Part 113: Super High-school Level Update #101

With blinding light and ear-shattering noise...

The body exploded...


Exploded exploded exploded exploded exploded...



...And my vision turned dark.

But...

...Hurry up, we have to take this fire out.

Togami-kun's voice pulled my conciousness back into the real world.
And then, something was pushed into my hands.

...A bucket full of water.



Don't just stand there! Throw the water into the fire!
S...Sure...!!

I aimed at the upper part of the body, which was on fire, and threw the water from the bucket onto it.

* splash *





The fire quickly calmed down and disappeared...

Then, leaving just an unpleasant smell behind, it completely died away.





I think... we managed to put it out somehow...



W...What happend...?!



It exploded... didn't it...?



I had a bad feeling about it, but I didn't imagine it would explode...!
And now, the body is...



It's completely black and scorched...! A super well-done body...!
Hey, don't make a steak analogy...! I won't be able to eat one anymore...!



Now it's really going to stay a mystery, isn't it...
I mean, who this body belongs to...



...Who among us is missing?
...Eh?
If you think about who's not here, the identity of the body becomes obvious.



Who's missing...?



It's just... Kirigiri-chi...
K...Kirigiri-san!?



So, this body...
...Is Kirigiri-san?!

No... It can't be...!!



...Calm down. I never said it was Kirigiri.



But, who else...?



There's still one other person...





The mastermind...!



...Eh?!



T...The mastermind...!



That's impossible!! The mastermind wouldn't turn into a pile of burning ash...! Don't make such bad jokes!!



That would be difficult to accept under normal circumstances, I agree.



But, certain other things have happened since yesterday.



If the mastermind is dead, that would explain what happened at the gym...
...Why Monobear stopped moving.



B...But, isn't this corpse a girl? Don't you think that's strange?
Don't you remember what Alter Ego said?



It's highly likely that the mastermind is that same headmaster, the man behind the plan.
By the way, that headmaster is a man in his late thirties...
...and there's a high chance he's currently somewhere inside this very school.



A man in his late thirties... That's obviously not who this corpse belongs to, 'right?
What if the mastermind isn't the headmaster..?
That's what Kirigiri-san thought... She told me the mastermind is a high school girl...
Super High-school Level Despair...



Huh...?



Mukuro Ikusaba... The 16th student...



...What are you talking about?
Kirigiri-san told me in secret a few days ago...
There's a 16th student at this school...



Tell us everything you know.
U...Um... Kirigiri-san didn't tell me much...



Mukuro Ikusaba...
The sixteenth student in this academy...
The girl they call "Super High-school Level Despair"...
Beware Mukuro Ikusaba...



Kirigiri-san suspected that Mukuro Ikusaba was, in fact, the mastermind...



No... the headmaster isn't the mastermind.
Eh...?
I don't have any proof yet, but I am certain of that.



A 16th student... A high school girl... That does fit this corpse to a tee.



"Super High-school Level Despair"... That does sound like something you'd call a mastermind...



...So, you're telling me the mastermind was a girl all along, and that she's some kind of Super High-school Level Despair?
But, how come someone like her, who always stayed hidden like a Tsuchinoko...

Mythical Japanese snake. Look it up.



...Suddenly turned into the ash we have here?!



That doesn't make any sense! That girl suddenly comes into play, and then she just turns up dead!



It seems we have to investigate the body once again...
Perhaps there's something left on it that will make it easier to determine who she is...



Ah! Wait a second!



...What is it?



A...Aren't we forgetting something...? What about Fukawa...?



She's right! She did fly away!!



...Let's forget about her. She probably got caught in the explosion and turned to dust.





U...Uu...!



She's alright!



Oh. So you're alive.



Huh...? What's going on...? T...Tell me, Byakuya-sama...



You were just about to announce you're going to completely stop inhaling oxygen.



I...In that case, I can survive on the carbon dioxide you exhale alone, Byakuya-sama...



That's quite a back-and-forth they have going here...





We can now check the body, but let's not be too impatient and see if anyone has anything else to say first.



