi questioned.
"H-Huh?"
"I mean, you're an athlete! You work out every day. And she...was some girl who did magic tricks. What made her think that she could kill you?" She elaborated.
"That's the thing," I replied. "Yukari could have killed anyone in any way and still would have been able to leave. Tatsuo probably wasn't her first choice but as long as he died, she'd be satisfied. So she pursued him."
"Exactly." Tatsuo wistfully nodded. "Satoshi and Kenjiro weren't there, and Akihiro and Finn were fast asleep. Logically, it would've made more sense for her to go after Akihiro, Kenjiro, Satoshi...any of the other guys."
"She would've made a big mistake coming after me!" Akihiro attempted to brag. "I work out too, you know! Well, casually if anything. The fans love to see it!"
"I...can understand why I would've been an easy target." Satoshi sighed. "I'm not that strong. And it's not like I'm that active...I'm just tall. Kenjiro on the other hand...he could've taken her easily."
"Kenjiro? You mean...quiet Kenjiro over there?" Shouko pointed to the boy. "He could've taken Yukari on?"
"Definitely." Satoshi firmly nodded. "He doesn't look like it but...he's strong."
"You...can't be serious." Kairi shook her head.
"P-Please don't debate over my physical abilities." Kenji tried to get everyone to focus.
"Then again, I was the only one who was awake. I was able to hear her enter our tent and when I got up to question what Yukari was doing...she saw me. It was too late for her to do anything else so she just...pulled the knife out. I tried to fight her but it just turned into a chase." Tatsuo continued to explain what had taken place last night.
"So that's what happened." Hidemi crossed her arms. "It all makes sense now..."
"For real." I agreed.
"That's pretty much it." Tatsuo lowered his hands. "I'm...sorry for freezing up before. But, Chiyo?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah?"
"Can you...explain what happened last night? From start to end. I want to make sure everyone knows exactly what happened. That way, they can definitely vote for me." He requested.
"Right. Sure I can." I gave him a brief nod. It was really the least I could do.
The whole situation...I should be able to go through all that.
-
Closing Argument!
-
"Here is the truth of the case!"
-
Act One
The crime started last night when the victim - Yukari, the Ultimate Illusionist - left her tent. Because of the motive and all of us agreeing to not kill despite her arguments, Yukari had decided to kill so she could escape herself.
You may think she would have been careful with the crime, but in actuality, the quicker and easier it was for her, the better. That was because Yukari was one of the five who had gotten a wristband. This meant that no matter who she killed and how she would have been able to leave as soon as the body was discovered.
Yukari went to the dining room where she was spotted by Satoshi and Kenjiro, who instead of being in their tent, were drinking tea. She ignored them completely and headed straight for the kitchen where she slipped a knife out of the knife block. After hiding it in her sleeve, Yukari left without saying a word to go hunt down her undecided victim. It was only until later when Satoshi noticed the missing knife while washing dishes, but by that point, it was far too late.
Act Two
Yukari pulled down the zipper to the tent that all the boys were sharing and sneaked inside. Ideally, her ideal target would have been someone slightly weaker, like maybe Akihiro or Satoshi. But unfortunately for her, before she could make her next move, the culprit had noticed her.
The blackened tried to talk to her, but she had decided that they would be her victim instead. So she interrupted the culprit by beginning to swing her knife around. The culprit ultimately fought back in hopes of stopping her. This little scuffle damaged the guys' tent quite a bit, leaving cuts and markings all over the material. Akihiro, who allegedly could sleep through anything, really did sleep through the whole fight.
The fight had soon moved outside as the culprit tried to escape from a now dirt-covered Yukari into the woods, but she was hot on their trail the deeper they got. At one point, she even managed to pin them down. When Yukari went for the kill and dove her knife down, the blackened raised their hands just in time for the knife to pierce it. This injured the culprit majorly and gave them a disadvantage.
Act Three
Somewhere during the fight, Yukari must have attacked the culprit and in their best attempt to defend themselves, pushed her away.
