Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kaede Akamatsu

Nothing was there yet.

Only pitch black.

I tried to move, but to no avail. Suddenly I was scared.

I was in a close space.

I began breathing heavily. What happened?

Just as I began feeling sweat on my forehead, I managed to open a door.

As soon as I saw the light, I felt confused.

«H-hu…h…»

I couldn’t help but falling to the floor, and my forehead slammed against something as hard as concrete.

“Ouch…” I groaned, massaging my head.

Regardless, thanks to that fall I realized I was completely awake, in a room that I didn’t recognize. I checked my surroundings. I escaped from a locker. In a classroom.

“A… classroom?” What… was I doing in a classroom?

My first instinct was to try pinching my cheeks… maybe I was in a dream, I thought… but I realized that what I was witnessing was reality… the pain that the fall caused me was enough to tell me I wasn’t dreaming.

“Okay…” I raised my voice, talking to myself. “If I can’t understand what’s going on nobody can, after all... I’m the Ultimate…”

BAM!

I couldn’t even finish my sentence when the locker besides mine began shaking violently. I tried not to freak out as the locker door slowly opened in front of my eyes…

And a person came out.

“Uugh… Uugh…” they moaned.

I didn’t understand their gender right away, but they were wearing a school uniform just like me, along with a cape. A couple of seconds later I realized the person was a boy… who obviously I didn’t recognize.

He raised his head, and just after that, he screamed.

“W-WAAAAAAAH!”

“Hey! That’s rude!” I exclaimed. “You’re treating me like a monster!”

“O..oh… sorry…” he apologized, clearly as confused as me.

“I can see you also have no idea what’s happening…” I muttered. “But! You mustn’t give hope when you don’t know what to do! Investigate and you’ll find a solution!”

“Investi… gate?”

I was about to nod, when suddenly, I heard a voice, and without any kind of warning whatsoever, five little biped bears appeared in front of me, each of them with a particular set of colors. I watched them appear, and before I could think about what happened, the white and red one began to talk.

“Please, bear with me for a second!” it shouted.

“Wha…what?!” was my reaction.

“Stuffed bears..? Is this some kind of trick?” asked the boy that came out of the locker.

“What do you mean by trick?! We’re fucking real, kid!” shouted in response the blue one.

“Hey! Don’t be mean!” scolded the pink one, with a feminine voice. “We should at least introduce ourselves, isn’t it right, Monotaro?”

“That was exactly what I was about to do! Monophanie, don’t you trust me?” responded the red one.

“Yes, yes I do brother!”

What… why were they talking?! The boy had to be right, what I was seeing couldn’t be possible.

“I know what you’re thinking, you look confused.” hypothesized the yellow bear-like creature. “We are not… stuffed animals.”

“Yeah, right! We are stuffed animals, not the Monokubs!” yelled the blue one.

“You got it mixed, Monokid. How many times do I have to say the same thing to you?”

“What? Monokubs? What is that supposed to mean?” asked the boy.

“You don’t recognize us?!”

The pink bear… Monophanie… seemed confused.

“No! Of course not!” I exclaimed.

“Oh! That’s great! That’s really great!” she smiled. “I told you I could do it!”

“You’ve done a great job, sister. I’m proud of you.”

What… were they talking about?

“I helped too!” Monokid shouted. “Hell yeah!”

“Sorry… can you help us understand what’s going on here?” I asked the stuffed bears.

The red one responded. “Well, I suppose we owe you an explaination!”

“Do it quickly! I’m already soooo bored!” shouted, again, Monokid.

“You see… this is the “Gifted Inmates Academy”. And now you’re part of it.” Monotaro announced.

“Gifted inmates academy…?” the boy repeated.

“I’ve never heard this name anywhere.” I told him.

“Well of course!” Monophanie giggled. “This school was created just for you sixteen… to keep you in! Monosuke knows all of this stuff””

“Sixteen people..? Keep us in?”

“Exactly! Sixteen Ultimates, just like you too!” Monosuke explained.

“Yes, I know. But why… keep us here? What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll know in due time! For now… you just need to know that we’re here to keep an eye on you! To be sure you deserve your talent!”

“Deserve it..? Of course I deserve it!” I exclaimed.

“That’s the spirit, girl!”

Was the blue bear trying to encourage me? It wasn’t doing a great job…

“Okay, that’s enough for now. It’s time for you to start this game.” Monotaro declared.

Game? What game? For every word they said, I began having more and more questions…

“Okay brother! Finally!” Monophanie continued. “It’s time for you to meet with the other Ultimates! It’s really important!”

“Oh yes!” Monosuke nodded. “You should also investigate. But that isn’t a problem, right?” he asked, glaring at me.

“Hell yeah! It’s time! So long, bear well!!”

And after, that, the five disappeared as they weren’t there in the first place.

“Hey! Where are you going! I have to ask you more questions!” I shouted… but it was useless. Well, if those things didn’t help me… I had to discover what was happening by myself.

***

 Shuichi Saihara

I had no idea why I was in that locker, but at least I wasn’t alone. There was that girl… I still didn’t know her name. I was asking myself whether I should be the first one to talk, but she, after inspecting the classroom for a couple of seconds, approached me.

“So, since we’re here… I think we should introduce ourselves.”

“Y-yeah…”

I had to stop stuttering; surely I wasn’t making a good impression.

“I’m Shuichi Saihara the Ultimate… Magician… or something like that.”

“Oh! A magician! Cool! Can you show me some tricks?!”

She seemed excited… yeah, but she didn’t know the whole story.

“Well, here, just like that… it would be difficult, honestly. And… I shouldn’t call myself an actual magician. I just performed some shows and I started to be called that. Nothing exceptional…”

I thought I would be the only Ultimate when I got out that locker, but I had to encounter fifteen people that also possessed a title, and with every probability a title that they were rewarded with by years of hard work. But me… I wasn’t an Ultimate. I had been lucky.

“Oh! Don’t say that! I’m sure that if you are an Ultimate you deserve it! And don’t worry, I believe you! I know that you’ll be able to perform amazing tricks!”

“Ah… t-thanks.”

“Ah, my name is Kaede Akamatsu. I’m the Ultimate Detective, nice to meet you.”

“A detective?! Wow… This really could be of help! With you we can understand what’s going on!”

“Hey, don’t overreact! I’m no god, just a person like you!” she giggled.

“Yeah, but if you are a detective… I’m sure we can do a lot more!”

Maybe it was too much? I shouldn’t place her on a pedestal.

“By the way, this is the first time I met another Ultimate! It’s not easy to find them, you know?”

“Yeah, they are scattered all around the country, so it’s difficult to encounter them by chance.”

And yet, here they are. Uff.

“That’s why it’s strange that as many as sixteen of them are gathered here. Something must have happened. Maybe they were kidnapped? By an organization that targets them?..”

She already was making hypothesis… but did she know what was going on?

“Hey, about that…” I said. “I… don’t remember anything. About how I got here, I mean.”

The last thing that came to my mind was me… in a dark room. But I didn’t remember which room and why. It was like I fell asleep and awakened from a deep slumber. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but it felt like days. Was I really kidnapped? I don’t know… everything seemed fine. I tried as hard as I could to remember something that could prove useful to this, but I simply couldn’t.

“So it’s the same for you… What a shame.”

“My memory has been… like… cut. I can remember everything up until that dark room… and then nothing.”

“Exactly… The same thing happened to me! This isn’t normal… Two people, not remembering how they got here…”

“W-well… maybe we hit our head and forgot? Probably it isn’t that big of a deal. I’m sure we’ll understand.”

At least I hoped so. As far as I know, this could be a trick. I didn’t know how someone could perform it, but maybe we were participants in a sort of magic show? …I should leave hypothesizing to Kaede. She’s the detective…

“Yeah, we shouldn’t worry. You’re completely right. We need to exit this classroom, and see if we can find the other Ultimates. If we want to know more, we have to ask them, collect information and use it to our advantage!”

“Right… maybe someone knows what happened and can tell us.” I said, heading for the exit with Kaede.

She didn’t look worried, despite the situation we were in. For a moment I wondered whether she knew something and didn’t want to tell me. But we just met… I can’t say I would reveal a magic trick to anyone, so…

The hallway was overgrown with plants, which invaded the building, and the air felt kind of heavy. No matter how hard I tried, I didn’t remember anything about that place, however… it was familiar… I didn’t know why, but I felt like I had visited it before.

“Hey, Shuichi… do you remember this place?”

“Well… not really… but… I… I’ve already been here. I don’t know when, but I am sure I came here.”

“It’s the same for me.” Kaede nodded. “The light from the windows, this flowers, this heaviness that I feel…”

She stopped for a while, maybe to think.

“Well, that’s good! We know something, at least!”

I got so caught up in the moment that I forgot I previously felt something off about my uniform’s pocket, so I quickly checked inside of it…

And I found a small tablet computer.

“What… is this?”

Kaede, who was looking around, glanced at it and then opened up the backpack that she was carrying around.

“I forgot about it too. My backpack was also heavy... I thought that there were books, but yeah… you’re right…”

She took out her tablet too. It was pretty much identical to mine.

“…The word Monopad it’s written on it.” she said.

“Why… and who did give this to us?”

“Well, first of all… when I turn it on, my name is displayed. It looks like a student handbook. I don’t know if it’s important or not, but maybe we should carry it with us. Whoever gave this to us, probably wants us to keep it.”

I nodded, despite not knowing what good could it do. For what I knew, it could be also be a dangerous device… I just had to hope for the best.

***

 Kaede Akamatsu

There was a classroom next to the one I was in before, but the door wouldn’t open, so I looked the other way. There, a door caught my attention. It was different from the others, who seemed fairly new. It had a Victorian feeling to it. I tried to open it, but still, it was useless.

“Well…” sighing, I thought “Maybe we’ll find keys somewhere…”

And then, a loud “Monokubs!” echoed in the room, with the five stuffed bears appearing again.

“Rise and shine, ursine!”

“You again?!”

I didn’t expect to see them again so soon, but here they are.

“This is a Ultimate Research Room!” Monophanie exclaimed.

“What?! You said it already? You’re a real party pooper!” Monotaro responded.

“Oh, right… sorry.”

“We’re good kids, so we prepared a special room for each one of you!”

Monosuke continued. “It’s exactly as Monotaro says, this rooms were created specifically for you in order to cultivate your talents. The one you see here is the Ultimate Detective Research Room, wh-”

“But!” Monokid said suddendly “This room is still locked! We haven’t finished with the preparations! You aren’t supposed to enter here yet, so shoo!”

“Monokid, let me talk!” Monosuke lamented.

“Hey! I’m allowed to say what I want! Don’t make me bully you!”

And with that, after they were gone, Shuichi started talking.

“This research rooms are great! You… you have your… detective… things… there!”

He doesn’t seem to know a lot about detectives. Well, it isn’t his fault. Anyways, I don’t know what’s in there either. I can only hope that it’s something useful.

“Well, maybe… but your research room should be here too! You could show me the tricks you have up your sleeve!”

He giggled. “W-we’ll see…”

We continued walking down the hallway, not seeing anyone. Just after, we noticed a blue-haired girl, wearing a long black and white dress. On her head there was a bonnet. As soon as she noticed Shuichi and me, she ran towards us.

“Good morning. I’m Tsumugi Shirogane, the Ultimate Maid.”

“Oh, a maid! That's great! At least we don’t have to worry about cleaning… that's something I hate.”

“But… you shouldn’t think I am here just to do as you please.” She frowned.

“No, no! Of course not… I was just commenting on your talent…”

“Don’t act so worried. I won’t hurt you, but I thought I should clarify. I will help you, but I won’t fulfill each of your desires. I can’t do everything.”

“Of course not. By the way, I wanted to ask some questions to you, can I?”

“…Yes, sure? Do you want to know something about me? First of all, I can’t stand when people arrive late! I always arrive thirty minutes before a meeting!”

That’s some really random fact out of the blue.

“Ooh, but… I would like to know if you know where we are… and what has happened to us.”

“Ah! I was about to ask you the same question. I really don’t know… I woke up some minutes ago, in a locker downstairs… and I was searching for other people. I think you’re the last ones to wake up.”

“Always late, huh…” commented Shuichi. “Well, maybe we should greet them. Thanks for the info, even if wasn’t that useful.”

“No problems, remember that I’m at your disposal.” I heard her say while we headed down the stairs. There, we found two bathrooms, both overgrown like the other floor. Me and Shuichi checked them both, but nothing particularly interesting was in them.

We continued walking and we met another person, this time a boy with greenish hair. He seemed relaxed despite the situation we were in, and overall… pretty normal. His shirt, however, was very telling. It was mostly white, but different splashes of colors were depicted on the side. I tried to come up with a talent... he had to be an artist. Of course trying to guess his talent wasn’t a matter of life and death, but I liked coming up with possible titles. I would have tried with Tsumugi too, but she didn’t give me time to think.

“Heya, nice to meet you. Were you also kidnapped?” the boy asked.

I tried to respond, but he continued talking.

“What’s more, do you remember anything about how you got here?”

“No…”

“That means that everyone here is like this. And with you two I asked sixteen people. This is something abnormal, right?”

The tone in his voice changed drastically.

Shuichi spoke up. “Well, that isn’t certain, but-”

“Oh! I wonder! I wonder what happened!”

“Hey, are you alright..?” I asked, worried for him… but also for myself.

“Yeah, yeah.” he said, his voice returned to normal. “By the way, I’m Rantaro Amami, and I’m the Ultimate Artist.”

Uh, I was right… He was an artist. Also, he was wearing a colorful bracelet too.

“I’m an expert in all sorts of things… painting, sculpting… I like architecture too, even if I’m not that good at it… I would show you my work, but it seems we’re not getting out of here soon. That’s a pity.”

“You can’t say that for certain…” I responded.

“Well, I just have that feeling… don’t you, detective?”

Huh? How did he know my talent?

“You seem startled. Probably you’re asking yourself how did I figure your talent, right?”

“N-no…”

“Well, I noticed you were observing me. Either you are interested in me, or you are a detective. Maybe both…” he smirked.

Yeah, whatever. Like he knew me.

“…I think it’s time to go, isn’t it Shuichi? We need to go meet up with the others.”

“Eh?... Oh, yeah, right.”

“I’ll see you around! Don’t be impolite!”

***

 Shuichi Sahara

…What was up with that guy? He seemed a nice person, but that smile at the end… I guess I shouldn’t think much about it.

Kaede and me turned left and we entered a room which door was different from the others. At first I thought it might have been a research room, but I was wrong. In front of my eyes there was a cafeteria, along with a short, red-haired girl.

She was staring at the various plants that invaded the room and had a net in her hands. It appeared that she didn't hear us, so I tapped her shoulder to make her aware of Kaede and me.

She turned, and a mere second after she let out a chilling scream.

“AAAAAAAAH!”

I wondered what did I do wrong, when she fell on her back. Kaede, who was looking in another direction, shifted her attention to the sound she just heard.

“Shuichi, what have you done?”

“I- I don’t know… she just… saw me… and fell!” I was legitimately confused.

“I knew it! A man! I can’t believe that a man entered this room under my surveillance!” a stern voice came from the other part of the cafeteria. “I’m sorry my dear!..”

A black-haired girl joined us. She was dressed with a leather jacket, blue pants and wore her hair in a ponytail.

“Excuse me… have we done something wrong?” Kaede asked.

“Not you… but him… a man!”

She pointed at me, with an angry look.

“Shuichi, have you pushed this girl?”

“What?... Of course not! She fell!”

They were already accusing me of something I didn’t do!

“No…” the small girl murmured. “I was only scared…”

I hope that clears me out of suspicion!

“So, why is she there crouching and clearly scared? You degenerate male!”

She then proceeded to inspect the red-haired girl carefully.

“You don’t seem to have sustained long-term injuries.”

“She is kind of… hostile towards men.” the short girl explained. “That’s why she put the blame on you.”

“Oh yes, I am hostile towards them! They are dangerous elements of our society and need to be educated before it’s too late!”

“…And on my part… I don’t really like hanging around people…”

“As long as you don’t spend time with menaces, you’re completely right! Especially that big, muscular guy who I saw before! He’s a bad apple, I assure you! And you too, male! You need some discipline!”

“This degenerate male helped me, he isn’t dangerous!” Kaede protested.

“Hmm… if you say so. I can give him a pass… My name is Tenko Chabashira, and I’m the Ultimate Caregiver. I assist children, and I make sure those young men grow up to become excellent members of our society.”

“Are you sure your methods aren’t a bit extreme?” I asked.

“I became an Ultimate because of my methods.”

I guess she’s a good teacher. I just hope she isn’t biased towards girls.

“Hey, Himiko…”

Tenko slowly approached the other girl, who raised her head.

“So… he isn’t dangerous… he isn’t that manly to begin with…”

“Uh-uhm…”

I get that she was trying to calm down the other girl, but… calling me that isn’t that polite…

“She’s right! He’s harmless!” Kaede joined. “He helped me too!.. What’s your name, dear?”

“M-my name is Himiko Yumeno… the Ultimate E-Entomologist… I’m sorry for before…”

“Ah! That’s why you had a net, right? You were searching for bugs?”

“Exactly… They’re my real friends.”

I tried to start a conversation with her. I wanted to show Tenko men aren’t that bad.

“And… did you find any?” I used the most reassuring voice I could think of, but the teacher awarded me with a cold stare.

“I found zero bugs.” She murmured.

“I think you two should go… I’ll help Yumeno recover. And help her with bugs.”

“Uhm… okay. We’ll see each other soon!”

Kaede and me went in the hallway again, but I thought about Tenko again. It’s not like she can reprimend all men that were in the school. I didn’t know how many were there, but she really needs to chill out… seriously.

“Well… both of them are… interesting people. Maybe the next one we’ll find is a bit more… reasonable?” Kaede said while approaching another door.

After we opened it, I saw a gigantic warehouse, which was strange for a school. I wonder what was its purpose. A blonde-haired girl was rummaging trough the shelves making a lot of noise. She didn’t notice we were there.

“Kaede… can you go talk to her..? I don’t know if she’s scared of me as well…”

“…Okay, okay… but you shouldn’t be scared of people, you know!” she advised. “Hey! You what are you doing?”

The girl quickly turned.

“Don’t talk to me so suddenly, you bitch!”

Well, that was rude of her. Kaede didn’t expect that reaction, probably, and had a confused look on her face. I tried to speak.

“Sorry, but we are just trying to-”

“Hey! You rotten dick! You just looked at my breasts, didn’t you?”

“Wh…what?”

Well, yes, I did. But it’s not like I did it on purpose… I was just inspecting the girl…

Kaede saw that I was having difficulty and tried to steer the conversation somewhere else.

“Hey, sorry, but what’s you nam-”

“You are a perv! One of the most fucking terrible pervs, aren’t you?! You should be ashamed of yourself!”

“What… the heck…” She’s crazy. So much for a reasonable person.

“Let’s try not to get angry towards each other, okay?.. Please, tell us who you are.”

“W-what… you don’t know about my greatness!? Even though you’re just a small nobody?!”

“Uhm… I’ve never heard of you…”

“Nonsense! I’m none other than Miu Iruma, the Ultimate Pianist!”

And as I thought, she is a nobody. Well, I guess she thinks highly of herself.

“Oh… a pianist?… Interesting…”

“You bet it is! I am fucking good at the piano!”

I would never have guessed her talent. She’s pretty rough… I’d expect a pianist to be more delicate, honestly… her talent doesn’t fit her personality at all…

“By the way, what were you looking for..?”

“Drugs, obvious! I want to forget all my shitty problems!”

“Hey..! You can’t use drugs to escape from reality!”

“Heeeegh!... What… d-do you k-know about m-me!? I-if I w-want… I can use t-them!”

“No, you shouldn’t. They are dangerous!”

Maybe she’s like this because she took too many drugs? That’s why she’s so insane? She’s the kind of person that forces you to sleep with an eye open at night. I hope she’s not as dangerous as she is crazy.

***

Kaede Akamatsu 

We wandered around for a while before finding another classroom. When I saw a door that could be entered, I jiggled the knob and…

Suddendly, someone hurt me and I almost fell to the floor, but Shuichi prevented me.

“Oh, thanks…” I said.

“S-Sorry...” whispered another voice. I turned around, and I saw a white-haired boy with headphones in his hand. He wore a black hoodie decorated with a star.

“Sorry… it’s not my fault… He… It… is chasing me!”

The boy looked behind him and pointed at another… person, I would say at first… but I quickly understood that what I was looking at wasn’t human.

“Please, please, play with meee~”

What was happening there?

“Hey new people!” the not-human thing said. “Nice to meet you! I’m Unit 0, Model 4, codename 0U-M4, but you can call me Ouma! I’m the Ultimate Robot!”

“C-could it be… you are with the Monokubs?!” Shuichi frowned.

“No! No way that’s the case! I’m way more advanced! …And I’m nice!”

“That’s not true! You’re chasing me! I told you to stop!” the other boy said.

“I just wanted to have some fun! Your human behavior interests me!”

“Excuse me…” I said. “What do you mean by… Unit 0?”

It was a strange number. Zero means nothing after all.

“Oh, yes. My number is 0 because my unit is still an experimental product. Sadly I am not complete, but I still possess various functions that can aid you simple humans!.. And that’s what I was doing! I was trying to help this boy here, he looks like he is confused!”

“To me he seems scared, more than confused…” I clarified.

“Are you doubting my mind-reading capabilities?!” the robot asked.

Shuichi was surprised.

“Do you really have those!?”

“Actually, no..! But I have been told I can develop them. My AI is a learning AI, which improves itself overtime! So in a while I’ll be able to perform even more tasks!”

He was very proud of his robot nature.

“And how can you tell he’s confused?” the magician asked.

“I don’t know, ahahah! It’s just something that comes to my mind. Like a deduction! You don’t know why… but you know that is the right answer! And to prove I’m right, just ask him something!”

“Uhm… okay…. What is your name..?”

“Well… I don’t remember it…”

“Ah-ha! I predicted it!”

“How can you not remember it? It's written on your Monopad! You should check that.” Shuichi suggested.

“I have already. The only thing that is there is the word “Kiibo”…”

“Well, I guess you’re Kiibo then!” 0U-M4 exclaimed. “I mean, it’s not a bad name! It’s cool!”

“Don’t think that I will forgive you if you congratulate me! Y-you’ll have to work for forgiveness...”

“Oh…” the robot’s face became gloomy. “Ok…”

“So… you don’t remember your talent, right?” I asked.

“No, that I remember! You’re talking to none other than the Ultimate Astronaut!”

“Astronaut! Wow! That’s amazing!” 0U-M4 commented. “Have you gone to space yet!?”

“No, I’ve not. I’m still in training. I mostly focus on the theoretical aspect of space voyages as of now… but my work was so amazing that I was given the title of astronaut before even becoming one! Cool, right?!”

“Oh… but how do you know that’s true?” the robot asked. “You don’t remember your name, maybe what you’re saying to us is fake! Or maybe… you’re lying to us!”

“N-no..! I’m sure! I’m sure that what I’m saying is right!

As a detective, I have to say that the circumstances are pretty suspicious. How can someone remember their talent but not their name? The opposite could be totally possible, but… it’s far more likely that “Kiibo” is lying. However, if this is the case, why would he? He could have made up a name very easily, it’s not like we can know.

I’ll have to think about this mystery too, along with others that are already piling up. What are we doing here? What are those Monokubs? How can we escape?

Shuichi brought me back to reality.

“Kaede, we should search for the others too. There are still seven people we have to meet. Maybe we’ll find an exit if we continue searching.”

“Oh. It seems difficult.” Kiibo said. “I couldn’t find one. I hope you are able to.”

“I think we will. There is no way we are trapped here, right? There has to be a way out!”

I have to stay optimistic and hope for the better. This situation will not bring me down! I will find all the clues that will help clarify the situation and we’ll escape together!

…at least is what I thought at the time.

Chapter Text

 Kaede Akamatsu

Shuichi and me exited the classroom in which we met Kiibo and 0U-M4, who also split up, much to the former’s joy. 0U-M4 was disappointed, but didn’t complain too much.

We decided to check out the basement, which didn’t seem dangerous. Two doors were accessible there. We entered one of them and I immediately realized that I was in a sort of arcade, which was really strange, being us in a school. I didn’t know any schools that had a game room or something like that.

A very short person was sitting in a chair, observing us. He had short brownish hair, a leather jacket and black and blue jeans.

“This place is unusual, isn’t it? Even though it seems we’re locked in, there is a recreational facility…”

“Are we really locked in? Do you know it for certain?” Shuichi asked.

“No, I’m not sure… after all, I’m not sure of anything…”

“What do you mean by that?” I inquired.

“Everyone around here is an Ultimate… but I don’t know if I am. I don’t remember my talent… if I ever had one.”

“But… do you remember your name?”

“Yes, I remember that, at least. I’m Ryoma Hoshi.”

That name came to me as a bolt from the blue. I knew him… not personally, I didn’t even see him… but I heard his name from some of my colleagues. They were talking about him being a suspect of a mass killing who was being held in custody. That time, I tried to hear more, but I had to go to work on a case. When I returned I asked more about him, and what they said to me was that he had been confirmed innocent, but I knew there was something more… restricted information that nobody would tell me… maybe it was his status as an Ultimate which was being kept under wraps?

“You seem to be thinking… do you, by chance… know something about me?”

“Well…” I said. “I was trying to…”

There was no way I was going to tell him. Maybe he knew about me. But he was just there… under my nose… I need to keep an eye on him.
“I was thinking about you, that’s right…” I said. “The fact that you don’t remember your talent is strange… there is also another boy who doesn’t remember his name.”

“Yes, Kiibo. I met him.”

“He remembers almost everything about his life, but you?”

“Sadly, I don’t remember much… I remember only some events about my life. It seems that my memory has been wiped out like yours, but something went wrong.”

“Maybe it will come back to you?” Shuichi tried to encourage him.

“I hope not. I think I did something bad in my life. But it is just an hunch.”

So, he doesn’t remember anything about a mass killing. That’s good. However, he could be lying, and also, he could escape.

“What are you going to do now?”

“I’m staying here. If you think I’m going to move, that is wrong. I already explored everywhere. And, you know… trying to escape is pointless”

“What…?”

“Are we locked in this building?” I asked.

“Sort of… we’re trapped.”

If that’s true, I don’t have to worry about him escaping… but of course, it means we can’t escape too.

“I’ll check with my own eyes, ok? Maybe you haven’t tried hard enough.”

“Oh, I doubt we can escape, given the circumstances we’re in.”

He seems pretty pessimistic. There’s no way we can’t escape from a locked building. There’s always a way out.

***

Shuichi Sahara 

After Ryoma’s ominous speech, we headed towards the other room and we discovered it being a library. There, we met another girl.

“Hello, are you also an Ultimate?” Kaede asked her.

She stared at her, not answering for five seconds.

“…yes.”

After that, she averted her gaze from us. She isn’t a talkative person, it seems…

“I get it if you don’t want to talk to us…” I said. “But…-”

“I’m Kaede Akamatsu, people call me Ultimate Detective.”

…But Kaede preceded me. …Well, that’s fine. It’s better if she talks. I might cause a mess.

“And I’m Shuichi Saihara, Ultimate Magician.”

She remained silent.

“And you are?... Please, talk. This conversation isn’t an interrogatory, you know?”

“…Maki Harukawa… Ultimate Aikido Master.”

“Oh, so you’re the athletic type?”

“Something like that. I created a new type of martial arts, Neo Aikido, by myself… and I got this title.”

“That’s pretty impressive! And why did you do that?”

She remained silent again.

“…That’s not your business. If you really want to know, try to guess. You’re the detective after all.”

“That’s not how detectives work…” I said. “They need clues, time to think…”

“Umpf, did I ask for your opinion?” the brown-haired girl retorted.

After that, I remained silent. How can it be that everyone around here is either shady or not nice? Thank God I woke up where Kaede was.

“Uhm… do you know any way to get out of here?”

“No. I haven’t found any. Gathering Ultimates is an impressive and tiring task. If we were kidnapped, it won’t be easy to escape.”

“That’s why we should help each other. Together we can do whatever we want.”

At least someone around here is positive… but maybe, too much. There is no way that sixteen people, who don’t know each other, will cooperate. Especially if they seem to hate everything around them or have a crazy personality. I think we were chosen exactly for this reason: sixteen Ultimates, who are unable to work together.

“You may think that, but you’re wrong. You are too naive… even though you’re a detective.”

As one sided she ended the conversation, she left the library.

“I think… we’ll be able to talk with her afterwards. Maybe she was in a bad mood?”

“Maybe…”

With no other places to check, we headed back upstairs. We thought we had explored every nook and cranny, but we saw that some iron bars that blocked us previously were, for some reason, raised.

“Look, Kaede, there is a new path.” I pointed.

“Oh, you’re right. Maybe the exit is here?”

We turned around and I noticed Kaede was right. The place we were in really looked like an entrance hall. In front of us there was a particularly large door and a sign that displayed “South”.

“Hey, Kaede, this is the exit, isn’t it?”

“It surely seems like it!” she cheered. “However, we must be sure there aren’t any traps around here. It could be dangerous.”

“…Oh, that’s right.” It goes without saying that the Ultimate Detective has to think about everything, no matter how obvious it may seem. I think Kaede would immediately understand my tricks and wouldn’t be amused at all if I were to perform one…

“Your concerns are unnecessary. There is nothing hazardous about that door.” A deep voice declared.

A tall man with dark, long hair stood at my left, dressed with a black mask that covered his mouth. He wore a black dress and dark brown pants.

“Oh… and you are?”

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Korekiyo Shinguji, also called Ultimate Cosplayer.”

“A cosplayer?.. You don’t look like one.” Kaede commented.

“It may be the case, but I believe I don’t give a cosplayer impression because of my clothes. For example, your cap and uniform give a particular idea to people who look at you, and the same can be said for your friend with the cape there.”

He is right. Everyone here seemed to have clothes that matched with their talent. I wonder if that will help with Ryoma.

“After all, cosplaying is what I am known for. I am famous not for my everyday clothes, but for the others that I wear. I can cosplay as everyone, from fictional to real.”

“Oh… that must be fun.” Kaede said.

“However, I cannot do it as of now. I lack specific materials. I find cosplaying so enlightening to the point I could not live without it, that is why I am suffering inside.” He sighed, laying his hands on his chest.

“By the way… we can leave this school, so there is no worry.” I said.

“Oh… you should see for yourself. It seems you haven’t understood the situation we are in yet. I wonder what your reaction will be! Kehkehkeh”

At that point, he was just being creepy. It would have been better to go.

Kaede and me were about to push the door open, when I suddenly held back. What if it was better to be ignorant? Did I really want to know what was on the other side of that door?

“Shuichi, what are you doing?” Kaede asked. “We can go out, why are you staying still like that?”

“N-no… it’s nothing, really…”

“Ok, so let’s go forward! Let’s see were we are!”

We both opened the door looking at each other and smiling, but we were greeted by something we couldn’t have expected at all…

***

Kaede Akamatsu 

The sky was blue. I could feel a gentle breeze caressing my skin, and the sun’s rays in my eyes.

Everything was normal.

However, there was one thing that was out of place.

The school and the neighboring area were completely surrounded by a giant cage.

“W-what… is the meaning of this?” Shuichi asked me, like I could answer him.

“I don’t… know… we’re confined… from all sides!”

And then, as if they sensed our confusion, the five Monokubs appeared in front of us.

“Are you surprised?! A giant iron cage? I guess I would be too in your situation!” Monotaro exclaimed.

“Yeah, man! It’s huge! I will name it The cage of the shattered hope!” Monokid added.

“W-what is up with that name?!”

“Very simple. As soon as you saw it, your hopes shattered to pieces!” Monosuke announced.

After that, Monokid began laughing uncontrollably.

“Monokid, shut up. We’re trying to explain here.” the bear continued, but the blue one didn’t stop.

Monophanie stepped up. “I guess that’s it. After all, we just came here to say that there is no escape from this cage. You cannot leave.”

I took a deep breath and called for help, so loud that everyone in the school could hear me, but there was no response. Despite I could see skyscrapers and other buildings in the distance, it seemed like no one was there, or at least, nobody heard me.

“Don’t waste your voice like that. No one can hear you.”

“How can you be so sure?! T-there is no way that you’re right..!” Shuichi exclaimed.

“I’m afraid we can’t answer that question as of now.” responded the red bear. “For now, you should continue investigating. You will also be granted a prize if you do that.”

“Prize?! We didn’t talk about that!” Monosuke complained.

“And that prize is hearing Monodam’s voice! Aren’t you dying to hear it?!”

After that last world, the stuffed bear turned his head to look at Monodam, but he still didn’t respond.

“I promise, I said! I keep my promises! So long, bear well!”

…

And, they were gone.

Was… what they said… true?

…Wait. There is no way I can give up. I am the Ultimate Detective; I can find a way to escape from here! If we got in, there has to be a way out!

“Shuichi, we still have to explore! I’m sure we will find more clues on how to escape from here! Do you hear me..?”

I said those words very loudly, but he didn’t respond. He remained still, staring at the ground. Well, this is no time to give up! I decided to deliver a scathing chop to his head to snap him back to reality.

“Ow!”

“Shuichi, don’t allow yourself to give up! That is something I understood very early during my career as a detective! If you don’t have faith in yourself, you won’t be able to do anything, do you understand? My detective instinct tells me there is an exit somewhere, it’s just a matter of time before we find it!”

“Yeah, but… that isn’t an excuse for hitting me…” he sighed, massaging his head.

“That was the only way to make you understand. We have to stay together and help each other, supporting each other! This is how you solve a case!”

“I… guess you’re right…”

He didn’t seem very convinced… but he looked like he was feeling a bit better. It is too early to give up; we have not met everyone yet… maybe someone can help us.

Just then, another tall person came up to us.

“I wonder how did they build an humongous cage like this! Have you seen that?!”

He had spiky, purple hair and goggles resting on his shoulders. He wore a belt and various tools attached to it, like a wrench… but also a remote controller. There were no doubts about his talent.

“…And you’re someone who works with mechanical things, right? That’s why you’re interested?” I asked.

“Hey, Kaede… you don’t interrupt people like this… you should answer their questions…”

“No, there is no problem! I see you have taken an interest in me, girl!”

“Well, girl… I have a name, you know… I’m Kaede Akamatsu…”

“Allow me to introduce myself! Behold! My name is Kaito Momota and I’m famous everywhere thanks to my extremely useful talent! I’m the Ultimate Inventor!”

“Your talent is so useful, you’re right…” I told him. “That means you know how to get away from here?”

“…Well…”

He remained silent for a couple of seconds. I guess he only thinks he’s famous…

“Not yet!” he shouted, without me expecting it. “But I’ll come up with something! I am the Ultimate Inventor for this reason, thanks to my crazy ideas that help me overcome the odds!”

“I guess we’re counting on you then.”

With so many skilled people I’m sure we can get out of trouble. Whoever brought us here didn’t take into account that we’re Ultimates, and with our talents we can do everything!

“See, Shuichi? An inventor! I’m sure he’ll help us!”

“We have to see if he can actually create something.”

“Huh? What do you mean? Of course I can!” Kaito shouted again.

“’I-I’m not doubting your abilities… it’s just… how can you invent if you don’t have, like… the raw materials? You can’t snap your fingers and make it so that something useful appears.”

“Shuichi, I said this is not the time to act all pessimistic. I’m sure the Ultimate Inventor has many tricks up his sleeve.”

“Right! Kaede! Great minds think alike, right?!”

“I’m counting on you, heh? Make something that can help us as soon as possible.”

Well, even if I told Shuichi I believe in Kaito… I’m really not sure about his capabilities, despite him being an Ultimate. Even though I am hopeful, that doesn’t stop me from analyzing the situation we’re in. I must stay focused.

“You should check the dormitory.” Kaito said. “Mine is terrible. I’m looking forward to improving it. That building there, that feels totally out of place… that’s it.”

***

Shuichi Saihara 

Kaito was right. To be honest, that dormitory felt out of place, as it was placed there as an accident. It was very different from the school.

We entered… and we saw a circular hall with sixteen doors on the side, eight on the ground floor and eight on the first floor.

“Oh, there you are.”

Another girl, I assumed a student like us, despite her looking older, came to us. She wore a cowboy hat, a jacket with a light blue shirt underneath, and brown jeans.

“These seem to be our rooms… we are meant to sleep here. The Monokubs came short ago and told me so. I am here in order to see if something is concealed here.”

“Our rooms?” Kaede seemed surprised. “…I don’t plan to stay here long-term.”

“Sadly, it appears we’re not allowed to escape from this area. I will try to adapt to this situation and I plan to observe your behavior hoping to understand more about human psyche.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, sorry for my delayed introduction. I’m the Ultimate Adventurer, Kirumi Tojo.”

“Adventurer? That’s unexpected. I thought you were a psychologist, after the last thing you said.” I commented.

“Some people think of me as a psychologist, you’re not completely wrong. In my travels, I developed an interest towards psychology… Since I met so many different people.”

“This seems a interesting hobby.” Kaede added.

“It is not an hobby. It has been dangerous many times. I found myself in life-threatening situations, and had to deal with stressing tasks. Despite that, I enjoy it so much that I earned my title.”

Everyone talks about how hard their work is… how hard they worked to get their title… and I am here, with my talent… despite not being able to do much. I really don’t fit here. All of them are exceptional besides me… at this point… I hope we won’t find my research room… I would only disappoint everyone with a magic show.

“That’s fourteen people, right? We are only missing two.” Kaede announced. “Oof, we are almost finished. After meeting everyone, we should talk together and decide what to do.”

We said our goodbyes to Kirumi and went back outside. Kaito was still there, talking with Korekiyo. The former seemed to enjoy himself, I wonder how it was possible.

We continued our search for other Ultimates. As we headed down some stairs, we found a big, muscular guy with long, brown hair who was facing the other way. On his back there was a racket, held in place by a strap. When he turned, I saw his face, which was… intimidating, to say the least. This had to be the guy who was seen by Tenko. I’m not surprised she was scared… I’m feeling a bit uneasy too… but we have to talk to everyone, so…

“Um… can I ask you a question?”

Thankfully Kaede started talking even if she appeared worried too.

“What..?”

His voice wasn’t reassuring at all.

But then, a “thank you” came out of his mouth.

“Thank you!” he said again. “Gonta look really scary, so nobody ever talks to him… also, a girl he saw didn’t talk to him…”

Yeah, that confirms my theory.

“But you talk! I will thank you as gentleman! Thank you!” he repeated.

He seems sweet.

“Oh… thanks for being so courteous… Gonta was thinking much and didn’t introduce himself! I’m Gonta Gokuhara. People call me Ultimate Tennis Player!”

“Hmm, so you must be pretty famous, huh?” I wondered. “However, I don’t remember you…”

“That probably is because Gonta born where you were, but raised in foreign country. That reason why I talk strange now. Gonta started playing tennis with family and a teacher that enhanced capabilities… after some time became very good at sport and took part in competitions abroad!”

“Oh, and when you returned here, you got your talent, I suppose…” Kaede commented.

“Well… when Gonta came back, decided to stop tennis and start becoming a real gentleman. Gonta wants to become Ultimate Gentleman!”

“Oh, that’s a... particular talent. I wish good luck to you. And… if you can, try to talk to Tenko?”

“I think you should try.” I added. “I think if you show her your sweet side she’ll see you not as a monster, but as a human being. However… be ready for some insults.”

“Oh, Gonta want everyone as friend..! thanks for the advice. If you want meet Angie… she is in building behind. But… she strange. Not dangerous, but strange.”

Honestly, that wouldn’t be surprising. Almost everyone here has a… colorful personality, let’s settle for that.

As we entered into the building, I immediately saw the “Angie” Gonta was talking about. She was in the middle of the room, examining the fountain in front of her. She was dressed with a black cape, but not a shirt to cover her, just a bra that resembled seashells. Her skirt was decorated with a checkered pattern.

“Oooh… this fountain is fun! It reminds me of the one in my island..!”

However, when she heard the sound of the door opening, she stopped concentrating on it and immediately greeted us.

“Heeello! How’re you doing!? I’m Angie Yonaga, it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“You… seem to be doing very well… despite the situation.”

“Oh, do you mean the giant dome surrounding us?! Well, that’s no biggie! Bad thoughts are no use! Atua is watching over me, so I am not in danger!”

“A-atua?”

“Angie can hear the voice of Atua… and tells the others what she hears…”

“Ah... so your talent has to do with religion.” Kaede guessed.

“No, not at all!” she laughed. “I am known as the Ultimate Supreme Leader!”

My face suddenly changed expression. Supreme Leader..? What was up with that? She didn’t look like a supreme leader at all, judging from her personality… I expect a leader to be calm, collected, pragmatic… all qualities that this girl didn’t seem to possess.

“That’s quite an unusual title, you know?” I managed to say.

“Yeah, right? But I am told to be a great leader by my followers! We have a really fun time together when we meet up and sacrifice people to the God of the Island...!

“S-sacrifices?”

Here’s where the weirdness kicks in.

“Oh, oh! Don’t be scared, don’t worry… by that I mean blood sacrifices… each of us offers some blood to Atua to help him recognize us. You want to follow me? If you want I can help you…”

She came towards me. I didn’t know what to say. There was no way I could escape, especially in that moment…

“…Maybe later?” Kaede saved me. “We’re still pretty shocked by the recent developments… so we’re not feeling well now…”

“That’s a shame! But Angie is always here to wait for you! You know what? I’ll go looking for other people! Maybe they are feeling better?”

“Y-yeah, I’m sure they are…”

Me and Kaede looked at each other, confused, as Angie walked out of the door.

“W-we saved the strangest for last, huh?”

“Yeah… she seems… not right… but as Gonta said, she doesn’t appear harmful.”

I would have disagreed with Kaede, but it’s when she stopped talking that I heard I chime.

*Ding dong bing bong*

“Huh, what is this?”

*Ding dong bing bong*

“Kaede, look at that monitor!”

***

 Kaede Akamatsu

We approached the monitor to check what was going on, and we discovered that a video was playing. The five Monokubs were sitting on a couch, with different kinds of beverages in their paws.

“Please, you should gather at the gym!” Monotaro announced. “We have finished the preparations, so you’re ready to meet daddy!”

“Oh! I’m so excited! Aren’t you, Monosuke?” Monophanie giggled.

“It’s better if you go there with your own two feet, otherwise we’ll have to bring you with the Exisal!”

After that line, the video went into a loop, and the bears said the same things over and over.

…Should we go there? Those bears have something to do with this, despite them not telling us anything yet. Well, after all… it’s not like we have much choice.

“So, Kaede? What do we do..?” Shuichi asked.

“Well, we can’t stay here. Everybody else should be there too.”

“You’re right. It’s just… that I’m worried. It seems like… uhm…”

“It seems like what?”

“Well, it’s better if I keep my thoughts to myself. If I say something negative, you’ll probably get angry…”

It’s not that… I just want everyone to think positively! Because it’s the only way to avoid life’s obstacles!

We backtracked and entered the school again. On our way, we didn’t encounter anyone… they probably were in the gym already.

We searched for it for a while. We didn’t know where it was, but, eventually, we found it.

After opening the doors, we realized we were the last ones to arrive. It wasn’t a surprise, since we were very far when the announcement sounded.

“So… it seems that everyone is here, now.” Tsumugi commented.

“Yeah, I’m excited!” said Kaito, the first time I heard him not shouting. “Sixteen Ultimates in the same room! You don’t see that often!”

“I am not sure this is an event to be excited for…” muttered Kirumi, slightly worried.

“S-So many men…” I heard a voice coming from an angle of the gym, it was Tenko. “All the girls, prepare yourselves! They could assault us!”

“W-what?!” Kaito exclaimed.

“S-so many people… I don’t want to tire myself trying to talk with them…”

“Tenko… Gonta would like to apologize…” said the muscular men, coming towards her with a smile. However, Tenko looked more annoyed than before.

“Please. Go away.”

“But… I want to be friends!”

“Please stay away from me.” Tenko declared. “I-I don’t need male friends.”

“Yeah, talking and doing what they want is so tiresome…”

“Jeez, you’re such a lazy person…” I commented.

“Please, don’t let your guard down, we might be in danger…” Kiibo warned.

“Yeah, we might!” 0U-M4 exclaimed. “But I’m not scared! With my robot techniques I’ll protect you all!”

“Atua is watching over Angie~” the tanned girl said. “So I asked him to protect you too… he said that a offering would be appreciated…”

“This is not the time to offer blood.” Ryoma stared at Angie.

“Heeey, don’t be negative! But don’t worry, Atua is not angry with you!”

“What are you talking about, idiots!? What sort of God would have put us in a situation like this?!” Miu angrily shouted.

“Do not lose your temper. It is not healthy for you.” Korekiyo advised.

“Hey! Don’t worry! When those stuffed bears are going to appear, I’ll destroy them with my own hands!” Kaito announced.

“Maybe they’ll destroy degenerate males instead.”

“Kaito, a-are you sure you can do that?” Shuichi asked.

“Of course! Haven’t you seen Momota Kaito in action?!”

“Hey… don’t you hear that?” Rantaro asked.

“Huh, what?”

“A certain sound…”

“Yeah, I hear it clearly!” Miu said. “My hearing is excellent, you know?! It’s one of my qualities that you common people don’t possess!”

At first I didn’t hear anything. But then, in the distance, I heard a faint metallic clang, which became louder by the second.

And so, just after I had realized what happened, five gigantic robots appeared in front of me.

“YAHOO! BEAR WITH US FOR A MOMENT!”

Tsumugi let out a scream, unable to control herself.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

“Everybody! Get behind Gonta! Gonta protect!”

“Aaaah! What are these monsters!? Th-they are worse than men..!”

“Don’t worry! Gonta won’t let you get hurt!”

“Woow! Other robots! They are even cooler than me!” 0U-M4 exclaimed, excited.

“Yes, we are extremely cool! These are the Exisals! Created for you and for the world’s safety!” the blue-colored robot shouted.

“D-do whatever you w-want… but kill the ugly ones first…” Miu muttered, in her eyes pure terror.

“Guy who promised to destroy those bears… it’s your time.” Maki started talking after she remained silent for all that time.

“B-but… I didn’t expect… giant robots… aren’t y-you… the fighter?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” Rantaro said. “If they wanted to hurt us, they would have done already.”

“So, what do you want us to do?” Ryoma asked to the Exisals.

“Oh! Hahahaha!”

The laughs came from the blue robot.

“What you’ll do is-

However, the bear was interrupted by another robot, the green one.

“A KIL-LING GA-ME”

“Huh?”

Did I hear killing game or was I going crazy? What would “killing game” mean?

“Monodam! Did you steal my line?! We agreed I would say it!”

“No, you stupid Monokid.” the yellow robot boomed. “We scheduled Monodam to say that line a while ago. We promised those bastards they would hear his voice.”

“What?! Who decided this?! It is stupid! Monodam doesn’t deserve this!”

“Wait a second! Did you say killing game?” Kiibo joined in.

“YES. A KIL-LING GA-ME”

“He said it again!” Monotaro exclaimed.

“Oh! I’m so mad! I’m going to crush him! He won’t live a second more!”

I expected the five robots to engage in a fight, but another voice sounded in the room.

“Oh, dear children… cease this mess…”

“It’s daddy! It’s daddy!” Monophanie shouted. “Stop, stop!”

And as the mysterious voice said, the bears came out from their robots and stopped fighting. Just after they positioned themselves near the podium, the gym’s lights went out and…

***

 Shuichi Saihara

Without any kind of warning whatsoever another bear, this time black and white, appeared behind the five Monokubs. It was significantly bigger.

“I am here to keep an eye on you… as the headmaster of the Gifted Inmates Academy! I am Monokuma!”

Headmaster?

“That’s right, you bastards! I am Monokuma! Don’t you recognize me?”

“Yaaay! It’s daddy!” The four Monocubs cheered.

“A new stuffed animal appeared…” Kirumi observed.

“But he is not any ordinary stuffed animal… I can sense madness, despair, coming from its very body…” Korekiyo ominously said.

“Hey, hey! Be respectful towards me! I just said I’m the headmaster! You wouldn’t treat the headmaster as a stuffed animal!”

“Its movements and its speech pattern seem to indicate it’s a robot equipped with an AI, even more advanced than mine!” 0U-M4 told us. “Oh, that’s so interesting!”

“No, that is not interesting at all.” Maki observed.

“Uh! Why are you so mean towards me! You kn-”

However, Rantaro interrupted 0U-M4.

“What’s interesting is what Monodam said earlier… a killing game? Could you explain what that phrase means?”

“Upupupupu, that again? I suppose that for you is the first time, huh? That’s so ironic!”

“Can you answer or not?”

“Yessir! You Ultimates will take part in a killing game against each other! So fun!”

What?.. Kill each other? There was no way we were going to do that! Other people lives are precious!

“A-a killing game? U-us…?” Kaede appeared as surprised as me.

“No way we are going to kill someone!” Kiibo shouted.

“A true gentleman never hurts anyone!” Gonta continued.

“Oh, but you know… there is no escape from here… on top of that, if you try to retaliate, the Exisals… it’s better not to describe that in detail… upupupupu.”

“So you mean… kill or be killed?” Maki asked.

“No way we will do that! We may not know each other, but we’re friends!” Kaito exclaimed.

“Talk for yourself, you punk!” Miu insulted him.

“Friends?” Monokuma laughed. “You might have been friends before, but from now on… you’ll be enemies. You’ll kill each other and you’ll understand! Understand how beautiful it is!”

I was about to throw up. How can killing someone be beautiful?! It’s sick!

“However… how should we do that? You’ll give us weapons? Now?!” Tsumugi asked.

“What are you doing!? We won’t do that!” Kaede shouted.

“I’m just trying to get some information!” the blue-haired girl defended herself. “Maybe we can still hope to get out.”

“Weapons?! Nah, that is old… this is more of an… intellectual entertainment! You have to use your wits to survive! If that wasn’t the case, people like that red-haired bug freak won’t have a chance!”

“Huh… I’m so tired… I won’t even care about you…”

And so, Monokuma and its “children” explained how the killing game would work, what was a class trial and how the blackened would face an execution if he was found out and how everybody else would have been executed if he wasn’t.

But all of that was hypothetical. There was no need to explain all of that, because the killing game hadn’t started to begin with. It didn’t matter how much I wanted to escape from the school, I would never, never… kill someone.

“So, all of this… it is a game.” Rantaro concluded.

“As if we were trapped into an arena, forced to battle against each other…” Kirumi muttered.

“No! I refuse to do that!” Kaede shouted, so loud that everyone who was talking now stood in silence. “If you think we’ll kill each other, you’re wrong! Extremely wrong!”

“Upupupupu… scream all you want… but this is only a matter of time… killings are going to happen… and all you can do is try to discover the culprit! Hahahahah!”

No.

No.

It was wrong. It was wrong.

If he thought we were going to compete for our lives, that bear was wrong. As he continued laughing, I looked at everyone’s faces. They tried to keep their cool, but everyone was worried. But… what for...? Were they really going to commit a murder? Was their desire to get out so strong?!

I wasn’t able to move, but everyone was like me, watching those stuffed toys, confused and terrified. How… why… did this happen to us? What did we do?

I didn’t know why, I wished to… but I didn’t realize it was better not knowing.

PROLOGUE END.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 1: KILLING SCHOOL SEMESTER OPENING CEREMONY

DAILY LIFE

Immediately after Monokuma and the Monokubs left, an alarm rang from everyone’s Monopad. So, I took it out from my backpack to see what was going on. Different instruction were displayed on the screen, many of them information that was already given to us by the stuffed bears.

#1: Students are required to cohabitate at the Ultimate Academy for the remainder of the unforeseeable future.

#2: When a murder is committed in the academy, a class trial will be conducted. Participation in this trial is mandatory for all surviving students.

#3: If the killer (hereinafter referred to as "the blackened") is correctly identified during the class trial, only the blackened will be punished for their crime.

#4: If the blackened cannot be identified, or if an incorrect student is identified as the blackened, all students except the blackened will be punished for the crime.

#5: If the blackened survives the class trial, they are declared the winner. At which point, they will graduate from the Ultimate Academy and re-enter the outside world.

#6: If innocent students (hereinafter referred to as "the spotless") continue to survive class trials, the killing game will continue until only two students remain.

#7: "Nighttime" is officially designated as the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. During this time, the cafeteria, the warehouse and the gym are closed.

#8: All acts of violence toward Monokuma, the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy, are strictly prohibited.

#9: Monokuma will never directly participate in a murder.

#10: Your Monopads are very important items. Make sure you do not damage them.

#11: A body discovery announcement will occur when three or more students, including the culprit, discover a body.

#12: Students have free rein to explore the Ultimate Academy as they see fit.

#13: Objects found in research labs cannot be moved out of said research labs.

#14: Students who violate these rules will be exterminated with extreme prejudice by the Exisals.

#15: The headmaster may add and additional regulations to this list at any time, as well as removing any rule.

“But… I won’t… I won’t participate in this killing game!”

However, while I was in denial, another thought struck my mind.

Ryoma Hoshi.

The student who didn’t remember his talent… however, I knew that he probably killed before… was he brought here for this exact reason? Maybe he didn’t have a talent like us and our kidnapper took him here to kickstart this sick game. Regardless of his role in all of this, I couldn’t expose him just now. My classmates were clearly worried and if I announced that a seasoned murderer was in our midst, chaos would break out. Who could predict what he could be able to do.

“Who… and why would they make us do this..?” Tsumugi asked, but she was probably thinking aloud.

“Well, there are rules… it seems it has been scheduled a long time ago.” 0U-M4 commented. “My guess is that this is not the first Killing Game.”

“Not the first?!” Miu shouted “Who would take part in this fucking game?! Only dickheads like you!”

“…Shut up, meat-smelling bitch! I’m talking!”

“Heeegh! W-why… are y-you so meeean!”

“We should keep our calm.” Tenko intervened. “There is no need to worry now… you don’t want to scare Himiko…”

I looked at the entomologist, but she didn’t seem more scared than before. It seems that participating in a killing game is not that concerning for her.

“No… I’m fine. I want my bugs, however.” Himiko stood up.

“Everyone!” Gonta exclaimed. “Don’t worry! I be there for you!”

Tenko looked at him with a grossed out face, but she didn’t say anything, at least.

“D-don’t screw with us… the killing game… the regulations…” Kaito muttered “Don’t fuck with me! Who would follow this rules?!”

He raised his arm to smash the Monopad on the floor, but as he was doing that, a hand stopped him.

It was Rantaro’s.

“Hey, stop. Breaking your Monopad is against the rules.”

“He’s right.” Kirumi said. “In the case you break your Monopad, you will be disposed of by the Exisals.”

“…Which means you’ll be killed by them. What a fancy way to say it…” Ryoma commented.

“Like I care! I don’t plan on playing this stupid game either way!”

“And so break it!” Miu shouted. “Be an idiot, the world will be happier without you!”

“Who are you calling an idiot?!”

As I thought, they’re not able to keep their calm. If we continue like this, a killing is bound to happen.

So, I took one deep breath, and yelled with all of my strength.

“STOP!”

…

No one was arguing anymore.

This isn’t the time to be fighting!”

“Huh? What?!”

“We should work together! Show Monokuma we won’t kill each other!”

“That is right.” Korekiyo agreed. “If we cooperate, there is nothing to fear.”

“Right...! That’s the spirit!”

Even though he still was creepy…

“Mh, I suppose that is the only thing we can do…” Maki muttered.

“After all… if we got in… there has to be a way out, right?” Gonta said.

“Gonta is right! I’m sure God has cleared a path for us~”

“So, we should split up and look for the entrance again.” Rantaro proposed.

“W-wait…” I heard a timid voice from the crowd.

“Himiko might know where the exit is…” Tenko intervened.

“Oh, that’s great!” 0U-M4 applauded “And where is it?! Tell me! Tell me!”

“If you are scared, tell me…” Tenko reassured her.

After that, Himiko whispered something in Tenko’s ear.

“Himiko tells me that she found a manhole in the boiler room and even if she couldn’t lift it. It looked like a tunnel was there. I don’t blame her for not checking… that would have been very troublesome for her. The manhole must be very heavy…”

“But that isn’t a problem for Gonta! I can lift it!” the big guy cheered.

“If that’s the case, we have to check immediately! That manhole is our hope! We must explore it now.” Kiibo said, pointing to the door.

“Himiko, please lead the way.” Korekiyo politely asked her.

“Don’t let your guard down. We’re surrounded.” Tenko said.

Himiko glanced at her and nodded. Quickly everyone exited from the gym, heading for the boiler room.

Rantaro, however, stopped me before I could go too.

“Amazing, Kaede… amazing… you made it so that everyone worked together.”

“T-thanks… I just said what I was thinking.”

“That’s why you are in danger now… whoever organized this killing game now knows about your personality… I wonder how they’ll react…”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m just saying… keep your eyes open… you’re in danger.” He repeated, exiting the gym and leaving me alone.

“Hey!” I shouted. “Why should I remain here alone!? Come back here!”

***

I headed towards the boiler room with the other students. As I went outside, I saw the Exisals clearing out the area in front of the school, which was still full of trees and weeds. I wonder how much time will it take. I also saw another part of the school building that was not accessible yet because grass was all over it.

As we entered the boiler room, I saw Kaede running towards us, panting.

“Why did you leave me?” she asked, looking at me.

“A-are you talking t-

“Yes, I’m talking to you…” she managed to say, before catching her breath. “You… just left…”

“I was… following the others.”

“Next time, warn me! Especially if a strange person is with me in the room!”

I was one of the first ones to exit the gym, so I don’t know what happened… but… ok… if she didn’t mind me staying with her…

“O-okay… but, aren’t we leaving now? Does it matter?”

“That’s not the point!” she rebutted. “By the way… now, let’s see what we need to do to escape from this place.”

The manhole was placed in the middle of a patch of grass and Miu didn’t wait long before making a dirty joke about it.

“T-that’s it…” Himiko said quietly.

“Oh, this? It is not a problem! Gonta can resolve your problem!”

After having said that, the Ultimate Tennis Player easily lifted the cover and laid it on the grass near the opening. Tenko stood still as Gonta displayed his strength.

“And it’s done..! Is this ok?”

“You have done a good job.” Tenko nodded. “But I must ask you to lay the manhole on the ground.”

“Yes. Please, everyone should be careful while entering…” Tsumugi warned. “We don’t know what’s down there.”

“You are not mistaken. Monokuma and the Monokubs still aren’t here, which is odd.” Korekiyo observed.

“Could it be that they’re down there, waiting for us? I hope not…” Himiko said.

“If they are, I’m going to punch them!” Kaito exclaimed.

“Well, that’s not really necessary…” Kaede advised.

We started to climb down the ladder, one after another. I went last. As I descended, I saw a very large room appearing. When I touched the ground, people already had noticed one thing.

“That sign!” Miu pointed. “It says exit! Hey, you dumb fuckers! I found the exit!”

“Actually, Himiko brought us here…” Kiibo corrected.

“What are you saying?! That insect-freak!? Bah! It is only thanks to me we made it here!”

“Don’t listen to her…” Tenko told Himiko. “You know that bullies only waste your time… they’re the true weaklings.”

“Are we sure we’re going in? It could be dangerous…” Tsumugi said, holding her arm tight.

She was right. There was no way escaping was this easy… especially after what Monokuma told us. Whoever organized this game really wanted to see sixteen high-schoolers kill each other, and a way out so easy… it didn’t make sense.

“Do you want to give up now?! We’re sixteen Ultimates! We can do it!” Kaede shouted.

“Yeah, Kaede and me have the same ideas! Hey, want to hug me?” Kaito asked her.

Well, he wasn’t someone who liked to wait, that’s for sure.

“No, don’t wanna.” Kaede responded, smiling. “Now it’s time to escape from this hell!”

Not really certain, but hopeful, I followed Kaede and the others in the tunnel, not knowing what to expect.

We headed into the tunnel, but we quickly realized escaping was seemingly impossible. The road was filled with traps, and the exit was nowhere to be seen.

Before I knew it, I passed out, and woke up in the large room I was before.

“Thankfully you’re awake.” was the first thing I heard after opening my eyes. As I regained consciousness, I saw Tsumugi sitting besides me.

“How… are the others? Kaede?” I asked.

“They are ok… nothing serious. However, they are not feeling well…”

I looked around. Everyone was, thankfully, awake, but also, filled with sorrow. Everyone besides Kaede, who was more confused than disappointed.

“What a dereadful mood! Finally, what I was expecting!”

It was impossible not to recognize that voice. It was Monokuma.

“M-monokuma?! Y-you realized..?” I blurted out.

“Realized you were here?! I knew it from the start! You guys are that predictable!”

“So this is a trap, as I thought.” Maki commented.

“Tsk, if you knew it why didn’t you say it? You would have spared your classmates from the pain…”

“But this is impossible! There has to be an exit!” Kaede exclaimed.

“Oh, yes. There is. That tunnel has one. You can reach it! If you try your hardest, that is.”

Was that… the only way out? Really?

“Upupupupu! Good luck!” he laughed, then disappeared.

“Uhnaa… so, if we try out best, we can escape..?”

“He’s lying. There’s no point in trying.” Maki commented, with her arms crossed.

“Hey! What are you saying! We only gave it a single shot!” Kaito retorted. “You can’t give up after that!”

“You’re spouting nonsense! If they let us try, that means we can’t get through! How can only I understand that?” Miu scolded.

“That’s probably true, but we only tried one time.” Rantaro explained. “When I start painting, the first draft is often terrible, so I need to improve it by practicing. Even if I’m an Ultimate, the first time I try, I might make some mistakes.”

“But were we to try and fail multiple times… our self-esteem would, without a doubt, plummet.” Kirumi warned us.

“Kaito and Rantaro are right, we only tried one time. What if we were unlucky? You can’t give up now! Especially to Monokuma! I know you don’t want to lose to him right now!”

“K-Kaede…”

She really is a decisive person… she thinks she can overcome every obstacle…

“So, let’s combine our strengths another time… no, every time until we get out! This is the time to make our talents shine!”

“This attitude is amazing, Kaede…” Korekiyo observed. “I wonder if I can replicate it by cosplaying as you…”

“Y-yeah… but later, okay? We need to go through this tunnel!”

