"I met up with Ryoma during nighttime yesterday," Maki claimed.

"With Ryoma...at nighttime!?" Tsumugi repeated.

"So Ryoma was still alive at nighttime!?"

"I thought the crime took place between eight and ten o'clock at night?" Tenko spoke, thought it came out as more of a question.

"If that's true," Korekiyo started, "then we have no basis for suspecting only Kaito and Maki..."

"Th-That's right. Everyone suspected them. 'Cause they no have alibis for those times."

"That means me and Maki aren't suspects anymore!" Kaito exclaimed happily.

"It just means we have more suspects," you told the astronaut.

"Quit f*ckin' around!" Miu yelled at Maki. "You think I'm dumb enough to swallow that line of crap!?"

"Yes, this seems too convenient," Kirumi agreed.

"But why did Maki wait until now to mention that?" Kiibo questioned.

"Ah-hahahahaha! It's totally obvious!" Kokichi laughed smugly. "Maki's sooo desperate that she has to lie! We shouldn't listen to anything Maki says. She's just gonna throw out more lies."

"But if we don't ask her for more details, how will we know for sure?" Tsumugi asked the small leader in her breathy voice.

"I told you already, we son't need to... I hate liars! Liar, liar, pants on fire!"

"You're one to talk..." grumbled Himiko.

"Maki, just ignore that lying little degenerate! We'll listen to what you have to say!"

"...It must have been...a little after midnight last night," Maki explained. "He visited me at my research lab. He wanted me to show him the motive video that I received."

"If Ryoma came to ask about that, does that mean you had his motive video?" Korekiyo chimed in.

"As I recall, Ryoma had Maki's motive video, correct?" Kirumi asked. "Does this mean that you and Ryoma received one another's motive video?"

"Maybe... I actually didn't check the motive video I got, so I wouldn't know."

"Maki admitted earlier that she hadn't checked her Kubs Pad," Kiibo reminded everyone.

"Then why did Ryoma think Maki had his motive video?" Angie asked.

"If he went around asking at random," Kaito started, "he might've asked some people besides Maki."

"He never asked me!" Miu snapped. "He probably never asked you guys either, right?"

"Then...who was it that told Ryoma about his Kubs Pad?"

"..."

It was obvious... It should have been, at least. You opened your mouth before you could stop yourself. "Kokichi," you spoke quietly, but still loud enough to be heard. "Kokichi would have known who had which Kubs Pad, so he's the most likely person to have told Ryoma."

"Did you tell Ryoma that Maki had his?" Shuichi inquired at the boy.

"..." You felt a quick and small jab at your right side.

"When males get this quiet, they're either caught in a lie or thinking dirty thoughts..."

"What happened then, Maki?" Kaito piped up. "After Ryoma asked you for his motive video."

"I told Ryoma just to take it from my room. I keep my door unlocked."

"Wow Maki, that's pretty careless. Aren't you scared someone might kill you in your sleep?" For some reason, there was a hint of mischievousness in Kokichi's last part.

"..."

"And then what happened?" Gonta asked.

"I don't know what happened after that. I'm not even sure if he saw his motive video. When he asked me, he said that he would show me my motive video in return. But I wasn't interested, so I declined. And that's pretty much it."

"So you don't even know if Ryoma saw his motive video? What a bunch of crap," Miu spat.

"If Maki met with Ryoma at nighttime, that proves he was still alive then... Which means," Kaito's voice got louder, "even though we don't have alibis from eight to ten, Maki and I aren't suspects!"

"If that story is true..." Korekiyo pointed out.

"...It's true."

Kiibo inquired her, "Then why did you wait until now to bring that up?"

"I didn't say anything until now because I wasn't in the mood to be suspected."

Wasn't in the mood to be suspected? Well...that just makes you more suspicious.

"Suspected?" Himiko repeated. "What for?"

"Kirumi said it earlier. It seems that Ryoma and I had each other's motive videos... That's pretty fishy, right? So I didn't want to mention it to avoid suspicion.

"You didn't say anything because you weren't in the mood?"

"It is quite selfish to keep this information hidden because you were not in the mood," Kirumi scolded.

"Well, whatever," Kaito said, brushing off all the retaliation. "Either way, let's just believe Maki."

"Yes, yes. Those who believe shall be saved."

"No, we need to wait," Kiibo interrupted. "There is still more to confirm—"

"Well then, why don't we ask Kokichi?" Shuichi cut the robot off.

"Huh? What now?"

"You never answered my question. Were you the one who told Ryoma that Maki had his motive video?"

"Is that really important?" Gonta asked.

"Yes, it is important. Because if Kokichi told Ryoma...it becomes more likely that Ryoma visited Maki during nighttime."

