Monokuma cleared his throat. "Ahem! Now then, let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! During the trial, you'll present your arguments for who the culprit is, and vote for 'whodunnit.' Vote correctly and only the blackened will be punished. But if you pick the wrong person... I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and that person will graduate from this academy! Also, refusing to vote will result in your death, so you better vote for someone! Now then, let's get the crazy, awesome, crazy-awesome trial underway!"
"Sorry everyone, but I don't think I'm gonna be much help this time." Katio scratched the back of his head.
Ichika smiled brightly. "Don't worry! You were never any help at the previous trials anyways!"
"H-Hey!"
"...Who did it?" Himiko looked at everyone darkly, "Who killed Chabashira and Yonaga?"
"Don't let your emotions hasten your judgement. There may be two killers." Korekiyo said.
"So... our other culprit... might nooot be one of us heeeere..." Tsumugi dragged out her words.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Gonta asked.
"The traaaansfer stuuuudent... Maybe our resurrected transfer student dragged Chabashira-san and Yonaga-san into the grave..."
"S-Stop it! Stop making stuff up!" Kaito screeched.
"Say something Saihara." Maki demanded. "It'll be a mess if this keeps going on."
"This crime was committed by the recently deceased. They came back to life and killed two of our classmates!" Tsumugi exclaimed.
"Noooooo!!!" Kaito cried out in alarm.
"Well, considering the circumstances we're under right now, that might seem possible..." Ichika played with the drawstrings of her jumper. "But I really don't think the ritual succeeded at all."
"Aki-san is right. Yonaga-san's ritual didn't succeed. According to the Necronomicon Monokuma showed us... You have to burn the Necronomicon in the ritual. If Yonaga-san's ritual had succeeded, the book would have been gone."
"So she was killed before the ritual since the book was still in one piece." Ichika hummed. "What a shame. I was hoping we could actually communicate with a spirit. Then again, the idea of the dead coming back to life is boo-sheet." Ichika grinned.
"D-Don't make puns like that dammit!" Kaito barked at Ichika, still shivering.
"Then... I think Amami-kun is probably not the culprit then...." Gonta hummed.
"Oh... I guess you're right." Tsumugi said.
"W-Well duh. There's no way a dead person could... r-resurrect." Kaito stammered
"Now hold on a second! I can't let that comment stand!" Monokuma interrupted. "Sure, everybody knows that you can't bring the dead back to life... But it's easy at the ultimate academy! As long as you use the Necronomicon!"
"Wh-What are you talking about!?" Kaito trembled. "There's no way that's possible..."
"But it's true. I never lie about motives."
Kokichi grinned. "Oooh? So, resurrecting the dead was actually possible this whole time?"
Ichika gasped. "That's so cool!"
"There's no way that could happen, idiots." Maki interjected. "Monokuma is trying to confuse us. Let's hurry up and find out who the blackened is."
"If our culprit isn't the transfer student, then the blame falls on one of us," Korekiyo stated.
"Who!? Who did it!?" Himiko demanded.
"Step aside, half-pint! I'll handle this!" Miu shouted. "I dunno about Chabashira, but I'm pretty fuckin' sure Shinguji murdered Yonaga!"
"What...? Why?"
"Don't play dumb with me, creep show! I already know what happened! The culprit used a katana to kill Yonaga, and it was found in Shinguji's research lab! Which makes you, Shinguji, automatically suspicious!"
"But anyone could have taken my katana, you see."
"So that rusty katana was the murder weapon..." Kokichi interjected. "You were the only one who cared about the thing, Shinguji-chan!"
"I did not care about some katana."
"Just admit it, ya shit-eating worm!" Miu growled. "You went into the classroom, broke in-"
"No, that's wrong!" Shuichi yelled. "Shinguji-kun would not have been able to enter Yonaga-san's lab. Isn't that right, Shirogane-san?"
"Yeah, before Yonaga-san locked herself up in her research lab... She said she wasn't going to open up for anyone but student council members." Tsumugi said.
"And Shinguji-kun is not a student council member. She would not have opened the door for him." Kiibo added.
"Shinguji-chan couldn't have killed Yonaga-chan even if he wanted to!" Shuichi exclaimed.
"I had no desire to kill her in the first place." Korekiyo sighed.
"So, whoever killed Yonaga musta been one of the student council members, yeah?" Kaito said.
"The remaining student council members are Gokuhara-kun, Kiibo-kun, Shirogane-san and Yumeno-san," Korekiyo stated.
"Well, it can't be Yumeno-chan. She was besties with Yonaga-chan. I trust their friendship! You guys do too, riiiiight!?" Kokichgi grinned.
Gonta smiled. "Yeah! Of course!"
"...Can we trust their friendship so readily?" Kiibo asked uncertainly.
"Obviously! Let's believe in them!"
"That trims our list of suspects down to three- Gokuhara-kun, Kiibo-kun and Shirogane-san," Korekiyo announced,
"Yep, yep! The culprit is one of those three people!"
"You mean one of those *two* people! Cuz a robot ain't people, jackass." Miu added,
"I will let that remark slide... Anyways, aren't these accusations just a tad too hasty?" Kiibo mumbled.
"Whatevs! The culprit should confess already!" Kokichi demanded, "Gokuhara-chan, Kiiboy or Shirogane-chan! Well!?"
"N-No! Not me! I would never kill Yonaga-san!" Gonta cried.
"Yeah! Gokuhara-kun's a gentleman! You shouldn't suspect either of us!"
"Hey! Stick up for me too!"
***
"No, it wasn't just student council members that could have opened that lab door!" Shuichi called out over everyone,
Kokichi tilted his head, "Hmmm? What was it you said earlier about Shinguji-chan opening the door, Saihara-chan? Unless you're a student council member, you cant enter Yonaga-chan's lab, riiiiight?"
"I was referring to Shinguji-kun. He couldn't have done it... but you could have. You know how to pick locks. I saw you do it to open Yonaga-san's lab."
"Ohhh, that happened? I totally forgot." Kokichi grinned.
"...So you're going to pretend you don't remember, huh?" Maki glared at him.
"Ah-haha, quit glaring at me like that. Of course, I remember. Yeah, I did it. I killed Yonaga-chan." Everyone in the trial room fell silent.
Kaito's face paled. "W-Wait, what!? What did you just say!?"
"I picked the lock to her lab, snuck into the room, and the -WAM!- killed Yonaga-chan. The culprit was me all along."
"What are you saying? Is this some kind of joke?" Korekiyo snarled.
"Nahhhhh, no joke! I thought if I confessed, I could atone for my sins. And it helped! I feel soooo much better! Pheeeeew!"
"Wait... so Ouma-kun really is the culprit?" Gonta panicked.
"No, he's lying... I think? Maybe?" Miu sweated.
"He's lying. I'm certain of it." Shuichi interjected.
"Non non! Definitely not a lie. I killed Yonaga-chan. Shouldn't you guys believe the culprit when they confess?"
"Then let me ask you, 'culprit'... How did you lock the room?"
"Huh? I-It's the same as opening it. You pick the door closed from the outsi-"
"No, that doesn't make sense."
"Huh? What doesn't make sense? Can't you lock a door by picking it?" Kaito questioned.
"Maybe, but that's not how the culprit locked the room. They used a different method." Shuichi explained.
"What different method?" Himiko asked.
"Yeah, mumbles! Use your big boy voice and explain yourself." Miu snapped.
"U-Uh," Shuichi stumbled a bit on his words. "There were two doors to the classroom, and the one locked last was the back door. That's how they made this locked-room mystery."
"The back door had a sliding lock, yes? How was it locked from the outside?" Korekiyo inquired.
"The culprit used a certain tool. The gold leaf katana that was stabbed into Akamatsu-san's effigy. The culprit used that to hit the knob of the sliding lock to lock the door."
"So the gold leaf was on the sliding lock because..." Maki started.
"Because when the katana hit the lock, some of the gold leaf rubbed off on it." Shuichi finished. "The gold leaf did peel off rather easily." He added.
"Hmmm... That evidence rings a bell. Specifically, a school bell..." Monokuma butted in.
"Huh!? Are you talking about a different school!? What school was it!?" Monophaine cried out.
"Now now, that doesn't matter anymore. Let's not dwell on the past."
Kokichi hummed. "Oooh, the gold leaf landed on the sliding lock when the katana touched it... So that means, the culprit used the katana to move the sliding lock, right? But wait, how did they move it with a katana? And from outside Yonaga-chan's lab?"
"The clue that might give us the answer is the layout of the area itself. It was an odd setup, after all." Shuichi said. "The katana stabbed into the effigy, the effigies hung upside down..."
"Yonaga didn't do that as part of the ritual?" Miu asked.
"No... nowhere in the Necronomicon did it say to have to hang the effigies. The reason the culprit stuck the katana in the effigy was so that it would hit the sliding lock as the effigy spun!"
"The effigy... spun?" Gonta repeated uncertainly.
"That's right. If you spun the effigy, the rope it was hanging from would twist. Then, if you let go thw rope would unwind, and the effigy would spin the other way." Shuichi explained.
"I see! So the culprit used the katana's counterspin to push the lock into place!?" Kiibo asked.
"The culprit simply needed to spin the effigy's rope and then swiftly leave. This would cause the spinning katana to hit the sliding rock and thus was the back door of an empty classroom locked from the inside." Korekiyo said.
