- CLASS TRIAL, ALL RISE! -

"Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results. If you can figure out "whodunnit" then only they will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong one... Then I'll punish everyone *besides* the blackened, and the one that deceived everyone else will graduate! Now then...where to begin...?", Monokuma chuckled.

"We already know who did it...!", Hina declared.

"Whoa! Deja vu!"

"The one who killed Sakura... is one of the people that hated her! Byakuya, Toko or Hiro! It was one of you!"

"Hmph. Idiot.", Togami scoffed.

"I-I had nothing to d-do with it...", Toko stuttered.

"Y-Yeah! I'd never kill someone, no way!", Hiro stated.

"I don't wanna hear your stupid excuses!", Hina shouted.

Hina seems really sure that one of those three is the killer... But she must have some reason for believing that...

-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT!-

Aoi Asahina : It was one of you... One of you killed Sakura!

Byakuya Togami : And what reason do you have for saying so?

Aoi Asahina : Because you all had a motive! You hated her !

Byakuya Togami : Is that it? That doesn't make any sense...

Yasuhiro Hagakure : That's the only reason you have for accusing us? (COUNTER WITH AOI'S ACCOUNT)

Makoto Naegi : NO, THAT'S WRONG!!

-BREAK SUCCESSFUL-

"Another reason you suspect them is because Sakura wanted to meet with them , right?", Makoto asked Hina, who nodded quickly.

"Yeah! And that was right before she died ! So there's no doubt about it! One of those three killed her!"

I can't disagree with Hina. There's good reason to suspect all three of them... Then does that mean...one of them did it?

-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT!-

Aoi Asahina : The fact that Sakura wanted to meet with all three of them... There's no way that's not suspicious! One of you is absolutely guilty!

Byakuya Togami : I don't deny that she wanted to meet with us, but... I never went to see her.

Toko Fukawa : I-I didn't either ...

Yasuhiro Hagakure : Yeah, same here! I never saw her ...!(COUNTER WITH POCKET TRASH)

Kuno Sawa : OBJECTION!!

-BREAK SUCCESSFUL-

"Hiro...when Makoto and I were talking before, you dropped a small piece of paper , remember? It was white with red polka dots .", I explained.

"Wh-What's that got to do with anything!?", Hiro asked.

"Red polka dots...? That's gotta be the wrapper from the candy I gave Sakura!", Hina declared.

"N-No, it's...it's, um..."

"Ever since we got into the warehouse, I totally monopolized that entire box of candy. So there's no way a single one of them was left in the warehouse!"

"Hiro...where *did* you get that piece of candy?", I asked.

"From Sakura! It's the only explanation!"

"U-Umm... W-Well, I mean...yeah, sure I got it from her, but... But she gave it to me forever ago! It doesn't have anything to do with what happened to her!", Hiro huffed.

"When? When did she give it to you?"

"The last time you saw Sakura was when Hina had to go to the nurse's office...", I muttered.

"Y-Yeah, so I musta got it...some time before then."

"I GOT IT!! I'm not sure about that, Hiro... Hina didn't actually give Sakura the candy till after she left the nurse's office . So if that was the last time you saw her, there's no reason you should've had that candy!", Makoto concluded.

"Dammit! Er, I mean...what I meant was, uh... ... Oh, that's right! I DID meet up with her in the rec room! You got a problem with that!?", Hiro defended.

"Why the s-sudden hostility...?", Toko muttered.

"But we just talked, that's all! I didn't do anything! You gotta believe me!"

"Y-You're acting incredibly s-suspicious..."

"YOU'RE acting incredibly suspicious!"

"More h-hostility..."

"It's not just normal hostility! You're the real culprit! I even have proof!"

"Huh? P-Proof! What are you t-talking about?"

"I'm talking about her shining message ! At the scene of the crime, she had written out "Toko " in her own blood , right? It was her "dying message "! Just like what you guys were talking about with Sayaka!"

"That's true! I saw it for myself!", Hina agreed with Hiro quickly.

"See? See!? Toko did it!"

"Wh-Wh-What are you saying!? No w-way! I didn't d-do it!", Toko stuttered in fear.

"You just don't know when you're beat, do ya!?"

"Hiro, hold on... When did you see that dying message of hers?", Kyoko suddenly interjected.

"Huh...? W-Well, when we found Ogre's body. Duh..."

"Stop calling her Ogre, for fuck's sake!", I yelled, making Hiro shriek. "Whatever. Kyoko, continue."

"Alright, then if you recall, Hina was very adamant about keeping you away from the scene of the crime, Hiro. So it's hard to believe that's when you actually saw the message for yourself.

Huh? Hold on... But when Kyoko found the magazine with the dying message in it, it was...

"I KNOW THE TRUTH!! Kyoko, you found the magazine on the magazine shelf , right?", I recalled.

"That's right. Looking through the shelf, I found the magazine with the dying message on it. I found it right there at the scene of the crime, after we'd started the investigation ."

"If that's true, then what Hiro just said doesn't really make sense..."

"D-Doesn't make sense...? What doesn't make sense!? Everything I said makes perfect sense!", Hiro argued.

No, there's an obvious problem with what Hiro said before...!

-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT!-

Yasuhiro Hagakure : I can tell you exactly when I found the dying message: When Ogre's body was discovered !(COUNTER WITH magazine shelf)

Kyoko Kirigiri : And I can tell you when *I* found the dying message... It was only after the investigation had begun . I found the magazine tucked away on the magazine shelf ... When I pulled it out, I saw her final words...(TAKE magazine shelf)

Makoto Naegi : NO, THAT'S WRONG!!

-BREAK SUCCESSFUL-

"When Sakura's body was found, that magazine was sitting on the shelf nearby . That's where Kyoko found it, after we'd begun the investigation. And you weren't at the murder scene , so there's no way you could have seen it then!", Makoto stated.

"Gah-hah!", Hiro cried out, busted.

"Tell us the truth, Hiro. When did you see the message?"

"H-Hold on, you're focusing on the wrong part! Why does it matter when I saw it!? All you gotta do is read the vienna sausage Og-- I-I mean, Sakura... left us and we know who the killer is--Toko!" (A/N: Screw you, Hiro. Now I want hot dogs T-T...)

"I don't even know where to begin with that one!", Hina scoffed.

"He's just t-trying to confuse us...!", Toko grumbled.

"Actually, can we even be sure Sakura wrote that message in the first place?", Kyoko asked.

"Um, yeah...? I think we can all agree Sakura wrote that message! One hundred percent without a doubt she wrote it! And this is me talking, so you know it's true!", Hiro declared with full on determination.

Without a doubt...? No, I absolutely do doubt it. There's no way Sakura wrote that dying message!

(Yasuhiro - Kuno )

-THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!-

"Show me the proof!"

"These points lead to you!"

"I'm AT LEAST 30% right!"

"That's not enough!"

"Can't hear you, can't hear you!"

"Would you stop acting like a child!?"

"The occult is bullcrap!"

"This has nothing to do with the murder, Hiro!"

"Conspiracy!"

"This is the truth!"

"Give it a rest!"

"Our lives are on the line!"

"The end is nigh!"

"It's not the end yet!"

"ONE HUNDERED PERCENT WITHOUT A DOUBT SHE WROTE IT! AND THIS IS ME TALKING, SO YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE!" (COUNTER WITH KYOKO'S EXAMINATION SUMMARY)

"I'LL PROVE YOU WRONG!!"

-SUCCESSFULL-

"I'm unconvinced that Sakura wrote that dying message . The message was almost certainly written using a finger , however... both of her hands were completely free of blood !", I stated as I showed Hiro a picture of Sakura's fingertips.

"Say wh--!?", Hiro gasped.

"Then...who did write it...?", Hina asked.

"Hiro could very well have written it himself. That would explain how he knew about the message in the first place.", Kyoko summarized.

"N-Ngh...grr...! Yeah... Yeah, that's exactly what happened.", Hiro said with defeat in his tone.

"Ah! He admits it!", Hina muttered in surprise.

"I figured as much.", Kyoko sighed.

"But...why would you write something like that?", Makoto asked.

"B-Because... Because I killed her !", Hiro yelled out. Silence..."Please, just let me explain what happened... I got Sakura's note, and so I headed to the rec room right before noon, just like it said..."

"You just did exactly as the note asked? What a fool...", Togami smirked.

"Let him finish!", I huffed.

"And when I got there...", Hiro trailed off.
---

"Sorry, but do you mind waiting? I asked a couple of other people to meet, as well."

"O-Okay..."

"Would you like a piece of candy? It might help give you some energy."

"O-Oh, sure... Thanks."

---
"And that's all she said. After that, we just stood around in awkward silence... Suddenly, I heard her mutter something..."
---

"This is it... I'm going to end it today... I'm going to end...everything."

---
"As soon as I heard that, I just knew... I knew she was gonna try and kill me! She was gonna kill me and make her escape! So of course I freaked out, and then... I saw my only chance. I grabbed a Monokuma Bottle from the shelf, and smashed it across her head! I...I hit her from behind, before she had any idea what was happening! Then she just...went limp. I didn't see her move again after that. Once it was over, I pulled myself together. I realized if I didn't do something, I'd be caught and executed. So I wrote Toko's name in blood across a magazine on the table, and...I ran away."

