Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I feel like I'm floating in a meaningless void… I feel like I'm unconscious... What's going on here?

A second later, I realized I was sleeping with my head resting on something hard.

"What's going on here?" I raised my head and looked around. There were people waking up with me.

"Where am I?"

"What's going on?"

YAWN

"Where is this?"

A variety of voices filled the room as people stirred awake.

As everyone slowly roused, I surveyed my surroundings. It appeared to be a classroom, a seemingly normal one, yet utterly unfamiliar. This wasn't my high school; this wasn't even my desk. What exactly was happening?

"Who are you?" one of them asked, standing up.

"Who are you? Who brought me here?!" another person with a hat demanded angrily, pointing a finger at him.

"First of all, everyone calm down. I'm sure there's a reason we're gathered here..." The one with glasses and white hair attempted to soothe the agitated crowd. It seemed he was successful.

"First of all," the same person inquired, "does anyone remember what happened before they woke up here?"

"We've been kidnapped!" While everyone was lost in thought, a woman among them, with long purple hair, suddenly spoke up.

"We've been kidnapped? Do you hear what you're saying, woman?!" The tough-looking guy retorted harshly.

"Yeah! The last thing I remember was being forced into a car. If it happened to me, it must have happened to you too." The purple-haired woman replied. What kind of logic is this?

Although everyone pondered for a while, in the end, they all agreed with the purple-haired woman, including me. Sooner or later, we all remembered that we had been kidnapped and brought here.

"So, who kidnapped us?" the white-haired girl asked.

"I don't know, but it must be someone filled with a death wish!" the purple-haired girl replied, her intense gaze seemingly frightening the white-haired girl.

"I think I know why..." the strange-looking girl spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. We all immediately turned our attention to her.

“A group of teenagers woke up trapped in a room… THIS IS A KILLING GAMEEEEEEEEEEEEE KYOHOHOHOHOOHHO!” The strange-looking girl let out a piercing laugh after finishing her speech.

"I wish you could see my sprite right now, kyohohohoho," she then continued, talking to herself. No one paid attention to what she said.

"Hey, is there anyone else who is an Ultimate?" Suddenly, the person dressed in white asked that question, filling us with a chilling sense of dread.

Ultimate? Is there anyone else here who is an Ultimate besides me? Wait a second, am I an Ultimate?

"I'm an Ultimate! So what?" the person with the strange headwear spoke up.

"Me too!" someone else added.

"Me too!" someone else added too.

“Me four! Kyohohohohoohoh” At the end, the strange-looking girl spoke, but once again, no one cared.

"This is nonsense! I'm leaving!" The tough-looking guy strode to the door and attempted to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

"HEY, THE DOOR IS LOCKED!" he exclaimed.

"I TOLD YOU! WE ARE LOCKED IN HERE AND WE CAN'T GET OUT WITHOUT KILLING EACH OTHER!!" This time, even though we tried to ignore what she said, her words had burrowed deep into our minds.

DING

DONG

BING

BONG

A bell sound, one we had all heard for the first time, rang out. Immediately after, text appeared on the classroom's technological board.

“Its time to get your know new classmates. Let’s all introduce ourselves!”

"Introduce ourselves? Who would want to know someone who accidentally entered the womb when they wanted to be drained into a napkin like me?" The shortest among us uttered some truly bizarre things.

"Anyway, let's do what our kidnappers say for now..." the one in white stated.

"OR WE WILL BE EXECUTED FOR BREAKING THE RULES!" the strange-looking girl shouted.

Meeting others? Well, it wouldn't hurt to try... at least with some of them. That's why I decided to approach the strange-looking girl first.

"Hey, hello?" I asked shyly, approaching her.

"Hiiiiiiii! Im Darumi Amemiya, Ultimate Gamer! Nice to meet ya!" she replied cheerfully. She was too cheerful for someone in our situation.

"Ultimate Gamer...?" I was surprised when she said that, and looked at her appearance a little more closely.

"What happened, do you like me? Did I catch your eye first? Maybe you'll poison my food and strangle me after you've had your way with me? Or will you finish me off while you're inside me?!" she continued her nonsense.

"Ew, no!" I imagined what she said, and disgust set in. "I'm not that kind of person! Besides, what makes you think we're going to kill each other?" I asked her.

"Because it always happens! We're all gathered here to kill each other, just like in the killing games, kyohoho!"

"But this is not a game..."

"It doesn't matter! In a minute, the funny-looking mascot will appear and tell us that we're all in a killing game!" After she finished, she continued to laugh strangely to herself as I slowly walked away from her.

Okay, this isn't a normal girl at all. I need to talk to someone reasonable. What about this person...

"Hello," I said, and he responded without hesitation.

" I am Eito Aotsuki, Ultimate Politician."