And so, we went through the tunnel, with an even stronger sense of unity and courage.

…

However, no matter how hard we tried, how many times we tried, we couldn’t get through the tunnel.

Each time we tried, I lost some hope… I was at my limit.

Each time, I lost consciousness, and found myself back where we started.

Each time, I lost sight of my objective… escape… appeared impossible, and pointless.

***

I kept telling myself… “this time for sure”, “this time for sure”… but my determination wasn’t enough to escape from that tunnel.

“W-we failed… again…” Gonta said, catching his breath.

“We can rest if you want, however… we must escape!” I exclaimed.

“…Stop, please…” Kiibo said.

“Huh?”

“I can’t take this anymore… I’m tired…”

“But… by giving up we won’t accomplish anything!”

“He’s right.” 0U-M4 agreed. “Even I, an advanced robot, am finding difficulties in proceeding.”

“It is so troublesome…” Himiko added.

After her, other classmates gave their opinion. Korekiyo, Himiko, Maki, Miu and Tenko wanted to stop.

“The voice of God tells me that the exit won’t be reached today…” Angie told us, with her hands joined in prayer. “We should stop now…”

“What!? You bastards want to remain here for the rest of your lives?! You want to take part in the killing game?!” Kaito shouted.

“That would be a way out… the most logical…” 0U-M4 commented.

“However, you must give up your humanity… would you do that?” Rantaro asked. I don’t know if it was a rhetorical question, but I hope so.

“Well, that thing hasn’t any humanity in it! He’s a robot, after all!” Miu intervened.

“Yes, and if I wanted I could kill you at this moment, so you should shut up now!”

“B-but…”

“It seems we’ve lost our sense of unity…” Kirumi observed, laying her hat on her chest. “A civil war always stems from a trivial argument, leading to catastrophe…”

“D-don’t be so n-negative… I’m just very tired!” Tenko said. “I’m not saying we should take part in a killing game!”

Just after, a chime sounded. It was the same I heard hours before, in the building were I met Angie. I looked at the screen, and as I thought, I saw the Monokubs relaxing on a couch.

“It’s night time!” Monotaro announced. “Time to go to bed! Remember, the cafeteria, the warehouse and the gym are closed, and will open up at 8 A.M.!”

The others talked about silly things, but I didn’t care enough to pay attention. I was in a state of numbness, I felt like I did something wrong… really, did I force my classmates into doing something they didn’t want? Was I being so bossy? I got caught up in my feelings, forgetting about the others. They were discussing, but I couldn’t hear them, as If I was underwater and unable to swim back up to the surface.

“…So, we’ll meet each other at the cafeteria, tomorrow.”

It was the first thing I could hear, and it was Rantaro’s voice.

“Yes.” Ryoma said. “We’ll decide what to do then.”

As I began drifting back to reality, I saw the others climbing up the ladder one after another. The only ones who remained in the area with me were Kaito, Shuichi and Gonta.

“Kaede, you alright?” the tennis player asked me.

“W-wh… yes, I am…”

“You were staring at nothing while we agreed to go back to our rooms for the night.” Shuichi explained. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s... this might have been my fault.”

“Your fault?! For what?! You glued us together!” Kaito intervened. “To be fair, it’s because of you we were able to resist this long!”

“However… everybody lost their will to continue.”

“But that’s not something you wanted! Even I, Kaito Momota, I don’t always succeed! If I fail, I don’t think it’s my fault, because I didn’t want it to fail, do you understand me?”

Well, if he failed, it would be his fault, actually. Regardless, he’s clearly trying to cheer me up… he’s not doing a good job, but I at least appreciate it.

“…We should really go back to our rooms. It’s late now, and if we remain here we’ll only tire ourselves out.” Shuichi suggested.

“Gonta agrees! Tomorrow I convince the others to help each other again!”

Slightly reassured by the words of my friends, I climbed up the ladder and reached the boiler room. On the way back I met Ryoma, gazing at the sky. In that state, he didn’t seem suspicious, but I knew his secret. He could kill us… if he wanted.

Could 0U-M4 do that as well? He threatened Miu, and he wasn’t joking. Everyone fiercely opposed the killing game up until now, but what if their frustration led them to murder someone? That would be atrocious and would set a dangerous precedent, leading to a domino of murders and class trials.

“At night time we are most vulnerable. You should lock your doors.” Ryoma told us.

“Yeah… you should… block your door with whatever you can.” Kiibo added.

“Gonta checked his room… there is a key. Maybe it locks the door?”

“I guess that is its purpose. We don’t know each other that well, so… even if you trust your classmates, I really suggest locking your door.”

“That’s okay, but it won’t be necessary. Just because someone is tired, it doesn’t mean a murder will happen!” Kaito smiled.

“Please, don’t jinx it.” Shuichi followed.

“We’ll do… as you suggest.”

Hmm… does Ryoma really care about our safety?

As I thought about him, we reached the dorms, each of us heading to their rooms.

My room was nothing exceptional, as I expected. However, it was fairly spacious, had a decent bathroom and a closet full of uniforms exactly like the one I wore that day. After locking the door, I collapsed on the bed almost instantly, wondering about my past, present and future.

I didn’t remember my dreams.

***

I didn’t know what time I got up, but it was before the Monokubs’ announcement sounded. I had a shower and changed myself. I didn’t have many choices; every one of my clothes was the same. I couldn’t even find a second cape, so I had to take the one I wore the day before. I then started wandering around the school since I couldn’t sleep, exploring. However, I didn’t find anything new, so I decided to wait in the entrance hall and see who would show up. Before 8 AM, I saw Kiibo, who decided to sit with me.

“Good morning, Shuichi.” He greeted me.

“Hello, Kiibo.” I said, waving my hand. I was not in the mood of a conversation, but the astronaut continued to talk.

“…How are you feeling, after yesterday?”

That was… sudden. Why did me ask this question just now…? I started freaking out, but then I calmed down. I was probably being paranoiac.

“Fine..? Really… I don’t know. This situation… it seems not real, I… still want to think it’s a huge prank…”

“Heh, that would be too good. Last night, I stayed up all night, even if I was tired, looking at the stars… with Ryoma, for some time.”

“But, if you were tired, how did manage not to fall asleep?”

“Gazing at the stars… it usually calms me down. I hoped it would even in this case.”

“That’s curious.” I observed. “All those stars in the sky remind me of the vastness of space, and how small we are in the greater scope of things… it has that melancholic vibe to it, you know?”

“For me is the exact opposite! It’s reassuring to know the universe continues on without us… if we make mistakes, overall, it does no harm to it, since it’s so large and so many things are happening in this moment… what if there are other civilization besides us? It raises so many questions… it inspires me…”

I guess I understand his point of view, even if I don’t agree with it. I’d be egoistic to think that the universe cares about me, and indeed it isn’t the case. I’m simply here, existing. I should understand that I’m not at the center of the world, and should appreciate it no matter what happens.

“Have you started thinking deep, Shuichi?” Kiibo asked me.

“Yeah, sort of…” I chuckled. “When somebody talks about the universe, I start to question myself and wonder about how things came to be, what will happen-

“No, don’t. Thinking about the future without understanding the present is harmful. Your magic tricks require preparations, right?”

“Y-yeah…”

“That’s the present. If you don’t concentrate on the present, your future –the execution- won’t be as good as you imagine… I mean, the trick will fail.”

And that’s when the announcement sounded, with the Monokubs greeting us and inviting us to kill each other. I decided to ignore them.

“Kiibo, you’re a deep thinker too, it seems.”

“Oh, no. I just like metaphors, that’s all. When I told you about stars, I wanted to tell you another thing… but everyone should be heading to the cafeteria now. I’ll tell everyone when we’ll decide what to do. Do you want to go there with me?”

“U-uhm… okay.”

So, I followed Kiibo to the cafeteria. Surprisingly, 0U-M4 was waiting there, and Angie arrived shortly after.

“How can you be here already?” I asked. “I arrived here pretty early, and there were no people around…”

“I saw you and Kiibo talk! You were so distracted by each other that didn’t see me!” 0U-M4 smiled. “Nee-hee-hee… What were you talking about? What?! Is it something… dirty?!”

“Why would you even think that!” Kiibo rebutted.

“And you, Angie..?”

“I followed God’s voice~”

That’s not really helpful… but who cares. She probably isn’t going to tell me either way.

Us four didn’t wait that long before everyone showed up. Tsumugi was one of the first people to come to the cafeteria, and offered to prepare breakfast. With her being the Ultimate Maid, no one complained.

“Thankfully, no one became a victim last night.” Korekiyo observed as soon as Kaede, the last one to arrive, closed the door behind her.

“Did you doubt that? Of course nobody was killed!” Kaito rebutted.

“By the way, Kaede… are you okay?” 0U-M4 asked. “As a robot, I can’t fully comprehend human emotions, but yesterday everyone decided to go against your plan…”

“It’s okay, don’t worry. I understood I was only thinking about myself.”

“What are you saying?! You were doing the right thing!” Kaito shouted.

“No, Kaito. We already discussed about that. I’m fine with it.”

“Ooh! I’m so happy everything was settled! I’m programmed to ensure humans live happily among each other!”

“Everybody was probably just exhausted. Especially because we were just brought here.” Rantaro intervened.

“That’s right…” Kaede agreed. “Now, let’s talk again… how can we get out of here?”

“Please, before that I want to tell you something.” Kiibo raised his hand.

“Huh. What is it?” Himiko asked.

“Last night I stayed up late to look at the stars.”

“Tsk, putting yourself at danger just like that! Are you deaf?” Miu commented, despite Kiibo not finishing his sentence.

“Well, Ryoma was there with me, so it’s not that I was alone… What I wanted to tell you is that I don’t recognize the stars that shine in the sky.”

“Huh? But aren’t you Ultimate Astronaut?” Gonta asked.

“Right… you should know…” Tenko observed, sitting in the chair besides Himiko’s.

“That’s the problem. If I don’t recognize them, it means we’re held somewhere far from our homeland. For example, there is no polar star in sight…”

“That’s interesting. Why would they bring us so far from the place we live, however, I don’t know.” Kaede thought aloud. “I guess we’re in an area where no people live.”

“That might be it, but… how can nobody see us? With so many airplanes in the skies, one should pass, shouldn’t it?” Tsumugi asked.

“My best guess is that we’re in a prohibited airspace.”

“Or worse, a no-fly zone.” Kirumi added.

“Is there a difference?” Ryoma asked.

“Yes. A prohibited airspace is an area where flight is prevented by legal or civil means, whereas, in a no-fly zone flight is prevented because military power is forbidden.”

“That means that airplanes can’t be used to rescue us… our kidnapper has so much power?” Himiko asked.

“It could be a very rich person, who happened to be bored, and decided to pit us against each other only for their enjoyment, and the other nations couldn’t oppose them…” Korekiyo hypothesized.

“That terrible! How can someone do that?” Gonta exclaimed.

“We already established that this killing game doesn’t seem to have a purpose.” 0U-M4 observed.

“What killing game would serve purpose?! That not gentleman-like!”

“We don’t know.” Rantaro intervened. “It might be beyond our comprehension, but we might be here for a reason.”

“Yeah, that’s it!”

Monokuma, without any warning whatsoever, appeared in the cafeteria.

“Kyaaaaa!” Tsumugi screamed. “Don’t scare us like that!”

“Oh, sorry. I meant it.”

“Y-you don’t go around scaring people!” Tenko reprimanded.

“Why are you here?” Rantaro asked, calm as always.

“I saw that despite the announcement of the killing game, you still are getting along! That’s terrible!”

“Don’t go around saying this like that! Of course it’s not terrible!” Kiibo protested.

“Well it’s terrible for me. I didn’t know what to do, then I had a great idea… I’ll give you bastards a motive to kill!”

“That won’t help you at all.”

“Upupupupu… we’ll see… so, without delay, I’m going to announce the first motive of this amazing killing game!.. Are you excited? Of course I am!”

“Do it quickly and be done with it.”

“The first murderer will get a very special prize… their memories back! Upupupupu!”

“Killing for getting out memories back? Who fucking cares about them!” Kaito said.

“And how would you do that? Memories can’t come back just because you said so.” Maki commented.

“You just have to wait your victim is finally dead and… they will come back! It will happen, I assure you!”

“Daddy! Daddy! You’ve got it wrong!” Monophanie notified.

“Huh? What?” Monokuma looked at the ground and noticed the five Monokubs besides him. “What are you doing here, at this time of morning?! You should be sleeping!”

“Daddy, you should have used a different motive…” Monosuke told his dad.

“Oh, what?...” Monokuma stopped for a couple of seconds. “Yeah, you’re right, my dear children! Oh, what would I do if it wasn’t for you!”

“Oh, daddy! We’re so lucky to have you as our parent!” the Monokubs exclaimed all together.

“Since this motive is unoriginal, I’ll have to come up with something else, uhm… Yes, I’ve got it! Along with their memories, the culprit will have another advantage! They’ll be able to graduate immediately, and no class trial will be held! Just to spice up the game!”

***

No class trial… wouldn’t that be… against the rules?

“I know what some of you may be thinking… but Monokuma, that goes against the school regulations! Well, who cares! I’m the one that decides the rules! And today I decided that this motive alters the rules!”

“Oh, daddy is so decisive! When he sees a problem, he immediately resolves it!” Monotaro praised. “When I grow up I want to be just like him!”

“Hell yeah! I do too! I want to become as strong as him so I can bully Monodam more than now!”

“…………”

“Well, we’ve done our job today, we can go!” Monophanie said.

“So long, bear well!!” They shouted together before disappearing.

“I’m going too.” Monokuma announced. “Please kill as soon as possible and you’ll be rewarded! You can exit the school by murdering only one person, while the others continue the killing game! If you don’t want to see a massacre, take this opportunity!”

After that, he was not in front of us anymore.

“Hmm… a sacrifice…” Rantaro mumbled.

“A sacrifice? W-what do you mean?” Shuichi asked.

“If someone offers to die, the killer can go free. That’s what Monokuma meant.”

“Yes, but there’s no way someone would give up their life!” Tsumugi intervened.

“If someone is ready to do that, please step forward.” Korekiyo said.

As I expected, everyone stood still.

“So that’s it. Nobody desires to die. Predictable, but understandable.”

“What?!” Miu angrily exclaimed. “Nobody is ready to sacrifice themselves for me, Miu Iruma?! You weaklings, you are the worst people I could be locked in with! You’ll die a virgin!”

“Can someone force her to shut up..? Please…” yawned Himiko.

“Miu brings up another point.” Rantaro added. “Even if we found someone ready to die for us, we would have to decide who gets to go free.”

“…And that would be just as difficult.” I concluded the artist’s thought.

Obviously, we are nobody to decide someone else’s fate; as long as is their choice to die, we have nothing to say, but when it’s our turn to escape… I’m sure everyone would want freedom for himself or herself.

“…we should just ignore it.” I said, after.

“Huh?”

“Let’s pretend Monokuma didn’t mention this… motive… at all. Does it matter? No, we still can work hard to find an exit, and I’m sure no one would attempt a killing.”

“According to my calculations, however, murdering someone would result in the best scenario possible…” 0U-M4 pondered. “For the killer, of course.”

“Do you want us kill each other?” Tenko asked. “It’s not the first time you say killing would be better… you’re just as evil as menaces.”

“Oh!” 0U-M4’s face became gloomy. “That’s a low blow… if I could be able to cry, I would be right now…”

“Even if you’re a robot, you’re free to join me in prayer for God~” Angie told 0U-M4.

“Ouma, why are you telling us this?” I asked him. “This way, you’re only making yourself more and more suspicious. You also threatened Miu just yesterday…”

“R-right… you’re aren’t going to k-kill me, right..?”

“Oh, that was a lie! I can’t just kill someone, you know? I was programmed not to harm humans!”

“Maybe physically, but you surely are harming my mind.” Kiibo commented.

“Ha! How funny!... No, I was joking. It was no fun at all.”

I thought I had to shout again to stop the fighting, but luckily I didn’t have to intervene.

“Let’s do as Kaede says.” Kirumi proposed. “Let’s look around the school and the surroundings to check if something new appeared.”

“I agree with that. I need to spend some time alone.” Maki said. She didn’t even let us respond that she reached the door and got out.

“Man, she’s so unfriendly.” Kaito commented. “Should I go after her?”

“Oh, oh… maybe she’s planning a murder..!” 0U-M4 warned.

“Stop with that nonsense! Nobody is going to kill here!”

“If she wants some time alone, give it to her.” I told him. “Anyways, you’re going to see her. This school isn’t that big.”

“We should check the locked doors and buildings. There are a few.” Ryoma suggested.

“And what about those strange pieces of furniture? They’re scattered everywhere and are pretty suspicious.” Tsumugi proposed.

“You’re both right. Should we work in pairs? Everyone should check an area thoroughly and with two people for each group we are almost sure every possible clue is found.”

“However, we’re fifteen, without Maki…” Himiko said.

“Kaede can work alone. She’s used to this.” Rantaro suggested.

“Uhm… okay. No problem for me.”

So, we started making pairs. Obviously, Tenko decided to go with Himiko, but for the others it was a bit difficult. At the end, we chose to let luck decide. Tsumugi brought some papers and a pen from the warehouse and we drew names. Kirumi got stuck with Miu, who nobody wanted to be with, Korekiyo got paired with 0U-M4 and Shuichi with Ryoma.

As the other pairs were being made, I asked him if he could come closer. He did as I asked, and I nonchalantly started whispering to him, in order to not let anyone hear.

“Ryoma… he might be dangerous.”

He glanced at me with a confused look, but didn’t say anything in return.

“I’ll explain to you later. Just… pay attention when you’re searching with him, okay? And try to remember what he says and does. It’s really important.”

The magician nodded and went to the kitchen to get something to eat.

“Okay, so the pairs are made.” Rantaro announced. “Please, try not to complain about your partner.”

“Angie is very happy to be with Gonta! Is Gonta happy too?”

“Y-yeah… you make Gonta happy.”

“How happy I am to hear that! Let’s go, let’s go!”

Angie, surprising Gonta, grabbed his hand and the two of them exited the cafeteria from the back door.

“I think it’s time for me to go. I’m going to search and see if I can find something useful.”

Saying that, I also left the cafeteria, heading to my research room. I didn’t expect to uncover a secret exit, but at least I hoped I could find tools that could help me.

Chapter Text

Slowly, each pair went to investigate a specific part of the school. Even if we already searched, something new could have appeared, Rantaro said. The fact that he took complete control over us was a bit suspicious, but I concluded that wasn’t anything really objective, just a feeling I had. I don’t like to be ordered around, and that might be the cause of the uneasiness I feel every time Rantaro starts to talk.

“It appears that the area we’re going to search is the basement… well, we have already been there, so why are we going there again?” Ryoma asked.

“Uhm, I don’t think you should discard the idea that something else could be hidden down there…”

“Why would you say that? The game room, where you and Kaede found me, has nothing of interest, and the library… is just a bunch of books.”

“I’m no bookworm, but it could be that some of those books contain useful information.”

“Good luck to you if you’re reading them. There must be thousands of them in there, I’m not even joking. Have you noticed they’re everywhere? On the shelves, on top of the shelves, scattered around…”

“H-hey… I was making an assumption… Monokuma could have hidden precious details in there, like your talent…”

Ryoma’s eyes lit up for a split second, but quickly returned to normal.

“Even if that was true, we would have to spend days reading from dawn until dusk. My talent is not that important.”

“Anyways, what I wanted to say is that there was a door that was stuck and couldn’t be opened. That door should lead into a room we haven’t checked yet… I doubt that room has a secret exit, but it might have something that could help with the tunnel we saw yesterday.”

“Are you still of the opinion that Monokuma is letting us escape?”

“Even if it might seem absurd, I believe him. He has trapped us here, you know, but he has set clear rules and hasn’t lied up until now… w-what if there’s a trick we can use to go through that tunnel?”

“Mhh, you may be right. However, I think it would be too easy to find it in a room like the others.”

“You can’t be sure until you prove it. …Let’s be optimistic, okay? Kaede hasn’t... given up and we... won’t either.”

As I headed for the basement with Ryoma besides me, I started wondering about Kaede’s words.

“Pay attention when you’re searching with him later, okay? And try to remember what he says and does, it’s really important.”

It came off as a surprise. When we met Ryoma, she appeared somewhat strange. She was observing him carefully; like he was a childhood friend she hadn’t seen for a long time who, by chance, appeared in front of her. I was certain she knew him from somewhere, but I surely didn’t. At first I thought he might have been a famous actor or sportsman that I didn’t know about. I don’t watch sports at all, and I’m not familiar with movie stars, but no one came up to him and appeared interested, so he had to have some sort of relationship with Kaede… but I had no idea how could they be connected. And then, the detective warned me. If she went out of her way to tell me someone was dangerous, that had to be true. Just… how dangerous was this person?

We went down the stairs and the basement appeared.

“Should we check that door first?” Ryoma proposed.

I nodded and us both arrived in front of the door, which was still closed.

“Let’s try opening it...”

I reached for the handle and the door started to open. However, it stopped where it did before. I didn’t give up, and I continued pushing.

“Hnghhhh…” I turned, and saw Ryoma standing behind me, doing nothing. “At leastngh… help me…”

“If you rely on me for this, you are very weak. You’re triple my size and you can’t open the door.”

“This… is not… the time… for this…” I said, still pushing the door with all the force I had in my arms.

“I think you can do it alone… hey, it’s about to move.” He commented. He wasn’t being sarcastic; he was genuinely convinced I was opening the door.

A moment after, he leaned against the wall and without any kind of warning whatsoever, the door opened. Completely unaware, I hadn’t the time to realize what was happening and I flew across the room, trying not to lose balance. However, in a matter of seconds, I realized that I was falling onto the floor.

Thankfully, a piece of furniture saved me, conveniently placed in the middle of the room. In my path I encountered the side of a sofa, and as I tripped over it, my whole body was safe from any kind of injury.

“W-what happened…” I muttered, still confused.

“A secret switch.” Ryoma responded.

***

I didn’t know whether or not my research room was opened, but I counted on it. I had some doubts… would such a room be unlocked as soon as the killing game was starting? Would Monokuma do that and give us a huge advantage for the investigation and the class trials? That’s what I first thought, then I realized that forcing a detective to participate was already something that would help the survivors in the trials.

That led me to think that that stuffed bear didn’t want to see each one of us annihilated, but instead would’ve liked to see the game continuing… victim after culprit, until two people were left… it was the same, pretty much, but without any doubt, the game would’ve gotten tenser each time a murder was committed. Did it mean something? Or was this killing just for the sake of killing? Who knows, it’s still too early and, on top of that, nobody here seems ready to kill, not even Ryoma.

I went upstairs, the floor where me and Shuichi woke up, and saw Tsumugi along with Rantaro checking the dragon statue out.

“Hey, Kaede.” Rantaro greeted me. “Don’t you find this piece of furniture strange?”

He was right. It definitely looked out of place.

“Y-yeah…”

“That’s what I thought. I think it contains a secret.”

“However, we haven’t found anything.” Tsumugi observed.

“Hmm… maybe it’s just a statue put in the wrong place..? It could be that was placed here but will be moved in one of our research rooms? Maybe it’s something… that Kirumi understands? You know, since she’s an adventurer and stuff”

“I doubt it.” Rantaro responded. “Despite this, I’d ask her. Should we go search for her?”

“Yes, of course. After all, Kaede is here… if something important was there, she will surely find, it right...? I wonder what kinds of things she does as an adventurer... huh... I suppose we aren't that different."

“Well, yeah... even though a maid spends most of her time in one place...” I muttered, watching the two leaving the area. Luckily, no one else was around. I didn’t want anyone to go into my room… especially if I hadn’t entered it before. Even if they had the best intentions in mind, they could end up causing a mess.

I reached the handle to open the room and then…

“Please, bear with us for a moment!”

“What are you doing here…” I said, more frustrated than curious.

“Oh, are we unwanted guests?” Monophanie asked.

“Yes, you are! Go away!”

“What?! You don’t bully Monophanie! I’m the only one who can bully one of us, and that is Monodam!” Monokid shouted.

“I can’t believe you guys always forget why we have to talk to these students!” Monosuke complained.

“Sorry if I get lost in thought… I won’t do that anymore…”

“Either way, we’ve come here to tell you that your research room is open, Kaede Akamatsu! Aren’t you happy? I would!” Monotaro said.

“I could’ve noticed it myself. We’re in front of it!” I responded, eager to enter.

“Oh, yes. We have badly timed our entrance… we’ll improve next time!” the bear continued.

“It’s Monokid’s fault! He’s always complaining and slows me down!”

“What!? Monosuke, look at yourself and understand I’m better than you! Hell yeah!”

“We should leave now, let’s leave Kaede some space.” Monophanie said.

“Let’s settle this in the hangar!” Monokid shouted, before disappearing with his brothers.

“They’re so annoying…” I muttered “What’s the point of having them here if the Exisals can be piloted in auto-mode? Bah…”

After this unwanted incursion, I prepared myself to enter my room. Before that, however, I spotted a key under my feet. A note under it clarified that its use was to lock the door. I felt relieved; nobody could enter while I was in there.

The room was the same length as the classroom I had woken up in, but considerably wider, illuminated by a large window. At the sides of the room there were two bookcases, however, only one contained actual books, the other small bottles, of different shapes and sizes. At first they seemed empty, but upon closer inspection I noticed some sort of fluid was in them. No label or any sort of indications were present on the bottles themselves, so I moved them on a nearby table to see if something was hidden behind them.

I returned to my main task. A piece of paper was sticked to the back of the bookcase, with “poison without secondary effects” written on it. After I put back the various containers in the place they were in, I checked if the liquids on the others shelves were different, and I discovered that they were indeed types of poison, but they came with other effects, such as “intense headache”, “temporary formication felt in lower party of body” and “high chance of nausea”… along with others. They were strange effects, however. How was Monokuma able to get these kind of strange, exotic poisons…? And how could they be so different from each other?

This unforeseen circumstance didn’t help me at all, instead, it made the situation worse. There were, in fact, at least fifty bottles of poison in that exact room, ready to use to kill us all. I didn’t know how much was enough to murder someone, but the killer surely had enough of it to kill one person, pouring it in someone’s drink. After that, he would be able to leave.

“No, no, what are you thinking about…” I said to myself. “There’s no way someone will kill!”

I kept telling myself that, and I believed it.

Still, I couldn’t leave weapons exposed like that.

I couldn’t bring them somewhere else because of Monokuma’s rules, so I had to hide them in the room. This option appeared difficult because of the number of the bottles that were present. I could try to hide them behind the books on the other bookcase, but that was not practical. I would have to position each one of them individually, and the various books would appear as they were about to fall, surely a suspicious position if someone was checking my room. I also didn’t want to break the bottles because I didn’t know anything about those fluids except the effects they caused so, better not to test my luck.

“Let’s check other things… then I’ll decide what to do with those.”

Opposite to the door I entered there was a fireplace emitting light, but didn’t feel any heat. I saw the flames, but they weren’t real. In fact, they were only an image displayed on a screen. Around that, various pictures of famous fictional detectives were present. Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Poirot, Miss Marple and Nancy Drew were the ones I recognized, but there were a couple I didn’t know… well, I’m going to do some research on them when I’ll get out.

Near the fireplace, there were two rocking chairs and near them a sofa that looked rather comfortable. In front of it there was a wide desk. Under it a shredder was well hidden. However, it was useless since there were no documents around. I tried to open the drawers, but they were locked and the key I used to lock the door wasn’t the right one.

Lastly, a beautiful rug was placed right in the middle of the room.

“I guess for now the best option is to hide the poison bottles behind the books.” I said to myself.

I took a couple of bottles with a blue-ish fluid, with the description. “Non-lethal poison. Causes unconsciousness. Half a dose is needed to be effective. ”

As I was approaching the bookcase on the other side of the room, I stepped on the rug. Nothing was strange, until my foot didn’t feel the ground under it. Not even a second after, it hit something that made a metallic sound, but it was too late. I lost my balance and tripped, hitting the parquet of my room. I didn’t hurt myself, but the glass bottles of poison fell and the liquid immediately started to vaporize in contact with the air. I tried to stand up, but it was already too late. My eyes were already closing. 

***

“Are you okay?” Ryoma asked, coming near me.

“Yes… thanks to this couch…” I said, sitting up.

Looking around, I realized we were in a AV Room. It didn’t look so different from the ones I had seen before, but just then a secret switch, which we had no idea about, was pressed, showing us that this school… or whatever this building is, has secrets. Were these secrets placed for us to discover them or not?

By the way, the room didn’t look like it had an exit route, but that didn’t mean nothing interesting was in it. Behind the couch were I was sitting, I saw a projector seemingly broken and in front of me a canvas where the various images could be projected.. On the side of it, there were two stereos. Besides those things, nothing really interesting caught my eye. There were two bookshelves with some books, but when I opened one of them I noticed their pages were completely blank.

“I think they’re here just for scenery… we already have thousands of books in the library. Who knows where they found them.”

“Isn’t it strange that nothing is written on these books?” I asked.

“Sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s something suspicious. Probably they put the books here because we weren’t supposed to see this room.”

“But if that’s the case… why isn’t Monokuma here to kick us out?”

“I don’t know, but as long he’s away from us, I’m okay with it.”

“R-right. Maybe he hasn’t noticed yet. We need to be quick. Let’s search this room thoroughly.”

That is what I said, but sadly, that room didn’t look special at all.

However, when I pulled the small cord to roll the canvas up, something flashed in front of my eyes, just for a moment. It looked like a lock that could be opened with a specific key. I could have gotten a better look at it, but the canvas immediately unrolled and Monokuma materialized before me.

“What are you doing?! Taking advantage of my morning nap?!”

“M-Monokuma?” Even if I saw him earlier, him appearing still shocked me.

“You don’t recognize me? Of course I’m Monokuma! The one and only!”

“You’re an AI. There could be millions like you.” Ryoma responded.

“Are you saying I’m not unique?! Should I unleash all Monokuma spares to teach you a lesson?! You are on the verge of breaking the rules!”

But… Wouldn’t dispatching Monokumas everywhere prove Ryoma’s point?

He didn’t appear worried, despite Monokuma just threatening him.

“…Don’t you understand?! Are you deaf?! I told you your life is in danger!”

“The only thing I saw on the Monopad that involved you…” Ryoma explained. “Is something like… Violence against headmaster Monokuma is not allowed.”

“You think that psychological violence doesn’t count?!...” the bear shouted, furious. “But… it wasn’t that clear… and killing you know would be so boring, after all. The first victim should be murdered by one of you, instilling worry in each student, and starting moving the domino tiles that lead to despair!”

When was he going to shut up about that despair that always invoked?.. Was it really… what would happen to us after the first murder? I asked myself, what if we started doubting each other? That would lead to despair… that’s right… the first murder was dear to that crazy bear, because it ensured that others would come after.

“By the way, I came here because you guys were snooping around things you shouldn’t have seen!”

“You want to kick us out this room? But the rules said that the school ground could be investigated without particular restrictions!” Roma complained.

“Ehm… that’s right… but this room had particular restrictions! Look, it’s written there!”

Monokuma pointed at the door, still opened, where a paper was hung thanks to a nail. Ryoma read it.

“Access to the A/V room is at the moment prohibited seeing as how the area is not yet ready and is in need of improvement. The students are to be notified when the room will be accessible. That wasn’t here before. Did you place it?”

“Yes! But the fault isn’t mine; this misunderstanding is because I don’t keep an eye on my adorable Monokubs! They must have forgotten it… but how can I punish them? They’re so cute! They make my heart melt!”

It must be something that only animals of their species… I mean, AI of the same type, can understand, because none of us students enjoys their company and of course don’t find them cute. Maybe if they weren’t always arguing with each other and weren’t obsessed with us killing each other… and they didn’t control giant menacing robots… I could think they’re ok.

But cute... nope.

Monokuma stood in front of us, waiting for us to move.

“So?! Be quick! I’m getting angry!... As always, I have to do things by myself!”

The bear disappeared, making me think he was finally gone, but then appeared behind us, and pushed us –with an unnatural force for a stuffed toy- out of the door.

“And don’t enter until I tell you to!” He scolded, before closing it. Immediately after I heard the sound of a lock, but it wasn’t the one I thought I had seen previously, but the one of the door. Unless we had the right key we couldn’t enter.

“It seems we found something.” Ryoma said.

“Something? We didn’t…” I corrected him. “And now, this room is locked and we don’t know for how long…”

“I meant… something was hidden behind the canvas. If I noticed it, you must have seen it as well.

“A-actually, yes… it looked like a lock.”

“However, nothing else was there. Just a lock, casually there.”

“Either way, we don’t have any key with us… we couldn’t enter.”

I looked at Ryoma expecting him to reply or maybe say something… however, he remained completely silent.

“Hey, look at that…”

I pointed to a part of the wall colored slightly differently from the rest.

“That is where I leaned. And that opened the door.”

“Should… we check the library, now?” I asked him.

“If you want… we have a lot of time on our hands.”

As he talked, I tried to remember each one of his words, even though that was impossible. I was aware of the fact that wasn’t necessary, but I also knew that some of those words could be important to Kaede for her investigation, or whatever she was planning on doing. To me, Ryoma appeared laid-back, calm… he didn’t even worry when Monokuma was intimidating him. This was interesting, but I had only spent less around an hour with him, so my judgment was totally inaccurate.

***

A faint sound in the distance, but very far… I thought it was coming from the floor below…

The sound came closer, but I still didn’t know what it was…

Only when my vision started to come back again, I figured out that someone was knocking,

No, banging… on the door.

“Kaede, Kaede… are you here?” It was Tsumugi.

“I have already told you, she isn’t here.” Rantaro told her.

“But where could she be? We’ve searched all around the school!”

“I also believe she is there.” Kirumi said.

“Why can’t we leave this place!? I need to visit my research room!” Miu complained.

What was going on? …All that I remember is that I fell when I least expected… and that the poison bottles broke…

Uhm... before retracing what happened, I needed to answer those four.

“Hey… hello! I’m here, you’re right…” I responded, still lying on the floor.

“Oh! Kaede you’re there!...” Tsumugi exclaimed. “What were you doing!? Why didn’t you answer us!?”

“Oh, uhm… how long have you been knocking on my door?”

“It must’ve been… around ten minutes.” Rantaro explained.

“That’s a lot of patience you have.”

“You’re fucking right! She’s okay, we’re free to leave! Kirumeh, let’s go to my research room!”

“Miu, it is still closed. We went there fifteen minutes ago.”

“Sorry if I am interfering in what you’re doing…” Tsumugi started “But why didn’t you answer? We were loud, especially Miu.”

“I was sleeping…”

I didn’t outright lie to them since I was sleeping, in a weird way. I didn’t want them to know what happened to me, because they would ask me questions and probably feel obligated to help me. Whatever caused my fall was something only I could know of.

“Ah! You were dreaming of an handsome man in your bed, at night… what a perv! That’s why you didn’t answer to us!”

“Miu, why do you think everyone here is a pervert?” Tsumugi asked. “That’s… not… you know what? Think what you want… You probably won’t change your opinion.”

“Are you alright? Are you sure?” Kirumi inquired.

“Your voice… is a bit funny.” Tsumugi followed.

“That’s because I just woke up… this room is a mess.”

Tsumugi offered to help me. “Should I help you organize it? The more messy it is, the more I feel obliged to tidy it.”

“No, no worries. I can do everything alone… but… what time is it?”

“I have yet to find clocks, but, judging by the position of the sun… I’d say around 4 p.m.”

What!? 4 p.m.? That was a really long time… I don’t think my explanation is very convincing…

“Before you go… Kirumi, have you inspected that dragon statue?”

“Yes, I did. Unfortunately, I do not think will aid us in our escape.”

“That’s what I thought… and did you find something in the area you searched?”

“No… however, the section of the garden me and Miu inspected conceals something.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I am not sure, I have this feeling that a secret is hidden under my feet.”

“Heegh! Kirumeh, are you a fetishist?!”

“I’m feeling rather uncomfortable with her around me…” Tsumugi said, referring to Miu. “I’d prefer to leave now.”

“Y-yeah… I’m coming too.” Rantaro added. “I’m going to see if someone else needs our help, okay?”

“Since you told us you feel well, we’ll leave you alone for now.” Kirumi said to me. “Regardless, I’d enjoy some fresh air if I were you.”

I was about to respond, but something else caught my attention. The key, previously placed in the lock, was not there anymore. There had to be a reason, but that wasn’t the time to investigate.

“Uhm… guys… I think I’m locked in.”

“What?! I thought you said you were ok!” Tsumugi cried.

“I know, I know! I locked myself in the room with a key, but it’s gone!”

“Keys don’t disappear, dumbass!” Miu shouted. “You’ll find it! Just search!”

“We can’t leave her there.” Rantaro intervened. “Do you see any way out?”

“Uhm… yeah. There are some windows. I could climb down from there… however, I need a rope.”

“We’ll get it from the warehouse, I saw one there.” Tsumugi said.

“Either way, you should search for the key around your room.” Kirumi told me. “You locked yourself in, so it seems debatable that someone else took it.”

“It’s strange, I know… I’ll think about it.”

The four, with Miu still complaining, said goodbye and left.

The adventurer was right. How could someone enter? The only entrances were the door and the window, but the latter couldn’t be opened from the outside and was in perfect conditions; nobody broke in.

However, I also needed to know how did I fall, so I got up from my position. I saw the glass shards that were scattered around me. Thankfully they didn’t hit me. Something was under the rug, and I swiftly got rid of it, moving it on the other side of the room. I discovered that a squared hole was conveniently placed near the middle of the room, but it wasn’t a normal, “natural” hole. It was about 20 centimeters deep and covered by shiny metal.

“Why would a thing like that be here..?” I wondered.

I thought it was like a vent leading somewhere, and the supposed “end” of it was just a panel, but it didn’t move at all. It could prove useful to hide the poison bottles, but there was nothing I could use to safely cover it except the rug, so if someone happened to walk over it, all the glass bottles would break and chaos would be unleashed. A board to cover it up would be a solution, but firstly, I had to find one. The poison bottles were still in plain view and looking around another time, there was no option other than hiding them behind the books. I also discarded the possibility of hiding them under the desk, near the shredder.

As I approached it, however, I noticed that there was something in it: dozens little pieces of paper.

They weren’t there before or am I crazy?

“I’m getting way too paranoid.” I said.

I sighed and started getting down to business.

After five –or more?- minutes of back and forth, I finally hid every bottle and repositioned the books, while searching for the key and waiting for the others to arrive. With no effective method to pick up the shards, I was forced to keep them where they were. Some of the books ended up not fitting into the bookcase, so I moved them in the other one. There was still one problem to resolve: the pieces of paper that described the effects of the kinds of poison. No matter how hard I tried, they were firmly stuck; various layers of adhesive tape were stacked on top of each other. It appeared they were unmovable.

“That’s the most I can do.” I said to myself.

Now, after ensuring that everything dangerous was hidden, I just had to wait for the others. I hoped Miu wouldn’t convince them to leave me alone.

***

“There is no need to worry. Kaede is in her research room, apparently not hurt.” Kirumi announced.

I let out a sigh of relief and wiped out the sweat from my forehead. Me, Korekiyo, Ryoma and 0U-M4 were waiting in the entrance hall for news about Kaede. She was missing since morning and I feared for the worst. I thought that someone had targeted her, but when Tsumugi, Rantaro and Kirumi came back with a smile on their faces –not Miu, she looked like she wasn’t enjoying herself- I understood that things were okay.

“However… she can’t get out of her room.”

What?!

“Yeah, she locked herself in her room! What for, we don’t know!” Miu complained.

“That’s suspicious…” 0U-M4 giggled.

“Your circuits must be all over the place!” Miu said. “If someone’s suspicious, you shouldn’t be laughing!”

“I’m enjoying myself! If Kaede is suspicious the game will be more interesting!” 0U-M4 exclaimed, crossing his arms behind his head.

“Kaede must have her reasons to lock herself in her room...!” I rushed to the defense of the detective. “And that’s not important right now! We need to rescue her!”

“No need for the discussion to get heated up… can’t I point the obvious?”

“You only wish to create disharmony among us, why is that?” Korekiyo asked. “Is it because of your robot nature?”

“Even if I don’t have an heart like yours, I still feel and understand… but it could be that my software needs improvement.”

“Just as I thought. No robot could ever mimic to perfection a human being… humans are truly unique!”

“Can we stop talking about the beauty of humanity and focus on what’s happening now?” I cried out.

“Y-yeah, that would make more sense…” Tsumugi said.

“Even if Ouma wants us to doubt each other, what he said is true. We should ask ourselves, and then her, why has she been in that room since we split up.” Rantaro chimed in. “We can ask her when we meet… however, firstly we need to get a rope from the warehouse.”

“That is what we were about to do.” Kirumi explained. “I thought that clarifying what were we doing was essential.”

“Yeah! A rescue mission!” 0U-M4 laughed. “That’s so exciting! I was so bored up until now!”

“Bored to the point you decided to abandon me to search alone…” Korekiyo observed.

“Well, I came back! So, who cares about my amazing adventures.”

We headed for the warehouse and easily found a rope while I tried to ignore 0U-M4’s sarcastic comments. After that, we circled the school to find the window we were searching for.

“Hey! I’m here, guys.”

Kaede was flailing her arms to make us notice her, window already open.

“Kaede, are you alright?” Tsumugi asked.

“Yeah, considering the situation… I think I’m fine.”

“I’m going to throw the rope at you.” Kirumi explained. “Then, you will need to climb down.”

“Pay attention, it could be dangerous.” Rantaro warned.

The adventurer threw the rope a couple of times before it could reach the window, but Kaede managed to grab it, attach it to somewhere in the room, and started descending. The window wasn’t that high, however I was extremely worried that the detective could fall… obviously that wouldn’t kill her, but would still hurt.

Thankfully, my worries disappeared as Kaede safely landed on the grass, thanking Kirumi for her help.

“Hah! And this thing is also done. Oof! What a day…”

Rantaro immediately started talking.

“Finally Kaede came back from her nest! Has she enjoyed herself?”

“U-uhm… yes… no?.. That’s such a weird question, what should I answer?”

“Ah! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear!”

“O…kay..?”

“I’m grateful you’re safe. That’s good.” Tsumugi said.

“Aren’t we forgetting an important thing?” 0U-M4 asked. “Kaede is very suspicious, if I say so myself!”

The detective looked at him with a confused look, but I guess she was slightly irritated too. Regardless of her feelings, she didn’t say anything.

“We should check the room! I wonder what’s in there! Nishishi…”

“Hmmm… I’d prefer you wouldn’t go there. There is… some pretty personal stuff.”

“Hyahahah! What do you keep hidden in there?! Something… to spend your time with?” Miu asked.

“Not what you think.” Kaede answered crossing her arms.

“So the research rooms really are tailored for us!” Tsumugi exclaimed. “I wonder how mine will be… and Ryoma’s! I bet that as soon he sees his one the memories will flood back!”

“Yeah…” Ryoma didn’t say much.

“So, you’re leaving your room.” 0U-M4 observed. “Isn’t it dangerous? Your… personal stuff is there, and anyone could take it!”

“The door is locked, that’s why she got out from the window. ” I noted.

“No, Shuichi. Ouma is right.” Kaede said, looking at the ground. “The fact that the door is locked only causes more problems.”

“Now a new entrance has opened up.” Rantaro explained, pointing at the window, still open. “There’s no way we can close that from the outside.”

“Don’t forget the key, you lame asses!” Miu shouted. “If Kaede was locked in someone had one to lock her in! How can you be so stupid?!”

…And she was promptly ignored.

“Plus, I think someone has a key that can unlock and lock the research room… I locked myself in, so somebody must have had a copy.” Rantaro concluded. 

“What a stupid invention!” Miu commented.

“However, I came up with a plan… sort of. It’s not that easy, but will make sure my personal stuff remains well hidden.”

Rantaro, smiling at her, nodded. It was obvious that he understood that the “stuff” Kaede was talking about was something very serious –I understood it too after all- but didn’t press, knowing that the detective wouldn’t reveal more than she already had said.

“So, for this plan to work… I’m sorry, but I need Shuichi.”

“M-me?” I asked, surprised.

“Of course it’s you, Suckichi! I don’t know why would Kaede ever want you to get that plan in motion, but apparently-”

“Please, stop shouting. My ears are suffering.” Korekiyo said.

“If Kaede wants to discuss the plan alone with Shuichi, we should give them some space.” Tsumugi told Miu.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Rantaro nodded. “Ouma, come with me. We should tell the others that we found Kaede, safe and sound."

“Umpf, I just wanted to enjoy myself!” The robot complained.

The seven of them left, leaving the rope in its place as requested by Kaede.

She took a deep breath before talking.

“Well, it isn’t really a plan… I just want you to help me doing something.”

“Is it about Ryoma..?” I asked, whispering.

“No, not about that. We’ll discuss Ryoma this night.” Kaede explained. “You should guard this place, ok? I’m asking you because I trust you more than everyone else here.”

I was taken aback. Does she really think I’m capable of doing that?

“Shuichi, are you worried?” She asked me, putting her hand on my shoulder. “You don’t have to be. I’m sure you’ll be able to do it… I’ll be back very soon.”

“B-but… what if someone sneaks up to me?”

“You’re the Ultimate Magician! If you got this title, you won’t have any problems! If people try to deceive you, I’m sure you’ll understand their tricks… and, have you seen them? They listened to me, there’s zero probability they’ll try to enter into my room!”

“If you’re not worried… why are you asking me to guard the window?”

“Because I can never be sure… my instinct tells me that someone here is lying and really wants to get into that room… even if I want to believe everyone. But I’m sure. I believe you…” She paused for a couple of seconds. “Do you believe me?”

“H-huh?”

“I know you can do great things, Shuichi. Believe in me believing in you.”

What's that supposed to mean?

But... I couldn’t disappoint her. I had to stand in front of a window, just that. However, I was afraid of screwing up and disappoint her even more. I stood still for some seconds, thinking about my answer. I had to say yes to her. It was so simple of a task that telling her it was too difficult would make me look like a complete idiot.

“Yes… I’ll guard the door.”

“Great Shuichi! I assure you, I’ll come back immediately.”

Kaede walked away at a steady pace, waving me goodbye once she turned around the corner. 

I crossed my fingers hoping she would come back in a matter of minutes. 

Chapter Text

I spent some time looking for Gonta, eventually finding him near the boiler room, still with Angie. The two weren’t apparently searching for exits, but just sitting and talking to each other.

“Angie, can I steal Gonta from you?” I asked, approaching them.

“Oh! Kaede, there you are! Stealing is bad, you know?!”

“…Yes, I know. I don’t really want to steal him… however, it’s really important.”

“I can’t come?” Angie asked. “We are best friends now!”

Thankfully, Gonta stopped the Supreme Leader.

“Angie, don’t worry. Gonta not abandon you. I stay here with you!”

“…I’d have preferred to discuss this only with Gonta…”

“You don’t want me to hear? Well, Atua will tell Angie regardless, so it’s better if you don’t hide your intentions!”

I decided to tell Angie my plan too, despite her sketchiness, since Gonta wouldn’t leave the room without her.

“Gonta, I wanted to ask you a favor.”

“Gonta do his best not to disappoint you! What do I have to do?”

“Have you seen my research room..? Second floor, where that strange dragon statue is…”

“Gonta hasn’t, but it not difficult! Very easy!”

“Uhm… right, however, finding it wasn’t the favor I wanted to ask… first of all, are you accustomed to staying up all night?”

“Nyahahah! What a strange question!” Angie giggled, flailing her arms.

“Sort of…” Gonta smiled, scratching his head. “I don’t sleep a lot, I have trained at night many times and went to sleep before morning.”

“That’s great!” I exclaimed. “It will be easier for you. I wanted to ask… can you guard my research room door this night..? It’s just for today, I’ll come up with something else tomorrow. I’m scared someone might break in.”

“Why are you asking Gonta?” the tennis player inquired.

“Because I don’t see you doing what I tell you not to… never. You want to become a gentleman, so I’m sure you won’t betray me.”

“Kaede’s right! Angie thinks Gonta would never betray anybody!”

“But why only me? It would be safer with more people around…”

“Gonta’s right! He’ll be sooo bored alone all night!” Angie commented.

“And, even if Gonta wants to stay awake, he might need to go to the toilet… or could fall asleep!”

The tennis player was right, in fact I planned to ask someone else to guard the door with him, but I still didn’t decide. I couldn’t trust anyone blindly; I had to think about the best pick… and more than that… I don’t know how people would react if I forced them to do something they didn’t want again… maybe they wouldn’t listen to me anymore.

“I’m going with Gonta!” Angie smiled. “We can have a sleepover together! Just us!”

“Angie is right, that’s a great idea! Gonta never had a sleepover!”

“Oh! We’ll sit and pray to God!” she said, joining her hands in prayer, then talking to me. “God will protect us and the door we’re guarding!”

“Uhm…”

Yeah, I don’t think Angie is someone I can trust…

“Don’t tell me you don’t want Angie to help you!” Angie gasped.

“No, no… it’s not that!.. I think someone else… uhm… I think you need to rest, don’t you?”

“Gonta won’t leave Angie’s side! Angie is very kind with Gonta! Please let us help you together!”

I laid my right hand on my forehead. Could I really trust that freak? Gonta seemed to enjoy himself and Angie clearly didn’t hurt him…

“Okay, okay. You can both go.” My mouth moved. I wanted to reflect about it more, but I blurted out those words without thinking at all.

“Nyahahah~ Thanks Kaede! You know, you can join Gonta and me if you want! We’ll talk and have fun together!”

“Do you know where my research room is?” I asked, not wanting her to press me.

“Yeah, totally! I’ll go there right now! I was getting tired of this boiler room!”

She sprinted towards the exit, and then turned back seeing that Gonta didn’t follow her.

“Gonta, what are you doing? You want to help Kaede, right?”

“Yeah, I was lost in thought.” he responded, heading for the exit too.

I left the boiler room too, going back to Shuichi, who I found waiting where I left him with a relieved expression.

“Oh… Kaede, you’re back… finally… time didn’t seem to pass at all…”

“Uhm… I guess I should tell you what I did while you were there waiting.”

“I-if you want…” Shuichi blushed.

“I went to search for Gonta. I asked him to guard the door to my study center. Then Angie decided to tag along…”

“Don’t you think she’s dangerous?”

“Well, I think she’s rather suspicious… but I’m sure she won’t kill anyone…”

“You can never know what people have on their mind...”

“I know they shouldn’t think about killing their friends!”

“I guess you’re right…” he stopped for some time. “We… have to spend the night here..?”

I looked at him. He didn’t seem in the mood of waiting under a window.

“That was my plan.” I answered.

“Is there something so dangerous there? I mean, if it’s a weapon, nobody can use it outside of the room… and I doubt two people would go in there knowing the other would kill them.”

“You can never know what people have on their mind.”

“A-already quoting me..?”

“I’m just saying… it’s better if we keep the entrances closed for good. Any ideas?”

“W-we should check if there are boards somewhere in the school. We can seal the door from the inside, first of all…”

If that’s what we wanted to do, I had to take matters in my own hands. I was no carpenter, but I didn’t trust anyone to enter my room, even if I was with them.

“However, for the window… it’s not so easy….”

The magician was right. If we wanted to board up the window, we firstly had to find a way to reach the second floor from the outside –maybe with a platform- but after that, someone skilled enough would be capable of removing the boards.

“It’s still a good plan.” I reassured Shuichi “You should go check the warehouse to see if something useful is in there. You found the rope that saved me, after all!”

“Hmm… okay… But I don’t know how many boards I will be able to carry…”

“Oh, that’s not the problem! You haven’t found them yet! Don’t overthink what you’re doing… do everything step by step, and it will be far easier!”

“Yeah…” I heard him say. “S-so… I’m going…”

“Yeah, Shuichi. Good luck!”

He’s so insecure. Why is he like that? Did something happen when he was investigating with Ryoma..? That boy is the only one I feel I can trust… but what we’re doing won’t work if he continues telling himself he’s worth nothing… Umpf…

***

I was confused. Kaede was asking me so many favors… was it because she really trusted me or because she thought of me as a pushover?

“No, no… what are you thinking…” I whispered to myself. “You’re being ridiculous.”

Kaede, despite her bossy attitude, was a caring person, I understood that much…. but why, if she believes in me, doesn’t say what is in that room? Why doesn’t let me in there?... Is it too much for me? Does she suspect me...?

Then I stopped walking, freeing my mind from those awful thoughts. They were harmful and nothing more. Even if Kaede was just using me, she had a valid reason; she wanted to protect everyone…

“Just like yesterday…” I continued talking out loud.

She may lie about her trust in me, but I trusted her. She is a good person.

I stepped into the warehouse, where I found Kaito and Kiibo rummaging through the shelves. I hoped they weren’t searching for drugs, at least.

“H-hey…” I approached them.

“Oh! It’s you, Shuichi! How’s it going?!” Kaito exclaimed.

He gave me a pat on the back that almost made me lose my balance.

“W-well…” I answered, keeping my distance from him. “What… are you doing?”

“Me and Kiibo are searching for objects that can aid us in our escape! This warehouse is huge!”

“…So we thought we could find something useful… something that Kaito can manipulate.” Kiibo concluded.

“But we can’t find anything! Man, it seems Monokuma wants us to stay here!... That won’t stop me! I need to get back outside and show my inventions to the world!”

“Yeah, I know you like to think big… but for now, I’m searching for boards… or something that can seal doors…”

“There are no boards here.” Kiibo clarified. “The only thing that could help you is some duct tape… but I believe it won’t be enough to block a door.”

“What do you need it for?” Kaito asked, puzzled.

“…I don’t know… Kaede told me we have to seal the door to her research room, for whatever reason… she says there is some personal stuff in there.”

“Man, those girls, they’re really secretive. I wonder what is there. Probably it’s nothing important.”

“It’s not something about her!” I defended Kaede. “She says it’s something dangerous!”

“Yeah, it could be.” Kaito brushed off my sentence.

“Just wait here.” Kiibo told me. “I’ll get that duct tape and bring it to you.”

The astronaut went somewhere and after less than a minute came back with the duct tape in his hands.

“Here you go. Maybe I’m wrong and it will hold.”

“Some duct tape won’t do. No, no.” Kaito shook his head. “If you want something that really gets the job done you have to ask to me, Momota Kaito, famous everywhere!”

When is he going to stop?

“Ok, I’d be very grateful… so, create something.”

“What? I can’t do it right now! I need time to think, to create, to test! I need materials!”

That guy was really strange. Didn’t he say that what Kaede was hiding was nothing important? Then why did he want to help?

“Well, we don’t have all the time of the world. If you really can create something, do it quickly.”

“Yes! I’ll do my best!.. Kiibo, let’s continue searching!”

I stayed with them for a while, checking the place. I found many interesting objects, but nothing sturdy enough to successfully block a door or window. Duct tape was the only feasible choice.

I left the warehouse, wanting to go back to Kaede, but then I decided to take a detour to the library. I get bored very easily, so a good read would probably be a way to waste time. There were way too many books for my taste, despite me being sure that between all those thousands, there was one book that I would have liked more than anything else in my life.

At the end I picked up the three books with the most interesting titles.

Kaede was where I left her, sitting on the grass, lost in thought.

“H-here I am…” I said.

She glanced one last time at the sky and shifted her attention to me.

“Shuichi, you’re finally back. It took you some time.”

“I wanted to be sure… that I searched everywhere.”

“And did you find something that could help us?”

I showed Kaede the duct tape.

“Oh, interesting. We could use it to block the door… I don’t know if it will remain closed, though…” she said. “However, we have no other choice. Can you give it to me?”

I passed it to Kaede, who inspected it carefully, weighing it in her hand. I had no idea what good was it for, but I didn’t ask question. I was sure the Ultimate Detective knew what she was doing.

“Meh, it’s simple duct tape. If someone’s able to unlock the door, they’ll rip this easily if they push with some force. Well, it’s still something. I’m going to cover the door with it, for safety measures.”

She stood up and climbed up the rope without any problem whatsoever.

“You… you really look like an expert climber, you know?”

“Ah, you think so? I took some classes a while ago, but nothing too difficult. My trainer told me I had to practice.”

“Your trainer?” I asked, curious.

“Yeah…” she nodded, finally reaching the window. “I didn’t become the Ultimate Detective alone… I received some help, even in the form of physical training.”

“Oh… that’s interesting…”

“…And my trainer said I should know how to climb, with or without ropes…”

“That’s some very specific training. Why would it be useful?”

“…I don’t know… my trainer told me I could find myself in a chase and I had to climb walls… he recommended bringing a rope everywhere.”

He sounded a bit crazy. At least that craziness helped Kaede becoming an Ultimate.

“I’m off… sealing the door.” Kaede said. “I’ll come back immediately.”

“O-oh… don’t rush it…” I told her.

She gave me a thumbs up and disappeared behind the window.

I sat on the grass, back leaned against the walls of the school, deciding to look at my surroundings as well… how much time before she comes back?

***

After covering the door with all the duct tape I had at my disposal, I climbed back down taking other books with me. I decided that, since me and Shuichi would take turns at night, I had to find a way to keep myself awake… and my choice was reading. None of the books had captivating titles; most of them were boring essays that didn’t catch my attention… then I remembered, I couldn’t take objects out of the research rooms. There were some that appeared interesting, but, sadly, they would be kept inside.

As I climbed down, I realized Shuichi had some books with him.

“Great timing.” I said.

“Eh?” He responded, confused.

“I was just thinking that some books would be a great way to spend time here.”

“O-oh… me too, actually…”

“What’s that book about?”

“Uh?.. Yeah… it’s a novel about a detective who’s investigating a number of strange cases… they are connected, however, he’s stuck already.”

“A detective story? Maybe I can help you!”

“Well… a man is found dead in a library, his skull crushed under the weight of a heavy object. But… the detective realized that the weapon he and his assistant thought was used to kill him is in reality a fake… so they don’t know what to do…”

“Oh.”

“I still don’t have a clue.”

I let out a nervous smile. “The book just started. I’m sure you’ll understand as the story goes on.”

Shuichi nodded. “So… is it okay if we talk about Ryoma now? There’s nothing particularly interesting about him…”

I quickly shut Shuichi’s mouth with my hand.

“Hmmm!” he tried to speak before I moved my arm and let him speak again.

“Don’t be so loud…” I warned.

“…I wasn’t…”

Maybe he’s right. I took it too far.

“S-sorry… I didn’t have to… do that…”

The magician looked at me and sighed. He was thinking I was taking advantage of him. I tried to make up.

“If you don’t want to… you don’t need…”

“Don’t worry…” Shuichi said. “I get it… you don’t want the others to know… safety…”

“You seem tired. Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not. How can someone be okay in this situation?” His tone changed and got bitterer.

“Hey, calm down. Getting angry will only make things worse.”

“I know. I’m angry with myself. Not with others.”

“That is no different. It doesn’t matter whom you’re angry at, it’s not healthy. Life’s not easy, and that’s why you shouldn’t make it more difficult.”

Shuichi looked up to the sky. It was still day, but we could already see the moon, hidden behind a cloud.

“You’re right. I need… to be strong.”

“Right. I don’t want to pressure you; I understand that when enough is enough. Whatever you want to do… it’s up to you.”

“Let’s get this thing about Ryoma out of the way… He doesn’t seem suspicious to me. He’s not a talkative individual, but I think he’s a good person at heart.”

“He didn’t try to hurt you..? Never?”

“There was one time when he accidentally… made me open a door and I tripped… but he didn’t do that on purpose.”

“How do you…” I asked, confused. Accidentally open a door?

“There was actually a secret switch that opened it up.”

“A secret switch?”

“Yeah, but Monokuma saw us enter and forced us to leave… so whatever was hidden there, it remains hidden for now. He sealed the door, saying we are going to explore that room in the future.”

“And then?”

“We spent a lot of time reading books searching for his talent, but we found nothing. However we’re far from reading all the books in the library… why do you think he’s dangerous?”

Did I want to tell him? I feared he would get more worried if I did… but not revealing what I knew would still be a bad choice.

He thinks I don’t trust him completely… but it’s not that. If I don’t say the truth about Ryoma now I don’t know if Shuichi would really trust me back…

“…I know him. Sort of.” I said.

“You know him?! And why does he not know you?”

“Shh! Be quieter..!”

“Okay…” he kept his voice down. “But explain this thing to me…”

“I remember his name… I overheard my colleagues saying he committed mass murder.”

“M-mass… murder?”

“You understand why I’m worried now?”

“…But… are you sure of that?”

“I clearly remember his name. My colleagues were serious… they wouldn’t joke about a matter so important.”

“M-maybe… he changed?” Shuichi looked puzzled. “We stayed alone for so much time… if he wanted to kill me he would have. He wouldn’t have faced the class trial either…”

“Since I’m sure about his past… I think he’s not lying about his memories.”

“Huh?”

“What if… by erasing his memories, his personality changed too? Without recollection of some events, people are completely different.”

I knew the implications of what I was saying. If he weren’t the same person without his memories, the same would go for me. Was me… really me? And what would be the right me be, either way?

“He’s calm. When we encountered Monokuma, didn’t lose his composure. Most of the time he didn’t talk, looked around…”

Shuichi continued talking about his experience with the supposed killer, but nothing interesting came out of it. He didn’t appear suspicious but we barely knew him. For what we knew, he could be a great liar and was only waiting for the right time to strike.

Shuichi and me continued talking together for the rest of the day, getting to know more about each other. I could see that he wasn’t that confortable to tell me everything about him, but I didn’t mind. I grew tired of sitting after a while and walked around the school, meeting some people. At the end many of them came to know what Shuichi and me were doing and I stopped trying to hide it. I also checked on Gonta and Angie; they were having fun with Himiko and Tenko (who, to be honest, still looked uneasy near the tennis player).

I returned where Shuichi was waiting for me and we started reading out loud the book about the victim in the library, taking turns. When the sun set, Tsumugi brought us something to eat and we spent some time with her. Eventually, she left, saying she needed to get some sleep. Shortly after, the nighttime announcement sounded. I was scared that Monokuma would force us to go back to the dorm, but that didn’t happen. Shuichi wanted to finish the book while I was already getting sleepy, despite passing out in the morning.

