Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

                                                                  SUPER DANGANRONPA 2                               

                                                                        NEW GAME PLUS

... how bad! ...no, awful! Tragic! That's a good word... tragedy!

That they'd challenge themselves... how awful! How self-fulfillingly stupid! How abnormally pitiful!

The fact that they'd give up a chance at a happy ending just for a chance at something better... how despair-inducingly unpredictable! How exasperatingly, disgustingly sappy is that?

I guess I'll have to do my part too, then! I'm not gonna be the one who disappoints my hungry audience asking for an encore!

Hajime Hinata sat at the table, hands sitting absently at his lap. “ Things are bad, but they aren't... bad. ” His thoughts didn't do much to comfort or amuse him, but he tried to suppress them.

“Hinata.” An imposing voice declared, “...are you anxious? You aren't thinking of doing anything troublesome, are you?”

“Wh-whoa, what!?” Hinata's mind wandered for only a moment at the remark. “I promise I'm not... I'm just... anxious that something will happen.”

“Do you trust me?”

“To not try anything? I...”

“...nevermind. I'm well aware that trust is an earned respect.” The voice took almost a smug satisfaction in that conclusion. “That's just another reason I intend for things to go swimmingly at the party tonight. As your leader, I intend to be the backbone of your survival.”

“Well, he sure sounds reliable. That's Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Proginy, for you, isn't it?” Hinata's short conversation came to a close as he recognized the new voice belonging to Komaeda, as jolly as ever. “I don't think we'll have any issues putting our hope in Togami-kun.”  

“Of course not.” Togami gave a haughty smirk in Komaeda's direction. “I will not let a single one of you become a victim. I swear it on the Togami family name.”His voice echoed with a confidence that could be seen as condescending. “Hinata, Komaeda, and anyone else within earshot; I will be seeing you tonight. I expect your collective best.” Togami left the restaurant with scowl that seemed embedded into his face.

Hinata looked around the room, noticing the similarly unsure faces of the other students.

“If that false prophet chooses to believe that I am one who can be caged as would any mortal... so be it. But my weapons are unlike any other! They will have to be pried from the callous grip of my demon claws four years after my corpse has been laid to rest!” Tanaka didn't flinch as his hamsters crawled around his shoulders and hair.

“If he wants to make sure nobody dies, I think there's several people here who could serve to be locked up indefinitely. You know, just in case. I bet some of you are real psychos who would kill without thinking about it.” Saionji said, all too casually in Hinata's eyes before taking her leave.

“Jeez... that guy sure ate a lot.” Hanamura said flatly. “Of course, that's okay.. it'd be insulting if someone so voracious wouldn't stomach my high class meals!”

“You take issue with that, but is nobody bothered by him waltzing in and declaring himself our leader?” Koizumi's aggression remained passive as she crossed her arms.

“I am certain Togami-kun will do his absolute best! I believe until then it's up to us to prepare ourselves for a wonderful night!” With the mood lightened just a bit in her wake, Sonia took her leave. The two, and a few others, began to leave on their own, but Hinata didn't pay much mind to who.

“Ah... Hanamura-kun, I'm heading to the old cabin now.” Komaeda absently held the straw he'd drawn moments earlier in his hand, reminding Hinata of the miniature-lottery they'd held to see who would wind up on cleaning duty. “I believe the kitchen should already be sufficient enough to work in... I just wouldn't want a presence like mine to scare you when you weren't expecting it. That's why I let you know. See you...”

A smile crept onto Hanamura's face. “Komaeda-kun sure is eager to get me alone, huh..?” He wistled. “Well, time for me to get on over and work my magic! If Komaeda's real lucky, and I'm assuming he is, he'll get to bear witness to it!”

“Um... wh-what should the rest of us do... until then..?” Tsumiki said directionless.

“Hmm...” Mioda put a finger to her chin. “Ibuki thinks Sonia-chan was right on the money! We should work on getting our minds pumped during the daylight, so we can get our spirits pumped during the night!”

“What... does that even mean..?” Hinata found himself say aloud. When he looked, Mioda was already on her way out, as were most of the others. He couldn't deny that the mood was rather light, which was good, but at the same time it didn't feel completely right.

He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was nagging at him.

His head collided with the table with a loud thud, and his view went black.

…

“So that's why... I think Galaxy Star 2 is actually kind of a worst game on an objective scale... but that doesn't mean I don't like it any less than the first... you know?”

Hinata's eyes fluttered open. His heart was beating out of his chest, and yet he felt extraordinarily calm.  As he scanned his surroundings, he found that he'd somehow made his way to the beach. The sun was notably lower in the sky than he remembered, but the ocean scent remained familiarly unrelenting.

“Why... am I on the beach? What's going on? What time is it?”

“Umm...” The unmistakable face of Chiaki Nanami sat next to him, a handheld console only just put aside. “I think... it's around 4 'o clock. Is everything okay, Hinata-kun..?”

“I don't know... I feel like... I don't know. I don't remember coming to the beach.”

“Well, you followed me here... we were just talking about video games... like I was saying, even if the Galaxy Star franchise has gone downhill in quality, I don't think I enjoy it any less.” While she tried to continue the initial topic, Nanami didn't hide her slight worry and curiosity very well.

“No, I mean... uh... never mind.” The idea that he could go from one place and situation to another like that without remembering was difficult to wrap his head around, but he pressed on.

“Are you alright, Hinata-kun?” She asked again, her eyes grazing the endless ocean before turning back to Hinata.

“Really.. you don't need to stress over me. I'm okay... I just kind of feel like a ghost... or something.”

“A ghost?”

“It's just what came to mind. It feels like I'm... floating, if I had to describe it.” Hinata gently laid his hand on his own heart; it felt like a slow, static electricity was flowing through his veins. It was an entirely unfamiliar feeling.

“Hm...” Nanami's expression most of it's conviction, falling somewhere between sadness and confusion.

“I'm sorry...”

“No... it's not you. It's just that... something like this isn't supposed to be happening... you know?”

“Something like this? I don't really know what 'this' is, to tell you the truth...”

“...” Nanami fell silent for a moment, her face troubled, but a warm smile replaced it quickly. “It's not something we can do anything about, is it...” The slightest hints of stress were visible in her head, as if she were thinking hard about something, but the smile persisted over it all. “Let's look towards the future instead, okay?”

“That's... kinda deep. Are you sure YOU'RE okay?” Hinata forced a small laugh, but it was enough to have a smile form onto his face, despite the unshakable feeling that was coursing through him. “Shouldn't I at least ask Tsumiki-san about this, or something?”

“If that would make you feel better, we can do that... probably.” Nanami stood up, sand falling off of her. “I know it hasn't been long, but I know we can trust her. Yeah, definitely... we can definitely trust everyone here.”

“Hm...” Hinata was skeptical, but Nanami's optimism helped his smile not falter.

“I know it doesn't mean much, to say stuff like that, but that's how I feel. That's why I believe in everyone, no matter what happens.”

“...”

“...Hinata-kun?”

For the second time that day, Hinata fell as far as gravity would let him as his vision sealed shut.

'

…

“Owari, Tanaka, Souda... Tsumiki, Mioda... Hanamura and Komaeda...” Togami listed to himself before his attention was caught by the old cabin door swinging open once, and then once more.

“HAHAHA! YES!” A boisterous laugh echoed, causing even Togami to come close to flinching. “Finally, someone who shares this dilemma! You can't imagine how many times someone has asked me if my name is Kujo! NO! I AM, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, NEKOMARU NIDAIIIIIIIIII!”

The second face remained stoic. “Yes... though the similarity between myself and those anime characters isn't one I'd ever considered...”

Togami's face displayed a unique type of worry for a split second before composing itself. “Pekoyama. Nidai. That's two more of you accounted for. Now, allow me to inspect the entirety of your personage.” His heartbeat settled quickly, and he put his hands on Nidai's shoulders.

“NEKOMARU NIDAI HAS NOTHING TO HIDE!” Loud as ever, Nidai stretched his arms and legs into an accessible stance. “WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GEEEEEETT!!”

“I see.” Togami concluded, and moved on to Pekoyama just as quickly as he'd begun. “First off, this.” He poked the holster that Pekoyama carried on her back.

“I apologize, but I won't be parting with it.”

“Why?”

“I don't think there's an issue. If I'm the only one with a weapon, and this weapon comes to do harm, there should be no doubt.” Her expression, or lack thereof, did not change. “Therefore, to make an attempt on anyone's life, regardless if I desired to do so, would be foolish.”

“...fine. I'll have my eye on you, in that case. I'm also checking the holster's contents now, like it or not.”

“Is that necessary?” Pekoyama asked, but did not protest.

“I'm not going to explain in great detail why I'm doing this. If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to be afraid of.” With surprising grace, Togami unsheathed the sword and begun inspecting both objects. “We're still waiting on a few people. Kuzuryuu, Hinata, Koizumi, Saionji, and Sonia.”

“I haven't seen any of them since this morning!” Nidai proclaimed proudly. “If you're finished with me, I have to make my entrance inside now. The bathroom is calling out to me... AND I'M NOT ONE TO SAY NO WHEN I HEAR MY NAME!”

