Part 106: Trial 4, Part 5

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: The poison...must have been poured into the protein can. If the protein's in the poison bottle, it seems only logical to assume the reverse is true, right?
: Absolutely. The contents of each container were switched. So the protein was in the bottle of poison, and the poison was in the protein can... Once you accept that, it becomes obvious how the culprit was able to get Sakura to drink the poison.
: Holy crap!
: All they had to do was hand her something there at the scene, and she was happy to drink the poison herself.

Something at the scene...?



> A protein drink

: You're saying they gave her a protein drink, right?



: A protein drink which actually contained a deadly poison...
: ...What!?
: That's all it took to kill Sakura. That is the true cause of death!



: Y'know...I do remember Ogre saying that protein stuff was good for all kinds of aches and pains! So maybe she took it to try and help with the whole bleeding-head-would thing!
: But what was offered to her instead was a bottle full of poison.



: And I already know exactly who swapped the mixtures!
: For real!? Who was it!?
: Evidence revealing who replaced the two materials was left in the chem lab for anyone to see.

The evidence that shows who switched them... It has to be...



> Present "Footprints in the Powder"



: The footprints left behind in front of the shelf... That's the evidence you're talking about, isn't it?
: I visited the chem lab this morning, and there were definitely no footprints there at that point. They must have appeared around the time of the murder, which leaves no doubt that they're connected.



: What's more, the footprints were in front of section A, where I found the bottle meant for the poison. The culprit must have gone to section A to swap the poison and protein, leaving their footprints behind.



: And given how clear the prints were, figuring out who they belong to will pose no problem.
: All we have to do is check everyone's footprints right now! Then we'll see who--

♪ Music fades out. ♪



???: ...It was me.





: The footprints...they're mine.
: H-Hina...?
: ...If you're all gonna find out anyway... I'd rather you hear it straight from me, ya know?
: Then...Ogre's killer was--!
: Yup...





: I did it! I killed Sakura!
: Just as I suspected. The footprints were made by a pair of sneakers--there was no mistaking it. And the only people here who wear sneakers are...

Sneakers, huh? The only people wearing sneakers here are...



> Makoto and Hina

: Me and Hina are the only ones. Oh, so Byakuya...that explains why you...



: These footprints must be...
: Makoto, are they yours?
: No!
: Okay. Then let me see your shoes and I'll confirm their size for myself.



: If the footprints didn't belong to Makoto, that left only one other possibility.
: Just Hina...
: Plus, Hina's been acting strange ever since the trial began. You were in an awful rush to get to the vote, weren't you?



: This whole time, you've been focused on pinning the crime on someone else, haven't you?
: ...
: I...I can't believe it.
: What about it can't you believe?



: Well, it's just...the two of them were so close.
: That's likely exactly why it turned out this way. Because they were so close, Sakura didn't think twice about it when Hina handed her the concoction.
: Hina used that trust to kill her! She deceived the victim, and she tried to deceive all of us.



: I have to say, Hina...coming from you, this was a particularly nasty little scheme.
: ...
: Hina...is it true? Did you really...kill Sakura? And if you did...
: Why!? Why would you do that!?



: ...I found her, there in the rec room... She was hurt. She asked me to bring her that protein drink. But...when I went to get the powder from the chem lab, it just...occurred to me all of a sudden.
: "Now's my chance to kill her." That's what you thought, right? That's when you switched out the protein powder, and that's when you gave her the poisoned mixture.
: And then...she downed it, all at once. And...and then...

♪ Music cuts out. ♪





: Hold it! I'm not convinced...
: You're not about to claim she wouldn't kill a close friend, are you?
: You still don't get it, do you? The game we're playing here isn't so kind. Honeyed words like friendship don't matter here. What matters is outwitting the opponent, defeating them... Not a person alive would sacrifice themselves for another. In the end, we're all in it for ourselves. Just like how this girl sacrificed Sakura...to save herself.
: ...
: You say that, but I'm still not convinced.



: *sigh* How many times do you plan to repeat yourself?
: Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying it because of some misguided sentimentalism. But there's still that one unsolved mystery, and I'm not convinced.
: Are you talking about the locked room problem?



: Hina...if you really are the killer, explain it. How did you create that locked room?
: W-Well... ...
: Th-That doesn't matter! Just cuz I'm guilty, that means I have to tell you everything!?
: No, it doesn't. But the fact that you won't tell us concerns me.



: Surely you're not--do you honestly think Hina didn't actually kill her?
: And if I do?
: Impossible. She switched out the mixtures. She's the culprit. There's no way you can doubt this.
: Are you sure about that? Even ignoring the fact that I don't want to believe it...it just doesn't fit.
: What doesn't fit?
: I mean...why would someone leave such a clear clue like a footprint? It's too...obvious. Too easy.
: He's right. It makes it look like you wanted people to suspect you.



: Th-That was...
: I was just...nervous! So I-I didn't notice I'd left a footprint!
: ...You didn't notice?
: Y-Yeah! That's just how it was. What can I do?





: Listen, Hina... Could you go into a bit more detail?
: Tell us more about when you switched the poison and the protein.
: H-How come! That doesn't matter!
: Hina...please, I'd like to know, too.
: ...F-Fine...



: ...Waste your time if you like. It's clear that Hina is the culprit. There's nobody else to suspect. Nobody else could have possibly done it.
: Go ahead, Hina. Start from the moment you arrived at the chem lab.



: W-Well... Right away I went to section C, and got the poison.
: And is that when you spilled the powder in front of that part of the shelf?
: Y-Yeah...when I opened the bottle, I dropped it like an idiot.
: I see. Okay then, go on.
: So then I moved to section A and got the protein powder, and that's where I switched them. Once I was done with that I took the protein can that had the poison in it and left the room. But I accidentally put the bottle filled with protein powder back on the wrong shelf. And because of that, everything I did got found out. And...that's it.



: ...
: That story you just told... First you went to section C to get the poison, then moved to section A to get the protein. Right? Meaning you went from section C to section A. Do I have that correct?
: Y-Yeah...

But if that's true...



Isn't that a little...strange?



: Can you repeat that series of events one more time?
: What's wrong with you, Big Mac!? You're being awfully pushy!
: It's the same thing no matter how many times you hear it. How long until you're satisfied...?

How long? Until we figure it out! Until I uncover the full truth of this case!