Shuichi nodded. "Yes. That's how Yonaga-san's lab was locked. By using the effigy with the katana."
"A plan born from the heart of a sword, travelling through the air to intercept us." Tsumugi said, drool leaking down her chin. "Oh, but could it have moved the slide lock so easily?"
"The sliding lock was pretty loose. A little push could move it. As long as the spinning katana hit the lock, it would have slid into position."
"Even if the culprit failed the first couple of times, they could keep trying until it was locked." Ichika added.
"Which is why the culprit chose to strike at night time, as to avoid detection." Kiibo said.
Maki nodded. "Yes, since the student council prohibited anyone from walking around at nighttime."
"Are you saying... it's the student council's fault?" Himiko grumbled.
"I didn't say that."
"In any case, the culprit probably used the murder weapon for this trick. It had to have been the right length to hit the sliding lock from the effigy." Shuichi explained.
"The culprit couldn't find a blade long enough in my lab, so they settled for a katana." Maki said.
"The other effigies were only hung up so we'd think it was some kind of ceremony. That way, we wouldn't notice the lock trick." Kaito pointed out.
"But... Ouma-kun did say earlier that he could have picked the lock closed." Shuichi said,
"..." Kokichi remained silent.
"I don't want to completely ignore that possibility... but I can't imagine that the culprit would have done all this just for a distraction."
Kiibo's eyes widened in realisation. "If that's the case, then Ouma-kun's confession earlier was actually..."
"Seriously!? You fuckin' lied again!?" Miu spat.
"Cough it up, Ouma!" Kaito barked.
"Aw maaaaaan, you guys got me... Okaaaaay, I'm not the culprit..."
"You're telling the truth this time, right?" Himiko grumbled.
"I wanna say I'm lying, but I'm not."
"Why did you say you were the culprit?" Maki interrogated.
"He probably did it to lure out the culprit," Ichika spoke up, twirling her jumper's drawstrings between her fingers. "If he confessed he was the culprit, then the real culprit would pressure him to confess." She turned to Kokichi. "Am I right, Ouma-san?"
"Wooooow, Aki-chan, you got it spot on. I'm impressed!" Kokichi grinned. "But, darn it! It didn't go my way because Saihara-chan butted in on my plan..."
"Tch! You and you're fuckin' lies! Go sit in the corner and play with yourself!" Miu growled.
"O-kay! I'll start right now!"
"Alright! So, whos the asshole who set up this locked-room mystery!?"
"Iruma-chan... I can't hold it up anymore..." Kokichi whined.
"What's the matter!? You goin' soft on me now!?"
"Who made the locked room mystery doesn't matter, since anyone could have done it. Don't you even understand something as basic as that, you filthy cum dumpster?"
"C-Cum dumpster...!? Finally...! Someone... finally called me a cum dumpster!!!"
"Alright anyway." Ichika chuckled lightly with a nervous smile. "We need to focus on *who* could have entered her lab."
"Indeed." Korekiyo agreed. "Only one of the student council members - or Ouma-kun - could have gained entry. Therefore, the culprit must be among their number."
"That leaves us with four suspects... Shirogane, Gokuhara, Kiibo... and Ouma." Kaito said.
"Don't forget Yumeno-chan! She's also a part of the student council. Doesn't matter if she was besties with Yonaga-chan, she's still a suspect."
Kiibo glared at Kokichi. "That contradicts what you said earlier, which I can prove using my recording function..."
"...It's fine. That's just a waste of time." Maki interjected.
"Me? A suspect?" Himiko glared at everyone from under her hat. "I'd... never kill Yonaga!"
"So calling all suspects, what should we discuss next? I wanna hear everyone's opinion. What would you say to get yourself off the suspect list?" Kokichi chirped.
"Why are you trying to lead the debate? You're a suspect too." Maki said.
"Silence, outsider! Only the suspect rangers are allowed to speak!"
"S-Suspects rangers?" Tsumugi repeated.
"You are such a toddler." Ichika sighed.
"I said silence; mini munchkin!"
"What did you just call me!?" Ichika barked.
"I agree," Korekiyo spoke up. "Those under supervision should explain themselves thoroughly."
"We might catch 'em with their pants down!" Miu exclaimed.
"Anywaaaaay, I wanna ask the suspect rangers... What should we talk about!?" Kokichi chirped. "What should we say to get ourselves off the suspect list!? Well, guys!? I wanna hear what you think!"
Tsumugi shifted nervously. "U-Umm... that's sort of a difficult question, y'know?"
"I'm not smart enough to know the answer to that..." Gonta muttered, looking down.
"Y-Yes... It is difficult to formulate a logical response to that question." Kiibo muttered.
Kokichi huffed in annoyance. "Not articulate with words, huh? Don't you guys wanna prove your innocence?"
Kaito scratched the back of his head. "They don't trust you one bit and I don't blame 'em. You're probably plotting-"
"Why... did Chabashira have to die?" Himiko cut Kaito off. Kaito looked at her confused.
"Huh?"
"I wanna know what happened to Yonaga, too, but... Can we talk about Chabashira's case now and not just Yonaga's-"
"Mwah-hahahaha!" Kokichi's laughter cut Himiko off. "I gotcha exactly where I wanted, Yumeno-chan!"
"Nyeh? What do you mean?"
"The two victims could've been killed by two separate murderers, y'know? So we need to find the first blackened responsible for the first victim. We gotta figure out who killed Yonaga-chan. Until we solve Yonaga-chan's case, Chabashira-chan's case is meaningless!"
"It's not meaningless!" Himiko yelled angrily, startling all the students. "Chabashira's death was meaningless? How dare you! Poor Chabashira... How could you do this to her!?"
"Yumeno-chan, stop it with your crappy lies." Kokichi said with a blank face.
"Lies...?"
"You didn't give two shits about Chabashira-chan when she was alive, but now you're like, 'Oh no! Poor Chabashira!' after she's dead. C'mon, really?"
"Ouma-kun! Enough!" Gonta shouted.
"No... it's okay." Himiko reassured Gonta. "It's no surprise he'd think that. I ignored Chabashira before... That's why... I'm so upset now... I should've faced Chabashira... worked things out with her while she was still alive. But now... it's too late. I can't complain to her... or thank her..."
"Yeah, seriously! It's way too late to realize that now!" Kaito barked. "Our only option is to face her death head-on!"
"Nyeh? Face her death?"
"Yumeno... I understand what you're going through. So I'm going to help you out! Let's work together to find the truth! I'm not gonna let anyone say her death didn't matter!"
"M-Momota...! Alright! I'll put a silencing curse on whoever calls Chabashira's death meaningless! The name of the curse is... death curse!"
"Listen up! All you guys are gonna help out too! Abandoning someone and only thinking of your own survival... That's just as bad as a hit-and-run! I won't forgive something so messed up!"
"Chabashira-san was our friend! I want to know why she died too!" Gonta yelled out.
Kokichi rolled his eyes. "I already told you, that's soooo unnecessary. We're getting sidetracked here."
"Maybe, but remember that there is still the possibility that the same culprit killed both Yonaga-san and Chabashira-san. If so, then there's a chance there is a clue in Chabashira-san's crime scene that could lead us to the culprit of Yonaga-san's death." Ichika explained.
"Yeah!" Kaito agreed. "If we don't find out who killed her, we won't be able to work together Not now, not ever. Even if this trial isn't for her, in order for us to survive... We need to get to the bottom of Chabashira's death! Not just to survive this trial! But so we can keep going and live on!"
"Finally, you noticed!" Kokichi rose a finger to his lips. "Geez, you're so slow."
Gonta looked confused. "Huh? Did Ouma-kun want us to notice-"
"Don't listen to his crap. We haven't decided whether there were two different culprits yet." Maki responded.
"Let us talk about Chabashira-san's case, then. Perhaps that will provide us a clue." Korekiyo said.
"So what do we talk about first?" Kaito asked.
"For now, let's see if we can narrow down the list of suspects." Kiibo said.
"Tencrotch probably got killed during the seance, so everyone there's suspicious!" Miu barked.
"T-Tencrotch!?" Himiko glared at Miu.
"It was me, Shinguji-kun, Yumeno-san, and Ouma-kun." Shuichi said. "Aki-san was only with us for the preparation and then left, so I doubt she could've done it."
"Yeah, and I was with Kiibo-san for the rest of the investigation!" Ichika piped up.
"So those four are the culprits!" Miu grinned.
"Oh... Yumeno-san is still a suspect?" Gonta asked.
"Well, that's probably just a coinky-dink. The most suspicious out of the four is really..." Kokichi pointed at Korekiyo. "Shinguji-chan! He suggested the whole seance idea!"
Korekiyo nodded. "True, I may have suggested it. But I explained the procedure beforehand, yes? If we all knew of it before the murder, then we are all equally suspicious. In addition, the seance wasn't entirely in my control either. I was not the one who selected the room we performed it in. It was Yumeno-san..." Korekiyo directed a dark look at Himiko.
"Oh... right." Gonta said quietly.
"Also, we should not limit our suspects to only those who participated in the seance. The empty room had a point of entry from outside, you see."
"You're talking about under the floor, right?" Shuichi asked.
"Huh? Under the floor?" Kaito repeated.
"Yes, there's a crawlspace under the floor a person could move through... There was also a hole that connected it to the neighbouring room."