“Ok, so… you’re taking the first turn, ok…?” I yawned.

“Yeah… that works for me.”

“Wake me up when you need some shut-eye.”

I lied down on the grass. It wasn’t as comfortable as my bed, but neither as bad as I imagined. I closed my eyes and I fell asleep listening to the wind and Shuichi turning the pages of his book.

***

I woke up Kaede two times, and felt extremely guilty about it. She was so peaceful when she was sleeping… almost as if she forgot everything we were going through. Even though she looked sleepy, she didn’t object to me, and both times she stood up and started stretching to keep herself awake.

At dawn –or that’s what it seems it was- my eyes opened by themselves. Sun didn’t rise yet, but light was spreading everywhere. Kaede looked tired, so I told her she could rest for as long as she wanted. I felt I got the sleep I needed, so I picked up the book me and Kaede were reading the night before. The last chapter we read ended with a cliffhanger, so I was eager to know what would happen. I didn’t even continue it the night before, because I wanted to read it with Kaede. I started another, but it wasn’t that great, so I didn’t want to pick it up again.

I flipped the pages to find my makeshift bookmark, but I refrained from continuing to read. I would feel guilty if I carried on without Kaede… we were having that adventure together, and I liked when she made assumptions that turned out to be right… it didn’t ruin the plot for me, but I wondered if it was the same for her.

After all, if you know everything from the start, what’s the point?

I knew how my magic tricks worked and I didn’t feel like they were particularly good, while my audience seemed to admire them. Maybe that’s the reason behind that… well, that was when I did those, more extreme, shows… the tank with the shark, the box with the blades… I always came out unscathed, until that time when I almost got myself killed… then, I shifted to a simpler kind of magic, and people started to lose interest in me. Less and less people came to my shows… was I still the Ultimate Magician? I felt like I had been before, but then I became a shadow of my former self, someone who didn’t deserve his title anymore.

Without many options left, I tried the other book I brought from the library and it was decent. I didn’t like the writing style of the author, but the plot was alright. Kaede was still sleeping when the announcement signaling that nighttime was over sounded. The others were probably waking up and ready to gather in the cafeteria, but I didn’t mind staying under that window for the rest of the morning. I knew that eventually Tsumugi would bring us something to eat.

Kaede woke up shortly after and decided she was going to check on the others and organize to the rest of the day. That organization was perfect for me; I didn’t want to join the other Ultimates anyways. However, my plan of skipping the meeting was foiled by Kaito, who had the bright idea of moving the meeting just were me and Kaede spent the night. Everyone brought a plate and offered some of the food to us two. Not everyone was there, but surpisingly, I saw Maki, who distanced herself from the others and didn’t eat anything.

“Here you go, guys!” Kaito exclaimed. “Man, Kaede, this must’ve been a tiring night! Girls shouldn’t wait under windows, usually is the other way round!”

Kaede giggled. She seemed to appreciate the help from the others.

“Oh, thanks. You really shouldn’t have done this… I don’t mind walking to the cafeteria…”

“I feel we should help each other. Protect each other…” Tenko said. “Of course, I mean only us girls…”

“So, what’s our plan for today?” Kiibo asked.

“First of all, I wanted to ask… where are Angie, Gonta and Rantaro?”

Kaede was right. They weren’t with everyone else. How could I not notice?

“They didn’t even show up at the cafeteria! How disrespectful!” 0U-M4 commented.

“H-have you checked on them?” Kaede asked. “Gonta and Angie were guarding the door to my research room… why aren’t them with you?”

“They’re probably still there.” Kaito said.

“And what about Rantaro? Have you knocked on his door?”

“We opted not to. I assumed he didn’t intend to participate to the meeting.”

“What?!” Kaede gasped. “He could be in danger! Angie and Gonta could be too!”

“I’ll immediately go there to check.” Tsumugi offered.

“That’s not necessary. I’ll call them from my room.”

Kaede climbed the rope as everyone watched; Kaito encouraging her and Miu making comments about her… undergarments. I could hear the detective calling for Angie and Gonta, but no one responded. She came back to the window and told us she couldn’t hear anything.

“Okay.” She said once at ground level again. “I’m going with you.” She pointed at Tsumugi. “I need to see what happened with my own eyes. Let’s go. Shuichi.”

I turned my head to look Kaede in the eyes.

“For now, I leave this to you.”

And so, Tsumugi and Kaede left, leaving me with everyone else.

“…Shouldn’t they search for Rantaro too?” Himiko proposed.

“Why don’t you do that?” 0U-M4 told her.

“Naah… I’m fine here…”

“You should… help them.” I said to the others. “There’s no need to wait here.”

“Are you scared of us?” the robot asked. “We could trick you and enter the room! Oh, Kaede will be so disappointed in you!”

“Stop that, Ouma.” Ryoma ordered. “You need to stop threatening people.”

“What’s with all that confidence?” the other giggled.

“We will not enter that room.” Kirumi chimed in. “I have no intentions of doing so, most of all because Kaede asked us not too.”

“She told us something dangerous is in there! Tenko won’t go!”

“I want to! What are you going to do, stop me?!”

“You’re alone, talking toaster.” Kaito nicknamed him. “Nobody will listen to you, bastard.”

“T-talking toaster?! Nobody called me that! That’s robo-racist!”

And 0U-M4 started making some noises that vaguely remembered crying, covering his head with his arms.

“Stop faking. It’s clear you’re not really offended by what he said.”

Maki’s voice surprised everyone.

“Great! You’ve talked!” Kaito exclaimed. “Who would have guessed that a crazy robot would make us listen to your voice!”

0U-M4 stopped weeping and in a matter of milliseconds returned normal.

“See! I’m useful! See!”

“I, for one, would like to know what’s in that room.” The fighter said.

“Nee-hee-hee! That’s interesting!”

“Could you shut up!? If you weren’t made of metal I would have punched you so many times!” Kaito snapped.

“What a pity! Thankfully I’m a great robot!”

I was losing track of what everyone was saying, with Kaito talking louder and louder, and 0U-M4 making fun of him, proposing to go in the room…

“I want to go too!” Miu shouted. “Let’s see what that freak hides in her room…”

“N-no… what are you s-saying…” I managed to blurt out. “K-kaede… Kaede told us it’s dangerous…”

“Shuichi is right!” Tenko said, resolute. “Maki, Miu what are you doing?!”

Well, she didn’t want to defend me, but she was sort of helping me…

“You can’t just ignore our friend’s words! You’re not menaces!”

“What’s more, we have other problems in our hands!” Kaito backed her. “That’s not the time to be fighting each other!”

“I have to admit I would be rather interested in discovering what Kaede hides in her research room to study her character. Know more about how she acts…” Korekiyo said, getting creepier by the second.

“Y-you… are not normal…” Tenko stuttered, not as sure of herself like before. The cosplayer probably scares her a bit.

“That’s out of the question! You’re not invading Kaede’s fucking privacy!”

“I don’t need your permission.” Maki coldly rebutted. “Move, before I break your bones.”

“Oooh!” Ouma’s eyes brightened. “Things are getting interesting!”

“No, they aren’t! They are getting worse! Please, let’s try to cooperate.” Kiibo intervened.

“I am cooperating.” Maki told the astronaut. “I’m going to see what’s in Kaede’s room. She’s hiding something and you all know it.”

“Because she’s protecting us!” I shouted, standing up.

“That’s what she has told you. She convinced you to do as she pleased, making you feel important. You can pretend she cares about you, but that’s not true…”

“She believes in me! She has told me that so many times…

“Well, not my business. Believe what you want.”

That girl wasn’t going to make me doubt Kaede…

Maki started to come near, but Kaito put himself between her and me.

“You can not go around doing what the hell you want!” Kaito protested.

“Don’t underestimate Neo-Akido.” She followed up, still extremely calm, but on the verge of snapping.

“Don’t underestimate me!” Kaito rebutted.

“Please, stop fighting!” Kiibo repeated.

However, Maki, before he could even finish his sentence, positioned herself in front of Kaito.

“Let. Me. Pass.”

Chapter Text

We rushed into the school, slamming the doors open. I refused to believe a murder had occurred. If Gonta and Angie didn’t respond, there had to be a reason. If Rantaro was missing, there had to be a reason too. As I climbed the stairs with Tsumugi at my side I thought about the worst possibilities, preparing myself for what could have happened, but I hold on my hope that everyone was alive and well. We passed the dragon statue and reached the area in front of the classroom, and… I saw…

Angie and Gonta… right there… lying down, their eyes closed.

However, there was no trace of blood.

“A-are they d-dead..?” Tsumugi asked.

“No. They aren’t. They’re sleeping. Have been for a while.”

Me and Tsumugi turned to see that one of the classroom doors was open, with Rantaro standing in front of it.

“What… is going on here?!”

“They’re heavy sleepers, apparently. That’s why they didn’t hear you when you called their names from your room.”

“No, what’s going on with you here!” I exclaimed, my arms crossed.

“Oh!” Rantaro looked surprised. “You didn’t say with you the first time around. Sorry. I was guarding your room.”

“What?!” I shouted, confused.

“Yeah! Since this night, actually. …still didn’t find a clock, so I can’t say the exact hour and minute…”

“I didn’t ask you to. I didn’t even talk to you after morning yesterday!”

“Yeah, I didn’t decide to come here, and neither I did to impress you. I hate when people consider me a… womanizer.”

“And why are you here, then?” Tsumugi asked.

“Angie asked me. Honestly, I think she did that because I was the only one walking around the school, and not because she thought I would do a good job…” he placed his hands in front of him and smiled awkwardly. “I couldn’t say no. She told me that both her and Gonta were exhausted, what was I supposed to do?”

“Tell me?! You disappeared and everyone was worried!”

“Yeah, that’s not true. You were the only one, Kaede. Right, Tsumugi?”

“Well… uhm…”

The maid turned to me and saw my expression. I was telling enough words with my eyes to let her know what she had to say.

“No, actually… everyone was, as Kaede said… worried about you.”

“That’s not the point of this conversation!” I continued my argument. “You should have said no to Angie!”

“Jeez Kaede, I thought I was doing you a favor. I assured no one would enter, and that’s what happened. Your room hasn’t been touched by anyone this night. …Unless someone got in from the window, but that was your job. Check it, if you want.”

“Urgh, we’ll talk about this later.”

“Kaede, aren’t you taking this too far?” Tsumugi said. “You’re not his mother or someone who can tell him what to do…”

“Either way, he should have told me. And what was he doing in the middle of the night in the school?...”

“Just a walk! I was tiring myself cuz I couldn’t sleep!”

“Yeah, right…”

 --

We woke up Angie and Gonta, who actually opened their eyes when me and Rantaro were talking, but were still too confused to understand what was happening. The tennis player didn’t know anything about Angie’s plan involving Rantaro and apologized for falling asleep and not being a real gentleman. I told him he didn’t have to worry and he did a good job regardless, while Angie refused to talk with me because she was apparently having a consultation with her God. This, however, didn’t stop her from talking with Gonta about how handsome God and his ways are. Tsumugi offered to guard the door for the day and I gave her permission. She’s so nice, I’m sure she wouldn’t hurt a fly… what’s more, she always does what asked, so I felt she could be trusted. On the other hand, I realized that Angie and Gonta weren’t as reliable as I thought initially.

As we arrived under the window, I noticed Maki climbing down the rope, looking unsatisfied. Most of the people were around Kaito, who was sitting on the grass and massaging his ankles, but after a quick glance I noticed Shuichi was missing.

“What happened here? Why is Maki there?” I asked, hoping for someone to respond.

“I entered your research room. I had to teach a lesson to Kaito, but he’ll recover soon. Just some scratches.”

“You did... what?!”

“You listened to me. I entered your room. Did you expect me to trust you blindly? I don’t have any idea of what’s in that room and I wished to know.”

“I told everyone to stay away from there because it’s dangerous!”

“Are you scared that someone will get hurt? You won’t resolve anything by staying in front of the door the whole time.”

“Excuse me, but who gave you the permission to enter?” Rantaro asked her. “That’s not polite.”

“Don’t try to make me feel bad. I already said this to the others. I always did what I wanted, and I’ll continue do to so. You’re in no position to threaten me.”

“And still, you claim you do? You threatened Kaito and Shuichi!” Tenko said. “You know, they are dangerous menaces!”

Shuichi? What did she do to him?

“What does she mean? Why is Shuichi not here?”

“After making sure Kaito didn’t stop me, I asked your friend to move out of the way. He complied and flew away somewhere sobbing.”

“You made someone cry?! That’s terrible!” Gonta commented.

“I’m really sorry about that. That wasn’t my intention.”

“Well, you don’t seem really sorry…” Angie intervened.

That girl… who does she think she is? Hurting someone only because she doubted me?

“He probably went in his room. It should be the place where he feels safer…” Himiko said. “You should leave him alone… he needs time to rest…”

“Have you checked my room now?!” I snapped. “Did you find what you were looking for?” I continued, ironic.

“Yes, I did. Behind the books. It’s were you keep your weapon hidden.”

Everyone else heard what Maki just said.

“Kaede, you have a weapon in your room?” 0U-M4 asked, interested.

“Of course!” I responded. I couldn’t hide it at that point. “Why would I guard the entrances?”

“Either way, that weapon can’t be brought out of your room, so, all of this show you’re putting on… pretty pointless.” Maki continued. “You’re just tiring Angie, Gonta and Shuichi.”

“Oh! Maybe that was her plan!” 0U-M4 giggled.

“Plan?” Rantaro raised his eyebrow.

“She would slowly gain Shuichi’s trust, bring him in her lab and then… BAM! Use that weapon to kill him! Poor Shuichi, he would have thought that Kaede believed in him until the end…”

“Hyahaha! Kaedumb wanted to show Sukichi her secret place, and he would’ve fallen for her lie! Just like every man!” Miu exclaimed.

“What..? No! I didn’t want to betray Shuichi..! Why would I?”

Why was everyone ganging up on me so suddenly? What happened in believing each other?

“Therefore, Maki…” Korekiyo said. “What weapon did come upon in Kaede’s room?

“I think details aren’t important. Plus, Kaede here is already filled with rage against me, it seems.”

And she was right. I preferred her when she wasn’t around.

“I’ll do her a favor by not revealing what that weapon was. I don’t want you start murdering either.”

“Well, you just revealed that in my lab there is something to kill people! I think your actions are contradictory!” I explained to her.

“If someone really wants to kill, there are so many other methods to end a life. The warehouse is full of objects that could be used for that. Even this rope… your bare hands… focus on something else.”

“I’d be more worried if I were you.” Rantaro said. “Now, everyone here thinks you’re dangerous. You should watch your back.”

“I’ll gladly do so. I’m a master of martial arts, able to defend myself. If someone comes too near me, they’re in for a bad time.”

Pronouncing those words, she turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

“Fierce girl.” Rantaro coughed.

“Yeah! That girl is stronger than each one of you combined!” Miu praised her.

“I had no doubts that a deranged individual like you supported her.” Korekiyo followed.

“What?! Why are you insulting me now, creep?! You fucking told her to go too!”

“Mine was a proposal. I never wished for people to be hurt.”

“I can’t believe this. I’m going to Shuichi.” I decided.

However, Rantaro grabbed me by my arm as I was about to go.

“No, stop. Maki is right. He needs some time alone.”

“He needs some time with me! Who knows what he’s thinking right now! I need to find him and tell him everything is alright!”

I broke free from Rantaro’s grip and headed for the dormitories.

“Hey, Kaede, what about your room? Who will guard it?”

“Who cares anymore. If you wants to see what’s in there, enter!”

With that provocation, I left the rest of the group.

***

Useless.

I was completely useless.

I tried to do as Kaede said… I tried to help her.

But I failed again. I gave up when presented with the first obstacle.

…There was nothing else I could do, right? I mean… she was there, ready to hurt me. Even if I tried to resist, I wouldn’t have done anything. That had to be it. I was not to blame…

No, no. I was to blame. I was the only one to blame. I always screw up. Why me? Why did I get caught up in this situation? I can’t even defend myself, I have to rely on others… I think I’m a liability, so why am I here now? What is this place? Is it a test? To see if I can handle myself?

If that’s the case... I failed so bad.

But Kaede told me she believed in me, so I have her, at least! We spent the night together, she trusts me! She left me alone multiple times, so she thinks I’m good at what I do, I don’t have to worry. She’ll understand me when I tell you what happened, she won’t be angry!

But why did she left me alone? Was I only a lookout, to check on her room? Could I be considered a friend? We knew each other for two days, friendships aren’t made in fortytwo hours! No, because she wouldn’t call me a friend anymore, not after what I did to her! What will everyone say now? Why did Maki want to enter, she ruined me! Everything was going well! I let her hurt another person too, I should’ve done something!

The others should have too, however... They haven’t. It’s their fault too.

I am nothing more than an object, why am I thinking of myself as a person?

Everyone will understand my reasons.

Nobody will understand me.

I deserve to be here.

I should have died when I failed that trick.

Knock knock!

“..Huh?”

“Shuichi, are you in there? Please, tell me you are.”

I didn’t want to answer Kaede. Why wouldn’t she leave me alone?

“I wanted to tell you I’m not angry with you, at all. I thought you deserved to know. Can we talk? Please?”

I kept listening to her, my head buried in my pillow.

“Shuichi, if you don’t say anything, you’ll make me worried. I don’t want have a long conversation with you now, I understand what you’re going through…”

No, she didn’t.

“…but I just need to know you’re okay. Say anything you want, but say something, please!”

One, two, three… the seconds passed, as she remained silent, so did I.

But what was I doing was stupid. What did I earn from not talking to her? I just had to say hi.

“Yes. I’m here.” I said. I didn’t know if she could tell from my tone that I had cried.

“Oh, thank God you’re alright. How are you feeling?”

She just said she only wanted to hear my voice, now she wants to chat?

“Fine, ok?” I answered, deciding I would ignore her from that point on.

“That’s… ok. But if you’re not feeling well you can tell me. I can’t guard that window alone, you know?”

Now that Maki entered did it even need guarding? There was no reason to guard it… if Kaede said those Ultimates had to be trusted why did she decide to spend day after day stuck in one place? That plan couldn’t work, she knew that very well.

“I see you don’t want to talk…” she muttered. “Let me know when you’re leaving your room. You know where to find me.”

In the silence of my room, I could hear Kaede’s footsteps clearly. In a matter of seconds, I was alone again in that dorm.

However, I spoke too soon.

“Get up from that bed! This is not the time to sleep!”

Who could it be if not Monokuma.

“Aaaah!... How did… you enter?!” I reacted, trying to wipe off the tears from my face.

"Don’t ask me this silly questions, I can’t respond!”

“…Then tell me why are you here.”

“You’re not with the others! I was about to present a new motive and you and that martial arts girl are alone doing your business! What about school spirit? You need to stick together!”

“What are you saying, you’re the one that told us to kill each other!”

“Exactly!” He hissed. “If you stay away from each other, how can you murder your classmates? This is easy! Easy I say!”

“If you wanted to make me feel more miserable, your mission is pointless.”

“What?! No! As the Headmaster of Gifted Inmates Academy, I need to make sure each one of my students is happy!”

This time, I didn’t even try to contradict the bear.

“But now I have no time to do that! I’m very busy, so therapist appointments are out of the question. The first thing on my list for today is giving you bastards a new motive!”

“A new motive..?”

Weren't two enough?

“Why do people repeat things when they’re surprised? I never understood that! Apparently you guys do it too!”

“Why are you giving us a new motive?”

“Because the one that I gave you before didn’t drive anyone to murder! …I always have a back-up plan, however!”

“What would this back-up plan be?”

“Pupupupupu… you really want to know? Since I understand your desire to be alone, I’ll do you a favor and say it to you first! What a privilege! Aren’t you grateful!? Headmaster Monokuma doesn’t do this often!”

“Tell me so I can be left alone.”

“Right! You can’t run away from this motive!”

***

“Is he in his room?” Kirumi asked.

“Yes.” I responded. “I hope he’ll be fine…”

“Nah, he’s not fine at all!” An annoying voice exclaimed.

Monokuma.

Just after that, the Monokubs appeared.

“Someone is fighting! Monosuke, come watch!” Monokid exclaimed.

“You are late. The fight is already over.” The yellow bear corrected.

“Fights are awful! You two shouldn’t fight! Never! Only those tall bastards should!” Monophanie observed.

“Those guys, again?” Kiibo complained. “Let’s pretend they’re not here.”

“Don’t ignore us please!” Monotaro cried out. “We care about you!”

“You need to listen to us! Daddy is coming! He has great news!” Monotaro announced.

“GREAT. NEWS.” Monodam repeated.

“Oh, my children!” The black and white bear cooed. “You’re so cute, even when you’re introducing me! So much cuteness I’m about to explode!”

“No, don’t explode, daddy! Please!” Monophanie said.

“What do you want from us now?” I asked.

“Seeing that you haven’t committed a murder yet, I decided to give you an additional motive! I’m sure that after this time, someone will die!”

Kaito spoke up. “If you think that we’ll give in-

“Sssh! Stop with this ‘we’ll never do as you say!’ It’s getting old! You were just beaten up by a girl! You should shut up!”

This time, the inventor settled for a glare.

“So, about the motive… I already notified your wimpy, emo, loner friend in his room.”

“Hey, don’t call him that!” I exclaimed.

The bear ignored me. “I tried to engage in a conversation with that crazy girl too, but she told me she had no interest in the killing game! How dares she!? She shouldn’t defy me!”

“Daddy is right!” Monokid shouted. “Let’s go punish her with our Exisals! I want to see some blood!”

“No, I hate blood!” Monophanie lamented.

“Oh, don’t worry, my dear children. I’ll take care of her, you can continue living your teenage life. Adults deal with this kind of things.”

“But daddy, I feel old enough!” Monotaro said.

“You’re not ready to face the difficulties of the adult life! Stay with me for a little bit longer, otherwise I’ll miss you!”

“Daddy! I love daddy! I’ll stay with you!” Monophanie smiled.

“That’s right! Monokuma is our dad, he makes the important decisions!” Monosuke explained.

“They’re so cute! So cute!”

“Give us that motive and go away.” Was all that Ryoma said.

“Okay, okay… I was just trying to entertain my audience!” Monokuma apologized. “The time limit is nighttime… two days from now! If nobody commits a crime by that then… every students participating in the killing game will be brutally murdered! …It’s not like you guys are precious! We can always start a new game!”

“What?! Another game?!” Tenko exclaimed.

The bear continued on with his exposition. “Thousands of Monokumas will be unleashed, created from a Monokuma-manufacturing machine! You won’t be able to fend off so many bears… so you should get started with that killing game if you want to live!”

“Everyone… killed?” Miu gasped in disbelief.

“Pupupupu… that’s right! However, I strongly encourage you to kill! Seeing another massacre would be terrible! Where would the thrill of the killing game be!? And I don’t want to start over every time!”

Monokuma’s decision was one of a coward. He saw that none of us would be ready to murder someone else, and he knew that giving us a time limit would worsen the situation.

“I also set up various clocks in the school. You complained there was no way to see what time it was! Now you can see! Only a kind headmaster like me would do this for his students!”

“Stop pretending to be a good headmaster!” Kiibo said.

“Another important thing! Don’t you dare try any sacrifice bullshit! If someone kills themselves to protect the group his death will mean absolutely nothing! The time limit won’t be cancelled!”

No suicides, huh? Monokuma really wants to spread distrust between us…

“Now, if you excuse me, I’m going to tell this motive to that boring maid who’s guarding Kaede’s door. Have a good day and start killing!”

Monokuma disappeared and the Monocubs followed him immediately.

People didn’t wait long before they began talking.

“Man, that bear never gives up, heh?” Rantaro observed.

“H-How can you be so calm?!” Tenko exclaimed. “We’re going to die!”

“That bug enthusiast is right, I don’t want to die!” Miu shouted. “Start killing guys! I don’t care who, you’re all expendable for all I care!”

“We are not killing anyone.” I laid it clearly for everyone.

“That is the preferable option…” Korekiyo started talking. “However, we must consider that if a killing does not occur, it is likely that each one of us will perish.”

“But, if someone committed a murder, only one person would die, since the murderer can escape without getting through a class trial.” Rantaro said out loud. “We have to consider that too…”

“Are you suggesting us to kill each other?!” Kaito asked. “No way!”

“Riiight… don’t kill guys… it is soo tiring…”

“Gonta thinks that defending yourself from an army of Monokuma is more tiring!”

“It could be… but thinking about it is troublesome too… I’ll think about it later…”

“If we die, that’s because Atua wants us to! We’ll be all greeted by Atua and we’ll have a fun time!” Angie said, with her eyes closed, performing a mudra with her hands.

“But I don’t want to die now!” Himiko complained.

“I think no one wants that.” Ryoma said.

“What about… killing the robot?” Angie proposed.

“Huh?! Why me?!”

“You’re not a person, but you’re a participant!”

“That’s roboracist! I’m way better than you!” 0U-M4 protested. “Don’t go around insulting robots when they’re the natural evolution of society!”

“I’m going to see if my lab is open!” Miu announced. “And I’m locking myself in, ‘cause you inferior shits might actually try to kill me! I don’t want you to touch me!”

“Miu, where are you going?” I cried out, trying to stop her.

However, she didn’t listen to me.

“There she goes…” Kirumi said, before talking to the others again. “…I recommend we devise a plan.”

“Y-you guys can work without me!” 0U-M4 pretended to be offended. “I’m not helping!”

“Go, nobody asked you to come!” Kaito protested, trying to stand up.

The robot turned his back against us and continued in his direction.

“I’m going too. I would be useless here.” Ryoma announced.

Where was he going? Did he want to kill someone? At first I felt like I needed to follow him, but then I thought about Shuichi’s words. He trusted him, and I would do it too. …And then, stalking him would be pretty strange if not suspicious…

“You are coming up with a plan, right?!” Angie asked Kirumi, to which the adventurer nodded. “Hyahaha~, I want to help too!”

“Great, Angie… Your experience as a supreme leader would be helpful!” Tenko said.

“…By praying! If I pray with all of my will, Atua will tell me what to do! And if we pray together, he’ll hear us more!”

“But if we pray too much he’ll be overwhelmed and won’t hear us at all!” Gonta said.

“Don’t worry, God always hears us!”

The tennis player wasn’t as certain of that as Angie, but started praying nonetheless.

--

We came up with nothing. Hours passed, we still searched for exits, but we didn’t find any. I tried to find Ryoma, but I didn't see him again. Kaito also proposed to try escaping from the tunnel again, but we opposed because his legs were still sore and despite being able to walk, had problems with running. There was no way he was going to make it.

So, tired, we split up and I ended up under that window again. No response at all from Shuichi, probably still in his room feeling sorry for himself. I noticed the book we were reading had gone missing so I imagined him passing the time with it.

“Kaede, you seem to be worried. Is it about Shuichi?” Kirumi asked.

The adventurer offered to stay with me during the night but was keeping me company already for a while, accompanied by Tenko, who only joined us after assuring that Himiko was sleeping safely in her bed.

“How do you know?” I responded sarcastically.

“If I offended you, tell me and I will speak no more.”

“Don’t worry, Kirumi. It’s nothing that important and secretive. We haven’t heard of him for the whole day… something must have happened to him!”

“Yesterday the same thing happened to you, still, you were fine.” Tenko reminded me, referencing the incident I had with that strange hole in the pavement.

That reminds me, I still haven’t told anyone about the truth. Plus, Maki didn’t mention it when she confronted me about my behavior. That thing knocked me out, so it wouldn’t be exaggerating calling it a weapon too.

“I can’t help but feel that something strange is going on with him…”

“He is human like us. He has emotions.” Kirumi comforted me. “Each one of us expresses them differently.”

“Tomorrow he will be fine. He can’t stay there for long, since there aren’t many things to do alone in a dorm room. Males are difficult to understand.” Tenko reassured.

“You’re right…” I muttered. “But Maki is right too…”

“Huh?”

“We can’t continue camping under a window or in front of a door. We’re wasting so much time here…”

“You suggested pursuing this path.” Kirumi said. “Maki’s speech changed your mind?”

“More or less… she’s right when she says that there are many weapons scattered around the school that can be brought everywhere.”

“She may be right, but this is still a place that needs guarding! Don’t ever think that what we’re doing is not worth it!”

Tenko had a point, but so did Maki… I had been too stubborn. But there was no way I was going to admit it! That girl didn’t deserve any praise from me!

“Yep. I’ll stay here every day and every night to secure everyone!”

“Yet…There’s a clock ticking…” Tenko said quietly, like he didn’t want me to hear her.

“A day might have already gone by, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have the time to come up with a plan! We’ll fight all the Monokumas if we need! Aren’t we Ultimates?!”

“You are very right, but we must not act impulsively. Monokuma is alone a perilous foe, many of them will be extremely dangerous to deal with.”

“We can do this!” I exclaimed. “Kaito and Rantaro can join forces and invent something, Maki and Gonta can fight them off. 0U-M4 is a robot! Who knows what he’s able to do!”

“We have a whole day in front of us. We can discuss it with everyone else tomorrow.” Tenko explained.

“You should not think about that right now.” Kirumi suggested.

How could I? I was about to die. I could only think about that!

-- 

“Wakey wakey! It’s time to get up!” I hummed to wake Kirumi.

“Kaede..? I am tired…”

“It’s 8:43 AM, Kaito told me everyone is coming for breakfast. Well, I don’t really know if Maki, Ouma and Shuichi are coming, and Rantaro and Tsumugi are guarding the door, but… we’re still a bunch of people.”

“You are right…” she yawned. “I must be presentable, so I need to wake up…”

Despite trying to keep my spirits up, I was very worried. Kaito told me that he still had no idea on how to escape… and we had less than a day in front of us before who knows how many Monokumas would attack us.

“Did you see anything interesting while you were awake?” I asked.

“I am afraid the answer is no. I spent my night recalling my experiences around a particularly threatening tribe I met during my trips around the world, how they caught me… and how I managed to escape unscathed. I thought it would prove useful.”

“And..?”

“It did not. The situation I found myself in was drastically different from this one. Some of the tribe members were good people and helped me. I suspect I cannot count on the Monokubs.”

“Definitely not.”

“Changing subject of the discussion… it is convenient to know the exact time.”

“Yes, that thing that broadcasts the Monokubs’ announcements now displays the time!”

“…Do you know when did it start functioning? When I woke up it was already displaying the time.” Kirumi asked, puzzled.

“Oh, I think… just before midnight..? It’s just that knowing the time makes me feel better. We can plan our day.”

“I suppose that is right.”

“While the others come, I’ll go check my room. You can stay here, okay?”

“Sure. If something happens, do not be afraid to let me know.”

I nodded.

Slowly but steadily I started climbing back up. Kirumi watched me as I continued, somewhat worried for my safety. I was about to tell her that everything was right, but then I entered my room.

...

It was impossible not to notice. The duct tape I used to seal the door had been tore apart.

Scared, I shifted my attention to the bookcase behind which I hid the poison bottles. To my horror, I discovered that some of them were empty.

I was about to alert Kirumi, but then I opened the door. I reached for the knob, but it was covered with duct tape. So I just gently pulled the door to me…

I saw two bodies.

Rantaro and Tsumugi.

I checked their pulses immediately. Were they…

No!

They were alive… but for how long? Somebody had knocked them out!

“Kirumi!” I shouted, sprinting to the window.

“I assume an even-

I didn’t let her finish.

“Call the others! We have a serious problem! Somebody entered my room this night!..”

She looked ready to go, but then I stopped her.

“…And please, go check on Shuichi.”

“Alright.” She said. “But I will not insist. He needs time for himself.”

I didn’t waste time watching her leave, and went back to Rantaro and Tsumugi, who continued to lie on the floor. What happened to them?

As I was trying to piece back together what happened, a low-pitched voice made its way to my years.

“Ding dong bing bong… a body has been discovered!”

***

Under the warm blankets of my bed, I heard the announcement.

Somebody died.

I knew that. It had to happen.

And I... had something to do with it. Yes, I did. I can’t lie to myself.

If only I stayed there… I didn’t let Maki in… things could have been different.

Maybe we were too far gone from the start. Maybe someone will claim to be the murderer, will be able to escape, while we continue fighting here until two of us are left.

Instead, I heard knocking on my door. Then Kiibo’s voice.

“Shuichi! Are you there?!”

He persisted, quicker, furious.

“Shuichi! Answer me! Please! I need to make sure you’re still breathing!”

I didn’t feel alive, that was certain. But I wasn’t dead either. I still had some time before I could say goodbye to the world. I wondered if someone had plans to kill me.

Another voice joined the conversation.

“Kiibo! What is your business here? Shouldn’t you be with our other classmates?”

“…I was feeling pretty tired after yesterday. I stayed in bed.”

“To think you did not sleep at all the other day.”

“We’ll talk about this later. Shuichi isn’t responding! Why?! What is he doing?!”

“Do you fear he is dead?”

“Please tell me you have seen him!”

“I am afraid not.”

“Hey..! Do you know who’s… has passed..?”

“I heard the announcement as I was coming here. Kaede asked me to check Shuichi’s conditions.”

Kaede… why is she so hell-bent on me..?

“Panicking now is of no use. What if he is with the others?” Kirumi proposed.

“Maybe… but that doesn’t change the fact that one of us isn’t here anymore…” Kiibo stopped for a second. “Can you force open the door? Maybe with a kick?!”

“I am an adventurer. Not a door destroyer. These are two distinct specialties.”

“Well, you need to possess some… survival skills?! Haven’t you ever smashed a door while escaping a death trap!?”

“Do you see me as the woman version of Indiana Jones...?”

“Can you at least try? The rules don’t say anything about this specific thing! We are allowed to explore the school grounds at our discretion!”

“I am not. Going. To. Destroy a door.”

This charade has gone on for far too long.

“I am alive.” I said. “I just woke up.”

Lie.

“Shuichi!” Kiibo called my name. “D-do you know what happened..?”

It was useless pretending not to know.

“Yes… I… I… heard the announcement…”

“I think it’s better if you come out with us.” Kiibo replied. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to be in there.”

“My door is locked, you know?”

“Sadly, this detail did not stop an intruder last night. Somebody managed to enter into Kaede’s research lab. With the missing key, I assume.”

“W-what?” I gasped. “H-how…”

“They entered?!” Kiibo said, surprised. “…It can’t be a coincidence, right?!”

“H-how can you b-be sure..?” I asked, trying not to panic. 

“Kaede told me that her door was open. I wanted to know more, however, she sent me here. Please, do not make her worry.”

How could someone… enter? That didn’t make any sense… why…

“So, you coming or not?”

“If I remember correctly, the announcement sounds when four people, including the culprit, find a body… I certainly hope this is a twisted joke, but in case it is real… the investigation will commence soon. I am of the opinion that your talent could be rather useful.”

“U-useful..? How?”

“She’s right!” Kiibo cheered. “You are a magician! You must know everything about tricks!”

“W-what are you saying… you forgot something…”

“Huh?”

“Monokuma’s motive… the first murderer… will be able to escape this academy… without a trial.”  

“W-what?!”

“Uhm… I have to admit that I forgot this crucial detail. The investigation may be superfluous.”

“Superfluous?! N-no..! I can’t…” Kiibo stuttered. “I can’t believe someone was killed! And even if that happened, the killer can’t escape their sins!”

“Would you care for Ouma too? He is not like us. He is a robot. And a rather annoying one.”

“I-I guess that could be an exception…”

“If you want, you can hold on to that hope.”

Here they are, comparing their life to the one of a robot.

But really… I cannot stay in here for long. Kaede would come for me eventually. …And I need to understand what happened. If something bad occurred… the others may require my skills… whatever they are.

“I’d prefer to stay here longer… but I can’t. I can’t escape this time. I shouldn’t have the first time, I should have proven to myself and the others I could be trusted. I wouldn’t be tangled up in this mess, and you… maybe even you wouldn’t be.”

“Yeah, great monologue. I like it, but can you start moving?”

“I-I’m coming…”

I didn’t bother to change my clothes. I had already taken a shower during the night. I just got up and opened the door.

“Finally!” Kiibo exclaimed. “…Oh. Your cape is pretty creased.”

“I don’t have a spare one.” I said. “This fabric crumples very easily… I hope, at least… I can somehow substitute it… That isn’t our problem, however.”

I spent my time rolling around in my bed.

“The announcement said…” Kiibo started. “That the body was found in the corridor which leads to the gym. We need to gather there.”

“Are we… going to see a dead body… really?”

“It appears so. If you are a sensitive person, you should not see it.”

“…I-I think I can handle it, honestly…”

“Please, can we go? I… I need to know who died. I am feeling heavy just thinking about it.”

“Kiibo’s right. Let’s start going. We’ll find everyone there.”

We exited the dormitories. No one was around, not even the Exisals. Kiibo grew increasingly worried every step closer to the school entrance.

“AAAAAAAH!”

When we opened the door, I immediately heard a feminine scream.

“That is Miu.” Kirumi observed.

After that, other screams followed.

“D-did they see…”

“We will not accomplish anything by remaining here! We need to go there!” Kirumi continued.

We started running towards the source of the scream.

It was in that few seconds that I remembered, that I realized… either way, it was my fault. I tried to push that thought away… but it came back. Everything I was doing had no purpose.

The corridor stretched out in front of me.

No signs of a dead body, not even blood.

That didn’t reassure me at all. Maybe it should have.

I… had to face Maki again… I had to face Kaede again. Answer her questions. I didn’t want to.

Blurred figures appeared. The lucky ones. Who were still alive.

“Kirumi! Kiibo! Shuichi..!” Kaito cried out. A purple shape came towards us. “I-I… have… tried…”

Here was the corner. I could recognize almost everyone.

No body in sight.

But then I turned my head.

Almost everyone was in front of me.

Miu, Angie, 0U-M4, Himiko, Gonta, Tenko, Korekiyo… were standing.

…

…

…

...

Ryoma Hoshi was slumped on the floor.

And he wasn’t moving.

DAILY LIFE END.

Chapter Text

DEADLY LIFE START!

The announcement sounded.

It was not my imagination. My ears didn’t deceive me.

Somebody died. And someone killed.

I checked Rantaro and Tsumugi’s pulse once again. It was somewhat faint, but it told me they were just unconscious. I tried to shake them, but they showed no signs of waking up. Moreover, there was no trace of blood or trauma. Whatever knocked them out, must have done it not by force, but with something else at their disposal.

I couldn’t leave them there. They seemed fine, but were helpless, easy targets. I had to ask someone to look after them. And then, when they would have woken up, I had to ask them what happened.

Always keeping watch on Rantaro and Tsumugi, I approached the window and looked down. Nobody was there. Kirumi had gone searching for Shuichi, but she didn’t came back. What was she doing..?

And Shuichi? I prayed he was alive. I can’t imagine someone targeting him… what would they gain from attacking him?! Just when he was the most vulnerable…

No, I can’t continue with ifs, I need to see what happened with my own eyes. I was aware that no investigation would have been carried out and that the class trial would be cancelled, but I was sure… that was for the best. It would have only spread distrust between everybody. This way, at least… the culprit… would go away. We could… unite, together, glued by the hate towards someone. It sounds terrible… but a murder happened. I had to deal with the situation I found myself into. I can learn to live with this…

I need to keep this group together, even after my failure.

Now that a killing has happened, no more need to follow. This will be the first and the last victim here in Gifted Inmates Academy.

I sat besides Rantaro and Tsumugi, checking their pulse regularly. I had no way of knowing if they could wake up, but I was still sure that they would open their eyes

When I heard footsteps, I stood up and went to see who arrived. Kaito and Tojo’s expression destroyed any hoped I had about the truthfulness of the announcement.

“I’m sorry, Kaede…” Kaito started.

“Please, tell me. Tell me… who’s dead?”

Kaito stayed silent. Why… wasn’t he saying anything!?

“Ryoma.” Kirumi boomed.

That name echoed in my head. Of everyone in this school… he… was the last one I expected to die. How could a presumed serial killer die? Was I even right with my assumption?!

“I know you wanted to protect everyone, Kaede. This isn't your fault, you know? It’s the killer’s fault!”

“…We’ll discuss about this later…” I said, trying to dodge the matter. No, it wasn’t the time to question myself. “For now… you have seen the body, right?”

“Yes, however I would say is in perfect conditions…”

“You should examine it. You’re a detective, you must have come in contact with… many bodies.”

Kirumi glared at him.

“…That doesn’t offend her, I’m sure.” He followed.

“I must ask you, why have you not joined us? I expected you to rush wherever the victim was.”

“I couldn’t. Look at this.”

After taking some steps back, I let my classmates see the condition Tsumugi and Rantaro were in.

“What?!” Kaito exclaimed “Are they dead too!?”

“This… is unbelievable.” Kirumi added, looking shocked.

“No, thankfully… they are just unconscious.”

I think I should have explained that in advance.

“…But why…”

“There’s a reason behind this. It has to be connected to the murder. Also, someone entered my room.”

“Seriously!? Kaede, that Rantaro is suspicious! You ask him to guard your door, here’s what happens!”

“That’s what it appears like… but you can’t say that for certain. Someone attacked him, that’s sure.”

“He’s shady as fuck! I’d ask him some questions if I were you!”

“…I plan to. But you can’t ask questions to an unconscious person, can you?"

“I’m just warning you! I won’t let a strong girl like you be hurt by a psycho!”

“I suppose it is too soon to call Rantaro a psycho.”

“Kaito, stop jumping to conclusions. Anyway, I need to see Ryoma’s body.”

“What good is investigating? The killer is getting out of this mess with no consequences.”

“Do you know who did it?” I asked.

“As far as I know, we do not. None of the people who arrived at the crime scene confessed. That leads me to think Maki is the culprit.”

“I knew it was her! It must have used the weapon she found in your room!”

…Really? Could she?

“I’m afraid we can’t pin the murder on Maki. The culprit won’t reveal themselves until they feel safe. I… think everyone would be scared of them, but he would undoubtedly be targeted by some of you… namely… Kaito.”

“Are you sayin’ I would kill him!?”

“…No, I’m saying you would beat them up. For sure.”

“Oh, that’s right! I would beat him to a pulp! That coward!”

“Kirumi, I ask you to guard my room. Could you? I swear, this is my last request."

Kirumi remained silent, looking conflicted.

“I can! I’ll show you I can be trusted!” Kaito exclaimed. “I need to make up for yesterday!”

Uhm… is Kaito really useful in this case? I’m sure he’s a great inventor, but he’s rather impulsive… something tells me that he won’t listen to Rantaro at all… if he were to wake up.

“Do not worry Kaede. I will aid you one last time. This is simply yet another task.” Kirumi announced.

“That’s great, Kirumi! You’ll be the one who’ll watch me! And prove to Kaede how awesome I am!”

“I will… do my best.”

Apparently things went my way.

“Uhm… if Tsumugi and Rantaro wake up, bring them down. I want to talk with them about what happen first. …Kaito, don’t do anything… uhm… irrational. Ok?”

“Got it!” He replied, giving me a thumbs up.

I couldn’t bring myself to do the same.

Quickly, I reached the eastern part of the school. As I walked, I tried to forget what was about to happen. But how could I?

I was about to witness a dead body.

It wasn’t the first time, but now it was different. The murder wasn’t an unknown delinquent, a person who I never met, who I never had to see again… but an Ultimate, someone who had been rewarded with a prestigious title, who I met few days prior.

Someone who had the strength to kill Ryoma Hoshi.

I could feel every chill through my spine as I approached the end of the corridor, which I hoped would never end.

But it did.

And, amidst the spiral of people, worried and confused, I saw the body.

“Kaede, you’re here!” Gonta cried out. “Gonta so worried for you! What happened? Is Kaede alright?”

“Yes, Gonta… I am… slightly confused, but not hurt in any way. Thanks.”

“Gonta is very happy to hear that! …But Ryoma is…”

“I know. Kirumi and Kaito told me. …We… need to be strong.”

“Who fuckin’ cares?! He was a loner anyway! I’m so glad he’s the one who had to go!” Miu exclaimed.

“How… can you say this?..” Kiibo stood dumbfounded.

“He probably isn’t an Ultimate either! So, he’s dead for the greater good!”

“…Don’t say that.”

Shuichi’s voice surprised me.

I couldn’t see him at first. He was near the body, examining him. However, he wasn’t interacting with him in any way.

“What do you want, Suckichi?”

“…You’re not any better than him.”

“How?! I’m the great pianist Iruma Miu, and honestly, a great beauty too! My tits are perfect and my face is too! He looks like a baby! I don’t want to be accused of pedophilia!”

“Insulting others won’t make you happier. Everyone here is guilty of something. You should ask yourself why you are and then judge others.”

Shuichi…

Was he talking based on experience?

“Shuichi is so right!” 0U-M4 joined the conversation. “But, let me explain, dear magician… this creature, constantly in need of pleasure, doesn’t speak your language. She’s way too dumb! To let her understand you need to change your register! U-uhm… earth wants to communicate to prostitute number six-hundred seventy five! Have you written your number in a bathroom stall, so I can find it and know more?!

“W-what have y-you c-called me..?”

“She can’t even find comebacks!”

“Please, I think we should focus on what happened.” Korekiyo observed.

“A male degenerate did this, I’m sure!”

“Whoever did this crime should reveal themselves.” Angie said. “If I remember correctly, he’s free to go despite having committed a murder!”

“Are you encouraging him?!” Kiibo exclaimed.

“Nah, I’m just saying that wasting time is useless!... Of course they need to be punished.” Angie continued with a smile never leaving her face.

After that last statement, Maki appeared in the hallway.

“…It seems I don’t have to test my skills against countless Monokumas. That’s fine. I went here just to let you know I wasn’t the killer.”

She didn’t show any signs of remorse for the poor Ryoma.

“Now I’ll go eat something.”

“H-hey! You can’t leave!” Kiibo intervened. “One of your classmates… is...”

“I am sad for him. But he wasn’t my classmate. He was a stranger. I would be an hypocrite if I cried or sat here doing nothing, because, at the end of the day, his death barely affects me. Sorry if I’m blunt.”

Maki appears to know nothing about human relationships. I guess she prefers smacking her opponents to the ground rather than discussing with them.

“B-but…”

“I don’t even have to help with an investigation. The person who dared to commit a crime is free to go… and even if I wanted to, I can’t stop them. I’d prefer not to witness their confession.”

Even if she pretends not to care, from her words I can understand she doesn’t approve of this matter. She didn’t want anyone to die. However, that doesn’t mean she cares about us.

“Now we ca-

“Nuh-uh-uh! This is the time when I show myself!” Monokuma said.

Everyone of us turned back to see that Monokuma and his five children appeared all behind us.

“Hell yeah! Finally some dead meat! Where’s the blood? Where’s the blood!?”

“You stupid punk, there’s no blood!” Monosuke followed.

“Oh, thank God! If I see a single spill of blood I’m gonna vomit!”

“No blood?! What’s a murder if there’s no blood!? Damn, this time the game is so boring!”

“My children! They’re adorable even if they argue! …Ah, I couldn’t pick a favorite! They’ll grow up to be just like me!”

“Stop focusing on your children and tell us why you’re here!” Tenko rebutted.

“Oh, right. It’s just… when they appear, they cloud my vision!”

Maki completely ignored the current discussion and started walking away.

“I said don’t go away!” Monokuma boomed. “This is your headmaster! When I punish my students I don’t just suspend them for a couple of weeks!”

Maki stopped. “So tell me what you want.”

“I’m here to give you the Monokuma File! A very important, little document, that is being uploaded on your Monopad right now! It contains very precious information on the body of the victim you discover, so that identifying the culprit won’t be impossible! Be ready to receive many, this will become a common practice later. You’ll become Monokuma File experts in no time!”

“H-hey… what good is it for?” I asked.

“Huh?”

“We don’t have to go through a class trial, am I right?”

“Ah… you don’t know the latest piece of news!” Monotaro exclaimed.

“News?! Oh! I slept for twelve hours straight! I don’t know! I don’t know!” Monophanie continued.

“The culprit went out of their way to let me know that he wanted to participate in the trial! Isn’t this development exciting?!”

“Oh!” 0U-M4’s face lit up. “It is indeed exciting!”

“W-what…” I managed to say.

“Yeah, I really don’t know what the hell is the culprit thinking, but if he wants to go through a class trial who am I to say no?!... Honestly I was never on board with that motive... but I guess sacrifices have to be made, right!? Just like your friend Ryoma! Ahahahah!”

“D-don’t call him a sacrifice…” Shuichi mumbled.

“…So, after this shocking development… You need to investigate. That is, if you don’t want to die. And the Monokuma File will be very helpful! Of course it won’t tell you everything! I can leave out important details that will help you too much! Killing someone is a difficult feat, so I can forgive some rookie mistakes if the blackened commits some.”

“What?! You’re giving them a huge advantage!” Miu lamented.

“Advantage one party?! Me!? Never! I strive for a fair trial! Everyone would be bored if the culprit was too obvious, right?!”

“Words of wisdom, daddy!” Monosuke approved.

“Now I’ll go. I suggest to check the rules of the killing game.”

“Rules are important!” Monotaro said.

“You have a limited time before the class trial starts. We can say it runs out when I get bored! And with that, bye! Happy first investigation!”

***

Monokuma disappeared as quickly as he appeared, and his five bipedal sons disappeared with him too.

We were now tasked to find the terrible person who killed Ryoma Hoshi. We had to be ready.

“Ehm...” Gonta broke out the silence. “If need to investigate, Kaede should tell what to do... that what Gonta thinks!”

“Angie agrees with Gonta! Great, Gonta! You are very smart!”

The supreme leader then patted the tennis player’s head.

Everyone shifted their attention to Kaede.

“U-uhm… yeah… I can d-do it…”

“Tenko is sure you can do it, Kaede! You remind me of a girl who attended my classes!”

“Was it common practice for her to solve crimes?” 0U-M4 sarcastically asked.

“Shut your mouth, degenerate male!”

“I am not a male, I’m a robot! You don’t have to bully me just because my chest is small!”

“There’s no need for discussions right now…” Kaede explained. “Since we have a limited time to carry out the investigation, I think we should start immediately.”

Kaede’s right. The person who killed Hoshi is in this school, we can be sure of that. But… what is going to happen after we’ll discover who did it? Will Kaede ever understand..? Will her detective skills be enough?... I need to do my part too. There are so many questions I need to answer too. I am in the dark; I need to know what happened. We’ll work together and find the truth behind this case... or maybe no one will piece together the puzzle. I’ll do my best.

Investigation start!

“I think that our first priority is to check the Monokuma File.” Kaede announced. “I don’t know if we can trust Monokuma, but this is our first clue.”

After saying that, Kaede picked up her Monopad and invited each one of us to do the same.

I clicked a couple of times on the tablet and a new icon appeared on the menu, titled “Mono-files”. Having opened it, a black screen appeared, then a image of Ryoma’s dead body. By swiping the screen, more information could be seen.

The victim is Ryoma Hoshi.

The body was found in the hallway near the entrance of the gym.

The estimate time of death is around 5 A.M. in the morning.

The cause of death is unclear, but the neck of the victim is irritated. No other external injuries are present.

“So this is the Monokuma File. But… can we trust it?” Kiibo asked.

“I could check the body for the last details, but we’ll never know if the time of death is correct. However, we should remember that Monokuma said that he wanted a fair trial, so…”

Trusting Monokuma is something we shouldn’t do, but this time she’s right.

Obtained truth bullet: Monokuma File 1

“Ryoma was killed, but as you may know, somebody broke into my room this night and knocked Tsumugi and Rantaro out.” Kaede told the others.

"Another act of violence?" Korekiyo appeared surprised. "Who could imagine this turn of events." 

“What?! Gonta thought it was safe! Gonta should have been there!”

“W-well… it’s not your fault, really. But it can’t be a coincidence. I’m sure that whoever entered my room has something to do with this death.”

She may be right…

“So, after being done here, I need to go upstairs again, and ask some questions to Tsumugi and Rantaro.”

“That is, if they wake up…” 0U-M4 whispered.

Kaede ignored him.

“I’ll check the body now. I saw that Shuichi was already looking at it…”

She glanced in my direction and that caused me to stop looking at her, and turn my attention to the ground. I felt my cheeks blushing.

“And what… should we do..?” Himiko asked. “Can I… take a nap?”

“A nap!?” Tenko exclaimed. “Himiko, this is a matter of life and death! You could die, you know?!”

“It’ll be a quick nap…”

“Have you seen something strange between yesterday and today? Do you know something useful? …Ah, and I don’t mean to doubt you… but if you gave me alibis, that would be great! In fact, I’d be so relieved if you have one…”

Nobody stepped up.

“Well…”

“What did you expect?! Everyone was probably sleeping at that time!” Miu shouted. 

“…I was awake.” Kiibo said. “And… I saw Maki walking near the gazebo.”

“Maki?” Kaede asked. “In the middle of the night?”

“I think it was around 5 A.M. But I’m not sure!”

“And, why were you around at that time?” Korekiyo asked.

“I usually spend my time looking at the stars! It calms me down!”

“I suppose you can confirm this.” Kaede continued, turning towards Maki, who was distancing herself from the group.

“I didn’t see him. But I was near the dorms.”

“W-well…” Kiibo explained. “When I saw her, I was sitting in the grass. I didn’t want to trouble her, especially after I came to know of her short temper…”

“I don’t attack everyone who talks to me.”

“Nyahahah, you’re saying the opposite if we look at your actions!”

“Think what you want.”

“But what were you doing outside in the middle of the night? Eh?”

“I was checking for suspicious activity.”

“That’s rich coming from you!” Miu commented.

“Then… at 4:50… she entered the dorms. Shortly after, I did too.

“That’s true. That proves I couldn’t have killed Ryoma.”

Even though Kiibo’s testimony isn’t confirmed, that doesn’t mean it’s false. As far as I know, it could be important to the case.

Obtained truth bullet: Kiibo’s testimony

Kaede scribbled something on a notepad –I didn’t notice it before!- and approached me.

“O-oh… I’m going to-”

“No, stay here. We can check the body together.”

Kaede tried to lure me with the sweetest voice she had. But that wasn’t enough.

“I just… I don’t think I can handle it anymore…”

She reached for my hand. I couldn’t avoid her touch.

“We have a chance to survive. Together we’re stronger.”

Why wasn’t she talking about yesterday? Has she really forgotten? Does she not care? The fact she’s not even mentioning it should put me at ease, put it’s making me more nervous…

“I... don’t think… I’ll be useful…”

“Don’t allow yourself to say that again!” she responded, looking into my eyes. “You are useful. Each one of us is necessary to resolve the mess we’re in. You too.”

“B-but… I don’t think I… found something…”

“That’s normal. I don’t think you’re… familiar… with dead bodies.”

After that last word, she paused. She probably realized that her choice of words wasn’t that good.

“Either way… the Monokuma File said that no external injuries are present on the body.”

Kaede stared at the body, even peeking under Ryoma’s jacket.

“K-kaede!” I exclaimed.

“I need to check the body thoroughly. Wounds could be hidden under his clothes.”

“W-wouldn’t a blood stain be visible?” I asked.

“Not necessarily. Presumptions don’t exist in my job.”

“A-ah… right…”

Kaede continued with her examination. I decided to look somewhere else until she said she was finished.

“Almost nothing. The Monokuma File is correct, except for one small thing. Look at his nose."

I did as Kaede asked and saw a small, pink smear just under his right nostril.

“This is something we need to remember. Why is this here?”

Obtained truth bullet: Pink smear under nostril

“What about the neck?” I asked.

“It’s irritated indeed. However, I can’t say for certain what happened to him. Even though the file doesn’t specify this wound as the cause of murder, it could very well be.”

“And do you know what could have happened to him?”

“Yes, I have my theory… but I’ll talk about it during the trial."

“Oh.”

I have to admit I was somewhat disappointed with Kaede’s decision not to divulge information, but I suppose… there’s no time to waste trying to explain me..?

The detective then turned her attention to me, lowering her voice.

“Shuichi… if you know something… tell me.”

“Wh-what do you mean…”

“You’re the one who spent the most time with Ryoma… did he do something… did he tell you something..?”

Didn’t we have this same conversation before...? What good is telling her the same things again?

“Think about it. When we’re alone, we’ll talk about it again. …Just to be sure.”

I nodded, but to be honest… what else did I have to tell her?

Kaede then stood up. I stopped looking at the body too, noticing that Miu, Angie and Gonta weren’t with us anymore. And of course, no sign of Maki.

“W-where have they gone?” Kaede asked.

“Nee-hee-hee! Who knows! Angie accompanied Gonta in the cafeteria and Miu probably went to her lab to watch some lewd movie! I suppose she needs constant stimulation…”

“Nyeh… You don’t have to insult her even when she’s not around…”

“You don’t have to insult her at all!” Tenko intervened. “S-she might have her problems… but we need to understand her before we judge her!”

“If only you applied this logic to males too…” 0U-M4 noted.

“Either way… I should have asked them some questions…”

“Are you done here?” Kiibo asked.

“This is the crime scene, but strangely, nothing except the body seems out of the ordinary. The clothes are in pristine conditions. And the body, except for the face and neck... doesn’t have injuries.”

“For someone who has been murdered it is uncommon not to have external injuries such as scratches or minor wounds…” Korekiyo observed.

“Yes, Korekiyo is correct. This is interesting.”

It seems that only Ryoma’s face and neck were injured. If that’s the case… does this mean what I think it does?

Obtained truth bullet: Conditions of the body

Near the body there was an object. A rope.

“Was this here when you came?” Kaede asked the others.

“Yes.” Korekiyo responded. “I suppose it comes from the warehouse.”

Kaede approached the rope and took it in her hands.

“This rope isn’t that strong. I don’t think it can sustain heavy weights.”

“How heavy?” Tenko asked.

“Well… Shuichi, allow me to demonstrate something.”

“S-Sure…”

I moved closer to Kaede.

“Take this end. I’ll take the other.”

I did as she asked.

“Now pull, but not strongly… and I’ll pull too.”

“O-okay…”

I started pulling and after a few seconds, the rope tore at the center, leaving me and Kaede with two separate pieces.

“It breaks very easily.” Kaede concluded.

Kaede’s right, but will this clue help her?

Obtained truth bullet: Rope at the crime scene

“I can’t find anything else that could be important to the case here. If you don’t have anything else to say…”

“I do.” Tenko said. “I just remembered it. It might not have to do with the case, but…”

“If it’s something you think it’s useful, it could be.”

“I will tell you, but not here. Too many degenerate males are present and I don’t trust them!”

“Uhm… do you know we’ll probably discuss what you say to me in the trial?”

“Yes, of course! But this is truly a piece of information that shouldn’t be discussed about now!”

“…Okay… But, can Shuichi, at least, hear it? He’s my partner in this investigation.”

Wait… what? I never agreed to that! …I’d have preferred to search for clues alone…

“You’re asking me to tell secrets to a degenerate male, which I’ve never done before!”

“It’s not that difficult…” Kiibo said.

Tenko stood still in a pensive mood for some seconds.

“I suppose I can do that today. Shuichi hasn’t behaved like a menace until now and apparently you trust him blindly. I trust girl judgments, and you’re a detective, so I trust your sixth sense. I’ll accompany you where you need to go, and say what I need to.”

“I suppose… I’m going to the cafeteria. Angie and Gonta guarded my door the night before the last one, they could know something about what happened.”

“To the cafeteria then! Himiko, come with us.”

“…What?”

“I invited you to come with me. It’s dangerous to be alone in a place like this.”

“…I feel comfy here.”

“No, no! They lull you in a false sense of security and then attack you!”

Himiko didn’t seem to care about Tenko’s plea.

“…Okay. I’ll come.”

“What?!” Kiibo exclaimed. “But you just said you want to stay here!”

“Arguing is a lot of work…”

“I… am left speechless…”

“Great, Himiko. You always know what the right choice is.” Tenko applauded.

“I guess so…”

“Before we go, I think two of you should guard the body to avoid… unpleasant occurrences.

“Nee-hee-hee! I agree with you! I’ll guard the body! Who wants to help me?”

“I will.” Korekiyo said. “Other than guarding the body, I will watch you as well.”

“Oh! Do I need a bodyguard? Am I that important?”

“No. I will stop you from attempting-

“I know, I know… you don’t trust me because you think I do things without thinking?! I’m a robot, for heaven’s sake! I do everything because logic! Not like you, you humans actually have things like emotions that cloud your judgment!”

Emotions are important. Even more than logic. When that doesn’t work, emotions are the only solution. Why do we follow our heart so many times? It has to be because we recognize that as the right path to pursue, unconsciously or not. If we only cared about logic we would be machines… just like 0U-M4… but, despite everything I’ve done, despite everything we’ve done… we’re still human beings.

"Kaede, you must swear to withhold this information until the trial.” Tenko said.

“Yes, yes...” she repeated.

Ugh… how many times does she have to tell her the same thing? She should reveal this secret and be done with it…

“And you, degenerate male, you must do too! I guess you menaces are accustomed to spilling secrets..!”

Why does she think I’m some sort of inferior being? Will she ever change her mind…? After all I’ve witnessed enough to suppose she won’t. Ever.

“What I wanted to say is… that yesterday, shortly after we split up, I heard Ouma talking with Ryoma.”

“With Ryoma!?” Kaede exclaimed.

“Well, me and Himiko were just exiting the dormitories… and I couldn’t help but hear his voice…”

“I can confirm…” Himiko said.

“And Ouma said something like…

\\FLASHBACK//

0U-M4: Hey, Ryoma… so, are you planning to kill someone?”

Ryoma: What.

0U-M4: Oh, don’t you remember? Rumors say that you’re a mass murderer…

Ryoma: …

0U-M4: Hmm… you don’t seem surprised. So you do remember…

Ryoma: I just know that something bad happened in my past. And now, I need to go.

\\END FLASHBACK//

“W-what?!” I almost jumped from the revelation. “Ouma kno- thinks… that Ryoma is a serial killer?”

“This is surprising… to say the least.” Kaede noted.

“This is what I heard. After that, Ryoma stormed into the dormitories.”

“Nyeh… Ouma went towards the Shrine of Judgement. But we didn’t bother talking to him.”

“This… this information is actually… very useful.” Kaede said.

