Part 61: Soul to Squeeze

VIDEO: Class Trial #2, Nonstop Debate #3

MUSIC: V3 Argument -BREAK-





The only one who could've switched out Ryoma's body...

is Himiko herself.

When Himiko was escaping the tank...

she dragged out the body hidden in the stairs...

and simply switched places with it.



No one could have seen that.





So basically, no one saw anything.



Ryoma's corpse wasn't in the staircase...



She's not lying!





I feel like I'm forgetting an important point...



Good thing Gonta couldn't take it anymore, huh?











Y-Yeah...Gonta saw down into tank. But...saw no one in there.

...No one was in there?

Yeah, no one. Guess that clue no good, huh?

No, that's actually a great clue. Because...



SHUICHI: Himiko would have had to pull him out before she went inside. There certainly wasn't enough room in the staircase for both of them. But that means, if the tank was empty when Gonta looked... Ryoma's body must not have been hidden in the staircase.



She had no need to worry about us witnessing her at that point. For the entire stage was hidden behind a curtain. To all but Gonta, anyway.

Then the culprit never would have considered hiding inside the staircase with the body.

Entering the staircase *after* moving the body is much faster, and seems more rational too!





Where was Ryoma's body hidden...? We need to pin that down. It's clear that it was not inside the staircase. But where?

VIDEO: Class Trial #2, Nonstop Debate #4

MUSIC: V3 Argument -BREAK-





Where were ya hidin' Ryoma's body!?

It wasn't really in the stairs, was it?

After all, there was only enough space for Himiko.



If there was a way to enter the tank from there...

then it would be plausible.

Or maybe the body was in the tank all along...







No way. If you put a body in there...

the piranhas woulda eaten it way before we saw it!



Then it wouldn't have been devoured, correct?



There was one piece of evidence at the crime scene that might explain it!



Shuichi gives away what weak spot is correct, and the rest is easy to deduce from there.





Bit late for that, I'm afraid.





Kehehe... Just as I thought.



KIYO: It is in such a space that the body could be stored, separated from the piranhas.



So Ryoma's body fell into the water tank with the piranhas!?

Gonta knew it!

What is it, Gonta?



That's why Gonta see something no one else could... When piranhas fell, Gonta see some big thing fall into water tank with them.



And then...





fell straight into the water tank Himiko was swimming in!

Huh? Huhhh?



When the piranhas dropped from the tank, I thought I saw something bigger drop as well.

The water tank on the bottom is made completely out of glass, correct?





Unless...a certain something was used to obscure the body.

...A certain something?

We all agree that the glass pane was used to separate the body from the piranhas, correct?





How was the culprit able to conceal the body in the piranha tank...?







Huh!? The piranhas!?

That's right. Remember what Angie said during the investigation?



I feel like there are more piranhas today than yesterday when we were preparing.



It seemed that way, but it wasn't that the actual number of piranhas increased.



SHUICHI: The piranhas got crowded together, making it look like there were more of them.



Because of that, it was difficult to see the body hidden in the tank.



It was really easy to detach that lid, so it's no wonder they used it as a divider.

Gee, thanks for telling us that useless detail!



Sure, the lid looks a little big. But if you set it diagonally, it would fit perfectly...

Nice job, Himiko! Your explanation was awesome!



Congrats, Himiko! Now there should be no reason for anyone to suspect you!

Nyeh...? Really?

Yeah! Cuz if you didn't switch places with the body, then you couldn't have killed him!

It only means we now have other suspects. You are not cleared of suspicion just yet.



That's wonderful news, Himiko! Atua is happy for you.



Atua is sleeping. He went to bed angry cuz you all doubted Him...

What a petty-ass god!

No, it's okay... We shouldn't be mad at Angie...

We should be mad at this class trial... At this killing game...



That's what Atua said, anyway.

Wha—!?

It's too bad that the handsome god went to bed angry, though...

Himiko's still brainwashed!





And why are we back to square one?



Nuh-uuuhh! Not everyooone! We can narrow it down to whoever doesn't have an alibi yet.

...Eh? What alibi?

I guess I should've known a dumb whore pig like you wouldn't understand, so lemme explain...



If there's this much evidence, then there's no mistake the body was hidden in the piranha tank.

But for someone to plant the body in there with such limited time is pretty tricky...



There's only one time the culprit could have set up this scene...







Ding ding ding! The Ultimate Detective gets it right again!

W-Wait... How do you know it was before nighttime yesterday?

Stop asking me dumbass questions! It could've been solved with the process of elimination!

Geez...fine! I'll explain it to the itty-bitty, peabrained bitchlet!



First, the gym was closed during nighttime, so no one could've entered.



You talking 'bout my butthole?

No, she means the alarm!



Nyahahaha! Impossible!

Himiko and I were waiting in front of the gym, before the morning announcement.

Which leaves only one possibility—it was done before nighttime yesterday.

Anyone who doesn't get this is just as stupid as the whore bitchlet over there!



So the culprit placed Ryoma's corpse in the piranha tank before nighttime yesterday?

Which means, he was also killed during that timeframe.

Yay! Now we know what time the crime happened, right?

I still don't really get it, though. Can we narrow down the time of death a bit more?









Kirumi, you were asking everyone when they had last seen him, right?

Yes, Gonta was the last person who saw Ryoma.

What? Really!?

And when was the last time Gonta saw Ryoma!?

Ummm... When Gonta was inviting everyone to "Insect Meet and Greet," so...



If he was last seen at 8:00 pm. and was killed before nighttime officially began...

Then we can assume the crime took place between 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock at night.

So all we must do...is find someone with no alibi for that time period, yes?



If I recall correctly...the only people that weren't there besides Ryoma...

That would be the four of us—myself, Kaito, Miu, and also...Maki.

Wow, Kirumi. You would tell the truth, even if it screwed you over.

I do this for everyone. It is my duty to unveil the truth, so I do not care if people suspect me.



I will also say this...

The crime took place between 8 and 10 o'clock at night, and l was at the gym during that time.

...Hm...



Why would you even say that though? You're tying a noose around your neck, y'know?

I don't care if it was five seconds! It's way too suspicious that you were alone in the gym!



I-Is too soon to tell. We should hear what everyone has to say, right?

Fuck that noise!

But, Miu, you don't have an alibi for when the crime occurred either, do you?



Doesn't telling such obvious lies make you more suspicious, Miu?

The other two without alibis are Kaito and Maki. Let us hear your testimonies.

I was in my research lab the whole time. I didn't go to the gym.



...

What about Kaito? Only murderers grow out creepy facial hair like mustaches and goatees.



Now that I think of it, I can't remember any other time I've seen an anime teenager with facial hair.


Besides him, yeah.

Anyway, among those four, the culprit must be the one who doesn't have an alibi!

...I apologize but given the circumstances, we have no choice but to suspect you.







You will see whether or not I am suspicious as the trial progresses.



Next time, the blame game.