"I-I can't believe you! You're the worst! I hope you d-die!", Toko yelled out.

"Well, that's what happened. Go ahead, roast me, boil me, do whatever you want..."

"You're not gonna get off that easy. It's death...death for the one that killed Sakura! We're ready to vote now, right!? We know who did it!", Hina decided, but Kyoko stepped in.

"No, I think there's more to Hiro's story..."

"What are you talking about? What else could there be!?"

"There's one thing that Hiro's story just now doesn't explain. And until we figure that part out, we can't consider the case closed."

"I GOT IT!! That's true. Everything you just said...it doesn't explain why the magazine was hidden , does it?", Makoto asked.

"Huh...?", Hiro muttered.

"By the time the body was discovered, the magazine had been picked up and put on the shelf... Why would you take the time to write that message, then stick it somewhere we might not find it?"

"Oh. Well, uh... I didn't hide it. I'm sure I just left it sitting there on the table."

"...Really?"

"H-He's lying! He's g-gotta be lying!", Toko scoffed.

"I don't see any reason he would lie now, after already confessing to the crime...", Kyoko deduced.

"Then...he's *not* lying?", Hina muttered.

"Assuming he's telling the truth, someone else must have put the magazine back on the shelf. In other words, at least one other person was in the rec room both before and after the incident.", Togami said with a smirk.

"I don't think there's any question about that.", Kyoko nodded.

"Th-Then...who was it?", Hina questioned.

"If they went to the trouble of hiding the magazine, they must not have liked what was written on it."

Someone who wouldn't like what had been written. There's only one choice...

"I KNOW THE TRUTH!! That has to be Toko.", I pointed at Toko.

"Wh--?", Toko looked nervous being called out. (A/N: Sis is getting cancelled-- I am so sorry.)

"Who else would want to hide the magazine other than the person whose name was written on it?"

"Is she right, Toko? Did you really go to the rec room...?", Hina asked.

"Wh-Why would I have...? Wait, b-but more important...! That doesn't even m-matter! We already know who d-did it, right!? Hiro just a-admitted it!"

"That's right. I killed her.", Hiro sighed.

"I don't believe that.", I stated.

"Wh-Who asked you!?", Toko grumbled.

"Watch it... I don't doubt Hiro attacked Sakura with the bottle. But that's not where this case ends."

"What do you mean...?", Hina asked.

"What she means is that Hiro isn't the killer.", Kyoko revealed.

"You can't be s-serious! That's just... I don't b-believe it!", Toko denied.

"Hiro, tell us what happened one more time. If we go through it once more, it should become clear he's not Sakura's killer."

"Um, so...what do you want me to do?", Hiro questioned.

"Just tell us what happened one more time, when you attacked Sakura ."

"I don't really see why, but...okay!"

We haven't reached the end of the case just yet. Hiro isn't the real killer... And we have to prove that!

-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT!-

Yasuhiro Hagakure : I didn't want to, but...I did it. I grabbed a Monokuma Bottle from the shelf nearby and I hit Sakura from behind before she could do anything!

Kyoko Kirigiri : You hit her from behind... And you only hit her once, is that right?

Yasuhiro Hakakure : Yeah, just once ... After the first swing, the bottle shattered. (COUNTER WITH KYOKO'S EXAMINATION SUMMARY)

Makoto Naegi : NO, THAT'S WRONG!!

-BREAK SUCCESSFUL-

"If Sakura died from Hiro's single blow, that doesn't explain why she had two head wounds .", Makoto pointed out.

"Huh? Two...?", Hiro mumbled.

"That's right. She had two separate wounds on her head.", Kyoko explained.

"And remember, this girl examines dead bodies as a hobby. Personally, I'm inclined to believe her.", Togami shrugged. (A/N: Also, you're too much of a PUSSY to check, but yeah lol.)

"But...I only hit her once . How could she have two wounds?", Hiro asked.

"Two wounds means she was struck twice . What's more, both attacks must have come from a Monokuma Bottle.", Kyoko concluded.

"H-Hold on! How can you know that j-just from some cuts on her head? She was a-attacked twice? With two M-Monokuma Bottles?", Toko scoffed.

"It's not just because of her head wounds. It's also because of the Monokuma Bottles themselves. There's something very suspicious about those bottles... Once you understand that point, you'll understand why two separate Monokuma Bottles must have been used. Think back...after the incident, there were 4 Monokuma Bottles left on the shelf, right? And we found pieces of a bottle on the ground, along with the chess piece it had inside."

"That was the bottle Hiro hit Sakura with, right?", Makoto confirmed.

"For now, just note that there were four intact bottles, and one broken bottle. But originally, there were six bottles in total. Meaning one has gone missing."

"But h-how can you know for sure there were s-six bottles...?", Toko asked.

"That's easy. If you look at what the bottles all had in common , it should become clear."

The correlation between the Monokuma Bottles ... I feel like it's starting to become clear... That connection must be...

- HANGMAN'S GAMBIT -

CHESS PIECE

I UNDERSTAND NOW!

- COMPLETE - 

"I got it! The chess pieces ! Inside each bottle there was a Monokuma figure holding a different chess piece.", I pointed at the picture I took of the Monokuma bottles.

"King, rook, bishop, pawn... I definitely remember seeing each of those.", Togami nodded.

"And the piece that was inside the broken bottle we found was the knight."

"So? What's that m-matter?", Toko stuttered.

"I guess you don't know too much about chess, do you? Then let me explain... In chess, there are six different pieces --the king, the queen, the rook, knight, bishop, and pawn. What was left intact at the crime scene were the king, rook, bishop, and pawn...just those four. And on the ground was the knight.", Kyoko explained.

"...Oh! So the queen is missing!", Hina declared.

"That's right. So we only have evidence for five bottles at the scene, while one apparently went missing.", I muttered.

"What does ch-chess have to do with anything!?", Toko huffed.

"Yeah! Shogi is way better!", Hiro agreed.

"Yeah! ...Wait, n-no! That's not what I mean! So, let's say a b-bottle did go missing... Th-There's still no evidence that h-has anything to do w-with this case! That bottle c-could have disappeared anytime b-before the murder!"

"No, it's clear that the missing bottle *is* connected to this case.", Kyoko denied Toko's claim.

"H-How is it clear!?"

"Think about what state the missing bottle must have been in. Maybe then you'll understand..."

"I GOT IT!! The bottle must have been broken .", Makoto deduced.

"What m-makes you so sure!?"

"Because there was evidence at the scene that supports it."

"Huh?", Hina gasped.

"That's right. We found evidence that shows there was more than just one broken bottle at the scene."

"And what is this e-evidence!?", Toko questioned, skeptical.

It wasn't just a single broken bottle. And the evidence that proves that is...

"I KNOW THE TRUTH!! Earlier, Kyoko, Makoto and I did a little experiment . We compared the weight of the broken bottle pieces at the scene to one of the unbroken bottles. And what we found was that the collection of pieces was heavier . And the reason for that is... there was actually more than one bottle's worth of shattered glass!", I revealed.

"Wh--!?"

"So from this, we can surmise that two bottles were actually broken at the scene of the crime. But someone did their best to clean up the pieces of one of the bottles, along with the figure inside. But when they did, they must have left behind a few too many pieces. Which is only natural. They certainly had no way to measure the exact right number of pieces to remove.", Kyoko smirked.

"But...why would they have to try and get rid of it like that, anyway?", Hina asked.

"Because of what it would reveal about the case... I GOT IT!! The bottle that was removed from the scene was used the second time Sakura was attacked.", Makoto stated.

"The second wound on Sakura's head came from that second bottle. Given all the evidence, this is the only possible conclusion.", Kyoko said with a serious tone.

"The killer wanted to make it look like there was only one attack, so they had to get rid of their evidence."

"From there, we can conclude that it wasn't Hiro who delivered that second blow. Wouldn't you agree, Toko?"

"Wh--!?"

"And there's the matter of the magazine. You must have been in the rec room when the incident took place."

"W-W-W-Wait! I admit, maybe there was a s-second attack, but... But there's n-no evidence I had anything t-to do with it!"

"No way! You killed her, I'm sure of it!", Hiro accussed.

"Sh-Shut up! Until two seconds ago, y-you were claiming *you* k-killed her!"

"I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong! That's just the kinda guy I am! Plus, I just remembered something that proves it!"

"Okay, fine, let's hear it...", Togami said with an eye roll.

"It was right after I got Sakura's note... I was kinda nervous about it, so I went to the rec room early. Y'know, to stake it out or whatever... So I was waitin' there, and that's when I saw her... I saw Toko go into the rec room! Pretty soon, Sakura showed up and *she* went in the rec room! I assumed Toko was still in there, so I figured everything would be okay. That's why I headed in... But when I got inside, Sakura was all alone! Toko had disappeared!"

"And you just now decided to share that with us...?"