"I see..." Korekiyo spoke up. "Kokichi's response may help corroborate Maki's testimony."

"Now you understand why I don't want your charade—I want the truth."

"So?" you mumbled the question. "Did you tell Ryoma?"

"..."

"You said it earlier. 'I don't wanna die', right? If you really don't wanna die, then you better tell the truth."

"Here comes the dramatic turnabout. Now I'm the one being pressured by Maki! Ooookay, it's true. I told Ryoma. But that's not a bad thing, right? He wanted to know, so I told him."

"Have you seen everyone's motive video?" Kirumi questioned. You couldn't really tell why, and you weren't sure if anyone else picked up, but it seemed that the maid's voice had a slight nervous quiver to it.

"Nope, not yet," the boy chirped in response. "I was gonna wait until we hosted, like, a movie screening party. I just checked who had whose, so I could give them back to everyone after."

"Hmm... I see."

"Anyway," Kaito interjected, "if Kokichi told Ryoma that, then he must've gone to see Maki! That means Maki's telling the truth! Ryoma was alive during nighttime!"

"Hey Kaito..." you slowly started speaking, "...Why are you so insistent on clearing Maki of suspicion?"

"Because I believe in her! Do I need any more reasons than that?"

"No, no you don't... It just seems that you're a bit more determined this time."

"Either way, we still cannot be too sure about Ryoma being alive during nighttime just yet," Kirumi announced. "Even if Ryoma and Maki did meet, it does not mean it was during nighttime yesterday."

"...So you still suspect me?"

"I am saying it could still be a possibility. If there is still a small chance of you being the culprit, then I cannot trust you entirely. Because everyone's lives are at stake."

"Th-Then...which is it? A lie? Or n-not lie?"

"She's not lying! Can't you tell just by looking at her!?"

"If it was that easy, we'd be done by now," Himiko grumbled. "No, this is a world of lies and betrayal."

"Himiko, it breaks my heart to hear you say depressing things!"

"I find Maki's testimony suspicious," Korekiyo chimed. "It's far too...convenient for her."

"Maki is lying!" Kokichi shouted. "Like I said before, a liar like me knows their own kind!"

"I'm not lying. I did meet up with Ryoma during nighttime... I'm telling the truth. I met with Ryoma the previous night."

"What a load of crap!" Miu shouted.

"Maki only see Ryoma at night?"

"Yes. I didn't meet with anyone else."

"Did anyone see those two together!?" Tenko questioned.

"Surely they would have come forward already," Kirumi reasoned.

"If no one can prove that this meeting took place...—"

"Hey, uh..." Shuichi stopped everyone. "I might not be able to prove they met, but I can prove Maki wasn't alone."

"Oh...? Please explain."

"Well, Kaito and I train every night... And yesterday, because of the 'Insect Meet and Greet,' we started late."

"Huh?"

Ah...so it's a lie, you thought. I knew it. You heard someone beside you humming as Shuichi spoke. Perhaps they've caught on to it as well.

"Ah, Kaito, don't worry. You don't have to say anything. Anyway, we were doing some frog squats on the school stairs when we heard two people taking."

"...People talking?" Angie repeated quizzically.

"We knew one of them was Maki, but we couldn't pick out the other one... But now that I think about it, it must have been Ryoma."

"U-Uh... Yeah! Maybe!" Kaito sputtered, attempting to keep up with the detective's lie. "That was probably...around midnight!"

"Wait a minute!" Tenko started. "If you heard their voices, then that means..."

"So Maki and Ryoma did meet up!" Gonta cheered.

"No, no!" Miu interjected. "Hold up! Why'd you sit on that info for so long!?"

Because he's lying...is what you wanted to say. But you figured you shouldn't speak up about it. Shuichi was only doing it to progress the trial and find...the truth.

"Because until just now, I didn't think it was relevant. I had no reason to bring it up."

"Now, now... We don't know if Maki was really talking to Ryoma, right?" Angie spoke.

"That is true. If I knew for certain, I would have said so sooner. But considering the circumstances, I can't imagine it being anyone but Ryoma. None of us were talking to Maki last night, correct? So it must have been him."

"And nobody say you suddenly remember talking to Maki! It's way too late for that!" Kaito yelled out.

"And you two did not confirm who Maki was talking to at the time?" Kirumi questioned. "If I overheard a conversation in the middle of the night, I surely would have checked. We are still part of a killing game, after all."

"Wh-Whoa, chill out... Why the scary face? That was my bad... But it's not really manly to eavesdrop, y'know? I wouldn't do something so uncool."

"...Anyway, I know that we heard those voices. Maki is not lying."

"Then Gonta will believe friends."

"Y-You're gonna believe him...just like that?" Miu asked.

