Part 38: Super High-school Level Update #34

We arrived at the entrance hall, but...



...Togami-kun, is there something here?



............

I think he wants me to think for myself again...



I think I somewhat failed in my job to show all the game's foreshadowing by neglecting to show there's a letterbox in the entry hall if you look to the right, and that it's a clickable object. Naegi's reply when you did that until now was a simple generic "There's a letterbox here", though.



There’s a letterbox here.
Maybe there’s something inside...



Are those... Electronic Student ID Cards!?

There’s three of them! But, why are they in there!?



It seems you found them...
Eh? Did you know about them? Whose cards are they?



I found them by accident a while ago...
It seems that the ID cards of dead people are placed in this letterbox for safekeeping.
So, those three cards are...
Enoshima-san’s and Kuwata-kun’s... and Maizono-san’s...?



See for yourself...

I quickly turned on one of the Student ID cards. When I did...



You’re right... This is Maizono-san’s card...!



Do you understand now? The meaning of the loophole I mentioned earlier...?
...Yeah, I think I do.



Let’s check that rule again carefully. I believe it reads like this:
“It is forbidden to lend an Electronic Student ID Card to another student”.
The act that’s forbidden here is lending. Borrowing is not forbidden at all.



I see... So that’s what you meant...






Hm...? What is this...?
...What’s wrong?
That’s strange. One of these ID cards...
...Doesn’t work.
Maybe it’s broken? Whose is it?
The third one’s startup screen says it belongs to Junko Enoshima...
So, the one that doesn’t work is... Kuwata-kun’s?



...That’s the logical conclusion.
It probably took quite a beating... from all those regulation balls...



A beating... by regulation balls...
I suddenly remembered...

Kuwata-kun’s death... That cruel execution...
That thing the mastermind did...

That horrible, evil execution...



You’re right... if it was hit that many times, it’s not strange that it’s broken...





Hey hey...!



Hey hey hey hey hey...!



Hey!!
W...what do you want...?



These Electronic Student ID Cards. They’re invaluable assets in our school life.
That’s why they can’t be destroyed that easily!!
But... it really did get broken...



If I say it can’t be broken I mean it can’t be broken!!
They can sustain a 10 ton hit, and are resistant to water 100 meter deep!
It doesn’t matter how many balls they’re hit with, something like that wouldn’t break them!!



Ah, but... my Electronic Student ID Cards do have one “weak point”...
A weak point...?



It’s a secret. If I tell you and you destroy one it will be bothersome.



So, Kuwata-kun found that weak point by accident and destroyed his card?



Who knows?
Here is what I think, though. His Electronic Student ID Card isn’t broken at all.



Or... maybe it is...!?

Monobear disappeared again, leaving us with his profound thoughts...





...What the hell was that, just now?
Monobear says the card isn’t broken... But, Kuwata-kun’s card doesn’t start up...
It’s not such a big deal. Most chances are it has nothing to do with this case.

He may be right... But something is still bothering me...






Well then, I think we’re done with the preliminaries.
We should now get to the main investigation. I want to reveal his true identity.
The identitiy of... the murderer who killed Fujisaki-san?



...That’s not exactly accurate.
Eh? Not exactly accurate...?



...and we're back in control. Nothing else of interest to look at, so let's ask Togami what that last line of his is all about.



Togami-kun, when you said “not exactly accurate”... What did you mean?
It’s true that I want to point out the culprit, but to put it more accurately...



I want to expose Genocider Syo.
So... you really think...
...That it was Genocider Syo who killed Fujisaki-san?



...Absolutely. It’s perfectly clear this murder’s culprit is Genocider Syo.
I’m confident. Genocider Syo is one of us.

Genocider Syo

Genocider Syo... The same serial killer that was on the news, right?
There is only one of him.



Killing his victims in occultish and cruel ways. An extremely vicious murderer...
He seems to indiscriminately attack people with no rhyme and reason in sporadic bursts, leaving the police stumped....
The nickname given to this serial killer on the Internet is...
Genocider Syo...
His victims number in the thousands... but that is probably just an urban legend...
Can one of us really be such a cruel and unusual serial murderer...?