"Politician?! Did they kidnap someone like you?" I asked, a note of genuine concern in my voice.

"Oh no no," Eito replied with a calm, almost serene smile, "even if I am the Ultimate Politician, I'm not a politician yet. I was given this title after graduating from law school with a record score. They expect me to be the next prime minister and so on."

"You don't seem to want this very much," I observed, sensing a subtle disconnect between his words and his demeanor.

"Do I seem like that to you?" He paused, his smile widening slightly. "On the contrary, my biggest dream is to rule the country, even the world! I have my reasons, of course." He punctuated the last sentence with a strange, almost conspiratorial wink.

"...okay, see you later then..." I mumbled, feeling a little awkward as I walked away from him and moved on to the next person.

The person I approached suddenly started screaming.

"AAAHHHH! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" The person I approached suddenly shrieked, their voice sharp with terror.

"Huh?" I replied meaninglessly.

"You heard what I said! Stay away from me!"

"But why? I wouldn't hurt you."

"How do I know? How can I trust someone I don't know?!"

"Right, then, let's meet properly!" After saying this, the person in front of me introduced himself, his initial apprehension slowly melting away.

"Gaku Maruko, Ultimate Child Caregiver"

"Child caregiver? It sounds like you're more of a child scarer," I quipped, a wry smile touching my lips.

"I told you so!" he shrieked, his voice rising in panic. "Take that weird smile of yours and get away from me! I don't want to talk to any of you!"

"Okay, okay, my fault, see you later!" I mumbled, quickly retreating. He offered no response, so I just walked away. Since when had I started making fun of people like this?

As I approached the next person, she immediately gave me a stern, disapproving look the moment her eyes landed on me. It was painfully obvious she already despised me.

"Hello...?" I tried to communicate, my voice trailing off uncertainly, but she remained utterly unresponsive.

"Hello? Again?" I asked, my voice holding a hint of persistence. This time, she sighed, a sound heavy with exasperation.

“Hiruko Shizuhara, Ultimate Soldier!”

"You got what you wanted, now go away!" she snapped, her stern gaze fixing on me until I turned and walked away. It was clear that attempting conversation with this woman was an exercise in futility.

I would like to say I went for the next person, but I approached two people instead; they were wearing identical clothes.

"Hello," I greeted as always.

"Hello sir, what did you want?" the male(?) inquired, his voice even and polite.

“I just wanted to meet you,” I replied, my voice a touch softer now.

"Me? Oh no, I simply can't introduce myself when I have my utterly charming, intelligent, adorable, talented, unparalleled twin sister dearest right here!" The boy declared, beaming at his sister.

"H-hi, I'm Kako Tsukumo, Ultimate Detective."

"Ultimate Detective?" I mused to myself for a moment after Kako uttered the words. Oddly enough, the description ‘Ultimate Detective’ sounded a bit too familiar to my ears, stirring a faint, unsettling echo within me. While lost in thought, my gaze lingered on Kako for an extended moment, my mind completely elsewhere.

"HEY! STOP LOOKING AT MY SISTER! Are you asking for trouble?" the male snapped, his voice sharp with accusation.

"No no—" Before I could even begin to explain myself, the male abruptly interrupted.

"I don't care what the fuck you are! Stay away from my sister!" the male sibling snarled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. Overwhelmed by the sudden, aggressive shift in tension, I instinctively recoiled, my hands coming up as if in a futile attempt at defense. Beside me, Kako's usual radiant enthusiasm noticeably dimmed, a shadow falling across her features.

"Please don't protect me so much, Brother Dearest," Kako said, her voice laced with a subtle hint of exasperation.

"But protecting you is my biggest duty as your big brother, Sister Dearest!" the older brother declared, his voice firm with conviction.

"Dearest?" I repeated, my gaze fixed on him blankly.

"It's none of your business! Just stay away from my sister!" the older brother snapped, his patience clearly at an end.

SIGH "Okay, okay. What's your name?" I asked, cutting off his outburst.

“Ima Tsukumo, Ultimate Gigolo”

"...huh?" I stared at him in surprise.

"What happened, you didn't like it?" Ima snapped, her voice sharp with impatience.

"But... aren't you a little young for that?" I asked, still surprised.

"Sister dearest and I lost our parents at a very young age and ended up living on the streets..." He cast a brief look at Kako, then his gaze snapped back to us. "I would do anything for Sister dearest… ANYTHING!" His voice suddenly boomed.

He let out a heavy sigh, his gaze hardening as he continued, "That includes sleeping in someone's bed. The world is a dirty place, and I will protect Sister dearest!" A profound, stunned silence fell in me. I left the siblings and made my way to the next person.

The next thing that caught my eye was a... tomato?

"What are you looking at?" The tomato's speech, jolted me.