"But Shuichi has no reason to lie," Tenko told the other teen.

"Yes," Korekiyo spoke in agreement, "...if his lie leads us to the wrong culprit, he will join us in eternal sleep. Unless he wishes for death, we should be able to believe him."

"That's right, you can believe me."

"Yeah, you're right! I'll believe him too!" Tsumugi cheered.

"Belief shall set you free!"

"I'd be so surprised if Shuichi was a liar, especially after we believed him for so long," Kokichi commented. He caught on, you figured. "We wouldn't be able to trust anyone anymore! Well, it's not like he's lying anyway..."

Shuichi stayed silent.

"Alright! That proves it, then! Ryoma was still alive during nighttime!" Kaito declared. "In other words, me and Maki aren't suspects anymore!"

"But...I guess that means everyone's alibis no longer matter anymore, yes?" Korekiyo questioned.

"So...everyone is culprit again?"

"So we're right back where we started... What a pain."

"However, it should be clear now that the crime occurred after nighttime began," Kiibo stated.

"But then when was Ryoma's body placed in the tank?" Kirumi asked the group.

"Well," the anthropologist started, "...the gym was locked during nighttime, so it must have been the next morning but..."

"That's not possible," Angie piped up. "Himiko and I were in the gym, remember?"

"So did we f*ck up by thinkin' the body got stuffed into the piranha tank!?"

"I don't think so. We have evidence to prove that's what happened," Kiibo told the inventor.

"Then when did the culprit throw the body into the piranha tank?" Tenko asked in confusion.

"The only time they coulda done it was during nighttime, huh?" Kaito spoke.

"Did you forget the gym's not open at nighttime, d*ck cheese?" Miu remarked.

"D-D*ck cheese!?"

"But that's the only possibility, 'cause by morning we were already at the gym," Angie reminded everyone.

Korekiyo offered, "It may be possible they slipped by without you noticing..."

"No one can slip by me!" Himiko claimed dramatically. "I'm known far and wide as the 'Snoozing Sorceress'!"

"What a terrible title for a guard!" Tsumugi commented.

"Are you positive you did not see it?" Kirumi questioned. "You cannot enter the gym at nighttime."

"Himiko would've seen it! She might strike out, but she always keeps her eye on the ball!"

"...I don't even play baseball."

"But we can't disobey school rules, right? I body was probably moved in the morning," Kokichi stated. At that point, you could just sense that the group would split into two sides again for a debate.

"Calm down, everyone! Gonta sure if we discuss disagreement—"

"Disagreement?" Monokuma asked, interrupting the male. "What!? A disagreement!? You mean, you're split down the middle again!?" There was some excitement edged into his voice. "Then, the Ultimate Academy is proud to present its very own morphenominal trial grounds!"
***

"We shouldn't focus on where we found the body," Maki told everybody. "Instead, we need to focus on where he was killed. Wouldn't it be more efficient if we focused on the murder scene instead?"

"Yes...that's it! We were so caught up in where the body was found when we should have been thinking about where the murder occurred!" Shuichi exclaimed.

"The murder scene would definitely have more clues about the culprit," Kokichi agreed. "Why didn't anyone realize this yet? Ha, that's strange."

"Perhaps the culprit steered the conversation away from that topic," Korekiyo spoke rather sharply.

"Th-Then...culprit is someone in this room!" Gonta cried out obliviously.

"Obviously," you snapped on impulse.

"Well then, let's discuss the crime scene to figure out who the culprit is," Kiibo ordered.

"...Thank you, Maki. That was a helpful insight," Shuichi told the female.

"I can't believe you didn't notice that. I guess that's why you're still an apprentice." Ouch, that must have hurt.

"First, let's establish the crime scene."

"Wasn't it the dorm room? Ryoma was relaxing in his room when he got attacked."

"But the cause of death was drowning. There is nothing in his room that could collect enough water."

"He's got a toilet, doesn't he!?"

"Drown in toilet? Unpossible!"

"We should consider places where water is stored!"

"The only place that fits is the pool!"

"No, that's wrong!" Shuichi shouted above everyone else. You could only bet that almost all of your peers were looking at him like he were a madman. "The pool could not have been the scene of the murder. Ryoma was killed at nighttime. No swimming is allowed at nighttime, so a living person could not go in."

"So we can conclude it's impossible for him to have drowned in the pool," Korekiyo stated.

"Where was Ryoma killed if not pool? Is there other place where water can be stored?"

"...The sink in Ryoma's lab. There were distinct scratch marks on it."

"...Scratch marks on the sink?" Maki repeated.

"And I believe those scratches were caused by...the handcuffs. They were scratched as well, correct?"

"Oh yeah," Kaito spoke. "It sorta looked like they'd been scraped against something."