"After the shock of thinking I'd killed someone, I forgot all about it!"

"Could someone tighten the screws on his brain? I think they've come loose..."

"So, Toko! Where the heck did you disappear to!?"

"You d-don't know what you're talking about. I never went in the r-rec room!"

"I'm sure she didn't disappear, but maybe she found somewhere to hide...", Kyoko revealed.

"What!? Hiding i-in the rec room? Don't be r-r-ridiculous! Wh-Wh-Wh-Why are you all ganging up on me! You're all nothing but v-v-v-vermin!"

No, it's not ridiculous at all. There's definitely proof that shows Toko was hiding in the rec room...!

(Toko - Kuno )

-THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!-

"It's a l-lie!"

"It's the truth, Toko!"

"I admit n-nothing!"

"So you *do* have something to hide!"

"I h-hate you!"

"Don't deflect!"

"I curse you...!"

"That won't stop us!"

"Shut up...!"

"Then fess up!"

"N-No no no!"

"Stop denying everything!"

"I d-don't know anything!"

"I doubt that!"

"That's en-nough!"

"It's over when we say it's over!"

"HIDING I-IN THE REC ROOM? DON'T BE R-R-RIDICULOUS!" (COUNTER WITH LOCKER HANDPRINT)

"I'LL PROVE YOU WRONG!!"

-SUCCESSFULL-

"Toko, Did you know someone left a handprint behind on the inside of the locker? They must have been hiding in there and put their hand on the wall without thinking~ Does this handprint look familiar, Toko?", I asked.

"N-No, it doesn't!"

"Okay then, let's just compare it to your hand, shall we? That'll clear everything up, right?", Kyoko shrugged.

" ... KYAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

"Stop wasting my time. Just tell us the truth.", Togami ordered, and Toko obeyed almost instantly.

" ...Okay. It's my handprint."

"Dang, she just straight-up admitted it!", Hiro huffed in surprised.

"Then *you* killed Sakura!", Hina yelled.

"N-No! I swear, there's now w-way!"

"Toko, tell us the truth.", I asked quickly.

"I...I p-probably did kill her."

"Straight-up again!", Hiro gasped once more.

"Wait...what do you mean, "probably"?", Hina asked.

"Give us the details, Toko. What happened between you and Sakura?", Kyoko questioned.

"..."

"Talk. Now.", Togami and I said at the same time, our patience growing thin.

"After I read S-Sakura's note...I decided to go there early. So I w-went into the rec room... I didn't know wh-what she might do if I didn't g-go, but I was too scared to f-face her head-on... So I f-figured I'd just sneak in first, and h-hide in the locker..."

"Then...did you see what happened? Did you see me hit her?", Hiro asked.

"Yes. And I s-saw you write my name. I saw you f-forge her dying message!"

"Well...that's awkward."

"So after he left, I j-jumped out of the locker and p-put the magazine back on the sh-shelf."

"But when you did, you put it back upside down .", I concluded.

"I didn't m-mean to... I was in a h-hurry!"

"Imbeciles, all of you.", Togami scoffed.

"Forget all that. Why did you attack Sakura...?", Hina questioned, anger in her tone.

"A-After I put the magazine back, I heard a s-sound behind me, like a--like a monster g-growling... And when I t-turned around... there was S-Sakura, covered in b-blood...and staring r-right at me! When I saw all that b-blood, I fainted...right there in f-front of the magazines. I don't remember what h-happened after that. If you want to know m-more, you'll have to ask...her ...Achoo!", Toko's sneeze triggered Genocide Jack to show up, the serial killer grinning at all of us. "Ha-ha! Guess who's back!"

"It WAS your fault, after all!", Hiro accused.

"My fault, Master's fault, Mistress's fault! When our faults combine, they soar to even greater heights!"

"Don't drag me into your fantasy...", I grumbled.

"Just answer the question. Did you kill Sakura?", Togami questioned.

"Well, to be honest, Miss Morose and me don't actually share our memories ! So I can't really say what was going on. But I was just minding my own business, sleeping peacefully, when someone shook me awake! Was it a prince paying me a visit, I wondered. So I opened my eyes to see... splatter everywhere! I was NOT prepared for that! And, well...I guess it took me by surprise! I got so startled, I smacked her with the first thing I could find. Which I guess was a bottle!"

"Sakura was just worried about you, and you...! You're terrible!", Hina yelled.

"No, SHE'S terrible! Thanks to her, I murdered someone who wasn't an adorable boy for the first time ever!"

"And when it was all over, you collected the pieces of the bottle to get rid of the evidence, didn't you?", Kyoko deduced.

"I wasn't about to die for some woman! If I'm gonna go down, I want it to be for killing Master! No offence, Mistress~!"

"N-None... taken?", I muttered, not knowing how to react.

"Just go away and die your meaningless death alone. Don't drag me into it.", Togami growled.

"But I just can't catch a break, ya know? Fate's got it out for me! Cuz normally, Sakura should've been able to dodge my attack no problem!", Genocide Jack shrugged.

"Even as strong as she is, she must have still been reeling from Hiro's attack.", Kyoko stated.

"Hey, come on. That's, y'know... But anyway, I'm not the one that killed Sakura! So that's good!", Hiro grinned.

"So that's good"? Keep talking like that and Hina's gonna--!!

"Well then, that's that! Let's start the vote!", Hina nodded quickly.

Huh? I thought for sure you'd have some words for Hiro on that one...

"What's wrong? Come on, everyone! We're ready to vote, right? Let's do this!"

"No, not quite yet...", Togami stopped Hina.

"Huh? Not yet? Why not yet?"

"Don't you think there was something odd about Toko's story? I mean, you had to have noticed..."

"Odd? Huh?", Hiro said as he scratched his head.

"Hiro's attack, and then Toko's... But that still wasn't the end of it."

It wasn't...

"Tell us your story one more time. Tell us what happened after you fainted. Then even this gaggle of idiots should understand what I'm talking about."

"Your wish is my command, darling!", Genocide Jack giggled.

It's not over yet, is it...? The one who killed Sakura is...

-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT!-

Genocide Jack : I was just sleeping peacefully... And all of a sudden, Sakura was right there in front of me! I remember waking up right in front of the magazine shelf!

Yasuhiro Hagakure : And you were taken by surprise when you saw Sakura covered in blood ... So you smashed her head in with the Monokuma Bottle?

Genocide Jack : You got it! I smashed her good!

Byakuya Togami : And where did the attack take place?

Genocide Jack : Right where I woke up! I killed her there in front of the shelf ! (COUNTER WITH STATUS OF SAKURA'S BODY)

Makoto Naegi : NO, THAT'S WRONG!!

-BREAK SUCCESSFUL-

"We found Sakura sitting upright in a chair... If the blow by the shelf was the cause of death, there's no explanation why she was in that chair...", Makoto muttered.

"So, you finally noticed.", Togami smirked.

"That's just another lie from a bloodthirsty serial killer!", Hina argued quickly.

"Are you sure you didn't attack her while she was sitting in the chair?", Hiro asked.

"No, I'm sure she's telling the truth. Anyone who saw the murder scene should think the same way.", Togami stated.

That has to be it... The evidence that proves there was an attack in front of the magazine shelf...

"I KNOW THE TRUTH!! Sakura was attacked in front of the shelf. The bloodstain by the magazines is proof of that.", I showed everyone the picture of the bloodstain in front of the shelf.

"Then she must have moved the body after she killed her, right? All to make it look like I did it! Cuz when I hit her, she *was* sitting in the chair!", Hiro shrugged.

"Hey, come on now. Look at me. I can't carry anything heavier than my own scissors! There's no way I could move a muscle-bound heavyweight like that!", Genocide Jack huffed.

"Did you just call Sakura... "that"?", I growled, my knife at the ready.

"Aaah, you make me feel so happy when you threaten me, Mistress~!"

"... You are so lucky I want to finish this case first..."

"Then...then what's the deal?", Hiro mumbled.

"Well? Are you still convinced the case has come to an end?", Togami questioned with a smirk.

"B-But...!"

"Plus, the biggest mystery of all--the locked room--still has yet to be explained. Until we take care of that, we can't say this case has been properly settled.", Kyoko reminded us.

"Oh, that part's easy! After she killed Sakura, Toko just hid in the locker again!", Hina suggested.

"Huh! So she just hid in there till everyone showed up and opened the door? And while everything was all confused and hectic, she just snuck out of the locker into the group!", Hiro agreed.

"No, I don't think that's possible.", Makoto denied the assumption, scratching his chin in thought. "I GOT IT!! Even before we opened the door to the rec room, Hina and I both got a look inside. And at that point, the locker was already open . So obviously Toko couldn't have been hiding in there."

"Hrmm... Okay then, where *was* she hiding?"

"I dunno! What's this whole "locked room" thing about, anyway?", Genocide Jack asked.

"How do you not know!? You killed her!"

"I think the fact that I don't know proves I DIDN'T kill her, thank you very much!"

"Y-You're lying!", Hina accused.

"No, she's not. I've been saying all along, there's still more to this case.", Togami tsked.

