Part 116: Feels Like We Only Go Backwards

Day 17.

The sun had risen while we were inside the virtual world.



MUSIC: Mr. Monokuma's Lesson V3





...Wait, you're already here.

Wow, I get to bring you the body discovery announcement live!

Whew, doin' it live is great! Better than beer and fuckin'!





I was holding back cuz we already had one vulgar cast member, but now it's my time to shine!

Thankfully, I'm adorable so I can get away with saying all kinds of crude stuff.



What a vulgar last word!

...

What's wrong, Monotaro? You're just staring blankly at the body...

St-Staring...at the...body—



... ...Mommy.

MUSIC: Moon on the Water



We just stared at...Miu's corpse.



Miu! Wh-Why...!?

Wh-What's going on? Why was...Miu killed?

Gonta...not understand, either... Miu like this when Gonta wake up...



Well, it's obvious a murder happened.

M—Murder...?



We weren't asleep and that wasn't a dream. We were in the Virtual World.

...Hey, where's Kaito?



NO MUSIC



We heard footsteps running fast down the hallway, the sound growing louder until... The door burst open.

MUSIC: New Classmates of the Dead





You're too late, okay? All the others finished gasping in terror already.

But anyway, where were you this whole time, Kaito? What were you doing?

I-I was just taking a nap.



You were sleeping? Gonta was sleeping, too! Had strange dream! Gonta not understand anything!

As I said, that was the Virtual World...

So, you logged out by yourself and then took a nap? Without our permission?





Yeah...I didn't know if it was okay to log back in, so I went back to my room and slept.

And when that body discovery announcement woke me up, I rushed over here-—



Do you think you can make the killing game more exciting with a crappy lie like that!?

I-It's not a lie! I really was sleeping!



What we need to do right now...is begin the investigation. We need to discover who killed Miu.

Nee-heehee...you seem ready. Well, of course you are.



...Explain it however you'd like, Kokichi. The fact is, if we don't find out who the culprit is, we'll all be executed.

But I won't let that happen. I'll find the culprit so that we can all survive.



Huh!? What!?

Now, now, please save your arguments for the class trial. In the meantime...



Huh? Even there?

...

Well then, do your best! I'm certain you guys'll make this turn of events very entertaining! Asshole!

Monokuma leaves.



... ...Mommy.





Well, what're you sad about? You guys hated her! Not as much as you hate me, but still!

Th-That's not the issue... Of course I thought she was loud and annoying, but...

I never wanted her to die. I wanted us all to escape together.

Miu was certainly brash and spirited, but she wasn't a bad person.



Krgh... I want to cry, but I can't... I should have had Miu install a crying function!

Huh? Wouldn't your tears cause you to short circuit?



This isn't the time for that...

Urgh... Gonta no can forgive this. Gonta...never forgive this. Never forgive culprit, either...



Gonta no could protect anyone again! Gonta is failure as gentleman!

...I'm...so tired of this awful feeling. I have to do something. I can't let this—





You're my sidekick! Don't forget.

We're gonna do it together! If we work together, we can solve this—

NO MUSIC





MUSIC: Nightmare in the Locker

Shuichi is the most reliable person in a class trial, y'know? Why would we let such an important person work together with a suspect like you?

Suspect...? You're saying that if I was the culprit, Shuichi would hide the truth to protect me?



Even if I was the culprit, he's the type of guy that'd see things through!

But, remember Kaede's class trial—

He saw us through that, didn't he!? I believe in Shuichi!

K-Kaito...



But that belief can turn against you, especially in this killing game, y'know?

Heh... I've got no idea what you're talking about... I don't get it at all...



B-But...

Don't worry! It's just for now!

But hearing him say all that... I can't stay quiet!

That said, try to get through this on your own! Clear me of suspicion with your own power!



...



Of course, this is Kaito we're talking about, nothing I say could change his mind. Regardless...there's only one thing I can do. I can't be afraid... I can't get lost now. In order to protect everyone, I have to do something.





MUSIC: Despair Searching







Approximate time of death is 6:30 a.m. There are no external wounds on the body.





Kokichi. What do you want?

You don't have to be so wary of me. It's not like I'm gonna get in your way, Shuichi.

It's just...I hate lies so much that I tend to suspect others a lot. Kaito said he wouldn't team up with you for this case, but I can't trust those words.



"Keeping an eye out"?

Don't take it the wrong way, though. I'm not trying to replace Kaito as your partner, okay?

But I'll help you as much as I can. So, where are you gonna investigate now?







......Mommy.





I had a bad feeling... Ever since I thought I saw Miu from the dining room window.

You thought you saw Miu...?

Yeah... I told Shuichi about it...



And I thought I saw Miu.



I thought I must've been mistaken, since she should've been by the chapel—



Huh?

If you had been *positive* it was Miu, then you could've done something sooner...



Th-That...

That's just speculation, Kokichi. You can't judge in hindsight.

Oh, we went a little off topic there. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something... What did you do after you "thought" you saw Miu?



About ten minutes later, I told Shuichi. And while we were talking about it...



Ah!?

Wh-What!? What was that sound!?

It sounded as if something was struck very hard. It came from outside, but...





O-Oh no!

What!?