"There's also the fact that the handcuffs came from Ryoma's lab. The marks on the sink came from the handcuffs in the same room. The size and the shape of the scratches are consistent with the handcuffs. I'm sure."

"Hmmm... How did those handcuffs get from the lab to the water tank?" Angie questioned.

"Wasn't Ryoma wearing them when we saw him in the tank...?" you spoke slowly.

"Yes, though they were only visible for a brief moment right when he appeared," Kiibo replied. "I am certain he was wearing handcuffs at the time."

"The handcuffs were left after the piranhas devoured Ryoma," Kirumi recounted.

"So the culprit handcuffed Ryoma and drowned him in his lab's sink," Korekiyo said, trying to piece everything together.

"Ryoma must've been pretty yummy," Kokichi said. "They chomped up his entire body—arms, legs, brain..."

"Stop saying disgusting things, I don't wanna hear it!" Tenko growled at him.

"That crunchy texture with the fatty parts just right. Then, when they bite down, it gushes—"

"STOP, PLEASE STOP!!!"

What a scene that is going on here... I can't help but want to laugh.

"But...how did culprit handcuff Ryoma?" Gonta questioned. "He coulda used Shukuchi Method to get away. Unless someone ambush him?"

"It's possible they knocked him out before handcuffing him..." the anthropologist replied. "Kehehe... Though there's no way we can be sure, now that he's naught but bones."

"So we all agreed Ryoma was drowned in the sink, right?" Kaito asked everyone. "That sink coulda held enough water to do it, for sure."

"Alright, I'm calling it! The crime scene is Ryoma's f*ckin' research lab!" Miu exclaimed.

"But how did the culprit carry his body to the gym from there?" Angie inquired. "Isn't Ryoma's lab on the third floor of the academy?"

"It's actually not far at all," Shuichi told her. "Although, perhaps it's ore accurate to say...a shortcut."

"Was there a shortcut?"

"Is it...the window in Ryoma's lab?" you asked.

"Correct. None of the windows in this school open except for the one in his lab," Shuichi explained. "And on top of that, the window faced the pool. You could see the gym straight across."

"Do you think the culprit dropped Ryoma's body into the pool area from the lab window!?" Tenko questioned. "Then they could've thrown the body into the piranha tank through the gym window... How's that? Mission complete!"

"Your explanation contradicts some things we discussed earlier," Kirumi told her. "The gym window was too high to reach from the pool side, even if one used the ladder."

"That's right! I apologize! I must go on a journey to reflect on this!"

"We keep hitting dead ends, since we don't know how the body was thrown into the gym..." Kiibo spoke, concerned.

"Nishishi... Well, that didn't really give us any info about the crime."

"No, there were plenty of helpful clues..." you heard Shuichi mumble. "I'll just have to piece them together...to help us all find the truth...!"
***

"Yes, that's it! The culprit used something like a ropeway to move the body!" Shuichi exclaimed.

"A ropeway, huh?" Tenko asked nervously. "Are you sure about that?"

"Wow, you got drain bamage or something!?" Miu spat. "You'd need some kinda vessel to use on a ropeway and we don't have that!"

"...What about the inner tube...?" you offered. "The one floating in the pool?"

"The inner tube?" Kirumi repeated.

"Yes...that's it!" You could hear the confidence in the detective growing by the second. "And the rope attached to one side..."

"Perhaps there was a rope originally tied to both sides. This would allow for the tube to hang from the rope connecting the gym window and the lab window."

"And because the third floor window is higher up, gravity would have pushed the inner tube along," Shuichi added. "The inner tub is made of sturdy metal as well. It could have supported two people. The culprit used the ropes and the inner tube to construct a rudimentary ropeway, and used it move themselves and Ryoma's body from the lab to the gym. Once through the gym window, the culprit stood on the inner tube to move the body. Either that, or the culprit placed their foot on the windowsill. That would be way more stable and let them handle the body more carefully. Finally, they removed the rope from the window frame and left the scene."

"You say the culprit placed their foot on the windowsill? Isn't that against school rules?" Korekiyo inquired. "It would count as entering the gym, would it not?"

"Last time we got asked that question, we decided it was okay," Monosuke interjected. "Stickin' your body through the window is an automatic out, but standing on the sill is—"

"Wait, who asked you last time?" Kiibo asked the bear.

"...Eh?"

"It is quite possible that the culprit went to you to confirm the details of their plan..."

".....O-Oh sh****t!"

"Way to put your foot in your mouth!" Monotaro scolded.

"His foot!? Monosuke just unhinged his jaw and swallowed his entire leg!" Monophanie exclaimed.

"C-Cut it out! I can't write this off as a joke if you two keep freakin' out about it!"