"If the culprit used the hole they could've entered and exited the seance room." Maki added.
Korekiyo hummed. "If we consider that possibility, then there is another suspect."
"Another suspect? Who?" Tsumugi questioned.
"Kehehe... it's appearing before me..." Korekiyo spread his arms out wide. "Ooooh! I can see it clearly! The true identity of Chabashira-san's killer! The culprit sneaked in during the seance by crawling under the floor."
"But it was pitch black during the seance. How could they even see if they were under the floor?" Himiko said.
"Because it wasn't dark under the floor. You see, our villain had a light."
"I don't think the culprit could've used a light while under the floor." Shuichi spoke up. "There was a hole in the corner of the room. If a light were used, it would have leaked through and we would have seen it."
"But... when we did the seance, the room was definitely pitch black." Himiko added.
"So a light was not shined under the floor, which means you cannot claim I am the culprit." Kiibo snapped.
"Geez, here I thought this would be the only case where the murder could be done by a robot." Kokichi whined.
"You have accused me of being the culprit - more than once now - simply because I am a robot. My status as a robot does not mean I am capable of performing superhuman feats! My vision is somewhat poor, and I only possess average physical strength and intelligence."
"Alright, alright, you made your point. God, now I feel sorta bad for you..."
"I neither want nor need your pity!" Kiibo's eyes lit up again and a blinding light filled the room.
"Enough with the flashlight! It's way too bright!" Kaito yelled.
"Alright lovebirds, hold ya tongue for a little longer kay?" Ichika grinned. "You two can *screw* and make up later."
"What!? K-Kiibo a-and that guy!?" Miu's face flared up as she stared wide eye at Kiibo.
"Aki-san!? Do not make such remarks that would imply that Ouma-kun and I are on even somewhat friendly terms!" Kiibo barked and glared at Ichika.
Kokichi's eyes turned glossy. "W-What!? Kiiboy are you saying... THAT OUR LOVE WAS A LIE!?"
"What love!?"
"I knew it! All robots are heartless playboy toys! Every single one of them should drop dead! WAAA-"
"Can it you guys! Can't you read the room for once!?" Kaito snapped, shutting all of them up.
"Moving on." Maki scoffed, clearly irritated at the situation. "It would've been difficult to move around under the floor in that pitch-black darkness. Maybe the floor and hole have nothing to do with this case."
"Then why was the floorboard under Chabashira-san lined up so funny?" Gonta asked. "I think that was so the culprit could stab Chabashira-san under the floorboards."
"Ooohh! Nice observation, Gokuhara-chan!" Kokichi chirped. "Are you finally getting used to these class trials?"
"Uh-huh. Thank you." Gonta smiled innocently.
"Don't say it like that... You're better off not getting used to this kind of stuff." Kaito sighed.
"Maybe they marked Chabashira-san with glowing paint and looked for that?" Tsumugi suggested. "That'd let the culprit find her. Then they could stab her through the floorboard..."
"Boy, that sounds really familiar too! But I'm just gonna ignore it!" Monokuma giggled.
"But her corpse was clean. It didn't have any trace of glowing paint on it." Ichika said.
"Oh... yeah." Tsumugi looked at the ground. "So then why was that floorboard loose?"
"The loose floorboard was the one under Chabashira, right? If the culprit used it while she was still alive, she'd totally notice."
"Who fuckin' cares? Fussin' over that won't get us closer to the culprit!" Miu snapped.
Korekiyo hummed. "We shouldn't dismiss this line of inquiry, however... Instead of butting our heads against this, how about we concentrate on another issue?"
"What other issue?" Kaito asked.
"Perhaps first, we should figure out how and when exactly Chabashira-san was killed."
Gonta blinked. "When...? So not during the seance?"
"Chabashira was in the metal cage for the whole seance, wasn't she? How could someone have gotten to her?" Himiko asked.
"Maybe the culprit killed her before she went under the metal cage?" Kiibo suggested.
"Yeah, not possible. She was alive when the metal cage was put over her." Ichika explained.
Korekiyo nodded. "Yes. She was unmistakably alive when the seance began..."
"That we right before we blew out the candles." Kokichi added. "But when the lights came back..."
"The floorboard was removed at that point, so it's likely she was already dead then." Korekiyo sighed.
"So she was killed when the room was dark?" Kaito asked.
"But she was inside the cage, right? I think it would be impossible to kill her then!" Gonta said.
"Then she wasn't killed when the room was dark! It was a different time!" Miu shouted.
"A... different time?" Korekiyo repeated.
"How the fuck should I know? You figure it out, shitheads!"
Tsumugi blinked. "Huh?"
"Since Gokuhara said it was impossible, I'm proposing an alternate theory. Now hurry up and think! If you wanna make my golden brain tingle, start circlejerkin' your limpdick brains!" Miu barked. "When Chabashira got killed... it wasn't during the seance."
Korekiyo sighed. "It could not have been done at any other time. She was under the cage the whole time. And she was dead when the cage was lifted."
Miu started to play with her hair. "Hn...? Ngh...?"
"What about the moment the cage was lifted!?" Gonta exclaimed.
"No, it wasn't possible to kill her the moment the cage was lifted. Because inside of the white had Chabashira-san's blood on it!" Shuichi explained. "That cloth was removed before the cage was lifted. If Chabashira-san was stabbed then, there wouldn't be blood on the cloth."
"What? But... how could my golden brain be wrong when it felt so, so right?" Miu said meekly.
"The only possibility is that Chabashira-san was killed during the seance-"
"No, it's still wrong to think that Chabashira was killed during the seance."
"...What?"
"I'm gonna prove it right now... My golden brain is gonna go all out!"
***
"Wait just a minute." Shuichi spoke quickly. "Chabashira-san wasn't sitting down in the cage. She was bent over with her forehead against the marker stone and the cage itself was about three feet tall. The sickle's blade was too short to reach Chabashira-san while she was in that position."
"Then... I messed up again? How could this happen? I'm so embarrassed..." Miu whined.
"No worries, Iruma-chan! Everyone already knows you're an embarrassment to the human race!" Kokichi chirped.
"Yeah! No worries!" Gonta said happily.
"Heeeeeeee! How... how embarrassing!"
Ichika laughed lightly, clapping her hands together. "Haha, anyway. If Saihara-san is right, then there's no way Chabashira-san could have been killed through that cage."
"She couldn't have been killed during the seance when she was in the cage, right?" Kaito asked.
"If she was killed then, the cloth over the cage would have been pierced." Korekiyo responded.
"Not during the seance or from below the floor..." Tsumugi rested her cheek on her palm. "Then it's impossible, isn't it?"
"...Yeah, for a living person." Kokichi said.
Kaito stared at Kokichi. "Huh...?"
"Nee-heehee... What if Yonaga-chan's spirit killed Chabashira-chan?"
"Wh-What are you talking about? Th-Th-That's not possible!"
"We don't know that for sure." Kokichi huffed. "Some things are impossible for a human, but not for a spirit."
"D-Don't say stupid stuff like that! S-S-Screw spirits!" Kaito stammered.
"...Stop that now." Maki snapped.
Himiko's face paled. "Yonaga's spirit... killed Chabashira? Wh-Why...?"
"Yumeno-san?" Gonta looked at Himiko with concern.
"Why would Yonaga's spirit kill Chabashira?"
"What if Chabashira-chan killed Yonaga-chan, and then Yonaga-chan's spirit came back for reven-"
"Like I said, that's impossible!" Kaito cut Kokichi off. "Spirits can't be culprits!"
Kokichi raised an eyebrow. "Then explain how the culprit killed Chabashira-chan under these impossible circumstances."
"W-Well, uh..."
"See? You can't explain, can you? Only a spirit could have done th-"
"W-Wait, I know! What if the culprit was hiding inside the cage!? If they were in there, they coulda stabbed Chabashira during the seance!" Kaito rushed out.
Shuichi sighed. "No, if there was someone else in the cage, we would've noticed-"
"I agree with Momota." Maki interrupted. "The culprit would have been inside the cage."
Korekiyo shook his head. "Nonsense. There was no space in the cage for the culprit to hide."
"Maybe the culprit wouldn't need to hide in the first place."
"What?"
"Also, the culprit could've killed her in the cage at any time." Maki looked over at Shuichi. "I think you know what I'm getting at, right?"
Shuichi nodded. "I believe Harukawa-san is referring to Chabashira-san herself."
"Nyeh!? What did you say!?" Himiko yelled suddenly.
"Are you saying... Chabashira-san is the culprit?" Tsumugi asked nervously.
"...She committed suicide." Maki said.
Gonta gasped. "S-Suicide?"
"If she committed suicide, it would explain a lot of things we couldn't figure out. She volunteered to be in the cage, and then stabbed herself during the seance. It wouldn't matter how dark the room was."
"But the sickle she was stabbed with was under the floor, right? If Chabashira had stabbed herself, wouldn't the sickle still be inside the cage?" Miu barked.
Kokichi's eyes widened. "O-Omigod! Iruma-chan actually said something smart!"
"Weeeell I mean... if she really did commit suicide, then that *would* explain why the floorboard was loose. She could've just thrown the sickle under the floor." Ichika hummed.
Kaito hummed. "So she took off the floorboard to get rid of the sickle...?"