Yes. That is exactly the case...
But... of all the places for him to show up...



My confidence is supported by evidence. I am going to reveal it to you soon...

Confident

You’re confident... that that's the truth...?
I’m going to take you to a certain place now. I will show you my evidence there.



Evidence that it was Genocider Syo who killed Chihiro Fujisaki!

E...evidence... Is there really such a thing...?



Ah! You're here!!
I...it’s terrible! Help me!



We’re busy. Don’t get in our way...





But it’s an emergency!
So come help me! Please!!



If she says so... Let's see what the emergency is.



It’s an emergency! An emergency! So please come help!
Calm down for a second, Asahina-san...
But... but... It’s really an emergency...!

An emergency

What happened...?



It’s Fukawa-san... She’s acting really strange...

Didn’t she already act strange when I last saw her...?

...What should we do, Togami-kun?



Touko Fukawa, is it... my interest is piqued...
Let’s go see what’s up with her...
...Is it really okay?



Don’t make me repeat myself.

That's... an unexpected reaction. I was convinced he was going to be his usual cold self...

Come quickly! Go on, go on!!
W...wait... Asahina-san!



She’s going toward the dormitory area. Probably to Fukawa’s room...
Y...yeah...!

...and the game warps us to the dorm area, just in front of Fukawa's door.





You’re late!!
No... you’re too fast...



Well then, what’s so terrible?



After the way she acted in the girls’ changing room, we dropped her in her room so she could rest...
After a while, I came by again to see how she was doing. But then...



She started acting really strange...
She refuses to leave the room, and she keeps saying weird things...
...weird things?



Why don’t you try to approach her yourself...?
Y...yeah... you’re right...



I rang the intercom...

* Ding-dong *

The door opened slowly, without making a noise...



I am too lazy to make a gif, but it's worth mentioning Fukawa is shaking in this CG.

..................

O...oh!

I swallowed my breath involuntarily at the negative aura flowing from the gap in the door.

......What?
I...it’s just that Asahina-san was worried... She said you refuse to come out...
Leave me alone......
Um... for now, can you just open the door and let me come in?
............
I... I’m not going to... play along...
Eh...?
I’m not going to... let Genocider Syo win!!

She slammed the door close...



Eh...? Eh? eh...?



She’s been like that for a while. When I tried ringing her intercom before, she said...



I... I’m going to kick any killer... any murderer... out of here!!



...I have no idea what she’s talking about...
But... we really shouldn’t just leave her alone... I thought about forcing the door open..
But it seems she blocked it from the inside. It won’t open any farther.

She’s even blocking her door... Is she really that scared...?

Maybe she... shares Togami-kun’s opinion?
Maybe she thinks it really was Genocider Syo who killed Fujisaki-san?

Is she really afraid of Genocider Syo that much?

I’m really worried about her...
Is there no one around who can put her at ease?

I know just the person!





Hey, maybe you can convince her, Togami-kun?
Can you ask her to come out of her room...?
...........
I guess it’s worth a try...



...Eh? Did you really agree so easily? I guess everyone has some kindness in them!



...........



Togami went to the door without a word, and pushed the intercom button.

* Ding-dong *

After a short while...



I told you to leave me alone! You’re being n...n...n...n....
Nogami-kun!!
It’s "Togami".
….........
I... I’m sorry... I... couldn’t keep my promise......
B...but... don’t worry... From now on... I won’t......
I will not...! I will not let Genocider Syo win!!

After that, she closed the door again...



So even Togami couldn’t do it...



There’s nothing we can do. Let’s go back to our investigation.
W...wait a second!
Hey, what did Fukawa-san mean just now?
Something about... a promise...?



...A promise? I have no idea. I think she’s deeply delusional again.
B...but...



When I say I have no idea, I have no idea. We should leave Fukawa to Asahina for now...



Y...yeah... I understand... Well, I’m going to keep watch here for now.
Well, let’s go.

Togami-kun didn’t even wait for my answer, and started walking away.

To...Togami-kun...!



I followed him, flustered.
On the way, I tried calling him several times.

He not only refused to answer, but never even turned back and looked at me.
He just kept advancing towards his destination.

And then... he stopped in front of the door of a certain room...