“You're dismissed.” Togami said bluntly. He knew that Nidai could brute force someone if it was required, which could be both a danger and a benefit. He would have to watch out for that, alongside everything else; he knew full well there were some dangers he wouldn't be able to prevent entirely tonight, but nothing would stop him from making sure there wasn't a death.

“I have not seen Koizumi, Saionji, Sonia, or Hinata. I spoke to Kuzuryuu briefly and he will not be attending.” Pekoyama concluded, arms crossed as she watched Togami rapidly scan her sword.

“Nanami volunteered to keep watch outside. Monomi should be out there, too, if I'm not mistaken. They've committed to keeping Monokuma away, and I feel confidence enough to give them that chance.” Togami spoke to himself reassuringly before glancing back at Pekoyama. “Is he still insistent on that? ...very well. As long as the others show up, there should be no issue if it's solely /one/ absentee.” Togami handed the sword and case over and watched as Pekoyama sheathed it once more, putting it back proper on her back.

“I--” Pekoyama was cut off by the sound of the door opening one, twice, and once more over.

“I am ready to party the night away! I made sure to 'doll up', and look my very best! Let us have a wondrous night!” Sonia was the first to enter and exit Togami's customs check, looking entirely indistinguishable to when they arrived on the island.

“Man, all this hard work, and to think someone is gonna get killed sooner or later.” Saionji was next, though she wasn't nearly as eager. “I wouldn't be surprised if Bacon Breath has us all here so /he/ can kill one of us.”

“Hiyoko-chan, that's not a great thing to say...” Despite Koizumi's warning, Saionji had passed without incident.

“Yeah? Who are you again?” Saionji dismissed the comment entirely and proceeded to continue inside. “Try and not let meathead cop too much of a feel! I bet that's part of his motive!”

“...” Koizumi and Togami both fell silent until Pekoyama, who still hadn't gone inside the cabin proper, opened the door and appeared ready to step out.

“Where are you going?” Togami turned his attention to her. To his surprise, she allowed the door to shut and remained inside.

“When Sonia, Koizumi, and Saionji arrived, the open door gave me a brief glance outside. I thought I was mistaken in hearing, or perhaps sight, but it turns out I was correct.”

“Explain.”

“Nanami is nowhere to be seen outside. Actually, Nidai's estimate was closer than yours; I have not seen her since earlier this morning.”

“W-wait! What's going on?” Koizumi finally spoke, visibly worried. “Is Chiaki-chan missing? Did something happen!?”

“Not only Nanami, but Hinata has been keeping us, too... and nobody reported seeing him since lunch earlier in the day. And on top of that, with Kuzuryuu protesting this gathering, that's three heads unaccounted for.” Togami furrowed his brow, his body stiffening as he spoke.

“You don't think...” Koizumi's hair stood on end as her face lit up with recognition.

“Kuzuryuu wants nothing to do with this.” Pekoyama affirmed herself. “I heard it from him myself earlier.”

“He's been throwing out threats left and right!” Koizumi's shouting was aggressive, but her tone wavered with worry. “What are we going to do? We have to do something!”

“Enough.” Togami said, clearing his throat. In the few seconds they spent recouping, two heads wandered out of the dining hall and into the entrance.

“H-hey, uh... everything okay?” Souda walked up, scratching the back of his head. “I'm just wondering... d'you think we're gonna start soon? I'm kinda hungry...”

“What's the big idea!? You tryin' ta' starve me over here or somethin'!?” Owari tailed Souda, vocalizing her frustration loudly.

“ENOUGH.” Togami declared for all to hear. “Were it just Hinata and Kuzuryuu, I would suggest we stay patient, but because Nanami's absence is entirely unfounded...”

“Something might be wrong. We have to do something.” Koizumi finished.

“A-are you sure you aren't just psychin' yourselves out over nothing..?” Souda spoke to deaf ears, and he slunk into the background once again.

“But what do you suggest we do? I believe Kuzuryuu is in his cabin, as he said he would be, but it's futile to run amok regardless.”

“You're right. Running haphazardly looking for danger will only result in danger.” Togami pointed in the general direction of Koizumi, prompting Souda and Owari to back up slightly. “Attend to the party until I return. Pekoyama will accompany me.”

“Very well. I will be waiting outside.” Pekoyama opened the door and exited in a notably rushed fashion.

As Togami reached for the door himself, Koizumi interjected. “Are you just going to leave this responsibility in my hands!? I mean, you didn't even search me! I could have a weapon for all you know!”

After a moment of weighing options in his head, Togami decided to go against his better judgement. “You don't.” He said, without his usual smirk but with all the confidence that came with it. He opened the door and found Pekoyama waiting just as she'd said, kneeling down to the ground.

“Uwawawa! That's tewwible! Is that all twue?” A childish voice that Togami identified as Usami spoke up.

Pekoyama neglected to reply, and instead stood wordlessly. She turned to see the door shut behind her, Togami in the doorframe.

“We don't have any time to waste. I hate to entrust anything at all to you, but watch over this building, Monomi. Do not let Monokuma interfere by any means.”

“You can count on me!” Monomi said as she assumed a bold stance, hopping up in front of the doorframe and putting on her best attempt to look menacing.

…

“Rocketpunch Market is empty. The ranch, empty, and the airport too.” Pekoyama listed off as the two continued forward.

“That leaves.. the beach, Hotel Mirai, and the central isle.” Togami confirmed aloud. “It's been over ten minutes. This is too much time. We need to get back...” His confidence began to melt.

“I'm going to the cottages. After that, I will scan the hotel.”

“Hm..?”

“That leaves you with the central isle and beach.”

“So we're splitting up our investigation? I'm not certain...”

“I am. I need to confirm for myself that he's okay... please understand.”

“If you're that worried about Kuzuryuu, get going. I'm not going to stop you.” Togami pointed towards the hotel site and with that, Pekoyama left wordlessly.

Togami tried to tell himself that his suspicions were unfounded; he would rather admit that he was wrong, and that they were worked up over nothing.

When he took his first steps onto the beach, however, it was his first sign that something was very, very wrong.

“B-blood..?” It was the only word that came out of his mouth. It lingered in the air heavily, almost as strong as the unmistakable smell that assaulted his nostrils. “Who's here!? Show yourself!”

No response. He ran over the blood, a small number of circles all different shapes and sizes comfortable beneath one of the many palm trees. Had the sun been out, they wouldn't be hit by it's rays under the shade of the canopy.

“HINATA! NANAMI! KUZURYUU! SHOW YOURSELVES!” He demanded, shouting to his limit, but still had no response.

The others. I have to get the others.

After one last cursory scan that provided nothing, Togami bolted off the beach in an impressive sprint. The path he took back to the hotel had him passing the bridge to the central island, which provided an equal amount of nothing when given a glance.

It took Togami a double-take to realize he'd trampled over someone in his sprint, but the voice he received reminded him kindly.

“HEY, you fat fuck! You did it, didn't you!?”

“Kuzuryuu!” A momentary wave of relief washed over him, but it immediately turned to dread after registering what the man had said. “Did what? Explain it, quickly!”

“YOU KNOW WHAT! You stupid, fat, lying fuck! I knew your party was bullshit!”

“I don't /know what./ This is getting us nowhere. Take me to whatever it is now.”

Kuzuryuu took off in a sprint, cussing under his breath. Togami followed him all the way to Jabberwock Park.

“Huff... huff...” Togami felt himself winded from stress, but had no trouble running. Kuzuryuu took a glance behind him, but stopping himself from opening his mouth as he continued forward. The duo piled into the park, and immediately Togami knew what Kuzuryuu had been referring to.

Illuminated by the moonlight was the central statue of Jabberwock Park, countdown timer and all. The timer ticked down second by second, but time seemed to come to a standstill.

Blood enough to make the scene at the beach seem tame by comparison. Somehow, despite that, the scene contained an aura of tranquility. Only a few metres away from the base of the statue lay Hajime Hinata. He lay peacefully, undisturbed, and did not have a scratch on him. The sight was ghastly in itself, seeing Hinata in such a state, but the worst part was that he was most definitely not where the blood came from.

Lay perfectly center at the base of the tower, almost as if asleep, was the visibly bludgeoned corpse of Chiaki Nanami.  

DING DONG, DING DONG

A loudspeaker extended throughout the air. Kuzuryuu's head darted up to the sky while Togami looked listlessly forward.

“A body has been discovered! After a small period of investigation, the Class Trial will begin! Upupu... see you soon!”

Nanami looked peaceful; sleepy, even in death. After the air went silent, both pairs of eyes from Kuzuryuu and Togami were fixated on her wound.

“What the fuck... what the fuck is this?” Kuzuryuu said, turning to Togami. “Who the fuck had time to do this!? I thought everyone was at your stupid fucking party!”

“Nanami was SUPPOSED to remain outside.” Togami stated, trying to suppress any emotion in his voice. “To watch for Monokuma. We couldn't let him interfere with the party...”

Gears began to turn in Togami's head. The shock of finding two bodies began to wear off, and without breaking his stare he pointed towards the first island. “Get the others. Assure their safety and bring them all here.”

“Do I look like your errand boy, lardass? I oughta--”

“Pekoyama should be looking for you near the cottages, or possibly the hotel. Everyone else should have remained in the old cabin under Koizumi's temporary watch.” His arm and eyes remained fixated like statues, while his voice boomed with authority.