"Yes... That makes sense to me..." Gonta nodded slowly.
"W-Well it doesn't make sense to me!" Himiko shouted. "There's no reason for Chabashira to commit suicide!"
"Maybe I wasn't too far off with the theory I had earlier..." Kokichi grinned ominously. "Y'know, about Chabashira-chan killing Yonaga-chan?"
"Nyeh?"
"Because Chabashira-chan and Yonaga-chan were fighting for your attention, right? Chabashira-chan's pent-up frustration led her to commit such an atrocity... Her conscience couldn't handle it anymore, so she decided to end her own life."
"Wh-What...?"
"But... if she was gonna kill herself, why do it during the seance?" Kaito asked.
"She wanted to hide the truth of her suicide." Kokichi replied.
Tsumugi shivered. "R-Really... why?"
"There could only be one reason to hide it during a killing game, right? It's to take us down with her."
"Take us down...?" Himiko repeated.
"She wanted us to pick the wrong answer during the class trial so she could bring us all down! She wanted us to die with her!" Kokichi paused. "Okay, well, she probably just wanted Yumeno-chan to die with her. But still..."
"Wh-What are you saying?" Himiko glared at Kokichi. "Chabashira wasn't like that. She told me, 'Keep your chin up and live life facing forwards! Survive with me and everyone else'."
"What if all of that was just a lie?"
"A lie...?"
"Wait! We should believe in Chabashira-san's last words!" Gonta exclaimed.
"Yumeno-chan, you said that Chabashira-chan would never do anything like that... But how can you be so sure?" Kokichi asked. "Did you guys *actually* know each other? People keep all sorts of secrets, like Harukawa-chan. She hid the fact that she's a cold-blooded killer. Is it wise of us to trust people wholeheartedly in this kind of situation?"
Kaito scoffed. "Geez, you're such a naive dude."
Kokichi's face blanked. "...Naive?"
"We're all just people, y'know? Of course we're gonna have some secrets. What matters if there is any malice behind 'em."
"People can lie about how malicious their hidden secrets really are."
"Well duh. It's impossible to know for sure what others are thinking. That's why it all comes down to whether or not you believe in yourself! If you get betrayed, it's not their fault. It's your fault for believing in them! That's why I believed in Harumaki! Because I wanted to believe in her!"
Maki pouted. "Just because you're acting all cool doesn't mean you get to skip training."
"H-Hey, c'mon...Don'tcha think you're being a little too strict?"
Kokichi held his blank expression. "Well, we come from different backgrounds. So for now, let's agree to disagree. And no one's ever called me naive before. And from Momota-chan? Seriously?"
"..." Himiko looked down at the ground sadly. "My heart... can't reach Chabashira anymore... But I still wanna believe in her... She wouldn't commit suicide! She wouldn't try to take us down! That's what I want to believe!"
"Me too. I just can't believe Chabashira-san commit suicide." Gonta sighed.
"But if Chabashira did commit suicide, that would answer all of our questions." Maki said.
Ichika sighed. "But then... you'll need to provide us with a proper reason to believe in Chabashira-san."
"..." Shuichi nodded slowly. "Alright... I'll give you a reason."
"...Is there a reason?" Maki stared at Shuichi.
"Yes, there is. Will you trust me, Harukawa-san? If it turns out I'm wrong, you can blame me all you like. But for now... I need you to trust in my detective work."
"..." Maki sighed. "So far, suicide seems to be the best explanation."
"Her plan was to take us down with her." Kokichi added. "So she hid her true intentions."
"Chabashira's not that kind of person!" Himiko yelled.
"But if Chabashira-san did commit suicide... it would explain how she died during the seance." Tsumugi said.
"She could've secretly brought the sickle and then stabbed herself with it!" Miu exclaimed.
Korekiyo tugged his hat down a little. "Finally, with the last of her strength... she threw the sickle underneath the floor."
"Chabashira-san couldn't have thrown the sickle under the floor... because she died instantly." Shuichi explained.
"Instantly?"
Shuichi nodded. "I'm certain of it. My investigation determined that she died instantly."
"What's your opinion, Harukawa-chan?" Kokichi looked over at Maki. "I'd like to hear from someone who specializes in muuurder."
"..." Maki was silent.
Shuichi looked at Maki with a little bit of desperation. "Harukawa-san..."
"...You're right. I completely forgot about that important detail. Chabashira died instantly... "
Korekiyo looked a little shaken up. "What?"
"Hmmmm..." Ichika tilted her head. "Is that really true?"
Maki nodded. "As an assassin, I specialize in killing my targets swiftly. I have no doubt that Chabashira was immediately."
"Nee-heehee... Words of a true killer." Kokichi grinned. "Pretty sure we can believe everything she said."
"How could you forget that, Harumaki? You better apologize to Saihara." Kaito said.
Maki glared at him. "Excuse me?"
"I-It's okay, Momota-kun." Shuichi spoke quickly. "No apology necessary... Anyway, Chabashira died so suddenly that she couldn't have gotten rid of the sickle. Knowing that, the theory that she killed herself just doesn't fit, correct?"
Himiko smiled. "Just like I thought... Chabashira wouldn't commit suicide."
"...Thank goodness, Yumeno-san." Gonta said.
"Which means someone definitely killed Chabashira during the seance." Miu chimed in.
"Her suicide was considered because we could not determine how she was killed." Korekiyo explained.
"No! There must've been a way!" Kaito yelled. "We're gonna figure it out."
"Then let's ask the people who participated in the seance." Ichika suggested. "Saihara-san, Yumeno-san, Ouma-san, and Shinguji-san... Did you guys notice anything strange during the seance?"
"If you know something, please speak up... It could be the key to solving this mystery." Kiibo added.
"Did anyone notice anything peculiar during the seance?" Ichika asked.
"There is something that bothers me..." Korekiyo spoke up. "The fact that the seance failed. The ritual was perfect, and yet it failed. How utterly strange..."
"Now that I think about it... While we were all singing the song... I heard something fall... I think..." Himiko trailed off.
"Yumeno-san, you think that something fell because of that sound you heard, right?" Shuichi asked.
Himiko nodded. "It sounded like something heavy fell down and hit the floor really hard... What could've fallen down?"
"Fallen down?" Kokichi tilted his head. "There wasn't anything on the ceiling that could've fallen down, right?"
"Nyeh? Am I wrong? I thought something fell, but..."
"The sound was pretty loud. It did seem like something hit the floorboards..."
"I think the floorboard coming off had something to do with that sound. That floorboard came loose at some point during the seance, right?" Shuichi said.
Himiko hummed. "Would the floorboard have made such a loud sound though?"
"It was the sound of an intense impact..." Korekiyo added.
Maki placed a finger to her chin. "If the impact was that intense, then it could have loosened the floorboard..."
"Alright then, let's go with that!" Kaito exclaimed. "We all gotta put our heads together now! So what made the floorboard come loose?"
"Judging from the sound, there must have been considerable force..." Korekiyo said.
"Someone who participated in the seance... maybe that person tore off the floorboard!" Tsumugi suggested.
"But you said the sound was a crashing sound, wasn't it? Tearing off the floorboard wouldn't make that kind of sound." Ichika countered.
"Maybe the wooden statue fell over." Himiko said.
Miu rolled her eyes. "But that statue was still on top of the cage!"
"The culprit hid under the floor... then stood up with as much strength as possible!" Gonta exclaimed.
"But we already said there was no one under the floor!" Miu barked.
"Someone must have stomped through the floorboard!" Kokichi piped up.
"Ouma-kun is right." Shuichi called out. "The floorboard came loose because someone stomped on it."
"But the floorboards fit perfectly. I made sure the first time we went to the empty room!" Gonta said.
"When we first saw the room, yes. But when I looked again during the investigation... One of the crosspieces supporting the floorboards was cut off. After examining the cut, I concluded that it must have been done deliberately." Shuichi explained.
Kaito blinked. "Someone? You mean the culprit, right? Why'd they do that?"
"What did the culprit gain by cutting the crosspiece?" Korekiyo inquired.
"That's right... The floorboard might have been used as a seesaw." Shuichi announced.
"Nyeh? A seesaw?"
Shuichi nodded. "The crosspiece at one end of the floorboard had been cut off. The other two crosspieces were holding up that board were close to the cage. Meaning, if you apply force to the end of the floorboard with no crosspiece... the next cross piece would act as a fulcrum and turn the board into a lever. A lever capable of lifting Chabashira-san's entire body up."
Maki's eyes widened. "Her whole body... lifted up?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a seesaw, alright... but why bother lifting Chabashira's body?" Miu inquired.
"They couldn't have killed Chabashira like that... unless they used the sickle." Kaito added.
"That's exactly it. Using the seesaw trick, it was possible to kill Chabashira-san with the sickle." Shuichi concluded.
"Huh? How?" Tsumugi had a confused expression on her face.
"In order for the culprit to kill Chabashira-san with the seesaw trick... the placement of the sickle is the most important factor. The sickle was at the top of the iron cage, with the blade facing down. The reason we didn't see it was because of the fabric covering the cage. Also, the wooden statue kept the blade in place. It's true that the sickle's handle was thick which made the statue wobble... but the statue's weight kept it from falling over. Once everything was in place, if you stepped hard enough on the seesaw... Chabashira-san's body would have shot upward and hit the blade on top of the cage."