"But if Genocide Jill didn't do it, that means Sakura didn't die from the shot to the head...", Hiro trailed off.

"And?"

"W-Well, I can't imagine what else could have killed her...", Hina muttered.

"That's because you're overlooking vital information."

Could we really be missing something so important...? If there's another possible explanation, maybe it's...

-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT!-

Yasuhiro Hagakure : What was it that killed Sakura? If it wasn't from Genocide Jill's attack ... then what was it?

Aoi Asahina : There's no other possible cause. What killed Sakura... I can't think of anything other than the shot to her head ! (COUNTER WITH MONOKUMA FILE #4)

Kuno Sawa : OBJECTION!!

-BREAK SUCCESSFUL-

"According to the Monokuma File, Sakura had vomited blood . I think we can assume this was related to her cause of death. In fact, there was even a trace of blood left around her mouth.", I explained while opening the file.

"Well, I mean...maybe when she got hit with the bottles, she cut the inside of her mouth...", Hina reasoned.

"If that's all it was, the file wouldn't have specified "vomited blood." Not to mention, I didn't find any cuts inside her mouth.", Kyoko debunked Hina's claim quickly

"You even checked in there!? God, you really ARE into dead bodies!", Genocide Jack cackled.

"No, I'm not "into" dead bodies. What I'm "into" is solving mysteries." (A/N: Yeah, she's into Kuno-- wait what, huh? Not me. I didn't say shit.)

"But if there wasn't a cut of anything, then what made her vomit blood?", Hiro asked.

"Some sort of reaction within her body. Most likely... Sakura was poisoned .", Togami revealed.

"Poisoned...?"

"That's right! This is the conclusion I've arrived at, and so there can be no mistake."

"Ahh! You're making me go all weak in the knees!", Genocide Jack giggled in glee.

"She was poisoned...? It isn't possible!", Hina rejected the idea too quickly.

"Is it really so hard to believe? Then let me explain exactly how the culprit was able to poison her.", Togami grinned.

"You can...explain it?"

"Of course. If you don't mind..."

"Everyone, quiet! Shut up and listen to Master!", Genocide Jack yelled.

"But you're the only one talking...", Hiro huffed.

"The key to unlocked this mystery was hiding in the chem lab, up on the 4th floor.", Togami began.

"Huh? Not in the rec room!? Then I could've found it all along!"

"You never would have, since you gave up on the search the moment you were barred from the crime scene."

"Well...yeah, good point..."

"There's a big shelving unit in the chem lab that houses a variety of mixtures and chemicals. And that's where I found...this.", Togami pulled out a bottle labeled "Chem C-9" with a skull on it.

If that doesn't scream poison, I don't know what does...

"I-Is that...the poison !?"

"It's not an especially powerful poison, but it'll still kill you if you drink an entire bottle. But the specific properties don't matter. What does matter, is where I found it ."

"Where'd you find it?"

"The shelf is divided up into three sections--A, B, and C. In section A, dietary supplements; in B, reagents; and in C...a variety of lethal chemicals."

"And that's where the poison came from!? Section C!?", Genocide Jack questioned with excitement.

"Well...that's the question, isn't it?"

"I GOT IT!! The poison was actually in Section A , wasn't it?", Makoto pointed out.

"Huh? But you just said that section A was for supplements or whatever...", Hiro repeated.

"Strange, isn't it? Why would there be a bottle of poison mixed in with all those nutritional additives?", Togami smirked.

"Yeah, so...why?"

" Because the culprit switched it out, that's why."

"Wh-What do you mean?", Hina asked.

"I mean...this.", I couldn't believe my eyes... Togami put the bottle of poison to his lips and downed the powdery mixture.

"Huh? Master...!", Genocide Jack called out to her beloved, but he was still going. We were so shocked at what we were seeing, all we could do was stand there and watch. But as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Togami was as calm as ever...

"Ugh, that tastes awful.", Togami grumbled in disgust.

"D-Dude!? That was poison!! Are you insane!?", I yelled.

"Oh no! Master's in real trouble! You have to drink some water! You can't just swallow powder, it'll stick to your throat!", Gencide Jack said frantically.

"Idiot! He just swallowed poison! We need to make him spit it out!", Hiro urged.

"The flavor certainly makes me want to spit it out. What's so "high-quality" about this stuff...?", Togami scoffed.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the protein , of course."

"P-Protein...!?", I gasped.

"Can I see that bottle for a second?", Kyoko asked.

"Ah, sure. Do whatever you like.", Kyoko took the bottle from Togami and scraped out a bit of the contents with one finger. She touched her finger to her tongue. "This is... It's protein powder ."

"Are... you serious?", I mumbled.

"Correct. That wasn't poison in the bottle, but harmless protein powder. Which makes one wonder... The poison that should have been in that bottle...where did it go?", Togami asked with a smirk.

The bottle of "poison" was actually filled with protein powder. Which would mean that conversely, the poison must have been in ... Could it be...!?

- HANGMAN'S GAMBIT -

PROTEIN DRINK

Now I understand!

- COMPLETE - 

"The poison...must have been poured into the protein can . If the protein's in the poison bottle, it seems only logical to assume the reverse is true, right?", Makoto confirmed.

"Absolutely. The contents of each container were switched . So the protein was in the bottle of poison, and the poison was in the protein can... Once you accept that, it becomes obvious how the culprit was able to get Sakura to drink the poison.", Togami pointed out.

"Holy crap!", Hiro muttered in surprise.

"All they had to do was hand her something there at the scene, and she was happy to drink the poison herself."

Something at the scene...

"I KNOW THE TRUTH!! You're saying they gave her the protein drink...!", I mumbled in surprise.

"A protein drink which actually contained a deadly poison..."

"...What!?", Hina gasped in fear.

"That's all it took to kill Sakura. That is the true cause of death !"

"Y'know...I do remember Sakura saying that protein stuff was good for all kinds of aches and pains! So maybe she took it to try and help with the whole bleeding-head-would thing!", Hiro pointed out.

"But what was offered to her instead was a bottle full of poison. And I already know exactly who swapped the mixtures!"

"For real!? Who was it!?"(A/N: Ryuji, that you? IYKYK)

"Evidence revealing who replaced the two materials was left in the chem lab for anyone to see."

"I GOT IT!! The footprints left behind in front of the shelf... That's the evidence you're talking about, isn't it?", Makoto asked.

"I visited the chem lab this morning, and there were definitely no footprints there at that point. They must have appeared around the time of the murder, which leaves no doubt that they're connected. What's more, the footprints were in front of section A, where I found the bottle meant for the poison. The culprit must have gone to section A to swap the poison and protein, leaving their footprints behind. And given how clear the prints were, figuring out who they belong to will pose no problem. All we have to do is check everyone's footprints right now! Then we'll see who--", Just then, someone cut Togami off.

" ...It was me.", It was... Hina. Looking down at her feet with guilt and ...desperation written on her face."The footprints...they're mine."

"H-Hina...!?", I muttered.

"...If you're all gonna find out anyway... I'd rather you hear it straight from me, ya know?"

"Then...Sakura's killer was--!", Hiro gasped.

"Yup... I did it! I killed Sakura!", Hina revealed with tears in her eyes.

"Just as I suspected. The footprints were made by a pair of sneakers--there was no mistaking it. And the only people here who wear sneakers are...", Togami trailed off.

Sneakers, huh? The only people wearing sneakers here are...

"I KNOW THE TRUTH!! Makoto and Hina are the only ones. Togami...that explains why you checked Makoto's footprints.", I realized.

"If the footprints didn't belong to Makoto, that left only one other possibility."

"Hina..."

"Plus, Hina's been acting strange ever since the trial began. You were in an awful rush to get to the vote, weren't you? This whole time, you've been focused on pinning the crime on someone else, haven't you?", Hina was silent at Togami's accusation.

"I...I can't believe it.", Makoto muttered.

"What about it can't you believe?"

"Well, it's just...the two of them were so close."

"That's likely exactly why it turned out this way. Because they were so close, Sakura didn't think twice about it when Hina handed her the concoction. Hina used that trust to kill her! She deceived the victim, and she tried to deceive all of us. I have to say, Hina...coming from you, this was a particularly nasty little scheme.", still silence from the swimmer.

"Hina...is it true? Did you really...kill Sakura? And if you did... Why!? Why would you do that!?"

"...I found her, there in the rec room... She was hurt. She asked me to bring her that protein drink. But...when I went to get the powder from the chem lab, it just...occurred to me all of a sudden.", Hina explained.

""Now's my chance to kill her." That's what you thought, right? That's when you switched out the protein powder, and that's when you gave her the poisoned mixture.", Togami said with a snarl.

"And then...she downed it, all at once. And...and then..."

"Hold it! I'm not convinced...", Kyoko cut in once more.

"You're not about to claim she wouldn't kill a close friend, are you? You still don't get it, do you? The game we're playing here isn't so kind. Honeyed words like friendship don't matter here. What matters is outwitting the opponent, defeating them... Not a person alive would sacrifice themselves for another. In the end, we're all in it for ourselves. Just like how this girl sacrificed Sakura...to save herself."