“...Peko's out? I... damnit!!” Kuzuryuu was about to leave when he turned back for a second. “Don't think I forgot what this scene looked like! If you even think about fucking with anything, I'll kill you my god damn self!”

Togami couldn't deny Kuzuryuu's apprehensiveness. He felt it himself; leaving someone alone at a murder scene in a scenario like this was a recipe for disaster. Luckily, he had no intention of dismantling or obscuring a single detail.

He took a deep breath as he hovered closer to Nanami's body.  The thought popped into his head once again that were there not a blunt imprint in her skull, trickling blood onto the park's concrete bedding, you could easily make the claim that she were asleep.

He didn't know much about Nanami, but she was definitely prone to falling asleep. Togami tried to piece together a motive, wondering if her narcoleptic tendencies had anything to do with her murder-- anything for a lead. Their lives depended on this.

“What's wrong, big guy? Trying to puzzle out who'd kill one of your friends? You don't think it had anything to do with her sleeping habits or something stupid like that, do you? Your lives all depend on this, you know! Upupupupu!”

Togami's eyes went wide for a moment, before slinking into annoyance at the familiar voice. “Your presence is unnecessary. The fault here is yours just as much as it is the killer's. Leave.”

“Now what you're gonna say next is-- ack!” The shrill voice stuttered, mumbling to itself for a minute before picking back up. “Monokuma doesn't get even one good reaction before Monokuma gets shut down by his no-good students... Monokuma has to give himself the introduction he deserves... Monokuma is half-thinking you were hoping Monokuma wouldn't even show up in this story! Well buckle up! It's really only Chapter One you should count and Monokuma is here, so you should consider yourself lucky!”

Despite proving quite the obstacle for his concentration, Togami ignored the egotistical Monokuma and continued his investigation. “Hm...” His eyes were drawn to her hair, that lay neatly as if not even the wind had touched it. “She's missing an accessory.”

“What?” Monokuma paused his own monologue, barely holding onto his glee. “Did you role a perfect 20 on your first go? Who notices something like that?”

“The pin in her hair.” Togami quickly scanned the ground. “Where is it? Will this be important?”

“Geez, you sound like a real detective. Asking me so many questions. Why would I know?”

“You mean you don't?”

“Okay, of course I do. But why would I tell you? Figure it out yourself. Or, wait...” Monokuma trailed off, and the silence he left in the air was quickly filled by a stampede of footsteps.

“Wh-where is he? Where's that Togami guy!?” said Souda.

“Mr. Porkfeet isn't dead, is he!? Ibuki was just starting to groove to his beat!” cried Mioda.

“It'd serve him right for trying to shove his 'rules and regulations' down everyone's throat.” said Saionji dismissively.

“Down our throats, huh..? Interesting...” Hanamura said, raising an eyebrow.

“Damn it, shut up. It ain't him. Dumbasses.” chided Kuzuryuu.

“So where are we supposed to be looking? Is Togami-- hey! He's over there! Hey, Togami! Are you--” Koizumi began, but cut herself off.

The rancorous collective all fell silent upon seeing the scene.

“Looks like the gang's all here! Time to SQUAD UP >(^_^)>!” declared Monokuma, breaking the silence.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIIIIIIS!?” Nidai bellowed into the night sky.

“UUU—UUAAAAHHH!! This is h-horrible! This is worse than horrible! This is t-terrible..!” cried Tsumiki.

“Seriously, what's goin' on? Does this mean the party's canceled?” Owari casually asked, walking over to where Hinata lay silent. “Hey, uh... what's he doin' nappin' here? Ain't there a bench or somethin'?”

“Hinata is dead. As is Nanami.” Togami announced, stepping out of the way of Nanami's body, allowing everyone to view it fully.

“This is a terrible shame... what... are we to do about it..?” Pekoyama wondered.

“Upupu... I was hoping one of you would ask. Presenting...” Monokuma pulled a large, flat file out of hammerspace. “THE VERY FIRST MONOKUMA FILE..!!!”

“So we have a certain amount of time until the Class Trial... and we should use that time to investigate to our fullest extent.” Komaeda put a finger to his chin.

“That's the ticket. Phew! I love it when things just go your way for once. Makes me feel nice inside!" Monokuma said with delight.

"Man, I got a weird feelin' about this." Owari said, leaning down near Hinata.

“Ah... is there anything else we should know before we begin?” asked Komaeda.

“Everything you need to know is around somewhere or another, contextually! You've also got my handy-dandy Monokuma File. You better appreciate that 'cause I spent so long writing it.”

“If you have nothing else meaningful to say, dismiss yourself.”

“Seriously, it took me a whole five minutes. Do you know how long that is to me? ...wait, huh!? You're treating me like I'm a pest!? Someone you can just dismiss!? You can't do that! The whole reason Monomi is here is so SHE can be that!”

“I'm very excited, I have to say... to see the class's collective hopes unite against the killer's... I really am so lucky to be around to witness this, aren't I...” Komaeda smiled to himself.

“What the hell is this guy talking about..?” mumbled Souda.

“Komaeda's been acting really weird since the blackout... and don't think I forgot about you, either, Hanamura. As soon as we're done with this, you're going to confess, so don't think you two are off the hook.” said a confident Koizumi.

Togami did his best to block out their conversation, focusing on his investigation. He heard something about a blackout, which piqued his curiosity, but decided it was necessary to wait to press it.

“Aheheh... it isn't anything... just, uh... well, you see, while Komaeda and I were alone, I took the chance to offer him some of my, um, more experimental dishes...” said Hanamura, flipping his hair nervously.

“You... what?” Koizumi said, squinting.

“If he's got an infection, perhaps I can try and orally remove the poison!” Sonia offered confidently.

“Ah, no, no, nonono, you see... it's, it's...” said Hanamura, unsure.

Koizumi shot back. “Even if you did get him sick, or... or worse, that doesn't explain you under the floor with that--”

Hanamura began to turn a visible shade of red, but they were both cut off before he opened his mouth to retort.

“Stop for a minute.” Togami threw his arm towards the growing scuffle between Koizumi and Hanamura, silencing them both. “There's something very fishy about this Monokuma File.”

“Is there a mistake, Togami-san? I think it's irrefutable, as much as I would like to believe otherwise, that Nanami-san is...”

“It isn't about her.” Togami turned to face the group at large, file in hand. He displayed it for them all to see. “Hajime Hinata's is not mentioned once on this entire page.”

“What the fuck are you saying, man?” Kuzuryuu's scowl grew exaggerated within seconds, “he's right the fuck on the ground right in front of us!”

“Y-yeah! That much is obvious! Don't go and insult Sonia-san's intelligence!” Souda boldly took a step forward and shouted before reeling back into place.

“Ah... I do think it's rather strange, actually. A detail like that should be mentioned for this file to be of any use, should it not?”

“Ah-ah-ah! Right! Right, right! Good job catching that, Sonia-san! You really are as clever as I expected!” Souda scratched the back of his neck as his eyes burrowed holes in the ground.

“Obviously, whatever did it to him really obvious. We prolly just gotta turn him over and we'll see it, or somethin'.” Owari said, barely paying mind to the ordeal.

“Or perhaps he's alive after all...” Pekoyama suggested.

Saionji dismissively laughed once. “Ooh, yeah! I bet he's toottally dumb enough to have killed her, and this is his attempt to get away with it. Too bad this idiot forgot that it's not hard to take someone's pulse when they as unresponsive as a corpse.”

“U-umm... excuse me!” Tsumiki spoke up, though the attention-grabbing cry was still hardly audible. “Hinata... doesn't have a pulse...”

“Whaaaat the hell? This nasty shrew is probably lying! I bet she did it!”

“Aaaaah—AAAAHH! I-i'm sorry.... uuu...”

“You're awful quick to accuse Tsumiki-san, Saionji-san. Could that be because you're the true culprit, or just part of your established character, I wonder?” asked Komaeda.

“Hey, leave her alone!” Koizumi stepped in front of Komaeda. “You've been nothing but weird ever since we left the cabin! You haven't even told me what happened!”

“You'll find out with time. We all will.” Togami stepped away from Hinata and turned to Komaeda and Koizumi. “We have an investigation to do, meanwhile. I imagine you're all upset over the loss of two of us. We can't afford to be sentimental just yet, however; our best effort is to let everyone do their part.”

Everyone began to disperse for the investigation, luckily without argument. Togami was expecting more resistance, especially from the louder members of the group like Kuzuryuu or Koizumi. With how many times he'd sworn to protect them, losing not one, but two classmates like this was weighing on him. The more he thought about it...

“Hey, lardass. I'm staying here to watch the body.” Kuzuryuu stated as a matter of fact. Togami opened his mouth to speak before Kuzuryuu interjected. “And don't be stupid. I'm not gonna be here alone. Me and Peko will watch it.”

True to his word, Pekoyama was standing only feet away, absently staring at Nanami in her final resting place. “I can't be certain you didn't do this.”

“Well, you know Peko didn't. So what the fuck's the problem!?”

“I... very well.” Togami decided to leave it at that; from his understanding, things may have been haywire when he left the party to Koizumi, but she did in fact return with everyone's safety. He tried to put the same amount of faith in Kuzuryuu and drown out any suspicion of him.

“I won't neglect to expose you if you turn out to be scheming something, Kuzuryuu. Do not forget that.”