Ichika hummed. "She was bent over in the cage, wasn't she? That means the sickle's blade would have connected with her neck when she was shot up."
"The 6-inch sickle blade wasn't long enough to stab Chabashira in her crouched position. But with the floorboard acting as a seesaw, it could compensate for the blade's length." Maki explained.
"Bring the victim to the sickle, rather than bring the sickle to the victim..." Kiibo gasped. "That's definitely an unorthodox idea!"
Kaito nodded. "It's crazy, but it would explain how Chabashira got stabbed while she was in the cage."
"So the sound we heard was the culprit stomping on the floorboard." Himiko said.
Gonta nodded. "That impact made the floorboard come loose."
"Looked like we got ourselves a good ol' fashioned seesaw homicide." Miu froze before looking both shocked and terrified. "...Wait, what the hell's a seesaw homicide? That's fucking crazy!"
"The craziness is what makes the killing game fun, y'know?" Kokichi looked at the students with a disturbing expression. "They can't get away with murder the normal way, so they gotta think outside the box. Kudos, culprit! You did a great job keeping me entertained!"
"Indeed... well played, Yumeno-san." Korekiyo looked darkly over at Himiko.
"Nyeeeeeh?"
"Kehehe... It was you, wasn't it? The one behind the seesaw homicide?"
"Huh? Why her?" Gonta exclaimed.
"Because she's the only one capable of carrying out this crime..."
"The only one? Why's that?" Tsumugi asked.
"Because the seesaw homicide required its location to be prepared beforehand."
"By cutting the crosspiece beneath the floorboard, you mean?" Kiibo asked.
"Then the culprit would need to lure their victim into the prepared room. That is why you chose that room for the seance, is it not, Yumeno-san?"
"Oh yeah!" Miu chimed in. "Yumeno was the one who chose the site for the seance!"
"..." Himiko remained silent.
"She likely found out about my plans for the seance, somehow. Our culprit, Yumeno-san, prepared her seesaw trap ahead of time... Then she waited for me to host the seance and suggested the middle room. She led us all into holding the seance right where she wanted it. Then she killed Chabashira-san. All according to plan."
"Th-That's a lie, right? Yumeno-san... did such a thing?" Tsumugi stammered.
Kokichi sighed. "In the end, Yumeno-chan, who Chabashira-chan cherished and loved, tragically killed her..."
"W-Wait! We don't know that, right!?" Gonta cried out. "He's wrong. Right, Yumeno-san!? You would never kill Chabashira-san, right!?"
"Kill Chabashira...?" Himiko said weakly. "I... killed Chabashira-san?"
"Yumeno-san?"
"What's wrong, Yumeno-san?" Kiibo asked out of concern.
"..."
"Answer us, Yumeno-san." Korekiyo demanded. "You chose the middle room to lure us into your trap, did you not? Then you used that trap to kill Chabashira-san, yes?"
"..."
"Well, donkey lips!? Did you kill that twat?" Miu shouted.
"..."
"W-Wait... Must be some mistake. No way Yumeno-san is culprit!"
"Then she needs to defend herself. Otherwise, this debate is deadlocked." Kiibo said.
"I don't care if you've got to use your magic to do it but say something already!" Kaito yelled.
Maki glared at Himiko. "...Are you even listening?"
"No. I'm not listening... I... don't care anymore... I'm too tired... Yonaga died... Chabashira died... Why did I have to survive? And now... you're all saying I killed them...? I just... don't care anymore..."
Shuichi looked at Himiko nervously. "Yumeno-san..."
"Do whatever... If you want to vote for me, then just... go ahead..."
"Geeeez, Yumeno-san, can you pull it together already?" Ichika smiled innocently. "This is honestly quite impressive, you're making me agree with what Ouma-san of all people said before!"
"Aki, what the hell!?" Kaito barked, glaring at Ichika.
"But it's true!" Ichika pouted. "Yumeno-san claims to miss Chabashira-san and wants to throw away her wish!"
Himiko blinked. "H-Her wish...?"
"Wow, what a pathetic 'friend'." "Ichika said flatly. "She said that she wants you to live, remember? Don't you remember what she said before she went into the cage? She said to keep your chin up and to survive. And you're saying you don't care anymore? Ah-hahahahaha!" Ichika gave Himiko a disturbing look. "Wow. Chabashira-san must have really meant nothing to you, huh?"
"I..." Himiko stared at the ground.
Kaito glared at Ichika. "Enough, shut your mouth! What the hell do you think you're saying!?"
"Yeah!" Tsumugi chimed in. "She'd dealing with a lot right now and she doesn't need you to be so harsh-"
"Yeah, yeah, but if I'm not harsh, Yumeno-san will just do her useless shenanigans again." Ichika sighed. "Yumeno-san... do you really want to betray her after everything? You do realize that these trials are not just for our lives... but for theirs as well. We can't give up on living. Not when it's your responsibility to live on for the deceased." She said with a small smile.
"..." Himiko grabbed her arm tightly.
"A-Aki-san, I get what you're saying b-but..." Gonta stammered. "Do have to be so-"
"No... she's right..." Himiko spoke up. "Yeah... That's right!" Himiko spoke louder and her face became filled with determination. "If I gave up here, I wouldn't be able to face Chabashira or Yonaga..."
"That's right!" Kiibo agreed. "So let's do our best!"
"Nyeeeeeeeeeh! Alright! I'm not going to say it's a pain anymore! I won't give up! 'll fight alongside everyone and survive!"
"Much better! That's the spirit! Let's all work together to find the truth!" Ichika grinned happily at Himiko.
"But Yumeno-san is the one who chose that room. Therefore she is unmistakably the culprit." Korekiyo sighed.
"I-Impossible! Yumeno-san would never kill Chabashira-san!" Gonta exclaimed. "Yumeno-san isn't that kind of person! I can tell by her face!"
Maki sighed. "Yumeno's a little... slow, so I don't think she's capable of handling complicated crime."
"Performing the seance in that room... was Yumeno-san's decision, as it not?" Korekiyo said.
"What if someone steered her into picking that room?" Tsumugi suggested.
"Of the three empty rooms... why did you select the middle one, Yumeno-san? Because you laid you trap there?"
"No! I chose that room because that's the room that was best to stuff like that!" Himiko shouted.
"How do we know you're not lying, right now?" Korekiyo glared at Himiko.
"Was the trap only in that room?" Gonta inquired. "What if the other rooms were trapped too!"
"It's just like Gokuhara-kun said." Shuichi spoke up. "Each room was the same. They were all trapped."
Himiko's eyes widened. "Nyeh!? Is that true!?"
Shuichi nodded. "Ouma-kun will tell you." Everyone looked over at Kokichi-
Who was sleeping.
Kokichi suddenly woke up, looking a little dazed. "I was waaaay too careless! Eh, wait. What are you talking about?"
"While you were in the room next to the crime scene you found a loose floorboard right?"
"Well, I didn't find it as much as I stepped through it and tripped."
"Wait... Saihara-san. Are you telling me that you found Ouma-san when he first got injured and didn't help him?" Ichika raised an eyebrow.
"A-Ah... well, you see-"
"Saihara-chan and Harukawa-chan were more interested in getting information out of me than anything else. And once I told them what I knew... they left me to bleed out! WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! HOW CRUEL!!!" Kokichi tears then disappeared instantly. "At least Aki-chan had enough of a heart to help me! That's why she's my bestie!"
"I only did what any *normal* human being would do." Ichika pouted at Shuichi and Maki.
"Shut it. You walked off by yourself." Maki glared at Kokichi.
"Whaaaa-! Hold on! There was also a loose floorboard in the next one!?" Tsumugi exclaimed.
"So the culprit prepared a trap in all three empty rooms, not just the middle one." Kiibo said.
"Because the culprit set a trap in each empty room, they wouldn't need to select a room for themself." Ichika explained.
"So the real trap was for someone else to pick a room and take the blame!" Kaito barked.
"Nyeh!? So someone tried to frame me!?" Himiko exclaimed angrily.
"..." Korekiyo looked startled before sighing. "I see... We were caught in the culprit's trap all along."
Miu pointed at Korekiyo. "Especially you!"
"But now there's no reason to suspect Yuemno-san. Right!?" Gonta asked.
"That's right! Now apologize to me, Shinguji!" Himiko pouted.
"Anyway, do you think he blackened this time as some sort of superpower?" Kokichi spoke up.
"...What are you talking about?" Maki sighed.
"Well, as a self-proclaimed expert of steeping through floorboards... Isn't it weird that no one stepped through that floorboard before the culprit used it?"
Korekiyo gasped. "Ah... That is a good point."
"It must've been barrier magic!" Himiko piped up.
Ichika shook her head. "No... I'm pretty sure it was something much more obvious, yet its overall purpose disguised it too well."
"Overall purpose was disguised?" Maki repeated.
"This was essential to the culprit's plan. They needed it to make sure that no one would interfere with this set-up they'd prepared beforehand." Ichika grinned.
"Wh-What are even you getting at?" Kaito growled.
"If you guys can figure out what this is, then the culprit's identity will become as clear as day!" Ichika chirped happily.
"That's it! It's because of the magic circle at the scene of the crime!" Shuichi exclaimed. "Before we began the seance, we were warned not to step on the circle. The floorboard in question was within the circle. That's why no one stepped on it."
