Part 153: The Denial Twist

MUSIC: V3 Argument -TURN UP THE HEAT-

VIDEO: Nonstop Debate #4







Yeah, I totally agree!

I only carried the case...

Yup, yup! That's true, too!



Mm-hm! Another true statement!

And that's all! I didn't do anything else in the hangar!

One hundred percent exactamundo!



Nyeeeh! Cuz Kokichi won't shut up!





Could Himiko have done this? That's the question...



Better hit this target before it starts moving.







Couldn't use it? Why not?





SHUICHI: But I don't believe someone without the proper training could have assembled it.



Sh-She didn't teach me that! Right, Makil?

...

Wh-What's wrong? Are you...mad about before?

...



I really have to question your morals if you're blaming Maki for your lie, Himiko!

I don't think you're allowed to say something like that...

I'm sorry, Maki... Please...can you tell them the truth?

Fine... I'm not going to lie.



See! I told you! It's just like I said!



She changed back so fast... I think I might have whiplash now...

Then...why did you bring the crossbow to the hangar, Himiko?



Asked to...? Perhaps the person who asked was...





Was it...Kaito?

Huh? Kaito?

Only Kaito or Kokichi would have asked for a crossbow to be brought to the hangar.





I do not think she would bring it at Kokichi's request...

Of course not! Why would I ever listen to Kokichi?

Cuz I know you like meeee.

Nuh-uh! I hate you!



Nyeh!?

Hey! Don't play with Himiko's heart!

But to think that Kaito asked Himiko to do that...

Maybe Kaito is trying to keep the promise we made yesterday...



That's a promise! All you guys are working so hard, so I can't just sit back and relax!



Well, Kaito...sorta asked me to keep it a secret...

Then Kaito died and...I got scared. I thought I was gonna be next.

You're the worst for trying to pin the blame on Maki just for that reason!



Don't bully the person you like!

This is way beyond bullying a grade school crush...

Himiko, when exactly did Kaito ask you to do this?



I was so nervous about fighting Kokichi, I couldn't get to sleep...



I got startled, and wet myself a little, and then he asked me to get him a crossbow.

Umm...that one part was, uh... You know what? Never mind.

So if Kaito asked for a crossbow, does that mean he was going to kill Kokichi?



I trusted Kaito and took a crossbow from Maki's lab.

That's when I witnessed Himiko.

But then what did Kaito do after he had the crossbow?

I dunno. I just handed him the crossbow then went right back to the dorms.



and then, Kokichi returned fire and shot Kaito. That sequence of events seems logical.

No, it happened a little differently. Both Kaito and Kokichi shot the crossbow.

And there's proof of that...





Remember that when we found Kokichi's clothes, there were holes in the back and sleeve.



So Kokichi was shot by the crossbow, too?

Then it was Kaito who shot him, right?



You don't remember whether or not you were shot...?

There is no doubt that they shot each other with the crossbow, but—

It doesn't matter.

...Huh?



...



But why? Does she know something? If so...what does she know?

Maybe Maki's right. It doesn't matter what happened in the middle.

Cuz in the end, there's no mistake that Kokichi killed Kaito.



No, it's too soon. There are still mysteries—

Who cares about that? We already know who the culprit is.



...Huh?

What? Now he's joining in?

As the one running this trial, it bothers me when anyone says mysteries don't matter.

It affects the overall entertainment value, so I encourage you to reaaaally think about things.



For example, is Kokichi really inside that Exisal? Stuff like that...

...What?

...



Kokichi's gotta still be alive, since the killing game's still going.



But we heard it speak in Kaito's voice earlier, didn't we?



...It what?

Hah! Cuz of that, nobody realizes I'm pretending to be Kokichi! But no more! Sorry for the wait, guys!







Wh-What? What's going on?

I told you, I'm Kaito. I was just pretending to be Kokichi is all.



Sorry about tricking you guys like that. My bad!

Huh? So Kaito's in there after all!?

...Don't be stupid. How many times are you going to be tricked by him?



Hey now, Maki Roll. Don't you believe me?



Whoa there! Chill! You really think I'm Kokichi? I mean, I guess I understand. Sorry I can't really get outta this thing right now.

Why not?



It's so bad, I can't even stand. That's why I'm in this Exisal.

I-Is that so...?

But if you guys don't believe me, then we can't move on...



What!? Me!?

Explain to everyone how I wasn't the one that died!

...Kaito is alive after all...



What story does the evidence tell? Does that story end with Kaito or Kokichi being the victim?

I need to give a well-reasoned answer to that question, and soon.

...I can't look away from the truth.





I'm trying, I really am, but I can't think of anyone other than Kaito...



Hey, what's the matter, Shuichi? Just hurry up and tell everyone why I'm not dead! Should be easy!

No...I won't. Because you're not Kaito.





Puhuhuhu! Good, good! This is already more entertaining!

Now, the Ultimate Academy is proud to present its very own morphenomenal trial grounds!



MUSIC: V3 Argument -SCRUM-

VIDEO: Debate Scrum

















I suspect that Kaito is inside the Exisal!

Unless he comes out of the Exisal, we can't confirm that.

But he said that he can't leave the Exisal because he's injured.

Anyone who knows about Kaito's injury can make that claim





But there was an arrow hole in Kokichi's shirt.

Kaito's clothes had arrow holes, too!

I want to believe Kaito is still alive and defeated the mastermind, but...

The mastermind is still alive... inside that Exisal.















I hate it... I hate it so much, but it's the truth.

...

I see. If that's the conclusion you've arrived at, Shuichi, then there must be no mistake.

Then, the one here is...







Soooorry! That was just a little joke!

Wh-What a sick joke!

You're still an asshole...

True, and I can't forgive him...but we still need to stay calm, be rational.



Y-Y-Y-Yeah! Just keep calm and carry on!

Why are you saying that!? And what part of that was calm!?



I think we need to get all the facts straight so we don't fall for any more lies.

I agree, but... What do you think, Maki?

......Fine.



Why are you acting like you're in charge of things?

So, if we assume that Kaito and I shot each other with the crossbow... ...then the most efficient way to solve this is to set up a timeline of events!

Hey! I said, why are you—



MUSIC: V3 Argument -BREAK-

VIDEO: Nonstop Debate #5





When the crossbow fired...what was even going on!?

As if you need to ask! You were there!







and returned fire.







The other two are still in my research lab.





By the way, crossbow shots hurt a looot.





I feel like that goes against the information I have.



Three Arrows is a good channel. You should subscribe to it.







Nyeh? Well, I only gave Kaito one arrow, so...

...What?

Are you positive?



Well then, that's strange because...





Kaito even told me to only bring him one. He said he wanted to avoid fighting.

There were three arrows at the scene, but Himiko said that she only brought one. What is going on here?



Why would Kokichi have two arrows when he didn't have a crossbow to fire them?

But we know for certain that three arrows were recovered from the scene...





So we know for certain that they shot three arrows at each other...

Then where did those arrows come from? I don't think that Himiko is lying... There must be some angle to this we haven't considered yet... What is it...? What could have happened?



I need to think!

Next time, an explanation.