“You think I'm scared of you?” Kuzuryuu chuckled lightly. “Ditto for you, then. I didn't forget about leaving you alone here either. Won't be surprised when that comes back to bite you in the ass, I can promise that much.”

“I can assure you this area will retain every detail it had the moment I arrived here.”

Togami let Kuzuryuu's remark slide and nodded to Pekoyama silently as he kneeled down to Hinata once again.

He put two fingers to Hinata's limp wrist. “It looks like Tsumiki was correct. Hinata's pulse must have vanished at least a short while ago.”

“Doesn't take much to reach that conclusion.” Kuzuryuu scoffed and looked away.

“Perhaps there are external wounds on his underside, as Owari said?” Pekoyama suggested.

After just a hint of hesitation, Togami effortlessly flipped Hinata over onto his back. He looked at peace, similar to Nanami. His eyes were shut and his face was clean; his clothes were perfectly intact. “There isn't a trace of blood.” Togami said coldly.

“U-umm... sorry for intruding... if you want, I can... um...” Tsumiki could be heard rattling not far behind where Togami stood.

“Can you check the both of them over?” Togami turned a glance towards Tsumiki as he put space between himself and Hinata. She nodded, and after a few seconds of stillness calmed herself enough to begin her work. “And when you're finished, please remain here alongside Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama. I'd like another set of eyes to watch over this scene, if you would.”

“Umm... yes, I can... I hope that isn't too troublesome for them...”

“What? Don't trust me? Heh... I'm used to it.”

“It shouldn't trouble anyone, Tsumiki.” A brief staredown concluded between Kuzuryuu and Togami before the latter finally departed from the park.

The beach was identical to how Togami had last seen it. The only faces present seemed caught up in their own endeavor.

“Ham-hands! You basically declared yourself top cop, right? Get this guy away from me! I think he's trying to touch me!!” Saionji swarmed to Togami almost immidiately, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

“I-I-I didn't try anything, really! For once, I'm innocent!” Togami immediately recognized Hanamura, who's face was flushed red in panic. “I mean... h-hah... I just had to get away from those guys, okay?”

“Yeah right! I bet you were gonna reach over and make your move the minute I found a good spot!”

“What... is going on here?” Togami questioned.

“I'm talking about crabs, silly! It's no good to try and squish 'em like ants; you gotta use your feet!”

“You came here to... kill crabs? For sport? Don't you care about what's going on in the slightest!?”

“I-i-i was about to try and get her back on track!” Hanamura stumbled in nervously.

“Shut up, pig boy.”

“P-pig boy..? Where did you... get that name..?”

“You look like one, you act like one, and you sound like one. What about you isn't piggish?”

“Well... I have one idea...” Hanamura grinned perversely.

“Alright... you're being weird again. Can you go somewhere and die?”

Togami sighed. “Speaking of the dead... have you found anything?”

“Oh, yeah. I came here and there's totally all that blood over there... I didn't wanna go over 'cause that's super gross, so I only took a little peek.”

“And..?”

“I think there's something written in the sand or something.”

“Well?” Togami gestured impatiently. “What is it?”

“You think I know? Are your ears just full of hubris or something? Go look yourself, your high-and-mightyness.”

“Sh-she didn't make a fat joke..!? I completely didn't see that coming...”

“There's nothing wrong with being fat, probably; there's just a lot wrong with you. You should start working on fixing it if you don't wanna wind up the next victim of whatever serial killing went and bashed Nanami and Hinata's heads in, if you ask me.”

“Wh-what did I do to you!?”

Togami rolled his eyes wordlessly and made his way over to the gruesome scene he'd discovered earlier. It looked equally as jarring in the moonlight as it did at sundown. He knelt down, hand on his chin, and soon discovered admist squirts of blood a peculiar marking.

To call it writing, as Saionji did, was a bit generous. To be blunt, it looked like a medium sized indent in the sand and not much more. The shape of it was curious enough to prompt Togami to lay his hand on it, and soon after wipe the cunningly few bits of sand that were actually there away to reveal a handheld electronic device of some sort.

The screen was cracked, but it seemed to be not only functional, but already powered on. Additionally, a small sector of the screen was drenched in blood, following the crack, causing Togami to hold the device in an awkward grip to avoid it.

“You two. Quit bickering for a moment and tell me; do either of you know what this is?” He threw his arm foorward, displaying the handheld. “I found it buried near where you reported... markings, Saionji.”

“It looks like some kinda digital... calculator, maybe? Aheh...” Hanamura swept a hand idly through his hair.

“No, I know what this is! It's gotta be that gamer girl's! She was showing me and that photography girl these things... they're digital diaries, basically. Probably for people like her with arthrtis who can't read their own handwriting, I bet.”

“I see... this could be incredibly relevant then. Hm...”

“What happened to make it s-so bloody, do ya think..?” Hanamura murmured uncomfortably.

“I have some ideas...” While they were obvious in his mind, Togami elected to wait to share his ideas until the 'trial' they were going to have begun proper; or at the very least, until he had a chance to investigate anything else that needs investigating. “But they'll have to wait. I trust you two will take care of things yourself.”

After seeing them off and confirming there was nothing else of note at the beach scene, Togami began to puzzle things together in his head. Something obviously happened at the beach, but neither of the bodies were found there. Kuzuryuu was obviously the most suspicious, but was it really him? What happened at the cottage that Koizumi, Komaeda and Hanamura were scuffling about, and was it related in any way?

He began to make his way to the cottages, thinking there may be something to note in Nanami or Hinata's cabin. It was the next best place to check in his mind, choosing to work around the possibility of the doors being locked once he got to it.

He never got the chance, though. Togami stopped dead in his tracks on his treck across the first island's outer pathways, his eyes surging as a high static came to life throughout the air.

“Uh, hello? You kids doing okay?” Monokuma's voice was being broadcasted once more, as gleeful as ever. “I hope you DID okay, anyway. Because it's the time that everyone's been waiting for: that's right! Our very first Class Trial! Please make your way down, up, bound or around to Monokuma Rock on the center island! Attendance is mandatory for everyone with a pulse! See you soon!”

The air fell dead once again, and Togami felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise ever-so-slightly. He held any questions he had forcibly, quelled any and all ideas or suspicious he currently had. Everything has to come to light in this trial, he thought to himself...

“ I don't want to mess up any more than I already have. ”

“So, whaddya all think? Is your blood pumping? I want this to be intense! I'm talking searing hot magma coursing through your veins! I didn't accept anything less in my adolensence for myself and as your chaperone and headmaster I have to hold you to the same standard! Ah... did I go off again..? Terribly, super, really awfullysuperultrasorry about that! Ahem!”

Electing to ignore Monokuma praddle on, Togami scanned the faces around him, painted with vibrant shades of discomfort. Monokuma Rock, as it was called, served seemingly no function, and yet the entire class... what was left of the class, after the horrific incident still not behind them, had been gathered here.

“Fourteen heads! Perfect! Every functional brain on the island is here, and so is Monomi.”

“Uwahah!! You're still gonna pick on me..!?”

“What? Did you think I'd give up a chance like this? Some things never change!” Monokuma laughed heartily, and then turned to the student body. “Anyway, are you chumps and kids all ready for tonight's main event? I promise it's gonna be one helluva evening! One you'll never forget, or your money back!”

“Wh-why do we have to do this!?” yelled Koizumi.

“This is s-so messed up...” Souda shook his head in disbelief.

“It's okay... 'cause this isn't real isn't real isn't real isn't real... it ain't it ain't...” Hanamura said, his voice consistently vanishing.

Togami opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Without further prompting, the terrain broke the silence as one of the heads of Monokuma Rock popped off dramatically. An escalator leading inside slid out in it's place not long after.

“Very well... this is the first grand challenge of many to come. The faint of heart should not press forward, lest they succumb to their own mortal weaknesses.... hahaha, yes! Only the grandest of darkness will step out of here alive!” Tanaka shouted into oblivion.

“Hm... I don't think that's it... I believe the greatest hope will be what comes out of here stronger tonight! Hahaha!” Komaeda laughed, almost menacing so, and stepped forward.

Hanamura was close behind him, mumbling. “Bad news... bad news, bad news... don'see how he done it if he was' there, too... gotta be him...”

One by one, everyone filed into the escalator, which lead into an elevator.

“Who's ready to go doooown under? It's the deathmatch everyone has been waiting for...!”

Monokuma's voice chided as the elevator slowly fell downward with only the occasional “Chk” of metal for ambiance. Everyone was deadly silent; for the first time since arriving on the island, nobody dared say a word.

“Fourteen students remain after a nasty double-down for the first kill, so it seems! And they're on their way down to the biggest gauntlet yet...”

Chk... Chk... Chk...

“Because they've got to find out which one of their collective student body is the blackened, or die trying.”

Ding!

The elevator stopped with no fanfare. Everyone piled out, some quicker than others, as the silence they swam in threatened to break. Togami took his place in a circle of stands, each designated for a particular person; the stands for Nanami and Hinata were both marked with a cross-out, faded picture of their faces.

It was rather tasteless, and a scan of faces seemed to share the same opinion. Even still, nobody spoke until Monokuma did with glee as the slowest of the group found their spots.

“This is it... are you ready to push each other to wits' end? There's one face in this room that needs punishing for such a heinous crime, don't you think?”

