(3rd Person's POV)

"Alright... I should start by checking out the Monokuma File." Sora muttered to herself as she took it out and read it.

---

Victim: Unknown Due to The Explosion

Cause Of Death: Stabbed a single time with a knife, which went completely through the body

Other Notes: They had also been struck with an object as thick as a metal pipe; The body was covered with other wounds, but these were at least several days old.

---

"Of course..." Sora sighed. So even the Monokuma File didn't confirm who the victim was. But the body...could it really be Kyoko's...? Or...

Sora let out another sigh. She has no choice... She has to investigate and find out the truth herself, just like all those other times. No matter what, she has to find out what happened, or she's dead...!

Truth Bullet: Monokuma File #5

"Welp...looks like I have to go to the scene of the crime. I have to go to the garden..."

---

The garden...

Sora looked around, seeing the other students doing their own individual investigations before focusing. Alright, let's get started. Just gotta check anywhere that may be important, no matter what. Just gotta do what I've always done... 

Her eyes then darted to the floor as she walked up to the body. Maybe if she checks it more thoroughly, she'll be able to find out whether or not it's Kyoko...

"Hmm..." Sora mused as she took a look at the body's hand. "These fingernails are really weird... Oh, these are fake nails. They're super long, too. I never really got the point of these... They look like they get in the way of doin' normal activities..." 

Truth Bullet: Fake Nails

"There's also somethin' on the back of her right hand..." Sora said to herself. "I-Is that some sorta tattoo?" It got really burned up, so I can't really make out the entire thing, but it looks like some sorta dog. What the heck's that supposed to mean...?

Truth Bullet: Tattoo On The Right Hand

Sora then looked at the upper body, which was mostly burned.

It got blackened due to the massive explosion. The same one that send her and Genocide Jill flying.

The top half of the body is wet...that's probably because the others used water to put out the fire. Nothin' strange about that...right?

Truth Bullet: Exploded Body Analysis

Sora stood up and walked a fair distance away from the body, where she saw a knife a few meters away from the body.

This knife...is it...? Sora wondered. This must be the knife that was used to murder the victim. The explosion must've thrown it over here. The Monokuma File said the knife went all the way through the body, from front to back. Does that mean this knife is what caused the fatal injury...?

Well, either way...this knife...it's...

Sora closed her eyes. This...this is the knife that her attacker was holding the other day. 

This is getting super weird... Whoever this person was, they used the knife I had to try to attack me. And that same knife was stuck in this person's chest when we first found the body. I also don't really remember what happened after I saw the masked person. Maybe...d-did I...?

"..."

And if this person is really Kiri, then...she attacked me. But...why the mask...? 

"...It's no use." Sora sighed. "I don't understand this at all..."

Truth Bullet: Knife At The Crime Scene

---

Sora walked over to Byakuya. After all, he's the most person who's likely to have made an important discovery.

"Good timing, Shirayuki." Byakuya folded his arms as he looked at her. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About what...?" Sora inquired.

"I'd like to hear your alibi." Byakuya said.

Sora blinked twice. "...What? Alibi...?"

"Correct." Byakuya nodded. "I'd love to hear where you were after nighttime began last night."

"I was feelin' a bit under the weather, so I stayed in my room." Sora explained. "But why are you askin' me that right now?"

"Isn't it obvious? This murder took place after nighttime." Byakuya told her.

"You seem pretty confident in that. What makes you so sure?" Sora asked.

"Because just after nighttime began, I came to the garden." Byakuya began. "I was going around looking for everyone, so I could tell them about Monokuma. Hiro's been spending most of his time in the garden the last few days, so I figured he'd be here. And I can confirm that when I arrived last night, there was no body here. So the murder could only have taken place at some point during nighttime, after I left the garden!" He deducted. "However...Fukawa, Naegi, Hiro, Hina, and I were in the gym together the entire night last night."

"..." Sora stayed silent, waiting for Byakuya to finish.

"Once I found Hiro in the garden, we immediately went to Fukawa, Naegi's and Hina's rooms to get them." Byakuya continued. " At that point, we all went to the gym and began dismantling Monokuma. As a precaution, we made sure not to go anywhere alone. We even went to the bathroom in pairs. In other words, all four of us have air-tight alibis. The only ones who don't have alibis..."

"...Are me and Kiri..." Sora finished.

"And if the victim really is Kirigiri..."

"Then I'm the only one without an alibi..."

"Also, when we went to go get Hina, Naegi, and Fukuwa, we stopped by your room, as well. But you never came to the door. So...where, precisely, were you?" Byakuya narrowed his eyes in a suspicious manner.

"I told you already, I was fast asleep in my room." Sora insisted. "But I had a fever, so..."

Byakuya gave her an unconvinced look. "That's hardly an alibi." 

"Yeah..." Sora sighed.

"So? What now? You seem to be at quite the disadvantage here..." Byakuya chuckled.

Dammit, he's right. Sora thought. I'm the only one here who wasn't in the gym when the murder happened. This is bad...

Truth Bullet: Byakuya's Account

Sighing, Sora walked off from Byakuya and looked at the tool shed. 

I should look in there, just to be sure...

---

Once she took a step into the tool shed, Sora coughed. "Jeez, it's so dusty in here..."

As she waved her hand to get rid of the dirty air aiming at her esophagus, she looked down to see a dirty tarp. 

W-Was this here before...?

Sora leaned her upper body to get a closer look at the tarp. 

The top is wet, and covered with mud and grime. But the underside... It's totally clean, and completely dry. One side of that tarp is wet and dirty... I dunno why, but this doesn't feel right...

Truth Bullet: Tarp

---

Sora let out another sigh as she shut the door of the tool shed. As she walked back to where the body was, she intensely stared at it.

I-Is that body really Kiri...? If it is, then...was she also the one who attacked me the other day? Maybe...if I get into her room, then I can find out whether or not this is her or not. But...the key to her room...

---

"I will simply...limit your options. I can't allow you to engage in any further suspicious activity."

"Limit my options...?"

"Give me the key to your room.

---

Sora looked at Byakuya, who was still investigating. She doesn't really have a choice...

"Hey, Togamoney." Sora approached him.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "I thought I told you not to call me that." 

"And I thought I told you that I totally was gonna keep callin' ya that." Sora lightly smirked. "Anywho, I need you for somethin'. You have Kiri's room key, right? I, uh...kinda need it for somethin'."

Byakuya shook his head. "...I'm afraid I can't take that risk. You're the prime suspect, after all." He then turned his head to face her. "Of course, if I were to go with you, that would be a different story."

"Then...will ya?"

"Sorry, I have my own agenda to take care of. Find me again later and we'll see. Depending on my mood, I may go with you. Or I may not."

Sora could only watch as Byakuya took off from the garden. She let out another sigh.

Well...that went as well as I expected. I guess I could branch out from here and look for more clues in the meantime. Maybe...I should check out that place...

Sora then turned around on her heel and leave the garden as well.

Chapter 38: End

To be continued...?