"What are you...?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. I knew the person in front of me was a human being, but the peculiar, vibrant tomato perched on her head was undeniably more captivating, almost mesmerizing in its absurdity.

"ugh... Ultimate Affluent Progeny!"

"What the hell does this mean...?"

"I am rich."

"Is that all?" I asked, a hint of genuine confusion in my voice.

"Of course not, you peasant! How dare you speak like that about someone like me, Kurara Oosuzuki, from the great Oosuzuki family?!" The moment she finished her speech, my eyes widened in recognition. A member of the Oosuzuki family was standing right in front of me.

"I am sorry-"

"Just apologizing isn't enough!" Kurara declared, her voice dripping with self-importance. "You have to circle around me three times, then get down on your knees and bark your apologies!"

"I-I"

"Come on, you peasant!" While Kurara was still listing her outrageous demands, I suddenly moved away from her, putting considerable distance between us. After I had clearly distanced myself, she let out an exasperated sigh and simply continued to stare straight ahead.

Next in line stood a girl who exuded an effortless blend of coolness and beauty. Her aura was captivating. Dressed in a flowing kimono, she truly resembled a warrior from an ancient era.

"Hi—" I began, but she abruptly interjected, cutting me off mid-sentence.

"What do you want, sir?" the cool-looking girl asked, her voice calm and direct.

Sir?

"I just want to meet—" I began, but she cut me off again.

"I know. You want to join me on my journey to become the greatest swordswoman on the planet. You want to be part of the thirteenth team on our journey to the spirit world," she rattled off. Then she stopped abruptly and began to recalculate, as if she had mixed something up. "You didn't go to the Spirit World to become a swordswoman—" she muttered to herself, completely lost in her own thoughts. I just stared at her, utterly bewildered.

"What do you mean?" I began, my confusion palpable.

"Holy Jumonji Sword! Where do we need to go?" she suddenly exclaimed, addressing her sword as if it were a sentient being.
"Are you all right?" I asked, my voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She reverted to her cool, composed self. "Are you the one who's fine?" she asked, with a hint of challenge in her voice.

"I'm trying to be," I replied.

“Don't worry! You'll be better off when my Holy Jumonji Sword and I cleanse the world of evil!" “Kyoshika Magadori, the Ultimate Swordswoman, at your service, sir!"

"I see..."

"Is there anything else you want, sir?" Kyoshika asked.

"Do you know how we got here, Kyoshika?" I asked hopefully.

After sighing proudly, she began to speak. “Kurotsuki must have kidnapped us!”

When she started saying things I couldn't understand, I slowly walked away. She continued talking to herself, completely oblivious to my departure.

The next person I wanted to meet was a tall and muscular girl...or was it? After I had been looking at her for a while, she brought her hands to her face as if she were embarrassed, then started talking to me.

"Don't look at me like that; you're embarrassing me. I haven't even put on my makeup yet." She waved her hand in front of her face toward me.

"Hello?" I ventured, with a hint of uncertainty in my voice.

"Hello, sir. What did you want from me?" she asked.

"Just to meet, as the board says." I replied, gesturing vaguely toward the sign I couldn't see.

“How?!” She put her hands over her face in an exaggerated display of surprise. “Don't you already know Ultimate Wrestler Moko Mojiro, Apocalyptic Maiden of Destruction?!”

It was the first time I had ever heard of her. Of course, I didn't say that out loud.

“I'm not much into wrestling...”

"What if I told you about the time I survived a 10-way explosive death match? Or when I betrayed both sides at once during my run as a heel? The 120,000 people in the arena were stunned!" Moko recounted her memories excitedly, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of it all.

"Maybe later," I said, raising my hand as if to signal that I was leaving.

"Suit yourself, honey. See you later!" *MUCK*" She kissed me goodbye and then I left her to go to the next person.

I was about to get to the next person, he suddenly raised his hands, as if to say, "Don't come any closer."

“Don't come near me! You don't want to be near a stinking sewer rat like me.” I didn't understand what he was saying.

"I don't think so," I replied, furrowing my brow in confusion.

"Everyone says so. But then they run away when they spend three seconds next to someone like me, who wouldn't stop if snot was stuck to him." SIGH "You don't have to be nice. Leo's good enough for me."

"Leo? Who's Leo?" I asked, still trying to make sense of his self-deprecating words, my gaze lingering on him.

"Leo is my dog and the only thing that matters in my life."

"But you're an Ultimate, right?" I asked.

“I wouldn't be without Leo” *SIGH*

"Shouma Ginzaki, Ultimate Breeder”

"But it's all my fault that Leo is alone because of someone like me, whom not even a tick would bite!" Shouma continued insulting himself for some time. I left him mid-tirade and turned to the next person in line.

The next person was a tall, scary-looking man.