"Nyahahahaha! Then your little slip-up is actually the truth!"

"Maaan, the trial was just getting fun," Kokichi groaned. "Why you gotta ruin it with that slip-up? But I guess now we know Shuichi's logic is right on the money."

"So culprit really used ropeway to move body!?"

"Yeah! They used the ropeway to move with the body from window to window," Kaito claimed.

"Ropeway murder...! That's some crazy-a** sh*t!"

"But if the mechanism was that complicated, wouldn't it be hard to put it all away?" Tenko asked.

"Not necessarily," Korekiyo spoke. "All one must do is detach the rope from the window after using the ropeway. Then, after returning to Ryoma's lab, one could retrieve the rope from that side. Tossing the rope into the gym from the pool window would be the final step."

"I see, I see! The rope was thrown from the window. That's why we found it there."

"With that method, the culprit must have made numerous trips from Ryoma's lab to the pool..." Kirumi mentioned.

"Which is why the crime was committed during nighttime, while we all slumbered," Korekiyo responded.

"But if the culprit was so careful to recover the rope they used to commit the crime..." Kiibo started, "Why did they leave the inner tube in the pool?"

"I believe that was an accident," Shuichi replied.

"An accident?" Tsumugi repeated.

"Yes. When the culprit was taking down the inner tube, they accidentally dropped it."

"Then why did the culprit leave it in the pool?" Kirumi questioned.

"Even id they wanted to get it, they couldn't. Because this took place at nighttime."

"I see," Angie chimed, "they couldn't get the inner tube because swimming is prohibited at nighttime."

"But couldn't they have used the rope to fish it out?" Miu interjected.

"Not necessarily..." Korekiyo started explaining. "You see, the water level in that pool is so low... Even if one tried to draw in the inner tube using the rope, the steep angle the rope would be at would make it nigh impossible."

"Even if inner tube was closer to pool edge, water still too low to drag in," Gonta commented.

"Sounds like a lotta work..." Himiko spoke. "I can see why they just left it there."

"Yeah, it would take too long. And they would've been busted if someone saw then," Tenko said in agreement.

"Hah! What kinda clumsy dipsh*t drops an inner tube and can't retrieve it!?" Miu exclaimed. "Lemme tell ya, this culprit's a real f*ckin' amateur!"

"No, actually. Save for that one mistake, this was the perfect crime," Shuichi remarked.

"If Maki had never met up with Ryoma at nighttime, it might've been the end for us," Kokichi added. "Well, I still don't know if Maki is telling the truth or not..."

"...Shut up."

"Personally, I find this culprit frighteningly thorough," Korekiyo spoke up. "Such a bold, beautiful plan! I never even imagined there was a ropeway! Aaah! Respect begins to bloom in my heart for this wonderfully cruel culprit!"

"What are you, stupid!? Don't respect the culprit!" Kaito snapped.

"Now, we just need to figure out who the culprit is!" Kokichi announced.

Kirumi agreed. "But, of course. It would be pointless to unravel this mystery otherwise."

"So, who is it?" Tenko called out.

"...There's still one more thing I have to confirm...but Kirumi is the prime suspect," Shuichi claimed.

"Me...?"

"Wh-What!? K-Kirumi!?"

"Ohhhh... So Kirumi is the culprit."

"That is not yet a certainty. Let us hear her testimony first."

"Is this true Kirumi?"

"I cannot believe you would suspect me..." the maid sighed. "If that is the case, then I will have to deny it. I will not let you make the wrong choice."

"...The wrong choice?" Shuichi repeated uncertainly.

"If you do believe it is me, are you prepared to stand by that decision? I will refute your accusations with all my might...for everyone's sake."
***

"While I do understand where you are coming from, I assure you this is just...a part of your petty imagination!" Kirumi's tone heightened into one a bit more suspenseful and claiming an edge, much to everyone's surprise, including you. "An empty theory created from nihilism! If it were only the rope and partition...I suppose five minutes would be enough time. I accept that. However. The crux of your argument is not but a guess. You continue to force the facts to conform to your misguided narrative. When you consider that the crux of your argument if faulty, your entire case falls apart!"

"What do you mean by...crux of the argument?" Shuichi asked nervously. "How is it just a guess?"

"I am referring to the rope. Now, with that rope, it is possible to reach the gym window from the third floor window. But there is no evidence to indicate this had happened!"

"I have evidence!" the detective cut through. "The abrasions left on the window frames at the gym and the lab! Just tying the rope to the frame wouldn't cause so much damage. The rope that was tied to the frames must have been weighed down significantly. The frames didn't break, but they were left with distinct marks."

"Those scratches are proof that you used a rope to carry the body to the windowsill," Kiibo declared.