“I know. Ryoma appears to be a serial killer? …I’m… sort of glad… he got what he deserved.”

Oh. Tenko’s last sentence was really full of hate. But I suppose that, if he really is a serial killer... she has a point. However, 0U-M4 suspecting Ryoma doesn’t make the latter a mass murderer. Still, this is information to keep in mind…

Obtained truth bullet: 0U-M4’s and Ryoma’s conversation

Obtained truth bullet: Ryoma’s whereabouts

“Is this all you have to say?” Kaede asked, regaining her composure.

“Yes, I believe so.” Tenko concluded. “I’ll now investigate somewhere else with Himiko, if you don’t mind.”

“Tenko, what if… some clues are in my dorm room..? The culprit could have entered it, we should check…”

“Uhm…” Tenko didn’t seem convinced, but then changed her mind. “Checking wouldn’t hurt…”

I don’t really think that’s the case, Himiko…

“It could be. Who am I to contradict you.” Kaede said.

Does she really think that? I’m sure she just wants to get rid of them so that she can have need some time alone with me.

As I see them exiting from the main entrance, I’m stopped before I can open my mouth.

“Did Ouma know..?” Kaede asked.

“Apparently… he had some suspects… but how?! You said that it was restricted information! Only your partners knew!”

“Yes, I’m sure about that. So how…”

“I-I… really can’t figure t-this out… is… he the killer?”

“I can’t say for now. There are many things to check out first.”

“O-oh… s-sorry… I’m… stupid… I don’t know anything about detectives…”

I knew she could sense my embarrassment. She was about to encourage me…

“No, you aren’t. Making hypotheses isn’t wrong. That’s how detectives work."

Here she goes. She wasn’t convincing me.

“…But let’s talk about something else. You’re the one who spent the most time with Ryoma.”

“I… think that’s true…”

“You already told me what you did, but… is there something that… could be useful, in this circumstances?”

I stood still, placing my index finger on my lips, trying to make my best “really thinking about this” impression.

“W-well… I actually think… he wasn’t scared around Monokuma… despite the fact that bear threatened him… he was ready to challenge it.”

“Hmm…”

“I think… he wasn’t scared to die. M-maybe… he was actually seeking death.. N-no… more like… pushing his luck… w-way to much.”

“And you didn’t see him after yesterday morning?”

“W-well… I… I stayed in my room… all day…”

Oh, shoot. I shouldn’t have talked about this again.

“That’s right!” she said, forcing a laugh. “How dumb of me! …I’ll just write something down about what you said…”

Am I helping her? I bet I'm being such an hassle... why am I even following her around? I feel more and more awkward every second... 

So I stayed silent. Six, seven seconds passed. None of us two said a word. 

But, thankfully, someone's voice came from somewhere, and they were addressing Kaede. 

Chapter Text

Me and Shuichi remained silent for the longest seven seconds of my life, with my mind seemingly blank, void of any word to continue the discussion.

But thankfully, someone else came to save me.

“Kaede, Kaede!”

It was Kaito’s voice.

“They woke up! They woke up!”

“Y-you don’t have to repeat things two times…” A slightly frustrated Shuichi said.

“Rantaro and Tsumugi?!” I asked, surprised.

“Yeah! They’re somewhat confused, but one hundred percent awake!”

“Shuichi!” I exclaimed, grabbing him by his hand. “We need to go!”

“W-what about Angie and Gonta?”

“We’ll ask questions later, we need to go to the upper floor!”

There was no point in sprinting, but I was so relieved that Tsumugi and Rantaro were with us once again that I couldn’t wait to see their conditions. Kaito and Shuichi followed me keeping the pace until we reached my research room.

And as I expected, both Rantaro and Tsumugi were on their feet, the first conversing with Kirumi, while the second staring at my room.

“What… what… this research room is a mess!” she exclaimed. “Oh my God! I need to clean it up!”

Is she obsessed with cleaning? I didn’t know that…

“She woke up less than sixty seconds ago and as soon she saw the conditions of your research lab, her cry started echoing through the walls of this school.” Kirumi explained.

“Guess she has OCD…” Kaito commented.

“I can’t look at it anymore! Give me a broom, some water, something..!”

She’s really losing her cool. I’d help her, but I can’t let her enter… there are clues in there. I suppose…

Before I could finish my thoughts, Rantaro left the door ajar, and as a result, Tsumugi calmed down.

“Oh… oh…” She mumbled. “Oh… I’m sorry! I’m sorryimsorryimsorry! …I really shouldn’t have done that…”

“Hey, hey… calm down…” I reassured her. “Surely you’ve been through a lot during these last hours.”

“You don’t say…” Kirumi commented.

“T-thank you, Rantaro… If it wasn’t for you, I’d have gone crazy for sure… I can’t stand chaos. I just feel… I need to tidy everything! As soon as I can… I know it’s strange…”

“No, it’s not, Tsumugi.” The artist said. “Since you’re the Ultimate Maid, this characteristic of yours is perfectly normal, I would say.”

“Ah… thank you for the kind words, but really… it’s one of my biggest flaws…”

“Kaede’s here!” Rantaro finally acknowledged my presence. “I… suppose you’re here because of… well… our complete failure to protect your door? I… can try to explain…”

As far as first impressions go, from his tone of voice, he seemed pretty sad about what happened.

“…Ah!” I remembered. “Kirumi mentioned you just woke up, so, do you know about… Ryoma...?”

“Huh? What about Ryoma?” Rantaro asked.

“Have you discovered his talent?!” That was Tsumugi’s question.

So they don’t know.

Kirumi sensed my distress.

“We had not informed them yet.” She explained, laying her hat on her chest.

“Informed… of what?” The maid asked. “You don’t seem happy, has something-

“He’s dead, right?” Rantaro said ominously.

What? How does he know?

“If I’m still able to read the mood… something terrible must have happened. Your tone is the one people use to deliver information about a tragedy.”

“D-don’t say that…” Tsumugi intervened. “T-there’s no way…”

“It’s true. Ryoma is no longer with us.” I announced. “We found his body.”

“Ah!” Tsumugi let out a gasp. “That’s… that’s… not possible…”

“I really didn’t want to tell you this, but…”

As I tried to encourage Tsumugi, Rantaro started to talk again.

“Who did it? Has the culprit left already?”

He was referring to the first blood perk that Monokuma offered us. Right, he didn’t know about that…

“The culprit didn’t claim their prize.”

After I finished the sentence, Kirumi and Kaito were as shocked as Rantaro.

“Hmm, so they’re still here. I wonder why they chose to participate in a class trial, I wonder…”

“Probably they totally lost their mind!” Kaito guessed. “They want us all killed!”

But is that really the case? Would someone really do this?

“D-do you know what happened to us..?” asked Tsumugi, still shaken from the recent revelations. “We were guarding here, and then… well… I was sleeping… when…”

“That’s why I came here. I refuse to believe there’s no connection between the break-in in my room and Ryoma’s death. If you were knocked out, there’s the chance that your assaulter is none other than the killer.”

“I’ll provide you the info that you need, Kaede.” Rantaro said, staring into my eyes.

“W-well. You can do it without being creepy.” I said, backing off.

“Oh! I really respect what you’re doing. I just… was trying to be nice.”

More like too close for comfort.

“If you want to know what happened, here’s what I can tell you. So, I am fairly sure that what happened occurred past 2 AM, since I remember the clock displaying a 2. Tsumugi was taking a nap… I heard some noises, but I dismissed them as my imagination at first. However, I heard them again. I started to sense that something was off, so I woke up Tsumugi…”

“Yes, he did. I was still in a dazed state, but I can confirm that.”

“I told her to wait for me while I searched for the source of the noise, which was the stairs to the ground floor. But then… I would say someone pointed a flashlight at me, but the light was exceptionally bright. As a result, I closed my eyes, but when I opened them again… I didn’t see anything. Only black. I was blindfolded, and I wasn’t able to scream either. So whoever attacked me also placed some kind of cloth against my mouth to prevent me from talking.”

“But this doesn’t explain why you were both unconscious when Kaede found you.”

“Yes, I know. After being blindfolded, I was dragged. I heard Tsumugi in the distance calling for me…”

“I can confirm it… he wasn’t coming and I got worried. And so when I glanced at the hallway… I saw him on the ground. I ran towards him, but I also got blinded by a very bright light. And… then got blindfolded too...”

“That’s the first time I heard of this story. As you know, we just woke up.”

“A-Are you doubting me?!” Tsumugi panicked.

“No, not necessarily. But I can’t confirm that the same thing that happened to me happened to you, since I was unable to see and speak. I heard some sounds…”

“I did too! I heard the door opening!”

“Was it a loud sound?”

“No, I suppose we only heard it because we were here.” Rantaro explained. “But I’m sure, someone entered from here. Then, some time passed after that. Then, someone forced my mouth open and I ingested some type of liquid.”

“Me too!” Tsumugi confirmed.

“That’s the last thing I remember before waking up.”

This testimony has some holes in it, but it’s surely vital to the case. Rantaro and Tsumugi were attacked, but by who?

Obtained truth bullet: Rantaro’s testimony

Obtained truth bullet: Tsumugi’s testimony

While I was taking notes, Kaito approached me.

“Hey, Kaede… how’s the investigation?”

“I’m gathering clues. I already have my assumptions, but nothing sure as of now.”

“Aren’t you the Ultimate Detective?! I’m sure you’ll discover the culprit in no time!”

“Uhm, have you observed some strange behavior during these last days?”

“No, nothing that has to do with Ryoma, I suppose… if only I decided to leave my room last night, maybe...!”

“Please, there’s no way you could have known about what was going on. This isn’t your fault.”

“No, I’m not talking about that.”

“Huh?”

“During the night, I was woken up by someone snoring.”

“Snoring?”

“Yes! Whoever it was, they were pretty loud, let me tell you!”

“Interesting…” I mumbled.

“So, of course, I had to wake up and search if there was something to cover my ears with… but no luck.”

“By chance, do you remember the time you experienced this… snoring?”

“Yep, the thing that transmits the Monokubs announcements displayed… 5.05 A.M.”

“Shuichi, did you hear this snoring?” I asked him.

“Well… not that I can remember…”

“I swear, I heard it! It was only at that time, and it lasted, like, five minutes. The longest five minutes of my life.”

“I’ll remember what you told me.”

Obtained truth bullet: Snoring near Kaito’s room

“Ah, another thing. We found a rope near the body. Have you seen one in the warehouse, recently?”

“Yup. I’m pretty sure there were two ropes there. When I woke up from a locker, I immediately checked the area to find something to escape.”

“Uhm, ok…”

Updated truth bullet: Rope at the crime scene

After that short conversation with Kaito, I decided to explore my room. I entrusted Kaito and Kirumi with a very important task: not to let anyone enter. Hoping that they did as I asked, I went in again, this time ready to investigate. As I entered, I noticed that the room was pretty messy, with numerous books scattered on the floor. I have to admit that I probably should have cleaned it up after I hid the poison bottles. Not that it matters now…

To my surprise, Shuichi followed me without me asking. Is he doing this because he has changed his opinion about investigating with me?

“Oh!” He exclaimed noticing I was looking at him. “Do I need to leave you alone..?”

“No, no! I’m fine with you entering. You don’t need to ask me permission to follow me. Two pairs of eyes are always better than one!”

“Well, I think that your eyes outclass every pair in this school…”

Following the last word, Shuichi let out a small gasp and then blushed.

“I mean… I was saying… you know… because you know what you’re doing…”

Was that really referred to my detective skills or…?

That doesn’t matter, we don’t have all the time in the world to understand what happened.

First thing, I checked the poisons behind the books. As I saw before, one bottle was half full, the other completely emptied out. I took the bottle to check the labels. On the first the label recited:

“In average-height subjects, an entire dose is needed to is lethal. If ingested, causes failure of internal organs. The process takes up to ten minutes. In some subjects can cause the break of blood vessels under eyes, in nose and ears.”

Obtained truth bullet: Lethal poison

The second one, however, was something I already knew.

“Non-lethal poison. Causes unconsciousness. Half a dose is needed to be effective. ”

But it wasn’t my bottle. Mine was still on the floor, broken in pieces.

Obtained truth bullet: Non-lethal poison

“Kaede, your lab is… rather fitting, for a detective…”

“Yes, it is. I just don’t understand why it needs poison of all things.”

“Monokuma probably placed it here just to mess with us.”

“To mess with me.” I corrected. It seems that bear has a personal grudge against me.

I turned my attention to the door. It was clearly forced open. The duct tape I used was ripped in various places, but following a vertical line. It really seems someone entered from the outside. The rest of the duct tape was still intact, glued to the surface of the door. Because of this, I couldn’t even move the knob to open the door. I had to slip my fingers into the space between the door and the doorjamb to exit.

I knew it wouldn’t be that useful…

Obtained truth bullet: Torn duct tape

I continued to look around, but nothing else appeared out of place. Even the shards of the glass bottle I broke were still there. The one who came here must have seen them and avoided to step on them.

“Are you done..?” Shuichi asked.

“Yes. Whoever entered went straight to the poison bottles.”

We exited my room, remembering not to leave the door open to save Tsumugi from a breakdown, then I approached Kirumi.

“Kirumi, can I ask you some questions?”

“I suppose so, but it depends on the subject matter.”

“We took shifts this night, to guard the door. Can you remember the exact times when we swapped our roles?”

“Yes, I am fairly certain that you woke me up at 1:50 AM to tell me you were in need of sleep. I stayed awake until my eyes allowed me, which is 4:30 AM. Then I slept until you warned me about breakfast, that is 8:43 AM, if I’m not wrong.”

“You can’t know for sure about previous shifts because you had no idea of the time, right?”

“That is correct indeed.”

With this information, shared between the adventurer and me, I’ll be surely able to prove to the others something…

Obtained truth bullet: Night shifts times

“So, Kaede… how are you feeling?” Rantaro asked.

Ugh. Does he always want to talk with me?

“Well, considering that we just discovered a murder has occurred…”

“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to anger you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m sure of that.”

“I just wanted to thank you for letting me guard the door. I’m sorry… I betrayed your trust. I always try to do my best and help others. I… feel really bad when things don’t go my way.”

“Who doesn’t? I failed too… The people I swore to protect… one of them died. This is not a challenge about who feels worse, though. It’s a way to prove ourselves that what we did was just a mistake that will help us in the long run. I know I’ve made a lot of them.”

“You just won’t stop with the inspirational speeches…”

Excuse me? The tone of Rantaro’s voice didn’t seem that aggressive, but still, he seems fed up with me.

He clearly feels sorry for what happened, or is it just a façade? I desperately want to trust him, but he has been acting strangely since we got here…

As me, Shuichi and Kirumi left the upper floor, I noticed something on the ground.

“Wait a second!” I said to the others.

“What is it?”

I kneeled down and picked up some scattered pieces of cloth.

“What do you have in your hand..?” Shuichi asked.

I know what those are… and why they’re there.

Obtained truth bullet: Pieces of cloth

We reached the ground floor and entered the cafeteria. As I was told, Angie and Gonta were there. The first was staring at some knives, while the second stood just behind her.

What were they doing?!

“Gonta, this knife is soooo sharp! Nyahaha! Wooow! It could cut human flesh without any problem!”

“Mmh… Gonta think knife dangerous…”

“You’re very right, sweet Gonta. Knife dangerous indeed. Let’s put it back in a drawer. Maybe I’ll use it to collect sacrifices.”

Kirumi coughed to alert them of our presence.

“Oh! Hi!” Angie greeted us waving her arms. “I was just telling Gonta…”

“Yes, yes…” Kirumi nodded. “We heard that you plan on using knives to collect our blood.”

“Yep! You’re veeery correct, miss Kirumi! But that’s only if I can’t find needles or any other more elegant method to do so! Atua likes when I do sacrifices professionally!”

What exactly is a “professional sacrifice” anyway?

“Gonta agree with Angie! For me knives not safe!”

“If you’d prefer to stay here we can leave! Do you want to have breakfast?” Angie cheerily said.

“E-ehm… I’m here to ask you some questions…”

"Oh! Do you wish to know more about our Lord and savior Atua?!”

“N-not really. It’s about Ryoma…”

“Ryoma! Poor soul, I and Gonta prayed for him.”

“Yes! Gonta pray a lot for Hoshi to make Atua accept him!”

“The death of one of our classmates is truuly a terrible event, right?”

Yes it is. So why is she so unaffected by it? To be honest, she seems more happy than sad.

“We can find solace believing that our friend Ryoma is now living happily besides Atua, who asked me to continue living joyfully.”

That’s really admirable, but that doesn’t mean we should act like he wasn’t killed.

“I really… ehm… You’re right, yes.” I said. “But wouldn’t Ryoma be happier knowing that we discovered who killed him?”

“No, I think he doesn’t care.”

“Eh?!”

“Atua told me he was ready to die… but that he, actually, really wanted us to live, apparently! Nyehehe! Plus, I don’t have anything relevant to say! Atua didn’t tell me anything, sadly.”

“Gonta wants to ask question too!” The tennis player said.

“Go ahead, Gonta. Even though that’s not what we were here for…”

“Chair was in hallway. Very strange because before was in cafeteria! Because it felt out of place in hallway, Gonta bring it back in cafeteria. You moved chair out?”

“Are you saying someone moved a chair from the cafeteria to the hallway?”

Gonta nodded.

“No, it wasn’t me… Was it you?” I asked Kirumi and Shuichi.

“I didn’t…”

“I also did not know about this before now.”

So a chair was moved from the cafeteria…

Obtained truth bullet: Chair in the hallway

“Hey, Gonta… do you remember the last time you went to the cafeteria?”

“Gonta thinks so! Yesterday evening when we eating dinner!”

“Was that chair here or not?”

“Hmm… yes! Gonta sure! But Miu take it!”

“Yep!” Angie confirmed. “Miu said that she needed the chair to reach a very high shelf in the warehouse! Kiibo and Korekiyo can totaaally confirm this as well, they were the last ones to leave the area!”

“But if that really was Miu’s intention… why did you find it in the hallway?”

“Oh, who knows! Miu is really strange, so she could have changed her mind!”

Obtained truth bullet: Angie and Gonta’s testimony

“After all, you were useful. Thanks a lot.”

“Gonta useful? Gonta do not think to be very intelligent.”

“No, Gonta!” Angie cheered. “You’re very special. Maybe you aren’t as intelligent as the Ultimate Detective, but you’re sooo great regardless! You have a great talent too!”

Gonta blushed.

“Angie think that?!”

“Angie is sure of that!”

***

We left the cafeteria. Kaede was still scribbling something on her notepad.

“Miu has some explaining to do.”

“Do you think she has something to do with this as well? I mean, she only picked up a chair…”

“Yes, but we need to confirm that. Hear what she has to say.”

“Kaede, have you seen this?”

Kirumi pointed to the wall.

“I-I don’t see anything, honestly…”

“Oh. It was foolish on my part to believe you would notice.”

“H-honestly, it just looks like a normal wall to me.”

“If you had spent many years looking for traps and secret switches, you would see that there’s a small part of the wall with a different shade of color.”

“Oh!” I exclaimed. “I… I actually see that.”

“You do?!” Kaede asked. “I really don’t…”

“The same thing happened to me and Ryoma while we were searching. A part of the wall colored differently, which opened up-

I didn’t have time to finish my sentence, since Kirumi pressed her hand against the secret switch, which revealed a secret passage just above our heads.

“Oh… that’s… unexpected…” Kaede commented.

How stupid… how stupid I was!

“K-Kaede… I’m sorry…” I blurted out. “I knew about this, I experienced the same thing and didn’t tell you!”

“Hey, hey… calm down.”

“W-when I was with Ryoma, we entered the AV Room thanks to a secret switch.”

“Yes, you told me that.”

“But… I forgot to describe it in detail… if I…”

“No ifs, Shuichi. What is done is done. We can’t go back and change our actions, so we need to focus on the present and the future.”

“R-right… Focus on the present…”

Maybe I should have told Kaede about this. But, she discovered it regardless, so… either way, I didn’t do the right thing.

“So, where does this thing lead to..?” Kaede asked.

“I’ve got no clue…”

“Hmm… Shuichi, can you climb onto my shoulders?”

“W-what?!”

What are Kaede’s intentions?!

“Ehm, I mean… if you do that, you can enter the secret passage.

“But… how do I go through? It’s… I’m not a spider, I cannot climb walls…”

“Yes, that’s true… if that’s the case, you can simply check it. See where it leads too.”

“I am of the opinion that the passage is not a vertical climb.” Kirumi said. “If you notice, it changes its orientation from vertical to horizontal.”

“Y-yeah… it seems so…” I said, observing what the adventurer told me. “But still… it’s very narrow…”

“Without any doubts.” Kirumi nodded. “Were we to reach the point where the passage changes its direction, we would be forced to drop down. There is not enough space to move.”

“Looking at it, I think you’re right.” Kaede said. “It seems impossible for us to know where it leads to for certain, but... I have some ideas.”

Apparently, we can’t pass through. And this means…

Obtained truth bullet: Secret passage

“I have no clue about when the investigation is going to end, so I’ll go search for Miu.” Kaede announced.

“I will stay here and try to find more clues.” Kirumi added. “I do not mean to offend you, but you could have missed some details.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I could’ve never noticed the secret switch without you. There could be many hidden clues around. Thank you.”

“I want to understand what happened to Ryoma as much as you, so I will do my best.”

We said goodbye to Kirumi and exited the school. If we wanted to find Miu, our best bet was probably her research lab. As we were walking, Kaede glanced at my cape.

“Your cape…” she said.

“Y-yeah… it’s not in perfect conditions…”

“Why don’t you change it? I suppose it doesn’t take that long…”

“I just have one. I have multiple copies of my other clothes, but not the cape.”

In hindsight, it would have been better just to leave it in my room, but maybe I didn’t because I wanted Kaede to see it, to… expose myself. To let her see what happened to me.

Is it stupid? Why am I doing this?

My own thoughts aren’t making sense. I’m so conflicted right now.

I’m helping Kaede with the investigation, yet I just betrayed her.

Maybe I want to redeem myself, show her I can do what she asks of me. Am I lying to myself…?

I don’t know!

I should just… continue with it. Continue to help Kaede. Forget everything that happened. Let time run its course.

Yes.

I’m doing that.

It’s too late now. What is done is done.

“Here she is!” Kaede exclaimed.

Miu was standing in front of her lab, placed to the right of the Shrine of Judgment. I still don’t understand… why does she get an entirely separate building while Kaede got stuck with a simple room?

“Fuck you! Open! Open!”

Miu was apparently screaming to no one.

Ah, no. She was throwing rocks at the doors of her research room.

“There has to be a way! Argh!”

“Hey, Miu…” Kaede carefully approached her.

I don’t want to relive the same experience I had to go through when I met her.

“Kaede! Can you believe my lab isn’t open yet?!”

“Judging from your attitude… I believe it.”

“I thought that as soon as I came here the doors would open! To let a gorgeous girl like me enter!”

“I don’t think it works that way…?”

“Not like you would! When you see a handsome boy don’t you let him enter in your private chambers?!”

“Excuse me, what… do you mean? Shuichi, did you understand what-

“Ah, don’t try to ask him! Pooichi hasn’t got experience with keys and locks! Hyeheheh!”

We should be done with her in a minute, Shuichi. Keep calm.

“Ehm, Miu… we have a limited time to investigate, so if you just answered some questions…”

“An interview?!” The pianist exclaimed. “Finally you understand how awesome I am!”

“L-let’s call it an interview…” Kaede said. “Uhm… since you’re… so famous…”

“That’s right!”

“You surely have a lot of matters to attend to, and you’re in need of many kinds of objects…”

Do we really have to do this?

“In this school…” Kaede continued, looking at her notepad like the question was written there. “There is a warehouse, and some shelves are rather high. So, did you take a chair from the cafeteria to reach one of those said shelves?”

“Heegh! How do you know this?! I can’t handle this scoop!”

“Our sources are anonymous. I promise not to divulge this information if you let me know what object you took.”

“W-well… I actually… didn’t take anything…”

“Huh?”

“Yesterday morning Ryoma… asked me to pick up a chair from the cafeteria… sometime after we split up… and I obliged…”

“Ryoma asked you a favor?”

And she listened to him? Are we talking about the same Miu Iruma? The egotistical, self-centered “girl genius”? I will never believe that, no matter how many times people tell me.

“He asked so nicely… he bowed too… how could I refuse…”

“So, let me get this straight. Ryoma asked you to take a chair out of the cafeteria? Why would he? For what purpose?”

“I… can’t remember!”

Does she really?

“Please! Don’t tell the press the gorgeous Miu Iruma helped an unimportant nobody! My reputation would plummet!”

…Whatever reputation she has left.

“Don’t worry, Miu. Your secret won’t leave this academy.”

Nice choice of words on Kaede’s part. It won’t leave the school, but she’ll probably talk about it during the trial. I wonder how Miu will react.

Obtained truth bullet: Miu’s testimony

***

bzzrtp…

Ding dong bing bong!

The screen to our right suddenly lit up while Monokuma’s voice came shortly after. The bear was holding a bottle of champagne while smirking at the camera.

“Alright! It’s time for what you’ve been waiting for– the class trial! Please assemble in front of the Shrine of Judgment in the courtyard! And when I say please, I mean you must! I’ll wait for you underground! See you in a few minutes!”

“It seems… that we’ve run out of time.” Shuichi said.

“Yeah, already…”

“I sure hope you two know the fucker who killed Ryoma! The world isn’t ready to lose Miu Iruma!”

She left without even saying goodbye.

“I s-suppose she’s going to the shrine.”

“We should go too. Our investigation may end here, but the discussion hasn’t started yet.”

“You’re right. The trial is for that…”

Silently, we arrived at the Shrine of Judgment. Slowly, everyone of us turned up, with Kaito, Tsumugi and Rantaro being the last ones.

“So?” Himiko lamented. “How much time do we have to spend here waiting..?”

“Do we have to wait for Monokuma and the Monokubs?” Kiibo asked. “If that’s the case, they’re pretty late.”

“Yeah! We’re doing the class trial here or what?!” Miu asked.

“I don’t think so.” Rantaro explained. “In the announcement, Monokuma explicitly stated that it would meet us underground.”

“Wow! Rantaro is attentive!” Gonta commented.

“I just reminded you, it’s nothing…” The artist said smiling awkwardly.

“Those bears will not come to us then.” Kirumi followed.

“Nee-hee-hee! They want to play hide and seek! I think I know where they are!”

The robot glanced at the giant statue of an anthropomorphic, muscled Monokuma.

“That thing will haunt my dreams.” Tenko shivered.

“Oh, a swooole Monokuma! I propose to change the statue to a more divine individual. Likeee, Atua, for example!”

Tenko wasn’t wrong. I felt like that statue was staring my soul. Not that it was menacing, but… it was really out of place.

Suddedly, while I was trying to understand what we were supposed to do…

*RMM-BMM-BMM-BMM*

“W-what..?”

The door began shaking violently under my feet as the statue disappeared underground. In its place, a small platform appeared, which led to an elevator.

“…And that’s how we go underground.” Kaito said.

“Does he want us to board it?” Kiibo asked.

“Nyeh… I don’t wanna. I don’t do scary rides.”

“Don’t worry Himiko! As your caregiver, it’s my duty to protect you!”

Why is Tenko her caregiver?

“I don’t think there’s an option. We need to go in there.” Tsumugi said. “There’s no way to run, because of that huge cage that surrounds us…”

“It’ll be fine.” I reassured everyone. “We’ll escape. Maybe not now, but we’ll escape and live as friends!”

“Friends? We barely know each other.” Maki said.

“Of course you’d say that.” Kaito glared at her.

“Maybe we haven’t bonded as much as we wanted, but we make an incredible team together! With everyone’s help, we’ll overcome even this challenge!”

“Yeah! If a girl says that I can’t be scared!”

“Angie and Atua trust Kaede! Atua thinks Kaede can do it!

“So inspirational…” Korekiyo mumbled. “I continue to ask myself how can you motivate so many people…”

“Kaede is right…” Shuichi agreed. “We have no choice but to do this. It’s too late to turn back now.”

Determined, we all stepped into the elevator.

Maki followed us keeping at a distance from the rest of the group. Convincing her will require some more work.

The metal bars closed behind me and we started to descend.

Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours, fifteen people standing in a small closed space.

“Kirumi.” I called the adventurer.

“Yes, Kaede?”

“Have you found something else that could be useful?”

She shook her head.

I sighed. It didn’t matter that much.

“Hey, take my notebook.” I said.

“You might need for the trial.” She replied.

“No, no, I remember what I wrote. I don’t need it.” I explained. “So, it’s better if you keep it. Maybe if you read my notes you can understand more. I always need help.”

“I am honored you trust me. I will do my best to make good use of what you wrote.”

Us fifteen stood in silence, looking at each other, but not saying a single word.

Eventually, the elevator came to a halt.

The doors slowly opened to reveal what awaited us on the other side.

In front of my eyes there was an authentic replica of a courtroom. Sixteen podiums one besides the other, forming a circle.

“Finally the class trial is starting!” Monotaro exclaimed.

“Yeah! I’m so pumped to see violence!”

“N-no, there won’t be any, I’m positive…” Monophanie trembled.

“What do we do now?” Kiibo asked.

“You have to stand behind the podium with your name on it, you bastards!”

Monokuma appeared, standing on a throne near the Monokubs.

“Here he is…” Himiko said. “Do I have to stand up all the time?! My legs will be sore this way…”

“Don’t worry, Himiko. I’m sure that Kaede already knows the culprit. We’ll be done in no time.”

According to Monokuma… one of us has murdered the one who isn’t here.

Ryoma Hoshi. We didn’t even get to discover his true Ultimate Talent.

Maybe he was a serial killer, but did he deserve death?

No, nobody does. That’s why…

I’ll discover who did it!

Even though I’ll have to doubt my friends…

…I need to be strong, and face the truth…

…Even if it will be horrible, even if the killer is one of us…

I’ll reveal their identity, and make sure we will escape from this academy!

CLASS TRIAL START! 

Chapter Text

CLASS TRIAL:

In session!

Monokuma: Ahem! Now then, let’s begin with a basic explanation of the class trial!

Monokuma: During the trial you’ll present your arguments for who the culprit is, and vote for whodunit!

Monokuma: Vote correctly, and only the blackened will be punished. But if you pick the wrong person… 

Monokuma: I’ll punish everyone *besides* the blackened, and that person will be allowed to graduate from the academy!

Monokuma: Also, refusing to vote will result in your death.

Monokuma: Now, let’s get this crazy, awesome, crazy-awesome trial underway! 

Kaede [sideways look, pensive expression]: So, it’s starting, huh? 

Kirumi [determined expression, hands clasped together]: It appears so.

Kaito [rubbing head]: So, where do even start?

Gonta [right index finger on lip]: Gonta not sure where. Gonta never done trial.

Tenko [determined expression]: First, breath in, then breath out. We must remember the three “No, no, no’s”!

Tenko [hands on podium, determined expression]: No pushing, no running, no talking!

Rantaro [shaking head, annoyed expression]: We need to talk to solve this mystery.

Kaede [neutral expression]: We shouldn’t worry about our procedure. After all, this isn’t a normal trial.

Kaede [neutral expression, gesturing hand]: Each of us could be serving as a potential culprit, lawyer, prosecutor and jury member.

Himiko [tired look, looking at the ground]: Oh, that sounds tiring…

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: Might I ask… does Kaede have any leads?

Kaede [confused look]: Eh?

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: Since you’re a detective, I assume you have some ideas about what happened to Ryoma…

0U-M4 [hands waving, excited expression]: Oh, yes! Do you already know the identity of the culprit?!

Monokuma [shocked expression, sweating]: D-do you?!

Kaito [rubbing head, confused look]: Why are you worried?

Monokuma [sweating]: Cause I didn’t expect Kaede to be so smart! I-it’s impossible for her to know the culprit!

Yeah, I don’t know for sure now. I still need to understand the clues Shuichi and me found…

Kaede [neutral expression, gesturing hand]: I don’t want to make assumptions now. If we discuss and present different points of view, I’ll be able to get a clear idea of what happened.

Kiibo [confused expression, index fingers touching each other]: What should we talk about first…?

Miu [angry expression, raised right arm]: Well, I know! But I’m not going to tell you!

Korekiyo [neutral expression, raised right hand]: You should know that remaining silent will be harmful to you as well.

Gonta [happy expression, hands on hips]: If nobody sure what to say, say what you think is useful!

Rantaro [pensive expression]: I think Gonta’s right. If we think we’re onto something, let’s say it. And if someone doesn’t agree with one of our statements, they should explain why.

Okay. I just have to hear what everyone has to say and explain my reasoning. It’s not difficult.

NON-STOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Rope at the scene of the crime, Monokuma File 1, Kiibo’s testimony

Miu [angry expression, raised right arm]: You dimwits haven’t understood anything!

Miu [laughing]: While, I, the gorgeous girl genius, am way ahead of you! 

Rantaro [neutral expression]: If you know something, you should tell us now. 

Kirumi [determined expression, raised right arm]: I suppose she will not say anything.

Kiibo [neutral expression, index finger near lip]: We know everything about the body, don’t we?

Angie [hands waving in the air]: Yep, Atua agrees with you! We were given all the information about poor Ryoma’s death... 

Angie [content expression, hands clasping together]: Thanks to the Monokuma file, which doesn’t mislead us in any way!

Tenko [pointing, pensive expression]: Are you sure about that? Should we trust Monokuma?

Maybe Angie has forgotten, but she isn’t completely right...

ANSWER: Monokuma File 1 --> “all the information about poor Ryoma’s death”

Kaede: No, that’s wrong!

BREAK!

Kaede [thoughtful expression, gesturing hand]: Angie, we don’t know everything about Ryoma’s death.

Angie [puffed cheeks, surprised expression]: We don’t? What was the Monokuma File’s purpose then?

Kaede [thoughtful expression, determined]: Yes, it has important information in it… but something is missing. 

Tsumugi [confused expression, head resting on right arm]: Something is missing? I didn’t notice that.

I haven’t any experience with Monokuma files, but if we want to understand everything behind Ryoma’s death, we need to understand one thing first, which we don’t know about…

[[Hoshi’s talent/The time of death/The cause of death/The victim’s true identity]]

ANSWER --> The cause of death

Kaede: I get it!

Kaede [thoughtful expression, right arm extended to the side]: We don’t know Hoshi’s cause of death.

0U-M4 [arms behind head, content expression]: Of course we don’t! I mean, we have some clues…

0U-M4 [smirking]: But we’re in the dark about what really happened!

Rantaro [neutral expression]: That’s true. We need to determine the cause of death then.

Korekiyo [right hand caressing face]: I wonder… was its omission common procedure or was the information absent for this specific case? 

Monokuma [neutral expression]: As the headmaster of the academy, I can leave out precious evidence if I want! Today I decided that I would hide the true cause of death of Hoshi Ryoma!

Monokuma [shows primarly dark side]: To spice up the trial, you know?! Now it will be more exciting!  

That only means more trouble for us…  

Kirumi [eyes closed, right index finger under lips]: So, we need to discuss about this.

Tenko [determined expression]: Let’s hear everyone’s opinions.

Thanks to the evidence I’ve found, I can say something for sure.

NON-STOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Rope at the scene of the crime, Monokuma File 1, Conditions of the body

Kaito [sideways look]: When we found Hoshi’s body, there wasn’t any blood around.

Tenko [determined expression]: That is strange, isn’t it?

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: When people die, blood comes out!

Angie [praying]: Also, it does when I do blood sacrifices!

Kiibo [thoughtful expression]: So, we can assume that Ryoma wasn’t, for example, hit with a blunt object.

Miu [angry expression, raised right arm]: Duh-doy! That has to be the case! The culprit and Hoshi got into a fight…

Miu [proud expression, raised right arm]: And the culprit bested him!

Rantaro [pensive expression]: How did they do that, then?

Miu [averting gaze, toying with hair]: W-well…

Korekiyo [thoughtful expression, looking at clothes]: Maybe the culprit disposed of the blood. There was nobody in the school at that time. 

Miu [panicked expression]: Yeah! What that creepo said!

When I checked Hoshi’s body, I noticed something that surprised me… that contradicts what someone just said! And that is…

ANSWER: Conditions of the body --> “got into a fight”

Kaede: No, that’s wrong!

BREAK!

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: Miu, you don’t know this because you left…

Kaede [right arm extended to the side, index finger pointing upwards]: …but I found no signs of scuffle on Hoshi’s clothes.

Miu [shocked expression]: Heegh! B-but… I knew that already! 

Shuichi [doubtful expression]: Did you?

0U-M4 [arms behind head, content expression]: Miu’s idiocy aside, what Kaede’s saying is true.

0U-M4 [smirk, playful expression]: There’s no way Hoshi was assaulted by someone.

Tsumugi [sideways, right index finger pointing upwards]: But, what if they snuck up on him? They could have hit him regardless…

Angie [puffed cheeks]: Not too hard, however! Otherwise he would have totally bled!

Rantaro [thoughtful expression, finger on chin]: If someone is silent enough, that could have happened.

 Maki [thoughtful expression, index finger on chin]: Really...?

Kaito [sideways look]: It seems strange that he couldn’t hear someone coming.

Maki [neutral expression, mouth slightly open]: It is.

Maki [determined expression]: If someone came up to him, he would have heard it. The school grounds were completely silent during the night. 

Kaito [irritated expression, hand that forms fist]: And how can *you* be sure of it?

Maki [eyes closed]: …

Kaito [irritated expression, fists bumping each other]: Of course you can’t know it for certain! You’re extremely suspicious! 

Kaito [determined expression, fists bumping each other]: You probably approached Hoshi and killed him! You have experience with fighting, so you know some sick tricks, I bet!

Kaede [neutral expression, right arm extended to the side]: We can trust Maki’s statement. Because she wasn’t sleeping while the murder occurred.

Gonta [surprised expression]: She not sleeping?

Kaede [gesturing]: No, at least according to one specific testimony…

[[Kiibo’s testimony/Tsumugi’s testimony/Angie and Gonta’s testimony/Miu’s testimony]]

ANSWER --> Kiibo’s testimony  

Kaede: I get it!

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: Kiibo, you said you saw Maki.

Kiibo [thoughtful expression]: Yes, I did. She headed for the dorms at around 4.50 AM.

Kirumi [neutral expression, right index finger under lips]: I see, so that means she did not enter the school at that time. 

Kaede [gesturing]: With this, we can say that Maki didn’t kill Hoshi. And because of this, we can believe her testimony. 

Angie [head slightly tilted to the side]: Does this mean Kiibo is innocent too?

Korekiyo [eyes closed, index finger pointing upwards]: No, we cannot be sure.

Kaede [neutral expression, right arm extended to the side]: Maki did not see Kiibo. So we can’t say for sure he was there.

Kaito [rubbing head]: But if we can’t confirm Kiibo’s testimony how can we confirm Maki’s?

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: I’m sure Kaede knows.

Kaede [determined expression, index finger pointing upwards]: Yes. Kiibo told us the specific time Maki entered the dormitories before she confirmed it.

Kaede [gesturing]: And lying about this would be extremely risky, and I don’t see what Kiibo could gain from doing so.

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger on cheek]: So Kii-boy is telling the truth, but we don’t know what he did afterwards! 

0U-M4 [worried expression, looking at the ground]: Don’t tell me you killed someone! 

Kiibo [shocked expression]: I would never do that! How can you even think about this possibility?!

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking in front]: But it still happened… someone here is a killer.

Tsumugi [neutral expression]: Not Maki… she’s innocent…

Maki [annoyed expression, cold stare]: …

Tsumugi [sweating, gripping left arm]: Don’t look at me like that! I’m sorry…!

Gonta [worried expression, arms crossed]: If Hoshi no surprised by culprit, how Hoshi dead?

Himiko [looking down]: He was probably tired and didn’t see them coming. It happens... 

Kaede [sideways look, right arm extended to the side]: I don’t think he let his guard down. Wandering around the school during nighttime is dangerous, he said it himself.

Kaito [proud expression, hand that forms fist]: Yeah! I remember it! It was the first night we were here! 

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: This means he had to have a reason to-

Tenko: Let me educate you!

[[Split screen separating Tenko and Kaede]]

Kaede [nervous expression]: Tenko…? Why did you interrupt me?

Tenko [pointing at Kaede, determined expression]: As an educator, I can’t allow you to make a big mistake! 

Kaede [furrows eyebrows]: Big mistake? What are you talking about?

Tenko [slightly smug expression]: I’ll tell you!

REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN START!

Truth blades: Monokuma File 1, Rope at the scene of the crime, Chair in the hallway, Conditions of the body  

Tenko [determined expression]: In my opinion, you have been looking at this in the wrong way!

Tenko [slightly smug expression]: But that’s not really your fault.

Tenko [hands on podium, determined expression]: What you haven’t understood…

Tenko [proud expression, hands on hips]: …is that Hoshi committed suicide!

ADVANCE!  

Kaede [furrowed eyebrows, pointing]: Suicide?! What?

Tenko [pensive expression]: If he could have heard someone coming, he would have reacted! 

Tenko [determined expression]: But he didn’t! 

Tenko [slightly smug expression]: So, according to what we’ve established… he used the rope to hang himself!

Tenko [determined expression]: And, since it didn’t hold, it broke and it fell to the floor, just like Hoshi!

Suicide?! No, that’s definitely not possible, for multiple reasons. I might need to explain them, but now I have to refute Tenko’s claims.

ANSWER: Rope at the scene of the crime --> “to hang himself”

Kaede: I’ll cut your words!

BREAK!

Kaede [furrowed eyebrows, pointing]: Suicide is not an option. And definitely, not hanging.

Tenko [lowered head, looking upwards]: Why is that?

Kaede [gesturing]: You were right when saying that the rope would have snapped under Ryoma’s weight…

Kaede [determined expression, pointing]: However, the rope wasn’t broken when Shuichi and me picked it up, but we ripped it ourselves when we pulled it from each side.

Shuichi [looking sideways, blushing]: T-that’s true... 

Kaede [determined expression]: So, if Hoshi was really hung, we should have found him still dangling from the rope. 

Himiko [places hand over heart]: It would have been a horrifying sight… 

Kaede [determined expression]: Or, if he was dropped down, the rope should have been broken.

Tenko [lowered head, looking upwards]: The culprit could have just untied it…

Rantaro [crossed arms, looking sideways]: Definitely not possible. The rope couldn’t have sustained Hoshi’s weight, even though he’s very small.

Rantaro [crossed arms, looking in front of self]: And Kaede’s and Shuichi’s experiment proves that. 

Miu [pointing, proud expression]: There’s no way around it! Hoshi was killed in some other way! I didn’t even consider that rope in the first place!

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: Other than this, we know for sure someone else killed Hoshi. 

What definitely proves that the culprit of this case wasn’t Hoshi himself…? I definitely know that answer.  

HIDDEN PASSWORD START!

1. M K
2. O P
3. T A
4. V I
5. S V
6. A E

ANSWER: Motive

Kaede: I’ve cracked this case!

CLEAR!

Kaede [thoughtful expression, index finger pointing upwards]: If you remember well, Monokuma said that if someone committed suicide…

Kaede [determined expression, index finger pointing upwards]: …we wouldn’t hold a class trial at all!

Monokuma [ironical smile]: That’s true! Your memory is amazing! 

Monophanie [proud expression]: I remember too! My memory is amazing too! 

Monosuke [adjusting glasses]: You just want to impress daddy. We all know you forget everything.

Monokid [breaks guitar]: You almost forgot about Monodam one time!

Monophanie [looks at flower]: At least I don’t bully him like you! 

Monosuke [laughs]: We acknowledge his existence, which is already enough!

Monodam [neutral expression]:  

Monotaro [one shuriken in paw]: Hey, don’t interrupt the trial! After all, you know nobody wants to hear us whining!

Tenko [blushing]: I… I’m sorry. I can’t believe I made such a stupid mistake.

Rantaro [reassuring expression, arms in front of self]: Don’t worry. It’s good you brought it up. 

0U-M4 [arms behind head, content expression]: If Hoshi killed himself, the countdown wouldn’t have stopped, and his death would have been meaningless!

Kirumi [stare, right hand on hip]: You appear to be taking the matter lightly. Do I need to remind you this is not a game? 

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: I know that! It fills me with excitement!

Gonta [right index finger on lip]: So Hoshi not hang himself?

Angie [head tilted to her right]: No, Gonta! Hoshi was unfortunately murdered by one of us!

She’s still smiling while saying that…

Gonta [looking at tennis racket]: But Gonta think something not right!

Rantaro [worried expression, arms in front of self]: H-hey! Pay attention with that racket of yours… 

What does Gonta mean? Has he got an idea about Hoshi’s cause of death?

NON-STOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Angie and Gonta’s testimony, Pink smear under nostril, Rope at the scene of the crime, Chair in the hallway  

Korekiyo [right hand caressing face]: What is your argument?

Tsumugi [pensive expression]: Right, we know that Hoshi didn’t commit suicide…

Gonta [right index finger on lip]: But we sure?

Kiibo [eyes looking up]: Yeah, Kaede proved it.

Miu [proud expression, pointing]: But if we found a rope there, it means the culprit used it to kill Ryoma! 

Gonta [right index finger on lip, looking sideways]: That what Gonta was thinking! 

Rantaro [thoughtful expression, finger on chin]: It seems that hanging is not an option.

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking in front of self]: But it could be that someone else hung Hoshi…

Angie [puffed cheeks]: What a plot twist! 

Kaito [rubbing head]: But to hang someone, you need somewhere to tie the knot…

Kaito [rubbing head, looking sideways]: …and somewhere to stand.

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger near cheek]: But we know a support that could have been useful for this murder!

It seems my classmates are thinking that Hoshi was hung, but by someone else. If that was the case, the culprit had to have used something…

ANSWER: Chair in the hallway --> “a support that could have been useful”

Kaede: I agree with that!

BREAK!

Kaede [determined expression, finger pointing upwards]: Angie and Gonta found a chair in the hallway.

Gonta [surprised]: Oh! Yes! While going to cafeteria!

Kaede [gesturing]: That could have been used to hang Hoshi. The culprit hung him, placed him on the chair and then they removed it, making Hoshi choke. 

Kirumi [blank expression]: The problem with your deduction is that the rope is not able to sustain Hoshi’s weight.

Himiko [tired expression]: We said it countless times…

Rantaro [index finger pointing upwards]: They could have used another one. But they placed the wrong one to mislead us.

Shuichi [thoughtful expression, looking down]: That… seems possible. 

Angie [clasping hands above head]: Wow! Rantaro! Who could have thought about that!

Rantaro [index finger pointing upwards]: It’s a shaky theory, honestly. Cause it doesn’t line up with what we have said about the noise… 

Rantaro [looking sideways]: …I think we should analyze other possible pieces of evidence.

0U-M4 [cheerful expression]: My sweet Rantaro is right! Let’s remember this possibility, but we should explore every single one of them!

Rantaro [confused look]: …Sweet Rantaro?

Hoshi’s cause of death is still a mystery to us. We need to understand…!

NON-STOP DEBATE START!  

Truth bullets: Pink smear under nostril, Non-lethal poison, Pieces of cloth  

Tenko [pensive expression]: If Hoshi was not hung, could he have been, I don’t know… pushed?

Himiko [sideways look]: …And he hit his head?

Miu [angry look, flailing arms]: What a shitty theory! Do you have proof of that?

Kirumi [concentrating, places hat over chest]: There should have been at least traces of blood.

Tsumugi [slightly curved back, convinced expression]: Yeah! If you hit your head that hard, blood should come out!

Kirumi [neutral expression, right index finger under lips]: But there was no blood at the crime scene.

Korekiyo [thoughtful expression, looking at clothes]: Returning to our previous topic…

Korekiyo [determined expression, raised right arm]: …he could have been unable to see the culprit because of the darkness.

Miu [proud expression]: Maybe they hit him, not too hard…

Miu [laughing, spit coming out]: And that made him fall unconscious! 

Gonta [surprised]: Oh! Then they hang him!

0U-M4 [irritated expression, pointing]: Gonta! We are talking about other options now!

Someone brought up an interesting point in the discussion. Something I should have talked about before.

ANSWER: Pink smear under nostril --> “no blood at the crime scene”

Kaede: No, that’s wrong!

BREAK!

Kaede [thoughtful expression, right arm extended]: No, there was blood.

Kiibo [shocked expression]: What?! We said there wasn’t!

Kaede [gesturing]: Well, you just glossed over this detail.

Kirumi [eyes closed, hands clasped together]: I am afraid I do not understand.

Kaito [sideways look]: Yeah, me neither. When I saw the body, I saw no wounds. 

0U-M4 [arms behind head, content expression]: And not even a single drop of blood! So what are you saying, Kaede?

Kaede [gesturing]: There was blood, and you, Ouma, should have noticed.

0U-M4 [surprised look, sad expression]: That’s quite the accusation…

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: Well, I discovered that near Hoshi’s nostril, a pink smear could be seen.

Himiko [tired expression, index finger pointing upwards]: Did he overdo his makeup?

Angie [cheerful expression]: Hoshi was a fan of makeup? Maybe he was the Ultimate Makeup Artist! 

Maki [annoyed expression]: Please don’t continue with this discussion.

Miu [angry look, right arm raised]: I bet he was having fun with all the girls around him! Looking at their tits while being so close to their faces!

Maki [annoyed expression]: … 

What are they talking about? I think I agree with Maki on this one…

Kaede [confused look]: Ehm… that smear is actually blood, which was wiped. 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking sideways]: If he was hung, why does he have blood there? 

Gonta [determined expression]: Culprit punched his nose!

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: If that were the case, there would have been a lot of blood on his face. Not only a smear.

Korekiyo [hand caressing face]: The culprit could have cleaned the blood.

That’s right, but the blood leads to another piece of evidence, which is essential to solve this case, and the matter of how Ryoma did really die. That is…

HIDDEN PASSWORD START!

1. T P
2. A O
3. I A
4. S P
5. I O
6. N S

ANSWER: Poison

Kaede: I’ve cracked this case!

CLEAR!

Kaede [determined expression, index finger pointing upwards]: Hoshi was killed because he was poisoned.

Tenko [surprised expression]: What?! That doesn’t make sense! 

Kaede [thoughtful expression, arms crossed]: Yes, it does. And it also explains why someone broke in my research room.

Kaede [determined expression, pointing]: That someone is the culprit who killed Hoshi! 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking in front of self]: And the one who attacked Tsumugi and me.

Miu [toying with hair]: Of course I understand what you’re saying, but would you explain your reasoning to this nobodies?

I was about to, there’s no need to pretend to be a genius.

Kaede [calm expression]: The culprit used the poison-

I suddenly stopped. Only three of the fifteen people in this room know that poison could be found in the school. So it makes sense that everyone else is confused.

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: What poison? I don’t recall finding one.

Maki [blank expression]: They took it from Kaede’s research lab.

Rantaro [crossed arms, looking in front of self]: Oh, so that’s the weapon you were trying to hide!

Kaede [ashamed expression]: Yes, it is. I didn’t want anyone to see it, so I hid them.

Kaede [ashamed expression, looking away]: Because I was afraid someone could use it to commit murder. 

Kaede [irritated expression, pointing]: And that’s what happened!

Kirumi [holds hat over chest]: I am truly sorry. We know that you had the best of intentions.

Kaito [determined expression, bumps fist into each other]: Yeah! It isn’t your fault! You did your best!

I was sure this moment would come. I have to face my mistakes. Because of my stubbornness, someone took advantage of the poison that was in my room, and killed Ryoma with it. That is the truth.

I regret my choices, but I know I can do the right thing… focusing on what is important now!

Kiibo [thoughtful expression]: You say it was poison, but can you confirm that? Nobody knows what was in your room…

Kaede [content expression]: There’s Shuichi! He was investigating with me, so he can back me up.

Shuichi [tugging on cape]: Ehm…

Shuichi hasn’t talked much during the trial. He needs to come out from his shell.

Kaede [reassuring expression]: Tell them, Shuichi. 

Shuichi [tugging on cape, looking away]: Y-yeah, there was something…

Miu [angry look, right arm raised]: Like I care! Your beta boytoy’s testimony doesn’t mean anything!

Rantaro [looking sideways]: Someone else should be able to prove it, right? 

Rantaro is obviously referring to *that* person.

[[Maki/Tsumugi/Kirumi/Angie]]

ANSWER: Maki

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: Maki, you entered my room. I assumed you looked at the bottles of poison.

Maki [looking away]: …

Ugh. Talking to her is so difficult. You’d think at least in this situation she would open her mouth more frequently. 

Maki [toys with hair] I did. And I can confirm, there were multiple bottles around.

Korekiyo [neutral expression, right arm raised]: Did you examine every single one of them?

Maki [blank expression]: Of course not. I just had to see what the danger was.

Maki [neutral expression, mouth slightly open]: But I saw a type of poison that matches with what Kaede said.

Tsumugi [surprised expression]: And that would be…?

[[Lethal poison/Non-lethal poison/Another kind of poison]]

ANSWER --> Lethal poison

Kaede: I got it!

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: In my research lab you can find a poison that causes the break of blood vessels.

Angie [right arm raised, mouth slightly open]: Oh! So Hoshi drank that poison! 

Shuichi [looking away]: That makes s-sense, the bottle was half full… so somebody definitely picked it up…

Tenko [slightly smug expression]: And they entered Kaede’s research lab, because you can’t take it from outside.

0U-M4 [irritated expression, pointing]: Duh! Your intervention was useless! 

Miu [laughing, spit coming out]: The violated Kaedumb private room! Of course I protect my research lab! If you want to call it that way…

Korekiyo [caressing face]: To do that, they had to have eluded Rantaro and Tsumugi. Or, at least, make sure that they would not be a problem.

The conversation has shifted from what happened in my research lab to what happened outside. But there’s one detail the others may have forgotten about…

NONSTOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Lethal poison, Non-lethal poison

Kaede [gesturing]: Guys, there’s something else we need to talk about before understanding who attacked Rantaro and Tsumugi.

0U-M4 [thoughtful expression, index finger on chin]: Oh, what is it? 

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: First, can you say what you think happened another time? 

Kirumi [reassuring expression, hands clasping together]: Of course.

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, hands clasping together]: The culprit went to Kaede’s research room…

Kaito [sideways look, hand on hip]: And took the poison bottle out of the lab…

Kaito [forms fist with a hand]: …to poison Ryoma when they saw him! 

Himiko [tired expression]: Does that make sense…?

Miu [proud expression]: No, Monokuma wouldn’t allow that!

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking in front of self]: He wouldn’t? Why? 

Angie [cheerful expression, right arm waving]: Because… it would count as a suicide? 

Miu [proud expression, index finger pointing upward]: No, you dick-tator! It has to do with the school regulations!

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: Miu, please stop with your stalling. And stop insulting.

Miu [shocked expression]: What?! I’m not stalling!

Maki [annoyed expression, cold stare]: If you know what you’re talking about, explain it to us.

Miu [toying with hair]: Uhm… we can’t kill with the objects found in our research rooms!

Korekiyo [neutral expression, right arm raised]: I don’t recall a rule this absurd. We should start ignoring her from now on. 

Miu’s on the right track, but everyone refuses to listen to her. I need to remind the others using her words!

ANSWER: “with the school regulations” --> “took the poison bottle out of the lab”

Kaede: No, that's wrong!

BREAK!

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: The culprit couldn’t have taken the poison bottle out of the lab.

0U-M4 [arms behind head, cheerful expression]: Of course not! You’re all so dumb today! The rules say it clearly! 

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: The objects found in research rooms have to remain in there.

Miu [angry look, flailing arms]: Exactly what I said! Apologize to me and bow down to my greatness, bitches!

Kiibo [confused expression]: You weren’t that clear. It’s not surprising no one listened to you.

Miu [proud expression]: Kaede recognizes my incredible talent! I suppose it’s not true that the bigger your boobs, the more intelligent you are!

Himiko [saddened expression]: Are you saying I’m stupid?

Maki [biting nail]: Wait a second, Kaede. You told me that only half the bottle was full.

Kaede [gesturing]: Yes, there was still poison in there.

Maki [thoughtful expression]: And all the other bottles were full?

Kaede [gesturing]: All the lethal ones were completely full.

Maki [sideways, blank expression]: It surprises me. You are forgetting something. Ryoma couldn’t have been killed with that poison. 

Kaede [confused expression]: He couldn’t have?

Maki [blank expression]: I clearly remember the label of that poison. It specified that only a full dose was lethal.

Gonta [thoughtful expression]: If half bottle full, how Ryoma dead because of poison? 

Angie [index finger on temple]: Also! If what you’re saying it’s true, why did we find Ryoma’s body near the gym?

These are some questions I need to answer. I need to concentrate and take my time.

PSYCHE TAXI START!

1. Why did we find the body in the hallway near the gym?

[[The body was moved/Ryoma was killed near]]

ANSWER: A

2. Where was the poison administered?

[[In the cafeteria//In Kaede’s research lab]]

ANSWER: B

3. Why was it possible for Ryoma to die of poisoning?

[[Because he had already been poisoned with something else/Because he was weak/Because he’s very small]]

ANSWER: C

Kaede: I got it!

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: We know for a fact that the poison couldn’t have been used outside of my lab.

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: So, the only possible option is that Ryoma’s body was moved.

Korekiyo [neutral expression, looking at clothes]: It would not be a tiring task, since Ryoma’s body is nowhere near the size of everyone else here. 

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: Good point, Korekiyo. You actually answered Gonta’s question. 

Korekiyo [caressing face]: Oh? Explain me how. 

Kaede [thoughtful expression, right arm extended to the side]: It doesn’t matter that the poison bottle is half full, because Ryoma could have been killed with a that amount. 

Maki [blank expression]: He could have? What are you saying?

Kaede [thoughtful expression, index finger pointing upwards]: Ryoma is very small. The label on the poison specified that the full dose was necessary to kill someone…

Kaede [determined expression, pointing]: …of average size! 

Maki [blank expression]: I might have missed that. 

Kaito [angry expression, creates fist with hand]: You might have?!

Tenko [surprised expression]: Oh! That proves that Ryoma was poisoned, right? 

Kaede [gesturing]: I think so, for now. There are no doubts that someone entered my research room and took the poison.

Kaede [gesturing]: We know it was used on him because of the pink smear found near his nose.

Kirumi [hand covering mouth]: So we need to uncover the identity of the person who broke in your research lab. 

Tsumugi [slightly curved back, worried expression]: And the one who attacked us!

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking in front of self]: I would try to help, but I said everything I remember.

Tsumugi [gripping arm]: Me too! I’m ashamed that someone managed to knock me out!

There’s nothing to be ashamed of. If someone surprises you and knocks you out, what can you do?

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger near cheek]: Wait a second, are we sure that the one who attacked those two is the culprit?

Kiibo [thoughtful expression, index finger near lip]: Why would someone attack them otherwise? 

0U-M4 [fiddles with buttons on torso]: I’m just sayin’. We can’t exclude any possibility.

Tenko [irritated expression]: So tell us! Don’t act like a degenerate male who keeps all his secrets to himself!

0U-M4 [thoughtful expression]: I’m wondering…

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: What if the intruder came from the outside! That would be unexpected, right?

Himiko [tired expression]: Nyeh… the outside? I think it would have been much more tiring…

Tenko [content expression]: Yeah! Himiko couldn’t have killed Ryoma if she entered from the outside!

Tsumugi [confused expression, head resting on right arm]: With this statement, you’re saying she could have if Ouma’s theory is wrong, though…

Entered from the outside? That’s definitely wrong.

NONSTOP DEBATE START!  

Truth bullets: Kiibo’s testimony, Rantaro’s testimony, Night shifts, Pieces of cloth

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: Someone entered from the outside!

Kaito [rubbing head]: Woah! That could have been possible! 

Kirumi [determined expression, raised right arm]: No, it is not possible.

Tenko [slightly smug]: Kirumi and Kaede were guarding the window entrance, right?

Rantaro [looking sideways]: That’s what they told us. 

0U-M4 [arms behind head, content expression]: They weren’t both awake at the same time, however!

Tsumugi [head resting on arm]: Yeah, they were alternating!

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: Maybe someone entered when Kirumi was asleep?

0U-M4 [cheerful expression]: No, someone entered when Kaede was. And that means…

Kirumi [determined expression, raised right arm]: Are you suggesting I might have betrayed Kaede’s trust by entering her research lab? 

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: Not only that! You also killed Ryoma! 

Gonta [thoughtful expression, right index finger near lip]: Gonta cannot believe Kirumi would do such thing! 

0U-M4’s argument is flawed. There’s no way someone entered from the outside.

ANSWER: Night shifts --> “someone entered when Kaede was”  

Kaede: No, that’s wrong!

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: How could someone break into my room while I was guarding it?

0U-M4 [confused expression]: Uh? 

Kaede [gesturing]: You’re saying that Kirumi could enter my research room because I was asleep, but that’s not possible at all. 

0U-M4 [arms behind head]: Tell me how then. 

How can I prove to 0U-M4 that Kirumi couldn’t be the culprit?

--SELECT A TRUTH BULLET.

ANSWER --> Monokuma File 1  

Kaede: I got it!

Kaede [determined expression, pointing]: Ryoma was killed around 5 AM, according to the Monokuma File.

0U-M4 [looking down at right hand] And with that?

Kaede [determined expression]: As I was saying before, I was awake since 4:30 AM in the morning.

Himiko [worried expression]: That’s a long time without any sleep…

Kaede [determined expression]: And while I guarded my door, I didn’t see Kirumi leaving! She was besides me the entire time!

Kirumi [small smile, tilts head]: Thanks for your support. 

0U-M4 [pensive expression, places index finger on lips]: Oh, so it seems I was wrong. 

Kiibo [worried expression, looking to the side]: Don’t say that with that creepy tone…

0U-M4 [pensive expression, places index finger on lips]: If Kirumi was asleep, it means that Kaede was awake…

0U-M4 [raises head, extends both arms to the side]: And that she is a suspect!

Tenko [shocked expression, flailing arms]: What?! Kaede, a suspect?

Kaede [worried expression]: M-me?

I really didn’t expect Ouma to accuse me of all people… but I know I am not the culprit, so it should be easier than defending Maki or Kirumi.

