Investigation of the Second Case (Second Half)
We open with a specific murder case. A tragic killing that occurred within the grounds of the academy that the girls attended. Based on their understanding of the crime scene, the police ruled that the incident was the work of a pervert who snuck into the school grounds. However, there was a secret behind the incident. Even before the janitor first discovered the body, there were students who witnessed the crime itself. The students were five high school girls. They didn't want to get involved in the incident, so they tried to hide the fact that they were the first to discover it. However, tragedy befell those girls. Several days after the incident... one of the five girls, Girl E, is murdered by someone. What in the world happened at this once peaceful academy? By playing the missing first and third day, you will be able to understand that mystery. All the answers you seek are hidden in this Truth Edition. Will you be able to reach the truth?
Twilight Syndrome Murder Case: Truth Edition
1st Day
As the title screen faded away, it was soon replaced with a familiar sight. Girl B, Girl C and Girl D were standing in an area that almost resembled the hallway in their school. But from the looks of it, it appeared to be an entrance hall, the area you find yourself in when you enter the main school building. The three girls were just standing around, but that changed when Girl A ran in from the right side of the screen. Girl A was supposed to meet the others, but she was late, similar to what happened on the second day when she was supposed to meet the other girls in the hallway.
Girl A: "I-I'm sorry! I'm really... really sorry for keeping you all waiting!"
Girl B: "Geez, we're gonna go home late because we had to wait for slowpoke Girl A."
Girl D: "Come on, you don't have to be like that." Girl B was about to respond, but then Girl D took out a camera and snapped a picture of the girls, she even had the flash on, which temporarily blinded everyone in front of the lens.
Girl B: "Hey, don't go taking photos without permission! People might mistake us for good friends!"
Girl A: "I-I'm not your friend!?"
Girl B: "What? There's no way I'd ever be friends with a nasty, trashy, pigshit like you."
Girl C: "Hahaha! The way Girl B treats people, even loan sharks looking to collect would get sick to their stomachs!"
Girl A: "Is... Girl E here yet?"
Girl C: "Ah, apparently she forgot something. She told us to wait just a little longer."
Girl D: "She can't find her school swimsuit..."
Girl B: "Her swimsuit, huh... maybe it got stolen?"
Girl A: "S-Stolen!?"
Girl B: "You don't know? A pervert has been spotted in the area recently. Hehe... you should be super careful, Girl A. A chubby weakling like you makes the perfect prey."
Girl D: "Hey, stop it... Girl A's getting really scared."
Girl B: "Hahaha! It's fun to bully Girl A!" It's very likely that Girl B's teasing would've continued, but her mouth was sealed shut once she and the others heard something break.
Girl D: "W-What was that sound!?"
Girl B: "It sounded like... glass breaking... it sounds like it came from the second floor! Let's go!" All the girls, minus Girl A, ran off screen and towards the source of the noise. Hajime used the controls to make Girl A run to where the others went, she ran up the stairs and found the others standing outside the music room. Girl E was also there, and it looked like she was out of breath.
Girl A: "Girl E! W-What happened!?"
Girl E: "I-I don't know... I walked by the front of the music room just now, and then... I suddenly heard the sound of glass breaking."
Girl C: "Is... someone in there?"
Girl E: "That's what I think, but... I think the door is locked. I can't get it open." To confirm what Girl E just said, Girl B went over to the door and tried to open it, but to no avail.
Girl B: "You're right, it's locked."
Girl C: "Did someone lock it from the inside!? Is someone really in there!?"
Girl E: "Um... if we use the key from the teacher's lounge, we can open this door, right?"
Girl D: "I'll go to the teacher's lounge and get the key to the music room. The teachers are probably gone by now, so I'm sure we can bring the key over in secret. But... I have a bad feeling about this!" Girl D then ran down the hallway towards the teacher's lounge. Luckily for them, the teacher's lounge wasn't that far from the music room. After a few minutes of searching, Girl D returned with the key. "I found the key! Nobody was there so it was super easy to get."
Girl C: "Then let's open it right away!" Girl D did what Girl C suggested and walked over to the door to unlock it, once it was done, she looked back at the others.
Girl D: "Okay."
Girl B: "Girl A, you lead the way!"
Girl A: "H-Huh? M-Me!?"
Girl B: "Come on, hurry up!" Feeling like she had no choice, Girl A approached the door and slowly opened it. Leading the way, she entered the music room and walked past the many desks, there was even a small stage with a piano placed in front of the desks. When she made it to the other side of the room, she could see another female student, but she was sitting up against the wall, only a short distance away from the window.
Girl A: "S-Someone's... laying on the floor..." Girl B walked up to the female student and looked over her body, but unfortunately... this girl wasn't awake, it didn't even look like she was sleeping.
Girl B: "T-This... she's not laying down... she's dead."
Girl D: "D-Dead!?"
Girl E: "That's impossible... why?"
Girl A: "AAAHHH!!!"
Girl B: "Lower your voice! They might still be nearby!"
Girl E: "N-Nearby?"
Girl B: "I mean, this... looks like someone murdered her."
Girl C: "Murdered... huh!?"
Girl B: "Seriously, shut up! What's gonna happen if the killer notices us!?"
Girl D: "W-What should we do?"
Girl B: "...I see, so that's what happened. I found it, the killer's escape route." Girl B pointed towards the window, it appeared to be broken. Someone must've been trying to escape the room in a hurry, it even looked like a fish tank was knocked over as well.