"..." You could only guess that the maid had a look of anger, fear, or desperation...maybe even all at once.

"Oh? What's wrong, Kirumi?" Kokichi taunted. "What's wrong, what's wrong, what's wrong!? Hey, what's wrong? Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!?"

"Is Kirumi quiet 'cause...'cause that's what happened?" Gonta asked slowly, not wanting to believe it.

"Please answer us, Kirumi! Shuichi is doing this for your sake—"

"If it was for my sake...then it would be much easier to forfeit... But I cannot allow that! Because I must do this for everyone! I have...a duty and a responsibility... I must serve everyone and protect them... So I refuse to surrender! They won't forgive me if I do!"

...'They,' huh? It obviously isn't us... Hey, she mentioned something a while ago when I was talking to her. "Kirumi, who is your 'everyone'? It seems that you aren't talking about us here in this academy," you spoke slowly.

"Someone outside of the academy?" Angie suggested.

"Hey... So you think Kirumi saw her own motive video?" Kokichi asked slyly.

"Huh!? The motive video!?" Miu repeated.

"You saw your important someone in danger...so you committed murder, right?"

"Is that...true?" Himiko asked her.

"..." Kirumi was silent, until... "I am so sorry for making such a mess... Because of that, I made all of you assume something unnecessary."

"...Unnecessary?"

"You saying (Y/N)'s wrong? This 'everyone' you're talking about—"

"It is all of you, of course."

"Really? Do you swear to Atua?"

"Yes, really... So please believe me. I am not the culprit. I do not care what becomes of me, but I will not allow any of you to die. Because I made a promise to Kaede. She wished for all of us to escape together."

". . ."

"I want to fulfill my duties as the Ultimate Maid. I wish to serve everyone. So, please believe me! You have to!"

"Ummm... Are we totally sure Kirumi's the culprit? Maybe it's someone else?"

"Are we sure Kokichi isn't the culprit?"

"Ah-hahahahaha! How rude."

"G-Gonta...just can't believe Kirumi would...kill Ryoma..."

"Kirumi's breakfasts were the best. She always treated us so well."

"She really is like a mom..."

"Perhaps it was after she gained our trust that she saw her chance to strike..."

"You really are screwed up..."

"Don't dwell on the past, it won't do any good."

"..."

"Shuichi, please reconsider suspecting me as the culprit. You only suspect me because I was at the gym during nighttime yesterday, correct? But you cannot accuse me of being the culprit with that insufficient proof. It is still possible for Maki and Kaito to have gone to the gym. They do not have alibis. They could have pretended to help Himiko, but secretly prepared the murder."

"Maybe we should think this over one more time—"

"I...made a promise. As the Ultimate Detective, I made a promise to seek the truth. I made a promise to Kaede! So I'm not turning back now!"

"So you still believe I am the culprit? But there is no evidence to prove that I—"

"No, there is. I have proof that you're the culprit. I realized it when we determined that the ropeway was used to move the body. If it was indeed Kirumi who moved the body with the makeshift ropeway... Then the final clue falls into place."

"The final clue...?"

"The damning evidence that proves Kirumi is the culprit."

"Shuichi, won't you please tell me why you are so desperate to pin me as the culprit? Don't you want to protect everyone!?"

"I'm doing this because I want to protect everyone!"

"Then you're wrong!" Kirumi shouted. "Your deduction is all wrong!"

"Your words aren't going to convince me now. Not when I know the truth."

"What truth!? All you care about is your own reasoning! You don't even listen to others! I can't bet everyone's lives on a deduction made by a self-righteous brat! You can't save anyone!!!" Kirumi's growing rage and desperation was putting everyone on edge.

"The piece of black fabric in the pool! That's the final clue that proves you're guilty!"

"...Gh!"

"It's been bothering me for a while... I couldn't figure out what it was. I thought it was just trash at first, but I couldn't dismiss it entirely. Now that the class trial has come this far...I know for certain. It's an important piece of the puzzle. Because like the inner tube...it's evidence the culprit couldn't dispose of."

"H-Huh? Why not?" Tenko questioned nervously.

"Using the ropeway, you could slide the inner tube from the lab to the gym. But how would you control it? If it kept sliding and hit the window, the momentum would have thrown the body off. To prevent that from happening, the culprit needed some way to adjust the speed. For example...the culprit could have used their hands for friction."

"Y-Yeah, so what!?" Kirumi sputtered. "You're still wrong! Your logic is flawed!!!"

"Kirumi...why are you becoming increasingly erratic?"

"Kehehe... There is such beauty in trying to fight against the truth."

"What...'truth'? That black cloth is just trash! You can't prove I'm the culprit with just that!"

"No, it's not just trash! It's proof that you're the culprit!"

