Part 94: Icky Thump

MUSIC: V3 Argument -PERJURY-

VIDEO: Nonstop Debate #5











Tenko's not that kind of person!

But if Tenko did commit suicide...



She could've secretly brought the sickle...







All the pieces fit.



But only because they're latching onto the easiest answer... To get out of this, I need to make them think their suicide theory wouldn't work.



This guess is pretty flimsy even without having to lie. Somehow Tenko manage to toss the sickle to the corner underneath the floor while in massive shock from the wound? Please.









Instantly?

...





What's your opinion, Maki? I'd like to hear from someone who specializes in muuurder.

...

Maki...



Tenko died instantly...

What?

As an assassin, I specialize in killing my targets swiftly.



Nee-heehee... Words of a true killer. Pretty sure we can believe everything she said.

...

...Thank you, Maki.



...Excuse me?

I-It's okay, Kaito, really. No apology necessary...

Anyway, Tenko died so suddenly that she couldn't have gotten rid of the sickle.

Knowing that, the theory that she killed herself just doesn't fit, correct?



...Thank goodness, Himiko.

Which means someone definitely killed Tenko during the seance.

Her suicide was considered because we could not determine how she was killed.

No! There must've been a way! We're gonna figure it out!



If you know something, please speak up... It could be the key to solving this mystery.

Not a bad idea... We should remember what happened at the seance. Let me try to remember... I'm sure there's something...



MUSIC: V3 Argument -TURN UP THE HEAT-

VIDEO: Nonstop Debate #6







There is something that bothers me.

The fact that the seance failed.

The ritual was perfect and yet it failed.

How utterly strange.

Now that I think about it...







I mean, it was totally pitck black!

My job was to relight the candles...

Moving along the walls was seriously tough...



Just stay calm, think... There must be some kind of clue!



This one's easy. About time we addressed that awful sound.











What could've fallen down?

Fallen down? There wasn't anything on the ceiling that could've fallen down, right?

Nyeh? Am I wrong? I thought something fell, but...

The sound was pretty loud. It did seem like something hit the floorboards...



Maybe that sound had something to do with the other thing that happened in the dark.











It was the sound of an intense impact...

If the impact was that intense, then it could have loosened the floorboard.

That is true. There would have had to be a strong impact to make that sound.



...



MUSIC: V3 Argument -TURN UP THE HEAT-

VIDEO: Nonstop Debate #7





So what made the floorboard come loose!?



Someone who participated in the seance...



That wouldn't make such a loud crashing sound!



But that statue was still on top of the cage!

Culprit hide under floor...



But we already said there was no one under the floor!



A floorboard that comes loose when you step on it is dangerous!





D...Don't be stupid...





If I think about everyone's testimony, and combine it with the facts...



Miu has surprisingly good rebuttals for everybody's guesses... except for this one.







But floorboards fit perfect. Gonta make sure first time we go to empty room!

When we first saw the room, yes. But when I looked again during the investigation...



SHUICHI: After examining the cut, I concluded that it must have been done deliberately.



What did the culprit stand to gain by cutting the crosspiece?

What did they stand to gain? That's the question...

To solve this case, I'll need to think carefully about the crosspiece and floorboard.





SHUICHI: The unsupported part was outside the cage, so it could have been stomped on...





SHUICHI: And the other was in the center, right about where the edge of the cage was.



Think... Come on, think!

MUSIC: Hangman's Gambit Ver3.0

VIDEO: Hangman's Gambit #1





The second must-have skill of this trial turns out to be Atua's Intuition. Not only does the spotlight fill up much faster, I could have sworn it's a lot bigger than it was before. Maybe it's because I didn't hold down the button down long enough before?



Gotta clarify that it's not a literal seesaw, I suppose.





Nyeh? A seesaw?



SHUICHI: The other two crosspieces holding up that board were close to the cage. Meaning, if you were to apply force to the end of the floorboard with no crosspiece...



SHUICHI: A lever capable of lifting up Tenko's entire body.



Yeah, that sounds like a seesaw, alright... But why bother lifting Tenko's body?

They couldn't have killed Tenko like that...unless they used the sickle.

That's exactly it. Using the seesaw trick, it was possible to kill Tenko with the sickle.

Huh? How?



...the placement of the sickle is the most important factor.

The floorboard seesaw, the cage, and the blood on the white fabric... What conclusions can I draw from this? There's only one place the sickle could have been that is consistent with the evidence...









SHUICHI: Also, the wooden statue kept the blade in place. It's true that the sickle's handle was thick, which made the statue wobble...but the statue's weight kept it from falling over.







MAKI: The 6-inch sickle blade wasn't long enough to stab Tenko in her crouched position. But with the floorboard acting as a seesaw, it could compensate for the blade's length.

KEEBO: Bringing the victim to the sickle, rather than bringing the sickle to the victim... That's definitely an unorthodox idea!



So the sound we heard was the culprit stomping on the floorboard.

That impact make floorboard come loose.

Looks like we got ourselves a good ol' fashioned seesaw homicide.



The craziness is what really makes the killing game fun, y'know?

They can't get away with murder the normal way, so they gotta think outside the box.

Kudos, culprit! You did a great job keeping me entertained!



Nyeeeh?

Kehehe... It was you, wasn't it? The one behind this seesaw homicide?



Because she's the only one capable of carrying out this plan...

The only one? Why's that?

Because this seesaw homicide required its location to be prepared beforehand.

By cutting the crosspiece beneath the floorboard, you mean?



That is why you chose that room for the seance, is it not, Himiko?



Um...the middle room. The middle room's always best for stuff like this.



...

She likely found out about my plans for the seance somehow.

You were quite vocal about the seance, Kiyo. You even had instructions for it in your lab.



KIYO: Then she waited for me to host the seance, and suggested the middle room. She led us all into holding the seance right where she wanted it.



Th-That's a lie, right? Himiko...did such a thing?

...

In the end, Himiko, who Tenko cherished and loved, tragically killed her...



He's wrong. Right, Himiko!? Himiko would never kill Tenko! Right!?

Kill...Tenko...? I...killed Tenko?

Himiko...?



...

It is true that using the middle room was Himiko's idea... But does that mean that Himiko really killed Tenko?



Something so cruel...