However, when they pushed her, she had fallen backwards, landing headfirst on that dangerously large and sharp rock under her, dropping the knife. Yukari was knocked unconscious on impact as almost her whole skull was caved in, leaving a massive bloodstain. The killer watched this as she bled out alarmingly fast until ultimately...she died at the hands of her so-called target.
The culprit, now a murderer, had to act. So, in order to secure an alibi, went to the gym and made sure they get recorded on the gym's records. At some point in time, the killer also retrieved their jacket from their lab to stop any blood from getting on them later. This was a fatal mistake, as later they claimed to have left it in the gym, revealing the fact that they accessed their lab, meaning they presumably knew someone was dead.
After being in the gym for a considerable amount of time, the murderer returned to the scene and carried her body to Yukari's lab.
Act Four
Once at her lab, the killer prepared the scene. They settled to use the sword stabbing trick to hide her, leaving Yukari inside the box. However, the killer didn't know how the trick worked, so unbeknownst to them, they picked up the real swords. For the trick, the fake swords provided were supposed to be used with the appointed slots, which the killer also failed to realise.
After stabbing all eight swords into the box and Yukari, the murderer settled to imprison and hide the body even further, using the locks and chains and wrapping them around the box. In an attempt to make sure the spotless would be unable to open the box, the killer - using their own screwdriver from their lab- unscrewed the drain, inserting the keys inside before putting the screws back on.
Act Five
When the crime scene was set up, the killer departed and went to the infirmary to treat their stab wound. There, they used some bandages and medicine in the cabinets, leaving them out in the open afterwards.
Finally, after the hectic turn of events, the murdered returned to their tent, forgetting to zip it back closed. They probably couldn't even sleep after that, the guilt weighing in on them after realising what they had done.
True...it was self-defence. But in this twisted court, you're the murderer, aren't you Tatsuo Takanashi, the Ultimate Motorcycle Racer?"
-
"So, how was that?" I asked Tatsuo after going through the whole case once again.
"Almost perfect."
"A-Almost?" Kenjiro repeated.
"After I pushed and...killed Yukari," he took a deep breath. "I didn't immediately go to the gym. To be honest, I..."
"Froze up?" Ryoko assumed.
"Y-Yeah." He admitted. "The sight of her cold dead expression and all that blood. I-I panicked! I didn't know what to do! So I just...stood there for a while."
"I know how that feels." Satoshi sighed.
"But despite that." Tatsuo took a deep breath. "Chiyo's right. I'm the scumbag that killed Yukari."
"So, are you all on the same page about the blackened?" Monokuma raised his voice, making his presence known. "If so then it's time to begin the long-awaited and life-changing vote."
"Ah right. The vote." Akihiro awkwardly laughed. "I...forgot about that part."
"It's the best part! Sentencing your fellow campers to death!" The bear cackled. "Now, remember! To vote, you choose the face of the person you have selected and then pulled the lever that will appear. Still super easy right?"
"Just get on with it and say the thing." I sighed.
"Ok, ok! Since you all get it, then it's time for the spotless and the blackened to face off! It's...
"Voting Time!"
My screen flickered to life, displaying all sixteen of our faces. The lever sprung up again beside my podium as it awaited my decision.
I have to select Tatsuo.
After everything, he is the culprit.
A guy so against murder...now on trial for it. Not to mention he's a good friend!
Just as I went to press my finger on my screen to choose him, my hand stopped.
Wait...why am I hesitating? I know it's Tatsuo. It has to be him. He admitted it!
Am I...feeling even worse now?
I do feel bad for him. He has gone through a lot but...Now is no time to hesitate.
I pushed through my nerves and selected Tatsuo, pulling my lever as it let out a noisy chime.
That's it...
My screen turned off and we now awaited for Monokuma to speak.
"Hm...Ah! All twelve votes. That should be it! You can all relax or be terrified now. Please step away from your podiums."
Without a choice, we did as Monokuma asked and stepped off, waiting for the results to be announced.
These results would determine our fates...
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