“Let me just get this straight... if that's okay. What you're saying is that, undoubtedly, one of us in this room is the culprit of this double murder?” Komaeda was the first to speak, much more amicable and calm than he had been coming down.

“You heard me! I'm not saying or repeating anything that isn't necessary, as to not twist your perspective!” The stuffed animal's paws moved in an almost lifelike fashion as he mashed them together, playing nervous. “Or maybe I'm accomplishing exactly that? Ooh, I hope I'm not psyching you out... just focus for a minute, okay?” He perked back up in an instant, sitting upright in a chair that stood tall compared to everyone else. “I think we should begin with a simple explanation of the class trial, and go from there.”

“Those among of us have murdered, as encouraged by your rules... now you want us to find out who did it. That's the small and large of it, isn't it?” Togami spoke without much direction.

“Let's divide things into two teams. There's the students; that's the most of you, the innocent lot, and then there's the blackened-- the one actaully guilty of taking another life. If the students can find out the blackened's identity, then you win! The blackened alone will be punished.” Despite being a permanent fixture of his face, his malice-filled grin seemed to grow as he spoke. “However, you aren't successful, and vote for anyone other than the blackened, then they alone get to leave! And everyone else gets punished in their place!”

“Hold on... what's this about everyone? I don't remember signin' up for somethin' like this...” Owari sounded genuinely confused. “Whatever. So someone did it. We find 'em and tie 'em up! We'll deal with it!”

“No, r-really, hold on... what's this about being 'punished?' Did we already establish that, and I missed it..?” Souda cowered under his hat, tears welling in his eyes.

“I'm talking about execution. Come on! Haven't we been over this? No? Maybe? Ah, humbug! Whatever! No more questions!”

“No more questions!? What the heck are we supposed to do without direction? We're gonna get L-O-S-T in the D-A-R-K!!” Mioda shrieked, melodic even in panic.

“I said no more questions! No more questions unless you're asking 'em to each other and they're about this thrilling murder case we've got going. Andele, andele!”

“Very well... ahem.” Togami cleared his throat, and called most eyes upon himself. “Nanami and Hinata are no longer with us. It's our job to clear the mystery surrounding what happened here tonight. Would anyone like to begin, or shall I?”

Nidai was the first to respond, scratching his face inattentively. “You said Nanami was supposed to be at the party, right? Does that mean this all happened because she didn't show up?”

“Actuawwy... she was supposed to stay outside with me...” Monomi, who nobody had noticed was tied up comically and hung from the ceiling. “We were supposed to stay on guawd for Monokuma... so he couldn't interfere with the party you all were having...”

“I've never hurt anyone! It's these students you gotta watch out for!” Monokuma laughed. “You decide to go bear-spotting for five minutes and look what happens! Two of ya wind up dead! Nyohohohoho!”

“Your arrogance is outstanding. Were you truly ursine, you would be another liege of mine. You are nothing of the sort. Your heart is blacker than my own in all the dark, cruel, wrong places! Ahahahaha!” Tanaka sounded almost nervous in his accusation.

“We're getting off-track.” Togami gestured to recall attention. “The first manner of discussion should be this.” He lay out the Monokuma File as several eyes began to confirm its returned presence. “Chiaki Nanami suffered a blow to the head with a blunt object. Due to the angular shape of the wound, as well as the absence of an obvious weapon at the crime scene, the weapon used in this assault is unknown.

The time of the murder was approximately 8:30 P.M. Lastly, there is no other external damage on Nanami's body.”

Togami stared across the collectively blank room. Nobody seemed to have any input. “I would very much like to believe you all held your separate investigations, or at least have some comment of value to add to this.”

“I do find it kind of strange...” Komaeda stepped in verbally. “Well, there's several things strange about the contents you just read off to us.”

“Um... I do not think you would hold information from us, Togami-san, but could I look at that file for myself?” Sonia looked nervous, but garnered her confidence. “Rather, I'm going to have to look at it! I simply cannot believe such a crucial piece handed to us would contain that little information!”

“But it does!” Monokuma cheerily said.

“But it-- excuse me? Are you trying to say this is the whole of what we're to work with?”

“But it is!” Monokuma kicked his feet, giddy with delight.

“Hey... don't you all find it weird that it doesn't mention Hinata at all? I mean, we saw both of them, no doubt about it...” Koizumi looked taken aback as she spoke.

“No, u-um... I m-m-mean... um... I also think it's kinda weird... that... well...” said Tsumiki, letting her voice drift away quietly.

“Hey, hey, if you've got somethin' to say, get on with it...” Hanamura spoke aloud for the first time, remaining sunken over in posture.

“Ah--! Sorry, sorry... just... if that's it, it doesn't actually mention a murder weapon at all... just an attack weapon... ah, b-but maybe that's just me being stupid, and missing the point...”

“That's a good observation, Tsumiki.” Togami commended her with a nod, and she lit up momentarily.

“I agree. It's very much like the Super High School Level Nurse to notice such a thing. Amazing!” Komaeda smiled an open-tooth smile that received no recognition.

“...But I do have something to counter that claim.” Togami began to recollect the investigation he'd held. “Hanamura, Saionji-- you two remember what I'm speaking of, don't you?”

“Whaaaat? Who said you could call upon me? You think I'm here to support you or something?” Saionji rolled her eyes, hardly visible behind her podium.

“You, ah-- ahem. Sorry. You're talking about that weird calculator, right..?” Hanamura rubbed his hands together, his composure slowly crawling back.

“That's it. This--”

“Oh! For future reference, I can bring pretty much any piece of evidence someone discovers here. Or let you see it, somehow, in the state it was in. It's pretty nifty technology, so don't ask about it. Here's your GameBoy, Slowgami!”

The familiar device was displayed, damage fully intact to how it was found, allowing everyone to see. “...very well. I found this buried on the beach, near a copious amount of blood.”

“I'm afraid I'm slightly lost.” Pekoyama spoke, still without a hint of emotion. “If I may... both of the bodies were located at Jabberwock Park, were they not? How do these two events link?”

“Well, obviously someone must've taken their chance at the beach. Then they carried their sorry, dead ass to the park, just to mess with your heads.” Saionji seemed all-too-entertained at the concept. “Who do ya think did it? It obviously couldn't be someone like me; or as much as I hate to admit it, pig boy. It's gotta be someone BIG, you know?”

“...why are you staring at MEEEEEEEEE!?” Nidai screamed, hands on his head.

Saionji pointed at him noncommittally. “Who else was it gonna be? I mean, geez, you've got a chain around your neck. Unless you want me to start calling you Mr. S&M, that's gotta be a sign of a hardass who ain't afraid to kill, right?”

“Actually, I can testify to Nidai's innocence. Up until a very narrow period of time when things had only just begun getting suspicious, Nidai and I were together.” said Pekoyama.

“THAT IS.... completely true! Gahahaha! I was worried for a second, there!”

“That story checks out... considering it was my party, I would know. Everyone had most definitely shown up, with the exceptions of Hinata, Nanami, and Kuzuryuu...”

“Don't trust me, huh? Think I did it just 'cause it's obvious? Well, that's alright... I'm used to it.” Kuzuryuu merely scoffed and resumed staring at the floor.

“Hey, hold on a minute!” Koizumi interjected with the beginnings of a scowl on her face. “Are we just not going to talk about what happened at the party!? Does nobody think that's important?”

A brief moment of recollection went through Togami's head; he'd heard this several times now, mainly from Koizumi and Komaeda and Hanamura, that something had gone down at the party. Of course something else would go wrong after one thing did; he wanted to claim it was lucky nobody died under his watch, but here they were, investigating not one, but two murders. He sighed.

“I apologize... I failed to uphold my promise. It pains me more than you can imagine to say.” He took a single breath and continued. “However... we'll cross that bridge after we tackle this one. So please... someone inform me of what went down, as I was absent during these events.”

“H-hah... don'tcha think we should just, ah, skip this part? Measly details... it ain't even got nuffin' to do with these murders...” Hanamura said apprehensively.

“No, no way. You're not getting out of this. Someone caused that blackout, and then you were under the floorboards doing... something. And Komaeda knew about it, too! Something's up with you two!” Koizumi threw her finger in Hanamura's direction.

“Do you think the blackout we collectively experienced has something to do with Nanami and Hinata's murders, Koizumi-chan..?” asked Sonia without much confidence.

“Ibuki's really is totally L-O-S-T! It's a good thing we're on an island!”

“Hey, now... everyone can relax. There's no need for this.” Komaeda's voice had total clarity, and he commanded attention without much effort.

“Komaeda, what do you know? Speak.” Togami's demand came out toned as a suggestion, but he didn't bother correcting himself.

“I promise you... there's no need for all this! I can see nobody is willing to add any substance to this conversation, which is a shame. I was hoping this would at least be a little interesting...”

“I- he's doin' it again... he's startin' to be weird again..!!” Hanamura's face, tinged with fear, contrasted the overwhelming confusion of the rest of the class.

“What the fuck are you trying to say, you bastard!? This shit isn't interesting! That fat fuck Togami killed two people!” Kuzuryuu

“No, he didn't.” Komaeda's smile vanished, but came back twice as bright a moment later. “I want to start from the beginning. About my plan to start the mutual killing game of murders on this island.”