"You say that, but I'm still not convinced."

"*sigh* How many times do you plan to repeat yourself?"

"Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying it because of some misguided sentimentalism. But there's still that one unsolved mystery, and I'm not convinced."

"Are you talking about the locked room problem?", Makoto questioned.

"Hina...if you really are the killer, explain it. How did you create that locked room?"

"W-Well... ... Th-That doesn't matter! Just cuz I'm guilty, that means I have to tell you everything!?"

"No, it doesn't. But the fact that you won't tell us concerns me."

"Surely you're not--do you honestly think Hina didn't actually kill her?", Togami scoffed.

"And if I do?"

"Impossible. She switched out the mixtures. She's the culprit. There's no way you can doubt this."

"Are you sure about that? Even ignoring the fact that I don't want to believe it...it just doesn't fit.", Makoto pointed out.

"What doesn't fit?"

"Well, for one, Hina never tried to cover up the footprints... It's like she wanted us to find out.", I explained.

"She's right. It makes it look like you wanted people to suspect you.", Kyoko turned to Hina for an explanation, who just stuttered for a bit.

"Th-That was... I was just...nervous! So I-I didn't notice I'd left a footprint!"

"...You didn't notice?"

"Y-Yeah! That's just how it was. What can I do?"

"Listen, Hina... Could you go into a bit more detail? Tell us more about when you switched the poison and the protein."

"H-How come! That doesn't matter!"

"Hina...please, I'd like to know, too.", Makoto urged.

"Me too, Hina... We won't stop until you give us more details.", I stated.

"...F-Fine..."

"...Waste your time if you like. It's clear that Hina is the culprit. There's nobody else to suspect. Nobody else could have possibly done it.", Togami rolled his eyes, obviously not liking that we were so adamant.

"Go ahead, Hina. Start from the moment you arrived at the chem lab.", Kyoko allowed Hina to begin speaking.

"W-Well... Right away I went to section C, and got the poison."

"And is that when you spilled the powder in front of that part of the shelf?"

"Y-Yeah...when I opened the bottle, I dropped it like an idiot."

"I see. Okay then, go on."

"So then I moved to section A and got the protein powder, and that's where I switched them. Once I was done with that I took the protein can that had the poison in it and left the room. But I accidentally put the bottle filled with protein powder back on the wrong shelf. And because of that, everything I did got found out. And...that's it."

"... That story you just told... First you went to section C to get the poison, then moved to section A to get the protein. Right? Meaning you went from section C to section A. Do I have that correct?", Makoto confirmed.

"Y-Yeah..."

"Can you repeat that series of events one more time?"

"What's wrong with you, Big Mac!? You're being awfully pushy!", Genocide Jack huffed.

"It's the same thing no matter how many times you hear it. How long until you're satisfied...?", Togami grumbled.

How long? Until we figure it out! Until we uncover the full truth of this case!

-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT!-

Aoi Asahina : First I went to section C... That's when I grabbed the poison .

Kyoko Kirigiri : And you spilled some of the powder on the ground in front of the shelf.

Aoi Asahina : Yeah. When I grabbed the bottle, I dropped it...

Kyoko Kirigiri : Okay, and then...?

Aoi Asahina : I moved from section C to section A ... And that's where I switched the powders. Once I was done switching them I put the bottle filled with the protein powder back in section A . Then I took the bottle with the poison in it and left the chem lab. That's all there is to it. (COUNTER #1 WITH FOOTPRINTS IN THE POWDER)

Makoto Naegi : NO, THAT'S WRONG!!

-BREAK SUCCESSFUL-

"You said you went to get the poison from section C, and that's where you spilled the powder, right?", Makoto confirmed.

"Yeah...what about it?"

"And after that, you said you moved from section C to section A to get the protein... But the footprints left at the scene were *not* moving from section C to section A. That contradicts what you just said."

"Wh--!?"

"Then...maybe she moved in some weird direction on purpose to disguise her movements...?", Hiro suggested.

"No, that can't be it. Remember what Hina just said?"
---

"I was just...nervous! So I didn't notice I'd left a footprint!"

--
"Ah--!", Hina gasped.

"What the--? Hina, what's the meaning of this!?", Togami questioned frantically, his demeanor changing from his calmer expressions to desperate and angry ones.

"U-Um, well..."

"You lied to us, plain and simple. If you look at the footprints, your movements in the chem lab are obvious. The powder had already been spilled when you came in, and you went straight to section A. So you never went to section C. Whatever you did there, it only involved section A.", Kyoko stated simply.

"W-Well, you see... ..."

"Wh-What the...? What the hell? What's going on here!?", Togami sputtered.

"Can it, Togami, and listen!", I huffed.

"And the footprints aren't the only problem with her account.", Kyoko revealed.

"What...?"

"Before I explain that part, I'd like to submit some new evidence ."

"New evidence!? Impossible! There can't be!"

"...Are you sure? After all, you're the one that gave it to me."

"I...did?"

"It was hidden inside the bottle of poison you gave me. I'm amazed you of all people would miss such a vital clue. A truly grave oversight..."

" ... Just say it, already! What is it you think you found!?"

"I found this.", Kyoko revealed a small piece of glass from the empty bottle. " It had sunk to the bottom of the bottle. And the hidden clue was exposed thanks to you ingesting the powder. I couldn't have solved the mystery without you. So, thank you for that."

"B-But...what is it?"

"Oh, you still don't realize? Well then... Kuno, why don't you explain it?"

"Roger that! I wanna rub it in Mr. four-eyes's face...", I snickered.

"T-Tch...! F-Fine! If you really do know, explain the meaning of that shard of glass!"

The shard of light blue glass Kyoko found in the bottle of poison...

"I KNOW THE TRUTH!! It's a part of the window from the rec room door."

"The window...?"

"The window we broke to get in was light blue, just like that piece of glass. So that must be it."

"You're right, it must be. Of course, that leads to another question... How did a shard of glass from the window get inside this bottle of poison?", Kyoko continued.

"What's so strange about that!?", Genocide Jack asked.

"What's strange is that...according to what Hina told us ... I GOT IT!! The bottle of poison was left on the shelf in the chem lab . That is what you said, right Hina?", Makoto stated.

"Uh...umm..."

"And yet, somehow a piece of glass from the rec room window made its way into the bottle..."

"Then everything Hina told us was a lie !?", Hiro questioned, looking to and from everyone.

"In reality, that bottle of poison most definitely found its way to the rec room . It was there at least until the window got broken. In other words, when the locked room was unlocked. There's no other way to explain the presence of that glass in that bottle."

"And then, once the room was opened, the bottle somehow got moved back to the shelf in the chem lab. Meanwhile, the protein can we found at the crime scene was planted there. That had to be after the locked room was opened. In other words, after Sakura died.", Kyoko explained.

"Wait, hold on... You're moving too fast!", Togami huffed.

"Aw~ Should we go slower for you, four eyes~?", I teased while holding back my laughter.

"Q-Quiet, you insufferable degenerate!"

"Oi, that's uncalled for!!"

"You started it!"

"And I'm about to fucking end it, you bit--!!"

"If you two don't shut up, I will deal with you myself!", Kyoko cut our argument off. I huffed and stayed quiet. Togami growled and continued with his questiones.

"I'll grant you, the bottle of poison may well have been in the rec room when it was locked, but how can you say the protein can was put there after the room was unlocked!? We already know she was given the protein can with the poison inside, right? If that can wasn't there when she died, how did she get poisoned!?"

"You're right. We do need to explain that. But before we do, there's something I'd like to confirm with everyone here. It has to do with the protein can. After Sakura's body was discovered, did anyone move it or trip over it or anything like that?"

"What are you talking about? Is this some kind of loaded question?"

"Not at all. Just answer to the best of your ability."

"...Well, no. Not that I remember."

"I didn't touch it.", I shrugged.

"Yeah, me either."

"Not me."

"Same here!"

"Y-Yeah, me either..."

"Okay then, that settles it. That proves that the protein can found its way to the murder scene *after* the room was opened.", Kyoko confirmed, which made Togami burst in rage.

"Oh, come on! How can you say that!? How can you know what I don't know!?"(A/N: Man needs a fucking nap.)

The reason she can say that is because there's evidence... There's proof that someone brought the protein can to the rec room *after* it was opened!

-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT!-

Kyoko Kirigiri : When it comes to that protein can, there's not a doubt in my mind. Until the locked room was unlocked , it absolutely was not in there!

Yasuhiro Hagakure : So you're saying...someone planted it there after we got the door open?

Byakuya Togami : No...no, that's impossible... I-It had to have been in there the whole time! It had to be! It was in there before the rec room was unlocked ! (COUNTER WITH EMPTY PROTEIN DRINK)

Kuno Sawa : OBJECTION!!

-BREAK SUCCESSFUL-

"Hm, Togami, you do remember how there was broken glass scattered all around the room, right~?", I asked.

"Damn you-- Of course! It came from the window you broke to get in. What about it?"

