Part 117: Super High-school Level Update #105

It's a wooden locker...
The keys all look like ones you find in public baths.

The key we found in Kirigiri-san's room must belong here...



Naegi, take a look at the rightmost locker.



That's the only one without a key in it.



Does your little brain understand what that means?
The key we found before is for that locker...



Open it!
S...Sure...



I took the tag out of my pocket, and put it into the slot on the locker.

* click *

The key fit perfectly, and the locker's door opened.



There are arrows inside... All in all, ten of them.

These are duralumin arrows. They're thin, but extremely solid.
But, without a bow they're nothing but thin, solid rods...

Thin solid rods...






Um, there's something else inside the locker...

It's a crumpled piece of packing tape. And there's something stuck to it...



That's blood... isn't it?

If there's blood here, it must be related to the case.

This tape has something to do with the case...?

But, in what way?






There's nothing else interesting inside the locker...



............
Togami-kun, what's wrong...?
...Don't you think it's strange?
There are things that are obviously related to the case inside this locker.
...So why was the key to the locker in the victim's room?



Could it be...?
............
...Togami-kun?



...No, it's nothing.
More importantly, let's go to the next location.
...Eh? There's somewhere else?



There's still one thing we should investigate, isn't there?
Fenrir. We must find out more about Fenrir.
Fenrir! That's the mercenary group Mukuro Ikusaba belongs to, isn't it?
But... how are we going to find out more about them?!



Don't be dumb. Where do you go when you want to find information?

Find information...?

The library... that small room in the back of the library...?!
I see... There were files on all sorts of secret things in there...



We don't have much time left until the school trial. Let's hurry.





The file about Fenrir should probably be on this shelf somewhere...

Togami-kun, who seemed to know the contents of the room inside out, went straight to a shelf on the back wall.

...Here it is.

Soon, he came back with a single file in his hand.





This is it. Take a look...



I...I can't read it... What language is this...?



Don't tell me... you're in high school and yet you can't even read French?
Um... I think most high school students can't...



...I guess I have no choice. I will translate it for you. I will have you return me this favour tenfold later, though.

Tenfold... That's harsh...





Fenrir is... a group of battle specialists whose main base of operations is the middle east.
Unlike regular civilian weapon companies, they distinct themselves by offering actual battle operations. A bunch of wild soldiers.
Some even say every single one of them can compare favorably to a hundred soldiers in a regular army.
Much like their namesake, the monstrous mythical wolf, they are a force to be feared by everyone on a battlefield.
Nothing was ever revealed to the public, but they were involved in a great number of famous military operations.
But, a short while ago, they suddenly ceased all operations.
At the moment, no one can even confirm they still exist.
Some reports say all chief members have been killed, but no one has been able to confirm that definitively.
There are also rumors saying they were eradicated for knowing state secrets of too many countries, but...
Others say they were destroyed from within by internal struggles.



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



...What's wrong?
How should I put it...? It's like something out of a movie...



It's not a movie. This is all real. It's all happening in the world we live in.
Battlefields are not much different from this school life. They're a world where one can never predict what's going to happen next.



...That's why they're so interesting.

No, they're not... Not even a little...



Do you have any questions? This will probably be your last chance to learn about Fenrir.

Questions...? I do have one...

I have one question. What did you say the meaning of the word Fenrir was...?



Fenrir is a monstrous wolf.
By the way, there's one more thing written here related to that...
In order to make themselves known to others in the group, all soldiers belonging to Fenrir...
...mark themselves with an image of the wolf somewhere on their body.



Eh...?

Fenrir... A monstrous wolf...?
Could it be...!!






* ding dong ding dong *







Time... It leaves its violent marks on every animal, plant and mineral on this planet.
Each and every one of us is damaged by it little by little... This is something one should always remember.
Speaking of which, it's time! The school trial starts now!
Please gather up at the usual place, you bastards!
Upupu, see you later!!





It seems our time is up.
All we have to do now... is reach the truth at the school trial.
That's right. Let's go.











Oh, Naegi-chi and Togami-chi. You came together!



Where did'ya go, you guys? You ran off somewhere and never came back...



...There were some things we had to look into. Don't make me give you the details.



N...Naegi, looking things up with Byakuya-sama...? W...With his social status...?



Is that jealousy...?



If we could see what's inside her mind we'd all probably throw up...



...Enough small talk. Prepare yourselves. He should be here soon.



Soon...

He'll be here soon...