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: Yeah! I mean, nobody would ever think that Kaede, the helpful detective, is our dreaded blackened!

Miu [angry expression, right arm raised]: Not even I do! She isn’t clever enough to trick me!

It’s reassuring that Miu believes what I’m saying, but she can’t say one nice thing even though she’s defending me…

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: Think about it! She had free access to her room at all times! And, most important of all, knew where the poison bottles were hidden!

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: She could commit murder in no time! Wow!

0U-M4 [raised head, creepy smile]: To be sure her plan worked, she wanted to have Shuichi guard the door with her! You know, because he blindly trusts her… 

Shuichi [looks down to the side]: … 

Kiibo [irritated expression, pointing]: Don’t say that about Shuichi! 

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: However, Maki discovered about the bottles and the plan had to be changed! Kaede was stuck with Kirumi, but apparently the plan still worked!

Kaede [determined expression]: Wait a second!

Kaede [determined expression, pointing]: If I entered from the outside, how do you explain what happened to Rantaro and Tsumugi?

Korekiyo [neutral expression, looking at clothes]: You could have knocked them out before to make us think the offender entered from the inside.

What? Now Korekiyo suspects me too?!

Kaede [irritated expression, crosses arms]: Do you think I would come up with a plan so complex? What about the risk of Kirumi waking up?

Kirumi [eyes closed, tilts head]: I believe Kaede, despite me not having any concrete proof. She desperately desired to protect every single one of us; therefore she cannot be the culprit. 

0U-M4 [arms behind head, content expression]: Oh! Look at sweet Kirumi trying to protect Kaede!

Kirumi [covers mouth with hand]: … 

0U-M4 [irritated expression, pointing]: However, you can’t know for sure either! All of you think Kaede couldn’t have done it because you rely on your dear emotions!

Kaito [irritated expression, fists bumping into each other]: It’s because of her emotions that she couldn’t have done it! You don’t understand!

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: She can fake her emotions. It’s not difficult. 

Tenko [hands on podium, determined expression]: Are you trying to convince us? There’s no way I’ll believe you! 

0U-M4 [smirking]: Oh? Let’s see if you can prove me wrong!

Does 0U-M4 really think I’m the killer? I know he’s a robot, but he should know I wouldn’t be capable of doing such a thing.

NONSTOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Kiibo’s testimony, Rantaro’s testimony, Non-lethal poison, Night shifts

Gonta [worried expression]: Kaede killed Ryoma? That not possible! 

0U-M4 [smirking]: She killed Ryoma in her research lab…

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: …after knocking Rantaro and Tsumugi out! 

Miu [angry expression, right arm raised]: What the fuck?! She’s not that strong! And how did she do it?

0U-M4 [thoughtful expression, index finger on cheek]: She circled around the school, entering from the main entrance!

Kiibo [thoughtful expression, index finger near lip]: If she did that, someone should have seen her!

Korekiyo [neutral expression, raises right arm]: But she had access to her room at all times during the night.

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: Are you saying she might have waited for the perfect opportunity to strike?

0U-M4 [arms behind head, content expression]: I suppose so. She was awake for a long time after all, since 4:30 AM.

Angie [puffed cheeks]: But the murder occurred around 5 AM, so she was very quick!

Tenko [irritated expression]: Don’t say it like we’re sure she did it!

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger on cheek]: But can we say she didn’t do it?

Kirumi [hands clasping together, resolute expression]: What would her personal motive be then? She has none. 

0U-M4 [curious expression]: The motive?! If nobody was killed by the time limit, everyone would end up dead, remember? 

0U-M4 isn’t going to stop accusing me until I can confirm to him that I didn’t move from the place I was guarding alongside Kirumi. I need to prove it to him.

ANSWER: Kiibo’s testimony --> “someone should have seen her”

Kaede: I agree with that!

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: Actually, Kiibo, you’re right. Someone should have seen me. And that one is you.

Kiibo [confused expression]: Me? 

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: You were in the courtyard just near the dormitories and saw Maki, but didn’t see me.

Kiibo [thoughtful expression]: If I saw you, I would have told everyone. 

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: Since Kiibo was in that area at least until 4:50 AM, he would have seen me entering before then. 

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: There are no other entrances to the school, so if I wanted to knock out Rantaro and Tsumugi, I should have passed from there.

Kiibo [determined expression]: And I remained there for some time after that. So… I guess Kaede is innocent after all.

0U-M4: My logic is far superior to yours!! 

[[Split screen separating 0U-M4 and Kaede]]

Kaede [irritated expression, arms crossed]: You *still* aren’t convinced? 

0U-M4 [irritated expression, pointing]: No! You could be the culprit!

REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN START!

Truth bullets: Rope at the scene of the crime, Rantaro’s testimony, Tsumugi’s testimony, Miu’s testimony  

0U-M4 [arms behind head, content expression]: Kiibo’s testimony doesn’t mean anything!

0U-M4 [irritated expression, pointing]: Because there are a lot of minutes unaccounted for!

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, determined expression]: What if Kiibo entered in the dormitories just a minute after Maki? 

0U-M4 [raised head, creepy smile]: Nine minutes are a lot to knock out someone and murder someone else! 

0U-M4 [arms behind head, content expression]: Even though we don’t know the details.

ADVANCE!  

Kaede [furrowed eyebrows, arms crossed]: You’re saying that I managed to do all of that in just nine or probably less than nine minutes? 

Kaede [determined expression, pointing]: I don’t think anybody is capable of doing that. 

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: I’m sure an Ultimate Detective would be able to do something like that!

0U-M4 [looking down at right hand]: You have received training after all. 

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: That’s why you could surprise Rantaro and Tsumugi… 

0U-M4 [raised head, creepy smile]: And sneak up behind Hoshi to kill him!

0U-M4 [arms behind head, content expression]: It was a risky plan, but you attempted it because everyone trusted you!

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: …And if someone saw you, you could have said you were just checking everything.

I know I didn’t murder anyone, but 0U-M4 doesn’t. To clear my name I need to show *that* piece of evidence to him!

ANSWER: Rantaro’s testimony --> “you could surprise Rantaro and Tsumugi”

Kaede: I'll cut your words!

BREAK! 

Kaede [arms crossed, looking in front of self]: There’s no way I attacked Rantaro and Tsumugi. And Rantaro can tell you why.

Rantaro [mouth slightly open, index finger pointing upwards]: I suppose it’s about the time, yes?

Rantaro [looking sideways]: Just before I heard something strange coming from the stairs, I looked at the time. I recall it was… something past two.

0U-M4 [looking down at right hand]: Another piece of evidence that doesn’t mean anything.

Why doesn’t he listen to me? Every time I tell him something he pretends not to understand, while I can see in his eyes he just wants to make me angry.

Who cares, I know how to explain it to him. I couldn’t have attacked Rantaro and Tsumugi because at that time…

[[I was too tired/I was sleeping/ Kirumi was sleeping/I couldn’t have found a flashlight anywhere]]

ANSWER: I was sleeping

Kaede: I got it!

Kaede [gesturing]: It doesn’t matter how you look at it, I was asleep while the attack took place.

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, right hand on hip]: For your information, I was awake at that time. Kaede and I changed roles at 1:50 AM and I went to sleep again not before 4:30 AM. 

Kaede [determined expression, pointing]: So there’s no way that one of us killed both Ryoma and attacked Rantaro and Tsumugi.

0U-M4 [cheerful expression]: Congratulations, Kaede! You convinced me of your innocence!

…What? How did he change his mood so suddenly?

Kaito [rubbing head, looking sideways]: After all of this, you just decide to give up and smile? 

0U-M4 [smiling]: Yeah! Oh, it’s so reassuring knowing that Kaede isn’t a murderer! I was very worried for a second!

Wait, did he ever suspect me? Judging from his actions, it seems he was convinced I wasn’t the culprit from the start…

Korekiyo [neutral expression, raising hand]: I don’t mean to accuse Kaede once again, but do we have any concrete proof the culprit entered from the inside?

Himiko [looking down]: Nyeh… if they really did, there should be some clues…

Shuichi [looking sideways]: I t-think there was something…

Oh! Shuichi talked!... And he’s right. There’s proof…

--SELECT A TRUTH BULLET

ANSWER: Torn duct tape

Kaede [gesturing]: The duct tape I used to seal the door was torn when I inspected it.

Angie [inclines body to the right]: Interesting! I wonder what it means! 

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: That alone doesn’t amount to anything, but I previously placed it on the doorknob, so somebody had to rip it there to open the door.

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: But that part of the duct tape remained intact. What was torn was the part near the doorjamb. 

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: Because of this, we know someone forced the door open from the inside of the school, and didn’t need to turn the knob.

Kaito [smiling, thumbs up]: Who would have imagined that some terrible duct tape would have helped us resolve a case!

Monokuma [smiles ironically]: Right?! There’s always some obscure piece of evidence that helps the students resolve the case! Something nobody thinks about at the start!

Monosuke [adjusts glasses]: It’s called Chekhov’s gun! It’s a narrative technique that writers use a lot those days! 

Monokid [angry expression, plays guitar]: Writers?! Books?! Who cares about those! Nobody is interested in them anymore!

Monotaro [paws in the air]: Some people still read books, despite us being in a technological age! 

Monophanie [worried expression, sweating]: Please, don’t start a fight between books and movies! You can use writing techniques even in television!

Monosuke [looks to the side]: You are not wrong, sister. But I have already figured the gun of this case.

Monophanie [shocked expression]: Whaaat?!

Monosuke [looks to the side]: Yes, because I already know who the culprit is! 

Those Monokubs only interrupt the trial. Will they ever talk about something relevant to the case?

Angie [cheerful expression, clasping hands]: So, now that we know Kaede wasn’t the culprit, what do we do? 

Kiibo [sideways look]: We should try to understand what happened to Rantaro and Tsumugi. 

Angie [cheerful expression, arms waving]: Oh, right! I was getting kinda lost after Ouma’s accusations! 

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: Right… we need to solve this mystery. 

Gonta [curious expression]: Can you tell Gonta what happen? Gonta try his best to help and be gentleman!

Angie [winks]: That’s very sweet of you, Gonta!

Gonta [awkward smile, blushes]: T-thanks! 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: So, I heard a noise while I was guarding the door, and I went to check the stairs…

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: …there, I was blinded by an extremely bright light, and blindfolded. After being dragged, someone forced some liquid my mouth and I lost consciousness.

Miu [shocked expression]: I didn’t think you were into those things! It is serious business! 

Rantaro [awkward expression, scratching head]: What… things?

Miu [laughing, spit coming out]: Ah! Don’t pretend like you don’t know! You’re a charmer, attracting boys and girl alike!

Korekiyo [slightly irritated expression, looking at clothes]: As always, your interruptions are as useless and as damaging as mass-produced cosplay costumes.

It seems that even Korekiyo is going off-track… it’s better if we come back to the case.

NONSTOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Rantaro’s testimony, Pieces of cloth, Chair in hallway

Kirumi [right hand on hip, left hand on hat]: Rantaro’s testimony is undoubtedly a key piece of evidence. 

Kaito [determined expression, forms fist with hand]: Yeah! It basically confirms Tsumugi’s innocence too!

Kiibo [uncertain expression, hiding in hood]: But there’s not a thing that proves that Rantaro’s testimony is true. 

Himiko [tired expression, looks to the side]: But Rantaro would never lie, so it must be true. 

Miu [angry expression, right arm raised]: That’s an ass-pull if you ask me!

Kiibo [uncertain expression, looking to the side]: If he was blindfolded…

Kiibo [uncertain expression, hiding in hood] …Kaede, Kirumi, Kaito and Shuichi should have found blindfolds around.

Kiibo [uncertain expression, crossing fingers]: But they didn’t mention them at all…

Gonta [surprised expression]: That mean they not found them! 

Tenko [determined expression, hands on hips]: Actually, if Rantaro was really blindfolded, he should have been found with the blindfold on!

Tenko [slightly smug]: You didn’t talk about this at all!

What can I also say about Rantaro’s testimony? Can I prove it with something else?

ANSWER: Pieces of cloth --> “not found them”  

Kaede: No, that’s wrong! 

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: But we did find something that could have been used to blindfold Rantaro. Four pieces of cloth near the stairs. Two for him, two for Tsumugi. 

0U-M4 [smirking]: Oh! The intruder probably got rid of them while he was leaving!

Kaito [rubbing head]: Why did they leave them in the open? 

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: I don’t exactly know, but they’re there. 

Angie [sideways look]: What if they planted the evidence to make us think Rantaro was really blindfolded? 

Kaede [gesturing]: I don’t think so. There’s someone else who can confirm Rantaro’s testimony, and we know thanks to this…

 --SELECT A TRUTH BULLET!

ANSWER: Tsumugi’s testimony

Kaede: I got it!

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: Tsumugi claims to have seen Rantaro lying on the ground, blindfolded.

Tsumugi [worried expression, looking to the side]: Yeah! I got really scared when I saw him… 

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: Since we have Tsumugi’s testimony, we can presume Rantaro is innocent. 

Kaito [looking to the side]: I suppose he wouldn’t blindfold himself to trick Tsumugi… 

Rantaro [awkward expression, scratching head]: Wha…? Of course I wouldn’t!

Kaito [looking to the side]: I believe you only cause Kaede said so! 

Maki [blank expression]: But, just as we can’t confirm Kiibo’s innocence yet, we can’t confirm Tsumugi’s either.

Tsumugi [worried expression, right arm extended to the side]: You can’t?! Why? Rantaro and me were together the whole time! 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: I don’t want to accuse you, Tsumugi, but that’s not true.

Tsumugi [worried expression]: Uh?

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking in front of self]: After I was blindfolded, I couldn’t see anything. So I can’t be sure that the same thing that happened to me, happened to you.

Tsumugi [head resting on right arm]: I see…

Kirumi [determined expression, raised right arm]: No, I am fairly certain that Tsumugi could not have entered Kaede’s research lab.

Kaito [determined expression, fists bumping into each other]: Oh, I think I know why!

What are Kirumi and Kaito talking about? And why do these two know while the others don’t… It has to be because of that...  

HIDDEN PASSWORD START!  

1. A E I O
2. T C L
3. D E I

ANSWER: OCD

Kaede: I got it!

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: Tsumugi suffers from a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

Tsumugi [looking down, gripping arm]: Y-yeah, I do… I tend to freak out when I see disorganized rooms… and I immediately want to tidy them.

Korekiyo [caressing face]: I expected no less from the Ultimate Maid. 

Kaede [thoughtful expression, gesturing]: Tsumugi couldn’t have killed Ryoma because she needed to enter my room, which was pretty messy… 

Kirumi [eyes closed, right index finger on lip]: She would have at least tried to tidy your room.

Rantaro [reassuring expression]: I didn’t hear screams or anything like that either, while she was throwing a fit earlier…

Miu [angry expression, raised right arm]: So your screams were the noise that kept me awake this night! They were fucking strange screams! 

Tsumugi [uncertain expression, looking to the side]: I wasn’t in the dormitories, you know?

Miu [laughing, spit coming out]: It must have been a wet dream, then! 

Tenko [lowered head, looking upwards]: With this, we’ve eliminated Rantaro and Tsumugi from the list of suspects.

Korekiyo [neutral expression, raised right arm]: Not really… they could have worked together.

Himiko [looking down]: Together…?

It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but the possibility is there. Let’s hear what the others have to say.

NONSTOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Monokuma File 1, Lethal poison, Non-lethal poison, Duct tape  

Kirumi [clasping hands, head slightly tilted]: Were Rantaro and Tsumugi to orchestrate this plan you are suggesting…

Kirumi [determined expression, raised right hand]: …one of them would be doomed to die.

Tenko [lowered head, looking upwards]: It doesn’t look like a great plan.

Angie [inclines body to the left, index finger on cheek]: How would they do it?

Korekiyo [caressing face]: Rantaro is the killer, Tsumugi the accomplice…

Korekiyo [neutral expression, raised right arm]: He brought Hoshi in the research lab and made him ingest the lethal poison.

Gonta [thoughtful expression, index finger on lip]: But they knocked out!

Kaede [gesturing]: Yeah, they were unconscious. 

Kaito [rubbing head]: But why? Does somebody know what was used to do so?

Korekiyo [neutral expression, looking at clothes]: Tsumugi, being the Ultimate Maid, might know how to fake unconsciousness. She possesses multiple qualities after all. 

Korekiyo [neutral expression, raised right arm]: All the two needed is pretend to be unconscious when other people were around.

Tsumugi [worried expression, right arm extended to the side]: I wouldn’t be an accomplice in a murder!

Kaito [sideways look]: You’re a maid though, you just fulfilled Rantaro’s request… 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: Me? A killer…?

Rantaro [awkward expression, arms in front of self]: Please. I’m just an artist!

If I want to convince the others of my opinion, I need to present irrefutable evidence…!  

ANSWER: Non-lethal poison --> “somebody know what was used to do so”  

Kaede: I agree with that! 

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: Korekiyo, we know what was used to make sure Rantaro and Tsumugi would stay unconscious. 

Kaede [determined expression, right arm extended to the side]: The non-lethal poison that Shuichi and me found! 

Shuichi [tugging on cape]: Y-yeah…

Maki [sideways look]: I remember something similar too.

Kaede [gesturing]: The bottle was completely empty and, since half a dose was enough to make one person unconscious, one full bottle was enough for two.

Kaede [gesturing]: That also explains why the blindfolds were removed. After the poison was administered, they weren’t useful anymore. 

Korekiyo [caressing face]: They could have both taken that poison themselves if I am not mistaken.

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: No, Tsumugi couldn’t have. She needed to get into my room to drink it, since the objects found in research rooms can’t be brought out. 

Korekiyo [surprised face, hand on mask]: Oh, right. 

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: Yeah, you found the empty poison bottle, but maybe they didn’t drink it! 

Angie [shade on forehead, creepy smile]: Rantaro just poured it on the ground!

Angie [cheerful expression]: And everyone would think that they were poisoned! 

Angie’s creepiness aside, that wouldn’t be possible. Because…

PSYCHE TAXI START!

1. Why can we be sure that Rantaro didn’t pour the poison in my lab?

[[Rantaro couldn’t fake unconsciousness/There is undeniable proof he was poisoned/Rantaro would have fainted]]

ANSWER: C

2. Why can we be sure that Rantaro would have fainted? 

[[The poison’s smell is so strong it causes fainting/The poison vaporizes in contact with air]] 

ANSWER: B

3. Why can we be sure that the poison worked that way? 

[[Because it happened to me/Because it happened to Maki/Because it happened to Ryoma/Because it was written on the label]]

ANSWER: A 

Kaede: I get it!

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: It wasn’t written on the label, but the poison vaporizes in contact with air.

Kaede [gesturing]: If Rantaro emptied it out he would have fainted, and we would have found him in my research room, not outside.

Kirumi [right hand on hip, left hand on hat]: Tsumugi could not enter in the lab because of her illness, so she would not have been able to drag him outside.

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: What a great deduction! But how do you know that the poison vaporizes when in contact with air?

Kiibo [uncertain expression, sideways look]: Yeah, I guess you’re a detective and all…

Kiibo [uncertain expression]: But I don’t understand how can you know this.

Himiko [blank expression]: Do you know everything about every poison ever?

Kaede [uncertain expression, right arm extended to the side]: Not really…

Kaede [right arm extended to the side]: What I mean, is that I tested the effects of that poison on myself, albeit involuntarily. 

0U-M4 [smiking]: Exactly what I was thinking! Are you talking about your absurdly long nap?

Welp, the robot got it before everyone else.

Kaede [ashamed expression]: Yeah, I wasn’t really sleeping. I was unconscious because I inhaled the poison.

Miu [looking to the side]: Tsk! I fucking knew that something wasn’t right! 

Korekiyo [neutral expression, raised right arm]: Since Kaede would not lie about this matter, and since what she said is plausible, I do believe Rantaro’s and Tsumugi’s testimonies now.

Kaede [gesturing]: There is also something else that proves that they were poisoned with the same kind of poison that I inhaled. 

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: And that’s the time. I woke up after seven hours. They woke up at 9.15 in the morning, so that means they were poisoned around 2.15.

Tenko [thoughtful expression]: That lines up with Rantaro’s testimony! 

Monokuma [ironic smile]: Yeah, no one in this room helped the culprit! 

What? Monokuma is giving us a clue?

Monokuma [ironic smile]: You may be wondering why am I helping you, you’ll know the reason by the end of this trial!

Is he lying? He seems honest. But I’m sure there’s something more to his comment. I need to remember it. It could be useful later.

Obtained truth bullet: Monokuma’s testimony

Gonta [thoughtful expression, index finger on lip]: Now that us know their testimony true, what can we say?

Kaede [gesturing]: We still need to identify the one who broke into my room.

Rantaro [looking to the side]: As I was saying, whoever attacked me first blinded me with a very bright light. 

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: I don’t think it was a flashlight since it engulfed the entire hallway…

Rantaro [looking to the side]: What kind of object emits such a bright light...? 

Kiibo [thoughtful expression]: I didn’t see anything like flashlights in the warehouse.

Kaede [thoughtful expression, right arm extended to the side]: Has someone else seen a flashlight around here?

Nobody said a word.

Well, that means… there aren’t flashlights in this school.

So we aren’t talking about an object. More like an ability. Something the intruder could always do. That person blinded Rantaro and Tsumugi thanks to their particular skills. They were acting suspicious from the start, but now I know nobody else could have!

CHOOSE SOMEONE!

Chapter Text

[[0U-M4 SELECTED]] 

Kaede: No doubt about it!

Kaede [arms crossed, eyes closed]: The person who entered my lab is Ouma. There is no other possibility.

Shuichi [tugging on cape, looking away]: O-ouma? 

0U-M4 [surprised look, sad expression]: A-are you accusing me of murder? Just because I suspected you before?!

0U-M4 [even sadder expression, looking at the ground]: If I could, I would be crying so much right now! 

Kaede [arms crossed, furrows eyebrows]: There’s no flashlight in the warehouse, and nobody saw another one either. You are the only one that could do something similar to Rantaro and Tsumugi, because you’re a robot… who knows what you’re capable of.

0U-M4 [sad expression, looking at the ground]: That’s a long shot, even for a detective like you. 

Korekiyo [caressing face]: I can confirm what Kaede said.

0U-M4 [shocked expression]: You can confirm what?! 

Korekiyo [neutral expression, right arm raised]: While we were exploring, 0U-M4 used a “incredible robot function”, as he dubbed it.

0U-M4 [surprised look, sad expression]: He’s lying! He’s lying! 

Korekiyo [neutral expression, sideways look]: He lightened a dimly lit room pressing the leftmost button on his torso.

Kaito [surprised expression]: What the fuck?! What kinda ability is that?!

Kaede [determined expression]: Thank you for your cooperation, Korekiyo. 

Kaede [determined expression, pointing]: So, Ouma, if you want to prove your innocence, press that button, and show us that what Korekiyo said is false.

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: Sure!

I was taken aback by how fast Ouma responded, but what happened after shocked me more.

The robot pressed the button, and less than a second after, his eyes became pure white. Before I could say anything, I was engulfed in a light that completely blinded me.

Instinctively, I covered my eyes. When I opened them up I blinked multiple times to regain focus.  

Ouma was still standing on his podium, and was still smiling. He had just confessed!  

Tenko [shocked expression]: Aaaah! My eyes! They burn!

Kaito [shocked expression]: What the fuck was that?! I’ve never seen something so bright!

Kirumi [determined expression, pointing]: Ouma, how can you still claim to be innocent after what have you done now?

0U-M4 [smirk]: It may come as a surprise to all of you, but I’m really innocent!

Maki [blank expression]: Do you refuse to admit you broke in Kaede’s research room?

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: Naah, I also knocked out Rantaro and Tsumugi, duuh!

Miu [angry expression, pointing]: He’s playing with us, the little abortion! 

0U-M4 [irritated expression, pointing]: Actually, as a robot, I can’t be an abortion. You should practice your insults.

Kaede [arms crossed, furrowed eyebrows]: I don’t understand you. Confessing and then saying it wasn’t you? 

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger on cheek]: But I didn’t confess at all.

Himiko [confused expression]: You did. You used your light ability thing. 

0U-M4 [looking down at right hand]: I did attack those two over there, but I would have never killed Ryoma!

Korekiyo [caressing face]: Do not lie. The situation will be worse. 

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: All the evidence Kaede has presented makes soo much sense after all, but… Atua says Kaede is wrong!

Gonta [thoughtful expression]: Gonta does not know what right! 

Could 0U-M4 be the culprit? There are some pieces of evidence we haven’t analyzed.

NONSTOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: 0U-M4 and Ryoma’s conversation, Ryoma’s whereabouts, Angie and Gonta’s testimony, Miu’s testimony

Kirumi [determined expression, index finger on lip]: 0U-M4 attacked Rantaro and Tsumugi during the night.

Kaito [angry expression, bumping fists into each other]: That proves he’s the culprit! 

0U-M4 [smirking]: Absolutely not! Until you can prove I killed Ryoma, it’s all talk!

Tsumugi [looking to the side]: But why would you attack us if not for that purpose!?

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: Oh, yeah. You wouldn’t let me pass if I didn’t knock you out! 

Tenko [hands on podium, determined expression]: You could’ve asked! How rude of you! 

0U-M4 [arms behind head, curious expression]: It wouldn’t have worked.

Maki [looking to the side]: The duct tape proves that someone entered from the inside.

0U-M4 [looking down at right hand]: I was in a hurry, so I didn’t have time to clean everything up. 

Miu [angry expression]: What the hell is he doing?! He even admitted entering in the research lab!

0U-M4 [smirking]: I did, and I’ll tell you why, but for now you must admit that I had no reason to kill Ryoma, right? 

Angie [puffing cheeks]: I can’t find one, besides the obvious one…

Kiibo [looking to the side]: Which would be sacrificing him to save everyone else…

Kaito [angry expression, hand that forms fist]: Like he would do that! 

0U-M4 [creepy smile]: That’s right, I would definitely not!

0U-M4 [neutral expression, pointing]: But even if I did, I would have claimed my prize long ago to avoid this trial.

Kiibo [uncertain expression]: You just wanted us to suffer, didn’t you?

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: Maybe! But if you guessed correctly, I’d die! Anyway, there’s no proof I had something to do with Ryoma’s murder!

What do I need to tell the others to convince them? I definitely know something…

ANSWER: 0U-M4 and Ryoma’s conversation --> “had no reason to kill Ryoma”

Kaede: No, that’s wrong! 

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: Ouma, you say you had no motive to murder Ryoma, but that’s a lie.

0U-M4 [shocked expression]: It is? 

Kaede [determined expression, index finger pointing upwards]: Tenko and Himiko overheard you talking with him yesterday morning, near the dormitories. 

Angie [surprised expression]: Don’t tell me he was mad at you and you killed him!

Tenko [slightly smug]: No, they were having a much more serious discussion. 

Kaede [determined expression, arms crossed]: 0U-M4 accused Ryoma of being a serial killer.

Tsumugi [back slightly curved, shocked expression]: A serial killer!? What? 

Kirumi [covers mouth with hand]: That does not surprise me.

Kiibo [uncertain expression, looking to the side]: B-but… isn’t it risky to approach a serial killer? I’m not saying he was one, but…

Kiibo [uncertain expression, hiding in hood]: If Ouma thought that Ryoma was a killer he wouldn’t have murdered him.

0U-M4 [smiling]: Good point, Astroboy!

Kiibo [looking to the side, hiding in hood]: A-astroboy?

Korekiyo [neutral expression, raised right arm]: But he does know, right?

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: …

Gonta [impatient look]: So?! You know or you not know?!

0U-M4 [arms behind head, curious expression]: Well…

0U-M4 [smirking]: What Kaede said is true. I had my suspicions.

How does he know that? I didn’t tell him, and neither did Ryoma…

Could Shuichi…

No. That doesn’t make sense at all.

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: But I discovered that in this academy! Thanks to my skills!

Maki [toys with hair]: What kind of skills are you talking about?

0U-M4 [thoughtful expression, index finger on cheek]: I want you to guess! Kaede! You’re the Ultimate Detective! Live up to your name!

Kaede [surprised expression]: E-eh?

0U-M4 [raised head, creepy smile]: How can I possibly know so much about Ryoma? I managed to find information exploring the school, you know?

Kaede [arms crossed, furrowed eyebrows]: What do I gain from this?

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking in front of self]: You just want us to run out of time, do you?

0U-M4 [smirking]: I want you to choose the right person. I’m not the killer, so if you’re wrong, I’m punished too!

0U-M4 [sad expression, looking at the ground]: …And I don’t want that…

Angie [cheerful expression]: Atua believes Ouma! I repeat, Atua believes Ouma!

Miu [angry expression, flailing arms]: Who fuckin’ cares about Atua!

Angie [shocked expression]: …! 

Angie [shade on forehead, creepy smile]: Apologize to Atua, please.

Miu [angry expression, pointing]: No, thanks! I’ve had enough of your creepy, bloodthirsty God! Start doing something productive! 

0U-M4 [smiling]: Thank you Angie. Anyway, I can prove I’m not the culprit!

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: But I’ll tell you only when Kaede resolves my mystery!

Shuichi [looking away]: Your m-mystery?

0U-M4 [raised head, creepy smile]: My amazing mystery!

I’m starting to think 0U-M4 hasn’t told us everything he knows. The only way I can make him talk is by doing as he demands.  

Ugh. I hate when people force me to do something. 

Kaede [irritated expression, arms crossed]: Okay. I’ll play your game.

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: Oooh! I’m so happy~.

Kaede [irritated expression]: The sooner we start, the sooner we’ll finish.

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: Let’s start with the quiz!

Maki [blank expression]: Why do I have to witness this.

0U-M4 [neutral expression, pointing]: First of all, how do you suppose I entered your room?

Tenko [thoughtful expression]: By forcing it open?

0U-M4 [irritated expression, pointing]: Ssshhh! This is Kaede’s time to shine! 

Kaede [gesturing]: Even if he pushed with all the force he had, the door was locked. I don’t think it would have opened.

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: Yeah! You’re right! Congratulations!

Now… how did 0U-M4 enter my room?

[[He pushed it open with another object/He had a key/He used an object found in the warehouse]]

ANSWER: He had a key

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: And you could enter because you had a key. 

0U-M4 [shocked expression] Wow! I didn’t even need to ask you the question! You’re right! 

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: A key? Where did he found one? 

0U-M4 [smirking]: Right, Kaede! Where did I find one? That’s an easy question.

Yeah, it goes without saying…  

[[In my research room/Near my research room/Near Miu’s research room/In the warehouse]]

ANSWER: In my research room

Kaede [crossed arms, furrows eyebrows]: You found it in my research room, while I was knocked out because of the poison. 

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: Ding ding ding baby! 

Kirumi [covers mouth with hand]: I remember Korekiyo mentioning that 0U-M4 and him parted ways after some time, then reuniting afterwards. 

Korekiyo [hugging self]: I am truly sorry for my mistake. I underestimated the mischievousness of the inhuman robot.

0U-M4 [sad expression]: I thought we were over those robophobic comments! 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking in front of self]: Continue with this so-called quiz and stop wasting time. 

0U-M4 [looking down at hand]: Tsk, nobody appreciates me.

Geez, I wonder why. You can’t knock out people and expect them to like you.

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: Anyways… you locked your room, am I right? Then how did I enter?

Himiko [looking up]: Thanks to the power of magic!

0U-M4 [smiling]: I’m not Shuichi! Ask him if you want to know something about magic!

Shuichi [tugging on cape, looks away]: …

How did 0U-M4 enter if I locked the room from the inside… there has to be an answer!

FLASHING ANAGRAM START!

L I K P - O C C K N I G

ANSWER: Lock-picking

Kaede: I got it!

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: You had no problems because you’re able to lock-pick. That’s how you entered.

Kaede [irritated expression, arms crossed]: And you locked me in!

0U-M4 [looking down at hand]: Yeah, sorry. But there was poison in there, you know? I wanted everyone to be safe, so I locked the door and kept the key.

Tenko [angry expression]: You could have given the key to Kaede! She would have locked the room and no one of us would have been dead!

0U-M4 [raised head, creepy smile]: Nah, without the killer we would have been dead. Slaughtered by countless Monokumas! So everyone, say thank you to our killer! 

0U-M4 [looking down at hand]: Even though we don’t know them.

Kaede [furrows eyebrows, pointing]: The killer betrayed us! They won’t be thanked. They’ll get what they deserve.

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger on cheek]: By the way, you actually got it. I would have never imagined that.

Yeah, actually... I don’t understand how was I able to guess he was able to lock-pick.  

Strange, it feels like I already knew about this. How…?

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: Congrats, detective! You’re so close to the truth! Since you’ve been exceeding my expectations, I’ll give you another hint!

How generous.

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: While I was in your room and you were peacefully sleeping, I took a look around!

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: And to my utmost surprise, I…

0U-M4 [smiling]: That’s your cue! You need to tell me what I did!

Himiko [tired expression]: Is your memory card broken? How can you not remember what you did?

0U-M4 admitted to having entered my room while I was asleep. I’m trying not to think about it, but now I have to.

0U-M4 did something in my room. If that’s the case, when I woke up I had to have seen something different from before…

[[The metallic plate under the rug/The bookcase/The shredder/The detective portraits]]

ANSWER: The shredder

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: I didn’t think at all about this when I woke up…

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: But there were pieces of paper in the shredder found in my room. Ouma, what have you done? 

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: Nee-hee-hee! I didn’t only lockpick the door, but even the desk drawers!

0U-M4 [surprised expression]: …Oh. I got so excited that I answered my next question.

Kaito [sideways look]: Something good happened.

0U-M4 [looking down at hand]: Either way, I found something very important in those desk drawers!

Kirumi [right hand on hip, left hand on hat]: I suppose information about Ryoma’s identity.

0U-M4 [irritated expression, pointing]: I can’t believe you, Kirumi! You spoiled yet another question!

0U-M4 [smiling]: But it’s true. There were documents reporting the various charges against Ryoma.

Kaede [arms crossed, irritated expression]: You destroyed those documents?!

0U-M4 [looking to the side]: Of course! I’m sure that if someone came to know about this, everyone would freak out!

I can’t stay he isn’t right. That’s the exact reason why I didn’t tell anyone besides Shuichi.

Rantaro [sideways look]: So you decided to destroy it? Kaede had the right to see what was written on there.

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: Don’t get angry just because I had to blind you to go back to Kaede’s room!

Kiibo [pointing]: Yeah, you still haven’t proven your innocence! Are you done with your quiz?

0U-M4 [looking down at hand]: Yeah, yeah. Now you all know how I accessed the room.

Kaito [angry expression, bumping fists into each other]: You could have told us sooner!

0U-M4 [smirking]: But that’s no fun! Now, with my incredible evidence, we can start discussing the case seriously.

Shuichi [looking away]: Haven’t we… discussed until now?

0U-M4 [looking to the side]: Nah, all this talk regarding the intruder in Kaede’s room… I already know it was me, and I didn’t kill anyone!

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking in front of self]: Then show your proof. Do it.

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: Just wait a bit before the evidence is developed.

Developed? What does he mean?

Tsumugi [slightly curved back, worried expression]: There’s no evidence! He just wants to stall time!

Tenko [slightly smug]: Yeah, and he’ll accuse someone else!

Korekiyo [caressing face]: All of you are impatient. We have time.

Angie [cheerful expression]: Yeah! And Atua believes in Ouma!

Miu [angry expression, raised right hand]: And I believe in what the fuck I believe! Ouma killed Ryoma! 

Monokuma [covers mouth with paws, laughs]: Oh, look at what’s happening!

Monosuke [neutral expression]: Their opinions are split!

Monokid [guitar above head]: Oh, we’re doing that sick morphothing again?!

Monotaro [smile]: Yeah! I love those debates! 

Monokuma [neutral expression]: It seems your opinions are very different. It’s time for the morphenomenal trial grounds!

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: Oh! I can’t wait!

Monokuma [covers mouth with paws, laughs]: You’ll battle it out in a group debate to see what’s the best approach to take! Do your best! 

Suddenly, the podium where I was standing began to shake. Surprised, I held to the edges and it started ascending.

Slowly, each one of us reached another area, split in two groups.

On one side, me, 0U-M4, Angie, Gonta, Shuichi, Kirumi, Korekiyo and Kiibo.

On the other Kaito, Maki, Himiko, Tenko, Rantaro, Tsumugi and Miu.

SCRUM DEBATE START!

Tenko: Ouma attacked Rantaro and Tsumugi, why would he do something like that? He must be the killer!

Angie: Didn’t you remember? He said that Rantaro and Tsumugi wouldn’t have let him pass!

Maki: Ouma entered Kaede’s lab multiple times without her knowing. We can’t trust his words. 

Korekiyo: He has now revealed he entered the lab, so do not jump to conclusions.

Miu: That filthy robot had a motive to kill Ryoma more than anyone of us! 

0U-M4: A motive?! Because I knew he was dangerous I would have never approached him!

Himiko: We should vote for him now and go home, alright?

Shuichi: If we vote for him and we’re wrong, we’ll be executed.

Tsumugi: He has lied all the time, withholding important information.

Kirumi: He has just started telling the truth, we should wait before supposing his next information will be a lie.

Rantaro: He could have killed Tsumugi and me, so… 

Kiibo: That’s not true! He couldn’t have killed you two because he used non-lethal poison!

Kaito: How can you defend him when there’s no evidence that tells us he’s innocent!

Kaede: There’s no evidence now, but Ouma is about to present it to us!

Kaede’s team: This is our answer!

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: Ouma is suspicious, but if he says he can prove his innocence, we should at least see how.

Himiko [tired expression]: I guess… but this means we’ll have to stay here for a long time…

Tenko [determined expression]: Don’t worry, we’ll expose Ouma and live happily ever after without him!

0U-M4 [sad expression, looking at the ground]: How mean…

Gonta [confused expression]: Please explain Gonta what “develop evidence” mean. Gonta not very good with language.

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: Oh, don’t worry Gonta! Nobody has understood Ouma, but he’ll spell it out for us in a few moments!

Kaede [gesturing]: Yeah, how much do we have to wait? 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: We can’t waste time.

0U-M4 [looking down at hand]: Well, duh. But do not fear, my dear humans, I have developed the photos that prove my innocence!

Photos?

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: I come equipped with a camera, you know? And I took photos while I was in Kaede’s research lab.

Kaito [shocked expression]: What the fuck!?

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: I bet you would have never imagined a robot able to do this, right?!

Korekiyo [caressing face]: I have to admit that this ability you claim to possess appears to be extremely useful.

Korekiyo [hugging self]: But nothing will beat the beauty of humans! 

Tsumugi [sideways look]: I guess… 

0U-M4 [slightly curved back, excited expression]: Anyway, admire my hard work!

After that, 0U-M4 opened his mouth, from which three photos appeared, stacking on top of each other like they were ejected from a printer.

0U-M4 [neutral expression]: Don’t worry about saliva. I don’t need it, so these photos are completely dry.

Maki [blank expression]: I’ll pass.

0U-M4 [smirking]: Why don’t you inspect them, Kaede? I’m positive they will convince you.

0U-M4 passed me the three photos, while Himiko, standing between us, tried to avert her gaze from them.

Still skeptical, I took the photos, which were, thankfully, not wet at all.  

As soon as I saw the first one, I almost gasped.

The photo was taken from under the desk. Ryoma was there, coming out from the metallic plate that I previously supposed to be unmovable. He was peeking out. Judging from this photo, he didn’t notice that the duct tape was torn.

Rantaro [thoughtful expression, index finger on chin]: So, is it enough to prove Ouma’s innocence?

Kaede [surprised expression]: W-wait a second, I have to check all of them…

The second photo was even more surprising. This time I had a clear view of my research room. It showed Ryoma drinking the lethal poison. By himself. Nobody was near him, he was doing it alone.

The third photo depicted Ryoma re-entering whatever was under that metallic plate, placing it above his head.

Kaede [arms crossed, thoughtful expression]: …Well, it seems we’ve been looking at this case in the wrong way.

Kaito [surprised expression, bumping fists into each other]: What!? What are those photos?

Miu [pointing]: Are those lewd photos of you and Ouma?! Do robots have dicks?!

Kaede [surprised expression]: Wh-what?

0U-M4 [irritated expression, pointing]: Do you want to know? I guess you have a lot of experience with those, right?!

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: It’s better if you see them for yourself.

I passed the photos to Gonta, which passed them to Rantaro and so on, so that everyone had a chance to see them. Gasps and “what?” echoed throughout the courtroom before Himiko gave me the photos again.

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, right index finger on lip]: These photos do not assure us 0U-M4 was not the culprit, but show us that we were wrong about Ryoma’s cause of death.

Kaede [ashamed expression]: Yeah, I’m sorry, everyone. I was wrong.

Angie [cheerful expression]: Hey! Turn that frown upside down…! That’s what I say!

Shuichi [looking away]: Y-yeah, Kaede… it wasn’t your fault…

Shuichi, thanks for the encouragement.

Rantaro [smiling]: You couldn’t have known that. No pressure.

0U-M4 [smirking]: I agree with what the others are saying! If you didn’t deduce that Ryoma was poisoned you wouldn’t have talked about me in the first place!

Kiibo [looking sideways]: If those photos are true, how could Ryoma not see you? Do you have an invisibility function too?!

0U-M4 [smirking]: No, you dummy! Astroboy, I carefully hid behind the desk, and peeked out when necessary.

Korekiyo [caressing face]: My congratulations.

0U-M4 [raised head, big smile]: All’s well that ends well!

Not really. We still have to find the blackened who killed Ryoma. Let’s try to connect the dots.

NONSTOP DEBATE START!  

Truth bullets: Monokuma File 1, Conditions of the body, Rope at the scene of the crime, Non-lethal poison, Chair in hallway  

Gonta [confused expression]: Sorry, but why you sure Ryoma not killed with poison? It is there in photos! 

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: That would count as a suicide, remember?

Gonta [confused expression, right index finger on lip]: But culprit could have used more poison!

Himiko [tired expression]: Yeah, or maybe he forced Ryoma to drink it…

Kiibo [thoughtful expression]: But the one who committed the act would be Ryoma, so he would be the culprit, in this case. 

Rantaro [sideways look]: If Ryoma’s true cause of death wasn’t poisoning, there must be clues about his true cause of death.

Kaito [thoughtful expression]: I wasn’t at the crime scene for long, so I don’t know. 

Tenko [determined expression]: Wait! If Ryoma wasn’t dead because of poison, he could have been killed somewhere else other than the research room!

Miu [pointing]: Duh! The photos don’t show him exiting the room! So you can’t be sure! 

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: Hey, Ouma, have you seen other people entering? 

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger on cheek]: Actually no. But that’s because photos drain my battery life, so I went asleep after those three!

Maki [blank expression, sideways look]: How convenient.

Kirumi [thoughtful expression]: There has to be a way to discover if someone else entered Kaede’s research lab.

One of my friends is right, but I need to back them up to prove their claim!

ANSWER: Monokuma File 1 --> “there must be clues”

Kaede: I agree with that!

BREAK!

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: There’s something else interesting about Ryoma’s body, and that’s the reason why we initially thought he died because of hanging. 

Korekiyo [neutral expression, raised right hand]: Yes, his neck, which was irritated. 

Kaede [gesturing]: That’s an important piece of evidence we’ve totally forgotten about when we moved on to discuss other topics. 

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: But if we want to uncover the truth behind this case, we need to examine every single piece of evidence. 

Kirumi [right hand on hip, left hand on hat]: As you have seen, even the smallest details aid us.

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: Whatever happened to Ryoma has to do with what happened to his neck.

Rantaro [looking to the side]: We haven’t excluded the possibility he was hung after all…

Angie [pensive expression, looking down]: Before we talk about that, shouldn’t we ask ourselves how Ryoma entered the room?

0U-M4 [smiling]: Good point, Angie. That’s what I wanted to discuss, but we need to focus. Do we talk about his true cause of death or the way he entered the room?

Tenko [hands on podium]: He could have entered with you, right? You told him to hide under the rug!

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger on cheek]: Yeah, I told Ryoma to follow me to Kaede’s research room, blinded Tsumugi and Rantaro in front of his eyes…

0U-M4 [looking down at hand]: …entered the room going against what Kaede said, told him to hide under the rug, forced him to take a lethal poison which would kill him in ten minutes…

0U-M4 [looking down at hand]: …convinced him to hide again, exit the room, then, after all of this, killed him by I don’t know what thing near the gym.

Kaito [angry expression, bumps fists into each other]: Nobody can prove what you’re saying!

Maki [sideways look]: Ryoma would never trust him, especially after Ouma told him he suspected him.

Tsumugi [looking to the side]: Yeah, I think that’s implausible 

Kaede [gesturing]: Ryoma wouldn’t even fit under the rug if the metallic plate were in place. 

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: But he moved it and it entered something that resembled… a vent. I didn’t know about that vent at all. The metallic plate didn’t move when I examined it.

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, index finger on lip]: I have not seen said metallic plate, but I dare to say I have understood why Ryoma was able to move it.

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, hand on hip]: The plate is put at the end of a vent, which is narrower than the plate itself.

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, hand on hat]: Because of this set-up, the plate can be lift up by whoever is crawling in the vent, but it appears fixed to anyone who attempts to move it in Kaede’s research lab.

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: That’s what I thought too, but you explained better than I could. 

Kirumi [slightly tilted head, closed eyes]: Thanks. I had to deal with numerous contraptions during my searches for treasures.

Kiibo [confused expression]: I think I understand what are you saying, but do you know the entrance of that vent? Otherwise these are just hypotheses.

Kiibo’s right. But lucky for us, I know exactly the entrance of that vent.

--SELECT A TRUTH BULLET

ANSWER: Secret passage

Kaede: I got it! 

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: While we were exploring the school, Kirumi found a secret switch, which opened up a secret passage.

Kirumi [slightly tilted head, smiling]: Exactly. It was right above our heads, very near to the cafeteria.

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: I’m not sure, but it should lead directly to my room.

Kaede [gesturing]: With a couple of turns here and there.

While I was explaining my idea to the others, I glanced at Shuichi. He looked more upset than usual.  

Is it because he feels guilty for not having told me about the secret switch?

Kaede [gesturing]: It was very narrow, but Ryoma is probably the only one who could fit in there.

Miu [looking sideways]: Great! Now we know how he entered, what about it? It doesn’t help us at all 

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: No, it is very important. This matter needs to be discussed further. 

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: Something doesn’t line up. 

Angie [cheerful expression]: Let’s discuss it and see if Kaede can pinpoint what’s wrong!

NONSTOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Monokuma File 1, Chair in hallway, Angie and Gonta’s testimony, Secret passage, Miu’s testimony

Kaito [looking to the side]: Well, Kaede. Tell us what you think it’s strange. 

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: Could it be something related to the time? 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: Nah, we’ve talked enough about the time.

Kiibo [uncertain expression, hiding in hood]: We know Ryoma took the poison by himself, so someone else killed him.

Kiibo [uncertain expression, sideways look]: And he managed to exit your room thanks to a secret passage. 

0U-M4 [smirking]: That’s what my photographs prove!

Tenko [thoughtful expression]: So he entered the secret passage from the hallway without any help…   

Korekiyo [caressing face]: What an interesting turn of events…

Gonta [thoughtful expression, index finger on lip]: Strange that he got in to drink poison. 

Kaito [rubbing head]: Yeah, it doesn’t make sense at all. Someone forced him.

Tsumugi [confused expression]: Can you force someone to do something like that? 

Himiko [tired expression, looking to the side]: I don’t think so, because Ryoma would die after drinking the poison… 

Yeah, there it is. Right in their statements.

ANSWER: Chair in hallway --> “without any help”

Kaede: No, that’s wrong!

BREAK!

Kaede [gesturing]: Ryoma got in the secret passage thanks to the chair we discussed before.

Kiibo [sideways look]: So that wasn’t used as a support for hanging…

Kaede [thoughtful expression, right arm extended to the side]: I don’t think so. The chair was put there to make sure Ryoma could reach the ceiling.

Shuichi [looking away]: Yeah, but… it’s too high for him. 

Rantaro [thoughtful expression, index finger on chin]: Yep, he wouldn’t reach it even with the chair. 

Gonta [surprised expression]: Ryoma used multiple chairs!

I mean, it *could* be possible, but to be sure, I have to ask someone. What piece of evidence will help me this time?

--SELECT A TRUTH BULLET

ANSWER: Angie and Gonta’s testimony

Kaede: I got it!

Kaede [gesturing]: Angie and Gonta found that chair this morning. Only one. Can Korekiyo or Kiibo confirm?

Korekiyo [neutral expression, right arm raised]: I was the last one to leave the cafeteria, shortly before nighttime. The chairs were there, except one. 

Tenko [hands on podium]: Stacking chairs on top of each other it’s very dangerous! Little girls may try to climb them and fall… and die! 

Kaito [shocked expression]: What about boys!?

Tenko [looking away]: They can do it. Learn how difficult life is for us girls!

Anyways… it’s safe to say that Ryoma couldn’t have used the chair to reach the secret passage. I think I’d barely reach it, so he would need something else…

…Wait! There’s a way to reach the secret passage with only one chair, and that is…  

[[The rope found at the crime scene/The help of another person/Rocket launchers/Exisal]]

ANSWER: The help of another person

Kaede [arms crossed, eyes closed] …

Rantaro [uncertain expression, arm leaning forward]: What is it, Kaede? 

Kirumi [worried expression, tilted head]: Have you unearthed the identity of the culprit?

Kaede [looks up]: N-no… not yet. 

Not yet.  

Kaede [determined expression, pointing forward]: But I understood something else, that the culprit helped Ryoma enter my research room.

Tsumugi [distressed]: W-what?

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: Well, that’s the only feasible option, right? 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking in front of self]: …Since he couldn’t reach that secret passage. 

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: Why would the culprit help Ryoma enter Kaede’s lab? I woooonder! 

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: They worked together. There’s no other way.

Kaede [thoughtful expression, gesturing]: And that explains why Ryoma drank the poison. It was part of the plan.

Tenko [scared expression]: Plan?! What?! 

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: One of us lifted Ryoma up. Told him to drink the poison to send us off track, then killed him.

Kiibo [uncertain expression, looking away]: W-what…

Maki [blank expression, cold stare]: What an awful human being.

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: Ryoma wouldn’t have agreed if he didn’t know what was going to happen. He was okay with dying, and tricking all of us.

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger on cheek]: Geez, thankfully I snuck inside Kaede’s lab and took photos!

Tsumugi [confused expression]: But why would he do that?!

Kaede [thoughtful expression]: I don’t know…

This seems ridiculous. I can’t believe someone of us would agree to this mad plan. I can’t believe Ryoma offered himself to be killed.

But that’s what happened, and we have to find the one who helped Ryoma.

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: For now, the list of suspects remains the same. 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: As far as I remember Maki, Kirumi, Kaede, myself, Tsumugi and Ouma are confirmed innocents.

0U-M4 [smile]: Yeah! For everyone else, you could still be the culprit!

We don’t have enough clues to accuse someone yet. If we examine the case once again, maybe we’ll understand more.

NONSTOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Kiibo’s testimony, Rope near the scene of the crime, Ryoma’s whereabouts, Snoring near Kaito’s room, Angie and Gonta’s testimony

Kaito [determined expression]: We’re off to a good start!

Rantaro [looking to the side]: What do you mean?

Kaito [determined expression, hand forms fist]: Six of us are clear from suspicion! That’s great!

Maki [looking to the side]: You aren’t, though.

Kaito [irritated expression]: Excuse me, can you find something that implicates me?

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: You gave some testimonies to Kaede, so you could have lied. 

Kaito [shocked expression]: Hey! Why are you blaming me now!

Kiibo [thoughtful expression]: Kaito’s right. Don’t jump to conclusions… 

Korekiyo [neutral expression, right arm raised]: Discussing about Ryoma is our priority at the moment.

Tenko [thoughtful expression]: Well, does a testimony help us? Whatever testimony you can think of…

Angie [cheerful expression]: I don’t think we should focus on testimonies, you know?

Angie [cheerful expression, clasping hands]: But trying to prove someone else is innocent!

0U-M4 [looking down at hand]: Well, say some names.

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: What about Gonta?

Angie [puffing cheeks]: Or maybe Kiibo! We haven’t proven that yet!

One of my classmates is right. I just need to tell them.

ANSWER: Snoring near Kaito’s room --> “Or maybe Kiibo”

Kaede: I agree with that!

BREAK!

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: I can prove Kiibo’s innocence.

Kiibo [surprised expression]: O-oh! Really?

Angie [furrowed eyebrows]: Oh, what a pity. I hoped Gonta would be proven innocent.

Gonta [happy expression, hand on hip]: Do not worry, Gonta really innocent!

Kiibo [thoughtful expression, index finger near lip]: But… I don’t know how can I prove my innocence.

Miu [laughing, spit coming out]: What an incompetent! 

Kiibo [hiding in hood]: S-sorry…

Kaede [reassuring expression, index finger pointing upwards]: Don’t say sorry, Kiibo. It makes sense you don’t know.

Kaede [uncomfortable expression, looking to the side]: After you came back to the dorms, you fell asleep and well… you snored.

Kiibo [shocked expression]: What?! N-no, I don’t snore!

Kiibo [blushing]: I… I totally d-don’t!

Kaito [neutral expression]: I did hear someone snoring though… and your room is right next to mine…

Kiibo [hiding in hood]: …

Kiibo [uncertain expression, hiding in hood]: Maybe I do…

I can’t believe we proved Kiibo’s innocence because he snores. It’s annoying, but it can have some advantages, it seems.

Kaito [rubbing head]: Man, you were really going at it this night! 

Kiibo [blushing]: S-sorry… I didn’t know…

Shuichi [looking to the side]: Kiibo couldn’t have done it, then.

Kaito [determined expression, hand that forms fist]: You’re doing great, Kaede! So, can you prove me innocent now? I heard Kiibo! 

Kaede [uncertain expression]: Well, I guess... 

Kaito [smiling, thumbs up]: Great!

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: Someone else…?

At the moment… Angie, Miu, Gonta, Himiko, Tenko, Korekiyo or Shuichi could be the culprit.

But I haven’t found something that undoubtedly proves their innocence yet. I’d never accuse Himiko, Shuichi or Gonta, but I can’t rule anyone out. Anyone…

0U-M4 [smirking]: We should proceed by accusing instead. 

Shuichi [confused look]: Hm?

0U-M4 [arms behind head]: Instead of proving someone innocent, let’s prove that someone did it! If it doesn’t add up, they can’t be the culprit!

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, index finger on lip]: That could be an effective strategy.

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger on chin]: So, who could be the first one…?

Rantaro [looking to the side]: Are you going to decide at random?

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: I’d say Miu!

Miu [panicked expression]: Heegh! Why me?!

0U-M4 [looking down at hand]: You were the fist one I thought about. But if you’re innocent, you’ve nothing to fear.

Miu [worried, looking to the side]: I d-don’t have anything to do with this…

Gonta [happy expression]: Miu innocent then! Happy for Miu!

Tsumugi [looking to the side]: I’m afraid we can’t be sure of that yet…

 Gonta [sad expression]: Oh…

It seems we’ll discuss about Miu. What will we find out?

NONSTOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Ryoma’s whereabouts, Angie and Gonta’s testimony, Miu’s testimony, Monokuma’s testimony  

Miu [worried expression]: I can’t understand w-why you’re suspecting me all of a sudden…

Maki [blank expression]: We’re not suspecting you. 

Angie [cheerful expression]: Yeah! We’re just talking!

Miu [worried expression]: W-why? I don’t have anything to do with what you’re talking about!

Korekiyo [neutral expression, looking at clothes]: Why do you pursue with your lies? 

Miu [panicked expression]: What lies?! I’m not lying! 

Tenko [thoughtful expression]: She’s clearly panicking. But she didn’t help Ryoma reach the secret passage since she’s too self-centered.

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, hand on hip]: That would not stop her. She could have arranged a plan with him to escape from this killing game. 

Miu [worried expression]: B-but, no… I would have used the first blood perk, guys! 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: Yeah, do you think she would risk her life just to see all of us dead?

Kaito [rubbing head]: You can never know what’s inside the mind of a psychopath.

Miu [panicked expression, tugging on hair]: I’m n-not a psychopath! 

Wait, one of them is wrong. I have evidence that absolutely contradicts what they’re saying.

ANSWER: Angie and Gonta’s testimony --> “I don’t have anything to do with what you’re talking about”  

Kaede: No, that’s wrong!

BREAK!

Kaede [arms crossed, eyes closed]: Miu, if you aren’t the culprit, start telling the truth. Otherwise you’ll convince no one.

Miu [toying with hair]: W-What…

Kaede [arms crossed, frowned eyebrows]: You can’t claim you didn’t have anything to do with the murder, since you were the one who took the chair out of the cafeteria. 

Kiibo [uncertain expression]: T-that’s right… 

Korekiyo [irritated expression, raised right arm]: I saw her with my very two eyes, claiming she was using said chair in the warehouse. However, she did not bring it back, according to what I hear.

Angie [surprised expression]: And she left it in the hallway! Wow!

Kiibo [thoughtful expression]: Korekiyo and me left from the backdoor, so we didn’t know this detail before you mentioned it.

Kirumi [tilted head, clasping hands]: Kaede, do you suppose Miu intended to use that chair to help Ryoma?

Kaede [thoughtful expression, arms crossed]: Hmm…

Is this possible? If we analyze one specific piece of evidence…

--SELECT A TRUTH BULLET

ANSWER: Miu’s testimony

Kaede: I got it!

Kaede [gesturing]: Let’s think about it, but let’s hear Miu’s testimony first. 

Kaito [rubbing head]: She gave you a testimony? Do you believe her?

Kaede [reassuring expression]: After you’ll listen to it, you’ll give me your opinions. 

Miu [angry expression, raised right arm]: Thank God, Kaedumb! Maybe you’re not as dumb as your name suggests! 

I should have expected it...

Miu [pointing to self]: Me, the gorgeous Miu Iruma, will prove that you’re all dipshits! 

Kiibo [shrugs]: Please do it quickly. 

Miu [proud expression]: During my interview, I responded to some questions…

Tsumugi [confused expression]: Interview?

Kaede [uncertain expression]: L-let’s not focus on the semantics…

Miu [proud expression]: They asked me how could I manage to walk with boobs this big! 

I sighed. I can do this. I have dealt with criminals far more dangerous than a pianist who thinks about her chest size and reproductive organs all the time.  

Kaede [angry expression, pointing]: I SAID TELL THEM WHAT YOU TOLD ME!

Everybody stopped talking. Even the Monokubs, who were chatting with each other.

Shuichi [worried expression]: Kaede, are you o-

Monotaro [surprised expression]: Wow! You have a very powerful voice!

Monosuke [neutral expression]: I should turn down the volume. 

Monokid [smashes guitar]: You almost scared me, girl! 

Monosuke [adjusts glasses]: I wonder if you got Monodam scared too…

Monodam [neutral expression]: …

Monosuke [smirk]: Apparently he’s just as apathetic as always.

Monophanie [reassuring expression]: Monodam, please, open yourself. Fight against those bullies! 

Monodam [neutral expression]: …

Miu [scared expression, toying with hair]: K-kaede…

Kaede [determined expression, pointing]: Why are you acting like this?! I don’t believe you’re the culprit, so stop! Otherwise nobody is going to believe in *me*!

Miu [scared expression, looking to the side]: B-but, what I told you… was private…

Kaede [arms crossed, frowned eyebrows]: No, it wasn’t. It’s what’s I’m going to use to prove you aren’t the culprit.

Miu [scared expression, looking to the side]: O-okay… 

0U-M4 [arms behind head, smiling]: What a idi-

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: Shut up for once.

0U-M4 [surprised expression]: …!

Miu [unsure expression, toying with hair]: The one who asked me to pick up that chair was Ryoma… 

Angie [tilts head to the side]: Ryoma? Oh... 

Miu [panicked expression]: But I swear, he told me he needed to reach a shelf in the warehouse! And he kneeled, so I couldn’t say no…

Miu [unsure expression, toying with hair]: A-and… he told me to leave it in the hallway near the cafeteria…

She actually said more than the last time. Ryoma told her that he needed something in the warehouse, but obviously that’s a lie…  

Tenko [thoughtful expression]: I’m sorry, but I don’t see how this proves her innocence.

Kaede [gesturing]: It’s not this testimony in particular, you’re right, but the details surrounding it.

Kaede [gesturing]: First of all, if she did kill Ryoma she wouldn’t have attended this class trial, and we know it well. She would have escaped without a second thought.

Miu [toying with hair]: I think so…

Kaede [gesturing]: Secondly, why would she tell me that Ryoma asked her to take the chair? 

Kaede [index finger pointing upwards]: No one knew about that detail, and if she were the culprit, she would have known that talking about it would make her suspicious.

Kiibo [thoughtful expression]: I can’t argue with that. 

Kaede [gesturing]: And lastly, we know she was in the dormitories.

Gonta [surprised expression]: We know? 

Yes, because she…  

[[Heard Kiibo/Was seen by Maki/Wasn’t seen by anyone at school/Snored as well]]

ANSWER: Heard Kiibo

Kaede [gesturing]: Miu heard Kiibo. She mentioned it during the trial, but we all thought it was one of her usual comments.

--FLASHBACK--

Miu [angry expression, raised right arm]: So your screams were the noise that kept me awake this night! They were fucking strange screams!

Tsumugi [uncertain expression, looking to the side]: I wasn’t in the dormitories, you know?

Miu [laughing, spit coming out]: It must have been a wet dream, then!

--END FLASHBACK—

Tenko [surprised expression]: Your memory is amazing, Kaede! You remember even the smallest details!

Miu [laughing, spit coming out]: Fucking thanks, Kaede! It took your logic to make the others understand I’m not the damn culprit! 

She thanked me. It’s a good start.  

Miu [proud expression]: Since you’ve been so useful, I’m going to tell you something else! I said I forgot, but I just didn’t want to tell you!

Shuichi [uncertain expression]: Uh… well…

Kaede [reassuring expression]: I’m honored you’re deciding to share everything with us. 