Everyone's face went collectively bleak.  “Komaeda killed Nanami and Hinata!?” and “Why!?” echoed repeatedly through the trial room grounds.

“Now, now... I'm sure you all have a lot of questions. Please ask whatever you like. I'm more than happy to act as a stepladder like this for you all... though this isn't quite how I intended it to go. Ah, but I suppose that's my luck...”

“Yeah, I got a question... what the hell is wrong with this guy!?” A look of genuine terror coated Souda's face.

Togami thought back to Kuzuryuu's accusation, but elected not to comment on it. It was proven pointless now, anyway, with a much more reasonable culprit. “Komaeda... is this an admittance of your guilt? Did you kill Nanami and Hinata?”

“Geez...” Komaeda's jolly attitude suddenly faded. “You sure are letting yourselves get sidetracked easy. I only want to help, so let's see... ah, Hanamura-chan, do you think you could lend me a hand, here?”

“M-m-m-me? Wh-what th' hell d'you want...” Hanamura rubbed his hands together rapidly as he cower behind his podium.

“I apologize. I can't even do something like this on my own... but this is your chance to speak your mind. About our encounter...”

“H-huh..?” Hanamura stopped fidgeting, his eyes wide. “What're you sayin'..?”

“Well, I'm sure you have some strong feelings. After all, you tried to kill me over it.”

The room fell to a collective silence once again.

“Wh-wh-what're you talkin' about..? I haffin' gotta clue... no, I mean, I've got no idea...” Hanamura shuffled in place, avoiding any eye contact.

“So, Komaeda does know about all this! Hey, what happened during that blackout!?” Koizumi demanded, staring sternly at him. “You knew right away to go get Hanamura from a secret trapdoor that was hidden in the back of the cabin! Under the floor!”

Hanamura cringed. “B-but it ain't what it looks like! I ain't nevah had anything t'do with Nanami or Hinata! Unrelated! I'm callin' a lawyer soon as this is ovah'!

“Hey, does this guy have an accent? Every time he's on the verge of tears, his inner hick comes through for about five seconds before he drowns it again.” Saionji smiled awkwardly, keeping her eyes anywhere but Komaeda's direction.

“Hanamura-kun... don't you think this has gone on long enough?” Komaeda smiled, eyes closed, and turned his head over to Hanamura delicately. “You couldn't kill me, but you wanted to escape. So you made due with what you could and killed those two.”

“...”

“Can you go on about whatever it is Komaeda is suggesting, Hanamura? Did you really try to... kill him..?” Togami said, letting the end of his sentence leave a foul taste as it hover in the air. “Did you really escape and kill Nanami and Hinata?”

Chatter broke out among the students in the following silence until finally, Hanamura clawed all attention back to himself. “Fine... you want to know, huh... you wanna know? You wanna know 'bout what I know, do ya? That it? 'Cause I can tell ya...” Hanamura stifled a pitiful laugh, and his eyes suddenly turned berserk. “YOU WANNA KNOW!? 'CAUSE I'LL TELL YA!! IT WASN'T ME!! WASN'T ME WASN'T ME WASN'T ME!! IT WAS THIS GUY! HE'S CRAZY 'AN WAS TRYIN' TA KILLSOMEONE! YOUGOTTA BELIEVE ME!!”

“Ah, what he's trying to say is...” Monomi began to speak, but was cut off.

“Can it, ugly! He doesn't have that character trait anymore! It's been toned down for re-release!” Monokuma giggled.

“Wha-- you can't do that!! That doesn't make any sense!!” Monomi shot back.

“Sure it does! It was totally hard to write, so we in the developer's office just-- poof-- toned it down! Besides, don't you think there's enough information to digest right about now? They already know about this part.”

“And what is it, exactly, that they're talking about..?” Pekoyama said aloud, her remark going unnoted.

“More importantly... that proves I'm innocent! And I guess that fat fuck is, too! 'Cause now we know the sorry son-of-a-bitch who did it!” Kuzuryuu carried himself boldly as he gestured towards Hanamura.

Hanamura remained motionless, his eyes wide as he cower even further behind his podium in silence.

“Look... as awful as he is, is it really okay to believe he killed somebody? Two somebodies, even..? I just don't know...” Koizumi muttered with little weight to her words.

“Heh. You'd be surprised to know what a real killer looks like.” Kuzuryuu smirked.

“No, she's right... you really gotta believe me... t'wasn't me... s'him... that guy...” Hanamura weakly pointed at Komaeda, who only smiled back.

“Well, if you think I'm suspicious, I...” He put a finger to his chin. “No, go on. I want you to speak your mind. Whatever you're thinking is certainly worth hearing!”

“That sounded sarcastic, but I think this guy is totally serious about this..!” Souda remarked. “What's wrong with you!?”

“Hey, wait! I got distracted for a minute, but I just remembered!” Koizumi furiously turned back to Komaeda. “You better answer me this time! How'd you know about that secret trapdoor in the back? Why did you know Hanamura was down there, and even more than that, that he was gonna have a weapon!? Why didn't you react to any of that!?”

“...” Komaeda sat patiently.

“Komaeda... what is the meaning of this? Are you innocent, or not? Are you trying to mislead us?” Togami was the first to stare down Komaeda as he spoke. Despite the calm demeanor he was keeping up, there was something very unhinged lying in those eyes, and Togami was slightly shaken by the look.

“...I guess it's not fair for me to leave you all hanging. Togami-kun, you really are trying your best, aren't you? That's why I want to apologize for leaving you that letter yesterday.”

“You... what!?” Togami's face quickly shot up in rage. “Are you talking about...!?”

“A letter?” Kuzuryuu's eyes perked up. “Hey, nobody ever saw a letter! Did you hide shit!? I'm serious, I'm gonna-”

“Please relax, Kuzuryuu-kun.” Komaeda held out his hand in gesture to silence him. Once he had full attention, he continued. “We're talking about the letter I left in Togami-kun's cottage yesterday.”

Wordlessly, Togami retrieved and unraveled the note from his breast-pocket. On it, scrawled in an ominous, shaky-written font, was a simple message:

“TH E F IR ST MU RDER WIL L OCCU R TOMO RR OW NIG HT.”

Everyone seemed astonished at such a revelation, but Pekoyama remained seemingly unphased. “I see... and I suppose that was the true purpose of the party you held, was it not?”

Togami nodded once in her direction. “It was my sworn duty to protect you all. I realize there were more variables than I was able to account for, and I fully admit to my failure... but I can't permit any of us to mourn just yet.”

“In case anyone is doubting Togami-kun's claims... I vouch for him. After all... I wrote the letter myself. I can even replicate the hand-writing, if you'd like...”

“What the hell were you thinking!? Why...” Togami balled his fists in rage yet again, his voice floating off.

“And if I may interject... more curiously, how? If I may make no mistake, you were most certainly attending the party with the rest of us...” Sonia said blankly.

“I suppose it's time I come clean. That's alright... I only did all this to help you guys reach an even brighter hope. So it's okay!” said Komaeda giddily.

“This doesn't make any sense... but that's alright... after all, none of this is happening. Haha...” Hanamura shook his head rapidly and bowed away.

“Wait, why should we even take a second and listen to this guy? He's clearly outta his fuckin' mind! Let's just get this over with! We know it was him!” roared Kuzuryuu.

“Hold on a minute! Didn't you hear Sonia-chan? It doesn't make any sense... Komaeda was definitely there at the party, and that file said Chiaki-chan died around 8:30! He was here when that happened!” said a heated Koizumi.

“Well, that much is true... I couldn't have possibly been there to kill Nanami-san. I guess you caught me, hahaha..!” Komaeda said casually.

“Who's side are you even on!?” Souda asked aloud.

“Can we get back on topic? Even a teensy bit? I mean, it's already established that Komaeda-kun is a bit eccentric, right? Do we need to loom on this? And you can solve whatever happened at your blackout in your own time; I'm telling you right now that it has nothing to do with this murder!”

“Does that mean the culprit isn't Komaeda, without a doubt? Is that what we should be taking from what you said?” Togami threw a finger towards Monokuma.

“I can't just give something like THAT away! Sheesh, who do you think I am?” shrugged Monokuma.

“Togami-kun... if you really want to prove my innocence, you should be able to do it. After all, you're the one who found that thing ...” said Komaeda, who looked away.

Togami paused for a minute, his brow furrowing. In a moment of realization, he snatched the electronic device he'd found on the beach and began to fiddle with the controls for a moment before looking back up.

“This is what you're talking about, isn't it?” He held it up momentarily. “I won't allow you to waste any more time with this.”

“I'm afraid I can't just say it... I can say that it's probably a good idea if you keep looking either way, though, don't you think?” Komaeda smiled once again. “There's probably some important information on there regardless.”

“You know how to use that thing, right? It's not too below your I.Q. Level?” Saionji teased.

Silently, Togami scrolled through the messages, ignoring any and all speech around him. Komaeda had to be suggesting he check this, right? Had Komaeda planted it there in advance after using it as a murder weapon?

He began to read the messages out loud.

“8:02 P.M. (TO)

I want you to know that I still believe in everyone. Nothing can take that away.”

“8:04 P.M. (FROM)

There is nothing you know that I don't. Even this, now, I knew would be coming.”

“8:05 P.M. (TO)

How can you know something like this? Unless...