Imagining what's about to happen made my body grow stiff.
But...



Strangely, five minutes passed...

Ten minutes...



...What's going on? Why isn't Monobear coming...?



Is he out of commission again?



What should we do? Wait a little longer? Or maybe...



Or maybe...?!



Eep! An abrupt appearance!



Nyohoho... Don't be too surprised...



...Explain yourself. Why are you making us wait?



Me? I'm making you bastards wait?
It's just the opposite, isn't it? It's you bastards who are making me wait.
...Huh?



I've been waiting until all of you get here. We can't begin without the entire group, can we?



W...What are you talking about...? W...We're all here, aren't we?



...Upupu. You're not.



But, it's already been 10 minutes. That's enough, isn't it? It's okay if I treat those who aren't here as if they broke a school rule, isn't it?
In that case, I'll make arrangements for a punishment straight...



"...If you're looking for me, I'm here."

We all turned around at the sound of that voice.





I'm here, see?
K...Kirigiri-san...!!



Kirigiri-chan! Are you alive?!



N...No... T...That's a ghost for sure...!!



Just shut up, will you...?



Quiet down, quiet down. We have the school trial ahead of us! We can have plenty of fun over there!



There isn't a penalty for being late, is there?



...I made it. No school rules have been violated.
Isn't that so, Monobear?



She's shifty, that Kirigiri-san. Real shifty...
No, there aren't any penalties. I'm sure you'll come to regret it soon, though...



I'm going to make you regret it...



Anyways, go into the elevator! Now! I'm going up ahead!



...The second Monobear disappeared, we all ran and circled Kirigiri-san.



Kirigiri-san...!



So you weren't dead after all!!



Of course I wasn't...



Thank god! I was really worried!





...The fact she's alive isn't necessarily something we should be happy about.
Eh...?



He's right...! She's a ghost after all...!



Didn't I just tell you to shut up...?



...Let's go. We'll discuss it at the school trial.

Togami-kun stepped into the elevator without taking another look at Kirigiri-san.



Byakuya-sama... W...Wait for me...!



Yeah... If we don't hurry, who knows what he'll do to us...



We'll have to postpone the celebrations until after the school trial...



One by one, everyone entered the elevator.

But, as for me...

There was something I had to ask Kirigiri-san before the school trial began.





Kirigiri-san. There's something I want to ask you before we go in...
............
Where were you until now?
You must have used that key and hid somewhere...?



I was investigating the second floor of the dormitory building.
The second floor... of the dorms?



There are no cameras or monitors over there. I could act freely without Monobear watching.
But, on the other hand, I also never heard the announcement.



I didn't even know you discovered a body.
...When did you find out?



Just now. I came back to the first floor after I finished my investigation and heard the trial announcement.
I had to make a quick detour to take a look at the crime scene. I couldn't just come in without knowing anything, could I?
And that's why you were late...



I'm sorry for keeping you waiting...
So, if that's where you were all along...
Was that key you stole the key to the dorms' second floor?



Strictly speaking, it isn't.



...It's "Monobear's secret tool". A key that can open any door in this school.
Huh...?!






Hey, what are you doing, you two?! If we don't hurry, Monobear's gonna be angry!



...Naegi-kun, I'll tell you all about it after we're done with this trial.
For now, we should concentrate on surviving it.



It will probably be the greatest crucial moment for me so far...

..."for me"?
That's a strange way of putting it...

It's almost as if she's saying this trial is going to be more difficult for her than for everyone else...

Well, then. We should go...

Ignoring my worried face, Kirigiri-san walked into the elevator.

I'm probably... just thinking too much.





Than, finally, I also stepped into the elevator...

The door closed.



Fear and discomfort swelled inside my body along with the metallic, ear-burning sound of the elevator.

I'll never be able to get used to this overwhelming pressure, carrying with it a threat of death...

No one spoke. We all just stood there in the dim light...
We stood there, not saying a word.

And then, after a short while, our view suddenly expanded...
And a bright light burned into my retinas...

But, it wasn't the light of hope...



It was the light of despair...







Well, well, well. I've been waiting for this moment. It's been a long time since we've all been here...
We don't need preliminary jokes and scene setting anymore, do we?



Let's start straight away!



And then, the curtain opened for the fifth time...

On a courtroom of life and death...
Mutual deception of life and death...
Betrayals of life and death...
Puzzle solving of life and death... Vindications of life and death.. Trust of life and death...

A School Trial... of life and death...