Just what you'd expect from a serial murderer... Surviving an explosion without getting even a scratch...



...You might even call that admirable.





I...I think I see something from the corner of my eye...
I...Is that a body...?
Yeah... So it seems.



So it seems...?! Is it a body or isn't it?!
...It's a body.



No... I won't look... I'd just lose consciousness again...
That would inconvenience the rest of us. You're right. You shouldn't look.
Uu... Uuuu... Why is everyone dying? Why is this happening...?





The mastermind is but black ash...



That's almost lyrical! I must keep it in mind for future use!





I had a bad feeling about this, but... I never thought the body would explode...



It has gotten much more interesting, though. Hasn't it?



And now, what you've been waiting for.



I should try looking at the corpse one more time...



...Naegi, be respectful. You're dealing with a girl here, y'know.
D...Don't worry. I don't think I'm going to touch it much...

I'm not Kirigiri-san, after all...



I'm sure this picture will be discussed in detail over the next few days. Unfortunately, the game won't let us click on anything interesting just now, except for that thing on the floor.



There's something on the floor next to the body. It...



...Looks like a key?

Is this the key Kirigiri-san stole from Monobear...?



But, what did you steal?
I stole this...



...A key?

It was clear it wasn't just a simple key.

It was carved in the shape of Monobear. As ominous as a key can be.



No, the key Kirigiri-san stole was in the shape of Monobear.

...This key is clearly different.

So... what is this key for...?



What is it? Did you find something?
Y...Yeah... This was on the floor next to the body...



...It's a key like I've never seen before. What door does it open...?
...So you have no clue either, Togami-kun?



Naegi, I'm going to bestow a very important responsibility upon you.
...Eh?
This key most likely opens one of the remaining locked doors in this school.
...Are you saying you want me to check which one?



The biology lab on the fifth floor. The headmaster's office and the data processing room on the forth floor. Then, there's the second floor of the dormitory building.
I'm counting on you.

I feel like an errand boy...



We now get to go through the locked doors one by one. We'll start with the biology lab, because it's the closest.





The door to the biology lab is locked...



Let's try the key...

I tried inserting the key I found in the garden into the lock...

It doesn't even fit...

In other words, this is not the key for this door...

Next, we go down one floor, and head for the headmaster's office.





The headmaster office's door is locked.



Let's try the key...

I tried inserting the key I found in the garden into the lock...

Huh...? It doesn't fit...

So it's not the key to this door either...

The data processing room is just around the corner.





The door to the data processing room is locked...



Let's try the key...

I tried inserting the key I found in the garden into the lock...

* click *

It fits...?!

That means this is the key to the data processing room!

It's the key to the data processing room!

Exhausted from running around, I ended up repeating my thoughts out loud.

Anyway... I'd better go and tell everyone...!

I ran back to the botanic garden.





...You're back. Did you find anything?
The key opened one door...
...The door to the data processing room on the fourth floor.



So, can we enter that room now?!



I see.
But, why was the key to the data processing room on this body...?
There's no other way. We must go there and investigate...
Y...Yeah...



We're here...
...The door is already unlocked.



There won't be another explosion when we try to enter, right?



Don't say these things at a time like this...



There is no need to worry. We have Naegi, after all.
Eh...?



...I'm counting on you.
Again...?
It just means I trust you.

No... it just means you're using me...

And once again, let's see if anyone has useful advice before we serve as a living bomb detector.





I don't think there's a second bomb...
............



But just in case... I'm going to stay away from the door...





Y...You'll be fine, Naegi! I can't guarantee it, though!!

No guarantees, huh...?





I trust you, Naegi. Now go fulfil the duty that comes with that trust.





Uuuuuuuuuu...
To be trusted by Byakuya-sama...



D...Don't get too smug!!

It's not like I'm happy about it, you know...





As I reached for the door knob...

...I closed my eyes instinctively.



And then, whispering a prayer, I slowly opened the door...

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

Nothing happened...

After waiting a few seconds, I slowly opened my eyes...