Part 66: Chapter 3 Daily Life, Part 11

When we opened the door to the library...







: Gh... It hurts...it hurts...!

...we found Hifumi, seriously injured.

: A-Are you okay!?
: I'm glad to see...you're still alive...
: It's super bad, though... Look at all the blood...



: How did you get hurt?
: That guy hit me...
: What guy?
: Robo Justice. Er, that's what I decided to call him, just now...
: What are you talking about...?
: Th-That guy was...Robo Justice...
: This "Robo Justice" you are referring to is...this, is it not?



: Wh-What the hell am I looking at...?
: This is the one that attacked Celeste and Hifumi. Isn't that right, Hifumi?
: Yeah...that's him, I'm sure of it... Robo Justice...!



: Robo Justice, huh...?
: This just keeps getting stranger...





It's a hammer, just like the one Celeste was attacked with in the rec room. But this one is...

: Justice Hammer 2...?

And on top of that...this one is actually a little bigger than the first one!

: He attacked me with that hammer. He bonked me right on the head with it...



: A hammer that big, I'm surprised you're still okay...
: I'm *not* okay...! Look at all this blood...
: Protein helps heal wounds, you know. Would you like some?
: ...I have never heard such a thing. Are you sure it isn't just you?





: Ahh-hahahaha!
: It's him!
: Puhuhu! A robot of justice, huh!? Now things are *really* starting to get exciting! What kind of special moves does it have? Can it fly? Can it COMBINE!?
: Nyoohohoho! *leaves*





: Why...is he here?
: Let us not concern ourselves with him... What we need to do now is get Hifumi to the nurse's office right away. Whatever else we do, he needs to be treated as soon as possible.
: You're right! Let's go!
: Ngh... Thanks, everyone...



We moved Hifumi to the nurse's office on the 1st floor so we could take care of his injuries.





: How ya feelin', Hifumi? You want me to take a look at ya?
: I-I'm okay... I think it stopped bleeding. I'm still kinda dizzy, though...
: Perhaps you should rest here a while.
: Y-Yeah, good idea...



: The rest of us should get back to looking for that mystery assailant...
: Indeed. Before another victim appears... The Justice Hammers seem to be increasing in size; first 1 and now 2.
: If there is a Justice Hammer 3, we can only assume it is even bigger than the first two.
: If you got hit with anything bigger than that, you'd be dead for sure!
: Tell us what happened to you, Hifumi.



: Well...I woke up early this morning and started looking for Alter Ego ahead of everyone else... I went to the 3rd floor, and that's where the strange costumed man attacked me...
: That must be what I witnessed at around 7 this morning.
: After that, he dragged me to the library and WHACK! Down came the hammer... That must've been...30 or 40 minutes ago.
: At around 7:30 in other words... We would've still been in the dining hall.

Which means Hina, Sakura and I were together, and Kyoko was still with us. So we all have alibis...



: I was in the laundry room, doing my laundry.
: His black underwear is as black as the pitch-black darkness of the blackest night...
: Why do you know that...?
: Isn't it obvious? Cuz I was peeking!

Anyway, so that means Byakuya and Toko were together at the time. Meaning they also have alibis... Then the only ones who *don't* have alibis for when Celeste and Hifumi were attacked are the only two we haven't seen yet--Hiro and Taka. That's it, right...?

: By the way, what happened to Kyoko? I haven't seen her anywhere...



: Oh yeah. She was supposed to be checking the 2nd floor, but...I didn't see her up there at all.
: Where could she have disappeared to...?
: She's disappeared, huh? What a strange woman...
: She might be exactly as I suspected...
: H-Hold on! Kyoko was with us in the dining hall when Celeste and Hifumi were attacked! So--
: I'm not talking about who attacked them.
: ...Huh?





: I'm referring to what we talked about last night. Who the mastermind's spy might be...
: Are you saying...Kyoko's working with the mastermind? Th-That's not possible!
: Isn't it? This woman, who seems almost eager to handle dead bodies, hasn't even revealed her true identity.



: Save this discussion for later. Right now we need to focus on finding the suspicious individual.
: Yeah! If we don't hurry, there's only gonna be more victims! That might be why Kyoko and Taka and Hiro haven't shown up yet!
: Sh-She's right. We have to do something about that mystery man first...
: Don't worry about me. I'll catch up with you guys after I rest for a bit...
: Understood. Take care of yourself.
: Okay, let's go.





: So whoever that is running around, why are they wearing that weird costume?
: Don't bother looking for reason from a deviant.
: So? What're we gonna do? Split up and look around?
: Our opponent is very dangerous. We don't know what they're capable of. Even here...



♪ Music cuts out. ♪

: ...!?
: What's wrong...?
: I saw a shadow! Something moving around at the top of the stairs!
: Really!?





: Up on the 2nd floor, then? You bastard! You won't get away from me!

We all shot toward the stairs.



: He must be around here somewhere. Let's split up and corner him!
: But don't take any chances. As soon as you find him, call out and I'll come running.
: Okay, but...what should we yell?
: Anything! It doesn't matter!
: Then...is "haaah!" okay?



: Haaah or dohyaah or whatever you want! Just yell loud enough so we can hear you!
: Hmhmhm. Dohyaah? I have never heard such a reaction...
: Okay, whatever! Just hurry up and start looking! Okay? Let's go! *leaves*
: Hey Mister Robot! Where ya hidin'? If you don't come out, we're gonna decommission ya! *leaves*



We spread out in every direction to track down the costumed suspect.



: Let's check the classroom at the end of the hallway.



: Doesn't look like anyone's in here.



♪ Music cuts out, a loud, feminine scream is heard. ♪

???: Ha-aaaaaahhhh!

: That strange cry--! That had to be Celeste! It came from the floor above... She's on the 3rd floor!

I sprinted up to the 3rd floor.





: Over here, everyone!

Everyone who had heard the scream had come running...

: Celeste! What's wrong!?
: That was a rather...intense scream for someone like you.
: I saw him! The strange costumed man...! He ran off as soon as I screamed... I was blocking the stairs, so he headed further down into the hallway and disappeared...!
: He must be down this hall! Come on, let's go!



: Haa...haa...
: What is it now!?



♪ Music cuts out. ♪

: Hachoo!



: H-Huh...?
: Whoa! It's really true!
: But that doesn't matter right now!



♪ A very loud scream is heard ♪

???: Ungyaaaaaahhh!!!

: Huh!?





: Wh-What was that!?
: That came from downstairs! It must have been...
: Hifumi! He's in the nurse's office! This is bad! Come on, we have to go back!



: What about the suspect? We've gone to all this trouble to capture him, right?
: Then why don't we split into two groups?
: I'll lead the hunting party. That seems much more interesting.



: Very well, then Makoto and Hina, you come with me to the nurse's office. I will leave the capture of the suspicious individual to Toko, Sakura, and Byakuya.
: We'll handle it. Just go take care of Hifumi.
: Okay! You guys be careful!

With that we split into two groups. Me, Celeste, and Hina all ran downstairs to the 1st floor.



: He's in the nurse's office! Let's go!





♪ Music fades out. ♪

We stormed into the nurse's office, and what greeted us was...

...a world of dripping crimson.

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