"...Gh!" She entered the mode where she wouldn't listen to anyone around her anymore. She just started to ket the words spill out. "You are incorrect! What is this truth!? That is just your empty deduction... In this class trial... Everyone's life is at stake! Because of your self-righteous truth... Everyone might die! I completely understand your reasoning...but I will never accept it... It seems you wish to pin me as the culprit... You do not have any evidence! You are only providing us with speculation! I only wish to protect everyone...why must you interfere!? What does that piece of trash prove!?"

"The piece of fabric...came from Kirumi's black glove!"

"Kirumi's glove?" Angie repeated.

"If the culprit were slowing their descent by grabbing the rope with their hands, there would have been a lot of friction. Easily enough to cause rope burn. But our culprit was smart. They weren't burned because they weren't bare-handed."

"Yeah! The culprit had gloves on!" Kaito exclaimed. "One got all torn up from the friction and..."

"And...it fell into pool?"

"From what I remember, the only one who wears black gloves is Kirumi, right?" Kokichi asked the group.

"The gloves on your hands now... I take it they're from your dorm?" Korekiyo inquired.

"The extra uniforms in our dorms are made of the same material we're wearing now," Shuichi spoke. "We can test my theory by comparing the fabric scrap with your glove."

"Gh...grgh..."

"...Well, Kirumi? Will you allow us to compare the black fabric we found in the pool with your gloves?" Kiibo questioned.

"U-Uhhh...!"

"Huh? What's the matter? Why are you sweating so much?" Angie chirped.

"Hrghhhh...uuuhhh...!"

"Here's how it all went down...! The victim's body was found this morning, during Himiko's Underwater Escape Act. When we saw the piranhas in the tank, we thought that Himiko's escape failed. Of course, it was all part of the act. Himiko's escape went perfectly. But when Angie opened the curtain in front of the tank...we saw Ryoma, with piranhas swarming around him! Before any of us could react, the piranhas devoured Ryoma's body. And all that was left were his bones and the handcuffs he was wearing... That horrifying sight was the finishing touch on the culprit's own twisted magic trick. The culprit obfuscated the time and place of the murder, implicating Himiko in the process.

"In truth, the crime began last night, around 8:55 p.m.. While preparing for the show in the gym, the culprit had a chance to be alone. It was then that the culprit used the ladder to reach the piranha tank...and removed the glass lid to put inside the tank. They used it as a partition to force the piranhas to one side of the tank.

"Next, the culprit took the rope from the stage wing in the gym and used the ladder once more, this time to climb up to the gym's window. Once there, they opened the window and tied one end of the rope to the window frame. The rope was then thrown out the window, toward the pool. These preparations were key for the culprit's elaborate plan.

"At nighttime, past midnight, the culprit asked Ryoma to meet at his lab. All the pieces were in place. The culprit was ready to murder. First, the culprit knocked Ryoma out, probably striking him from behind. Then, they put handcuffs from the shower room on Ryoma's wrists...and shoved his head into the sink filled with water! From the water and the pain of drowning, Ryoma should've woken up and struggled. The culprit anticipated his resistance, which is why Ryoma was handcuffed. The struggle left scrapes on the cuffs and sink, but in the end, Ryoma succumbed. Ryoma was dead...but the culprit's plan had only just begun.

"They removed the cable from the tennis net and hung it from the window facing the pool. And then, at the pool, they connected the wire and the rope from the gym window. They returned to the lab, after picking up one last thing... The rubber inner tube that was in the pool's tool shed. Once back in the lab, the culprit pulled the cable, bringing up the rope. They pulled until the rope was taut, then tied it to the lab's window frame. And thus...the gym and the lab windows were connected by a single rope! After making a hanger of sorts with another length of rope tied to the inner tube...they hung the inner tube on the rope connecting the windows. That's how the culprit created the ropeway that was used to move the body!

"An impressive premeditated murder. But, the culprit made two crucial mistakes. The culprit got on the inner tube with Ryoma's body and slid toward the gym. With the height difference between the windows, they would have built up quite some speed. To avoid crashing through the window, the culprit used a brake. They used their own hand to grip the rope and slow down. That would have caused significant rope burn...had the culprit not been wearing gloves. But due to the friction, part of a glove tore off and dropped into the pool.

"Regardless, the culprit reached the window and put Ryoma's body into the piranha tank. The glass pane not only kept the piranhas and the body separated...it also kept the piranhas so close together, they concealed the body. After that, all the culprit had to do was untie the rope and the inner tube...but that's when they made their second mistake. One end of the rope came loose, and the inner tube dropped into the pool. Thus, the culprit was forced to leave two key pieces of evidence—the fabric and the inner tube. They couldn't retrieve the evidence because of the rule against swimming at nighttime.