That was Keebo's voice, right!? I think I heard him outside! He sounded close!



He was, but Tsumugi and I are positive it was his voice.



Whaaat? That's weird, cuz you shouldn't be able to hear anything between the chapel and mansion. Even Miu said that.





So how did we hear Keebo's voice? How were we able to hear Keebo at the mansion if he was at the chapel?



Lying...?

...

By the way, Kokichi. Did you hear the loud noise or Keebo's voice at all?

Hm...I'm not sure. I must've not noticed cuz I was too busy searching.





Kaito, you keep interrupting me when I talk. Do you like me or something?



My conversation?

You heard Keebo's voice when it should've been impossible. Can you tell me more about that?

Well, what I said before was pretty much everything. After that, we headed back to the chapel to see what happened...



That's when we met up with Kokichi.

And then we used the signboard that I found as a bridge... What about it though? Did you notice anything?

...



I see you're working hard. It looks like you're starting to take this game seriously, Kaito.











What was this secret of the outside world that we were searching for, anyway?

That's true... We got sidetracked by Miu's murder case. We never discovered what that secret actually was.



No. Tsumugi and I didn't find anything.

I didn't find anything either. That's probably the same with Kaito and Gonta, too, right?

And knowing them, if they had found something, they would've told us right away.

Yes, they would have. Unlike you...





That's why he's more concerned about the secret of the outside world than poor Miu.

He told us he couldn't cry even if he wanted to! He went so far to stage his dramatic reaction.

Th-That's not true! I'm hoping we can discover the truth, too!



Grgh...





I'm keeping an eye out, in case Kaito tries to bother you.

Don't take it the wrong way, though. I'm not trying to replace Kaito as your partner, okay?

But I'll help you as much as I can. So, where are you gonna investigate now?

What is he trying to do? Why does he insist on following me around?





This place is upsetting my stomach... N-No! You're endangering our entire existence as mascot characters!



Monotaro...

...





Maki was working on the computer, her hand moving the mouse around rapidly.

You know how to work that computer, Maki?

No, not really. I've never used this program before, either.

I see... I imagine that it would be difficult to understand unless you were an expert.





Ooh, so what did it say?

...

If you don't wanna tell me, at least tell it to Shuichi.

According to this text file...





Neo World Program...? Hmmm, never heard of it.

In this killing game simulator, objects can't break... Your body's five senses are connected to your avatar, and your avatar cannot be harmed...



That matches what Miu told us.



From shock?

Ooohh, this is the first time we're hearing about this. If someone receives a fatal injury in the Virtual World, then they'd die in the real world...

Well, your five senses are connected, so it makes sense you'd feel the same amount of pain.



But the more important question is... Why did Miu keep such an important detail a secret?

That is strange. I have no idea why she wouldn't mention such an important detail. Did she hide that from us on purpose?



The rest of the Virtual World is the same as the real world, including the laws of physics.



So you can only move around using your avatar.

She should've added warps and mounts to the Virtual World.

That's all it says in this text file...

Thank you, Maki. That was very helpful.



But is the info in the text file correct?

...What do you mean?



It's possible someone rewrote the original info with false info, y'know?

But to determine that, you would need extensive knowledge of computers—



MUSIC: Rise and Shine, Ursine!

...What?

...Huh?

...Don't get in our way.



Help with the investigation...? Monotaro, what are you saying?

C'mon, please! Won't you let me help with the investigation?



That logic...doesn't make any sense.

Y-You can't, Monotaro... We're not allowed to help the participants. As mascots, we gotta stick to that rule.

I don't give a fart about the rules! I wanna help everyone!



MUSIC: Moon on the Water

Your "mommy"? You mean Miu?

N-No, Monotaro... You've forgotten again... You've forgotten that she's not our mother...

And...you've forgotten about the important person you need to protect—



Ergh... Ngh... How sad, but it looks like this is good bye... I love you, but...there's someone I need to protect...





MUSIC: Rise and Shine, Ursine!



...Do what?

I don't care either way. If you want to help, then that's fine.

T-True, I suppose, but...



W-Wait, perhaps we should—



...

...Alright, fine. I'll leave it to you, then. I suppose I have no choice.

Alriiiight! I'll start analyizing the computer right away!

MUSIC: Finding Peace Party

AUDIO: Strike the Fire



This dinky little computer is no match for my hands!

KOKICHI: Gah! His hands are going at such an intense speed that the friction is creating fire!

MUSIC: Despair Searching



Already!?

The text file is consistent with the original program. It doesn't look like it was altered.

Also...I found this, too.



There's no sign that this was altered, either! It's definitely accurate information!

Could you show it to me?



MAKI: Aside from Miu, everyone has logged in and out once...

SHUICHI: Then it would appear that no one secretly logged out and then logged back in.

Then my main concern becomes... Kaito. He logged out ahead of us... ...No, it couldn't be him.







The program's been rewritten?

Obviously, Miu was the only person capable of doing that.

So, which files did she rewrite and what did she change?



Well, as long as it's done by the class trial. Then Shuichi will be able to avenge Miu.

He's just saying whatever he pleases...

Alriiiight! Then I'll keep on analyzing the crap outta this program!



...Yeah, way more than you.

Next time, we have more clues to find in both worlds.