Part 70: Super High-school Level Update #63

First, I want to see the bodies.

"I want to see the bodies"... I never imagined I'd hear a girl my age say that sentence...



Dead bodies tell no lies. Compared to the living, they're much more reliable at leading us to the truth.



...Don't you agree?
I... wouldn't really know...



...In any case, we should hurry. If we don't, the school trial could begin before we get anything done.
S...sure, I understand...
Take me to where the bodies are, then.



Where the bodies are... That would be the art room storage area...

I guess we should get there quickly, then...





Yamada-kun... Ishimaru-kun...

For a second, I thought I saw Kirigiri-san's expression harden.

But it really was just for a second...



...Let's start.



She lowered herself next to Ishimaru-kun's dead body, and started touching it without hesitation.



The Monobear file is correct... They were both killed with a similar weapon...

Her movement was too natural. Too unattached...
I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable watching her work.



Before listening to Kirigiri's conclusions, we can hear what our loyal guards have to say. Sakura has the same case summary dialog, which leaves us with...



Kirigiri-chan... Doesn't she get scared, searching the bodies like this...?



Now we can get back on the case.



Naegi-kun, I finally found something...
Found something...?
You knew that Ishimaru-kun wears a watch on his left wrist, didn't you?
He does...?



You aren't very observant, are you. Don't you like other people?
I don't think that has anything to do with it...
...But anyway, what's up with his watch?



Here, take a look.



It's broken. The hands stopped moving.
I suspect it got broken when he struggled with his killer...
It's showing a time just past 6 o'clock...
So, you mean... that's the time it got broken...?



Yesterday evening, Ishimaru-kun's watch was most likely still fine.



Hey, you bastards! How long were you thinking to keep us waiting?!!

Ishimaru-kun raised an irritated voice at us as he checked his wristwatch.

It’s almost 10pm! Time for all good kids to be in bed!!



If it wasn't broken yet at that time, it couldn't have stopped last night at 6pm...
...So it must have been this morning at 6.






That's not the only thing I found. Look at Ishimaru-kun's left hand...



It looks like he's clutching something...
You're right! It looks like some kind of paper... What do you think it is...?



Naegi-kun, try pulling it away from him.
...Me!?



The body starts to stiffen right after death. Pulling his fist apart is a man's work, don't you think?
S...sure...



Reluctantly, I took Ishimaru-kun's cold hand.
That icy coldness made my heart almost stop...

And then, after pulling it apart with all my strength, I finally managed to extract what he was holding.



It's... a torn piece of paper...?



Was that all he was holding in his hand?
Yeah, that's it...
Such a small scrap... It's probably no help for us at all, right?



I wonder...

Saying that, Kirigiri-san moved towards Yamada-kun's dead body.



Next, let's see what we can learn from Yamada-kun's body. There's probably something left here that can help us.






The game makes you click on her again. Probably so it doesn't seem the next conversation takes place seconds after the previous one.



...Well? Did you find something?
Yes... The results exceed my expectations.
Take a look at this.



A... paper ball?



Yamada-kun hid it on his body.
Hid it...?



It was stuffed inside his underpants. He wouldn't put it there unless he meant to hide it, now would he?
Iniside his underpants... You put your hand in there!?



They're just underpants. It's not like I put my hands inside his socks...

I can't understand her standards...



Let's hurry and see what's on this paper. Naegi-kun, please unroll it.

A paper stuffed in Yamada-kun's underpants... I can only think of one thing it can be...

If it's what I think it is, he was more pitiful than I imagined...!



...Huh? A handwritten note!?

"I found a secret passage. We can see outside. We may be able to escape."
"It would be bad if Monobear found out, so don't talk about it with anyone and gather in the physics lab at 6am".



That sounds very familiar...
That's right! Hagakure-kun said he got the same note!
So, he wasn't lying!
They're not exactly the same, though.



Yesterday evening, someone pushed a strange note under my door...
I remember what was written on it.
"I found a secret passage. We can see outside. We may be able to escape."
"It would be bad if Monobear found out, so don't talk about it with anyone and gather in the recreation room at 1am". That's what it said.



The time frame is different...
According to Hagakure-kun, his note said to gather at 1am...
But the note Yamada-kun got says "6am".