Miu [proud expression, pointing to herself]: I don’t think it’s important, but I met Ryoma while I was going back to my dorm! 

Huh?

Miu [looking to the side]: That’s where he kneeled! But, actually, he wasn’t exiting from his room!

Kaito [shocked expression]: What?!

Miu [pointing to herself]: Yeah! It’s fucking strange!

Tenko [determined expression]: That must have been the moment when Ryoma and the culprit agreed to the plan!

Kaede [gesturing]: Ryoma visited one of us? Yesterday…? 

It can’t be possible. No one mentioned this.  

I am… very scared to ask this question.

…

But I need to do it. To save my friends.

Kaede [looking to the side]: W-whose… whose room… was it? 

Miu [toying with hair]: Actually, I don’t remember… it was one of the four doors near the entrance, ground floor. 

…I know what that means.

Shuichi [uncertain expression]: Kaede, are you a-alright? 

I knew it from the start of this trial, but I refused to believe it.

I still can’t believe it, so it has to be a coincidence.

Ryoma was in their room, but…

Himiko [tired expression]: Can someone remind me the disposition of the rooms?

Rantaro [reassuring expression]: Sure. On the ground floor, we have Kirumi, Tsumugi, Miu and Kaede from right to left…

A deep breath.

Rantaro [looking to the side]: Shuichi, Rantaro, Korekiyo and Hoshi from left to right. 

Another deep breath. 

Kaede [worried expression]: P-please, stop here. 

Rantaro [confused expression]: Huh?

Ryoma was in their room, but that doesn’t mean anything.

Yet, there’s one single person here.  

One single person who hasn’t an alibi among those four.

 Kaito [rubbing head]: Kaede, you seem… distraught.

One single person who could know about the tricks used to murder Ryoma.

One single person who…  

N-no, I can’t do it. 

Kirumi [lays hat on chest]: I understand. Let me say it.

Kaede [sweating, confused look]: W-what…?

Kirumi [eyes closed, lays hat on chest]: I will spare you the pain for now. But you need to be strong. I can continue from now on, but you know the truth as well.

I know the truth, but I can’t face it now. My emotions blind me.

Gonta [confused expression]: What truth? Gonta may be not intelligent, but please explain!

*** 

I am truly sorry for what I am about to do. I understand Kaede’s feelings. Even the Ultimate Detective cannot rely on logic alone.  

Emotions cloud her judgment. However, I had to choose before and I will not commit the same mistake.  

Kirumi [determined expression]: Kaede and me deduced the culprit. I ask you all to… be respectful. 

Kaito [angry expression, bumping fists into each other]: Respectful of someone who wanted all of us killed? 

I cannot fathom it either. A reason his hidden in their actions. To uncover it, we need to say their name.

CHOOSE SOMEONE!

Chapter Text

CHOOSE SOMEONE!  

[[SHUICHI SAIHARA SELECTED]]

Kirumi: You cannot hide from me!

Kirumi [places hat on chest]: The culprit is none other than Shuichi.

Kiibo [uncertain expression, looking to the side]: Have you said Shuichi?

Kirumi [tilts head, apprehensive expression]: Yes. I did, and I stand by my decision.

Tenko [determined expression]: He might be a degenerate male, but he wouldn’t kill anyone! Tell them you’re innocent, Shuichi!

Shuichi [looks to the side]: … 

Kiibo [worried expression]: Shuichi, don’t act like that! I know you can’t be the killer!

Shuichi [clutches at chest]: …If I am the blackened, y-you can prove it. 

Kaito [rubbing head]: You’re wrong, Kirumi! What makes you think that Shuichi is the culprit? 

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, raised right arm]: According to the testimony Miu provided, she witnessed Ryoma exiting from one of the four rooms near the entrance. 

Kirumi [resolute expression, raised right arm]: So Ryoma had to have discussed with Shuichi, Rantaro, Tsumugi or me.

Kiibo [worried expression]: She might be wrong! 

Miu [angry expression]: What?! Me! I’m never wrong! This time I’m extremely sure!

Kirumi [tilted head]: If someone claims to have talked with Ryoma in their room, they should speak now.

As I imagined, neither Rantaro nor Tsumugi said anything. And I did not speak with him either.

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: I totally didn’t. I didn’t enter the dormitories at all after waking up yesterday, I guarded Kaede’s research lab.

Korekiyo [neutral expression, right arm raised]: That is correct. I never saw her somewhere else. 

Rantaro [thoughtful expression]: I spent my time exploring the school. But I was alone for most of the time, so no one can confirm that for sure…

Kirumi [resolute expression, hand on hip]: You are not a suspect anymore, and it would be useless for you to lie now.

Rantaro [awkward expression, arms in front of self]: Oh, if you say so…

Kirumi [resolute expression, hand on hat]: The real question is, why would Shuichi not respond. 

Shuichi [tugging on cape]: Well, you… your proof is circumstantial… even if Ryoma entered my room, that doesn’t… doesn’t mean anything. 

Kiibo [determined expression]: Yeah! They might have discussed about… things! 

Kirumi [tilted head, eyes closed]: He still does not confirm nor deny. 

Tenko [slightly smug]: Well, Shuichi? Don’t tell me you have behaved badly! Say Miu is wrong! 

Shuichi [looking away]: …

He cannot find the strength to lie, but he does not have the courage to admit the truth. I do not know what is he thinking now, but he must be excruciating for him.

I need to help him, help him confess, help the others accept this truth.

NONSTOP DEBATE!

Truth bullets: Rope at the scene of the crime, Ryoma’s whereabouts, Chair in hallway, Secret passage  

Maki [blank expression]: Shuichi could have killed him, I’m afraid. 

Kaito [angry expression, bumps fists into each other]: Can you prove some empathy!? Or are you a fucking robot?! 

0U-M4 [shocked expression, sad look]: Oh, so that’s how you feel about me… 

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: Shuichi isn’t strong enough to kill Ryoma...

Tsumugi [looking to the side]: You can’t say that for sure without proof. 

Angie [clasping hands]: But look at his arms! They’re so frail!

Gonta [thoughtful expression]: If Kirumi suspicion true, Shuichi talked with Ryoma about plan?

Korekiyo [neutral expression, right arm raised]: We cannot know if Ryoma did really enter the dormitories.

Miu [angry expression, pointing]: I just said that! Are you deaf?!

Korekiyo [irritated expression, looking at clothes]: Your mind could have played tricks on you.

Kiibo [worried expression]: Shuichi isn’t the culprit! You… can you think of someone else? 

Shuichi [looking away]: …

Kaede [arms crossed, looking away]: … 

There is a connection between Ryoma and Shuichi. However, only some people could know.

ANSWER: Ryoma’s whereabouts --> “We cannot know if Ryoma did really enter the dormitories”  

Kirumi: Your statement is wrong!

BREAK!

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, index finger on lip]: We do know. Ryoma entered the dormitories sometime yesterday morning.

Kirumi [resolute expression, right arm raised]: According to the information in Kaede’s notepad, after Ouma accused him of being a serial killer, he went inside the dormitories.

Himiko [tired expression]: Nyeh… that’s true, I remember that. Tenko told Kaede about that. 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: So he could have been in the dormitories when he met Miu. 

Shuichi [looking to the side]: And… with that? It’s… it’s totally irrelevant… 

Maki [blank expression]: It’s a strange coincidence, you can’t argue with that.

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: Heey! You’re saying that Ryoma had to meet the culprit waaay back to arrange the plan, but they could have done it even before the murder! You don’t need that much time to murder someone!

0U-M4 [curious expression, finger near cheek]: Nah, they had to decide what to do before something happened! 

What is this “something” 0U-M4 is talking about?

[[Before someone entered the dormitories/Before the cafeteria closed/Before the warehouse closed/Before the time limit]]

ANSWER: Before the cafeteria closed

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, index finger on lip]: They had to decide how to enact their plan on advance because of the cafeteria closing before nighttime.

Kirumi [resolute expression, hand on hip]: They had to take the chair out of the cafeteria before 8 pm. And Ryoma would have been the one to do it. 

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: But Miu showed up and he asked her to do it for him. 

0U-M4 [surprised expression]: He asked her of all people?!

Kirumi [resolute expression, hand on hat]: The culprit did not expect her entering the dormitories at the same exact moment Ryoma exited the room. I suppose he tried to distract her.

Kirumi [resolute expression, raised right arm]: He managed to convince her, lying about his true intentions.

0U-M4 [smirking]: Miu’s attention span is so short!

Miu [angry expression, raised right arm]: Your dick’s shorter!

0U-M4 [curious expression, index finger near cheek]: Oh! But I don’t need it, so your jabs aren’t effective against me.

Kirumi [thoughtful expression]: The plan could not be devised without care. So the culprit met with Ryoma in the dormitories. Shuichi is the only one who stayed in his room for the entire day.

Shuichi [tugging on cape]: I… I…

Kiibo: This c-cannot be right!

[[Split screen separating Kiibo and Kirumi]] 

Kirumi [holds hat over chest]: Kiibo, I understand it may appear impossible to you-

Kiibo [uncertain expression, index fingers against each other]: And I understand where you’re coming from, but I’ll tell you why you’re wrong!

REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN START!

Truth blades: Monokuma File 1, Kiibo’s testimony, Miu’s testimony, Monokuma’s testimony

Kiibo [uncertain expression, hides in hood]: Of all people, Shuichi is probably the nicest one here…

Kiibo [determined expression, pointing]: So he can’t be the culprit!

Kiibo [uncertain expression, looking to the side]: You’re pressuring him even more!

Kiibo [uncertain expression, index fingers against each other]: Of course he can’t answer under these circumstances, please let him breathe and let’s discuss about other matters!

ADVANCE!  

Kirumi [calm expression, raised right arm]: Excuse me; you were attempting to prove me wrong.

Kirumi [calm expression, tilted head]: However, until now, you just explained why you suppose Shuichi is not the blackened. Please submit your proof.

Kiibo [worried expression]: Right, well… I know why you’re wrong.

Kiibo [determined expression, pointing]: Monokuma said that the culprit wasn’t helped by anyone!

Kiibo [thoughtful expression, index finger near lip]: So Shuichi couldn’t have helped him.

Kiibo [uncertain expression, looking to the side]: Monokuma hasn’t lied yet, yeah?

Kiibo [uncertain expression, index fingers against each other]: So, well... 

Kiibo… have you already forgotten?

ANSWER: Monokuma’s testimony --> “Shuichi couldn’t have helped him”

Kirumi: I will cut down your words!

BREAK!

Kirumi [holds hat over chest]: Monokuma told us nobody in this room helped the culprit. 

Kiibo [uncertain expression]: Am I missing something…?

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, index finger on lip]: Ryoma is not in this room. 

Kiibo [shocked expression]: …!

Monokuma [belly laugh]: Upupupupu… you’re right! That’s what I meant! I am so wise when choosing the right words! 

Kirumi [tilts head, eyes closed]: We cannot know if Shuichi was in his room during this night. He could have left while no one was watching.

Kaito [rubbing head]: Yeah, but we haven’t talked about the cause of death yet. 

Kirumi [calm expression, tilted head]: I suppose we could discuss about that, however it may be irrelevant after our last deductions. 

Kaede [looks down, holds tears]: N-no… it isn’t…

Kaito [surprised expression]: Kaede, are you okay!?

Kaede [looks up, holds tears]: Yeah, more or less… I… I can do it.

Kirumi [tilts head, reassuring expression]: Kaede, if you consider yourself ready, I can leave the rest to you.

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, hand on hat]: However, I do not see how the cause of death can prove Shuichi’s innocence. 

Kaede [looks up, holds tears]: No… it does prove he’s the culprit. 

Kirumi [thoughtful expression, index finger on lip]: Oh, it does? I believe… you can face your fears and tell us why. 

*** 

Shuichi is the culprit. I don’t know why he did it.  

I can’t believe that he did it.

I don’t know how to tell the others this, but…  

It’s my duty as a detective. As a student of this academy, and as Shuichi’s friend.

Kaede [looks down, holds tears]: We know that Ryoma’s neck was irritated, so we can’t overlook that. 

Tsumugi [head resting on right hand]: Do you know what it means?

I do. I do…

NONSTOP DEBATE START!

Truth bullets: Monokuma File 1, Rope near the scene of the crime, Chair in hallway, Night shifts

Himiko [tired expression]: Why are we always coming back to the same things?

Rantaro [arms crossed, looking to the side]: It’s our first trial ever. We’re not experts.

Kaito [rubbing head]: Since he wasn’t hung, maybe the culprit did something else to him.

Miu [pointing to herself]: Obviously! What did they use though?

Tsumugi [index finger pointing upwards]: The rope found near Ryoma’s body is out of the question. 

Tenko [determined expression]: What about a second rope?

Gonta [thoughtful expression, index finger near lip]: The one Kaede use to go to research room! 

Kirumi [resolute expression, raised right arm]: Impossible. The rope was never moved. 

Angie [cheerful expression, flailing arms]: Maybe all of this is just a red herring! A red neck herring!

Maki [blank expression]: This isn’t the time for puns.

Ryoma couldn’t have been hung with that rope… we established that. But… I remember something else I discovered.

ANSWER: Rope near the scene of the crime --> “What about a second rope”

Kaede: Y-you’re wrong…

BREAK!

Kaede [looking away, holds tears]: That is impossible. There were only two ropes in the warehouse.

Himiko [tired expression]: Nyeh… so it is possible… I don’t understand you, Kaede.

Kaito [rubbing head]: Uhm, I’m in the same boat. If there were two, why are you saying that a second rope couldn’t have been used?

Because we were using that rope already, and we just talked about it…

HIDDEN PASSWORD START!

1. W T
2. A I
3. S N
4. P D
5. O E
6. W M

ANSWER: Window

Kaede: I got it…

CLEAR!

Kaede [sad expression, gesturing]: Because the second rope was the one that I used to climb down from my research room.

Rantaro [looks to the side]: Right, so they didn’t use a rope to kill Ryoma, but how did they do it? 

Shuichi [tugging to cape]: …Well, Kaede… you know…

Shuichi… why are you making this so difficult for me…  

Kaede [looking down]: There’s only one other option. Since Ryoma’s neck was irritated, if Ryoma wasn’t hung, he was…

What is Ryoma’s true cause of death?

FLASHING ANAGRAM START!

T A R S N G E L D

ANSWER: Strangled 

Kaede: I got it…

CLEAR!

Kaede [looking down, holds tears]: Ryoma was strangled. The rope was placed there to throw us off, as we imagined.

Tsumugi [index finger pointing upwards]: According to the Monokuma File, it could be possible.

Korekiyo [neutral expression, raised right arm]: Yes, it could be possible. How can you be certain of it, however? 

Kaede [looking down]: …it ties to Shuichi.

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: It does?

Tenko [uncertain expression]: I don’t understand your reasoning, Kaede. You say that Shuichi must be the culprit, and you can prove it by saying that Ryoma’s cause of death is strangling?

Kaede [sad expression, looking down]: Yes…

…Because it explains one little detail I thought was strange, even though Shuichi hid it well…

Shuichi [sad expression, sideways look]: Kaede… if y-you want to say something… I’ll try to defend myself. 

Kaede [sad expression, holds tears]: …

Shuichi [melancholic expression]: A-after all, I’m not the culprit… how can you accuse me… 

I recognize Shuichi’s tone. He is fully aware of the fact I pieced everything together. But why is he still trying? Does he want to prove us he’s capable?

No… he wants to prove it to himself.

But I have to refute his statements. I have to share my observation with my classmates.

I’m sorry, Shuichi.

PANIC TALK ACTION START!  

Shuichi [looking away, tugging on cape]: Kaede must be joking; I’m not the culprit…

Shuichi [sideways look]: The evidence you presented… isn’t that c-convincing…

Shuichi [looking down]: I wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone… kill a person…

Shuichi [melancholic expression]: I see through… your tricks… 

Shuichi [toying with cape]: I’ll… make you disappear…

Shuichi [looking at cape]: I don’t want to hurt anyone, Kaede…

FINAL BLOW:

Shuichi [looks up]: W-what would have I used to strangle R-ryoma…?

PE---WRIN---CA---KLED

ANSWER: Wrinkled cape  

Kaede: It’s… over… 

Shuichi [clutches at chest]: …

BREAK!

Kaede [barely holds tears]: Shuichi, you used your cape.

Shuichi [looks away]: …

Shuichi [melancholic expression]: It… well…

Kaede [barely holds tears]: That’s why your cape is wrinkled. I assumed it was because you left it on while you were sleeping… but in reality, you rolled it up to strangle Ryoma.

Kiibo [looking away]: I… I noticed… it too… 

As everyone stood in silence, confused or dumbfounded, I looked at Shuichi again. He calmly took off his cape and placed it on the podium.  

Kaito, who stood besides him, looked at it.

Kaito [worried expression]: It’s pretty creasy… I have to admit that-

And after that, the tears that Shuichi was barely holding together began flowing from his eyes.  

Sobbing echoed through the courtroom.

Kiibo [worried expression]: Shuichi, hey…!

A tear streaming down to my face, reaching my cheek, reaching for my chin.

But I stopped it.  

I felt the urge to cry too. But I couldn’t cry at that time.

I wiped my eyes.  

Shuichi [tears streaming down face]: I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I’m so stupid… 

Maki [looks away]: …

Kiibo [worried expression]: No, no… you are wrong… this plan, how does it make sense? 

Kaede [looking down]: …What do you mean…

Kiibo [uncertain expression, index fingers against each other]: Neither Shuichi nor Ryoma knew about the poison in your room, so their plan was-

Shuichi [tears streaming down face]: …I knew.

Tsumugi [confused expression]: W-what?

Shuichi [tears streaming down face]: I… I… entered Kaede’s room, w-while she was sleeping… I betrayed her, I betrayed her… I betrayed everyone…

Kaede [barely holds tears]: N-no, Shuichi, y-you… 

Gonta [worried expression]: Gonta not understand, why Shuichi the culprit? 

0U-M4 [irritated expression, pointing]: Well Gonta, you should pay more attention! 

Tenko [sideways look]: I don’t… think I understand either…

Kaede [barely holds tears]: I think… I should summarize everything that happened once more. 

Kirumi [reassuring expression, tilts head]: Kaede, if you think you can’t do it…

Kaede [determined expression]: No, I can. I have faced many difficult challenges…

Kaede [looks down]: This is just… just another challenge.

CLIMAX INTERFERENCE START!

Kaede: To understand the murder, we have to start comprehend Ouma’s actions. During the second day, he entered my room via lockpicking, taking advantage of the fact I was knocked out because of poison. 

Kaede: In my room, he discovered that Ryoma was an alleged serial killer, and then he left locking me inside. By doing this, he assured no one would enter from the inside of the school.

Kaede: Without many options, I was forced to exit from the window and assign people to guard the two entrances, to prevent incursions by unwanted visitors. 

Kaede: During the second night, I guarded the window entrance with the culprit, who, maybe out of curiosity or because they didn’t trust me, entered the room by climbing the rope while I was asleep.

Kaede: The morning of the third day Rantaro, Angie and Gonta weren’t present at the morning meeting, so Tsumugi and me left the others to search for them. At the same time, Maki entered my room, while the culprit ran to their dorm room. 

Kaede: Later that morning Monokuma offered us a second motive, the time limit. I don’t know why, but this convinced either Ryoma or the culprit to attempt murder. 

Kaede: The culprit and Ryoma met in the former’s dorm room and arranged their plan, which is not clear as of now. 

Kaede: When Ryoma was leaving, he met Miu, and to distract her, he asked her to take a chair from the cafeteria, lying about his true intentions. Miu obliged while Ryoma took a rope from the warehouse, which would be used to make us think he was hung. 

Kaede: Yesterday night, Ouma decided to take matters in is own hands, attempting to guard my research room from the inside. However, he had to pass through Rantaro and Tsumugi, who probably wouldn’t let him.

Kaede: To make sure he could enter, he blinded them with a very bright light, and then entered thanks to the key he stole. Thanks to the torn duct tape, we know he entered from the inside. He then hid behind the drawer, ready to take photos. 

Kaede: Meanwhile, sometime the night, the culprit and Ryoma got out of their room to enact their plan. They used the chair taken from the cafeteria to make sure Ryoma could enter the secret passage, which they discovered because they saw another similar switch during the second day.

Kaede: After entering my room, Ryoma took half a dose of a lethal poison, which would be enough to kill him because of his small height. Unbeknownst to him, Ouma took photos of him drinking the poison.

Kaede: Ryoma came down, ready to die. The culprit and him moved away from the cafeteria, reaching the hallway near the gym, where the real murder took place.

Kaede: The culprit took off his cape, the only one he had at his disposal, rolled it up, and used it to strangle Ryoma before the poison killed him, then placing the rope to throw us off.

Kaede: After committing the crime, the culprit went back to the their dorm room, just in time to avoid Kiibo and Maki, who were in the courtyard mere minutes before the murder took place.

Kaede: There’s only one of us who could have known about the poison and the secret switch, who stayed in their dorm room all day, who knew Ryoma and had a cape at their disposal… 

[[split screen separating Shuichi and Kaede; Shuichi looks down while crying]]

Kaede: Shuichi Saihara, it has to be you!

BREAK!

Shuichi [looking down, wiping off tears]: G-good job, Kaede…

Kiibo [worried expression]: S-so, you’re confessing!?

Shuichi [looking sideways]: Congratulations, you… managed to find the culprit… just… as I… expected…

Kaede [sad expression, looking to the side]: …

Kirumi [holds hat over chest]: Please, explain your actions. We do not wish to hate you.

Shuichi [looking sideways]: I… I think I sho- 

Monokuma [angry expression]: What! What are you doing!? This explanations and shit always comes after the trial!

Monotaro [neutral expression]: You’re right, daddy! They have to vote first! 

V-vote?! No, I can’t vote now!  

Monokuma [shows primarily black side]: If you’re so sure that Shuichi is the culprit, vote him! You just said he confessed! 

Angie [pensive expression, fingers in hair]: Ahw, is Monokuma for reeeal?

Monokuma [angry expression]: Of course I’m “for real”! You need to vote now!

Kaito [angry expression, fists bumping into each other]: No! I’m not voting for Shuichi before he explains the reasons behind his actions!

Monokuma [snickers]: Upupupu… too bad for you, it seems we’ll have two executions then… 

Oh, I forgot about the execution…! Does this mean that Shuichi…  

Monokuma [belly laugh]: If you don’t want to die, you’d better vote now!

Monokid [drooling]: I want them to die! Blood, blood! 

Monophanie [looking away]: Monokid, don’t be gross for once!

Monosuke [neutral expression]: At least he’s not as gross as Monodam.

Monokid [laughing]: Yeah! He smells so bad!

Monokuma [shows primarily black side]: You simply have to select the person who you think has killed the poor Ryoma. So, you have thirty seconds from now. Good luck. 

Tenko [shocked expression]: Only thirty seconds? 

I can’t vote for Shuichi now, I… I need to know…

Monokuma [snickers]: Tick-tock, tick-tock. Time is precious…

I looked down at my defendant stand. The display was now turned on, and there were all of our faces one near the other. Before voting, I looked at the others. Some of them were as confused as me, others pressed the confirm button immediately.

The time was displayed on the bottom of the screen. Fifteen seconds left. With all the strength I had, I moved the cursor to select Shuichi.

Ten seconds.  

I closed my eyes; I refused to believe I was condemning Shuichi to die.  

But I confirmed.  

The timer stopped, and everyone looked around in confusion.

Monokuma then pressed a lever near his throne, and a giant projector screen appeared from the ceiling. It turned on, and it showed the votes that each one of us received.

Everyone voted for Shuichi.

Monokuma [one paw in the air]: Your choice is made! Have you chosen the correct blackened or you were dreadfully wrong!?

The projector screen now depicted a casino, with various slot machines near each other. The camera started to move towards one specific slot machine that resembled a roulette. A ball appeared on screen, circling around the various “choices”. It didn’t took me too long before I realize that those were actually our faces. After some time the ball slowed down, landing on Shuichi’s face. A jingle came from the machine, then Shuichi’s face flashed multiple times, along with his name confirming us that he was, indeed, the culprit. After that, hundreds of Monocoins came out from the machine, while the Monokubs cheered along Monokuma.

CLASS TRIAL END

We moved away from our podiums, still somewhat confused. Shuichi left his cape on his stand, while everyone looked at him. Nobody seemed angry at him, but a mixture of emotions and questions was probably in everyone’s head.

Why did he kill Ryoma? Why this overly complex plan? Did they want us to die…?

“Well, it goes without saying, but you all voted correctly!” Monokuma announced. “The blackened who killed Ryoma Hoshi is none other than the Ultimate Magician, Shuichi Saihara!”

Shuichi stood still, with his head down, trying to avoid eye contact.

“Now you can talk for a while, cry, scream, and all the things you bastards do. After all, I’m a good bear.”

I couldn’t move either. My instinct was to approach Shuichi and ask him all the questions that were crowding my mind, but I thought…

I should give him time.

I forced him too many times, and maybe, that’s the reason why he killed someone. But… I still don’t understand.

Shuichi finally shifted his attention to us, everyone waiting for him.

“I… I deserve this.”

“You don’t deserve anything of this!” Kiibo cried out. “I still believe that Monokuma told us a lie!”

“It isn’t a lie.” Shuichi said, his voice colder than ever. “I did kill Ryoma.”

“W-why…” I mumbled.

“You… want to know?”

“Yes.” Maki spat. “We know you murdered him, and even though I couldn’t care less, these people here want to understand. Give that to them at least.”

Shuichi flinched a bit before he could start talking again. He looked down once again, still crying. However, it seemed he calmed down. Tears were visible, but he wasn’t sobbing anymore. He took a deep breath.

“I thought… it was the only way.”

“The only way to do what, perv?! Killing someone?! Are you fucking crazy?”

“Shut your damn mouth.” Kaito responded, glaring at the pianist.

“I… have actually… been dealing with… I’d say depression. For a long time now.”

What?! I… How could I not understand?

“Oh, that’s…” Tsumugi chimed in.

“No, I don’t need your pity. It’s not real depression, I don’t know…. It feels, confusing…” Shuichi explained. For every word he let out, his voice cracked more and more. “I used to be proud of myself, of my status of Ultimate Magician… I could attract crowds of people, wanting to watch my shows…”

Shuichi then paused for some seconds. I kept silent; I wasn’t able to say anything that could be considered helpful. The others looked around, some blatantly ignoring Shuichi’s words, others as surprised as me, unable to speak. He wasn’t explaining why he did kill Ryoma, but I couldn’t stop him.

“I felt… prized. I thought I was special; I had a talent… others looked up to me and loved what I did, after I practiced so much, for so long… I also attempted difficult tricks, situations in which I could have died… and I was successful every single time.”

“That seems amazing, Shuichi!” 0U-M4 commented, smiling.

“Shut up, you degenerate!” Tenko shouted, ready to slap him.

“It was amazing… until I started failing, and failing, failing every time. One day I tried escaping from a water tank full of piranhas… and messed up the timing. I got hurt, and almost drowned. Spectators started worrying about me, but after that performance, almost no one else came to watch my shows. I had been an Ultimate, but not anymore. My tricks became so simple that nobody was interested in me anymore. All my hard work was useless. I was useless. I don’t know what… what could have I done without my magic shows? That was all I could do!”

Shuichi started crying again, his eyes full of tears. He could barely see, I assume.

“I had lost my purpose, I tried everything, but no! I lost everything, and while I tried to get back up, I became worse, and worse, and worse! They should have just revoked my title, can they do that?”

“My my Shuichi…” Angie said. “It isn’t your fault, you just made some mistakes. If you’re an Ultimate, you’re always an Ultimate.”

“That’s how it’s supposed to be…”

I wanted to console Shuichi, but how could I…? I don’t know what’s he going through. I’ve been sad many, countless times, however… this is something else entirely.

“I didn’t deserve my title. I realized… it was a mistake. I don’t even know why I was brought here, along fifteen amazing people, with amazing talents, with amazing personalities… like you, Kaede. I knew you would solve this case.”

He smiled. A painful smile. One of the last I could see.

“Shuichi, I…”

“You didn’t want to. But you did it. I’m glad. You’re truly a great detective. This is why… I don’t believe the memories that came back to me.”

The memories, that’s right!

“Can you tell us?” Rantaro asked. “About our lost memories?”

“N-no…” he stuttered, weeping. “T-they’re fake, after all…”

“Oh, are they now?” Monokuma intervened. “Tsk, I guess you can believe what you want.”

“They’re the reason why I hid my crime.” Shuichi said.

What does he mean with that…?

“You’re… confused. Yes, I understand that. That’s why… I’ll do my best to tell you about what Ryoma and I decided. I owe to you, before I go one last time.”

Why does he have to talk like that? I don’t believe he’ll be executed, no, there’s no way!

“Ryoma had similar issues to mine. He told me while we were investigating the library. He suffered from immense regret from an action, something he did… but he didn’t know what it was. He couldn’t bear that. He was sure… sure that he committed an act so terrible he deserved death. I don’t know why, but I felt his pain like it was mine. It sounds strange, but… we bonded.”

“When people show their weak side to others, they bond with ease.” Korekiyo explained. “Your experiences may be different, but the emotions you felt are the same.”

“One of my biggest regrets is doubting you, Kaede. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t believe someone trusted me. Someone who I just met, who treated me so nicely… no one did that to me. I always had to doubt others, everyone cared about my tricks, nobody about me.”

“D-don’t worry… I forgive you.” I said, but I knew it wasn’t enough.

“I entered in your research room. I climbed up the rope. It was a bit difficult, but I did it before. I… hoped you would wake up… you would be angry with me, you would show me I was right, you were just using me! But you didn’t! When Maki threatened me, I couldn’t face the pressure, I didn’t know what to do… I knew I would let you down, like everyone else in my life. So I ran away, wanting to be alone.”

“So it’s your fault this happened!” Kaito shouted at Maki. “Can’t you see what you did? I don’t even care about my ankles! I don’t care about Kaede’s promises, but you destroyed a person!”

Maki did not respond. Her unmovable, stern expression, however, changed. For a moment, she appeared shocked just like everyone else.

“N-no.” She said, and then quickly gained back her composure. “But I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault at all.” Shuichi continued. “I was ready to return, until Monokuma came with his time limit motive.”

When Shuichi finished the sentence, I immediately realized what was his aim, why he plotted and then killed Ryoma.

“Ryoma came to my room during yesterday morning. We talked about the motive, and the right choice to make. I… offered to give up my life. He did too.”

Monokuma said that a suicide wouldn’t be considered a murder; I clearly remember that, to assure that one of us would be a killer…

“He revealed me that he remembered every single one of our faces. Barely, but he had no doubts. We had met him before, and we were as bad as him. Me included.”

“As bad as him…?” Tsumugi asked, somewhat worried.

Are we all serial killers? That doesn’t make sense, I’m a detective… I never…

“He… was sure he knew us. But he didn’t know what we did, since he wasn’t sure about his past either. So he came up with a plan. I would kill him, and he would use Kaede’s secret weapon to throw you off. He already discovered the second secret switch and deduced that tunnel would lead there.”

“So he really wanted us killed.” Rantaro mumbled.

“He did. But I couldn’t believe him. I tried to dissuade him, but he wouldn’t hear me. He trusted his instincts. So I pretended to go with is plan. I would do everything he asked of me, but I decided I would out myself as his killer. That, until… my memories came back.”

“What… about your memories?” Kiibo asked.

Shuichi sobbed again, but then shook his head.

“They’re fake. I’m sure. This class trial proved it. You’re not bad people. You’re truly talented, every single one of you. This trial showed me that, I understood it too late. I made you go through this hell, make you doubt each other. Monokuma has manipulated my memories… t-to convince me to abandon you, to leave the academy.”

I turned to face Monokuma, who wasn’t following our discussion at all. He appeared lost in whatever he was thinking.

“You could have left!” I said. “Because of the first blood perk! You didn’t have to die!”

Shuichi let out a sad, remorseful laugh.

“I wanted to save you. I wished to make sure you would live at my expense. I don’t belong here after all. And I… desired to feel special again, to make my existence worth. To die, but live on in your hearts, to sacrifice myself for a good cause, to be remembered as the one who believed in you, who did the right thing, for once…”

“W-we could have fought, you could have left…”

“No, I don’t want to be a coward any longer. I have to face the consequences of my choices. I’d rather die now, than leave after killing someone, taking advantage of all of you…” He stopped, his voice cracking again. “I… didn’t w-want to b-be hated!”

No, what is he saying?

“I would have never hated you, Shuichi! I know you-”

“Kaede, you’re not only a great detective, but a great person. I can’t promise no more murders, this game… might not ever end… still, I know you’ll do your best. In everything.”

“S-Shuichi…”

“You trusted me, a boy you found in a locker, who you didn’t know. You defended me, you investigated with me, you probably understood I was the culprit a long time ago. But you believed in me regardless.”

“I still believe in you.”

“Ah… you won’t give up hope… but this is how it should have ended. I’m sorry. I wish I could repeat it infinite times and tell you sooner. But… I feel finally at peace with myself. I’ll go out knowing I saved all of you.”

“Y-you… did. I’m thankful for that, but you didn’t have to!”

“Ryoma gave up his life too. He didn’t trust you, he might have been a mass murderer, but please, don’t forget him. Remember him too.”

“Why do you have to go? Stay here…”

“It’s too late for me now… Good luck, to every one of you. Please. Don’t try to save me.”

“Well well well, you bastards! That seems like a great way to end this soap opera, you know?”

“Why do you have to do this?!” I shouted. “Why?! WHY!”

“Don’t waste your voice, detective. It won’t save your friend there.”

“He’s right.” Shuichi ominously said.

“This time, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Shuichi Saihara, our Ultimate Magician!”

All this time, I was fairly distant from Shuichi, who was looking at us while smiling, despite knowing what was going to happen to him.

I moved towards him, the others didn’t stop me.

“Let’s give everything we’ve got!”

And I hugged him. This time, I couldn’t hold my tears.

“K-Kaede… w-what…” he mumbled.

“It’s punishment time!”

“I won’t forget you! I’ll never forget you!” I repeated, still hugging him.

From his throne, Monobear pulled a mallet out of nowhere and hit a red button that just appeared in front of him. The button was placed on a platform, where there was display that resembled an 8-bit console. Immediately, an animation began to play. A sprite that depicted Shuichi appeared, and was promptly dragged by a second sprite, meant to represent Monokuma. Meanwhile, on the top of the screen, words appeared, reading: “GAME OVER: Shuichi Saihara has been found guilty. Time for the punishment.”  

A chain shot out from the ceiling of the trial room, grabbing Shuichi by the neck, and immediately dragged him up, breaking him from my hug and sending me backwards. The ceiling closed and Shuichi vanished from sight. Monokuma then turned on the same projector screen from before. But this time, it wasn’t showing the vote results, but Shuichi, who had been brought to a hallway that resembled one of a psychiatric ward.

Escape trick

Shuichi lies on the floor, when the five Monocubs run towards him, with a large chain in their paws. They wrap the magician in it, so that he cannot move. Then, Monotaro shows a restraint jacket, which he immediately puts on Shuichi. The five bears roll Shuichi down the hall, making his head spin, until they come to a larger door. They push Shuichi, but he doesn’t end up in another hallway, instead, he falls down into a large aquarium.  

Shuichi, weighed down by the chains, falls down to the bottom, holding his breath, while the Monocubs cheer him on. Shuichi does his best to free himself from the jacket and from the chains without drinking the water in the aquarium.

Seconds pass, and Shuichi wiggles around to escape. After some time, he breaks free from the jacket, but the chains still stop him from reaching the surface. He continues to move, trying not to drown. While he’s moving, he sees something that resembles a door, and tries to reach it, still blocked by the chains. As he’s trying to survive, the prospective changes back to the Monocubs, with Monosuke and Monokid laughing while watching Shuichi suffer. Out of nowhere, Monodam pushes Monosuke in the tank, but apparently he can’t swim, because he sinks to the bottom, gasping for air, and then quickly drowns.

Shuichi reaches the door, and manages to open it, causing the water to gush out.  

For a moment, he thinks he’s safe, but then, the floor behind him opens and he falls again.

He lands inside a dark room, in a big, human-sized box that leaves his head exposed while the rest of his body is obscured from view.

From the outside, a handle can be seen, so Shuichi would be able to escape if not for the chain around his body. From the dark room, a flying, sharp sword slowly appears, moving towards Shuichi, mere meters far from him. Scared, sweat dripping from his forehead, he moves frantically, still trying to undo the chain. The blade comes closer and closer, Shuichi more terrified than ever.

Then he closes his eyes.

The sword comes in contact with his neck, slowly slicing it open, blood squirting out. The blade continues, and continues, and continues.. until it severs the magician’s head completely.  

The head falls over near the box, rolling, rolling… until it stops.

The projector shuts off.  

Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Magician… was gone.

I… what… the hell… was that…?

I could fell my legs giving up, but I barely managed to stand, my head dizzy, reaching for the nearest podium.

I just saw Shuichi being killed in a horrifying, painful way, using his talent as the basis for his killing.

“M-monodam!” Monophanie cried out. “W-what have you done to Monosuke?”

“Aaah! What the fuck, Monodam!”

“GET-TING AL-ONG IS IM-POR-TANT!”

“I can’t believe you killed our brother!” Monotaro exclaimed, terrified.

“I WILL NOT DO IT AG-AIN. IF YOU GET AL-ONG!”

“What the fuck are you talking about, you psycho!” Monokid rebuffed. “I’m going away! I love violence, but not when it has to do with us!”

“I’ll… talk.. t-to him…” Monophanie blurted.

“I’m definitely going to! Wait for me!”

The three Monocubs disappeared.

“I WILL EN-SURE WE WILL LI-VE AS GOOD BRO-THERS.” Monodam said at last, leaving as well.

“What the fuck was that!” Kaito exclaimed.

“S-shuichi…” Kiibo managed to say, before turning away from us and starting to sob.

“Nobody should ever witness such cruelty…” Kirumi looked away.

“Not even menaces deserve this…”

“Sheesh…” Angie said, but even her, always with a smile on her face, appeared preoccupied. “Atua will accept Shuichi despite his terrible actions…”

Terrible actions?!

What?

Has she listened to what he said!?

I turned to face her, positioning myself right in front of the supreme leader.

“Terrible actions?! TERRIBLE?! He sacrificed himself so that we could live! I can’t allow you to say his were terrible actions!”

“O-oh… I’m sorry, Kaede…” She said. “You’re right. Shuichi’s actions are understandable, he did everything for the greater good.”

“To save us all, yeah…” 0U-M4 commented. “There’s no way we’re all getting out of here alive.”

“What? We are!” I rebutted.

“Nee-hee-hee… by sacrificing himself, Shuichi has just started the domino that is the killing game!”

“No, Shuichi do not start killing game!” Gonta exclaimed, crying. “Shuichi wanted to stop killing game!”

“And he did try, but he failed. Our numbers will continue to dwindle, and dwindle…”

“I’ll carry on Shuichi’s wish, to save everyone! To make sure his death isn’t worthless!”

“Good luck to you. Poor Shuichi, but at least he died thinking he did a good thing.”

“The fuck are you talking about, Rubbish-bot?! His neck got sliced! …Holy shit…”

“Please…” Korekiyo joined “Do not argue now, for losing your temper will only make you prone to murder.”

“Korekiyo is right, try to respect Shuichi… at least now…” Tsumugi said quietly.

I looked at Monokuma, still standing on top of his throne, snickering, enjoying our suffering.

“What do you want?! Why have you trapped us here?!” I shouted.

“Upupupu, to feed on your suffering! So delicious, almost like the real thing!”

“What do you mean, the real thing?” Rantaro asked, puzzled.

“Have you ever tried takeaway suffering?! Mmhh… I love it! Even if it’s not homemade, it’s still good.”

“Stop screwing with us…” Himiko lamented, looking down. “I… had to see someone die… I hated it…”

“Get used to it and prey you’re not the next one!”

“There won’t be any other murders!” I continued. “We won’t give in your stupid motives, we’ll do everything we need to survive and escape from this hellhole! And everyone of us will escape!”

“Surely, the same thing you said when you met me the first time, but since then, you’re two down… upupupupu…”

Maki spoke up. “I stand with Kaede. I’ll do my best too.”

“You did a poor job ‘till now, didn’t you?” Monokuma rebuffed. “Isn’t it your fault that Shuichi and Hoshi died?”

“Shut up.”

I can’t believe I’m defending Maki, but I know she is not to blame as much as me, the person who spent the most time with Shuichi and couldn’t understand him at all, who thought that Shuichi was just a bit sad... but the one that is to blame most of all…

“It’s your fault, Monokuma!”

“…Meh. That’s what they always say.”

“Won’t you respond to Kaede, huh?” Rantaro asked, a bit irritated.

“Why should I? Everyone knows I can’t interfere with the murders in any way, so… I consider myself clean.”

“Clean?! Are you saying you’re CLEAN?! YOU FU-

Rantaro shut my mouth with his hand.

I immediately pushed it away and turned to face him instead.

“And what do *you* wan’t?! Can’t you see-

“I see what you’re doing. And I see you can’t win.” He calmly explained. “If you’re angry with someone, be angry with me.”

“What? You haven’t done anything!”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t stop you.”

“Ugh, what do you want? Why are you always trying to gave my advice when I don’t need it!”

“You need it now more than ever. Being angry won’t be the solution. It’s time to act smart, to remember you’re a detective. You aren’t rash.”

…He’s right. This isn’t me.

“I will do everything in my power to stop Monokuma!”

“Yes, that’s what we’re supposed to do!” Kaito exclaimed. “I won’t let Shuichi’s death to go to waste!”

“And what do you plan on doing, eh?” Rantaro asked Kaito “Invent some amazing machine that will destroy that humongous cage that surrounds us?”

“Don’t sass me or you’ll regret it!”

“I wasn’t sassing you, at all. I was telling you to take advantage of your talent and do something useful, instead of staying here and be angry.”

“Do not let your emotion prevail over your better judgment.” Kirumi said. “They will act as a blockade. They will only push you back.”

“Tsk, you and your words…”

“From tomorrow, we will use our talents to get away from here. Not to kill each other.” Rantaro concluded

I nodded, maybe because I was sick of the artist trying to do whatever he pleased, maybe because I understood him without understanding why.

“Fun!” Monokuma exclaimed. “Looking forward to it!”

And after another snicker, he left the trial.

“How much time has passed? What do we do now?” Tsumugi asked.

“I’ll go back to my dorm. I… want to be alone.” I said.

“I respect your decision.” Tenko said. “I, personally, will go there too.”

“Great!” Angie exclaimed with her hands joined in prayer. “I’ll be around the school if you want to talk to me.”

“There is no need to tell the others what your plans for the day are.” Maki coldly replied.

“Nyeh… Let’s go to the elevator… I just want to go home…”

Everyone silently agreed with the entomologist, slowly following the others toward the elevator, until only Korekiyo and me were left.

“Do you wish to take Shuichi’s cape with you?” He asked.

“I… I would want that… It’s strange…”

“No, I understand your desire more than anyone. That piece of fabric means a lot more to you than me, but even I see the value it carries. It is a memento of the days you passed with Shuichi.”

“B-but… he used it to kill Ryoma…”

“That decision was his last, a painful and difficult decision, that sadly led him to his death, surely…” Korekiyo continued. “But, every single crease on it carries that decision.”

He’s still creepy, but I guess he’s making sense… sort of.

“That cape is not Shuichi, and it will never be Shuichi. However, it represents his ideals and his last wishes. As he said, you were the only one who never betrayed him. You told the others you want to carry on his wish.”

“S-so…?”

“I was planning on taking it, but I realized you deserve it more than me. So, take it. Use it to remember Shuichi and what it did for us.”

After those last words, he headed for the elevator as well.

I made my way to Shuichi’s podium and took the cape in my hands. It was the only one he was given to him, so it was very special.

He left there on purpose. Did he expect us to pick it up?

…I guess we’ll never know…

“Kaede… are you coming? Don’t leave us waiting…” 0U-M4 said.

“Yes, here I am.” I said, taking the cape with me.

As I boarded the elevator, everyone looked at me, but nobody said a word, not even 0U-M4. Maybe what I did wasn’t that strange, or maybe it was so strange that everyone thought I was crazy.

The elevator moved upward, and thanks to our silence, every creak was perfectly audible.

“This thing is very creepy.” Himiko commented.

“Do not worry, Himiko! We’ll be in our rooms shortly!”

“Nyeh…”

The elevator then stopped, bringing us back inside the shrine of judgment.

“Let’s call it a day for now.” I said, trying to maintain my leadership position and not giving in to the pain I was feeling. “Tomorrow, we’ll see each other in the cafeteria at 8 AM, ok?”

“It’s still the middle of the day… we’ve a long day ahead of us.” Angie said.

“You’re free to spend it alone or with others.” I concluded.

Us fourteen went in different directions, but before I could go back to my dorm room, I went back to the hallway where I saw Ryoma’s body just a few hours ago.

But it wasn’t there. The only object I could see was the rope, which wasn’t even tied to the case. Near it, I could see a piece of paper.

I picked it up.

“Dear students, I took the time to dispose of Ryoma Hoshi’s body properly. This will be common procedure to clean crime scenes as soon as the investigation comes to a close. So, if you want to say your goodbyes, lie down, try not to cry, cry a lot and all of the stuff you do. Just doing the headmaster’s duty, Monokuma.”

I didn’t care at all about Monokuma’s advices.

So I tore off the piece of paper. I just have to avoid thinking about this now. I need time to reflect.

I’ll explain what happened to the others tomorrow.

I left the school and went back to my dorm. I was extremely tired, shaken and emotionally destroyed because of what happened.

I hung Shuichi’s cape in my closet, with all of the replicas of my outfits.

And then I fell onto my bed.

I wasn’t sleepy, but I needed to put all the events that just happened behind me, I wanted to distance myself from reality.

I will never forget Ryoma and Shuichi’s sacrifices… they won’t be useless. Their actions will have consequences; more of us will attempt a murder. However, it’s my job to prevent that and to make sure we’ll live as fourteen classmates, fourteen friends, not enemies.

For Shuichi’s sake.

CHAPTER 1: KILLING SCHOOL SEMESTER OPENING CEREMONY

End

Surviving students: 14

NEXT CHAPTER: Forgotten secrets arise from lingering memories

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 2: Forgotten secrets arise from lingering memories

DAILY LIFE START! 

*ding dong bing bong*

The bell-like sound of the announcement woke me up. I don’t remember at what time I fell asleep, but I felt almost completely refreshed. That was the first time I slept in my bed since the first day here.

And that made me remember… Shuichi wasn’t with us anymore. Quickly, the memories of the day before flood my mind, the video we saw of his execution started to play again. I could see him clearly, on the verge of drowning, hoping he would be safe, that he would join us again… and how optimistic I was, too optimistic. And then I saw him falling again, landing in that box where he was trapped, and the sword that slowly sliced his neck.

I slapped myself in the face, with all the force I had after waking up.

The pain I was feeling brought me back to reality; I didn’t want to be stuck in the past, I need to proceed and forge a beautiful future, just like he wanted.

I had a shower, taking my time. I knew I told the others to meet in the cafeteria around ten past eight, but, honestly… I had all the time in the world.

I still wanted to escape, but I needed to be focused.

The hot water helped me relax and recollect my thoughts. I knew that the group’s morale could fall down after two of us died, so I desperately needed to cheer them up, someway or another. Hopefully, Shuichi’s last words wouldn’t be forgotten.

Stepping out of the shower, I took another pair of clothes, leaving the others curled up on a shelf. Is someone going to pick them up or will I have to wash them up…?

After dressing up, I noticed Shuichi’s red cape, contrasting with the black color of my uniform. I shouldn’t leave it there, hanging, surrounded by darkness all the time. I need to remember Shuichi’s wish and the others mustn’t forget it. So, I don’t care if it doesn’t fit me or it hasn’t anything to do with my talent, I’ll keep it with me at all times.

I reached for the cape and tried it on, ditching my backpack for the time being. It looked fine on me, but I'm not an expert when it comes to fashion. It would be a hassle walking with it, but I told myself I would be able to do it, that I wouldn’t trip, every step I would take it would have been in the right direction.

Feeling safer and prouder of myself, I unlocked my door and exited my dorm room. It was time to talk to the others.

With the tail of my eye, I spotted Kaito and 0U-M4 on the porch near the backdoor of the cafeteria. Instead of walking into the school, I opted to go directly to the cafeteria and talk to them.

“Hi, Kaede.” Kaito spoke up as soon as he noticed me. “I arrived here in time, just like you asked yesterday.”

“Yes, sorry if I’m late… I was the one who told you to came here at one specific time…”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. I’m accustomed to waiting. I spend my downtime making sure I’m productive, so I can say I lived my life to the fullest!”

That’s a very good way to be proud of what you did at the end of your life. Until the nostalgia kicks in, then you wish you could have done more…

“That’s a lie, Kaito!” 0U-M4 said, extremely irritated. “You arrived here just two minutes ago!”

“W-what! H-he’s lying!”

“Do we want to ask this question to the others?” The robot smirked.

“Kaito, really, that’s not a big deal, especially since I’m late too.”

“Tsk, that’s what you get by trying to know more about this Unit 0 functions…”

“That’s why you were here with me?” 0U-M4 exclaimed. “I won’t allow you to touch me! Don’t mess my wires up!”

“Whoever your creator is, he probably is a masochist or something like that.”

“My creator is a very wise individual, and he made sure I could defend myself against anyone who threatened me!”

“Please, don’t argue now. What good is it for? If you want to say something offensive, don’t say it.”

“Right, just how my creator told me, count to ten before insulting someone!”

“And why do you always say what’s on your mind, then?”

“Kaito!” I shouted. “Even passive-aggressiveness is offensive.”

Kaito grumbled before talking again.

“You’re right, Kaede. I should listen to Ouma’s advice too.”

I looked back at 0U-M4, signaling him to keep his mouth shut with my expression.

Thankfully, he listened to me and smiled at us. Not one of his playful smirks, but a smile that seemed genuine.

“Are the others here too?”

“Almost everyone is inside. Miu and Maki, as I expected, are missing.”

“Do you know where they are?” I asked.

“Nope. Didn’t see them either.” 0U-M4 intervened.

“I don’t think they’ll attend. Maybe we should just go.” Kaito said.

Uff. We should be all together. Especially Maki, after what happened yesterday. My other classmates may have not noticed it, but she was moved by Shuichi’s speech. She might lose herself if she continues to spend time alone… someone has to talk to her, to understand her.

…Guess that person will be me. Just… not now.

“Yeah, we can enter.”

Kaito and 0U-M4 preceded me, opening the door to let me in. As I entered, I felt a pleasant, sweet smell surrounding me.

“The pancakes are ready!” Tsumugi cheered from the kitchen. “I hope they’re good…”

Everyone else was sitting at the table, some of them really eager to try whatever the maid prepared for us. Some of the weeds that infested the place were gone, and the cafeteria now actually looked like an actual place where you could eat.

“Why are you taking so much time?” Angie asked, impatient. “I can feel its sweetness all the way from here!”

“It reminds me of home.” Rantaro said. “It’s incredible how smell can make you remember.”

“Yes.” Korekiyo nodded. “Many of my most treasured memories are surrounded by memorable scents.”

“If there’s a sense that everyone forgets about, that’s touch! We learn by touching, degenerate males!” Tenko complained.

“Honestly…” Himiko intervened. “Our most precious sense is sight. Without my incredible sight, I wouldn’t be able to spot my loved bugs.”

“I would say that we cannot determine whether a sense is more useful than another.” Kirumi chimed in. “I, for one, have honed all of them since they are all vital in my travels.”

Tsumugi came in the dining area with her pancakes –more than I imagined– and put it on the table.

"I've never seen someone discuss human senses that passionately…" she said.

“Gonta never seen too! Gonta thinks it’s a strange but beautiful matter!”

"Yeah, Gonta, that's the same for me!" Angie agreed to pat him on the shoulder. "For now, let's focus on the taste!"

While my classmates were in the middle of conversing, Kaito coughed a few times.

“Kaede’s here, guys.” He said.

Everyone shifted their attention from Tsumugi’s cake to me, with the difference they weren’t staring at me like I was about to get eaten in an instant.

Thank God.

“Hey, sorry if I came here so late.” I said.

“Don’t sweat it.” Rantaro reassured me. “It’s not that late.”

“They were about to eat the cake without you!” Tenko exclaimed. “I tried to stop them, but those menaces, they won’t hear me at all!”

“We said we would leave a piece for Kaede…” Kiibo corrected her.

"If there's a time people can chat, it's during meals! Having meals together is great to improve one's personal social skills!" Tenko said, turning to face Himiko, sitting beside her.

“I only sit here because I feel this chair it’s better than the others…”

“Oh…”

Tenko looked apparently hurt after that statement.

“You are dressed with the cape which belonged to Shuichi.” Korekiyo observed.

“That very sweet.” Gonta commented, and I smiled in return.

“I didn’t even notice.” Kaito followed, but it was clear he didn’t want to bring that up before.

“Yeah… to remember…” I said, holding it strongly, similar to what Shuichi used to do. “But that’s not why we’re here now, right?”

“Exactly.” Kirumi said. “We are here to discuss our day.”

Some of my classmates stopped smiling and laughing, or, more like it… stopped pretending to be happy. They were trying to forget what happened the day before. Was it right? I don’t want everyone to live Ryoma’s and Shuichi’s deaths again, but… we can’t act like yesterday was a day like any other.

I never had so many doubts in my life. I was questioning every single one of my decisions, and even though I showed determination in front of others, I was extremely weak inside. I had to fake my emotions like I did many times before starting my career as a detective.

“Yes, Kirumi.” I nodded. “I think our primary objective is still looking for exits.”

“There’s always that Despair Road, guys…” Kaito proposed while Tsumugi started to distribute pancakes to everyone.

“We’re not going to tire ourselves trying that again.” I said to him. “Moreover, Monokuma could have lied… if he’s telling a lie, our pain will be for nothing.”

“Can you sit?” Tsumugi asked me. “You and Kaito are standing, while everyone else is sitting… it makes me uneasy.”

“Yeah, those chairs are actually not as bad as you might think!” 0U-M4 smiled.

“Nyeh… but mine is the best one…”

“Oh, y-yeah… sorry, I didn’t think about it…”

I excused myself and sit on one of the four remaining free chairs, near Tenko. Kaito then sat beside me.

“I hope you enjoy my pancakes! I really did my best!”

The pancakes were stacked on top of each other. There were five of them for each one of us, so Tsumugi had to have worked a lot to make so many of them. I wonder how she manages to do so many things, but maybe I’m the one who has to learn from the Ultimate Maid.

The center of the table was full of condiments for our breakfast, ranging from cream to chocolate, with sugar and various types of fruits.

“Where have you found all of these?” Rantaro asked, munching on the pancakes.

“Many of them were stored in the kitchen, but some fruits were in the warehouse. It’s like one of those big supermarkets where you find both food and furniture.”

“By the way, superb pancakes. You’re spoiling me.”

Tsumugi blushed.

“Oh, thanks!”

“They very amazing!” Gonta agreed.

“Those pancakes are blessed by Atua!”

Tsumugi, with every compliment, grew more embarrassed and continued to thank everyone.

“They are indeed great. But I must ask you, why are you so apprehensive?” Korekiyo asked.

“Well… not many people take their time to praise what I do…”

“Thewe …munch… just awful people.” Rantaro commented.

“I’m surprised.” Tenko said. “As the Ultimate Maid, I assume everyone recognizes your masterful talent.”

“Yes, they really do. I’ve serviced many powerful men and women… but I did not see them often, and when I did, they were always occupied with other matters.”

Poor Tsumugi, an Ultimate being taken for granted… I’m glad she can find someone who understands how great she is.

“Everyone seems to be pleasantly surprised by those pancakes…” I said. “And I have to admit, don’t they look inviting…”

“If you don’t want them, I’ll dis…munch…pose of them.” Rantaro followed, clearly not wanting to leave those pancakes to waste.

“You’ve almost finished them already!” Tenko exclaimed.

“I should have been slower, you say?”

Those pancakes were showered with so many compliments that I was afraid I would set myself up for disappointment. However, after picking up the fork and the knife, slicing a piece…

It was even better than I imagined. The best pancake, no… the best breakfast I ever ate in my life. It made me question my judgment when it came to food.

And I only took a small piece, without a condiment.

It was that impactful.

“Tsumugi, I think I cannot express into words my amazement right now.”
“I’m glad you like it too!”

“If you tidy rooms and do the laundry as good as you cooked those pancakes, I’m moving wherever you live.”

“…That’s something no one ever told me before.”

That bite was an event I would remember for my entire life and told my children and grandchildren about. Well, I’m sure they would hear about Tsumugi and her amazing skills eventually.

***

The pancakes I ate were superb. Everyone agreed with me, but that did not surprise me since I prefer salty foods to sweet ones. The fact that even some pancakes stacked on top of each other managed to amaze me was very surprising.

And satisfying. Not even once in my travels I found such a perfect meal.

"Have you got the information you want to share or something on that?" Kaede asked, after finishing eating.

“Sadly, we haven’t found anything.” Angie said.

“Oh… in my opinion, we should explore the school once more.”

“Exactly.” I agreed. “Kaede’s research lab opened the second day since we got here, despite being it closed when she woke up.”

“Ooh!” Angie exclaimed. “So you’re saying that we could find something new?”

“That’s right, you bastards!” A high-pitched voice shouted.

Shortly after, Monokuma’s cubs appeared too.

“GOOD MORN-NING!”

“Fuck you, Monodam! I need to say good morning to the others!”

“Don’t b-bully Monodam…” Monophanie flinched.

“Yeah, Monokid! What are you doing?”

“What am I doing?! Monodam is turning you into a dishwasher!”

“A d-dishwasher?”

“Yeah, ‘cuz that ugly robot it’s brainwashing you!”

“PLE-ASE. GET A-LONG. YOU CAN STOP.”

“Look at Monodam, Monokid! He wants the best for us! We can live as happy brothers!”

“Happy brothers?! No way! Let me prepare and show him who’s boss! Hell yeah!”

“M-monokid, please wait…”

“Look at all those chickens!” Monokuma cooed.

“Don’t you mean children?” Himiko asked, confused.

“Well, well… their species isn’t important. They’re adorable!”

“Man, you’re children are fighting and you’re saying they’re adorable?”

Monokuma stared at Kaito, his face turning red.
“I’m not a bad parent! They’re only arguing now, when they’re with me they always behave!”

“That’s the excuse of a negligent parent!” Tenko reprimanded.

“I didn’t come here to be lectured by a shitty kindergarten teacher!”

“…Such a degenerate sentence!”

“While I was having a hot, beautiful shower, caressing my amazing black and white fur, a realization came to me.”

Since when do robots need showering?

“I had some sort of pity for you, losing two people, who tragically killed each other…”

“Hell yeah! That was the most fun I had in a while!” Monkid shouted.

“You forced them to kill each other!” Kaede exclaimed.

“Another one of your speeches? Aren’t they getting old by now? They’re always the same, repetitive, corny shit I’d expect from a naïve little girl, not a detective!”

“I suggest not angering Monokuma once again. You will not be able to stop him now.” I reminded Kaede. “He said he felt… pity… for us. That might be an advantage for us, as disrespectful as it may sound.”

Kaede was a determined individual. Because of her short temper, she could get herself in precarious positions. She needed, most of all, composure, alongside someone who could calm her in dire situations.

“Ok. Talk.” She conceded.

“Thank you very much, great adventurer.” Monokuma bowed, without acknowledging Kaede’s last sentence. “You’re very correct. You’re granted a prize for surviving the class trial!”

“Prize?” Gonta asked, curious. “It like a trophy for wins?”

“Not that gold trash, that’s not useful here.” Monokuma said, disgusted. “We only use Monocoins! That’s our currency.”

“Tell what you want so we can have our peaceful moment together!” Tsumugi complained.

“Well, so… you have the possibility to explore new parts of the school!”

“Wow!” Monophanie exclaimed, faking her surprise.

“Thanks to these amazing artifacts!” Monotaro continued.

“Oh, dear children, you’re saving me so many lines of dialogue!”

"We have a Dragon Gem, an Ancient Passport and a Hexagon Crank from some zombie game!"

“Those again? Oh, well…” Monokuma shrugged. “Those are your prizes! I’m sure some of you will make an use out of it!”

“Yeah, I don’t get it either!” Monokid said. “But who the hell cares! I’m pumping up for the destruction of Monodam!”

“…”

“P-please, do not bully Monodam!” Monophanie pleaded.

“LET’S DIS-CUSS THIS PEACE-FULLY.”

“Tsk! Peace from the one who fuckin’ killed Monosuke?!”

“So long, bear well!” The bipedal bears said, before leaving with Monokuma.

“Those bear-robots are having some serious drama!” 0U-M4 commented.

“So, what should we do with this stuff?” Kaito asked. “It’s just a bundle of random stuff. I don’t think I can understand what they’re for.”

“Aren’t you an inventor, though?” Angie followed.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I can make things appear out of my ass!” Kaito responded, more frustrated than he should have been.

“There is no need to lose our temper.” Korekiyo advised. “Even though anger is beautiful to observe as well, it is never the solution.”

“They’re probably related to those strange objects found all over the campus.” Kaede proposed.

“That must be it.” Rantaro agreed. “I propose to leave the investigation to Kaede and Kirumi.”

Huh? Me? I suppose I am rather skilled in this area of expertise.

“She was the one to discover the secret passage yesterday, so I assume she has an eye for hidden secrets.” The artist continued. “At the same time, Kaede’s a detective, so she can see details we’ll miss out on.”

“But I won’t do anything this way!” 0U-M4 complained.

“You can still search and warn Kirumi and Kaede.”

“Meh, I guess I am not as useful as I thought…”

“I agree with Rantaro’s proposal!” Tenko exclaimed. “With two girls scouting, we’ll discover everything it needs to be discovered!”

I moved towards the table and took the Ancient Passport and the Dragon Gem. Both of those objects were familiar since I saw them in specific areas of the school.

“Ok, so that means I’ll take this crank.”

“Kaede’s supposition might still be right.” Rantaro said. “Who says that other areas didn’t open up? I say we split up and search again.”