"Hi" I began, stepping forward.

“Yo!” he replied, his voice thicker than I expected.

"Nice to meet you!" I'm—"

“Takemaru Yakushiji, Ultimate Delinquent!”

"Delinquent?!" I took a step back in fear after hearing his name. It took me a moment to grasp the meaning of the word.

“What's the matter, man? You're not well?” he asked me gently, his gruff exterior softening with concern.

"I'm fine, but..." I've heard of you before! Aren't you the guy who took down the Chikara gang single-handedly?" I asked, worried

"My fame has reached you! Good!" he replied cheerfully, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"You know, I couldn't forgive that gang for stealing money from women and children. Even though I'm a delinquent, I don't like hurting women, children, and the elderly," he said, scratching his head. I certainly didn't expect a delinquent to be like that.

"Got it. I'll see you later, then." Just as I was about to leave, he grabbed my arm and I was filled with panic.

"What's with the toothpick arms, man? You need to work harder!" he exclaimed

"I'll work..." I said, pulling my arm back from him. "See you later!" I walked away abruptly, his power truly seemed to have no limits.

I approached the next person in line. A girl with her hat on backwards was standing in front of me.

I greeted with a "Hi," but got a reaction I didn't expect.

HURK she gagged, clutching her stomach.

“Are you okay?” I asked with concern.

"I'm fine. Don't worry," she replied, her breathing returning to normal.

"Are you really okay? You look sick to me,” I said. I pressed, still unconvinced.

"I'm fine. Don't worry. It's been happening since I was little. When I get excited or worried, my stomach ties itself in knots- *HURK*"

“I understand...” No, I don't understand at all.

When I looked at her clothes, I noticed that she dressed differently from the other girls. She was the only girl who didn't wear a skirt.

"Curious? Normal. My friends always look at me like there's something wrong with me. But I can't wear a skirt to work at my grandpa's garage," she said, shrugging.

"Garage?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“Tsubasa Kawana, Ultimate Mechanic”

"Mechanic? You like machines, huh?" I asked Tsubasa, immediately regretting it.

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, machines are incredible! The precise dance of gears, the powerful hum of engines, the intricate hydraulics — it's all beautifully engineered. I love taking them apart, understanding every component, and putting them back together again. Bringing a broken machine back to life is immensely satisfying. HURL”

“I understand...” No, I don't understand at all.

I turned to the next person.

“Hello”

“Hi”

“What's your name?”

“Nozomi Kirifuji” She smiled and answered me.

"Something's strange. Why is this conversation going so normally?" I said aloud, my voice carrying a hint of unease.

"What do you mean?" Nozomi asked, her smile faltering slightly.

"No offense, but everyone I've talked to so far has been a bit weird. It must be the effects of their Ultimate. You seem like a normal person," I said, feeling relieved.

"I don't know what you mean by 'normal,' but maybe it's because I don't have an 'Ultimate' title," Nozomi said with a smile.

"How so?" I asked, furrowing my brow in confusion.

"That's because I'm a reserve course student, unlike you Ultimates."

"Reserve course?" I echoed, the phrase feeling foreign on my tongue. “What's that?”

"I don't know either, but that's what my friends, family, and teachers have called me so far, so I'm sticking with it," she said with a light smile.

"I got it! Stay normal, Nozomi. We need people like you." I said this to her before leaving.

I didn't want to go near the next person. With the eye patch, he looked creepy.

"Are you scared?" he rasped, his voice a chilling whisper that seemed to slither through the air. Despite the prickle of fear that ran down my spine, I forced myself to approach him.

“...yeah,” I admitted, my voice barely a whisper.

"It's true that I'm feared because of our family business," he said with a strange grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Family business?" I repeated, a new wave of unease washing over me.

He uttered the words, "Assassination!" I felt a chilling fear.

"Ultimate Assassin, Yugamu Omokage, at your disposal, for a nominal fee, of course," he stated, his unsettling grin widening.

I wanted to scream. "ASSASSIN!?" I wanted to scream. But I screamed inwardly. I was terrified. I was terrified of what he might do to me.

"But fret not, for I find little joy in my family's grim trade. To extinguish a life without purpose? Unthinkable for me. The soul I usher forth must carry profound meaning—perhaps even born of love," he purred, his velvet-smooth voice caressing the words as he wrapped his arms around himself in a disturbingly tender embrace.

He hugged himself with an unsettling look of pleasure on his face. I swallowed hard and quickly walked away.

"Hello there," I said as I approached the next person

"Hey!" he answered cheerfully.

"How are you?" I asked, meeting his cheerful gaze.

“To tell you the truth, I'm nervous, YAWN and a little sleepy,” he admitted, rubbing his eyes.

“Being sleepy in a situation like this?” I asked, a hint of disbelief in my voice.