Wait. The fact we took this note from Yamada-kun doesn't necessarily mean it was addressed to him.
Eh...?
See how the corner is torn out of this note? I believe that's an important clue.



This note's torn corner... is an important clue?

Um, Kirigiri-san... Do you mind telling me what it means?
Try thinking yourself.



Why did Ishimaru-kun clutch a torn piece of paper so tightly?
I'm... not sure...



What if it wasn't simply a torn piece of paper when he held on to it, but something much more important to him?
Try thinking how such an important thing could turn into a torn scrap.






Finally, I guess I should let you know.
This time both of the dead students have their Electronic Student ID Cards on them.
That probably means the cards weren't used to stage the murder.
Well, it's not as if we suspected they were...
So, I shouldn't bother thinking about the ID cards this time?



I never said they shouldn't be on your mind.
I just said they weren't used in the murders...
We may still find a use for them at some point...

A use for the student ID cards? I don't get what she means...

...But since it's her saying that, I should probably keep them on my mind.




* Ding dong ding dong *







Fun, fun, fun! Our school trial is about to begin!!
The School Trial... that brilliance as bright as fireworks... That flash of the soul, giving birth to a struggle between life and death...!
...And so!!
Please proceed to the usual place!
The red door in the first floor's school area is the cool place to be!
Upupupu, I'll see you soon!!



...Too bad. Our investigation must end now.
It's time for you to piece the facts together yourself, and come to your own conclusions.
I... guess you're right...



Well, then. Let's go.
S...sure...







Beyond the red door, everyone were already waiting.

And then, immediately after we were all there...





Good morning! x2
There are two!?
There aren't! It's just an illusion making it seem like there are!
I am just repeatedly moving at high speed, using my afterimage to make it look like I split in two!
Hee hee hee... Which one is the real Monobear? Do you bastards know?



Can we please just go into the elevator?



Oh, your'e spoiling it! x2



We don't intend to go along with your jokes...!



Awww. Too bad...





Ah, everyone is here. Into the elevator, please.
I'm going on ahead!





Let's go...



W...wait a second...! I haven't prepared myself...!



Hagakure... You can't escape anymore... You're going to be punished for what you did...



But I told you... I'm not the culprit...!



Did you find a second costume? Or maybe that note you mentioned?



No... I couldn't find either...



Too bad... I guess our job is easy this time.



U...uuu...!



This is not the place to talk about it. Let's leave the debates to the courtroom.



She's right. Let's first start the trial. Then we can discuss everything...
Yeah... you're right...

That's right...

We have...
We have... no choice...

We can't let the culprit who killed Yamada-kun and Ishimaru-kun get away with it...
For our own sake...

And for the sake of the two who died...











The culprit who killed Yamada-kun and Ishimaru-kun... The culprit who killed two of their friends...
That culprit is...

...One of the people in front of me!!

As is usual procedure, let's hear everyone's final thoughts before going into the action.



Monobear's attitude... He is making fun of us to the end...



Let's hurry! Hagakure must pay for his crimes!



Didn't you hear me before? We'll continue our discussion in the courtroom...



It seems we caught our culprit ahead this time.
This trial should be over in no time.



We'll continue in the courtroom.



Uu...! It wasn't me... Please believe me...



Hey, Mako-chin, let's get going!



...And now we can go on into the elevator.



I took a big breath from the bottom of my lungs...
And started walking toward the elevator.

Then, one by one, all the others got on...



The elevator's doors closed automatically...
And we started moving.



The elevator clanged loudly as we descended deeper and deeper into the ground...
There is no turning back now...

If we don't get things right, we won't ever come back...



After a short while, the elevator finally reached its destination...

And the doors opened...

Those doors of cruel fate...





Upupu... When I see you all gathered here like this...
It really is apparent there are fewer of you each time! Our school life is steadily moving towards its climax, isn't it!



This is all your fault...!



Why... Why are you making us do such cruel things...?!



Huh? Why do you all hate me so much!? I'm so cute!



For how long do you intend to mock us like that? Let's get things rolling..



...Don't worry, we're about to begin!
I have no intention of giving an entire pre-show act as if I was trying to keep people watching after the commercials!



So let's start! Please go the the chair with your name on it!

And then, the curtain opened yet again...

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...