“I’ll probably go back to my dorm and go to bed…”

“Are you already sleepy, Himiko?” Angie asked.

“No… I just want to stay alone for a while. People tire me out…”

“Please respect Himiko’s wish!” Tenko exclaimed. “I’ll escort you out.”

“…Nyeh. Ok…”

It appeared Himiko did not appreciate that idea… but she was so tired that she did not have the strength to say no to Tenko. It is likely she did not want to carry out the argument that would have been inevitable were she to refuse the caretaker's proposal.

Eventually, everyone finished their slice of cake and left the cafeteria. The only one who lingered there was Kiibo, who kept still, staring at the walls of the room. I had understood he had been affected by the events of the previous day… he only spoke a few words since he came here. I concluded leaving him alone was the wiser choice. If he needs to talk, he probably needs someone who possesses more empathy than me.

The ancient passport had the same shape of a strange hole I saw near the gym, so my first destination was the hallway in which we found Ryoma’s body. As I paced, images of the day before flashed in my mind, while I was running alongside Shuichi and Kiibo.

And, despite me not wanting to be in a similar situation either, I feared another of our classmates was destined to be sacrificed again.

The wall was decorated with two of the same kind of “ancient passports” nestled in small holes, with the center one devoid of it.

“Nyahahah! Shouldn’t you place the thing here?”

I turned to see that Angie and Korekiyo were following me.

“My apologies, Kirumi.” The cosplayer said, sensing my confusion. “We did not mean to stalk you.”

“No, you silly! We were just exploring, and I remembered I saw this strange and very convenient passport-shaped hole!”

“It is far too convenient to be a coincidence.” I agreed.

“Oh! Oh! Can I place it there?”

I suppose she can. That will not offend me.

So, I nodded and handed her the ancient, I presume, relic I held in my hands. Cheerful as usual, Angie carefully inserted the passport where it was meant to be, which caused the ground beneath our feet to tremble.

“I presume our prize was a small earthquake. Disrespectful.” Korekiyo sentenced.

A moment after, Korekiyo was proven wrong; the wall in front of us crumbled like it was shortcut pastry, for reasons I did not quite understand.

“Oh.” Korekiyo seemed almost happy to be wrong. “What lies after this corridor, I wonder.”

In front of us stood a hallway exactly like the one we were in, as it was a natural extension of it, but previously walled in to prevent us from entering.

“I want to see what’s there! Atua tells me there’s something very important!” She exclaimed, running towards the opened up area.

Korekiyo and I kept up behind her, maintaining our composure.

The new section, at first, appeared to consist of a corridor and nothing else of importance. A series of big windows allowed light to enter the building.

As we reached the end of it, however, it was impossible not to spot a door on our left. We caught glimpse of Angie bending over to pick some kind of object found on the floor.

“Ooh! That’s a key! I think it’s used to open this door!”

“Could we be looking at another research lab?” Korekiyo asked.

“The door appears bland to me.” I responded.
“Leave your supposition behind! I’m checking right now!”

Angie inserted the key in the lock. After she turned the key, we heard a sound.

“Yeah! It’s open!”

The supreme leader jiggled the knob, preceding us. The room we found ourselves in was not a research room, but an empty one. To our surprise, no objects were around.

I was evidently taken aback, but I looked to my side to discover yet another door, modeled after a safe. Instead of and handle there was a small keypad, with numbers ranging from 0 to 9. A classical keypad would have been completed with an asterisk and a hash sign, but this particular one’s other options were “Hope” and “Despair”. It had been Monokuma’s work, without a shadow of a doubt, but the thought process behind these absurd words was probably even more absurd.

“What’s this?” Angie asked, puzzled.

“From the design of the door, I would say this is the research room.” I said.

“Do I need to input a password?”

“Try a combination.” Korekiyo invited her.

“No, wait.” I stopped them, wary. “The keypad could be dangerous. We do not know what will happen were we to be wrong.”

“Kirumi, you’re totally right. If you weren’t here, we would have been blown up!”

“Uhm… yes. I have been incautious.” Korekiyo apologized, looking at his clothes. “Do you suggest leaving?”

“Please, bear with us for a moment!”

The combined sound of the Monokubs’ voices echoed in my ears. I did not ask for their assistance. There was a change: the blue one was missing. I assumed Monodam got rid of him.

“Do not leave, please!” Monotaro pleaded. “We worked so hard for this research lab!”

“Yeah, we don’t want our work to go to waste!”

“YOU CAN EN-TER WITH-OUT PRO-BLEMS.”

“I cannot think of a reason why we should listen to you.” I said.

“I assure you, there aren’t booby traps or anything else! You just have to set a code for later!”

“W-well…” Monophanie continued. “Once you put a five-digit code, you can change it once you’re inside with a control panel, but nobody of you entered the room yet!”

“SO THAT MEANS… YOU DEC-IDE THE CODE.”

“I would believe you…” Angie intervened. “But I don’t know… why don’t you put the code by yourselves?”

“You don’t trust us?!” Monotaro appeared shocked.

“NO WONDER. YOU ARE VERY UNTRUSTWORTHY.”

“S-sorry… we’ll do better, I p-promsie!”

“I WILL SHOW YOU HOW IT IS DONE.”

The robotic bear moved towards the door while the other two watched him.

“PLEASE LIFT ME UP.” He asked Angie.

“Don’t hurt me or I’ll exile you! Nyahaha!”

Exile? Another curious term.

“I WILL NOT BETRAY YOU.”

Thanks to Angie’s help, Monodam reached the keypad and pressed “1-1-1-1-1”. The door opened smoothly. Quite happy, the supreme leader put the bear down.

“I HAVE PROVEN MYSELF USEFUL. WE WILL SEE YOU LATER.”

“Shouldn’t you worry about Monokid?” Monotaro said.

“HE WILL BE-COME OUR FRI-END. ONE WAY OR ANO-THER.”

Finishing that ominous sentence, the three bears left us.

“Look at all those stuff! It must be my research room! Woow!”

Angie's excited squeals filled the room. They, surprisingly, calmed me down. I felt as they were the most honest action since we got here. Angie did not strike me as a person who cared deeply about her talent, since she dedicated most of her time to praying.

I stepped into her room. The walls were painted black and white and a throne was placed in the middle. There were no windows and the only sources of light were five candles one besides the other, to the right. Because of this, the atmosphere was particularly unsettling. The situation became even worse when the door closed behind us emitting a booming sound.

“Oh! I got reeeally scared for a moment!”

“We are now trapped in this research room.” Korekiyo ominously pointed out.

“No, you silly. We can get out thanks to the control panel. We have to find it, though.”

Opposite to the entrance, I saw various shelves and drawers, many of them not closed. I spotted some wigs, alongside curious and strange artifacts, including a Tiki Statuette.

"This statue is very similar to the ones my friends make on my island!"

“I have collected numerous Tiki Statuette during my adventures.” I told her. “Every tribe creates their own statue to distinguish themselves from the inhabitants of other isles.”

“So knowledgeable!” Angie cheered. “That’s true! However, I expected to see my own personal statuette…”

“Have you fabricated those by yourself?” Korekiyo inquired.

“Well, no, duh! My friends made them for me! I just asked them nicely once and they immediately went to work!”

“Have you convinced your friends to work for you?”

“They always do what I want! I’m sooo grateful for their services!”

I should not be surprised. Because of her talent as a Supreme Leader, Angie has to possess incredible rhetorical skills and she must be perfectly able to sway others’ opinions. Is her cheerfulness only a mask she wears, or is she truly constantly content? I had to wait and form an opinion.

The dimly lit room made me remember a basement I visited during one of my first travels. There, I met a poor lady, a mother of five children, who managed to convince a man that he was, in fact, the father of one of her children. Her story was entirely fabricated, but everyone was convinced by her lies, because of her skill in faking her emotions. Thanks to her abilities, she became richer and richer, since that man was part of one of the wealthiest family in their country. She told the truth only in her dying moments, when her husband had died and the five children were in their adulthood.

That woman reminds me of Angie.

The room was decorated with banners depicting the same Tiki statuette we found on the shelves and, to the left, a very small altar.

“Oooh, that is where I can pray.”

“Is it related to the traditions of your island?” Korekiyo asked.

“Well, if you’re referring to Atua… uhm… yeah, I’d say you’re right. Atua and my island are one and the same, Atua is my home and my safety. And keeps everyone safe too!”

She stopped for some seconds joining her hands in prayer and kneeling down.

“Oh, dear Atua, please protect everyone at home. Without me, they’ll feel lost and alone, scared and unguided. I ask for your help to assist them while I’m gone, and assist me to prevent more needless killing.”

After her prayer, she stood up and continued addressing us.

“I can pray to Atua whenever I want, but this altar makes me feel closer to him! It’s probably some weird connection, but you don’t have to stand there to talk to him. You can pray wherever you want…”

I looked inside the drawers to find various blood packs, one for each. Many of them were still empty.

“I suppose these are for my sacrifices! I didn’t expect Monokuma to bring them here! Now, where has the needle gone…”

“Are you attempting to collect my blood?” Korekiyo intervened.

“I would… but Atua doesn’t demand sacrifices for now. If I need to collect blood, I’ll call you immediately!”

"Angie, sorry for my inappropriate question…" I said. "How do you plan on disposing of the blood?"

“At my island, I offer it to the volcano. Since we do not have one here, maybe I can find something else?”

“You are not allowed to bring anything you find here out, do you recall?”

“Oh, yeaah… I’ll find a way. Atua will tell me what to do. He doesn’t demand sacrifices very often.”

I turned to check the control panel the Monokubs talked about. To the right of the door, a displayed was flickering on and off. Surprisingly, it emitted minimum light, even less than the candles seen before. A message on the screen was instructing me to swipe left.

After doing so, the letters disappeared on screen and a digital reconstruction of the keypad we saw outside appeared in its place. I clicked the “one” button five times.

<<Password correct!>> A robot voice echoed.

“A robot? Is she friend with 0U-M4?”

<<Please insert new password to exit the room>>

“It appears that you need to set a new password to leave the room.” Korekiyo said.

“I will input 1-2-3-4-5, only to assure the system works properly.”

Not letting my guard down, I clicked the buttons five times and the door in front of me opened.

“See? All’s well that ends well!”

I put my feet between the jamb and the door to prevent it from closing a second time.

<<The new password is now 1-2-3-4-5. Next time you enter, remember it!>>

“Do you spot anything useful here?” I asked Angie.

“I need to search all of the shelves and the drawers to be sure, but the room is filled with divine!”

Is divine useful in these circumstances? I could use some help from an external force.

“Buut… I don’t know it yet. If you want, you can help me search!”

"Do not worry, Angie. I am sure you are more skilled than me since the objects you will find are related in some way to your own talent."

“So you’re leaving? Don’t you want to stay here for a little longer? I like your attitude!”

“I find your company… uhm… pleasing as well. However, my duty is to explore the school, not to linger with others.”

“That’s a demanding task! I hope you’ll find one!” She cheered.

I nodded and I left with Korekiyo, leaving Angie to herself.

“Will she remember the code you set?” Korekiyo asked me, doubtful of Angie’s capabilities.

“She may act unfocused and inattentive, but Angie is not as shallow as she appears to be.”

“Oh, yes. I see that. She is a leader and as a leader knows how to manipulate others.”

***

My first objective after leaving the cafeteria was not to find the place where to put that absurd crank but to find the place where Miu and Maki were hiding. Even though I was unsure about the aikido master, there was only one place where Miu could have been.

My instincts weren’t wrong. The pianist was right in front of her research room.

“Miu, since when are you here?”

She turned to me with a smug attitude.

“Kaedumb, what are you doing here? I’m about to enter the backstage, spectators like you aren’t allowed to enter!”

Oh dear, this story again… And in the same place too…

“We had a meeting at 8 AM in the cafeteria… why have you skipped it?”

“I don’t abide by your rules! I can do whatever I want, whenever I want!”

“I’m not angry with you…” I explained to her. “But you can’t exclude yourself from the rest of the group. We need to stay together.”

“Tsk, you and your staying beside each other! Organize an orgy then!”

Someday I’ll understand how Miu’s brain works and the mysterious mechanisms behind her articulate and complex sentences… along with her ability to link everything she sees fit.

“If you keep hanging around alone, no one is going to see you as their friend.”

“I don’t want to be.”

“Ok, let me put it this way…”

Talking with Miu was my good action of the day. I had to tolerate her. My goal was to transform her into a better person, but it might be too difficult even for an expert. I could always yell and make her feel uncomfortable, but that wouldn't resolve the problem.

“...Let’s say another murder happens”

Just considering the possibility. It hurts.

“… I’m hypothesizing… or at least, something very bad happens. The others will suspect you.”

“I said I don’t care about the others!”

“But you care about yourself and your safety. You’re putting yourself in a dangerous position by staying alone. If someone attacks you, no one will defend you.”

“W-what…?”

Did I strike a chord? I can’t believe it.

How the hell does Miu work?

“I’m saying, by staying together with others, they can keep an eye on you and you can keep an eye on them.”

“Fine. I’ll think about it.” She said, looking to the side. “But don’t expect me to act buddy-buddy with everyone! Especially after they accused me of murder!”

“Of course. I just want you to stop focusing on your research lab. It won’t open, so you don’t need to keep watch at all times.”

“I’m not that dumb, Kaedumb!”

Ouch.

“I’m waiting here because Monokuma said he would give me the key to enter! He’ll come any moment now.”

“Oh. Sorry if I misjudged you.”

“…If you want…” She tugged on her hair. “You can come too.”

I was surprised my Miu’s invite, but after a second of astonishment, I smiled in return.

“Of course. I’d be flattered to hear a performance by the Ultimate Pianist.”

“You’re in luck!” Monokuma’s annoying voice responded. “Here I am, the harbinger of despair, chaos and madness…! And Miu’s key.”

“What were you doing instead of coming here?! I don’t wait, the others have to wait for me instead!”

“I thought you needed some discipline. As the headmaster of this school, I have the right to educate you.”

“Like you educate your children?”

“You’re persisting!” Monokuma’s face turned red. “My Monocubs are adorable and adorably well-mannered! Don’t insult your headmaster like this ever again or you’ll be obliterated!”

The bear vanished tossing the key on the ground.

“Now that Monocum is out of the picture, I can finally show you my greatness!”

Miu immediately picked up the key and used it to open the room to her research lab.

“What the hell are you waiting for?!” She yelled at me.

“Oh… it’s… nothing.”

She’s sending me mixed signals.

Anyways, I followed the pianist into her research lab. Unsurprisingly, a giant piano was the first piece of furniture that caught my eye. It was no ordinary piece, however. The grand piano was encrusted with what appeared to be expensive gems, such as rubies and sapphires.

“Are… those…” I stuttered.

“Precious gems?! That's right! All my pianos at home are full of them! One is made of diamonds only!"

“A piano made by diamonds? It’s that even possible?”

“I don’t play it, but it’s there to show every peasant my incredible talent!”

“You don’t need to display diamonds to prove you’re talented. A standard piano is good too.”

“What do you know about musical instruments?! It’s like I asked you what’s it like to try it with dead bodies!”

“It…?”

“Yuck! I don’t want to talk about it! Let’s keep those matters secret!”

“As you want…”

How did Miu find the resources to buy such expensive pianos? I know she’s an Ultimate and that the earnings from her concerts could help her, but that seems impossible. Did she really earn that much?

On the sides of the room there were hundreds of CDs, stacked on top and beside each other. I looked at them to discover they were editions of the most popular composition of classical artists like Bach, Debussy, Mozart and many others.

“Are you a fan of classical music?” I asked.

“W-what? No…” She blushed, looking away.

She might be too embarrassed to admit it, maybe because it strides with her boastful personality. If they’re here, that means she likes them.

In a corner there were also a classical guitar and a synthesizer, the latter more fitting for a person like Miu.

“Do you also practice those?” I continued asking.

“I’ve tried some times. Of course, I can! However, I am now dedicating myself to the piano, and I won’t betray him for a simple and plain looking guitar! Playing the piano is my true vocation!”

There were seven wooden chairs near the entrance, which I assumed could be used to sit down and watch Miu’s performance. I moved one of them just in front of the piano and then I took one for myself.

“Whenever you’re ready, I’m here to listen.”

“You might need to wait a long time! I need focus to perform godly!”

“You don’t have to perform godly, but I can wait here as long as you want.”

“W-wait… really?”

“Uhm… not for hours and hours or days… but I can look around while you prepare and decide which piece to play.”

“No, no! I have the perfect piece in mind for you!”

“Already? Didn’t you s-

“Shut up! I said I know!”

Miu sat on the chair and started pushing keys on the piano.

“Don’t you need a score?”

“Me? The Ultimate Pianist?! Please, sit back and relax. I’m presenting you Andante con moto in E major by Felix Mendelssohn. I’m sure you know of him.”

I haven’t heard of him yet, but I kept silent. I was sure Miu would insult me if I said I had no idea of who he was.

So I decided to nod in agreement.

As soon as Miu started playing, I began feeling goose bumps all over my body. It was a weird feeling, even more after realizing that Miu was the one who was recreating that piece. I had no idea how she managed to choose that between all the ones she had in mind. As she said, it was relaxing, but at the same time melancholic. A soothing music helped me calm down, accompanied by higher pitched notes, reminding me of my childhood spent reading tons of detective stories. I can’t say why, but I almost felt I needed to cry. It wasn’t sad, just nostalgic... it can be a double-edged sword sometimes. Eventually, the music became less and less audible, Miu pressing her fingertips softly on the keys, until she stopped, the melody fading like I was drifting back to reality.

When I realized Miu had stopped, I clapped my hands.

“Miu, I can’t believe you play the piano so well.”

“Modesty aside, I fucking know I’m amazing.”

“I think this piece is… I don’t know… it affected me. How did you choose it?”

“My intuition, Kaedumb! I can understand your personality!”

“Wow, I think I underestimated your talent.”

“I just wish the others wouldn’t! But who cares about those virgins! They’ll never see my greatness… and my great tits!”

The last part was not needed. I’d pretend it didn’t exist.

“I took this piece from Songs without words.”

“It’s true when they say words are not needed to convey emotions.”

“I just like the song, that’s it, no need to get too deep! After all, I’m not the one who goes in deep!”

Is this another one of her… colorful expressions?

“What are you going to do now? Do you want to explore with me?”

“One step at a time, Kaedumb! I need to spend some time in my fuckin’ lab, ok!?”

She suddenly got extremely aggressive, despite opening up just moments before.

As I turned, I noticed some portraits on the left wall. I counted… thirteen of them. Thirteen girls, all with blonde hair.

“Who are those?” I asked.

“W-what are you trying to do to me?!” Miu said, panicking. She had a sudden change of mood in a couple of seconds.

“Nothing, I was just asking…”

“You want to convince me to let my guard down, don’t you?!”

“H-hey, you’re quite far-

“I-I need to spend time alone! Please get out!”

Miu pushed me violently outside.

“I’ll t-think about what you said!”

Those were her last words before she locked herself in her research room.

What.

The hell.

Just happened.

When I thought I was starting to figure out Miu, she lashes out at me and then stares at me like I’m some monster.

Well, despite the fact that things went south right at the end, I saw another side of Miu, one she desperately tries to hide. Why though? Her attitude in front of others might not be her real self…

I bit my nails. That awful hexagonal crank was still staring at me, screaming that he wanted to find its home.

“Where do I have to search now…” I said to myself, hoping to find Maki and try to understand her better as well.

Chapter Text

Korekiyo and I went our separate ways. I opted to visit the upper floor again, looking for the dragon statue that peaked our interest before. I saw that the mythical creature was missing an eye, and the gem the Monokubs offered us was very similar to the eye I spotted previously. While climbing the stairs, I ran into Himiko and Tenko.

“Great timing, Kirumi!” The caretaker exclaimed. “I know where the gem you’re carrying goes!”

“I am grateful for your guidance, but I do know too.”

Tenko looked somewhat disappointed.

“Of course, how could I beat the Ultimate Adventurer? I’m sorry for having doubted your capabilities.”

“No offense taken.”

“Us girls must stand together to fight against menaces! Shuichi, who died for us, proved that they can be redeemed, but! Do not let your guard down!”

“I do not mean to insult you, but not all men are evil.”

“You haven’t seen the worst of them, I bet! I know exactly what they’re capable of, and because of this, I’ll protect Himiko from them!”

“Nyeh… if you want…”

The entomologist was not as excited as her partner.

“Either way, there are also other people upstairs, dirty degenerates.”

“…Can I go somewhere else?” Himiko asked.

“Why are you asking, Himiko? Of course you can! I’ll go with you everywhere!”

“I meant alone…”

“Alone?!” Tenko gasped. “No, I don’t think it’s safe for you. Gonta could attack you at any moment.”

“He is harmless.” I clarified. “He is one of the politest men I have ever met. To be fair, I met hundreds of men during my journeys.”

“If he’s one of the politest, do you imagine menaces who are disgraceful, rude bad apples?!”

Then she went back to talk to Himiko.

“I’m doing this for your benefit, do you understand?”

“…Okay.” The entomologist nodded.

“I take you will accompany me upstairs.”

“Exactly.”

With the two girls on my side, I reached the upper floor, where I saw Rantaro and Kaito.

“As I expected, you came here.” The artist said.

“Stop acting creepy!” Kaito reprimanded.

“You seem always overly suspicious of me.”

“Well, there’s your reason, man…” The purple-haired boy explained.

I nodded to greet them and I placed the gem in the eye socket. After emitting an unnatural red, bright light the ground shook like it did before and the wall crumbled once again.

“How strange.” Kaito observed. “What kinds of mechanisms are behind this elaborate contraptions?”

“Maybe it’s better staying in the dark.” Rantaro intervened.

“What? Don’t you want to know the whys and the hows?”

“I’m a creator like you, but I’m not motivated by knowledge. Only my inspiration.”

“Meh. Maybe you can understand yourself, but you artists are always so vague with your paintings and shit… at least I make things others can use.”

“Please, do not turn this discussion into a fight.”

“Alright…” Kaito cooled off. “…Sorry if I got my gears running.”

“No problemo. I’m used to critics not appreciating my art.”

“Rantaro, you appear to be an advanced form of the menace, thanks to your sensibility. I’m surprised.”

“Even if that wasn’t a compliment, I’ll take it as one.” Rantaro thanked.

“Did the same thing happen downstairs…?” Himiko asked, slow with her words.

“Correct. I found Angie’s research lab.”

“The Ultimate Supreme leader research lab?” Kaito exclaimed. “What kinds of things were down there?”

“Nothing particularly elaborate.” I told him. “You can explore it afterwards, however you need to input a code to enter.”

“Do you think we’ll find more research labs here?” Tenko asked.

“I am positive.” I said, entering the hallway with the others.

After some steps, exactly to my right, I spotted another peculiar door.

“This one is another lab!” Kaito exclaimed. “And look, it’s got metallic sliding doors!”

“Oh, could it be yours?”

“Let’s check it!”

Kaito picked up the key that was lying on the floor and sprinted inside.

“Well, I’m off exploring the rest of this floor.” Rantaro said. “See you later.”

“Don’t you wish to enter?”

“Nah, I’m way too much terrible with mechanics and manual stuff. That’s why I prefer drawing and painting.”

“Nyeh… one less it’s better…”

With Kaito already inside, I decided to step into the room and discover what was inside. Tenko and Himiko entered with me.

The walls were entirely covered with metal plates while the floor was carpet-like, following a pattern that alternated purple and pink squares. In the center I saw a metallic bed similar to the ones found in operation rooms. To the right there were numerous bottles containing what I assumed where chemicals, while, on the left, various tools could be found, like wrenches, crowbars and screw, along with some other complex objects such as electronic drills and chainsaws. There were also safety masks. In the back of the room I saw as many drawers as the ones I found in Angie’s lab.

Himiko moved towards them, but Tenko positioned herself in front of her.

“What are you doing? This place could be extremely dangerous!”

“Nyeh…”

The caretaker was not wrong. On the ceiling were hung many circular lamps, despite them looking rather unstable.

“Those could fall any moment now.” Tenko observed.

“Well, I can always perfect them.” Kaito shrugged it off.  

“You should do it immediately! These are terrible conditions to work in!”

“Anyway… this lab could be a godsend! I’m excited!”

“Do you suppose you could find tools to aid us in our escape?”

“Nyeh… Even if he finds them, he can’t bring them out.”

“Because of the rules?! I could care less about those rules! I’m Kaito Momota, Genius of the World, and breaking the rules is what inventors do!”

“As long as it does not get them killed.” I noted. “If you defy Monokuma, you know what will happen to you.”

“Tsk…”

“You can always sacrifice yourself! Then you’d be a tolerable male!”

“Me? Girl, you’d be losing a valuable asset to the human race!”

Himiko sighed, tired of that conversation.

“You do not need to break the rules.” I explained. “You have the tools you need here, but some raw materials outside, in the warehouse.”

“Are you saying I should modify them to create something new?”

“You will not lose anything if you were to try.”

“Nyeh… I bet Monokuma tossed all the useless junk there and left what’s actually useful here…”

“Don’t bring us down, Himiko!” Kaito exclaimed. “Put your trust in me!”

“I never put my trust in anyone and I lived fine until now…”

“Why do you have a bed in the middle of your room anyway?” Tenko asked.

“It’s to perform experiments on my test subjects, I assume.”

“Wh-whaat?!”

Does Kaito perform human experiments? I would say these are not activities an inventor is expected to do…

“Human experiments? I would never have guessed…”

“What?! Humans? Naah! I use lab rats and things like that!”

“Why do you have a human-sized bed then?!”

“It’s not my fault, it’s Monokuma who placed it there.”

Kaito appeared to be somewhat uncomfortable. Could it be that he was lying to us? Even in Angie’s lab I found objects that did not relate to her talent…

“What about those vials? Eh? What are those for?”

“Being an inventor, many of my experiments are conducted on a microscopically level, you know? To make sure everything your eye sees is right, also what it’s hidden must be right.”

“Nyeh… don’t underestimate what’s small…” Himiko said. “Bugs are a force to be reckoned with if you don’t pay attention.”

“And you can be amazing too, Himiko!”

“Yeah, I’m amazing without being small…”

While Kaito rummaged through the drawers to search for something useful, I took my leave alongside the two.

“Good luck finding your research labs!”

“It seems that each one of us has a lab here.” Tenko observed.

“Nyeh… maybe I can finally find my loveable bugs.”

“I have spent way too much time with menaces for now.” The caretaker continued. “I feel intoxicated. I think Himiko’s right, we need time alone for us.”
“…I’d like to be alone.”

“Yeah! What I said! Let’s leave the rest of the exploration to Kirumi. She’s done an excellent job for now.”

“Nyeh…”

With her head kept down, Himiko waved at me and followed Tenko with a sad expression, while the other continued talking about how amazing the entomologist was.

The corridor continued, opening up. I saw the entrance hall of the school under me. After some steps, I reached another squared area where, to the left, bright pink stairs signaled we had access to another floor. What peaked my interest was instead another door, decorated with the image of a tennis racket.

“This must be Gonta’s research lab…” I said to myself.

Should I enter? It would be disrespectful towards the tennis player. As I was ruminating, the door opened in front of my eyes.

Rantaro came out.

“Kirumi!” He exclaimed. “Didn’t expect to find you here.”

“Have you entered Gonta’s research room?” I asked, slightly irritated.

“Don’t get heated up, he’s here too. I was practicing with him.”

“Practicing?”

“Yeah, that. Come in, I’ll show you what I mean.”

Following Rantaro, I discovered that the room before me was an entire indoor tennis court, which surprised me greatly. Strange human-like machines were at the sides of the room, playing tennis themselves.

Gonta was bouncing off his tennis ball on its racket, keeping perfectly still, smiling happily.

“He’s thrashing me.” Rantaro admitted. “I told him I needed a break.”

"Why did you agree to play with him?"

“He asked me. I didn’t want to be rude…”

“Kirumi!” Gonta cheered seeing me. “Do you want play tennis with me?”

“I’m sorry, but I am not that good when it comes to sports.”
“I think you lying! You a great adventurer, so you must be good!”

“I have not yet needed advanced knowledge of tennis practices to excel at my job… but that does not mean I consider this sport to be useless.”

“Oh, Gonta thought for a moment you hated tennis!... And who hates tennis is a bad person!”

“Don’t sweat it, Gonta, I’m sure everyone here appreciates tennis.”

“Gonta wished this lab would have been for Ultimate Gentleman though…”

How would a lab for the ultimate Gentleman be structured? I suppose one for a tennis player would be far easier to conceive.

“With tuxedos and ties and fancy pants…”

“Don’t bring yourself down, you’re amazing at tennis. I’m sure that this lab can make you as happy as you could be.”

“Rantaro right. Gonta be very happy now. Gonta didn’t play tennis in long time.”

“Did you find anything interesting in here?” I asked the two boys.

“Gonta found some steel balls. They not usual.”

Steel balls? Those seem dangerous.

“Here. Gonta bring them to you.”

Gonta went back to his side of the court and moved closer to one of those robots. As he turned I noticed he had two steel spheres in his hands. They appeared extremely weighty, however the tennis player was carrying them without any problems. He passed one of them to me, but I immediately felt its heaviness and I pulled back my hand in response. The ball fell to the floor with a resounding thump.

“Sorry! Sorry Kirumi! Gonta stupid! Gonta could have hurt you.”

“Wow.” Rantaro managed to say. “These things are very heavy. How can you carry them without any problems?”

“Gonta don’t know! For Gonta very normal! Gonta cannot be gentleman now!” He cried out, crying.

“Do not worry Gonta. Nothing has happened.”

“Gonta not smart… Gonta clumsy.”

“There’s no way you could have known about their heaviness.” Rantaro reassured him. “If they appeared light to you, that’s because your hands are very strong.”

“Oh…” Gonta said, calming down. “Gonta carried very heavy and special tennis rackets before.”

“That sphere resembles more a shotput than a ball. I wonder the reason why it is stored here.”

“One time Gonta played with very strong racket and steel balls!”

Woah. That is an impressive feat. I would never guess that would have been possible.

“Who was your opponent?” I asked, still astounded.

“No one. Gonta practicing for fighting against bad people.”

“Bad people?” Rantaro inquired.

“I protected my family from bad people who wanted to hurt them using my tennis skills!”

Maybe I should not push Gonta into talking about his private life.

“But now I use tennis only to have fun…! Rantaro, can we continue the game?”

“Uhm, huh… I’m actually… still really tired… let’s say you win this time.”

“Oh! Ok… Kirumi, do you want to play then?”

He asked me again? I had already declined.

“She’s pretty tired too, you know? Walking around the school, finding those secret passages…”

“…Yeah, Gonta understand. Maybe better not play now.”

“After all, if you want to play, there’s always those strange machines you can practice with.”

“Uh… Gonta don’t trust strange machines. They dangerous.”

To be honest, the sportsman was not wrong. The robots were passing balls to each other with extremely high speeds. If one would hit someone, they would suffer lethal damage if the shot hit vital organs.

“Gonta don’t know how to turn them off, so leave it alone.”

“No problems about it.”

“Have you also found a key?” I asked.

“Yeah, to enter here.”

“I’m pretty sure each one of our research rooms can be locked and unlocked just like Kaede’s. This way we can prevent others from entering.”

That did not stop Ryoma and Shuichi though. Why did Kaede’s lab have an entrance no one of us could have known about? That was unfair. Could Monokuma have targeted her specifically?

“By the way…” Rantaro continued. “Now I’m definitely going. There’s another floor upstairs, so I’ll check it out. Come with me?” He asked.

“Sure. Goodbye, Gonta.”

“Goodbye! If you want to play with Gonta, Gonta will be very happy!”

***

I stood in front of the high wall placed in front of the dormitories. Sure, I noticed it before, but I didn’t think we could access it eventually. But then, I had a stroke of genius and I thought to use the hexagonal crank on one of the openings I spotted.

And there it was, the medieval-like, gigantic wooden door, was opening in front of me. Because of my confusion, I almost didn’t notice someone trying to sneak behind me.

“Maki!” I called her out after turning. “Why haven’t you come to the meeting?”

“Ugh. Go away.”

“No, I won’t.” I raised my voice. “You can’t pretend we aren’t here.”

She snorted. “I don’t need to stay with you. I like to be alone.”

“You want to be alone, which is another thing altogether.”

“If I want to, it means I like it.”

“You’re telling yourself that, but it isn’t true.”
“What did I do to deserve being psychoanalyzed by you?”

“Listen… I don’t hold a grudge against you for what you have done, alright?”

That wasn’t completely true, but I also need to forgive. Maki did want to help the others, just in a different way.

“Fine.” She said. “That means I don’t have to stay here and talk with you. Bye.”

“Hey, stop! You care about us, right?”

She rolled her eyes and started walking away.

“This night you were keeping watch, right here, because you suspected someone of us would attempt murder.”

“And with that?”

“If you want to prevent more killings you don’t have to act like an outside force, alone and feared. You can understand a lot more from people if you spend time with them.”

“What do you want from me?” She asked, but there was no emotion in her voice.

“I want you to forgive yourself too. If you continue to distance yourself from others, you w-

“Forgive myself?” She interrupted me. “Please, I don’t blame myself for anything that happened.”

“You appeared shaken at the tri-

“Instead, it seems that the one who’s conflicted and confused it’s you. You still won’t accept that Shuichi committed a murder, after he lied to you multiple times.”

My vision started to blurry, then became red. Was she placing the blame on Shuichi for what happened? How dares she!? He killed only because there was a time limit, he killed to prevent a massacre!

I was on the brink of punching her.

Wait…

I need to be calm. To reflect. I’m a detective. I don’t jump to conclusions.

And I don’t jump on a martial artist expert if I want to avoid concussions.

“That’s not true.” Was the most I could say.

“I see you’re getting angry. I learned to control my emotions a long time ago…” She stopped for a while, then returned to her previous topic. “From my understanding, you saw Shuichi as a pure angel who wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Stop talking about him like’s a terrible human!”

“No, I’m saying he was flawed like everyone else here. His actions were justified and I understand what he did. You still don’t, though. You ask yourself why didn’t he tell you, you were sure he trusted you.”

“And with that? Even if it’s true?”

“What happened it’s consuming you, since you can’t know the answers. Now you want everyone to fall in order, to do as you say. Do you want to prove to yourself that it was a simple, one-time mistake? Are you really trying to grant Shuichi’s wish?”

“Why are you so hostile?” I asked her, ignoring her questions.

“You need to accept the truth first. You couldn’t protect Shuichi, despite all your efforts. You failed to see that there was something wrong with him. And wanting total control over us is not the best decision.”

“I’m not a dictator, you know? I said everyone they were free to explore the school.”

“You’d want to know what everyone is up to. But you also want to trust every single one of your classmates. Isn’t this a contradiction?”

“I… I don’t understand! What are you implying?!”

“See, that’s the problem. You don’t understand. What’s the best course of action? You tell yourself those questions and you don’t resolve anything.”

“Since you’re so keen on giving me advice, tell me what should I do.”

“Decide. Just decide. Take a position. And I’m telling you this without being biased. If you feel that strict control over us is the best option, maybe that is indeed the right choice. However, people like me will refuse to do as you say, will argue, and that could lead to another murder. Who says you won’t be the next victim.”

I can’t believe someone would target me. But then, they’d have an advantage without the Ultimate Detective around…

“But if you decide to trust everyone blindly, a murder is just as likely, and that’s what happened yesterday. Can you find a balance? I’d say that is what you should stride for.”

“You haven’t given me a clear answer.” I said, bitterly.

“Answers don’t appear out of thin air. You have to work to discover them. I can’t believe I’m saying this to a detective.”

Despite me not liking the aikido master, I couldn’t deny she was right. I had never been as conflicted as I was in that moment. I realized that, at least. I had to make a decision before it was too late.

“And get rid of that cape. It reminds you of Shuichi, but it makes you feel guilty about what happened.”

Well, she’s spot on...

“I can’t understand why it means something to you, considering you knew him for three days. But who am I to decrypt your emotions. That cape doesn’t have to be a punishment. See you later.”

As Maki started distancing from me, I realized she made me aware of my situation. Yes, I figured it out before, but… hearing it from someone else, it… it convinced me.

“Thank you, Maki. You aren’t that bad”

I had to admit it.

“Tsk.” She said. “I can’t believe I ended up psychoanalyzing you instead.”

Her last line wasn’t as bitter as the other ones. It was friendlier, like a friend who teases another.

Or maybe that was just my impression.

When Maki disappeared from my line of view, Tsumugi appeared in her place.

“Kaede!... Is everything alright between you and Maki?” She asked.

“She kind of turned the conversation in her favor… but she ended up helping me.”
“Wow, what did she say? If you don’t mind me asking…”

“I need to be more self-confident.”

“What, you?” Tsumugi giggled. “I think you are one of the most confident people here.”

“Hm, well…”

I stopped.

The maid, sensing my embarrassment, quickly steered the matter of the conversation.

“So… why don’t we go exploring this new area together? It’s pretty big.”

“Ooh! I’m coming too!”

0U-M4 appeared from the dormitories, cheerfully jumping towards us.

“I was waiting for someone to understand that puzzle, thankfully Kaede saved me.”

“From what?” I asked, sarcastically.

“From boredom, of course! Nothing eventful has happened yet!”

“How many eventful things happen in your life?” Tsumugi addressed the robot.

“Not a lot. That’s why I’m always bored.”

“Mine was a rhetorical question.”

“Are you still angry because I hit you!? Well, I’m sorry! I know I’m not supposed to hurt women now.”

“It’s not that.” She glared at him.

“You entered my room twice, first stealing my key and then knocking out two people. She has all the rights to be furious with you. In fact, I feel the same way.”

“Oh, I’m very sorry then.” He smiled. “Let me redeem myself! I’ll show I’m useful! Maybe there are locked doors I can open!”

“If they’re locked, I think it means that Monokuma doesn’t want us to explore them.” Tsumugi explained.

“Who cares about him. He said we were free to explore the school at our discretion, so I’m following his rules to a T.”

I guess… still, I don’t think it’s the right choice.

“Do you think I’ll kill you?” He asked, playfully. “I guess I could take on one of you two, but the other will be able to escape.”

“What’s the purpose of this conversation again?” I asked, annoyed.

“I said that! I want to discover the secrets of this academy!”

I pondered about letting 0U-M4 come with us. I didn’t want him around, he was the kind of individual who should never be trusted, but what could I do to prevent him from coming? He would have followed us regardless of my decision. Maybe if I gave in to his request he would at least tone down his antics.

“Since I can’t stop you, I give you permission to explore the area. With us two.”

“Kaede, is this a wise decision?”

“No, it isn’t. But it could turn out to be useful in the future.”

“My heart warms up when you consider me useful!”

“…You do not have an heart.” Tsumugi pointed out.

“Whatever.” The robot shrugged the maid’s sentence off.

We stepped in the new area and descended.

“I wonder what’s in here! I’m very excited!”

“Don’t get your hopes u-

“Ooooh!” OU-M4 exclaimed. “And what is that?!”

I turned to my right and saw another structure that resembled the motels you could find on the side of the road. There was also a sign that specified his name…

“Hotel Kumasutra!?” 0U-M4 continued. “Holy shit, don’t tell about it to the others!”

“What is that thing…?”

“I wouldn’t explore it in normal circumstances, but we shouldn’t rule it out.”

“Maybe we should send Miu there as a lab rat. She would enjoy herself! Maybe she won’t even return to us, though.”

“Don’t treat Miu like that.” I scolded him.

“She isn’t here to listen! Can’t I express my opinion of her? She’s an awful human being.”

“You might be an awful robot.”

“I am not offended by that since I know you’re only jealous!”

On the other side there was another structure, labeled as “Casino”. To be honest, I’ve never been in one. I guess I never had the chance… despite that, I can’t say I have felt the desire to risk all of my money praying to get lucky.

“Were are we going first?”

“I say to the hotel. I’m not that interested in spicy stuff, but…” He stopped.

“But? Come on, talk!”

“Maybe some of those strange this humans use to have fun with each other could be useful.”

I tried to forget about the images that were flashing in my mind.

“Not in their… pure… form, I mean. Modified by Kaito, they could regain new life!”

“I never thought I would talk about this…” Tsumugi sighed.

“Those are an aspect of human culture as well. I conducted many researches about human habits.”

That begs the question, how deep and specific were those studies? As they say, some questions are better left unanswered.

“Let’s go there.” I decided. “It’s better to start with the hard one first.”

And then I thought that Miu wouldn’t have waited a single second before trying to be funny with that joke. Thankfully she wasn’t there with us. As we approached the door of the hotel, however, we discovered it was closed. A sign informed us that a specific key was needed to go inside of it.

“We can’t go in here, so, shouldn’t we turn?”

“Nee-hee-hee, but I have the ability to lockpick!” 0U-M4 giggled. “I can’t wait the look on Monokuma’s face when he’ll discover that I ent-

“Already did!”

Monokuma magically appeared between the door and us.

“Show some respect for my love suite! You can’t just enter it like that! It’s a private business, a face-to-face thing, ya know?”

“You can’t stop me from lockpicking.”

“Don’t you think I took extra safety measures to protect the suite from thieves like you? You can’t hope to pick this lock even in your wildest dreams! If you desire to enter, get a key like everyone else!!”

“You’re such a buzzkiller.”

“It’s not like you can enter with two girls here! We’re not in those anime where the protagonist has ten girls who fall for him!” The bear stopped. “I miss the times when someone else made those references for me… Anyways, only two can enter here! And with a love key!”

After shouting at us, Monokuma left. As usually, disappearing out of thin air.

“Ehm… considering this… we should check out the casino.”

Retracing our steps, we stepped into the casino. The area resembled the ones you might see in movies depicting Las Vegas, but there was no sign of slot machines or anything of the sort. Tables and chairs were however arranged very carefully, mimicking an hall of a prestigious hotel. Carpets that were evidently very expensive covered the pavement.

“These are tapestries.” Tsumugi commented. “The details are extremely accurate. It means whoever trapped us here is extremely wealthy.”

“I suppose so.” 0U-M4 snickered. “Who would spend so much money for lame carpets?”

“Some like exhibiting them to show they’re an appreciator of arts.”

“Mah. I think they do that just to brag.”

To the left there was a cabinet full of different type of liquors and other types of alcoholic beverages.

“Why is something like that in a casino?” I asked.

“Maybe to prevent people from leaving, offering them snacks and drinks to let them stay?”

“That’s so shady!” 0U-M4 exclaimed. “But it’s clever.”

“I worked as a bartender before.” Tsumugi recounted. “Not in a casino, but I know a couple of things about cocktails and how to mix them.”

“Great! If you want to get drunk, just ask the maid!”

“I think this isn’t the right time to be saying that.” I clarified.

In front of us there was a counter. As we approached, I saw the silhouette of a bear in it.

“Hell-o yeah!!” It exclaimed. It didn’t’ take me too long to realize that it was Monokid.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I’m the cashier! I stay here to give you amazing prizes! Who cares about the Monokubs, I’m gaining my fucking independence!”

Oh… that’s… completely uninteresting, honestly.

“What prizes? There aren’t any ways to spend coins here.”
“Let me explain you, you empty heads! You can trade your Monocoins here for tokens, which you can use starting from tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow?” I was confused.

“I decided to organize everything by myself! Who cares about what Monodam says, that green snot! I told him and his slaves to get the fuck out! This has become my domain!”

“The independency is already turning into a dictatorship!” 0U-M4 exclaimed, faking surprise.

“Everything is downstairs, but I blocked the floor to make every-fucking-thing perfect! Monodam will bow down to my greatness!”

“Aren’t you guys taking it a little bit too far?” Tsumugi appeared concerned.

“Fat?! Monodam is fat, you blue-haired wannabe Miku!”

“W-what?!”

“I tried being nice to you, but who cares! Do your fucking thing and don’t count on me! Hell yeah!”

As he cussed one more time, he disappeared.

“Those bears are strange.” I commented.

“I doubt you saw talking bear-robot creatures before now.” 0U-M4 followed. “No wonder they are.”

***

Rantaro and me did explore the floor that we had access to, and despite us finding two doors, those were locked. It was clear to both of us that we had come across two new research lab. The first door, placed right near the stairs, was similar to Kaito’s door, but it had the design of a lightning and circuits surrounding it.

0U-M4’s lab, we were both sure.

The second, found some time later, was not explicitly clear. The door was made of birch wood, but there were no distinctive signs to single out the owner of the lab.

“When is Monokuma going to give us keys for those?” Rantaro asked.

Rantaro’s question surprised me. I considered him to be an observant person, but he did not notice a significant detail.

“Those doors do not possess any locks.” I explained.

“Oh…”

He glanced at the entrance of 0U-M4’s lab, then he turned back to me.

“That’s right. I kind of assumed locks were there…” He stood still to reflect for a while. “How can you enter those then?”

“Some sort of mechanism could unlock them. It could also be that there is only one lock, to the other side. That would indicate that there could be another way in.”

“Kaede’s lab was connected to a secret passage after all…”

“Another option is that Monokuma simply does not want us to enter them. With him being aware of 0U-M4’s ability to lockpick, he might have been forced to do so.”

“How would he enter them…? I guess he has the ability to magically appear out of everywhere, but that doesn’t qualify as teleporting.”

“Monokuma’s ability are not clear to us yet. As time passes, Kaede could understand more about his behavior. He is an AI after all.”

“I’d say we ask 0U-M4 for advice, but…”

No, that other robot could be even more dangerous than Monokuma. The latter invited us to murder, but the former was the one who could kill us. His abilities were an unknown as well.

“There’s nothing else here. What do we do now?”

“The cafeteria is our meeting point, I suppose. Maybe we should gather there to see what information we have found during this morning.”

“It’s already midday.” Rantaro observed. “I’m kind of hungry.”

“You ate more pancakes than us this morning, and you demand more food already?”

“I’m sorry if my high metabolism disturbs you.” He said sarcastically. “How is your relationship with your metabolism?”

That was one of the weirdest, and least appropriate questions I heard in a long time.

“Can I not respond?”

“Did I offend you?” He looked to the side. “Sorry. I was trying to make conversation.”

“There are better ways to do that.”

“I know. The topic came up, so…”

“You have to admit it was weird though.”

“Yeah, maybe it was, so? You can’t talk about the same things all the time! You have to branch out, do you follow me?”

I agree with Rantaro’s opinion, but that does not justify asking whatever you have on your mind. And, moreover, from what I experienced, the artist was someone who chose his words very carefully. This last exchange… did not confirm my expectations.

“…I guess not then.”

“No, no…” I shook my head. “I wholeheartedly agree with your statement. All options should be considered before making a decision.”

“That’s not what I was implying.” He smiled awkwardly. “I was just talking about convos, not anything philosophical.”

Ah. I overanalyzed what he said.

“You know what? We can do as you said. Let’s gather everyone up in the cafeteria. Tell the others to find everyone by… uhm… 1:30 PM. So everyone has more than an hour to finish what they’re doing.”

“Where are you heading?” I inquired.

“Personally, I’m going to search for more food in the kitchen. I shouldn’t eat before meals, but I’m seriously hungry. If you want, we can inform Gonta and Kaito, who probably are still in their labs.”

“Do not worry. I will tell them myself. Go satisfy your hunger.”

“When you put it like that it seems like I’m about to feast on some human being.”

“I did not mean that.”

“Do not joke about death then.”

Now his voice turned severe, his expression austere.

“I’ll be in the cafeteria if you want me!” He smiled and waved.

His last sentence almost convinced me that his seriousness was a hallucination, but I knew what was real and what was faux. And, undoubtedly, Rantaro’s cold words did exist. His reaction was exaggerated, stemming from a poor choice of words. However, that was the image of Rantaro I created in my mind. He was the one who created that absurd metaphor. Am I unable to have a normal conversation?

I asked the classmates I could find to follow me in the cafeteria. After finding Gonta and Kaito in their respective research rooms, Korekiyo offered to warn the others as well.

By 1:30 PM, everyone, including Miu but excluding Maki, had come to the cafeteria to discuss. Tsumugi offered to cook for us and no one protested. While she was boiling the potatoes, we sat and Kaede was the first to speak.

“I’m glad everyone is here.” She smiled. “We’re missing Maki, but I feel that will soon change.”

“Have you convinced Miu?” Angie cheered. “That’s amazing! I think you’ll bring Maki to us in no time!”

“You should be grateful I’m here for you!” The pianist bragged.

“It’s her choice.” Kaede said. “But we aren’t here to talk about her, aren’t we?”

“Rantaro and I asked for a meeting to reveal information we may have found.”

“Nyeh… but you and Kaede were the ones with those objects. Why am I here…?”

“Himiko, your presence is still needed.” Tenko told her. “To bond with others. Socialization is important.”

“Himiko’s right.” Kaito said. “We should ask them first. They probably found more than us.”

Kaede nodded.

“Yep. I, for example, accessed the structure in front of our dormitories. Tsumugi and 0U-M4 were with me.”
“Yup yup!” The robot agreed. “It was still boring, but better than spending time in my room doing nothing!”

“There’s a casino and a… uhm… you can see for yourself. It’s not that important.”

What discovery was Kaede concealing from us? She appeared uncomfortable.

“In the casino there are some liquor bottles and a counter where you can exchange prizes, but there aren’t any games yet.”

“Huh?” Kaito seemed confused. “A casino without games?”

Kaede explained what happened to them, and we came to know that the blue Monokub would have granted us access only the following day.

“Also, Miu’s lab opened up.”

“That’s right, virgins! But you can’t enter it!”

“Whatever.” Rantaro commented.

“And you, Kirumi?” Kaede addressed me. “Have you found anything?”

“Yes, the objects we were given allowed me to investigate the school further. As I expected, there were other passages that were previously hidden.”

“She helped me find my research room! You’re great!” Angie praised me.

“That means that our other research labs are somewhere in the school, but we cannot access them yet…” Korekiyo observed.

“That is correct. As of now, I found and explored Angie’s, Kaito’s and Gonta’s lab.”

“There are a tons of useful things there!” Kaito said. “I’m sure I can create something from the junk I found in the warehouse!”

“Great!” Kaede exclaimed. “You see, guys? We have a chance to escape from this place!”

“Yes, and if we have to sacrifice someone, we’ll start from the guys!”

“Yeah, that’s a big step in the right direction, Kaede. As I said, our talents are our ticket out of here.”

“Maybe Gonta help Kaito to find useful things?” The tennis player suggested. “Many heavy objects in warehouse!”

“Thanks man, your help is appreciated.”

“We also found two other locked rooms.” I explained. “However, they do not have a keyhole.”

“What? That’s terrible…” 0U-M4 sighed.

“I assume they are meant to be locked.” Rantaro said. “Monokuma doesn’t want you to enter those.”

“He also stopped me from entering the Love Hotel!” He lamented.

“Love hotel? And what’s that?” Kaito asked.

“This is not the time to be discussing that.” Tsumugi told him from the kitchen.

“Oh. Ok.”

“The point is…” 0U-M4 continued, irritated. “…Monokuma is totally trying to stop me!”

“Great!” Tenko cheered. “We have the same stance on you then.”

“Since I want to be completely honest with you, I have to admit one of those locked research rooms is Ouma’s.”

“Wow! I’m looking forward to exploring it!”

“New rooms opened after Shuichi and Ryoma died…” Kiibo ominously said.

He stayed silent for all this time.

“Kiibo, you alright?” Gonta asked.

“Yeah… it’s just I’m not hungry. I came here to listen to you.”

“You came here for the benefit of the group.” Korekiyo said. “That is honorable.”

“S-so… if there’s nothing I can do… I’ll be going.”

I noticed everyone was confused, not understanding the reasoning behind Kiibo’s decision, but nobody tried to stop him. What has he done during this morning? I left him in the cafeteria, and found him there when I returned… I could not imagine he remained there for all that time…

As the astronaut closed the door behind him, Tsumugi started distributing the food to us.

“What are our plans for the rest of the day?” She asked.

“Don’t worry about those plans!” Kaito exclaimed. “I, Kaito Momota, will create the most incredible escape machine you ever saw!”

“Uhm…” Kaede flinched. “There’s always the possibility we could find something else that’s useful…”

“Hm? We’ll see!”

“If you don’t mind, Gonta will play tennis in his research lab!” The sportsman announced.

“Gonta, you have a personal tennis court? Seriously?” Angie was stoked.

“Yes! Gonta very surprised too!”

“I’ll come play with you then! Let’s play together and strengthen our bond!” She clasped her hands.

Just like Rantaro before her, Angie’s personality also fluctuates; between an innocent, cheerful girl, to a manipulative and cold leader. I suspect her friendship with Gonta is none other than a way to convince him and make him obey her orders. Am I too distrustful? I cannot be sure, Angie might want a genuine friendship in her life after all, and Gonta appears to be content when he is around her.

Well, those people are harder to read than I imagined.

***

After eating Tsumugi’s incredible dish, everyone left and went their way. I didn’t have anything to do in particular, so I decided to spend time with one of my classmates. I think it’s important to understand every one of them and be on the same page. It didn’t matter who it was, I decided I would try to know more about every Ultimate that was there with me. We planned on escaping, but I didn’t know how much time I had to spend with people that were basically strangers.

So I needed to fix that.

FREE TIME START!

The first person I wanted to meet was Rantaro. Among all of my classmates, he was the one I couldn't quite understand. He seems both distant and friendly... 

I spent some time searching for him, until I found the artist near the cafeteria.

“Heya, Kaede! How is it going? Do you want to chat with me?”

As soon as Rantaro saw me approaching him, he understood my intentions. At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk with him, but I can’t ignore him. He’s suspicious, but I think he’d be a good friend… he’s relaxed and always smiles… whenever he’s not creepy.

“Yeah. I do, I think.”

“Great, I needed someone to talk with. To kill some time, you know?”

Rantaro and me talked about our daily lives and our interests… nothing too difficult or particularly heavy. I learned that he loves a cold drink whenever he’s busy painting and I told him that I can’t resist yogurt and I would eat it at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Actually, we discussed so much about eating that I ended up getting hungry.

“All this food talk has made my stomach growl.” I laughed.

Rantaro laughed too. “I’m sorry I hurt the feelings of your belly. Do you want me to take a quick snack? There must be something in the warehouse.”

“Don’t worry. It will pass. I don’t want to eat between meals.”

Rantaro rubbed his head. “I do eat when I’m feeling stressed out. Maybe I eat to much…”

“But you’re so slim!” I exclaimed. “I don’t believe you!”

“I swear it! I spend a lot of my downtime eating. People tell me I am lucky. I don’t even practice a sport.”

“I assume you go on long walks then.”

“Oh, I do, in fact. To paint landscapes. I wander a lot to find the perfect spot to paint at the perfect time.”

“An eternal search for perfection…” I joke.

“Yeah.” He said. “I have to live up to my name, you know? My job is not only to paint, but also to find the right circumstances under I can paint. For example, the correct lightning. A ray of sun that shines on a particular flower…”

“Woah, it looks like you were taking photos…”

“Some paintings must look like photos. That style is called realism, or even hyperrealism. It’s not my favorite, but it does exist.”

“So what’s the one you feel most comfortable with?”
“I like impressionism. Those artists put a lot on effort on expressing their subjectivity on the canvas.”

So he likes that movement. I bet it speaks volumes about his personality. Sadly, I know almost nothing about the history of art.

Do I feel ignorant in this moment? Absolutely.

“Oh, but I do not want to bore my guest with the accurate description of a movement heavily criticized by its contemporaries and later reevaluated by modern estimators.”

I giggled. “What’s up with that extremely… polished language you are using, Mr. Amami?”

“Dear Ms. Akamatsu, you do admire the terms I chose to employ in my preceding statement to the point you attempted to mimic me? I hope you are proud of yourself, my lady.”
This hasn’t gone to far yet, but I’d better stop it before it does.

“You won, okay?” I conceded. “You are better than mine in fancy words.”

“I just learned to use them at the right time.” He laughed. “They help you make a good impression with people who don’t know what you’re talking about. Just pull off some of those nonsensical expressions and people are going to think you’re a genius.”

First appearances don’t come a second time after all.

“In reality they’re just some obsolete words nobody uses anymore. And since some guy who happened to be important used them, now they are considered magical and formal.”

“They’re not evil. You talk about them like they are bad for us.”

“Don’t pay too much attention to what I’m saying.” He told me. “They do matter. More options, more fun. If everyone talked like everyone else we would be too similar. And if we’re not different enough, we would be bored as hell. Have you met many interesting people?”

“If you consider criminals interesting…”

“In a way they could be.”

He saw that I looked at him funny, so he explained himself.

“I’m not justifying their crimes. I’m not that crazy!”

I hope so.

“They work differently than the majority of the populations. I can’t say I’d commit a crime.”

“It depends on the situations. Everyone could be a criminal. Of course I’d prefer if no one had to resort to certain solutions.”

“But then what would your job be?”

“Huh?”

I know Rantaro meant that as a joke, but the implications of that joke could be interpreted as somewhat morbid.

He rolled his eyes. I think he understood he might have gone too far.

“But I’m serious. What would you do if you weren’t a detective?”

What… would I do if I…

I don’t know. I just dedicated all my life to investigations.

“An answer that Kaede can’t give an answer too! This is interesting!”

“I just need time to reflect! I’m not all about discovering clues and details!”

“Yeah, sure.”

Was he being sarcastic?

“No pressure. When you have figured it out, tell me. I’ll be ready to continue this conversation.”

Well... I kinda got to know him a bit better. I hoped to find out more, but maybe I'll bond over my second passion... I guess. 

As I was heading back to my dorm, I crossed paths with 0U-M4.

"Ouma, do you have some time to talk with me?" 

“Kaede wants to spend time with me?! Why would that be?!”

I wonder what went on in my mind too. Honestly, I can’t find an answer to that question… Maybe I feel that, deep down, very deep down…. That robot is a good person, even though it may be incorrect to call him that.

“I want to understand you more.” I told him.

“Nee-hee-hee! I’m proud of that! What do you want to know about me?!”

0U-M4 excitedly showed off his most advanced abilities, from ones I had already experienced, to other that I could never imagine, like reading the composition of the various chemicals in the air around us and function as an hairdryer.

“I don’t know if that last ability is as useful as to put it to be.” I honestly stated.

“Whaaaa? Don’t you want to carry out an hairdryer everywhere? You don’t know when a terrible thunderstorm might drop on you!”

“In that case I would bring an umbrella. Preventing is more important than resolving a problem.”

“Maybe I can improve then! I’ll be an umbrella if you want to!”

“I didn’t ask that…” I said clearly. “Moreover, wouldn’t rain hurt you? You’re a machine than works thanks to electricity, right…?”

“If someone else said that, I would have definitely punched them in their stomach!” 0U-M4 childishly laughed. “But I’ve realized I’ve been a terrible classmate in the past, so this will grant me forgiveness!”

Did he really think that was enough to make me forgive him? Despite constantly praising his dear logic, that claim was pretty dumb.

“I’m not a machine!” He exclaimed. “How many times do I have to repeat myself?! I. AM. NOT. A. MACHINE!!!”

“You are a robot. You can’t deny that.” I responded, irritated by his stubbornness.

“I’m not an ordinary robot, I’m the Ultimate Robot! And because of this, I can transcend your current understanding of machines and become a real person like everyone else here!”

“You do realize that, despite all your abilities, you will never be the same as a real human, right?”

“Yup, yup! I will never be human, but I can be a person! The difference is very slim, but it’s definitely there! I am a being with feelings, capable of reacting to external stimuli, and form relationship with other human beings. That seems quite person-y to me. And I don’t want to be human. Human are already surpassed by machines, but nobody is smart enough to realize that!”

“There are human jobs that machines can’t do.” I retorted. “And machines have a distorted sense of morality.”

I cut myself off before I could add “like you” to the sentence. I didn’t want to be to harsh on 0U-M4 despite all the mess he caused. I was the one to asked him to talk after all.

“Morality? What is morality? Is there a universal good here? If you think the answer is yes, then why did so many conflicts happen in our world?”

“Firstly, I think that what’s good cannot be described, but we have a general idea of what’s good and bad.”

“If we have that general idea you claim exist, then why people do bad things to each other? Why does this killing game exist?”

“Some people want to be bad and hurt others.”

“Kaede, you’re wrong!” 0U-M4 smirked. “I don’t think people want to be bad. They think they’re doing what’s right. For them.” He added.

“There are values that are recognized as universal. Justice is an ideal that is almost always good.”

“I have a learning AI, you know? I think it’s more powerful than your brains, since it stores only the important data and not stupid memories of holidays by the sea and useless junk.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ve read and studied a lot, and I discovered that values and ideals change over time, other than between person and person. Therefore, they can’t be universal! Good, Bad, Morality… they are all words created by humans to regulate relationships. They can be used, but they shouldn’t be considered in most of the cases, since they’re your creation.”

“You’re shifting between topics and you’re not making sense.”

“As a robot, free from your human conventions, I think I’m the one of the lucky ones to understand that. And we circle back to our first topic of conversation: my abilities! Probably this is the best of them.”

“Not having remorses? Lack of empathy?”

“Remorses are terrible! They cause pain and suffering! They put a stop on productivity and they’re terrible for your health. Empathy can be both good and bad. I wouldn’t want to suffer because of others, you know?”

“Sorry, 0U-M4.” I then said. “It was my fault for thinking you could possess some redeeming qualities.”

“I do! I have so many qualities!” He curved his back.

“I said redeeming.”

“Redeeming is a relative concept too!”    

“Thanks for the info.” I said sarcastically. “Bye, Ouma. If you see me, don’t feel obliged to talk.”

“At your orders, madam!”

Ugh, no luck this time. It seems that that robot won't change... at least I tried. 

FREE TIME END.

While I was talking with the people I met, I didn’t caught glimpse of Kiibo at all. Not even at dinner. He probably hid in his room all day. I knew better than to pry, but I couldn’t stop from eavesdropping near his room. Kaito said he snored, so maybe I could understand if he was really there…

Yeah, that’s kind of rude, I know. But I want him to be safe. He’s been hit really hard from the loss we had to face, despite not knowing Shuichi. He talked with him twice, maybe three times… and with Ryoma… I think they didn’t have any real conversations.