"So the magic circle's purpose was to keep us away from the whole trick!" Kokichi exclaimed.
"That was part of the culprit's plans, too?" Kaito asked.
"Yup yup! Now, all that's left... is to find the culprit! I'm sure if you have a brain, you've figured it out by now." Ichika said cheerfully.
Shuichi looked over at Korekiyo. "Shinguji-kun... was it you?"
"Hmm? Whatever are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about Chabashira-san's murder."
"Why do you suspect me?"
"Because you were the one who drew the magic circle. The circle kept us from discovering the seesaw trick. But that's not all it was for. In order to make the murder succeed... variables, like Chabashira-san's position and the placement of the cage needed to be defined. And those variables were defined by using the magic circle. In short, the magic circle was the most important tool in this murder." Shuichi explained. "Knowing that, the person who drew the magic circle has to be the culprit!"
Kaito looked at Korekiyo. "Well, Shinguji?"
"A-Answer already! Did you do it!?" Himiko demanded.
"Kehe... kehehehe..." Korekiyo giggled. "Kehehehehehehehehe..."
"When the culprit starts to laugh... It means it's about to go down." Ichika said.
Gonta blinked. "Huh? What's going down?"
Kiibo narrowed his eyes at Korekiyo. "...What is so funny?"
Korekiyo sighed. "I was just thinking... So this is how each blackened must have felt. What an intriguing experience this is."
"What? An intriguing experience?" Tsumugi repeated.
"But if I am the culprit, as you claim, then I stomped on the floorboard, yes? So... do tell. How could I have stomped on the floorboard during that darkened seance?"
Gonta nodded. "I see... That is a problem.
"Kehehe... Unless that is made clear you cannot be certain that I am the culprit."
"How can you be so calm when you're backed into a corner like this?" Kaito questioned.
"I will explain that in due time. Please answer my question first."
"..." Shuichi was silent. "Wait a minute, maybe..."
"...Did you figure it out?" Maki asked.
"..." Shuichi fell silent again. "The culprit used touch. They didn't see, they felt."
"That way, they could get around in the dark. Like how I got to the candle!" Kokichi added.
"Wasn't the seesaw in the middle of the room? I don't think it was near any wall." Gonta trailed off.
"They probably used something besides the wall to move then, right?"
"Hm? Were there any other markers within reach?" Miu asked.
"Of course the answer to that is, 'There was nothing of the sort'." Korekiyo said.
Shuichi's eyes lit up in realization. "That's it! The magic circle! They used the magic circle! Remember? The magic circle was drawn with salt. The culprit used the salt's texture to feel their way through the dark."
Ichika nodded. "Yeah! Shinguji-san traced that magic circle with his fingers to find his way to the loose floorboard."
Kokichi placed a finger to his chin. "Ooh, I see. You drew the magic circle with salt to use it as a guide."
"..." Korekiyo giggled. "Kehehe... An interesting thought. It is unfortunate that it is so wrong. Recall the document. What did the magic circle look like?"
"Based on the document, the magic circle wouldn't reach the corners of the room." Kokichi said.
"So what?" Miu snapped.
Korekiyo tugged on his hat. "When the room was darkened, each of us was in a corner of the room, yes? The magic circle didn't reach us, so I could not have followed it, yes?"
"But you're talking about the magic circle in the document!" Himiko chimed in. "That doesn't mean the circle you drew was the same!"
"No, I most definitely drew it exactly the same. I have it perfectly memorized."
Ichika sighed. "This is a problem..."
Tsumugi blinked. "Huh?"
"Well, Shinguji-san could be lying about drawing it exactly the same..." Ichika hummed. "But the magic circle in the empty room was trampled on, so there's no way to check."
Everyone in the trial room fell silent for a period of time when Kiibo spoke up.
"Everyone, may I have your attention please?"
"Hmm... what a pain." Kokichi whined. "We don't have any way to check it now."
"E-Excuse me, everyone. May I have your attention please!?"
"Welp, I guess there's no point in discussing the magic circle now!"
"Hey! May I have your attention!?" Kiibo used his flashlight feature to gain everyone's attention.
"Augh! I said cut that out! It's too bright!" Kaito complained.
"I apologize... I just wanted everyone to listen to me."
"About what?" Tsumugi asked.
"I had Iruma-san add another function to my body, in addition to the flashlight."
Miu froze. "What the...!? No way... Did you really...? S-Stop! You can't! I didn't install it for that purp-"
"Please, let me use it!" Kiibo begged. "With it, I might be able to save everyone!"
Ichika sighed. "Dear god... Iruma-san, what did you implement?"
"...It's an image recording function. Specifically, this function allows me to dispense a printout of my own memory. I'll give it a try. Ready?" Kiibo explained and started to make whirring sounds and a picture came out of his mouth. He grabbed the image.
"From your mouth!?" Kaito exclaimed.
"I've... also used magic like that before." Himiko commented.
"Wow what a *mouthful*." Ichika snickered.
"This printout is my memory of being kicked out of the seance. Please confirm that the floor of the empty room is clearly visible." Kiibo explained. "Go on! Take the picture and see for yourself!"
"Ah, o-okay. Got it." Shuichi carefully took the picture from Kiibo. He took a closer look at it and his eyes widened. "This helped a lot, Kiibo-kun. Without you... I never would have seen through Shinguji-kun's lie."
Korekiyo raised an eyebrow. "My lie...?"
"You just said that you drew the magic circle exactly as it appears in the document. But that's a lie, isn't it? The magic circle at the scene ad lines that stretched to the room's corners. Which means that you would be able to find the floorboard from anywhere in the room."
"So it was different from the document after all!" Himiko yelled.
"All because Yumeno-san noticed! And... because of Kiibo-kun, too!" Gonta chirped.
"Hey, where's my thanks!? I'm the one who installed that function into Kiibo!" Miu barked.
"Hey, yeah. What was it you were saying bout its purpose?" Kaito asked.
Miu's face lit up in a bright pink blush. "O-Oh... To be honest, the purpose of that image recording function is to monitor my health... Specifically, I make Kiibo use that function every day to..." Miu sighed. "Analyze my turds..."
"Your what!? Why!?" Tsumgi exclaimed.
"Sh-Shit is a great indicator of intestinal health and gut bacteria quality! Plus, taking a satisfying shit does wonders for a woman's natural beauty, so... S-See! You're all grossed out! This is why I didn't wanna tell you about my plan!"
"Quit talking about your poop! No one cares!" Himiko snapped then glared at Korekiyo. "Shinguji... you killed Chabashira, didn't you? Just give up and admit it already."
"..." Korekiyo remained silent.
"So, Shinguji-kun if you have any objections, you can-"
"Well, since you have given me the option, I will most certainly object. To be honest, it's unimportant. But it may be an amusing diversion. Now I shall bear witness to your abilities, Saihara-kun! Do entertain me!"
***
"The only person who could have set up the sickle and retrieved it afterwards it Shinguji-kun." Shuichi said. "That was done by covering the cage with the white cloth. You could have secretly placed the sickle hen you draped the cloth and retrieved it afterwards when you removed the cloth. Then, while everyone was distracted, you discreetly dropped the sickle under the floor."
"Wonderful! That's exactly correct!" Korekiyo exclaimed happily, spreading his arms out wide.
"It's correct...? Then why don't you give up already!?" Kaito barked.
"Kehehe... The trick I put so much work into is just wasted effort now. Alas..."
Himiko glared at Korekiyo. "So... it was you? You killed Chabashira!?"
"Let me guess, you'll never forgive me. Yumeno-san, you must hate me so very much. Maybe you'd feel better if I was executed by Monokuma. But unfortunately for you, that won't happen! Because if you vote for me, every spotless, including myself, will die."
"Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Shinguji?" Miu asked.
"Kehehe... You still don't understand? I killed Chabashira-san. That is the truth. But it is meaningless in this class trial."
"Meaningless!?" Himiko repeated.
"You mean, Monokuma's extra rule, right?" Kokichi asked.
Korekiyo nodded. "Yes. You see... I killed Chabashira-san, but not Yonaga-san. For us, Chabashira-san's death is nothing but a trivial issue because the blackened in this trial is the culprit who killed Yonaga-san."
Himiko started sweating. "A... trivial issue? No, that's gotta be a lie. You probably killed Yonaga, too!"
"That is simply not possible. Recall that I was unable to enter Yonaga-san's lab."
"Oh... So only the student council members and Ouma-kun could have entered the research lab." Gonta said.
"How could I have possibly killed Yonaga-san when I couldn't even enter her lab?"
"We... can figure it out. No one else could've done it besides you." Himiko pointed at Korekiyo. "If you're the one who killed Chabashira, you gotta be the one who killed Yonaga!"
"I understand how you feel, Yumeno-san But maybe we can discuss this rationally and calmy," Kiibo said. "There is a non-zero possibility that Shinguji-kun is telling the truth."
"So you understand how she feels. I see..." Kokichi froze. "Wait! Robots can understand human feelings!?"
"O-Of course I understand! I work... really hard to understand!"
"Hey... Why're you gettin' all worked up, Kiibo?" Kaito sighed. "Chill, dude."
"That's enough! It's Voting Time! I'm gonna vote for him!" Himiko barked.
Korekiyo giggled. "Kehehe... Voting for me will only help the one who murdered Yonaga-san."