Girl A: "Ah! The window is broken!"
Girl B: "The sound we heard from the entrance hall was probably the window breaking. Someone probably locked the music room door from the inside, and after killing this girl, they broke the window and escaped outside. Looks like she got hit with something when she died, but I can't seem to find anything bloody here. What happened to the weapon? Did the killer take it?"
Girl C: "So... the killer just ran out the window?"
Girl A: "But... if they just wanted to run away, they could've opened the window. Why did they have to break it?"
Girl E: "T-They were probably trying to leave in a hurry... look, there's evidence. The fish tank by the window is tipped over, and all the gravel is scattered."
Girl B: "They must've accidentally tipped it over when they were frantically trying to get away."
Girl E: "It's not too high to jump from the second floor, so maybe they thought it'd be safer than using the hallway."
Girl A: "B-But... is that really it?"
Girl B: "I mean, to lock the door, you'd have to either lock it from inside the music room... or use the lounge key."
Girl D: "Oh, when I went to get the lounge key, it was in the teacher's lounge."
Girl B: "So the killer wouldn't've had time to return the key before they broke the window."
Girl C: "Then, the door could've been locked from the inside... that means the killer was inside the music room."
Girl B: "Also, to get outside from the music room, they'd need to have passed by us in the entrance hall. But we didn't see anyone pass by... which means the killer's only escape route was this window."
Girl E: "I-It's probably... that pervert I heard about... he's the one who snuck inside the school grounds."
Girl A: "Huh?"
Girl E: "My school swimsuit... was stolen. I couldn't find it anywhere."
Girl C: "Then... the person who stole Girl E's school swimsuit also murdered that girl over there!?"
Girl B: "They... probably locked the music room so they could assault her, but she ended up resisting."
Girl A: "So, they frantically tried to get away, broke the window, and escaped?"
Girl E: "I-Isn't... it bad if we stay here much longer? I mean, I don't want to get involved in something like this... and the killer might still be around too."
Girl C: "That's bad! Uber bad! We better hurry up and run!"
Girl A: "B-But... don't we have to report this to the police?"
Girl E: "Don't you know what happens when you report this kind of stuff to the police? You become the prime suspect just because you found the body first! I definitely don't want that!"
Girl B: "Yeah... it'd be best if we left this room how we found it... just lock the door, leave everything how it was..." Girl B, Girl C and Girl E then proceeded to leave the music room.
Girl A: "Ah, hey! Please wait... don't leave me!" Girl A ran after the other girls, but Girl D had yet to leave the room.
Girl D: "..." Based on what happened during the second day, it can only make sense if this was the moment that Girl D took pictures of the scene, the broken window, the fish tank, the dead body, not a single detail went unnoticed.
===========Timeskip===========
3rd Day
Girl D was outside, waiting for someone to arrive. After the events of the second day, Girl D must've already disposed of all the pictures she took of the crime scene. Girl E was the one who told her to do it in the first place, she didn't want to be involved with the police in any way, and those pictures would've pointed the finger at those girls if the police got their hands on them.
Girl E: "Girl D! Sorry, did I make you wait?" Girl E ran into frame and was now standing in front of Girl D. "So what's up? You asked me to meet here, don't tell me you're gonna confess your love to me?"
Girl D: "..."
Girl E: "Huh... what happened?"
Girl D: "Um... I want you to look at this photo. On the day of the incident, I found this when I peeked into the next-door classroom as I was going home... and I couldn't help taking a picture..." The picture was of a broken vase, but what did this have to do with the murder that took place on the first day? "What do you think these broken vase pieces mean?"
Girl E: "..."
Girl D: "That sound we heard from the entrance hall wasn't the sound of a window breaking."
Girl E: "W-What is this... I don't know anything about this vase!"
Girl D: "And if that's the case... the killer didn't escape from the window."
Girl E: "S-Seriously, I don't know anything!"
Girl D: "It's okay, I made sure to throw it away."
Girl E: "Huh?"
Girl D: "If anyone found it... you'd be in trouble, right?"
Girl E: "Are... you trying to blackmail me?"
Girl D: "O-Of course not... that's not what this is about. If there's something you're hiding from me... I want you to say it. I mean... we're friends, right?"
Girl E: "You... you didn't say anything either... I knew, you know. I knew that girl who got killed was tormenting you..."
Girl D: "Huh?"
Girl E: "No, she wasn't just tormenting you. She was seriously making your life a living hell... that bitch was in your photography club back in middle school, right? She was probably jealous of your talent... so she... I'm supposed to be your best friend! If you told me... none of this would've happened."
Girl D: "G-Girl E... don't tell me you-"
Girl E: "That bitch... thought she could do anything she wanted because of her family's influence... and I just couldn't stand it anymore! You know... at first, I tried to talk to her. But that bitch... started talking shit about how she'd target me next time, so... I felt... a sudden rage... and before I knew it, I was choking her. And then... she lost consciousness... but things would've been worse if she woke up, so... that's why I had to do something about it!"
Girl D: "T-That's..."
Girl E: "It's not my fault... or yours... it's all her fault!" Girl E quickly grabbed the picture in Girl D's hand and ran off without saying a word.
Girl D: "Ah! Girl E!"