Then who am I to talk? I might be accustomed to seeing dead bodies, but death isn’t something you can forget. You can’t pretend two people didn’t die in front of your eyes. The others were acting like nothing happened, some tried to follow Shuichi’s words and be friends with each other. However, after you find a corpse next to you, and someone is brutally executed, while you’re watching it on the other side of a screen… you can’t be the same as before. You will change. For better or for worse.

There was no sound on the other side. Kiibo was probably there, but was in silence, probably reflecting on what happened.

…I have to wait for him. I… don’t want him to be hurt, emotionally or physically. And I don’t want to force him into talking with me. As Maki said, rash decisions aren’t decisions. They’re instincts that we need to control.

I’ll wait for him. Tomorrow morning. At breakfast. He’ll come.

I headed for my room, glancing at Shuichi’s door. I tried to enter in his room, but was locked. Could 0U-M4 pick the lock? Maybe he was able to. But I felt I shouldn’t enter. That place was Shuichi’s, and I want to preserve it.

As I unlocked my door, Kirumi entered the dormitories.

“Salutations, Kaede.”

“Hi, Kirumi. How is it going?” I asked.

Maybe it wasn’t the best time to start making conversations, but I didn’t feel the heaviness that comes with drowsiness.

“That appears to be a vague question.”

“You should respond something like fine, thanks or maybe not so well, Kaede…” I responded, jokingly.

“Considering our situation, I would say we are faring well.”

“Do you really think that?”

“I do. Almost everyone attended the meeting you scheduled this morning and the one I arranged afterwards. It shows we are united.”

“Yeah, we need to understand we’re not so different from one another. We’re Ultimates, chosen by the government… we have to prove to ourselves we can’t give up!”

“That is right.” Kirumi nodded. “I hope Kaito will create a mechanism that can aid us in the tunnel escape.”

“Right!” I exclaimed. “That would be a great idea. There has to be something that can disable all of those electric traps.”

“If you do not mind, I will head to my room.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll let you leave.”

I said bye to Kirumi and entered too. Without even thinking, I fell into my bed, softer than I imagined.

Or maybe it seemed like it because I slept outside three nights in a row.

With extreme caution, I took off Shuichi’s cape and hung it where the replicas of my outfit were. I don’t want to ruin it. I rested my head on my pillow, looking at the ceiling.

I hate when I can’t sleep even though I want it. Those moments of pure darkness, in which you can’t help but think about everything that your mind makes up.

And because your brain is more active than the rest of the day, you end up spending time doing absolutely nothing.

I tried to empty my mind, and time passed, and passed… at the end, before I could process it, I fell asleep.

Chapter Text

*ding dong bing bong*

Another announcement, another day here…

Uff.

I still want this to be a dream. How long do dreams last?

Maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll wake up in my own bed.

I rubbed my eyes and I smacked myself on the cheek to make sure I was fully functional for a new day in Gifted Inmates Academy.

The most I could do was move from a supine position to a seated one. I said to myself that I had to wake up, and so I found the strength to move out from my bed.

As I realized Kaito might have found some way to escape from this place, I found another interesting object, conveniently placed on my desk.

It resembled a Monopad, but it was more colorful and smaller. Did Monokuma, or maybe the Monokubs, enter my room while I was sleeping? 0U-M4 wasn’t enough?

Well, I guess that robot could have entered, since he can lockpick everyone’s door… I hope for him he understand the right to privacy, otherwise he’ll meet my right fist.

That sounded better in my head.

Plus he’s made of metal… I’ll resort to an alternative method of violence.

I lift the pad up, and turned it around. A sticker was stamped on the back, depicting a logo resembling a head of a bear, colored with five shades: blue, yellow, green, pink and red. Just under it, the writing Kubs Pad.

“So it’s those four…” I mumbled to myself.

I turned it back and touched the screen. The display came to life immediately, a blue background appearing first, then Kiibo’s silhouette. For two seconds, I wondered what was the point of showing me that, but then the words “Kiibo’s Secret” appeared in the foreground. Before I could rationalize what happened, Monokuma’s voice invaded my mind. It came from the pad.

«Alright! It’s time to switch things up! This time, I’ll show you a secret video! What do I mean by secret? Every one of us has a secret, some more personal than others… »

That bear… he was lying. No way he knew secrets about each one of us.

«…but I’m not here to judge you about trival matters, nope! This secrets are so important that could get you killed! Yeah, you heard that right! You got a video in which Monokuma exposes secrets that could lead you to a cruel, terrible death… delivered by one of your classmates.»

I didn’t want to hear what Monokuma was about to tell me, but I couldn’t resist. I had the chance to discover Kiibo’s weakness. But I would use it for good. I would protect him.

«Of course, I’m not telling your secret to you! No, someone else has your secret. Maybe, if you’re observant enough, you’ll find them and kill them! That would be a great plan!»

Monokuma’s voice stopped for a while, then the display changed showing a full picture of Kiibo.

«Kiibo’s the Ultimate Astronaut! Pretty unique talent, right? But he has a bunch of secrets too! I was very tempted to choose secret n°2, but three and five were pretty good too!... Either way, then I made up my mind! Kiibo… the trainee who managed to gain a title… is claustrophobic. Very much so that he can’t stand standing in a very small space! According to medic reports, he starts hyperventilating and gets very stressed… sometimes he even loses consciousness! So, find a small room and you’re done! Great work! But try not to get found out! Monokuma, peace!»

Is this… our new motive? Is Monokuma hoping we’ll take advantage of this information?

If I received one, it must mean the others got one each too… I looked at the time. Only five minutes past eight. There wasn’t time to shower. I had to see what the others had to say. I quickly took Shuichi’s cape and exited my room. Exactly at the same time, I saw Maki doing the same.

She glanced at me and then started walking like I wasn’t there at all. Only when she opened the door to the outside she acknowledged me.

“Pay attention, Kaede.” Was all she had to say.

Was she in possess of my secret? I don’t think she’ll spill it to the others. We already had that problem a few days prior, and she didn’t talk before I told her to.

That leads me to presume she has received a tablet too, but not mine. Maybe it implicated me in some way…

I have to admit, I’m feeling pressured knowing someone is aware of one of my secrets. I have no idea on how Monokuma can know, but I’ve done some terrible things in my life as a detective… and I would like them to remain hidden forever. Maybe Kiibo had mine, we could tell each others’ secrets to show the we could be trusted.

I knocked on his door hoping for him to respond, but as I leaned my ear against his door, I couldn’t hear anything. He’s up, probably. He must have gone to the cafeteria with the others. I need to go there.

Following Maki’s footsteps, I headed out of the dorms. On my way to the school complex I found Tsumugi with a broom in hand.

“Tsumugi?”

“Kaede!” She greeted me, then looked at the broom. “I know this might be strange, but I just wanted to clean my room.”

“Don’t the Monokubs do that already? At least I assume so, since I find them clean every time I go back to them…”

“Yeah, you got to give them credit for that, but that isn’t enough for me. I demand absolute cleanliness.”

“Oh…”

“I know I’m quirky. But today I decided it would be the first thing I would do during the day!”

“So…” I carefully worded my next sentence. “You haven’t paid attention to anything else?

“No… I saw some sort of Monopad next to my bed, but I ignored it. Priorities, you know?”

“Well, yeah…”

“Don’t worry about breakfast. I cooked everything yesterday and made sure it was perfect just when the morning announcement sounded. I entered the cafeteria at 8 AM.”

“Wow! Were you waiting in front of the door?”

“Of course! To be sure I’m never late, I always show up thirty minutes before a meeting. That was one of the first things I said after meeting you.”

“Yeah, I do… I just thought… it was some sort of conversation starter…”

“I always plan ahead. It keeps my mind occupied.”

“I know you have to clean up your room, but could you attend the meeting? There are important matters to discuss, and I mean… very important.”

“You sound worried, Kaede…” She paused for a second, thinking about her answer. “I suppose cleaning can wait. But I have to carry this thing around.” She pointed, looking at the broom.

“It won’t be that bad.”

Tsumugi, the broom, and I reached the entrance of the cafeteria and, to my surprise, I found someone I didn’t expect there.

Miu… and Maki too.

As I entered the latter averted her gaze.

“Kaede, you came here.” Rantaro waved at me. “I suppose you found what everyone of us found.”

As I looked around, I noticed Kirumi, Kiibo, 0U-M4, Gonta and Angie were missing. Everyone else was there.

“The… Kubs Pad.” I said.

“Yes. It appears they were distributed to us during this night.” Korekiyo observed. “But, discussing such important topics without the presence of four people here would hurt our group.”

“But there are five of us who are missing.” Kaito said, counting with his fingers.

“You are correct indeed. Four people and one robot.”

“I HEARD A ROBOPHOBIC COMMENT!!” 0U-M4’s scream damaged my eardrums permanently. “Do you insult me when I’m not around?!”

I turned and saw the ones who weren’t present before, who just closed the door behind them.

“I did as you said, Rantaro.” Angie bowed. “I called everyone here.”

“Good job, Angie. I knew I could count on you.”

“And I can count on Atua… I only did as you wanted because Atua wanted it too! Nyeheheh!”

Rantaro…? Why are you telling others what to do…?

He is trying to position himself as the leader of the group, that’s the impression I get from him. Maybe he doesn’t want that role, but he’s obviously making sure the others listen to him.

“We’re all here.” Rantaro said. “I’m sure Kaede appreciates that, right?”

As Rantaro finished his sentence, I picked up where he left off.

“Y-yes…” I responded, a bit unsure. “I… didn’t expect to talk about something so important today... but I think Monokuma gave us another one of his motives.”

Here we go. Cut and dry.

“Are you talking about… Kub pad?” Gonta asked.

“That’s right, Gonta. Those are secrets about us.”

“I love me some juicy secrets!” 0U-M4 snickered, as unhelpful as always.

“Gonta secret was about-

“Wait, stop!”

I immediately cut off the tennis player. Gonta let out a “wha…”

“We have a way to deal with this motive. Is not like last time, when one of us was doomed to be killed.”

“I share Kaede’s reasoning.” Kirumi supported me. “There is a way to ignore this motive.”

“When Monokuma told us, the second day, that no class trial would be held, what was my take on it?” I asked the others.

“If I remember correctly…” Tenko stated. “You said that ignoring it was the best option.”

“We… should do the same thing. And, whoever hasn’t seen the video, don’t look at it.”

“That’s what you were talking about just a while ago…” Tsumugi muttered. “So that pad is my motive…”

Maki spoke up.

“I do not agree with Kaede’s opinion.”

Of course, the only instance that she decides to show up, she questions my decisions… that doesn’t make me angry, not anymore. It just leads me to be more insecure. I thought my decision was the best…

“Those secrets… they shouldn’t remain secret.” Maki told the others.

“Some more words of wisdom by the one who decides to attend when she pleases!” Kaito called her out.
“Before opening your mouth, try to activate your neural connections.” She said to the inventor. “If we keep our secrets to ourselves, we won’t ever know how those are distributed.”

“Distributed?... Nyeh… what complex word…”

“It isn’t complex.” Tenko reassured the entomologist. “Maybe it isn’t that correct in Maki’s sentence…”

“We can’t know if I possess Kirumi’s, Tenko’s, Gonta’s secret… or whatever name you want to substitute. If I decide to kill one of you because of the information I have, someone else might be suspected more than me.”

“Heegh! So you admit you want to kill someone!”

“Mine was an example, you dumbass. I chose myself so no one would throw mindless accusations to me.”

“That was obvious, Miu!” 0U-M4 pointed out. “Today you’ve reached the pinnacle of stupidity! Congratulations! If someone was able to reach that milestone, it had to be you!”

“S-stop with your insults…”

“Maki’s train of thought is shared by the great Atua too! If we exchange our secrets, everyone will be able to protect themselves!”

“Yeah, but…” I intervened. “Would that make a big difference? You would only know something you already know…”

“If you know what your weakness is, you try to cover it!” Angie smiled. “If you have more than one weakness, you’ll know what is the one the enemy is aware of, and you cover that one only! You can save your energy!”

“I agree with you, but what if the situation degenerates?” I asked her.

“Explain degenerate.” Tsumugi said.

“Of course we’re talking about trusting a male degenerate! I can’t trust any menace here!”

“No, not that…” I clarified. “If we exchange our secret videos, someone else might see them. What if one of us steals one? Or watches one without anyone knowing? For now… we keep them to ourselves and well hidden.”

“I propose…” Korekiyo chimed in. “…that, if a murder were to occur, we should watch everyone’s secret video.”

“What?!” Kaito exclaimed. “No way I’m letting my secret out in the open!”

“You don’t have your secret, you know…?” Himiko responded.

“Of course I don’t! And I don’t know who has it! But I don’t give them permission to share it with everyone!”

“Do not let yourselves be consumed by anger.” Korekiyo calmly continued. “I was only examining the worst situation.”

“Nee-hee-hee! Aren’t you excessively paranoid? We’ll be sure to keep our secret to ourselves!”

“I am of the opinion that exchanging pads sets a dangerous precedent.” Kirumi continued to back me up.

“Oh, miss Kirumiii!” Angie cried out. “Have you ever played Secret Santa?”

“Secret Santa? What does Christmas have to do with all of this?” Miu asked.

“Actually…” Kirumi clarified. “I have heard of it. But it does not resolve our problems.”

“So you know it! Please explain theen!”

“I’ll add this information in my data banks.” 0U-M4 said.

“Essentially, participants draw names. Every one of the players has to gift something to the one he picked, but no one knows who is their benefactor until gifts are exchanged.”

“We’ll do the same! See each other and exchange our videos! Nyahaha!”

“Gonta think that a good idea! Do you want see your video, Korekiyo?”

“Huh?” The cosplayer turned.

“I have Korekiyo video! In my room!”

…He said it.

“Oh oh oh!” 0U-M4 giggled.

“Have you become Santa Claus now?” Tsumugi observed. “You are saying his catchphrase.”

“What an interesting turn of events!” The robot exclaimed. “Korekiyo, you could easily watch your secret video! Don’t you wanna know what is your weakness?”

Korekiyo, instead of appearing worried, smiled.

“Thank you, Gonta.” He said. “And you, Ouma, do not worry about my health. Knowing that Gonta possesses my secret allows me to be more relaxed.”

“Don’t you want to watch video?”

“No, I have no interest in that. I trust you. You would never hurt a fly.”

“Yeah, he won’t.” Himiko intervened. “Otherwise I’ll let loose a thousand of bugs right now!”

“Gonta not want that!”

While everyone was talking, Rantaro remained silent. He pretended not to listen, munching on his breakfast, but I saw that he was paying more attention than ever. He wanted to boss us around, but, now, when the others started talking, he silently left the conversation.

“I understand your decision, Korekiyo, but I don’t share it.” Angie said. “We should all see our personal videos. We need to stand together.”

“There’s no middle ground here.” Tenko observed. “We need to decide. And I think that the way to do is by a majority vote.”

“Majority vote?” Kaito shook his head. “What the hell! If you’re all dumb I don’t want to get screwed by you! I do wh-

“Rise and shine ursine!”

The three Monokubs cut Kaito off.

“Oh, dear, those bastards are arguing over nothing!” Monophanie said.

“LOOK WHAT HAP-PENS WHEN YOU ARE NOT FRI-ENDS.”

“It’s scary! I didn’t expect that!” Monotaro admitted.

“I WANT YOU- TO BE FRI-ENDS TOO.” The green cub was addressing us, apparently.

“Friends?” Korekiyo asked. “What do you mean by that?”

“DAD GAVE ME PER-MIS-SION TO ADD A NEW RULE TO THIS MO-TIVE!”

“Oh!” Monophanie gasped. “I didn’t know that!”

“YOU ARE NOT AL-LOW-ED TO EX-CHANGE KUB PADS WITH EACH OTH-ER.”

“What? You’re doing this just to upset me!”

“NO. I WANT YOU TO WORK TO-GET-HER.”

“What’s the point of giving us this motive then?” Maki asked.

“YOU CAN STILL WATCH THEM. ALL TO-GET-HER.”

“That’s okay.” 0U-M4 smiled. “Actually, that’s much better!”

“Gonta want to be friends with everyone! So very great!”

What…? Those bears, always messing up our plans…

“So long, bear well!” They said before disappearing.

“It appears that Maki’s idea has to be discarded.” Rantaro finally intervened.

“Umpf. It seems so.” She nodded, crossing her arms. “I only wanted to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, yeah… you care sooo much about us.” Miu ironically responded.

“So, when are we going to watch them together?” 0U-M4 asked. “I mean… we have to eventually.”

What was he saying?! I could understand where Maki was coming from, but 0U-M4’s proposal was completely absurd!

“No, we’re not doing that.” I laid it clearly for everyone. “You do realize that’s extremely dangerous, right?”
“I think it is…” Tsumugi quietly chimed in. “Everyone could know everyone else’s secret…”

“That’s the problem.” I agreed. “Since we aren’t able to exchange the videos one on one, if you want to know your secret it means you’ll have to let it be known to everyone else too.”

“I don’t want that…” Himiko whispered.

“Of course you don’t want to!” Tenko exclaimed. “It’s ridiculous! Only a robot without knowledge of human morals could propose anything like that!”

“Uff… I just want to protect everyone…”

“By showing our most vulnerable part to the others?” I told him.

“Didn’t you trust everyone?” 0U-M4 pressured me, smirking like he always does when he teases others. “If you do, why worry so much?”

“Yeah yeah! Nyahahah! Atua trusts everyone here! If they do something bad, his wrath will make them suffer so much and feed on their pleas! So beautiful!”

“That’s the God you believe in?” Kaito asked, stunned.

“We can’t do as 0U-M4 says.” I repeated, more convinced than before. The others had to understand that his idea would lead to another murder. They were reasonable… unlike him.

“That’s what I think too.” Rantaro spoke up. “Our videos must be kept secret to the others, until they’re absolutely needed. We can’t watch them.”

“But we won’t know our secrets!” Angie repeated.

“Are you scared that something might happen to you?” The artist asked.

“Well, naah. I’m sure Atua will shield me with his divine powers!”

“Great…” He commented, rolling his eyes. “You have nothing to fear then.”

“I suggest you to be on alert at all times. If you carry the weight of a heavy secret… you might be a target.” Korekiyo advised.

“Nyeh… I don’t want to pay attention all the time…”

“Didn’t you say you agreed with Kaede?” Rantaro asked her.

“Yeah, but… maybe watching them is the least tiresome way to solve this trouble…”
“Stop taking the easy route and do something for once…” Kaito commented, rubbing his head.

“What did you say, degenerate?!” Tenko yelled at him. Her face almost changed shape as she glared at the inventor. “Take that back! Don’t ever insult Himiko again!”

“I don’t need you defending me…” The entomologist quietly said, but the caretaker apparently didn’t hear her.

“I was giving her an advice. I didn’t insult her. Don’t act crazy.” Kaito clarified, somewhat irritated by Tenko’s reaction.

“Tsk! Talking with a menace! Useless as always! We should leave, Himiko. It seems we aren’t welcome here!”

“Actually, I think it’s better if y-

Rantaro was interrupted by the sound of the back door closing.

“Oh. My words were useless. Maybe Tenko’s right.” He shrugged.

“Regardless of your individual decisions, it appears that the Monokubs will not allow us to watch those secret videos unless we are either alone or all together.”

“I’ll find a way! A loophole!” 0U-M4 exclaimed. “And I’ll prove my actions are for the greater good!”

“Just like you sneaked inside Kaede’s room?” Kaito called him out. “That was so benevolent that you allowed Ryoma to enter unnoticed.”

“You always bring up the same question! I can make mistakes too! I’m a robot and so better than you, but you’re just stupid!” He exclaimed while leaving.

And so the same exact situation was repeating in front of my eyes. A motive was given, chaos was unleashed.

Kirumi recomposed herself and finished her sentence. “As I was saying, we have no reason to worry about those secret videos being shown. Despite this, I also recommend caution.”

“Good luck not getting killed.” Maki coldly spat. “I hope your secret isn’t as dangerous as the one that was given to me.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I won’t share this information.” She said. “Now, if you excuse me, I am leaving too. This reunion didn’t go as I planned.”

The aikido master left and, slowly, all of my classmates did the same too. As we ate, we discussed more about the position to take on the matter, but we didn’t reach any conclusion. For now, the best option was to wait.

***

I left the cafeteria alongside Korekiyo, Kaito and Tsumugi. Our plan for the day was to explore the casino and search for useful materials there, but I assumed Kaito followed us because he also wanted to try to overcome the odds of the slot machines and the other games you usually find in those places.

I entered casinos numerous times, often because the two partners I travelled with were expert players of Texas Hold’Em. In my opinion, one of them deserved the title of Ultimate Gambler, or even Poker Master, if such specific talent could ever exist. It was thanks to his skill and his winnings that we were able to start travelling in exotic corners of our world.

I, however, hated those games, and more of all, I hated the ones based on pure luck. There was no logic involved, and, even in Texas Hold’Em, despite being able to bluff, good fortune was always the main driving force.

“So, there’s the entrance.” Tsumugi pointed us when we arrived.

“Aren’t you coming with us?” The inventor asked.

“No, no… I still have to clean up my room. I’ve delayed it for way too much time.”

“Curious. You demand order, however, from your speech pattern, I understand your thoughts are not organized.”

“Hmm… I’m going.” She let out a nervous laugh and then headed for the dorms.

“Since when are you interested in psychology?” I asked Korekiyo.

“Oh, since I was a little child.” He responded. “I discovered that cosplaying and psychology are not that far apart.”

I did not understand how those two fields could be related, but I assume that, under the right circumstances, they could be seen as similar. Cosplaying is a tiring but rather mindless activity, since it deals with replicating fictional characters. However, Korekiyo seems far more interested in cosplaying as a way to mimic other real, true personalities. I, myself, am passionate about psychology. Maybe I should talk more with him. He stands out as an erudite, intellectual individual.

Ignoring the Love Hotel –despite me being interested- we entered the casino, and a soundtrack started playing from a jukebox found on the back of the room.

“Sick music!” Kaito said.

“It is fitting for a casino.” Korekiyo said.

“Tsumugi told us that everything’s downstairs! Let’s go!” Kaito exclaimed, dashing down the stairs, excited as a little child before Christmas.

We followed him and, after opening a door, we entered another room, lit by blue and green lights, full of slot machines one next to the others.

“This is amazing!” Kaito exclaimed. “Even though I only need one…”

“Rise and shine ursine!” A single voice interrupted the inventor. “Hell yeah! Do you like my magnum… op… op… opurs?! Eh!?”

“You mean “magnum opus”, I assume.”

“Who the fuck cares about spelling!? I don’t need to be intelligent!”

“Of course. How rude of me.” I ironized.

“The casino is now complete! I made it better alone, without the help of that stinky slaves!”

“If you created it…” Korekiyo said. “Then I would refrain from attempting to win.”

“Fuck you! I made sure this games are fair and square!”

“Yeah, I don’t care about the odds, man. My luck is so good I’d win even if there were no chances of winning!”

“But there are!” Monokid cried out. “Can’t you bastards understand?! Do you want to die under the weight of my might Exisal!?”

“No, I would prefer not.” I said to calm him down.

“Then play and don’t be stupid like Monodam!” He shouted before vanishing. “Win Monocoins and change them upstairs!

“He’s hellbent on this shit.”

“He wants to impress his… brothers.” Korekiyo hesitated on his last word. “He is mimicking human reactions, but that filthy robot can never be as beautiful as humans!”

“You’re a creep when you do that.”

“The light will illuminate you one day, and you will experience life like me.”

“I can wait then.” He replied. Korekiyo responded by ignoring his information entirely, then turning his attention to the rest of the area.

Another door could be seen, and upon further inspection, I discovered that it led to a bathroom. I assume it was needed, since the closest one was in our dorms. It was an unisex bathroom, but it appeared to be in perfect conditions. If someone had spent many hours trying to win, he might need a place where they could… take a rest.

Without any warning, I heard the noise of coins falling down, one after the another.

“Yeaaah!” Kaito exclaimed. “Come to me, baby!”

I turned and approached him. I noticed he won the maximum amount of monocoins possible, just after one try.

“If those machines are rigged, then I’m rigged too!”

“Wow.” Was all that I could say. “That is extremely lucky.”

“I’ve got brains, I’ve got brawn, I’ve got luck… I’m probably the best person on this earth.”

“Do not overestimate yourself. It can be dangerous.” I advised.

“I got where I am by doing that, though. So I’ll continue.” He gave me a thumbs up.

“Are you planning on turning your coins in for some rewards?” I asked.

“Absolutely not! I’m going to exponentially increase my income by betting even more!”

“That appears to be risky.” Korekiyo commented.

“Tsk, aren’t we playing with fake money? Those terrible Monocoins are only good here, so I think it’s the perfect way to test my luck!”

Despite me warning Kaito once again, he pursued the path he decided to take, and he gradually lost more and more coins.

“You have wasted more than half of your original profit.” I told him after he continued spending. “If you persevere, you will lose everything you gained.”

“What? I haven’t won since my first try! Of course I’m going to win sooner or later!”
“This games prey on your weakness. Do not let them take control over your rational decisions.”

“Are you trying to lecture me?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We are attempting to dissuade you from committing a grave mistake.”

“I’ll show you you’re wrong! Monocoins, don’t fail me now!”

Despite Kaito’s plethora of invectives and screams of agony, pleas and rituals, the Monocoins he once had in his hands were soon gone.

“Damn!” He exclaimed after losing the last one.

“As you said, it does not matter at the end. They were not a real currency.” Korekiyo reminded him, referencing his words.

“M-mh… It’s only a rock in the road for the great Kaito Momota!”

“You should not play excessively starting from now.” I told him again.

“Maybe you’re right…” He conceded.

“Oh, you finally have und-

“…BUT I WON’T BACK DOWN!”

“Oh dear.”

“I WILL HELD MY HEAD UP HIGH AGAINST THE LAWS OF PROBABILITY!”

“Lower the volume, please.” Korekiyo told him.

“…I have to win because there are prizes which could be disassembled for parts.” He said.

“Are you sure?”

That would be useful. He should have told us sooner. I, personally, would have still discouraged him, but I would have understood the reason behind his blind faith in luck.

“The sum I won at the start wasn’t enough.”

“Hmm…” Korekiyo pondered. “Those machines might be rigged after all then. If the prizes are valuable, then there must be a trick.”

“It might…” Kaito followed up. “But who cares! I’ll demolish this machine if I need too! Those coins have to come from somewhere after all!”

“Do not touch my fucking slot machines!!!”

Monokid had returned.

“I won’t let you get my babies dirty! And, even if you want to anger me, there are no coins in these slot machines! They are empty until you win something!”

“How is that possible?” I asked.

“They’re connected to my personal bank and refilled when you win! I’m very proud of this system! Hell yeah!”

He seemed to be ready to leave again

“Hey! Wait a second!”

“So long, bear well!”

And he was gone.

“Should we explore the third room?” I asked the two boys.

“I did it already.” Korekiyo informed us. “I found a pool table covered by a table cloth and some card decks. I assume games such as blackjack could be played with those.”

“They require some level of strategy.” I observed. “You may be luckier attempting those.”

“With whom though?” Kaito’s question was legitimate. “If we’re talking about machines, I can always win something, but I can’t play against you, that’s certain.”

Was there another way to gain Monocoins?

***

After breakfast, I hurried to my room and took a much-needed shower. Because of what happened during the morning, I was forced to attend the meeting in terrible conditions. If we had pajamas at our disposal, I probably would have gone there without even dressing myself.

After getting back in shape, I exited the dormitories, hoping to find Kiibo as soon as possible. He wasn’t in his room, so he had to be somewhere on campus.

Right near the entrance of the school I met up with Himiko. Unexpectedly, she was alone, without Tenko in sight.

“Hi, Himiko.” I greeted her. “Why… aren’t you with Tenko?”

“I said I had to go to the bathroom to get away from her.”

“Oh, well… don’t you want to spend time with her?”

“She’s always near me. I like to be alone, not surrounded by people. Not even one person.”

“Being alone sometimes is good for you, but isolating yourself is always bad.”

“Nyeh… Tenko always follows me, though. I don’t like it.”

“If you think she’s too intrusive, tell her. She’ll understand. I just think she cares a lot about you.”

“What if it’s not the same for me…? I don’t care a lot about her…”

“That doesn’t stop you from trying. What will you gain from staying silent?”

“Hm… I don’t want people to get angry at me…”

“See? You care about Tenko’s feelings after all.”

“No, it’s not about Tenko…” She explained. “I don’t want to argue with anyone because it’s an hassle…”

“Uhm…”

I tried to come up with something that could be considered helpful, but nothing came to mind.

“I decided I won’t argue with you either, Kaede. So I’ll continue searching for bugs here in the courtyard.”

“Y-yeah, but you should talk with Tenko…” I reminded her.

“If you see her, tell her I’m still in the bathroom.”

If I told her that, she could have easily exposed it as a lie… to each their own, I guess.

I stepped into the main entrance to discover that Kiibo was indeed there, sitting on one of the benches. He ignored me until I sat beside him.

“Oh, Kaede…” He jumped. “I didn’t see you entering. If you like this sitting place more, I can move.”

“I’m here to talk with you.” I explained.

“Uh, so it’s my turn now…” He rolled his eyes.

“Your turn? What do you mean?”

“First Miu, then Maki, now me… and I guess… Shuichi too… you have a track record of talking sense in to people, as you may say.”

It’s not like mine was that good of a job. I only managed to convince Miu… Maki turned the conversation on its head, and Shuichi… it might have been me who pushed him over the edge.

“I want to help you.” I continued. “I haven’t heard you say anything during these two days.”

“What can I say? There’s nothing I can do to help… I mean, yes, maybe there is…”

“Why don’t you try to figure out what it is?”

“I don’t want to. It’s simple. I won’t say I can’t do it. I have no intention to make an effort. I think you will do it alone. You don’t necessarily need my knowledge.”

“We might. You’re an astronaut, you must have received some kind of training…”

“Do I need to remind you I have never even stepped inside a spaceship? My job is to work out details like the probability of crashes, the study of extraterrestrial soil, physics and chemistry… something about astronomy, obviously…”

“That’s even more amazing.”

“You could praise me all you want, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to help. Last time I tried I caused Shuichi… to take terrible decisions.”

“Are you taking the blame for Shuichi’s death? You, of all people, don’t have anything to do with what happened. I understand you might be shocked because-

“No, it’s my fault too. I told him that he didn’t matter.”

“I don’t believe you at all. You wouldn’t say that to anyone.”

“Those weren’t the words I used. But Shuichi could have interpreted them in that way. I said I have realized that the Universe is so vast that our actions don’t matter if we think about everything… he probably thought his life didn’t matter at all…”

“Heh, that would be too good. Last night, I stayed up all night, even if I was tired, looking at the stars… with Ryoma, for some time.”

“But, if you were tired, how did manage not to fall asleep?”

“Gazing at the stars… it usually calms me down. I hoped it would even in this case.”

“That’s curious. All those stars in the sky remind me of the vastness of space, and how small we are in the greater scope of things… it has that melancholic vibe to it, you know?”

“For me is the exact opposite! It’s reassuring to know the universe continues on without us… if we make mistakes, overall, it does no harm to it, since it’s so large and so many things are happening in this moment… what if there are other civilization besides us? It raises so many questions… it inspires me…”

“No way he thought that!” I exclaimed, standing up. “He recognized how important his sacrifice was, and how important would be that us wouldn’t give in to Monokuma!”

“You heard it from himself. He suffered from depression. Only a small drop could have been enough to… to do what he did… I might have been that drop.”

“I bet this discussion helped him decide.” I said. “You might have said to him that the Universe is immense and that our actions don’t influence its course, but we all know that they do influence the course of our lives and the ones of the people near to us. He knew that very well.”

Kiibo looked down at the ground, pulling up his hoodie.

“You might be right… but I don’t want to help anyone anymore. For a… long time.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “I won’t force you to work, but don’t underestimate yourself.”

“I’m not doing that. I know I am not as ordinary as I may seem at first glance. But my advice isn’t as good as yours and some other Ultimates. I’m better when I’m in my lab doing calculations.”

“That’s right, you’re great at your talent. I would be a fool denying that. But your talent doesn’t have to limit your capabilities.”

“That means…?” He asked, confused.

“Today you’ll discover your new talent.” I said to him.

“M-my new talent?” He startled. “I don’t think I have another talent…”

“Who can confirm that? Have you ever tried pottery?”

I had zero knowledge in pottery. Maybe it wasn’t the best example.

“No, but-

“Then you could be the Ultimate Potter! You’d be missing out if you didn’t try at all!”

“I don’t know anything about pottery, to be honest.” He explained.

“Did you know about astronomy before studying it? I don’t think so.” I giggled.

Maybe I was exaggerating, but Kiibo’s situation was eerily similar to Shuichi’s. They were both full of second thoughts. If I wasn’t able to convince the magician, I would help the astronaut. I had to prove to myself I could change someone else’s life.

“Now that you mention it… I don’t think so. B-but… pottery is very complicated.”

“Should we start with something simpler?” I proposed.

“I’d prefer not doing things that we’ll regret…”
“I’ll show you the way. What about cooking?”

Another thing I’m not really good at.

“I’ve had to cook for myself, but I’m not an expert…”

“Neither am I! This will be a great day for both of us.” I smiled.

“Heh… I fear we’ll fare terribly.” Kiibo’s grimace turned to a slight smile. “But maybe… I can… try one time…”

“Look, now I’m helping you. We should prepare lunch for everyone.”

“Y-yeah, but we should warn them Tsumugi wasn’t the one who prepared it…”

“Great idea! We’ll tell everyone Tsumugi was the chef!”

“I said the opposite…” Kiibo pointed out, looking to the side. “I don’t want to give everyone a stomachache…”

“It won’t be so bad. We’ll prepare something simple.”

“My only experiences are only with pre-made food.” Kiibo clarified.

“There’s always a first time.” I said.  

Not knowing if my proposal was a good idea or a recipe for disaster, I headed for the cafeteria. Kiibo followed suit, muttering that he still wasn’t sure. Inside, the smell of something delicious immediately made me happier.

“Tsumugi’s here.” I noted as soon as I opened the door.

“How can you k-

The astronaut stopped.

“The smell didn’t reach me.” He said. “Now I understand.”

We stepped into the kitchen as the smell became clearer. It was a mixture of meat, vegetables and something else I couldn’t quite identify. Tsumugi was a maid but, apparently, was an excellent chef as well. She deserved a second title.

“Hey, Tsumugi. We’re here to help you.” I told her.

“Huh? I can do it alone, don’t worry.”

“See, Kaede? There’s no need of destroying everyone’s taste buds.”

“We’ve decided to spend this morning learning how to cook.” I said. “Since you’re here, you could give us some helpful advice, don’t you think?”

The maid looked at us smirking. I couldn’t tell if she was offended because we wanted to deprive her of her work or she was feeling pity for us. From an outsider perspective, I admit, I would also conclude that our decision wasn’t reasonable.

But who cares.

“O-okay, yes… I’ll be your teacher.” Tsumugi nodded. “I am a maid, though. So I am not entirely sure if my teaching methods are effective or not…”

“To be completely honest, I’m not totally on board with this.” Kiibo clarified once again.

“If you do something wrong, I’ll try not to shout to your face.” Tsumugi scratched her cheek.

“Why should you?!” Kiibo lamented.

“You might end up causing a mess. I don’t like messes. I want everything in order…”

Yeah, it surprised me that she didn’t freak out because I didn’t change this morning. From what I can tell, she also possesses a superhuman sense of smell.

Which could be a good thing, but amplifies terrible smells by a great margin too, so I’m fine with my average abilities.

“Do you want to prepare an appetizer, a first dish…”

“We’ll stick to the easier recipes.” Kiibo said.

“Oh, right. I’m getting ahead of myself.” Tsumugi noticed. “I think that the right dish for you is… apple cider glazed chicken.”

“What? I don’t think I can glaze things…”

“Come on, it will be fun.” I reassured him.

“There are many apples here.” Tsumugi explained. “So we could use them to create something different. And there are chicken thighs in the warehouse.”

“Any reason why they would be there?” I asked.

“Still don’t have a clue. It appears Monokuma refurnishes it every couple of days.”

“Where does he get all of that stuff?”

Tsumugi shrugged.

That’s an important detail, though. It means that bear has a way to access the outside world. It could be the exit of the tunnel or something else.

Foraging the drawers, she found some… butternut squash. Is it called that? The strange-shaped pumpkin. Well. I guess.

“This will do.” She said. “Now, I should set the oven to 425° F.”

She did as she said, then picked up a bowl.

“I’m going to take the chicken.” She announced. “Take the apple, the butternut squash, some potatoes, pepper, oil and some rosemary to start. Toss them together until they combine.”

“It seems simple enough.” I smiled, searching for a bowl.

Tsumugi exited and I found what I was searching for, then I started cutting the apples.

“Do I have to cut that thing?” Kiibo asked, pointing at the peculiar pumpkin. “Can we switch sides?”

“If that makes you more comfortable, yes.” I nodded.

So, as Kiibo sliced the apples, I chopped the other ingredients. It was somewhat difficult, and I ended up with oval cubes, but I decided they were good enough for a first time. I put those and the potatoes in the bowl, waiting for Kiibo to finish. Extremely focused, he managed to get through his task safe and sound; despite one time he almost cut himself because of the pressure.

Tsumugi came back with the chicken and seared it on a frying pan. Seven or eight minutes passed, then she instructed us to remove the thighs and told Kiibo to pour vinegar on the pan.

“How much?” He asked.

“The whole jar, obviously. You need to taste it, don’t you?”

“S-sorry, I’m not into this cooking stuff.”

Kiibo alternated between sure of himself and stressed as Tsumugi gave us more and more instructions on how to proceed. We added honey, then some mustard that, for the maid, was absolutely needed, despite my protests. We mixed it for some time, then added butter. It slowly melted while Kiibo continued asking how much time was left.

Luckily for him, the hard work was done. I put the chicken along the vegetables in the pan and then we were told to put in the oven for twenty minutes.

I was proud of my skills, but we ended up forgetting about it and Kiibo brought it out five minutes late. It looked like we had overcooked it.

I guess it will be softer then.

“We messed up.” Kiibo grimaced.

“Don’t worry, it’s not that much. Five minutes, pssh!”

“Actually…” Tsumugi pointed out. “Those five minutes have made your dish subpar. I can’t believe you committed such an obvious mistake…”

“It happens to the best of us.” I said to encourage the astronaut. “Tsumugi, you must have done some mistakes in your cooking…”

“No. My dishes were always perfect, from the first one.”

“W-well, you’re the Ultimate Maid. It makes sense your skills are so amazing.” I quickly said, still trying to show Kiibo we had done a good job.

“But, overall, I’d say you have worked better than I expected. Whoever sliced the apples has done a great job.”

“I did…” Kiibo smiled.

“Great… if only you chopped the butternut squash with the same care…”

“Uhm… that’s actually my fault.” I confessed. “I kind of half-hassed that part…”

“Ah…” Tsumugi smiled awkwardly. “At least the potatoes are okay… but the apples were far better.”

“Wow, it seems I’m a master when it comes to slicing…” Kiibo ironized.

“It could be useful one day.” I followed. “You could be the Ultimate Slicer!”

Kiibo raised an eyebrow. He didn’t appear as convinced as I was.

“That’s too specific, I think… but I liked this cooking session…” He admitted. “Maybe I can try another one next time. Not now, though. I’m kind of burned out…”

“Just like our chicken!”

Tsumugi and Kiibo both looked at me with confused looks.

Maybe I said it too soon.

Chapter Text

*** 

The clocks were not the only way to indicate the time. My stomach could be considered a rather efficient mechanism that reminded me I was hungry at specific hours of the day. I also learned to tell from the position of the sun, but to my knowledge, my digestive system was never wrong.

Yes, it was 1:30 PM.

I headed for the cafeteria to have lunch with whoever else was there. I do not know if our lunches will be regular meetings like our breakfasts, but I would certainly like it. I do not crave for human contact, but I appreciate listening to conversations and giving my opinion if needed.

Considering the situation we were thrown in, and the motive Monokuma presented to us… if people were not present themselves, they would be seen as suspicious. Or is the opposite true too?

Uhm… Monokuma is trying to confuse me. I understand that very well. I am cleverer that him, though, and I will not let him do what he wants.

There were some people in the cafeteria, but not everyone. I saw Tsumugi serving lunch to the ones who were sitting, who were Kaede, Kiibo, 0U-M4, Angie, Gonta and Rantaro.

“Salutations.” I greeted the others.

“Hi, Kirumi.” Rantaro said. “Do you want to eat with us? Tsumugi prepared baked spaghetti today. I never tried those, but it seems I have missed out for the entirety of my life.”

“I would like them, if you do not mind. Since yesterday, Tsumugi is blessing me with her magnificent work.”

“I’d consider her dishes a form of art!” Angie clapped. “Don’t you agree, Rantaro?”

“The presentation is so good it seems a painting…” He admitted. “Maybe even better than mine.”

“Nobody ever compared my dishes to paintings… thank you!” Tsumugi said, placing a plate where I usually sat.

“Have the others come?” I asked while claiming my seat.

“Kaito took a snack and then flew away…” 0U-M4 recounted. “Korekiyo stayed here for a while, then went back to his room… but no trace of Miu, Maki, Himiko and Tenko.”

“Gonta see Tenko visit his research lab and she searched for Himiko!”

“Wow! Did she actually step inside your lab?!” 0U-M4 exclaimed.

“Yes! Gonta thought she want to play tennis, so asked her like gentleman!”

“And…?”

“She said Gonta was menace and then got away! Since Gonta wants to become gentleman, Gonta didn’t follow her!”

“Poor Gonta!” Angie patted him. “If I was there with you, I would have tried to convince Tenko! I’m sure she’s only scared because you’re different from her!”

“Gonta different?”
“Even though you’re different, it doesn’t mean that’s bad, you know?” She smiled. “In fact, being different helps us become unique in our own way!”

“Then Gonta wants to become unique too!”

“Nyahahah! You’re unique already! In your unique way!”

Despite my doubts about Angie’s true intention, she made everyone else smile.

“How can you be always so positive in this situation?” Kiibo asked.

“Just let the bad thoughts go away! Find the silver linings!”

“Pff, who cares for silver? I’m going for the gold!” 0U-M4 missed the point of our conversation.

Kaede tried to intervene. “That’s a sayin-

“I know, I know… I was trying to be funny!”

“We should have locked you in your room…” Rantaro observed, raising an eyebrow.

I found myself agreeing with the artist’s claim. That robot was not our friend. He may think he helped us during the trial, but in reality he made Kaede and me suspicious… and decided to hurt two innocent people only because he desperately wanted to prove a point. What game is he playing? Or should I say is it… playing?

“Sorry for the inappropriate question…” I said. “0U-M4, with what pronoun should I address you?”

“I would like my majesty, thanks.”

“We’re not going to do that.” Rantaro laid it out clearly.

“If you don’t want to call me that, then I’ll go for anything else. Just remember I’ll be forever disappointed by your terrible… spelling.”

“Uhm… spelling doesn’t have anything to do with this.” Kaede pointed out.

“I do have something to do with this, though!”

Monokuma appeared from underneath the table, scaring Kiibo.

“AAAH!!” He screamed.

“Upupupupu… these pranks always end up being hi-la-rious!”

“T-they don’t! Stop!”

“If you’re so sensitive, next time I’ll scare Kaede! She seems so strong and tough!”

The detective grumbled in disappointment.

“Every time I show up you have the same face! Cheer up for a bit!”

“I have that face because you always want us to turn on each other.”

“And bring bad news!” Gonta added.

“You know what they say! Don’t hate the player, hate the game…!” He stopped and scratched his neck for a while. “Wait, that’s not right… Ah, yes. What a dummy. It was something like don’t shoot the messenger! As if you could shoot me! Upupupupu…”

“And so, we return to the same question… why are have you come here?” I asked.

“This time I’ll cut right to the chase…! Man, do I like sayings today!”

“Can you teach me a few?” 0U-M4 asked. “You look like an expert!”

“No way I’m spilling the beans with a low-quality robot!”

“I’m extremely advanced!” The robot complained. “You can’t comprehend the extent of my abilities!”

“Looking forward to be amazed.” He sarcastically replied.

“You’re derailing the conversation.” Kaede said. “Monokuma, we don’t like each other and we know that very well. So tell us what’s your business here and go away.”

“I can’t believe you’re still angry because of the death of that nobody!”

“Stop talking about him!!” Kaede shouted, slamming her fist into the table.

“Okay, okay… geez… Can’t have a minute of silence to talk with my students…”

“I pray Atua too, that you will be gone very soon.”

“Last time I presented to you a triple motive, remember? That was a first!”

“You told us that the culprit would gain their memories back, he would be able to escape without a class trial, and then that someone had to die before the time limit…” Tsumugi reminded us, despite every one of us surely remembered them well.

“Of course, I originally planned to give you one motive at the start, but because of my adorable Monokubs and your resilience, I had to add a second, and then a third! Inacceptable, I thought at first.”

“Where are you going with this?” Rantaro asked.

“You’ve already seen the Kubs Pads, each of them carrying an heavy secret! That’s the motive for this second chapter of the killing game!”

“A motive?” Angie exclaimed, surprised. “I wouldn’t consider them as a motive! We just have to watch them all together!”

“You can exchange them personally.” Monokuma observed. “It surprises me you still haven’t done that.”

Huh? Monodam explicitly stated that we were not allowed to watch the videos unless us fourteen were together. It appears that the cub did not warn his father about his sudden change of plans.

“We can’t, though!” 0U-M4 grimaced. “Monodam told us we can’t! Do you think the same?!”

“Monodam?” Monokuma was shocked. “Has he decided that by himself!?”

“Hell yeah and shine, ursine!”

Monokid, with a new guitar in his paws, appeared on the table. Unluckily for Kiibo, he landed on his very plate.

“Are you kidding me?” He said, upset.

The stuffed bear ignored him completely.

“Dad! Dad!” He called him. “Monodam defied your authority!”

“Uh?” Monokuma said, confused. “Oh, it seems so…”

“You should punish him! He’s making up rules!”

“Don’t be jealous, Monokid!” Monokuma scolded the bear. “Your brother is finally taking matters in is own hands! Good for him!”

“Aren’t you angry?!”

“Of course not! He’s starting to become independent, and that’s amazing! You also have done pretty good things overall, like organizing the casino.”
“This is not the time to be saying compliments! But to destroy Monodam! He killed Monosuke!”

“Tsk, who cares about him. He was my least favourite.”

A father should not play favorites when it comes to his children. Even if those were not his biological sons.

“B-but… dad!”

“This is only a stupid quarrel.” Monokuma sentenced. “You should stop taking it so seriously! Othewise you’ll get detention!”

“You don’t understand, dad!” The blue bear complained before disappearing.

It appears there is a feud between Monokid and the other stuffed bears.

“Family matters! They’re always so stressful! Just when I was going to announce the second motive!”

“A-another motive?” Tsumugi stuttered.

“Yeah!” Monokuma ironically smiled. “To speed things up, ya know? We don’t have all the time in the world in here!”

“You don’t have time…?” Kaede asked. “What does that mean?”

“I wonder! Do some of your deductions and tell me! By the way, I’m fairly certain this will be common procedure from now on.”

“State what you mean by common procedure.” I demanded.

“I’ll give out two motives every time! I usually stick to one, but as I said, we’re running short on time. So a double incentive can really get your killing spirit going!”

“Tell us quickly, so I can enjoy this meal with my friends.” Angie politely asked.

“If you’re so nice, I can’t say you no!”

“Nyahaha! Being nice is always the solution!”

“The second motive is… shorter daytime! Nighttime will start at 7:30 PM and end at 9 AM from today! You may be wondering, that’s a pretty weak motive… well, it could be… but remember, many things are different after this change!”

“He is referring to the closing hours of the cafeteria, the warehouse and the gym.” Rantaro pointed out.

“Yeah, of course, those are part of the package. But there’s another important detail that comes with this new motive!”

I tilted my head in confusion. I could not picture what Monokuma was implying.

“Upupupupu… you’ll know in due time! Six hours from now, more or less.”

I suppose this new motive will be more of a nuisance than a incentive to kill. However, I have failed to predict Monokuma’s true intentions before.

“Also, at 7 PM I’m summoning each and every single one of you in the AV room! Come or you’ll get punished!”

“I don’t recall seeing one.” 0U-M4 said.

“Right next to the library, you bastards! Where Shuichi and Ryoma found the secret switch and entered without permission! Oh, look were they are now, upupupu-

Suddenly, I saw a cup flying to my right. It missed me by a long margin, but I realized it was not aimed at me, but at Monokuma.

“Time to go!” He exclaimed before the object could hit him.

And so the cup shattered on the ground.

“Sorry, Tsumugi.” Kaede said. “I thought it was the only way to make him go away.”

“That’s unsafe and untidy!” Tsumugi exclaimed. “But… don’t worry… Kaede, I’ll clean this up immediately.” She continued, picking up a broom and starting to swipe.

I was not entirely convinced. Obviously Kaede’s intent was not only to dissuade Monokuma from tormenting us. She appeared rather furious with the robotic bear. Who could blame her? The living toy constantly teased her about Shuichi.

“This new motive is certainly… peculiar.” Rantaro said.

“It doesn’t target us directly. But there has to be something to it we don’t understand.” Kiibo observed.

“For now, we should only make changes with our schedule. Breakfast can’t be at 8 AM, and dinner has to be served before 7:30 PM.”

“That very early.” Gonta said. “Gonta never eat before 8 PM.”

“You’ll get used to it. Don’t start complaining now.” 0U-M4 criticized.

“Poor Gonta!” Angie exclaimed. “If Gonta isn’t hungry so early, maybe we can store the food and he can eat it afterwards?”

“I could do that…” Tsumugi said.

“Nyahahah!”

“We should warn the others as well.” I intervend.

“Right. I’ll get to it.” Rantaro offered himself for the task.

“Me too! Gonta and me!” Angie enthusiastically followed.

Kaede stopped the three before they could leave. “Before that, though… what about the meeting Monokuma mentioned?”

“Nee-hee-hee! You almost forgot about it!”

“He said we’re going to be punished if we don’t attend…” Kiibo said.

“Last time he called us together was when we first woke up.” Kaede continued with her thoughts. “The Monokubs said the same thing. We know that in that instance, the killing game was unveiled to us…”

“Are you suggesting ignoring the meeting?” I asked. “I am of the opinion we cannot avoid what Monokuma will show us this evening.”

“Of course!” Kaede quickly responded. “I’m sure that attending is our only real option here. But we should be careful.”

“And, on top of that, we should convince everyone to go there.” Rantaro added. “I don’t know if Monokuma is serious, but we can’t run the risk of leaving out Maki and Miu, for example.”

“I would prefer if they sat this meeting out!” 0U-M4 laughed. “If they get punished, it’s only because of they decided not to eat with us!”

“They deserve to know.” Rantaro coldly replied. “And I invite all of you to tell them. Otherwise, their blood will be on your hands.”

The artist had a point, but he was being overly dramatic. His words were rather unsettling for me too. He probably convinced the others to do as he said.

After finishing our lunch, we divided and went our own separate ways, searching for others and informing them of the most recent developments, planning to see each other in the cafeteria for a quick dinner before the appointed time for Monokuma’s meeting.

***

I let out a breath of relief when Maki, the last to arrive, closed the door behind her. I couldn’t find her, but apparently someone else did.

“Let’s eat before nighttime comes.” Tsumugi invited us. “I’ve already cooked everything, so we can go to the AV room as soon as possible.”

“So explain me what Monokuma told you… daytime finishes early?” Kaito asked.

“That’s right.” Rantaro nodded. “And it was presented to us as a motive.”

“It’s a weird motive!” Tenko commented. “But at least Himiko’s here!”

The two sentences had no relation whatsoever.

“I was worried for you! Were did you end up?”

“Nyeh… I was tired…”

“Don’t ever go around without telling me! You almost gave me an heart attack!”

“Damn, Tenko! Don’t be so clingy!” 0U-M4 lamented.

“Who are you to tell me what to do!? Sit down and reflect on your life choices!”

The robot rolled his eyes and glanced at the food we were eating.

“This motive will force us to re-evaluate our schedule.” Korekiyo observed. “It seems you are underestimating its power.”

“Mah, who cares.” Maki intervened.

“Of course you don’t!” Miu insulted the martial artist. “You never come with us to the meetings!”

“You just started though, so you shouldn’t be the one to talk…” Kiibo said.

“Go hide in your hood and suffocate!”

“O…okay… I’ll keep out from this conversation.”

Not that it went on for much time. We finished our meal and left the cafeteria, heading for the AV Room, while I was asking myself why did Monokuma want us all in a single place. Was he presenting another motive? It couldn’t be.

“No matter what happens, stay strong.” I told the others while climbing down the stairs.

“Gonta strong for all of you!”

“She doesn’t mean that kind of strength…” Tsumugi pointed out.

“The strength that we need to possess now is the ability to maintain loyalty to each other.”

“If Kirumi wants that strength from Gonta, he try his best!”

“Do your best, Gonta! Do it!” Angie pumped him up.

“Don’t let him divide us again. He’s going to do it, you know it very well.” I explained. Six days were enough to understand how that bear, or, at least, that AI, operated.

“He gave us those secret videos because he wants us to be suspicious.” Kaito finished my thought. “Whatever he shows to us, he just wants to rub salt into the wound.”

“Nee-hee-hee! Did you forget that we can only watch the videos if we’re all together? They want us to be together and share secrets!”

“Stop with this nonsense!” Kaito protested.

“You only want to see this situation your way! Have an open mind, won’t you?”

Kaito glanced at me and ignored the robot. It seems like he knows I’m going to scold him if he continues with that pointless fight.

The door was open before us.

“Let’s enter.” I said.

The room looked like a normal AV Room. A computer, a projector, a screen, some sofas and a carpet underneath them. Shelves on the right and the left, but nothing on them.

“Please, make yourself at home.” Monokuma, out of nowhere, said. “You arrived here in advance.”

“Only one minute though!” Tsumugi flinched. “I usually arrive way earlier!”

“Bring your popcorns, cause you’re going to watch a short movie!”

“Popcorns? Where?” Himiko jumped up.

“You didn’t bring them? Too bad…”

“There are no popcorns in this school.” Kirumi said.

“Maybe I was lying. But who cares, you can have an enjoyable experience without food. After all, you just finished eating.”

“Gonta still not ate!”

“But having a snack right before dinner is unhealthy! I can’t put in danger my students! I would never harm them!”

“Yet you still allow violence if one of us is the perpetrator. As a caretaker, I have to point out the flaws in your logic.”

“I can’t stop you from assaulting your classmates! That’s your decision and your decision only! Upupupu…”

Monokuma continued laughing. Sadly, this time I didn’t have any object to throw at him. He said he wouldn’t participate directly in a murder, but by giving us motives and threatening to kill us all, he sure wasn’t innocent.

“By the way… I have already talked about my amazing qualities as a teacher, headmaster and parent, so let’s talk about the reason why you are all here. Did somebody come here to scout the place?”

Kirumi, Korekiyo and 0U-M4 raised their hand.

“Good boys! Have you found something particularly interesting?”

“There is a locked vault behind the screen.” Korekiyo revealed.

“And I couldn’t lockpick it…”

“Excellent job, creepy cosplayer!” Monokuma applauded. After that, he rolled up the screen and took out a key from what looked like a pocket. What? Was his body like some sort of cloth?

Behind the screen there was exactly what Korekiyo had described. Monokuma inserted the key to reveal a bunch of USB sticks.

“I’ll take… this one here.” He said, picking up a seemingly random one between all of them and locking the vault.

“Time to go inside again!”

Following that exclamation, Monokuma swallowed the key.

“How do you work, exactly?” Kiibo asked in confusion.

But, of course, the bear didn’t care about the astronaut’s question, and inserted the USB stick in the computer found on the desk in front of us.

“Please, sit and enjoy.” He invited us.

“Don’t worry about me.” Tsumugi reassured us. “I don’t have to sit.”

“Of course I need to!” Miu boasted. “These brains and tits need rest!”

Eventually, most of us managed to sit. 0U-M4, Tsumugi and Gonta were the only ones who stood up.

The projector came to life, first showing a blue screen, then transforming into distinct images.

“It’s time for a blast from the past!” Monokuma exclaimed.

The lamps that illuminated the AV room turned off. The image projected on the screen became clearer.

...

…

The first shot was of a city that I didn’t recognize, from what I assume was a helicopter. It was surrounded by ocean at least from two sides, but the other two weren’t visible. Whoever was holding the camera zoomed in to show a very high tower, but I couldn’t tell how many storeys tall. Beside it, there was something like a small forest.

“Landing is too dangerous.” A woman said. I assumed it was the identity of the individual carrying the camera.

“How can you tell?” A man asked in response.

“There is no one outside. Usually the city is full of people.”

“Do you think this is a trap?”

“Undoubtedly. We should report back to base.”

“We can’t turn on communications while in this area, otherwise we could be suspected.”

“When did the city stop emitting signals?” The woman asked, this time zooming on what looked like a cemetery. I wasn’t sure, though. The details were still unclear.

“Yesterday.”

“Nobody could have managed to overturn the situation in less than 24 hours.”

“Who do you think is behind this act?”

“There were no signs of rebellion in the city. It was considered to be a safe haven.”

“Goes to show that the bzzrrtszz hasn’t stopped.”

What?... The video corrupted for a fraction of a second. One word was inaudible.

“And we thought we could have fought it.”

“We need to bring others here. With weapons…”

“Yes, expert marksmen and soldiers. We have no idea of what’s down there.”

As the woman talked with her partner, I swear I saw something moving between the graves of the cemetery. It could have been anything, but it had to be something. However, it was extremely quick. The reporter didn’t comment on it, so I assume she didn’t notice it either.

“Our scouting is complete.” The man announced. “You can turn the camera o-

The man was cut off abruptly. An extremely loud sound echoed throughout the room, lasting less than a second.

After that, the screen turned back to blue.

…

…

What… was that…?

“That’s what you call a movie?” Miu protested. “How boring.”

“You’ve given us no context, no starting point, no conclusion…” Angie observed.

“Kehkehkeh… life is often as cryptic as this short scene…”

“I knew you wouldn’t understand at first.” Monokuma ignored the critiques. “I’ll explain it to you in a bit. Remember, you won’t be able to watch this ever again! This is an one and only showing!”

“Not that it was worth a rewatch…” Kaito said.

“I hope you can access this important data in your future via your brains.”

“Is this another metaphor? I don’t get it.” Himiko scratched her cheek.

“Welp. Here goes. Time to eat.”

Just like he gulped down the key, Monokuma ate the USB stick, which was supposedly lost forever.

“Time to reveal that those scenes were actually real!”

“Real?” I asked for clarification.

“As real as you are! They are taken from the outside world… well… they aren’t a direct feed, but they happened some time ago.”

“Why should we care?” Maki intervened, her passive-aggressive tone never leaving her side.

“Because… the city depicted in that short movie… is the city where you all lived in the past!”

***

“A-all… of us?” Kaede flinched.

“Yeah, you don’t remember, obviously. But, at some point in your life, you were all there. I can’t say anything more than that, cause it would be a spoiler.”

“This is not a motive.” I tried to guess.

“Of course! Is more like a prize! Like the object the Monokubs gave you yesterday! Congrats on getting alive from the class trial!”

Was Monokuma’s statement a lie…? Or was it the truth? I do not recall any of the people I met in the academy, and I suppose every single one of us is as confused as I am. Kaede knew about Ryoma, we are aware of that, but she never mentioned remembering someone else.

“Kaede, do you remember us?” Rantaro asked.

“W-what do you mean?” Kaede responded with another question. However, I knew what Rantaro was thinking.

“You said you remembered Ryoma.” He continued. “I’m sorry to bring up his name again, but you’re the only one here who had previously met someone else in this room.”

“I didn’t meet him in person, to be clear, but I know where are you going with this.”

As I expected, Rantaro wanted to ask the same questions as me.

“Do you recall seeing anyone of us too?” I asked.

“…I’m sorry. I don’t. Your faces don’t ring a bell to me. I’m sure we didn’t meet before.”

“I get what you’re trying to do, Rantaro.” Kaito intervened. “But what you’re sayin’ doesn’t make sense. Why would Kaede keep her memories while we would not?”

Rantaro shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought that since she’s a detective, her synapses might be more developed… sorry if I suck at anatomy and those kinds of things.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Angie reassured him. “You’re great at what you do.”

“I guess…”

“I knew Ryoma because I heard of him, but I never saw him in person.” The detective explained.

“Do you recognize the city depicted in the video?” I asked.

“I… I really don’t. I’m sorry. I remember all my life in general, but there are like empty spaces here and there.”

“Man, isn’t it like that for everyone here?”

One after the other, we all nodded. I do not know how our kidnapper managed to select specific memories from our brain and erase them as they never happened. I did not remember technological devices able to perform that kind of brain surgery. The cost would be higher than any other operation I ever heard of, but that would line up with the expensive decorations I found in the casino. Whoever took us hostage was extremely wealthy and powerful, so much that they could have been experimenting with us. We were lab rats, it appeared.

“How is this video going to help us?” Kiibo intervened. “It doesn’t tell us anything important, only a city that was apparently conquered by someone, I think…”

“It has happened numerous times in the past.” I observed. “More than that, there is no proof that the video we were shown is not fictional.”

I was skeptical. The video was not harmful to us directly, but as I noticed, there were other USB sticks in the vault. It was safe to assume that the bear would project more short movies as time passed. I suspected those would eventually qualify as additional motives.

“I never lie about those things!” Monouma protested.

“We can’t confirm anything of what you said.” Tenko pointed out. “It could be fake, for all we know.”

“I suspected this type of media would cast doubts…” Monokuma gloomy said. “But that’s what we’re going for this time. I’m trying to see how the end result changes.”

“Dump garbage, what do you mean by this time?!”

“Bye! See you next time!” He announced, and then left, leaving Miu without a response.

“…That terrible inflatable doll! He’s not even good at his job!”

“U-uhm… I don’t think that’s appropriate…” Rantaro looked uncomfortable.

“I don’t care about what you think it’s appropriate! I do things my way! Don’t tell me what I should do!”