“8:05 P.M. (TO)

Well... even if you do have something to do with this... I can't say I'm surprised.”

“8:06 P.M. (TO)

But I still won't give up on you... I was ready for that. I know everyone here is capable of bad things, but that doesn't mean you have to be bad people... there's still hope for you.

“8:06 P.M. (FROM)

How pointless.”

“8:08 P.M. (TO)

I'm here because I believe in you. No matter what, if we just keep thinking forward, we can fix this... I think.”

“8:10 P.M. (FROM)

I can see the darkness in the near future. I can see the metaphorical darkness that follows it.”

“8:11 P.M. (TO)

You mean that literally, don't you..? I wish I knew what happened, but I'm only an observer... it's out of my control.”

“8:16 P.M. (FROM)

You should know this much. You were not supposed to be here again; I was never supposed to appear in the first place.”

“8:19 P.M. (TO)

Don't think like that. Despite everything... you're you, still, okay? I think... you'll always be *($&!* $*()!@#!”

“The page ends right about here... I can't scroll any further.” Togami said perturbed. “The crack in the screen, conveniently enough, makes the presumed name at the end undecipherable.”

“We're totally getting a last second cliffhanger..! Who even expected this kind of plot point!?” Mioda continued shouting as she was payed little mind. “Ibuki's never even gonna get to find out who TO and FROM are!”

“It might be a bit of a stretch to say, but, uh... I think “TO” is Nanami. I just say that 'cause this was apparently hers, you know? Seems kinda likely to me.” Souda shrugged, scratching his scalp.

“If “FROM” was someone who knew about the 'darkness', and they meant it literally... doesn't that mean it could only be Komaeda!?” suggsted Koizumi, her face deep in thought.

“What's all this nonsense about a metaphor and an observer? I already didn't understand, but now I feel like I'm getting even further NOWHEREEEE!” Nidai looked around hastily, as if he'd missed key information.

“I feel like I would have remembered owning one of these devices... but I guess I can't prove that! Ah, go on, then!” Komaeda waved his hand dismissively.

“Is there nothing we can do? Is there no way to progress!?” shouted Sonia.

“I-i can fix it! Just gimme.... a couple hours. And some tools... and, uh... dammit. There's really no time for that anymore, huh? I don't even know if the message data would be able to carry over...” Souda's voice hung and he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Hey, huh? Anyone else here that buzzin'?” said Owari aloud

“Jeez, you're dumb as a dumpster, aren't you? Electronics buzz when you get a notification. That's how that things work, too.” Saionji chided back.

“But who would be... who COULD...” wondered Koizumi.

“BLACK MAGIC! This is merely nothing for an reactivated cadaver!” Tanaka proudly delcared.

Togami wordlessly checked the device still within his grip. His eyes were grabbed by a lone message that sat below what was indecipherable.

“12:21 A.M. (FROM)

That person is dead now. All that's left is me.

Izuru Kamukura.”

He read it aloud and stopped. Who was Izuru Kamukura? Had he heard that name before? Certainly not, and judging by the faces of everyone around him, it seemed like an entirely new layer of mystery was unfolding in front of them.

“Izuru Kamukura... isn't that the former headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy?”

Komaeda broke the silence, unperturbed with his newfound center of attention. He smiled lightly, his face slightly flushed. “If you're wondering, I'm just a bit of a fanboy... I did a lot of research about Hope's Peak Academy both before and after I was invited.”

“Some adult snuck onto the island and assassinated Hajime-chan and Chiaki-chan!?” said Mioda, mortified.

“Are you certain there isn't a seventeenth among us..?” Pekoyama said curiously.

“H-how can we trust this guy..? What if he's j-just makin' this stuff up..?” Hanamura side-eyed him, but left it at that.

“Well, if it makes you feel any more confident, Izuru Kamukura is definitely the name of some smelly, 100-something year old dead guy!” Monokuma said cheerily. “And he's definitely Hope's Peak Academy's founder-slash-former headmaster-slash-guy who has a bunch of statues of his face all around the school.”

“This is fucking stupid.” Kuzuryuu stood up aggressively. “Are you trying to say some old, dead fuck is the one who killed those two?”

“We have to think rationally about this.” Togami put a finger to his chin. “I assume we'll get no help or hints from Monokuma.”

“Look, uh...this is going... really unorthodox, if I'm being 100% honest!” Monokuma said, mildly uncomfortable. “Totally not what I expected! So... as much as I'd want to help you out... that's great! Keep going!” He kicked his feet in delight as he hopped back into place.

“Hmph.” Togami grunted, turning his gaze elsewhere. “Komaeda, what else do you know about this 'Kamukura'?”

“Right... well, not much, if I'm being honest. Sorry... I know being disappointed isn't a surprise when it's me, but it's sadly the case. All I know is that he was the original founder. I can't imagine why that name is important now, can you..?” Komaeda stared at the floor, but Togami couldn't tell if he was pondering or just avoiding confrontation on the matter.

“Izuru Kamukura...” Tanaka muttered to himself. “It sounds like the demon name of one who came from a world far below here!”

“I agree... it isn't a name I can't say I remember ever hearing...” Sonia nodded once in confirmation.

“Even if this, uh, Kamukura-kun is real... how can we be so sure it's him sending it?” asked Hanamura.

“Fucking damn it... how the hell do none of you know? Either he's someone here in disguise, or he didn't show up!” Kuzuryuu then threw an accusatory point towards Monokuma. “Hey, this is fucking pointless! If you're gonna make us do this shit, at least make it fair!”

“Uuu... the Monokuma File is no use... nobody found anything else, a-and that text message machine doesn't have any hints... w-we're doomed..!” cried Tsumiki.

No matter how many times he ran it over in his head, there was too little evidence for Togami to work with. Everyone else was either unwilling to share what they'd found, or more likely, hadn't found anything of note. At least, that was Togami's suspicion, until...

“Please don't lose hope... I can't stand to see the sight of that. More than anything else, let me bring you all hope!” Komaeda began to rally, his eyes wide and spiraling. “Hahaha! You don't have to worry about a thing!”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up...” Tears welled in Hanamura's eyes as he tried his best to ignore Komaeda's unsettling laugh.

“I have one last piece of evidence for you! Let's keep our heads together and solve this!” He said no more as he revealed a flashy pink booklet from under his coat.

“Uwawawa..!” Monomi could be heard in a panic, but she merely dangled from her rope where no one paid her any mind.

“I found it in front of the Old Cabin. I thought it was Monomi's journal, actually... but I think it might be something else.”

“But it's got that rabbit on the cover. Who'd want a book with Monomi's face on it?” asked Owari.

“So mean..!” Monomi struggled to no avail.

Komaeda wordlessly threw the book open. There were two pages, labeled 'Day 1” and “Day 2”.

“There's nothing else on any of the other pages... allow me to read it out loud for you all. Would that be alright?”

“Just get on with it... fuckin' weirdo.” said Kuzuryuu.

“Ahem...”

“Day 1. I'm here with everyone else on the island. I have this weird feeling in my head that I've seen this before... not just them, but... I haven't been able to figure out how to explain it. It feels like Deja Vu. Nobody else seems bothered, so I really hope it's just me...”

“And here's where it gets interesting...”

“Day 2. I think Hinata-kun is going through something like I am. I know that isn't good, but I really don't want to be afraid. I believe in everyone, so I know things will be okay.”

“I' m mainly wor r ied that To ga mi-kun's pa rty... is a r use. I have  a feel ing he's  going to   reveal himself as Izuru  Kamukura  soon... an d then...”

Komaeda stopped, and looked up expectantly. Togami's heart reeled for a minute, but he clutched his chest and quickly composed himself. “What... is the meaning of this..?”

“I'm hoping you can tell us, Togami-kun... or should I say, Kamukura-kun?” Komaeda smiled bright. “I really have to thank Nanami-san for leaving this hint... it's just my luck that I would find it. It looks like we're very close to realizing this after all..!”

The trial ground went collectively aghast. Everyone's expression contained contempt, were mortified, or afraid, and they all looked at Togami.

“Well, well, well.” Monokuma stared down. “That happened pretty fast!”

This makes no sense, Togami wanted to say. Komaeda folded his arms and looked satsified, as if he'd saved everyone. The manic look in his eyes was gone, and Togami found that of all things strange. What was he trying to convey? Why did he continue staring?

“So... you really fuckin' did it. Togami... huh.” Kuzuryuu only laughed. He seemed almost satisfied with the result. “Fuckin' knew it. Right from the start. It had to be you.”

“But why... is that why you had me watch the party..? Is that why you held it..? All so you could... oh, god...” said Koizumi with a hand over her heart.

“Man, and that letter had you idiots going, too. You totally thought he wanted to protect us.” Saionji rolled her eyes. “Don't you know it's always these guys who wind up killing?”

Suddenly, Togami's eyes lit up. “Komaeda,” he demanded, “give me that booklet. You made a grave mistake.”

As if he were set ablaze, that manic spark in Komaeda's eyes subtly returned. “Haha... what ever could you mean, Toga-kura-kun?” He handed it over without protest. “If something is odd, I'm sure we'd all like to know...”

“The handwriting here differs. For all of Day 1 and the first half of Day 2, the handwriting is like that of a child's...” he paused, pulling something out of his pocket. He held up the letter side-by-side with the book as he continued. “But the rest of Day 2's text resembles that of a ransom note. And as we know...”