===========Timeskip===========
Later that same day, Girl E could be seen running up to an incinerator behind the main school building. A very efficient way to get rid of garbage... or evidence. Her purpose was simple, get rid of the picture of the vase. While looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching, Girl E placed the picture in the incinerator. Without thinking, Girl E ran away from the scene. But unfortunately for her, there was someone watching her every move. A male student walked towards the incinerator after Girl E left, he quickly looked into the incinerator and grabbed the picture while trying to avoid getting burnt. Luckily for him, it takes a few moments before the incinerator fully turns out, so he didn't have much to worry about.
Guy F: "That bitch... Girl E, was it? Word is she was with 'her' on the day of the incident. Looks like she didn't want anyone seeing this photo, what's the big deal?" The boy known as Guy F looked at the photo and felt his heart skip a beat, and not in a good way. "What the hell is this photo!? This vase is... could it be... the sound of breaking glass was actually this? If it wasn't... why did she try to secretly get rid of this? That bitch... what the hell did she do to my little sister! Looks like I need to ask her a few questions... and if that bitch really did it... I will never... I will never forgive her!"
The screen faded to black, and nothing was visible for a short time. But then something appeared on screen, Monokuma was there with some words appearing above him.
Game Clear
===========Transition===========
Present
Hajime: "Looks like... this is the end."
Chiaki: "That's the Truth Edition... the incident's first and third day are depicted in it. Yep, now you've filled in all four events from the first day to the fourth day."
Akane: "I barely understand what just happened, I'll just take your word for it and trust what you say."
Hajime: "Chiaki, what do you think of the characters in this game?"
Chiaki: "You mean like Girl A and Girl B? Their names make no sense, and they have no romantic chemistry either."
Hajime: "No, not that..."
Akane: "Hey, something else just popped up on screen."
Chiaki: "Looks like the ending's staff roll started."
Hajime: "Staff roll?"
Chiaki: "You should be able to find out what you wanna know if you look at it... probably." All three of them looked at the screen again, and sure enough, the staff roll began. Monokuma's name came up a lot, he had basically all the jobs when it comes to making a game. Producer, director, supervisor, programmer, plan/scenario, graphics and sound, but what really stood out was the cast.
Tsumiki
Koizumi
Saionji
Mioda
Sato
Kuzuryu
Kuzuryu
Hajime: "W-Wait! Just now..."
Chiaki: "See, didn't I tell you? What you wanna know is gonna be on there."
Monokuma: "Yay! Congratulations! Miracle Congratulations! You have finally beaten Twilight Syndrome Murder Case! Now that you guys have played this game through to the end, you should already know... that's right, that game is a nonfiction game based on an actual past incident!"
Akane: "I-Is that true?"
Monokuma: "By the way, 'nonfiction' means an original story based on historical facts or records. But even if this is nonfiction, you guys probably don't remember it. Well, that can't be helped. The school life you no longer remember is the setting for this story. At any rate, congratulations! Now then, as for the ending prize that I'm supposed to give you as a reward for clearing the game... I won't give it to ya!"
Hajime: "Ending prize?"
Monokuma: "There was only one ending prize, and I already gave it to the first person who beat it! Puhuhuhu, how disappointing!" As fast as he appeared, Monokuma left everyone's sight once again.
Hajime: "Did he say... ending prize?"
Chiaki: "Like... I was told the same thing when I beat it too. Man, I was too late. If I'd known something like this was gonna happen, I would've played the game sooner."
Hajime: "But the ending prize isn't the problem. It's what Monokuma said earlier... he mentioned how he used our school life as the setting of the game." If all the nonsense Monokuma mentioned about their school memories being taken away is true, then what exactly did he and Monomi do to them in order to take those memories away?
Chiaki: "It looks like... there's something on your mind."
Hajime: "Huh?"
Chiaki: "Monokuma probably said the same thing to everyone else who's beaten this game. That this game is nonfiction... that it's the 'missing link' that existed in our forgotten school memories."
Hajime: "So... do you really believe... our memories were taken?"
Chiaki: "I don't know, but... instead of thinking about that right now, we gotta focus on solving this mystery first. Whether we believe it's the motive or not, it's clear that a murder did occur."
Hajime: "If that's the case... then we need to question them directly. If we do that... we might be able to learn something."
Chiaki: "You're talking about the people whose characters appear in the game, right? Then I'll go too." If they get some information from those certain students, they might find out about something about the mystery behind Mahiru's death, about whether this game is true or not, and if they really had their school memories taken away.
Akane: "Then let's hurry and ask the others!"
Chiaki: "And while you're at it... ask them how it feels to be characters in the game. Ah, also, if you want to gather your thoughts about the content of the game, talk to me anytime."
Hajime: "I see, thanks. That's a huge help." Hajime, Akane and Chiaki then proceeded to leave Jabberwock Park, but the moment they left... he appeared again.
Nagito: "Why, hello there. We meet again."
Hajime: "The timing's too perfect... you were waiting here, weren't you?"
Nagito: "Ah, so you caught me? Wouldn't it be best if we travelled together? If you've beaten the game, we must think similarly, right? No... maybe I'm being a little too conceited. A guy like me thinking similarly to you guys."
Hajime: "It's okay, just make your point."
Nagito: "There was an airport on the First Island, right? I told them to meet up there."
Akane: "Them?"
Nagito: "Why, the characters who appeared in Twilight Syndrome Murder Case, of course. The girls must be busy with their investigations too, it'd be a waste of time if we both questioned them, no? If you want to hear what they have to say, you should come with me. I'll go ahead and wait for you guys." Nagito then walked onto the bridge leading to the First Island and left everyone's sight. He did them a pretty big favour, and it wasn't like it'd be possible to question them after Nagito's done with them.
