Part 70: Chapter 3 Deadly Life, Part 3

First I'd better check the Monokuma File... "The victims were Hifumi Yamada and Kiyotaka Ishimaru. The cause of death for each was a blow to the head. It is thought that they were both killed with a similar weapon.

: ...That's it?
: Yeah, it's pretty strange. We got way less information this time than before.
: That is no problem. After all, the events of this case unfolded before our very eyes. We should know more about what happened than the Monokuma File could, anyway.
: Maybe...



: There's something else that's bothering me... Someone else has been missing for quite a while...
: Are you talking about Kyoko?
: Without a doubt, she has an alibi for when Celeste and Hifumi were attacked. But what if the killer wasn't acting alone? What if they had...an accomplice?
: An accomplice!?





: An accomplice!?
: ...What are you doing here?
: Don't be rude! I'm here to answer your question!
: What question...?
: You're talking about accomplices, right? I'm pretty sure I explained it before, didn't I? During the first class trial!



: Speaking of which, I'd like to ask the bear...if there *is* an accomplice, do they also become "blackened"?
: So you ask, and so I shall answer! Each murder is allowed to have an accomplice, but only the one who does the killing will get to graduate.
: So in other words, two people can work together, but one of them has no chance of profiting from it...
: Then there's no way anyone would work together, right...?



: So basically...you can be an accomplice if you want, but there's no gratification in it!
: So are you saying nobody worked together this time, either?
: Sorry, can't answer that! it would obstruct the free exchange of information between you guys. I just want to make sure you don't forget--no matter how much you assist in a murder only one blackened can graduate. An accomplice gets NOTHING!



: Then we only need to figure out who that one blackened is that did the killing, right? Just like normal?
: Okay, okay, let me take this opportunity to clarify the whole shebang. In this class trial, what you need to determine is...
: ...the one true blackened who devised the murder plot and put it into action!

The true blackened...? So just one person?

: Now it's down to the final battle between all of you, and the blackened! Good luck to all the contestants! *leaves*





So there can only be one blackened. An accomplice wouldn't benefit...

: Then I can't see any way Kyoko would be connected to this case, after all.
: You may be right...
: If that's true then...Kyoko, where are you?
: As long as she's not connected to the case, it doesn't matter. Let's get back to the investigation.



: I have absolutely no doubt that Hiro is responsible. But for the time being, I suppose it can't hurt to pursue further information.
: You know...don't you think we should consider a certain someone a suspect, just in case? I'm talking about the murderous fiend...Genocide Jack!



: Wha--!? I'm offended!
: Kyah!?
: You... When did you--?
: I've been looking all over for you, Master! When I woke up, you were nowhere to be found!
: ...



: Anyway! You there, milk sack swimmer girl!
: Milk sack...?
: Why do I gotta be a suspect!?
: Well, I mean...you *are* a serial killer.
: So what, I'm like a special guest suspect every time!? I have an alibi, you know!



: She's right about that... When we heard Hifumi scream, she was with me. And when the bodies disappeared, she was still lying unconscious in the equipment room. Plus, Taka's body aside, I can't imagine any way she would have been able to move Hifumi's body.
: Besides, I calculate every move I make! I'm not gonna kill someone when everyone knows what I look like!
: They don't call me the murderous fiend for nothing!
: That's not the kind of thing you should be bragging about!



: On another topic, should we post a guard by the bodies like before? We can't have them disappearing again...
: Hina and I can handle that. You don't mind, do you Hina?
: Sure. I'd be totally useless on the investigation anyway...
: Then that's that. Let's begin.

This whole thing is so strange... All but one of us has an alibi, so figuring out who did it should be obvious, right? But... Maybe it's just me, but I don't think it's going to be as straightforward as it seems.





: We can finally start our investigation. The lead-up to the investigation can get a little confusing though with all the running around and disappearing bodies so luckily, Sakura can help us by refreshing our heads on the sequence of events so far. It's a bit long but it does a good job of organizing what we know.



: There are many aspects to the incident this time. *Too* many, to be honest. Considering that, it may be good to look back on everything that's happened. Would you like my help?



> Yes

: Yeah, let's look back on things.



: This morning, only four of us met up at the dining hall--Hina, Kyoko, you, and myself. We waited for the others, but nobody showed up. So we decided to go look for them. It was around 8 o'clock when we began our search.
: And soon after we split up, Kyoko disappeared...
: After that, Hina found Celeste in the rec room, on the 3rd floor, then quickly came and got you and me.
: According to Celeste, she was attacked by a suspicious individual and lay unconscious for about an hour. In other words, she was attacked an hour before we found her. Meaning, just after 7 o'clock.



: Based on the picture Celeste took, we discovered her attacker was dressed in a strange costume. It was...Robo Justice. It also became clear that this Robo Justice had dragged Hifumi away.



: After meeting up with Toko and Byakuya, we began searching for the costumed assailant. We found an injured Hifumi in the library, on the 2nd floor. We took him down to the nurse's office, on the 1st floor, then resumed our search. But not long after leaving the nurse's office...



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

: Based on Celeste's claims, we went back up to the 2nd floor, where we split up and began searching. Then, right after that...
: Celeste screamed. This time she had apparently seen the suspect on the 3rd floor. Hearing her screams, we quickly made our way to the 3rd floor.



: 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...!

: And then...



???: 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!

: At that point, we decided to split up into two groups. Celeste, Hina and I went back to the nurse's office. Meanwhile you, Byakuya, and Toko pursued the suspect up on the 3rd floor. And when we got back to the nurse's office...



: ...we found Hifumi's corpse. Which is also when we heard the body discovery announcement play. I left Celeste and Hina alone and headed back to the 3rd floor to tell the others what had happened.



: But at that same time, we had discovered Taka's body in the equipment room. Which means Hifumi and Taka's bodies were discovered right around the same time. Because I remember hearing the body discovery announcement play right after finding Taka.
: And that's when I showed up and told you and Byakuya that Hifumi had been killed, right? Then you, me, and Byakuya all headed back to the nurse's office leaving behind Toko, who had fainted. But as soon as we left the physics lab we ran into Celeste, who'd just arrived to tell us something very unusual.



: Hifumi's body has disappeared!



: We hurried back to the nurse's office, to discover that his corpse was, in fact, gone.
: Then we remembered we had abandoned the unconscious Toko, and rushed back to the equipment room.



: This can't be happening...
: Are we hallucinating all this or something?

: This time, Taka's body had disappeared. So from there, we began our search for both of the missing bodies. And after some time...
: Celeste told us she'd found the bodies, and we all headed to the repository.



: And there we rediscovered the two bodies that had apparently vanished.



: And that brings us up to now.
: Looking back, things have certainly been very active... If you want to look back at the case again, just let me know. I'm fine anytime.
: We'll begin the investigation in earnest next time. Sorry if the flashback bars got confusing, there are just so many flashbacks that occur during this scene that it was unavoidable.