"Well, those pieces weren't just scattered *around* the protein can, you know... We also found pieces *underneath* the can .", I smirked while showing a picture of the empty can.

"Wh-What!?"

"This proves it... It shows that the can must have been put down on the floor *after* the window was broken. So it had to be after we got into the room!"

"Kh--! I-I see... So that's your explanation... Kyoko...earlier, when you asked if anyone had moved the can, or tripped over it..."

"If that were the case, that would explain the can being on top of the glass.", Kyoko pointed out.

"So you asked everyone about it to eliminate that possibility right out of the gate...", Makoto nodded.

"And that's made everything clear, hasn't it? As long as it was a "locked room," it only contained the bottle of poison, and *not* the protein can. But once the room was opened up, they were switched. And as a result the protein can wound up in the rec room, and the bottle of poison returned to the chem lab.", Hina was silent during this, looking shocked.

"If that's all true, then...why did Sakura drink the poison? I thought we all agreed she was tricked into drinking it because of the protein can...", Togami questioned.

"No...that's not why... The only explanation is...she drank it from its original bottle, knowing exactly what it was.", Makoto revealed.

"Precisely. She was alone in a locked room. All she had was the poison. What other possibility is there?", Kyoko asked.

"You're saying she drank it...knowing what it was? Such a ridiculous fiction is...", Togami scoffed.

"Exactly what happened. It's easy to prove.", I interject.

"...Then tell us already...! Er, sorry. Please, tell us."

"Oh my-- He just apologized...! I win, hah!"

"S-Shut up before I retract my statement and have that serial killer freak take you out!"

"Hmhm~ Genocide Jack, would you ever hurt me~?"

"Oh Mistress, I wouldn't touch a hair on your perfect body unless you tell me too~! Kyahahahahah~!"

"See?", I shrugged with a smirk.

"Kh--! Yo--"

"ANWAYS.", Kyoko stated loudly, causing us both to go quiet again. Before we get to that, we need to clarify one other thing... We need to establish who exactly got the poison from the chem lab and took it to the rec room."

"...It was Hina, right? She took it and gave it to Sakura.", Hiro said with a raised brow.

"What do you think, Makoto?"

"I think...it was Sakura herself .", Makoto revealed.

"Huh? So Sakura, who was apparently murdered, just...poisoned herself?", Genocide Jack questioned.

"Wh-What are you talking about!? There's no way!", Hina denied.

"On the contrary. We know for a fact she went to the chem lab, right to the section full of poisons.", Kyoko mentioned.

"You're lying... Stop lying! Why!? Why would you lie like that!?"

No, it's not a lie. Sakura definitely went to section C. We have to get Hina to admit that!

(Hina - Kuno )

-THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!-

"You're a liar!"

"We're all telling the truth!"

"What are you saying!?"

"I'm saying what's right!"

"Wrong... You're wrong!"

"Then show me the proof!"

"I'm telling you, I did it!"

"You haven't proved it!"

"Just let it end already!"

"We'll die if we do!"

"Stop talking!"

"Then admit to the truth!"

"I don't wanna hear it!"

"You're being irrational!"

"I hate you!"

"Stop deflecting, you don't mean that!"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF PROOF SAKURA TOOK THE POISON!?" (COUNTER WITH YELLOW POWDER)

"I'LL PROVE YOU WRONG!!"

-SUCCESSFULL-

"Hina... Sakura's foot had a certain yellow powder stuck to it.", I stated, showing her the picture of the yellow powder on her foot.

"... ...It did?"

"It did. The same yellow powder that had been spilled by the shelf in the chem lab. That powder was yellow. So the powder we found on Sakura...what else could it be but the powder from the chem lab?"

"Ah--!"

"Wait wait wait... So what was that powder doing on Sakura's foot?", Hiro asked.

"And it was only on her instep, right!?", Genocide Jack continued, scratching her head.

"Sakura must have been standing right there where the powder was spilled. So the person who spilled the powder by the shelf wasn't Hina, but Sakura...", I revealed.

"Ah...!", Hina was gasping in fear, watching her lie crumble in front of her.

"And when Sakura dropped the bottle, she dropped it away from where she was standing. Which is how she was able to avoid getting it all over herself. But the powder still scattered around, and some of it must have wound up on her instep. Any objections?" (A/N: *cue Pursuit ~ Cornered Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney ost*)

"But why did Sakura pay a visit to section C in the first place? The only explanation is that she was looking for poison. After all, that's all that section contained.", Kyoko explained.

"N-No! It was me! I--! The poison--! Because... Because...! Because I killed her!", Hina yelled with tears in her eyes.

"No...you didn't kill her.", Makoto muttered, pointing at Sakura's crossed portrait.

"I GOT IT!!The one who killed Sakura...was Sakura herself ."

"Gah...!"

"Wh-What...? The killer was...Sakura?", Togami muttered.

"Wait, so you're saying...it was suicide!?", Hiro sputtered.

"I-I don't believe it! I don't believe it any more than I believe I can fly!", Genocide Jack shook her head furiously.

"I can't believe it, either. Or rather, I don't *want* to believe it. But when you really think about it, everything matches up. Sakura went and got the poison. She barricaded herself in a room, and she drank it...all so she could end her own life. And that explains why we couldn't solve the mystery of the locked room."

Because, of course...

"I KNOW THE TRUTH!! ...The locked room mystery was created by Sakura herself.", I revealed.

"I'm sure she locked herself in so nobody could stop her from doing what she did. She sat there, drank the poison, and breathed her last breath... And the empty bottle of poison rolled around the locked room, until we came and opened it. At that point, someone grabbed the bottle and snuck it out of the room. And that was you, wasn't it Hina?", Kyoko confronted Hina, who was in angry tears.

"Ng...gaah..."

"You did it to throw off the investigation, didn't you? When we found her body, you stayed right there near the door. Because you already knew Sakura was dead, and because the bottle of poison had rolled near the doorway."

"That's when you picked up the bottle... We were all too shocked to notice anything, and Kyoko was busy checking the body.", I sighed.

"And the more I think about it, the more I realize how unusual your actions were."
---

"... I have to go get them... I have to go get...the others..."

---
"You said you were going to go get everyone else...but your real intention was to go to the chem lab and switch out the containers, wasn't it? Once you were at the chem lab, you headed straight to the section where the protein powder was kept. There, you took the powder and poured it into the bottle of poison you'd grabbed from the rec room. When you left the lab, all you had was the empty protein can. Thinking about it like that, the footprints make perfect sense."

"When you were done, you gathered everyone together, and once you were back in the rec room...", Makoto trailed off.
---

"Uwah! O-Ogre!?"

"Oh. So she's dead, huh?"

"Sakura's been killed? I see..."

---
"While everyone else was focused on Sakura, you quietly placed the can on the ground.", Hina was silent, so close to breaking. "Honestly, I should have noticed... You should have been the first one to run up to Sakura's lifeless body. The Hina I know never would have left her side in a situation like that..."

"So, Sakura committed suicide. In order to hide this fact, Hina undertook a series of actions to undermine the investigation. As long as you could disguise the truth, you didn't care if we blamed you for her death. That's why you didn't bother to get rid of such obvious evidence, right? The footprints in the powder, and the bottle of poison. Vital pieces of evidence, and yet...", Kyoko stated with a shake of her head.

"So you're saying Hina consciously deceived us to make it look like she killed Sakura?", Togami asked as he turned to Hina with a scowl.

"... N-No... No! No, no, no, no, no! I killed her! I did it!"

"That's enough, Hina. It's time...", I muttered.

"It's not! Nothing's over!"

"It is! Actually, no...you're right. Makoto?"

"Yeah... We have to end this properly...!", Makoto nodded.

-CLOSING ARGUMENT, START!- (MAKOTO / KUNO / BOTH)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"This case began when Sakura asked a number of people to meet her in the rec room."

"Specifically, those people were Hiro, Toko, and Byakuya ."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"But one of them headed out a bit earlier than the others--Toko . She got there one step ahead of everyone else and looked around for a good hiding spot. "

"And she found it. She crawled into the locker to get out of sight."

"Then, from inside the locker, she saw Sakura enter the room."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Next to arrive was Hiro ."

"When he got there, he mistakenly thought Sakura was going to try to kill him, so he panicked."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Without thinking, he grabbed a nearby Monokuma Bottle and attacked Sakura with it. Thinking he'd killed her, he hastily began covering up his crime ."

"He took a magazine from the table, and forged a dying message from Sakura. To that end, he wrote down a name..."

"Toko ... By writing her name, he was hoping to pin the murder on her."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"But of course Toko had witnessed the whole thing. So as soon as the coast was clear..."

"...she jumped out of the locker and hid the magazine on the shelf with all the others."

"But in her rush she made one little mistake... She put the magazine back upside down ."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Soon after, she watched as Sakura slowly opened her eyes..."

"She also saw the blood dripping off Sakura's head, and fainted."

"This caused her personality to switch back over to Genocide Jack . When she woke back up, her second personality also saw the blood-soaked Sakura and she freaked out."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"And just like Hiro, she grabbed another Monokuma Bottle and attacked her. This explains why there were two wounds on Sakura's head. Assuming Sakura really was dead this time, she set about disposing of the evidence."