Chiaki: "..."
Hajime: "What should we do?"
Chiaki: "Hmm, I guess the only thing we can do is go."
Akane: "Dammit, I really hate listening to that guy talk."
Hajime: "Yeah, I agree. But it's not like we have a choice, let's just try and put up with him a little while longer." Although Akane was sceptical, she continued to follow Hajime as he and Chiaki went towards the bridge leading to the First Island.
===========Timeskip===========
They weren't really in a rush to see Nagito again, so they took their time crossing the bridge. When they arrived on the island, they all went past the Hotel Site, the ranch and the supermarket... and now they were outside the airport. Hajime entered the building first and saw Nagito by the window looking out at the landing strip.
Nagito: "Ah, Hajime! Over here!" Hiyoko, Mikan and Ibuki were all here. Chiaki and Akane entered the airport and walked alongside Hajime towards the others. "The names on the staff roll for Twilight Syndrome Murder Case were... Tsumiki, Koizumi, Saionji, Mioda, Sato and Kuzuryu. I really wanted Fuyuhiko to come too, but he locked himself in his cottage and wouldn't come out for me. So unfortunately, he's absent. It's probably because I'm so incompetent... I apologize."
Hiyoko: "Huh? It's okay to be absent? I thought you said we'd get executed if we didn't come!"
Hajime: "Executed?"
Mikan: "I mean... you said Monokuma had something important to tell us, right? W-We came because you told us that..."
Nagito: "Sorry, that was a lie!"
Mikan: "A lie!?"
Ibuki: "Dammit... you tricked us!"
Hiyoko: "W-What the heck!? F-Fine! Then I'm leaving!"
Nagito: "Can you wait until we've finished our business with you?" This was weird, Hajime was actually on the same side as Nagito right now. Well, he couldn't focus on that right now, he needed to get information from them.
Hiyoko: "T-That's not fair! I can't believe you actually tricked us so we'd come to this place! I have nothing to say to impudent, regular people like you!" She's right that Hajime might be a regular guy, but he also has an Ultimate talent, or at least he should have one.
Hajime: "Mikan, do you have a minute? There's something I wanted to ask you. Have you played Twilight Syndrome Murder Case yet?"
Mikan: "N-No... since we said we weren't going to play that game... also... I'm not really good at video games. I'm pretty slow... and I panic instantly." Her timid tone, Hajime was pretty sure that Girl A was like that too.
Chiaki: "Anyway, can you tell us about your relationship with Mahiru?"
Mikan: "R-Relationship? With Mahiru? I-I first met her... um... when we first gathered at the classroom with everyone else. And after arriving on the island... I did have a few conversations with her, but... O-Oh! Could it be... did Mahiru hate me? Ngh... that's definitely it... she hated me..." She doesn't know anything. No, it's more like she doesn't remember anything. "But... even though she hated me, for her to actually invite me... she must've been a really kind person."
Akane: "Huh? Invite?"
Mikan: "Ah, um... Mahiru invited me this morning..."
Hajime: "This morning?"
Mikan: "S-She looked very serious... and she was wondering if we could all meet up so she could discuss something. B-But... I already had plans to go to the beach... so I had to decline... because I needed to prepare for that... and when I did... she made this lonely face and said that she'll reschedule for another day. B-But... if only I went with her... this wouldn't've happened."
Hajime: 'Mahiru invited Mikan? Why?'
Akane: "Ibuki, can I talk to you for a second?"
Ibuki: "BRING IT ON!!!"
Akane: "Did you play that weird game in the park?"
Ibuki: "Well... that's a computer game, right? I'm basically awful at those things. Ibuki's a tough girl, so I don't touch anything powered by electricity except electric guitars!" Pretty sure that's a lie, but now's not the time to really dwell on something like that. Her unique tone and hyper energy, there was someone in the game like that too.
Akane: "Okay, well... how well did you know Mahiru?"
Ibuki: "Huh? You mean that in a perverted way?"
Akane: "No, in a normal way."
Ibuki: "Well, even if you ask me that, Ibuki's encounter with Mahiru was... hm... hmm... ah! When I asked Mahiru this morning to go to the beach with us, she made this real disappointing face!"
Akane: "A disappointing face?"
Ibuki: "Yeah, but disappointment varies depending on the person, Ibuki associates it with department store rooftops."
Akane: "Can you just focus on Mahiru, please?"
Ibuki: "It turns out... Mahiru had some business too, and she wanted to invite me to that instead. She wanted to meet with everyone but was sad when she found out I had plans."
Akane: "Everyone? Do you know what she meant by that?"
Ibuki: "Nope, I didn't ask."
Nagito: "I see... looks like we've obtained some pretty valuable testimonies. Based on that... it seems like Mahiru also beat the game."
Hajime: "Why do you say that?"
Nagito: "If she hadn't, she wouldn't've chosen these people to talk to. Because she beat the game, she talked to the people who appeared in that game... just like we're doing right now."
Chiaki: "But... in her case, it was much more serious... probably. I mean, she was forced to learn that she was involved in that game."
Hajime: "That's true..."
Chiaki: "But I'm surprised, I never thought Mahiru would play that game."
Hajime: "It's true. That was unexpected... Nagito, didn't you tempt her into playing that game?"
Nagito: "Huh? What?"
Hajime: "I remember... you tempted her while you were in the dining hall, right? Just like you did to me."