Togami pointed to Komaeda, setting the book and letter down.

“It was you who wrote that letter. You admitted as much yourself.”

“Ahaha.... hahahahahaha!” Komaeda began to laugh, and it soon turned crazed. “Excellent! I wouldn't expect anything less from a Super High School Level student like yourself!”

“What... the actual shit is wrong with this guy!?” Kuzuryuu's fist went white.

“D-does that mean... that Togami-san isn't really Kamukura-san..?” Tsumiki asked meekly.

“Of course not. It was Komaeda's lie. I've proven that much.” He turned his head away and barked at Komaeda, “what I can't comprehend is why he would do something so asinine.”

“I thought we already proven Komaeda was innocent.... now I'm even more confused.” Koizumi crossed her arms and huffed.

“Didn't anyone hear me... when I said this guy was bad news..?” Hanamura said so quietly he was hardly audible.

“I'm not doing this to antagonize you all. If I become your enemy, though, I can accept that. Really, I just want to be what lets your hope blossom stronger than anything else!”

“This guy is seriously pissin' me off...” Owari leaned over her podium, eyes boring into Komaeda.

“Because of me, you've done the undoable! Obviously, the credit is all yours... I'm more than ecstatic to just be your stepping stone on that journey!!”

“You left all sorts of stuff leading us to you... like, on purpose. It wasn't that hard... but maybe you're just embarrassed we caught you or something.” said Saionji.

“Komaeda...” Togami was at a loss for words. “Is this... why?” He gritted his teeth and scowled. “What's the reason for this!?”

“Umm... this doesn't-- I think this doesn't make a lot of sense... um... I thought we already decided that it couldn't have been Komaeda-san..?” wondered Tsumiki.

“Ah, that detail. We don't need to worry about it anymore. It was my own luck.”

“It was your own luck, Komaeda-kun..? What does that mean..?” Sonia said, her face painted with shock.

“I'm surprised Hanamura-kun didn't notice, honestly... but I guess it was a high-octane situation for him. It's just that there was a second path down below the Old Cabin!”

“So that's how you escaped the party... is that why you knew that was down there, too?” asked Koizumi.

“It's a good thing he didn't take it. Frankly, it would've been a long walk all the way to Jabberwock Park!” Komaeda laughed.

“Wh-what's goin' on... there wasn't nothin' like this... wh-where are you going with this?” Hanamura tugged on his collar.

“Wait, did no one just hear this guy?” said a surprised Souda. “He's saying there's a path between the Cabin and the park... that'd mean...”

“No way there's some weird-ass ocean lining tunnel! How the fuck would that even be possible!?” Kuzuryuu said, his patience visibly lost.

“Now, now... do you have a better explanation? Who else is Izuru Kamukura? Who else could have done this? Besides, there's nothing pointing to what the murder weapon was, either... take a closer look at the Monokuma File if you don't believe me.”

Togami had been wondering about that silently since they'd received it, but it seemed he was never alone in his attentiveness.

“This trial is really becoming disjointed... you guys have no direction anymore! Sheesh!” Monokuma “We admittedly are on a bit of a time crunch here, so if you could kindly hurry up and reach some sort of decision...”

“Quit prodding us. You've given us hardly any direction, and expect us to solve this?” Togami said defiantly. “But that aside... Komaeda has given us sufficient means to work with after all. He's the only one capable of this... evidently.”

“Can you be so sure? You may have proved I wrote the letter, but perhaps you're still a suspect? Or maybe it's Kuzuryuu-kun, who so adamantly refused to attend... there's a lot of possibilities!”

“Hey, the fuck is this about, now!?” Kuzuryuu was quickly losing patience.

“Please don't worry... I'm only pushing so hard so that you all can prosper. What I want to see is--”

Komaeda went silent as a kick collided with his side, knocking him to the ground. An object fell out of his jacket with a crash, but the offender ignored it and made their way to where Komaeda lay.

“Shut up! I'm gonna pound the hell out of you!” shouted Owari, who picked up Komaeda by the collar. Her other fist raised, but was quickly pulled back.

“That's enough, Owari.” Togami suddenly found himself holding Owari back. He hadn't even realized his jump into action. It took a second of struggling, but she became docile with the combined might of Nidai and a few moments of restraint.

“Hey, I think Mr. Porkfeet dropped something!” Saionji exclaimed. She picked up the device with one hand as Togami turned over, reaching into his pocket and taking out his own, nearly identical device.

“What the hay? There's two of them now!? That's twice as many as when there were one!” said Mioda, shocked, but the faces of everyone else clicked with realization one by one.

“Wh-whoa... hey, I haven't gotten to really play around with one of those things, but if they've got messenger capabilities... there must've been a second device sending those messages TO Nanami, right?” said Souda, his eyes wary.

“Also... if that last message was sent at 12:21, it only makes sense if someone sent it from here. How'd we get distracted from that so easily..?” said Koizumi.

“But... where did Komaeda-san and Nanami-san even get those machines? I haven't seen anything like them... b-but I'm sorry if it's obvious and I'm just missing it!!” Tsumiki cried defensively.

“There was no underwater tunnel... it's just a straightaway under there to the dining hall floor, and it goes around the building... there's no way that's real, right? No... it can't be...” Hanamura began to shake his head in denial once more.

“Everyone, please don't lose your heads over someone like me.” Komaeda gave an unfittingly warm smile. “I'm just not worth that much. Monokuma, I think it's fair to say we can skip the climax this time and head right to the voting, right? Everyone still needs to warm up. I think that's fair. Allow me to be the kickstart to the first step of your climb of your lives! I want to see everyone reach for the stars... I want you all to reach so far and never look back... if that much can be in my name, I'm more than happy with what comes next!”

“I guess killing off your two main stars first really does complicate things, huh?” Monokuma sighed, an odd satisfaction in his tone. “This trial has been a rocky road full of potholes and shattered glass: it's hard to follow, has little traction, and the conclusion is very nearly a full-on collision that'd land the driver 10-15 years in federal prison! Ahem. Let's get on with the vote!”

Suddenly, a screen embedded into each student's podium lit up. A lever sat beside it, and the screen displayed familiar faces: literally, as every student popped into view.

“Remember that abstaining from the vote is as good as killing someone yourself!” Monokuma's voice echoed.

The interface was perfectly obvious in what was intended: there was an image of each student displayed, with their name underlined beneath. Once you selected one, you were to pull the lever beside you and hope everyone else followed suit in your thinking.

While the sixteen familiar options were present, each with a face attached, there was one more name with no face attached: Izuru Kamukura. Togami made his decision without much debilitation, pulled his lever with a single swipe, and listened as the courtroom around him gave off a chorus of similar clunks.

“It's a real shame Hinata-kun and Nanami-san aren't around to see this!” Monokuma's voice projected as a slot machine booted up on the main screen above where he sat. “This trial was a lot like that one opening level the developer only throws in to set the scene! It'll make a lot more sense with plot twists down the line, I promise!”

No voices added anything after Monokuma's faded out, and the slot machine that contained faces of every person-- Hinata and Nanami grayed out-- spun rapidly. Eventually, it settled, only on a silhouette that was presumed to be Kamukura. A triumphant fanfare played, and Monokuma fluttered down from his high chair.

“Kamukura wins the vote unanimously. What a twist! You'd think it was someone you actually knew, right? But BAM-- there's a plot twist in level one!”

“You keep saying all this stuff about twists and turns, but it doesn't make any sense!” cried Souda. “Just tell us if we were right or not!!”

“Do you only say these things to spite us? Do you treat this as a game to remind us of who we lost!?” joined Sonia.

“That'd be pretty clever... damn! Pretend that's what I was doing instead! Just forget about my subliminal hinting towards the audience to stick with this rough patch, alright?”

“Monokuma...” Komaeda interjected, his face devoid of any expression. “I believe you promised someone would be punished at the conclusion of a trial. Does that mean Kamukura-kun will be attending..?”

“What the fuck? HEY!” Kuzuryuu threw his fist haphazardly. “You just said that was you!”

“This guy doesn't make any sense... man, you shoulda just let me knock his lights out!” shouted Owari.

“Well... what I can say is that Izuru Kamukura is definitely, one-hundred-percent correct! That's today's guilty party, no doubt about it!” Monokuma beamed his cocky smile. “But obviously, who Kamukura is is still... well, I won't need to tell you!”

“You might not need to tell us but Ibuki would sure like it if you did!!” sung Mioda.

“Please... if Kamukura-kun can't die in the name of hope, you can at least let me!” Komaeda took one step forward, distancing himself from the group. “My one purpose is that of hope... so please, if you have to have an execution, you can execute me!”

“Mm...” Monokuma looked down sorely, contemplative. “Tempting! But I didn't ever say we needed to have a punishment.”

Komaeda seemed taken back, but remained silent. Nobody else had anything to say.

“Yup... as long as Kamukura-kun is absent, he's exempt from all charges! I guess Kamukura-kun is like a criminal on the run!” Monokuma skipped on his feet, and turned around as the elevator door opened. “Everyone is free to get going! I think this is the start of something really exciting!”

Nobody dared break the silence as they piled into the elevator, their body count identical to when they had entered.