"She gathered up the broken Monokuma Bottle shards , and the queen chess piece ."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"And that explains how Sakura was attacked twice with the same type of weapon."

"But even after those two blows, she was still alive... So then, what was Sakura's actual cause of death ?"

"It was the poison that Sakura herself got from the chem lab."

"She turned the rec room into a true "locked room" scenario and then drank the deadly mixture."

"And there, she took her final breath..."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Later on, the rest of us discovered that her body was in there..."

"We had to smash the door's window to get inside."

"But someone already knew what had happened, knew that she had committed suicide..."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"And that same someone quietly snatched the bottle of poison from off the ground..."

"...and while nobody was looking, replaced it with an empty protein can . They did all this specifically to place all the suspicion on themselves in an attempt to guide the trial to a false conclusion. And the one who went to all that effort..."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"...was you, Hina ."

(A/N: AYO WHO TF CHOPPING ONIONS-!?!?)

-SUCCESSFUL-

"That's the full truth of the case...", Makoto muttered.

"Kh...waaaah...!", Hina was sobbing, giving up on her fight.

"Sakura...took her own life. And you claimed to be the killer to hide that fact, isn't that right?"

"..."

"That's...what happened? But...Makoto, Kuno, how did you--? How did you manage to--? How were you two able to uncover the truth...that even I couldn't discern!?", Togami sputtered.

"Huh? Oh, well, I mean..."

"This isn't a fucking competition, Togami.", I scoffed.

"Wh--!"

"This is for *all* of our survival. It doesn't matter who found the truth. All that matters is that we did."

"W-Why you...!"

"You still haven't realized? We don't all act according to calculations and cost-benefit diagrams. That's what makes us so complicated. That's what you don't understand, and that's why you couldn't solve this case.", Kyoko concluded.

"Gh--!"

"See? Didn't I tell you? When you dismiss other people's feelings, it'll always come back to bite you in the end."

"..."

"Okay, okay. I think we can all agree you made your point.", Monokuma interjected with a bored tone. " Did you guys forget already!? You still haven't voted yet!"

"Oh yeah...that's right..."

"You seriously forgot!? Urrg...I can feel my energy draining outta me... Well, whatever. You don't really have a choice, anyway. You just gotta do it! Maybe you don't want to, but please grab your lever and cast your vote! So, who will be chosen as the blackened...? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one...? What's it gonna be? What's it gonna beeee...?", Monokuma cheered as I stared down at the levers. Each one had a name. I pulled the one with Sakura's name and waited. A few moments later, a slot machine came out of nowhere and began spinning. It stopped when pixelated pictures of Sakura came up in a row. It was correct... Flowers, monocoins, and confetti filled my vision for a bit before things died down. "Yeah, that's right. The one who killed Sakura was Sakura herself ...Okay, we're done here."

"So that's the whole truth, huh? I see... But there's still one thing I don't understand. Hina...why did you try to cover up what happened? If the truth hadn't come to light, you would have died along with the rest of us. And yet you...! Why did you do that!?", Togami questioned the swimmer, rage evident on his face.

"Yeah! We almost died there!", Hiro huffed in fear.

"Because... That's exactly what I wanted !", Hina yelled.

"W-What!?", I gasped.

"I mean, the reason Sakura died is cuz all of you pushed her into a corner. You...you all killed her... So that's why... I couldn't let her be the only one that died!"

"You d-don't mean... You were gonna t-take us all with you !?", Genocide Jack gasped.

"We have to atone for our sins. Because everyone...even me...we all killed her. We all have to pay for our crimes ..."

"F-For serious!? That's--!", Hiro shuddered.

"You still don't understand? Then let me explain... Do you realize just how much despair Sakura was carrying with her when she died!? Look at this...", Hina pulled out a piece of paper.

Such brutality has made me desperate. So instead of just waiting to be killed, I'll do it by my own hand.

"Th-That's...!", Makoto gasped.

"I found it on the ground, in front of the rec room. It's...Sakura's suicide note ."

"Suicide note...?"

"Thinking back, I should have seen it coming... It was right after Genocide Jack had attacked me. Sakura got mad and stormed out of the nurse's office... I ran out after her, and..."
---

"Sakura, calm down! You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine!"

"I...can't calm down... I don't care if I suffer for this. It's my fault, after all. But now *you're* suffering because of me... You tried to protect me, but because of me... ...my closest friend got hurt!"

"S-Sakura..."

"Because of me...my friends are all going to kill each other. This is all...my responsibility ."

---
"Sakura...thought she was responsible. She thought everything was her fault. Which is why...she wanted to find some way to get everyone to forgive her. So she asked to meet with...them."
---

"You asked to meet with those three? You can't! Don't you see how dangerous that is!?"

"Don't worry. I just want to talk to them."

"Talk about...what?"

"..."

"Listen, don't do it. If they all gang up on you at once, even you..."

"Hina... Please, don't think of things like that. They're not my enemy. They're...friends ."

"S-Sakura..."

--
"She clearly believed... She...completely believed...in all of us. If you'd just talked to her, you would've understood. She was a friend to all of us... And yet... And yet...! You trampled all over her feelings. And then you did the unthinkable..."

"N-No, that was just a...a misunderstanding!", Hiro muttered.

"Don't stand there and call it a misunderstanding! She believed in you...and you wouldn't even listen to what she had to say. Without a single question, you tried to kill her... Do you have any idea how desperate she was, seeing you act like that!? That's what her suicide note means... "So instead of just waiting to be killed, I'll do it by my own hand." That's how far you'd pushed her..."
---

"Sakura! What happened to you!?"

"H-Hina...you came..."

"Wait right here! I'll help you out!"

"H-Hina..."

"Huh...?"

"I...I'm so glad I got to meet you..."

"Wh-What's wrong, Sakura? Why are you talking like that...?"

"I...have a favor to ask."

"A favor...?"

"I'd like...some protein. Could I ask you to...?"

"Y-Yeah, you got it! Just hang on, I'll be right back!"

---
"That was...the last conversation I had with her. I went to the chem lab to get the protein she'd asked for. When I got there, I saw the powder. And that's when I realized... I saw that someone had taken something from the poison shelf. Sakura... So I ran back to the rec room as fast as I could. But by the time I got there, it was already too late..."
---

"Sakura! Let me in! Please, open the door! ...Why...? Why!? Why did she have to die!"

---
"She had weaknesses, just like any other person. If she got cut, she bled. If someone hurt her, she felt it. That's weakness... That's normal...! And yet... You all blamed her... I tried to protect her, and I suffered for it. And that just added to the weight she had to carry...! And I didn't even realize it..."

"Hina...", I muttered, tears in my eyes.

"We killed her... All of us. We pushed her into a corner...and we murdered her. People like us shouldn't be allowed to live!"

"And that's why you tried to lead us astray. You did your best to make us arrive at the wrong conclusion during the class trial.", Togami whispered in realization.

"Sakura died hating all of us. I wanted to free her of her regrets. But even that got found out. In the end, I wasn't able to do anything for her... I could never face her after this...", just then, Monokuma spoke up.

" I'm sorry to interrupt right when you're about to deliver the final tearjerker, but... it's just taking so long, long, long, LONG! I'm about to fall asleep over here! I mean, do you really think you have any idea what Sakura was actually thinking when she died?"

"What did you say...?"

"Everything you just said is nothing but your interpretation, right? Your own opinion on what her suicide note meant?"

"O-Of course I know what she was thinking! Cuz her and me--!"

"Well, what I'm really trying to say is... don't you think the entire foundation is shaky? What if it was really...like this?", Monokuma pulled out a folded piece of paper from behind him, waving it around lightly.

That can't be...

"What...is that?", Hiro asked.

"Isn't it obvious? A suicide note . *Sakura's* suicide note."

"Wh-What? But Hina already...", Makoto muttered.

"Oh, I wrote that one. It was all me, baby. This is the one Sakura addressed to Hina and put in her room!"

"What? Then... You...lied to me?", Hina mumbled in pure shock and horror.

"Oh, don't say "lie"! That makes it sound so dirty! I just thought I'd liven things up a bit! I can't help it if you totally took my little scribbles at face value. It didn't even have Sakura's signature on it!"

"You filthy little...!", Makoto growled, looking furious. It was so strange to see Makoto mad, but with this situation, it was warranted.

"I'm not filthy! I didn't do anything. Did I falsify evidence? Did I affect the outcome of the class trial? The case played out between you and you alone. You were the ones jerking each other around. Heck, even if the will *had* factored in, it still woulda been between you guys. So what's the problem!? This is all part of the production process! Okay, and...scene! Cut!"

"So then, what did she write in her *real* suicide note?", Kyoko asked.

"I'm glad you asked! For your benefit, I shall read it using my melodic, angelic, harmonic narrator voice! But you know...haven't you ever been curious about the whole "suicide note" thing? Who came up with the idea of leaving a note when you kill yourself in the first place? And isn't it just so unfortunate? Killing yourself is just so final, ya know? You can never hear the rest of their story. The truth is lost in darkness. Gives me the willies...!"