"There's no situation in which I can't be sleepy," he replied with a shrug.

"Strange..." I said to myself. At that moment, he introduced himself.

“Takumi Sumino, Ultimate Lucky Student”

"Lucky Student?" I mumbled. The title felt a little odd rolling off my tongue.

"Yeah, I got this title because I was lucky. It used to be awarded by lottery, but when it was my turn, the lottery machine broke down and burned all the papers except the one with my name on it. Then, as if that weren't enough, a person drew the lot by hand, and my name came up. So, I'm pretty lucky," Takumi explained with a slow, sleepy smile as he recounted how he got his title.

"I don't think the kidnapping was lucky, but..." I trailed off, the irony not lost on me.

"Who knows? Anything is possible." He yawned again and asked, "What's your title?"

"My title?" The question felt odd, sending a prickle of unease through me. No one I'd spoken to so far had bothered to ask it. I'd been racking my brain about it for a while now. "I don't remember."

"You don't remember your title? Do you remember your name?” Takumi asked, his sleepy gaze fixed on me.

“Yes, my name is Shuichi Saihara”

“Alright then, see you Shuichi. I hope you remember your title,” he said, yawning as he waved goodbye.

"I've met everyone, now what?" As I was asking myself this, the writing on the board changed.

DING

DONG

BING

BONG

“Now say hello to your Commanding Officer!”

In an unexpected moment, an object took flight from the teacher's desk, landing with perfect precision back on its original position.

“I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU ALL! HERE IS THAT EVIL MASCOT! IT'S A KILLING GAME KYOHOHOHOHOHO” Darumi laughed, screaming with joy. We were all too surprised to pay attention to her

"Good guess, Amemiya, but I have a name, you know? You can call me Sirei, or Sir for short,” the egg-like object wearing a hat chirped. Its voice was surprisingly clear and commanding.

"What do you mean, you robo-bastard?" Takemaru snapped, clenching his fist.

"Robo-bastard?" Rude! Anyway, thank you all for being here!" Sirei said in a voice that maintained its chipper yet authoritative tone.

"You kidnapped us! How could we be anywhere else?!' Gaku shouted in fear.

"Please, let's not get hung up on small details. You are all here for the sake of humanity!" Sirei said.

"The sake of humanity?" Nozomi asked in a worried voice.

"That's right, Kirifuji!" After confirming with Nozomi, Sirei looked at all of us briefly before adopting a more serious demeanor.

“You, soldiers of the V4 battalion, must kill each other for humanity!”

Chapter Text

“ You, soldiers of the V4 battalion, must kill each other for humanity!”

“We must kill each other for humanity?!” I asked in an agitated voice.

"That's right, Saihara! You are the hope of humanity! If humanity is to move forward, you must join this killing game and kill each other!" Sirei said proudly.

We all froze, struggling to understand Sirei's words. They made no sense. To be the hope of humanity? Join this killing game and kill each other to take humanity one step further? Why? How?

As I silently wrestled with these questions, I looked around. Almost everyone had the same bewildered expression on their face—except for one person.

“KYOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!” Darumi was laughing hysterically, the sound mixed with triumphant screams. No one even questioned why; everyone already knew.

"HEY! Is this a prank on camera? Somebody check the date; it might be April Fools!” Takumi, who had been sleepy just moments ago, spoke as if he had gotten all the rest in the world.

"No, Sumino, this isn't a joke or fiction. This is reality!" Sirei replied in a cold voice.

With that answer to Takumi, I felt something very cold slither down my spine. Are we really going to kill each other?

I looked left and right as I was thinking to myself. As soon as I looked to my right, I saw something that made my blood run cold!

"HAHA!" BANG "HAHA!" BANG "HAHA!" BANG "HAHA!" BANG!

Darumi banged her head against the wall, her laughter echoing chillingly with each impact.

"Somebody stop this crazy bitch! She's going to kill herself!" Kurara was the first to react. As soon as the words left Kurara's mouth, Moko and Kyoshika sprang into action. Moko grabbed one of Darumi's arms, Kyoshika the other, and together they pulled Darumi away from the wall.

"You mustn't look at this, Sister Dearest," Ima said. He covered Kako's eyes with his hand.

"Let go of me!" Darumi shrieked, her face smeared with blood.

"No, we can't allow it, Lady Darumi!" Kyoshika tried to explain.

"You're crazier than my opponent from the match where I won my third belt!" Moko added, joining Kyoshika in restraining her.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" Darumi bit Kyoshika's arm. Kyoshika released her grip with an involuntary yelp, and Darumi's arm fell into the empty space. Yugamu instantly filled that space. He suddenly lunged out of nowhere, delivering a single, precise blow to Darumi's neck and knocking her unconscious.