Nagito: "Tempt? That's a rude thing to say. That's disrespectful towards Mahiru! There's no way her feelings would change just because a useless guy like me tempted her. At that time, she was already considering giving that game a try. All I did was give her a little push... that's all it was!"
Hajime: "What the heck!?"
Nagito: "But more importantly, isn't it better if we listen to what she has to say? She's being quiet as ever." Nagito then turned around and looked at the person he was talking about. "I'm counting on you... Hiyoko."
Hiyoko: "..."
Nagito: "If Mahiru spoke to everyone who appeared in the game, she should've talked to you too, right?"
Hiyoko: "..."
Hajime: "Well, Hiyoko?"
Hiyoko: "Hahaha! She never talked to me at all! Man, what a surprise. I didn't expect you to ask me such an easy question. So... I'm just gonna go back to my cottage now!" Not even giving anyone a chance to speak up, Hiyoko ran out of the airport to who knows where.
Nagito: "Looks like... it's okay to say she ran away. Yeah, she's clearly suspicious. That's pretty much decided."
Akane: "Decided?"
Nagito: "Regardless, it looks like we're finished here, so why don't we part ways for now? There's... still something I need to investigate. I'll see you again later."
Hajime: "Ah! Hey!" Much like Hiyoko, his exit was pushy.
Akane: "So... what now? Should we go back to Mahiru's body and investigate one more time?"
Chiaki: "It's very important to investigate the scene of the crime, but let's go over to Mahiru's cottage first."
Hajime: "Mahiru's cottage?"
Chiaki: "If she beat that game, it's best if we investigate there... I think. She might have 'that'."
Hajime: "Oh, the ending prize... if that's the case, I'll go with you. You're okay with that, right?"
Chiaki: "...Uh..." Chiaki looked a little unsure about that, she was also hiding her face in her hoodie. Turns out that she didn't understand why Akane was here with him, why was it bothering her now?
===========Timeskip===========
Hajime, Chiaki and Akane were now standing in front of Mahiru's cottage. The first thing they noticed was that the door wasn't closed... it was slightly open. It was most likely Monokuma, or Nagito was here before them and got Monokuma to unlock the door for him. Yeah, that sounds about right.
Once the trio entered Mahiru's cottage, they saw that it didn't look any different from the other cottages. All that stood out was desks in the corner, bulletin boards on the wall, a camera on the desk, and of course, a lot of pictures. Compared to Hajime's cottage, this one had a somewhat pleasant smell wafting throughout the room.
Hajime: 'This proves... Mahiru was here... but she's... not coming back.'
Chiaki: "I should probably... try looking for a naughty book."
Hajime: "Why!?"
Chiaki: "I was just kidding."
Hajime: "Kidding... are you that kind of person?" It would seem that Chiaki saw how nervous or unsettled Hajime was feeling and decided to try and cheer him up, was she worried about him?
Chiaki: "But... it looks like we don't need to search for it. Check out that thing on top of the bed."
Akane: "Hey, is that... an envelope?" There was in fact an envelope on top of the bed, the seal appeared to be ripped open too. That means someone has already opened it.
Chiaki: "Could it be? This might be it. The ending prize Monokuma gave to the first person who beat the game. What's inside the envelope?"
Hajime: "Let's find out..." He turned over the envelope, and what came falling out was a few photos.
Chiaki: "Ah, this photo..."
Hajime: "It's... just like that game." This was a photo of Mikan, Hiyoko and Ibuki in what appeared to be some sort of entrance hall.
Chiaki: "There was a similar scenario during the first day in Twilight's Truth Edition. Girl B was in a bad mood because Girl A was late, and Girl D tried to cheer her up by taking her picture."
Akane: "Is this... the photo she took?"
Chiaki: "Look at this photo too."
Hajime: "A broken vase?"
Chiaki: "Is that... the same photo Girl D showed Girl E on the third day?"
Hajime: "As I recall... a broken vase was in the classroom next to the music room."
Chiaki: "But... this photo is more shocking." As Chiaki showed the photo to Hajime and Akane, they were stunned into silence.
Chiaki: "This is an actual photo... of a dead body. Since there's a piano behind the body, it looks like it's in the music room. If that's the case... could this be the photo of the first victim?"
Hajime: "You mean... the victim of the murder that occurred on the first day?"
Chiaki: "Yeah... the one they blamed on a pervert. And one more... this is the last photo."
Hajime: "Ugh!"
Akane: "What the... I don't remember seeing anyone like that!"
Chiaki: "This is probably... the photo of Girl E after she got killed on the fourth day. I mean, it nearly matches her body in the game. Yeah, there's no mistake. This is a photo of Girl E. With that, we've finished looking at all the photos."
Hajime: "So, based on all these photos..."
Chiaki: "Yep, it seems pretty clear. This is the ending prize." This is the ending prize for beating Twilight Syndrome Murder Case, and what's depicted in these photos proves that the game is based on an actual murder. "Huh? What's this?"
Akane: "There's more?"
Chiaki: "There's a note inside the envelope." With the note in her hands, Chiaki began reading it out to the others. "Try playing Twilight Syndrome. After you get a Game Over, press down five times for the real game. Once you do, you should remember what you all did to my sister... we'll talk then."
Hajime: "This note..."
Chiaki: "Huh... maybe the first person to beat the game and receive the ending prize... wasn't Mahiru."
Hajime: "Someone else sent this to her. And that person is the one who actually received the ending prize. Mahiru wasn't just lured there by Nagito, she also received this envelope."