"Could you get on with it, please?"

"Okay, okay, jeez! Talk about a buzzkill... Alright, here we go. Ahem!"
---

"My good friend Hina. There's something I have to tell you. I hate to do it like this, but you need to know. This is...my final wish. As you know, I've been giving information to the one who's imprisoned you here. It was our first night in this strange school that the mastermind came to see me... You see, the mastermind took control of my family's dojo , and demanded I become their tool. You might not see the importance of a dojo, but my family has watched over it for over 300 years. I couldn't let it be destroyed under my watch. So even if it meant my own life, I had to protect it. That's how I saw things... However, that was my greatest weakness . And because of that, I made the mistake of giving in to the mastermind. And what the mastermind wanted from me was nothing less...than murder . They were probably worried that until the first murder had happened, nothing would move forward. But what neither the mastermind nor I expected...was the incident involving Sayaka. At that point, the plan changed. The mastermind told me to hold off--to wait until we reached another stalemate. However, as I lived here with all of you... As I lived here with Hina...my resolve began to weaken. Watching everyone fight with such despair, trying so desperately to stay alive...I saw the weakness in my own heart, the mistake of succumbing to the mastermind. And more than anything...I cannot betray those who would call me their friend . That's how I came to feel.

---
"So that's why Sakura...", Makoto mumbled.

So G was right...

"Of course, because of that I decided to reveal her secret, which made everyone else hate her. Her decision to stay true to all of you led directly to all of you hating her for it... Ironic, isn't it!? Or maybe oxymoronic? Or just moronic...?", Monokuma mumbled and continued.
---

"Of course, I understand if you all hate me. All of this is because of my own weakness... I'm perfectly willing to accept whatever attack you may want to make on me. So this is my atonement for betraying you. That's what I had in mind... But unfortunately, that's not enough. This won't end with just me accepting your hatred. My own situation has started having an effect on more people than just me... Which is exactly what the mastermind wanted when they revealed my betrayal. My betrayal brought suspicion, disharmony... The mastermind knew that eventually it would escalate into someone murdering someone else. Of course, I'm still responsible for that, as well. I have an obligation to get this situation under control. And to fulfill that obligation, I've decided to do as the mastermind has commanded. I will do as I was told, and commit murder . But I've decided... The one I'm going to kill is...myself . If the mastermind demands that I kill someone, then that someone will be me. Then my dojo will be safe, and above all else, none of you will have to kill anyone. When I die, the source of conflict among you all died with me. For that, I'm willing to give up my life. If it can save you, then sacrificing my own life could have no greater meaning. Whatever you think of me, please know that you all are my most treasured friends... I've never had people like you in my life..."

---
"Then...Sakura...didn't feel cornered. She didn't die hating us. She wanted to...stop us from fighting? To protect us ?", Hina muttered, tears streaming down her face like a river.

"She didn't end her own life because she was weak. Quite the opposite, in fact... She was strong . *Too* strong. That's why she killed herself. She chose death for herself in order to protect the rest of us. To sacrifice so much... No normal person could do that. It was only her limitless strength that made it possible.", Kyoko concluded.

"..."
---

"Finally...Hina, I want to apologize to you especially. The reason I didn't tell you any of this is because I knew you would try to stop me. I'm really, truly sorry. But please don't be sad. If I can thwart the mastermind's plans, if I can keep you from killing each other...that's enough for me. This is the path that I have chosen. This is the only way I have left to distinguish myself. And you can use this note to bring the class trial to a quick end. I'm sorry to ask you to do something to unpleasant, but I have to leave the rest to you. Please talk to Byakuya, Toko, and Hiro on my behalf. I have spoken to Kuno before hand, but I didn't tell her about my plan, so don't hate her for it. We were on good terms after our conversation. I have never met such a strong, open-minded young woman like herself, so I have entrusted her to protect you all. I am sorry, Kuno, for putting such a burden on you, but I know you can do it. If not for my sake, then for everyone else's.. I can't tell anyone about my plan while I'm alive, but I wanted you to understand why I'm doing this. In the end, though, I hope to show myself through actions and not words. Hopefully then they'll see... I never saw you as my enemy. You were only ever my friend, who I wanted to help as much as possible... Hina...whatever it takes, survive. Survive along with everyone else. No matter what...just survive."

---
"Th-This is...! I...I didn't understand how she felt... Not at all... I thought we were close, and still...!", Hina sobbed. I walked up to her and held her close, crying myself.

"But in the end, all her meddling was like, totally pointless! She died so you guys wouldn't try to kill each other, but you almost ended up doing it anyway! Thanks to you, her death had no purpose at all! In fact, it was BECAUSE of her stupid meddling that the rest of you nearly bit the big one! She deserves all the blame! Everyone blame her! Go ahead, she deserves it! Puhuhu... Now then, the next victim has been decided!", Monokuma cheered.

"What do you mean, next victim!? Nobody here blames anyone!", Makoto yelled.

"Hrmm?"

"First of all, you're in the wrong for tricking Hina with that fake suicide note! And plus... Sakura's death wasn't a waste!"

"Hurrrmmm?"

"Because she made us remember... We're not enemies that hate each other. We're friends, who need to work together !"

"Damn straight. This is all because of our misplaced hatred. I don't blame her! I CAN'T blame her! And nobody can blame Hina, either!", Hiro declared.

"Buhwah!?"

"Makoto's right. Sakura died FOR us, not BECAUSE of us. We need to honor that, and wallowing in despair and hatered won't help!", I nodded while rubbing away my tears.

"Whether or not there was a spy never really mattered. Because the one we need to destroy...is you! Nobody else!", Makoto growled.

"What the heck!? That's not how this is supposed to go! But anyway, are you sure about that? This killing game is a competition between all of *you*, remember? Your enemy...is each other."

"He's absolutely right about that.", Togami nodded.

"Ahh, lovely Byakuya! You understand, don't you!?"

"This is a life-or-death elimination match. The only way to survive...is to win. There can be no doubt that those are the rules of the game. Which is why...I am bowing out of the game."

"W-What...!?", I gasped.

"Huh...?"

"Sakura and Hina were both willing to sacrifice their own lives to deny the reality of the game. Thanks to them, it would apper the others have cast aside their dear for this game. There's no point in participating in a game which has lost that excitement. Which is why I will no longer be participating in it."

"Wh-What's going on here!?"

"Now I have only one thing to look forward to. And that is to heap the harshest possible punishment onto the one who thinks they can control me!"

"B-Byakuya! Does this mean...?", Makoto trailed off with a smile.

"Don't misunderstand. I haven't been moved by some thoughtless sentimentalism, if that's what you're thinking."

"Wherever Master goes, I go! And if the mastermind turns out to be a guy, maybe I can catch on fire!", Genocide Jack cackled in glee.

"E-Everyone...!", Makoto's grin grew wider.

"Well? Now can you say that Sakura's death had no meaning?", Kyoko smirked.

"Hmph. How boring. But nothing good can come of this. I'm still gonna be the one having the fun time!", Monokuma shrugged.

"The fun...time?", Hiro mumbled.

" Anyway, let's forget about that good-for-nothing backstabber and get back on track! It's the moment you've all been waiting for! Punishment time !"

"Wait, but...Sakura was technically the killer, right? And she's dead!", Genocide Jack huffed in confusion.

"Y-You're not gonna...!", Makoto gasped.

"I-Is it me...?", Hina whispered in fear.

"I won't let you lay a finger on Hina!", I yelled, holding her close.

"Oh heavens, no! Just cuz the blackened is dead doesn't mean I can sub in whatever ol' student I want! Didn't I tell you!? I'm very particular about the "Bear-Times-One" rule! But I spent so much time preparing my special punishment, it'd be a shame to let it go to waste! So, for my special punishment...I've prepared a special guest !"

"A special guest...?", Makoto echoed.

"Let's give it everything we've got! It's...PUNISHMENT TIIIME!", Monokuma cheered as the curtains rose and we found out who our special guest was... Alter Ego.

Alter Ego's face appeared calm on the laptop, but soon he looked around confused as the ground started to tremble. The hand-drawn urban landscape backdrop standing behind him is then knocked down by a large dozer controlled by Monokuma. A moment of silence passed before Monokuma proceeded to repeatedly smash Alter Ego's laptop. He kept going and going until the laptop was shaped into a round ball. Once his destruction work was done, Monokuma added a finishing touch to his "masterpiece" by stamping his very own Monokuma muzzle and "evil" left eye onto it. He then slowly backed away on his bulldozer and disappeared, leaving what used to be Alter Ego's laptop.

CHAPTER 34, END!

☜︎💧︎👍︎✌︎🏱︎☜︎ ✋︎💧︎ ☞︎🕆︎❄︎✋︎☹︎☜︎📬︎

(A/N: AIGHT, WHO CRYING? :3 I am honestly close to tears cuz two of my fav characters are down for the count oof. Someone give me a fucking hug, I need it ;-;)