"Isn't... Shinguji-kun culprit?" Gonta asked.
"Of course I'm not... This case was an error on my part. Monokuma added that rule after both bodies were found, yes? How was I to know the trial would only be for Yonaga-san's killer? Had I known, I certainly wouldn't have killed Chabashira-san."
"Y-You're lying! You killed Chabashira and Yonaga!" Himiko cried out.
"Now hold on, jumping to conclusions here is dangerous." Shuichi spoke up.
Ichika nodded. "I agree. We haven't fully worked out Yonaga-san's murder yet, so there is a chance that there is actually another culprit." She smiled. "I still have things to do so I can't die yet!"
"Mm-hm, we should talk it out more." Kokichi grinned. "This case might have juicy plot twists waiting to happen!"
"Nuts to that! Any way you look at the case, Shinguji is obviously the culprit!" Miu barked.
"Yeah... there's sorta no other way to look at it!" Tsumugi agreed.
"No, it's too dangerous to vote before we arrive at a logical decision!" Kiibo shouted.
"Wowee!" Monokuma chimed in. "This argument is getting intense! At times like this... The Ultimate Academy is proud to present its very own morphenomenal trial grounds!"
Yippee! I've been waiting for this!" Kokichi exclaimed happily.
"Why were *you* waiting for it?" Kaito growled.
The ground started to vibrate and all the podiums started to move up and away. Everyone started to move up in a spiral-like way until they all got to a bright blue room. Himiko, Maki, Kaito, Tsumugi, Miu, and Gonta made up the row for the vote now, while Shuichi, Kokichi, Ichika, Kiibo, and Korekiyo stood opposing them for don't vote yet.
***
"It would be a mistake to vote before we've completely solved Yonaga-san's murder." Shuichi explained. "And there's still the mystery of Chabashira-san's murder."
"Mystery? What kind of mystery?" Miu inquired.
"Well, Shinguji-san's confession derailed our conversations a bit... but we still have to go over one of the clues found at Chabashira-san's crime scene. I believe it might even have something to do with Yonaga-san's murder." Shuichi paused for a moment. "The dried bloodstain found under the floor. Harukawa-san and I found it during the investigation. It was beneath the floorboard that the culprit stomped on."
"Is that... Chabashira-san's blood?" Gonta asked.
Maki shook her head. "That bloodstain was too far from Chabashira-san's corpse to have been hers."
"Also, the bloodstain was already dry when we found it. But the blood from Chabashira-san's body hasn't even begun to dry yet." Shuichi explained.
"Well, that's weird. Why was that bloodstain the only dry one?" Kaito questioned.
"The bloodstain wasn't from Chabashira-san's murder... It was there before we started the seance."
"Before the seance...?" Himiko repeated.
"That bloodstain wasn't Chabashira-san's. It was Yonaga-san's."
"Nyeh!? Why was blood from Yonaga at the scene of Chabashira's murder!?"
"Yeah, wasn't Yonaga killed in her research lab?" Kaito asked.
"Just because her dead body was there, it doesn't necessarily mean she was killed there." Ichika responded.
"Ah... I guess that's possible!"
"If Yonaga-chan wasn't killed in her lab then that opens up a lot more possibilities..." Kokichi said. "We assumed that only council members could've killed Yonaga-chan since her body was in her lab. But if she died somewhere else, then we can't suspect just the council members anymore."
"So the culprit didn't enter her lab, but waited for her to come out of it?" Miu questioned.
"I'm not sure if the culprit waited for her but they probably killed her when she came out. Well, I thought that was more likely from the start. So I went to places Yonaga-chan might've gone, and checked all three empty rooms."
"Places she might've gone?" Himiko blinked in confusion. "Why did you check the empty rooms then?"
"Hm?" Kokichi put his hands behind his head. "The empty rooms were the only places I could think of that Yonaga-chan would go."
Gonta hummed. "Did... Yonaga-san have business in the rooms?"
"Kehehe... it seems Ouma-kun's up to his usual misleading nonsense again." Korekiyo giggled.
"Nee-heehee... I do lie a lot, and I could be lying now, too." Kokichi then grinned at Korekiyo. "But I'm pretty sure *someone's* panicking right now because of my lie."
"..."
"The art research lab... Is not where Yonaga-chan was killed... She was killed in the empty room, instead!"
"She left her lab on her own...?" Kaito said
Korekiyo sighed. "But why would she go into an empty room? There shouldn't have been anything in there."
Ichika hummed. "Well, there were candles in the empty rooms, right?"
"That's it! She wanted a candle!" Miu exclaimed.
"That's it!" Shuichi shouted. "Yonaga-san went to that room to get a candle!"
"Yeah! For kinky waxplay!"
"Uh, no... Yonaga-san was gonna use it for the ritual. According to the Necronomicon, to resurrect the dead... You need to burn the Necronomicon."
Kiibo's eyes widened. "Then, did she seek out a candle so she could burn the book?"
"That's right! There's nothing to start a fire with in Yonaga's lab!" Kaito exclaimed. "So she went to go get a candle from one of the empty rooms!"
"And that's when the culprit attacked her!" Miu added.
"Which means, Yonaga-chan was attacked in the same room the seance was held! Bravo, Yumeno-chan!" Kokichi chirped. "Well done for choosing that room for the seance!"
"Nyeh...?"
"If we hadn't done the seance in that room, then Chabashira-chan's murder would've been in another room. If that happened, no one would've discovered Yonaga-chan's bloodstain under the floorboards."
"That's right. Saihara and I only checked under the floorboards where Chabashira died." Maki said.
"Yup. It's all thanks to Yumeno-chan for choosing the same room as Yonaga-chan! This must be God's will! Or maybe the power of magic?"
"It's neither. I just picked one." Himiko sighed.
"Hold on... You're all acting as though you've proven that as fact already," Korekiyo spoke up quickly. "You claim Yonaga-san was murdered in the empty room and then moved to the lab? Then how do you explain the large amount of blood in the lab? It may be possible to carry a body, but blood cannot be moved."
"I think she was still alive after the attack in the empty room." Shuichi said.
"Hm...?"
"She was killed after she was carried to her lab. The fatal wound was a cut to the back of her neck from a katana. But she also shows signs of blunt force trauma, and I think I know why. After Yonaga-san was knocked unconscious in the empty room, she was killed in her lab."
"I see!" Kaito exclaimed. "So that puddle of blood is from the killing blow! Hah! It's all clear now! Yonaga was attacked in the empty room, carried to her lab and it was there that the culprit finished her off!
"All clear...? This... is all clear?" Korekiyo was sweating and losing his usually calm composure. "Kehe... kehehehe... What are you all talking about...? All... clear...? Wh-What... is... a-all clear? What is... What are you... A-All clear...?" Korekiyo looked like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown, "Wh-What are... You all... you. You what? Wha-Wha-What are..."
"Sweet Korekiyo, calm yourself..." Korekiyo told himself. Korekiyo had pulled down his mask, to reveal that he was wearing lipstick. "Their words are all hollow. There is no meaning to any of them... You must teach these ignorant children a lesson."
"Y-Yes, you're right... Okay, I'll teach them."
"What the hell are you mumblin' about?" Miu looked deeply disturbed. "You're giving me the goddamn willies..."
"Kehehe... Not yet. Nothing is clear at all. It's full of doubts!" Korekiyo screamed, spreading his arm out wide. "Of mysteries! Of a dense, impenetrable fog! Nothing is clear at all!!!"
***
"There was evidence left at the scene!" Shuichi shouted. "The bloody tape under Yonaga-san's body!"
"What...?"
"It was wrapped around her head to stop the bleeding while she was being carried."
"Bloody tape? I didn't notice at all." Gonta commented.
"It was under the body. It's most likely evidence the culprit should have gotten rid of." Maki said.
"But because it was hidden underneath Yonaga-san, the culprit didn't notice." Ichika continued. "It must have fallen under her as the final blow was dealt."
"It... must've been God who did that for us..." Himiko commented.
"Wh-What? God...? How long are you going to keep that up?" Korekiyo growled.
Maki nodded. "Now we know the mystery behind Yonaga-san's murder."
"I'm convinced. There's only one person who could have killed Yonaga-san..." Shuichi pointed at Korekiyo. "It's you, Shinguji-kun! You killed Yonaga-san!"
"What the fuck!? So it's true!" Miu yelled.
"Well, that was obvious. Such a boring, obvious answer." Kokichi sighed.
"You... killed both of them..." Himiko glared at Korekiyo underneath her hat. "Why...? Why did you kill them!?"
"In terms of pure logic, only one victim as necessary to win." Kiibo said.
"... I think one of the murders was an accident." Shuichi said.
"An accident?" Tsumugi repeated.
"That's right. It wasn't part of the plan. Yonaga-san's murder was an accident."
"What? Chabashira-san's wasn't an accident?" Gonta exclaimed.
Shuichi nodded. "That's right. Shinguji-kun originally planned to kill someone with the seesaw trick. But while he was making preparations in the empty room, Yonaga-san walked in. So he decided to kill her in order to keep her from talking."
"She just happened to walk in on the culprit setting up..." Kaito sighed. "And was killed."
"Then... he should've stopped there. Once he killed Yonaga, there was no reason for him to kill Chabashira!" Himiko shouted.