Chiaki: "And that's why she played the game, right?" That would leave the person who actually played the game first a mystery, but there was something that was clawing at the back of Hajime's brain... this wasn't the first time he's seen that envelope.
Hajime: 'Based on these clues, I can't think of anyone other than 'him'.'
Chiaki: "Yep, I'm glad we came here to investigate. Because we did that, we discovered a very important clue."
Akane: "And I'm glad I came with you guys, at least now I won't be going into the trial with nothing like before."
Hajime: "Yeah, I agree." They still needed to find out who killed Mahiru, and there wasn't much time left. All three of them left the cottage and were about to return to the beach house... but then he appeared again.
Nagito: "Hajime, Chiaki and Akane, what a coincidence. If something happens twice, third time's the charm, so they say."
Akane: "What coincidence? Are you a stalker or something?"
Nagito: "Don't say that... I was just thinking about filling you in on the results of my investigation."
Hajime: "Results... did you find something?"
Nagito: "I'll let you know if you drop to your knees and lick my shoes."
Akane: "Like hell that's happening!"
Nagito: "...Just kidding, I was joking."
Hajime: 'It didn't sound like a joke to me...'
Nagito: "Well, it's about the footprints. The killer left their footprints in front of the beach house, right?"
Hajime: "Did... did you find out whose footprints those are!?"
Nagito: "If you want to know, I highly recommend you come to the beach house with me."
Hajime: "With you?"
Nagito: "Of course, you'll come with me, right?" Hajime didn't trust him at all, but if he can get a clue from cooperating with him, then he didn't really have a choice.
Hajime: "What are you going to do, Chiaki?"
Chiaki: "...I'm going to try to talk to Fuyuhiko and see if he can tell me anything. So I'll leave this to you three."
Nagito: "Yeah, that's definitely a good idea. If someone like me tried to talk to him, it'd be impossible, but it might be different with a girl. Just be careful that he doesn't get rough with you."
Chiaki: "I guess this is where we part ways, I'll see you guys later."
===========Timeskip==========
While Chiaki focused on getting some information from Fuyuhiko, Hajime was heading back to the beach house, alongside Nagito and Akane. When they got to their destination, they opened the doors, gaining everyone's attention. But while they expected Akane and Hajime to return at some point, Nagito was a surprise.
Sonia: "Nagito!?"
Kazuichi: "Whoa!? Why the hell are you here!?"
Nagito: "Hello, everyone. Thanks for going easy on me earlier, Kazuichi. Thanks to you, I was able to walk away with just mild bruising. You clearly think like an Ultimate."
Kazuichi: "Ugh... this bastard..."
Sonia: "You three have arrived at a good time. Big news, I have discovered something very terrible."
Hajime: 'A terrible discovery?'
Mikan: "U-Um... not only that... I believe... it's nothing like Sonia's, but... there's something I noticed too."
Hajime: "You too, Mikan?"
Nagito: "Yep, this is great... it looks like the investigation is reaching its boiling point."
Akane: "Okay, while you get what you need from Mikan and Sonia, I'm gonna go back into the shower room and take another look at that window."
Hajime: "O-Okay, thanks for the help."
Akane: "I doubt I did anything helpful... but your welcome." She playfully punched Hajime in the shoulder before opening the door to the shower room, she entered the room and closed the door behind her. Hajime really found her company not just helpful, but also relaxing. And it's not like he didn't notice her talking to Ibuki at the airport, she was actually trying to follow his example.
Sonia: "Listen! I have big news! Huge, huge news!"
Hajime: "What's the big news?"
Sonia: "Remember that Sun Witch Esper Ito mask that was next to Mahiru's body!?"
Hajime: "Oh... the mask the killer used to hide their face..."
Sonia: "No, that is not correct! That mask was not just used to hide their face!"
Hajime: "Then... what was it for?"
Sonia: "Sparkling Justice!"
Hajime: "...Huh?"
Sonia: "Sparkling Justice is a serial killer and self-professed ally of justice whose name makes mankind shudder. They wear a hero mask at all times. Supposedly, they are a serial killer who only murders other criminals."
Hajime: "..."
Sonia: "Do not look so disappointed, Hajime! You need to be surprised!"
Peko: "This sparkling Justice character... that's the serial killer you were talking about in the library, right? It's true that the mask we found is a hero mask, but-"
Sonia: "It's a heroine mask, to be precise! Sun Witch Esper Ito is a pretty witch girl! See? A heroine!"
Peko: "A-Anyway... so you're saying it's possible that this serial killer is the one who killed Mahiru?"
Nagito: "Which means... there's a serial killer hiding among us? I'm pretty sure I've seen a twist like this in some video game..."
Hajime: "This is stupid... serial killer, my ass... the killer just used it to cover their face."
Nagito: "But even so, they sure chose something that stands out."
Hajime: "That... might be true, but..."
Peko: "Although it's easy to write this off as foolish, it might be best if we exercise some caution. Sonia... can you tell me everything you know about this so-called Sparkling Justice?"
Sonia: "As the light of justice shines upon my mask... I expose the hearts of malevolent evil. Justice complete! The centre of justice that is pierced by justice! The lead star of justice that shines in the night sky! That would be me... Sparkling Justice!"
Nagito: "..."
Peko: "..."
Hajime: "...W-What the heck was that?"
Sonia: "That... is Sparkling Justice's catchphrase."
Peko: "An unknown serial killer... has a catchphrase?"