"You killed her! You killed Lady Darumi!" Kyoshika shouted, forgetting the pain in her arm. Her voice was laced with accusation as she glared at Yugamu.

"Hey, hey, calm down. Nobody's dead yet. I just knocked her out," said Yugamu, emphasizing the word "yet."

"What should we do now?" Nozomi asked, her voice filled with unease.

"Sirei, what exactly is this killing game you're talking about? There must be rules and limits!" Eito asked, turning to Sirei. Despite the chaos, his voice was firm.

"I'm glad you asked, Aotsuki." After answering Eito, he suddenly disappeared.

“Where did that robo-bastard go?” Takemaru had just finished asking when Sirei drove a grocery cart through the classroom door. Inside the cart were objects that looked like tablets.

"Wait a minute! How did you get there so suddenly? Did you teleport?" Gaku asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Don't sweat the small stuff, Maruko. I'm your commanding officer. I can do whatever I want!" Sirei replied calmly but seriously.

"Now, everyone, take one of these SirPads! They will answer some of your questions. If you have any questions, you can ask me," Sirei said. Sirei said. After he finished, we each went and got our "SirPads."

"What the hell is a SirPad?" Kurara asked as soon as she picked it up and examined it for a moment.

"I found the name. If you have a complaint, you can address it to the relevant authority," Sirei replied sarcastically. Then he chuckled. Ignoring him, I opened my SirPad and found the rules tab.

Rule #1: Students must live at the Last Defense Academy for the remainder of their foreseeable future.

Rule #2: Once a murder takes place, all surviving students must participate in a class trial.

Rule #3: If the blackened is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed.

Rule #4: If the blackened is not exposed, all remaining students will be executed.

Rule #5: If the blackened survives the class trial, they will graduate and re-enter the outside world.

Rule #6: The killing game and class trials will continue until only two surviving students remain.

Rule #7: "Nighttime" is from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Rule #8: Violence toward Sirei, the Commanding Officer of the Last Defense Academy, is strictly prohibited.

Rule #9: Sirei will never directly commit a murder.

Rule #10: Your SirPads are very important items. Please do not damage them.

Rule #11: The "Body Discovery Announcement" will play when three or more students discover a body.

Rule #12: With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore the inside of Last Defense Academy at your discretion. Exiting the school building is strictly prohibited.

Rule #13: Students who violate these rules will be immediately exterminated by detonating bombs planted inside them

Rule #14: Further, there may be new additions to the school rules according to the convenience of the commanding officer.

After reading the rules, I felt an even stronger chill.

"BOMB!? DID YOU PLANT A BOMB INSIDE US?!" Gaku shouted.

“Of course Maruko, how else can I convince you to play the killing game?” Sirei replied with a terrible smile.

"So this is how you force us, huh? Despicable!” Hiruko said with a smirk.

"If you had seen the other one, you would thank me! See you later, V4 Battalion!" Sirei said. With that, he left, leaving us all in a state of disbelief.

"You might not want to listen to a desert rat like me, whose mouth stinks of mud, but what should we do now?" Shouma finally asked, breaking his silence.

"Now that the classroom door is open, I think we should investigate the academy," Eito suggested

"It's not a bad idea. Maybe we can find a way out," said Kurara.

"Are you sure there's an exit, Lady Kurara?" Kyoshika asked.

"Are you dumber than your sword? If there wasn't a way out, we wouldn't be able to get in here!" Kurara snapped at Kyoshika.

"Please don't be so rude, Lady Kurara. Of course, Holy Jumonji Sword is not smarter than me..." She paused for a moment and looked at her sword. "Is it?"

"Anyway, if we're going to investigate the school, we should split into groups. We can research faster in groups of two or three," Eito said. Everyone agreed with him; no one questioned why we shouldn't investigate alone.

"I'm staying here in case Darumi wakes up," said Yugamu.

"I'm here for the same reason," Moko replied, looking at Yugamu.

"If we subtract three, that leaves thirteen of us. Hmmm...” Eito started thinking and calculating the remaining groups.

"All right! I'll tell you the groups." After Eito finished thinking, he turned to us and began counting the groups in his head.

"Takemaru and the twins;

Hiruko, Kyoshika, and Shouma;

me, Takumi, and Gaku;

Kurara and Tsubasa;

Shuichi and Nozomi! Any objections?" Eito explained the groups he had in mind.

"I have an objection! Why aren't there any girls in our group?!" When Gaku shouted, all the girls looked at him with disgust.

“Does anyone have a logical objection? No? All right, let's start looking into it. Before I forget, make sure you return to this classroom when you've finished your research." Eito said, moving to go out the door.

"Twins, don't leave my side, okay?" Takemaru said to Ima and Kako, turning to them as if he were an older brother talking to his younger siblings. That group then left the classroom.