"He only needed to kill one for this game. Killing two is pointless." Kokichi chimed in. "If you get bonus points for killing more, then sure. Otherwise, it leaves more clues behind."
"Why, Shinguji-kun? Why would you kill two of our friends?" Gonta asked.
"Wh-What... is...?" Korekiyo was losing his composure again. "What on earth are you talking about? N-No... I'm not the culprit...! S-So... why is everyone looking at me like I am...? Why! Why are they!? Why is it-"
"Calm yourself, Korekiyo." Korekiyo pulled his mask down. "You mustn't raise your voice. You mustn't stutter. You mustn't lose composure. You mustn't become flustered. You mustn't waver. Look at their horrid faces. This sorry lot is not worth agonizing over."
He pulled his mask back up. "Y-You're right... Yeah... You're right..."
Kaito gave Korekiyo a nervous look. "There he goes again... What the hell's wrong with him?"
"Is he... talking to himself?" Ichika questioned. "Or is someone talking to him?"
"Someone!? He's just talkin' to himself! And why the hell is he wearin' lipstick!?" Miu screamed.
Korekiyo giggled. "Kehehe... No matter how loudly you protest, this is a trivial matter. I will never acknowledge your allegations. Not a single one of them. For you see, there is no evidence that I killed Yonaga-san! Kehehe... No, I will not acknowledge it. I will only acknowledge facts, true events. I won't acknowledge fiction, mystery. I won't acknowledge... your deductions or guesses."
Korekiyo wrapped his arms around himself. "Well said... Good job, Korekiyo.
"Yes... thanks."
"Blauuuuuugh! Creeps me the fuck out!" Miu cried out.
"You're wrong. There *is* evidence." Shuichi said.
Korekiyo glared at Shuichi. "What? You do realize bluffs like that won't work, yes?"
"The weapon that was used to knock Yonaga-san unconscious in the empty room. The weapon tells us the whole story, Shinguji-kun!"
"Grgh...!"
Korekiyo pulled his mask down. "Hmhmhm... that's not possible. I think you may have misunderstood. Apologize. Come on, apologize. Apologize, apologize, apologize... Come on, apologize. Apologize, apologize. Apologize, apologize, apologize, apologize."
"S-Seriously... what the hell's happening?" Kaito exclaimed.
***
"Shinguji-kun hit Yonaga-san with the same floorboard used in the seesaw trick!" Shuichi yelled.
"Urgh... grgh!"
"I seeee. And how do you know the floorboard was the murder weapon?" Kokichi asked.
"There was a small patch of dried blood on the underside of the floorboard." Shuichi explained.
Ichika hummed. "It can't be Chabashira-san's blood, so it must be Yonaga-san's."
"Blood splattered there when the culprit struck Yonaga-san with the board. But that's not the only evidence that she was hit with that floorboard. There's also the bloodstain under the floor to consider. For that to be there... the floorboard must not have been in place at the time of the attack."
Kiibo nodded. "Good point. Had the floorboard been in place her blood wouldn't have splattered beneath it."
"Shinguji-kun's earlier confession is further evidence that the floorboard was used!" Shuichi added.
"H-How?" Korekiyo stammered.
"If the weapon used to hit Yonaga is the floorbaord from the seesaw trick..." Maki trailed off.
"It means the culprit knew about the seesaw. So the same person killed Chabashira-san and Yonaga-san!" Shuichi finished.
"Ah... Aaah... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Korekiyo screamed.
"I believe that while Shinguji-kun was setting up the seesaw, he was holding the board when Yonaga-san walked in."
"And he coldcocked her with the floorboard!" Miu added.
"Now why don't you just admit it already? You've already confessed to Chabashira-san's murder." Ichika smirked.
"So it's true... This... is the truth..." Himiko looked at the ground sadly.
"Uh... Uhh... Uuuuhhh..." Korekiyo had his arms wrapped around himself.
Kaito scratched the back of his head. "Looks like we're almost at the end. Alright, Saihara! I'll leave the finale to you! Bring down the house!"
"Saihara... please. Put an end to this..." Himiko pleaded. "For Yonaga's and Chabashira's sake... End this class trial!"
Shuichi nodded. "...I understand. I'll go over everything one more time! Shinguji-kun... I want you to confess! No... I will force you to confess!"
"Let's look back at the first murder. It was late last night. The culprit was in the empty room on the 4th floor. The culprit was preparing the seance murder they had planned. To use the floorboard as a seesaw, they had to cut the crosspiece supporting it. The plan was to make the same preparations for all three empty rooms. This would divert suspicion away from the culprit and to whoever picked a room. To cut the crosspieces, they needed a saw. I imagine they got one from the warehouse. They were planning to cut the crosspieces in all three rooms. However, when the culprit was working on the middle room, the unexpected happened..."
"Yonaga-san walked into that room and saw the culprit making their preparations. She needed some fire for the ritual, and had gone to the room for a candle. At that point, the culprit had not finished the setup and was just cutting crosspieces. Yonaga-san might not have concluded that it was tied to some kind of murder plan. But now that Yonaga-san had seen it, the culprit couldn't use the seesaw trick. Any other person might have just given up. But not our culprit. The culprit took the floorboard they loosened and struck the unsuspecting Yonaga-san in the head. The culprit did not want to give up on their plan and had to improvise."
"They wrapped duct tape around Yonaga-san's injury to stop the bleeding. Then they picked up her unconscious body and carried her to her research lab. While she was unconscious, the culprit hurried to tie up this loose end. But because they were in a hurry, they made a crucial oversight. They didn't notice the duct tape had peeled off, and was under Yonaga-san's body. Without that evidence, we may never have figured out the culprit's trick."
"Carrying the supplies they needed, the culprit returned to the Ultimate Art Lab...locked the front door from inside...and took out the katana they brought from their own lab. They then stabbed Yonaga-san in the back of the neck, finally killing her."
"Then, to further confuse us, the culprit attempted to make a locked-room mystery. First, they used the rope from the warehouse and hung four effigies upside-down. There were two reasons for this. To overwhelm the room with an occult atmosphere... And the other was the key to locking the room. The culprit stuck the katana into Akamatsu-san's effigy near the rear entrance...and spun the effigy around to twist up the rope."
"After enough turns, the culprit let go and headed for the rear door. Once released, the effigy began spinning, and the gold leaf katana with it. The handle of the katana then hit the sliding lock, locking the door. A difficult trick, but remember that the lock was so loose it moved at the slightest touch. The culprit also would have had the opportunity to attempt it many times. Once complete, the door was locked, but the duct tape was left behind. Perhaps the culprit noticed it, but by that point it was too late. The room was sealed. There was no way for them to get back inside."
"Then, this morning, we opened up the room and discovered Yonaga-san's body... But the culprit wasn't finished. They wanted one more murder. To do that, they manipulated us into performing the seance!"
"Of the three empty rooms, the middle one was chosen for the seance. I was invited by Ouma-kun to take Kiibo-kun's place in the seance. Chabashira-san volunteered to be the medium. But...she never imagined it would get her killed. To perform the seance, the culprit claimed they needed something for Chabashira-san... A small stone that Yumeno-san had brought from the courtyard. Chabashira-san, at the culprit's request, bowed her head until it was touching the stone. That position was instrumental in making sure the murder went as planned."
"Next, Ouma-kun and Aki-san placed the iron cage over Chabashira-san, in the middle of the magic circle. The culprit then volunteered to drape the white cloth over the iron cage. We didn't realize it at the time, but that was a deliberate decision by the culprit. They needed to set up the murder weapon that was used to kill Chabashira-san. While they were covering the cage with the cloth, they secretly placed the sickle. Finally, the five of us placed the wooden statue on top of the cage. The culprit used the weight of the statue to keep the murder weapon in place."
"After the preparations were complete, Aki-san left the room and then we began the seance. In complete darkness, we each stood in one corner and sang "The Caged Child" song. When the song finished, the soul of the dead was supposed to enter the medium...but our culprit had another plan - to commit a murder in the darkness."
"Right after we started singing, the culprit began making their way toward Chabashira-san. It would have been quite difficult to do in total darkness, but our culprit had a guide. They used the lines of the magic circle drawn with salt. The culprit felt for the salt and used it to guide them along. And when the culprit reached the centre of the circle...they found the floorboard that had its crosspiece cut off the night before..."
"Then lifted up their foot and stomped down hard on the floorboard! The floorboard lifted up like a seesaw... ...and pushed Chabashira-san's body up toward the ceiling of the cage. Chabashira-san was stabbed in the back of the neck by the sickle on top of the cage. She was killed right before our eyes and we didn't even see it! After committing the crime, the culprit followed the salt back to their corner... ...finished the ritual, and had us light the candles. We followed the culprit's directions and removed the equipment used for the seance..."
"...and discovered Chabashira-san's body. And while we were all focused on the body, the culprit picked up the sickle... ...and dropped it under the floor through the hole in the corner of the room. Ironically...the final step of the murder was unwittingly carried out by us. The culprit had planned the murder so that we would unintentionally destroy some evidence. That evidence was the magic circle that the culprit used to navigate in the dark. However, the culprit didn't know that Kiibo-kun had taken a picture. He really saved us. Without that, we wouldn't know what changes were made to the circle. But now we know for certain. And we know the culprit drew the magic circle..."
"Korekiyo Shinguji, the Ultimate Anthropologist! You're the culprit behind these murders!"
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