Sonia: "I read it in a magazine in the library. There has only been one person, a journalist, who has interviewed Sparkling Justice. The article was written in their native language, so I tried translating it. However... in the end, that journalist was punished by Sparkling Justice too."
Nagito: "No good can come from getting involved with a serial killer."
Peko: "The serial killer... might not want to hear that from you."
Sonia: "Um... this is all I know about Sparkling Justice. Thanks to the masks, nobody knows their true age or gender, making them a very mysterious individual."
Hajime: "Hey, isn't it kind of a stretch? To say that there's a serial killer hiding in our group?"
Sonia: "No, it does not mean they are in our group. It is possible the serial killer was lurking on this island all along before they decided to murder Mahiru!"
Nagito: "T-That's probably not possible."
Sonia: "But... that is the only thing I can think of... I mean, no matter how much I think about it, I simply cannot believe it. That one of us is capable of committing such a horrible murder... no matter how much I think about it, I simply cannot believe it!"
Hajime: "S-Sonia..." He did understand her feelings, but it's highly unlikely that there's a serial killer hiding on this island. With the serial killer talk over and done with, Hajime now had Mikan to talk to. "Mikan... you had something to say too, right?"
Mikan: "W-Well... compared to the others, what I have to say isn't that important. S-So please... don't get your hopes up...and be disappointed."
Hajime: "I get it... so just get on with it."
Mikan: "Um... I tried my best to perform an autopsy, and I was able to find out... Mahiru was definitely killer by a blow to the head. She was probably... struck from behind by one blow... based on the scar... the weapon is clearly the metal bat. But every dark cloud has a silver lining, as they say... um... it looks like Mahiru didn't suffer."
Hajime: "What does that mean?"
Mikan: "Ah, um... there's no doubt... that she died instantly."
Hajime: "Her death was instant?" That did sound a little strange, but it was best to remember that for later.
Mikan: "And... there's another thing I found... ah, I'm sorry I started on my own! Were you busy right now?"
Hajime: "...Just tell me."
Mikan: "Um... during the autopsy, I discovered this in Mahiru's pocket." She gave Hajime a small letter, that letter had some of Mahiru's blood on it.
I was going to tell you in person, but I couldn't find you, so I put this in your mailbox. About what we discussed earlier, is it okay if we change the place and time? I want you to come to the beach house on the Second Island at 2:30pm. It seems there's someone who wants to interfere with our meeting. Let's keep it a secret. Until then, let's try not to see each other for a while. It would be bad if they started suspecting us for no reason. -Hiyoko Saionji
Hajime: "T-This letter..."
Mikan: "If this letter is real, it would mean Hiyoko met up with Mahiru, right?"
Hajime: "Plus... Mahiru's estimated time of death was around 3pm, and they met thirty minutes prior."
Mikan: "I-If we think about what that implies... then... Ah! I'm starting to get confused!" If it's true, what does it mean? What happened between Hiyoko and Mahiru? With everything about the beach house and the game investigated at least once, the only thing left was what Nagito discovered while on his own.
Hajime: "Hey, tell me what you know already. Didn't you find out whose footprints those were? Actually... how were you able to find that out?"
Nagito: "After listening to everyone's story at the airport, I went to a certain place. Well, it's probably better to say I snuck in... to everyone's cottages."
Hajime: "Everyone's cottages!?"
Nagito: "I told Monokuma I needed access for the investigation, so he simply let me in." Well, that explains why Mahiru's cottage was unlocked. "But why did I do something like that? Well, I'll explain my reasoning to you." Nagito squatted down near the entrance to the beach house and began to spread some papers he was holding. "Have a look. After all... I went through the trouble of gathering all this."
Hajime: "T-Those footprints..." The pieces of paper that Nagito held had everyone's footprints on them, he might've grabbed everyone's shoes and traced the soles on these papers. "I see, so the reason you snuck inside everyone's cottages was..."
Nagito: "That's right, I wanted to get a sample of everybody's footprints. But unfortunately, Fuyuhiko wouldn't leave his cottage, so I couldn't complete it. Well, I guess it's no big deal. It seems obvious that the footprints belong to this person... Hiyoko Saionji. To be honest, the reason I summoned her to the airport was so I could lure her out of her cottage. She shut herself inside her cottage, remember? If she stayed in there, I couldn't sneak in. So I figured if I lured her out, she wouldn't be in a hurry to go back to her cottage."
Hajime: 'You're treating her... like a small animal.'
Nagito: "But it was totally worth it. The footprints I collected there were smaller than anyone else's and matched the footprints at the beach house. Yep, there's no mistake. These are Hiyoko's footprints. Also... it's not like I was snooping around or anything, but I found something really interesting at her cottage."
Hajime: "Something interesting?"
Nagito: "I found a lot of these candies... inside her room." Reaching into his jacket, Nagito pulled out a bag of gummy candies.
Hajime: "T-That's..."
Nagito: "They're gummy candies that come in four different flavours... strawberry, orange, grape, and melon. It looks like she got it from the supermarket... apparently, she really likes this brand of gummies. There should've been other gummy brands, but she only brought home a bunch of these. People are like that sometimes. There are people who'll only eat the same brand, even if it's just potato chips."
Hajime: "W-What's wrong with that?"
Nagito: "Well, it's not clear if this relates to the incident, but I thought I should tell you just in case." Coming from him, it must mean it greatly relates to the incident.