Hiruko left the classroom without waiting for her group. Kyoshika and Shouma followed her out. Then, Kurara and Tsubasa exited. That left only the Darumi guards, Nozomi, and me.

"I guess we're together today, Shuichi," Nozomi said, smiling.

"It seems so." After I answered, one of Darumi's guards spoke to us.

"If you can find it, bring some rope, okay?" Yugamu said with a smile.

"What are you going to do with the rope?" A strap match?” Moko asked skeptically, putting her hands to her face.

"No, no, not at all. Tortu—I mean, tie Darumi to the chair before she wakes up. Otherwise, as soon as she wakes up, she'll try to kill herself again," Yugamu replied with a creepy smile

"...alright, let's go, Nozomi." We left the classroom after Yugamu made a strange request. Now, with everyone else already scattered across the academy to investigate, it was just the two of us.

"So, do you have any idea why Eito put us in the same group, Shuichi?" Nozomi asked.

"I can think of some reasons..." I said, putting my hand on my chin.

"Like what?" Nozomi asked curiously.

"Well, take a look at the group formations. There are three teams of three members each, except for Kurara and Tsubasa's duo and us. Each of those three teams has an 'alpha' and two 'betas'.

You've got Takemaru, a delinquent who's somehow in charge of the twins. Second group includes a soldier like Hiruko, a seemingly delusional person like Kyoshika, and a self-loathing type like Shouma. Then third group, there's a politician like Eito, a sleepy head like Takumi, and a coward like Gaku."

"I understand... but why did he form such groups? Why are there two groups of two? Why didn't he put us all in one group of four?" Nozomi asked, furrowing her brow in curiosity.

"His purpose is to create a hierarchy!" I replied, my voice was cold.

“Hierarchy?”

"Yes! Remember that Eito is a politician. It's easier to form smaller groups, put a leader at the head of each, and manage them that way than to manage a single large group. That's Eito's goal! Even if we can't admit it, remember that this is a killing game, and if anyone in these groups commits a murder, the group leader will be responsible. At least, that's my guess," I explained to Nozomi, laying out my reasoning with finality.

"What about us?" Nozomi asked, her voice tinged with worry. “What about Kurara and Tsubasa? Yugamu, Moko, and Darumi? What about the people in these groups? We don't have a leader, do we?"

"No, we don't. That's why Eito grouped us this way. Those in charge of Darumi had already formed their own group, so Eito didn't bother to get involved. Kurara, Tsubasa, and us..." I cut myself off, then turned to Nozomi. My gaze hardened as I finished my sentence in a serious tone.

"We are the weak link!" When I finished speaking, Nozomi's face crumpled with serious worry.

“...what do you mean we are the weak link?!” Nozomi asked, her voice tight with apprehension.

"You don't have a title, and I don't remember mine. Kurara is just rich. She didn't do anything to earn her title. I don't think there's anywhere here she can spend her money, so technically, she doesn't have a title. The only person I don't understand is Tsubasa. Why is Tsubasa at the bottom of the hierarchy when the V4 battalion has someone like Takumi, who's just lucky, and Gaku, who's a cowardly babysitter?" I asked Nozomi, thinking out loud.

"Takumi and Gaku, both in Eito's group," Nozomi thought aloud. She intended to answer my question.

"Exactly! Remember, one of the most important political tactics is to get the weak on your side!" I replied to Nozomi.

Nozomi stopped talking, likely realizing the direction our conversation was taking. I remained silent, and we continued walking.

We walked for a while longer before reaching the stairs.

"Let's go up as far as the stairs go. The others are already exploring the lower floors. Let's head straight for the top," Nozomi suggested,

"Okay, let's do what you said," I responded,

We expected to reach the top floor, but ended up in the last place we anticipated: the roof. It was strange, considering Sirei had explicitly forbidden us from leaving the building. I guess he doesn't mind us looking outside, though.

"The roof, interesting," Nozomi mused aloud as she took in the panoramic view.

“Why is that?” I asked, even though I already had an idea of her reasoning.

“We can’t go outside the building, but it’s okay to look outside. It's a bit illogical," Nozomi replied, articulating my own thoughts perfectly.

When we stepped onto the roof, we were surprised and confused. Instead of finding a bare expanse, we found several small huts, each with a name emblazoned on its door. My hut was in the first row, right next to Takemaru's. However, Nozomi's was in the back row, positioned right behind Takumi's.

"We're not neighbors," I said, not looking at Nozomi. There was no reaction. “What happened?” I turned to look at Nozomi and saw that she was looking away, her gaze fixed on something in the distance. When I looked in the same direction, I realized why she hadn't answered.

"Ruin! Ruins everywhere!" Nozomi whispered, her voice in stark contrast to the sudden, unsettling sight before us.