"And that's the while story. Am I wrong, Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid!?" The entire room was taken aback. "Kirumi...that's the conclusion I reached. Do you have any objections?"

"...This is very, very unfortunate, Shuichi. My pride as a maid demands that I fulfill every request that I receive. But, to end like this..."

"Does that mean...you admit it?" Tsumugi asked dreadfully.

"Why use your own gloves, though?" Korekiyo inquired. "The warehouse should have had plenty—"

"There weren't any," Kokichi cut him off. "Obviously, she would've used them if they were available. Geez, Monokuma provided everything but the gloves. That's pretty sadistic."

"..."

"So...it's decided," Maki spoke.

"This case was decided the moment someone—who shall not be named!—opened their big mouth," Monotaro butted in.

"W-We don't know that..." Monosuke stuttered in return. "Maybe the real culprit is someone nobody expects..."

"THAT-IS-RIGHT. NO-NEED-TO-WORRY."

"Oh Monodam, you're like a mommy taking care of her sick child," Monophanie said.

"Alright, let's go! The heart-racing excitement as the blackened and the spotless finally face off..."

"It's...VOTING TIME!!!"

"Who'll be chosen as the blackened!? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one!?"
***

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So, Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid, really did kill Ryoma, you summarized in your head. She has a pretty good reason to kill, though. Prime Minister of Japan? Geez... Our choice might have killed everyone left... And Ryoma's motive video revealed...nothing... It was just...blank. You mentally sighed for a moment. ...Kirumi called Kokichi 'the most detestable cretin' she had ever met, and then proceeded to call me a blind brat...

You were brought out of your thoughts and back into reality to hear Kirumi speaking. "That's right... I must survive... Because...I carry the weight of an entire nation on my shoulders. This request will not be fulfilled until I have brought joy to every citizen of this nation..." She started yelling. "So no matter what, I cannot die! That's why I killed Ryoma! Even now, I refuse to give up!"

"You still refuse to give up. So...what do you intend to do?" Angie questioned.

"I intend to live... I must survive...no matter what it takes... If I must debase myself, so be it! I would drink filth and eat carrion to survive! I will do anything—ANYTHING!—to survive!"

You felt a pair of hands connect with your body, sharply pushing you down and out of the way; luckily, it felt that someone else had caught you. Then the sound of rushing footsteps could be heard. You anxiously lulled the scarf you had gotten used to from your eyes to see the scene, deciding to face it.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" The normally calm and collected maid was now screaming at the top of her lungs. The determination, desperation, rage, and...despair, all mixed together to saturate her tone. It was disgusting...undignified... "I have to escape! I won't die here!"

"Puhuhuhuhuhu! There's no way I'm letting you outta here!" Monokuma laughed from his seat evilly.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

"R-Run..." Shuichi stuttered. "Run! Run, Kirumi!!!"

"Please ruuuun!!!"

"Run! Please hurry!"

"Hurry! Run!"

"R-Run...! Try to escape while you can...!" But it's pointless either way...

"Like I said...I'm not letting you leave," Monokuma reiterated, slightly agitated.

"Please! Ruuuuuuun!!!"

"I will live! I refuse to die in a hellhole like this!

"Now then, I've prepared a special punishment for Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid!"

"For my nation! For my people!"

"Let's give it everything we've got! It's...PUNISHMENT TIME!!!"

"I WILL NOT DIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!!!!"

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

~~~

Longest chapter I've ever wrote, coming in at 6760 words!

...

This was a f*cking pain in the a** to write, I deserve a f*cking break...but of course I'm not going to take one. It is Thursday as of the time I'm writing this, almost a quarter after midnight. (Have I mentioned that I hate writing investigation and trial chapters?)

There are probably a lot of typos so if it's really disastrous then just tell me and I can fix it. Sorry my writing kinda got worse nearing the end. . . Anyways. I should probably start working ahead more, like I used to. I still try to work ahead but with these investigations and trials, I don't have much time between publication, canon events, and just my motivation to write. Trust me, I am going to finish this story, I swear it on my life—it's just my attention, my interest in the event going on in the story, and...my sleep schedule. I've been staying up hella late so I think my sleeping schedule has been messed up a bit. Imagine cataplexy and narcolepsy...except I willfully let myself flop down right where I'm at and take a five minute to ten minute nap. :/

(PS: You know how I had an extra chapter for Kokichi's birthday? Yeah, well...would you all be interested in possibly seeing any more of those? I'm just wondering if they're a nice surprise of if they're unneeded. Don't get your hopes up too much if they are high 'cause the probability is most likely less than 50%, but just in case, I wanna know.)

(And as of the time I write this, a little bird told me I had 29k!! Ahh, thank you all so much! i lOve yALL b*tChEs.)