*Ding dong, bing bong*
Monokuma: "The time for unparalleled hedonism has come to an end. Come, now is the time to fight the decisive battle! The hostility of fresh blood! The insanity of a contest of wits! The class trial is finally raising its curtain! So, meet up in front of Monokuma Rock! Once you're there, please proceed to the underground by taking the elevator located at the secret entrance. Puhuhu, I'll see you soon!"
Nagito: "Looks like it's time. I guess the investigation is over. So it's finally starting, the class trial where our hopes and the killer's hope will finally clash. But it's all right! Either way, hope will win in the end! Now then, let's go prove it!"
Kazuichi: "Argh! What's he so excited about!?"
Hajime: "There's no reason to respond to a guy like that. Anyway... we should start heading over. At the trial grounds where Monokuma is waiting... we have to make our case there."
Peko: "There is no escape... we have no choice but to press forward. Now then, let us go." As they talking among themselves, Hajime, Nagito, Akane, Peko, Sonia, Mikan and Kazuichi left the beach house... and Mahiru's body. With everyone's lives on the line, there was no spot for error, no room for a mistake, and no time to waste.
===========Timeskip===========
Hiyoko: "Nooo! Let me go! Help me! He's gonna do something crazy to me! I'll be ruined!" Everyone, minus Fuyuhiko, was at Monokuma Rock, watching as Hiyoko was being dragged towards the group by Monokuma. It looks like she didn't learn anything from what happened last time, when Fuyuhiko was the one being dragged along.
Monokuma: "Hey, shut up and stay put! You stubborn little lolita!"
Monomi: "H-Hey! Stop harassing little girls!"
Hajime: "This is... what's going on?"
Nekomaru: "Hiyoko was trying to run away, so Monokuma brought her here by force. But Hiyoko's still trying to run away, so Monokuma's trying to wrap her in a full nelson."
Monokuma: "Hey! If you don't stay put, I'm gonna make you a part of this island's food chain!" Looks like that worked, but now Hiyoko looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Geez, making me waste my sweet-ass time. But there's another problem to deal with besides this one... where the heck is Fuyuhiko!? That guy... he totally ditched! He totally ditched my appointment! He... pisses... me off... ah... aaa... aaaaa!"Monokuma began sweating due to the large amount of anger he was feeling, and that led to something that couldn't really be explained. All of his muscles began to grow and grow, until his appearance completely changed from what it's used to being.
Ibuki: "Eeek! His anger changed his form!"
Fuyuhiko: "I'm right here."
Monokuma: "Ah-huh?"
Chiaki: "Ah, Fuyuhiko, you came... I was worried about you."
Fuyuhiko: "There's nowhere for me to run anyway... so no matter the ending... I have to accept it, right? But still... I'm a yakuza! Accepting defeat is not an option!"
Hajime: '...Fuyuhiko, what does that mean?'
Monokuma: "Well... it's all good. If the trial heats up, it's all good. Anyway, looks like everyone's here, so let us depart for now! I'll go first and be one step ahead of you guys!" Monokuma made his dramatic exit once more, let's hope his buff form is a one time thing.
Kazuichi: "C-Crap... I'm not mentally prepared yet..."
Akane: "Do you even have to prepare?"
Nekomaru: "If you don't have enough power, harness your talent energy! Come on, bring out that energy!"
Gundham: "So it begins... the beginning of the end."
Nagito: "Now then, let's keep our spirits high! So we can one day find that shining hope!"
Hajime: 'That's right, moving forward is the only option.' Much like before, the ground started to shake. a loud roar came from one of the Monokuma heads and its mouth began to open. An escalator came from its mouth and placed itself in the sand. Somehow, Hajime moved his muscles, stiff from fear and nerves, and awkwardly walked onto the escalator. For some reason, his breathing was short, and he was eventually struck by a feeling similar to dizziness.
The moment everyone stepped into Monokuma Rock, a rumbling sound filled the room, and the surrounding space began to fall. As it shook with a clatter, the elevator they were inside continued to drop. throughout that drop, Hajime was fluctuating between feeling hope and despair. As if his heart was a rotten fruit, swelling in the sun before it finally goes 'squish'. He suddenly stopped breathing, his consciousness began to fade from the pressure, he tried to endure that pressure by firmly standing on his legs. And after a while, the elevator's vibrations gradually weakened. And then it stopped altogether.
Monokuma: "Aim! Defeat the boring routine! So, I've decided to start redecorating. How's it look? Mr Monokuma's redecoration is awesome, isn't it? It's not like I'd allow you to think otherwise anyway!" The trial grounds did in fact look different, it almost resembled a beach, definitely not giving off a trial vibe at all. And Monokuma was even back to his previous look.
Sonia: "To go through the trouble of doing something this elaborate... really... what is your true intention?"
Monokuma: "Nothing really... essentially, this killing game is just to kill time anyway."
Akane: "Kill time!?"
Monokuma: "To break away from my purpose! That alone is my purpose! A purpose is only gonna be a weakness! Those who have purpose are always the weakest ones in the bunch! That's why you guys should forget about such cheap-ass purposes like 'trying to survive'. And enjoy the class trial from the bottom of your hearts!" It's starting, the class trial is starting.
Mahiru Koizumi, the Ultimate Photographer. She had an unyielding force of personality, but she was actually very good at taking care of people. Most importantly, she was always straightforward. The person that killed her... is among this group.
Hajime: 'I don't want to believe it, but regardless, we need to find the answer. It doesn't matter if you believe it or not. Because it's the only way. Aside from finding out who the killer is, there is no other way for us to survive.' And so, this life-threatening trial billowing with hope and despair... has begun.