Without saying anything, I took a few steps forward, my gaze sweeping over the desolate landscape. "Where are we?" I finally asked, the question sounding hollow in the open air. Just as I reached out to touch the tangled wires stretching across the roof...

"DON'T TOUCH THEM!" Sirei suddenly appeared, his yell making me flinch back.

"Why?" Nozomi asked, her voice laced with confusion. “Why can’t he touch it? Where are we?"

There's an electric current in the cables. If you touch them, you'll get grilled. I'll have to add that to the rules."

School rules updated.

My SirPad sent a notification confirming the change.

"So, where are we? What are we doing in the middle of these ruins?" Nozomi asked, her voice laced with panic.

"I can't answer that question, Kirifuji. Just know that no one will come to your rescue.” After delivering his chilling final words, Sirei left.

Nozomi's shoulders slumped and disappointment and sadness were evident on her face. "Don't despair, Nozomi," I said with a smile, trying to cheer her up. "As long as you don't give in to despair, there's always hope!" Nozomi looked at me with teary eyes. When I saw her face, I had a strange feeling come over me.

"Can I hug you?" Nozomi suddenly asked, stunning me with her question.

"S-s-sure!" I stammered, nodding in a panic. Suddenly, Nozomi enveloped me in a tight hug, and my hands nervously gripped her waist. A single, bewildering question echoed in my mind: Why did she want to hug me?

After being wrapped up with Nozomi for a while, especially after feeling Nozomi's breasts against my own, I realized that the feeling I had inside was not a romantic one. No, no, no, not at all. It was a very different feeling. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but the feeling was somehow familiar, like an echo from a long-lost era.

“Strange, your arms comfort me,” Nozomi interrupted my thought, her voice soft against my shoulder.

"It's odd, but I feel the same way," I confessed to Nozomi, and we continued to embrace.

"Can we stop hugging? Someone might misunderstand," I told her gently. Nozomi stopped and looked at me with puffed-out cheeks.

“Did I do something wrong?” I asked, confused. I really hoped I hadn't.

"Hm!" Nozomi suddenly turned around and headed for the stairs.

...What did I do?

After staring meaninglessly after Nozomi, I decided to follow her. We explored the school some more, and eventually made our way back to the classroom on the first floor. When we got back, everyone was already there.

"Now that the last group has arrived—Shuichi and Nozomi—what have you discovered?" Eito asked.

Before I could answer, I looked to my left, distracted by a sound like air being bitten coming from behind me. Darumi was sitting in a chair, tied up and snapping at the empty air.

"Is this normal?" I asked Eito, but Yugamu answered my question.

"Not at all!" he said with a smile. "But it's something that has to be done."

After Yugamu finished, Darumi started shouting, "Release me! I must join the killing game!"

I looked at Darumi for a moment before turning my focus to Yugamu. "Where did you get the rope?"

“We brought it,” Tsubasa answered my question, a strange-looking bag slung over her arm.

"Where did you get the rope and that bag?" Nozomi asked.

"Eito's group joined us while Kurara and I were investigating the third floor," Tsubasa answered Nozomi's question, smiling and hugging the bag. "On the third floor, there's a room where you'll find a wonderful machine that creates everything. We created the rope and that bag on that machine."

After Tsubasa answered, Nozomi turned to look at me. Even though I wasn't looking at her, I could tell she had a worried expression on her face.

"Besides the rec room on the third floor, the leisure lounge was the only room we could access. The infirmary, war room, and defense room were locked, so we couldn't go in," Eito added, supplementing Tsubasa's explanation. "What did the others find?"

"We explored the first floor with the twins. There's a garage, a metal shop, a gym, a strange room with coffin-like objects, a cafeteria, and a parking lot with a Yamaha 150! I traveled a lot on the roads with that beauty in my day!” Takemaru finished his sentence with a smile, clearly reminiscing.

"Mr. Yakushiji left out the most important details," Ima interjected, finishing Takemaru's report. "There are guns inside the metal shop, but they're airsoft guns, so they're not real. I doubt Sirei will give us real weapons. Also, the entrance is on the first floor, but electric wires are blocking it, so we can't get close!"

"So, our only visible way out is closed. Not good! Thank you for your efforts!" Eito thanked Takemaru's group and then turned to Hiruko's. "And you?"

"There's a room we can't get into on the second floor, as well as a lab full of poisons, a library, a room called the 'training room,' and a courtyard in the middle of the floor," Hiruko answered Eito. "There are two cages in the middle of the courtyard. We still haven't figured out why they're there."

"Cages?" Poisons? Not good. I wonder what Sirei has planned for us." After a theatrical pause for thought, Eito turned to us. Unlike when he spoke to the other groups, he addressed both of us, not a leader who never existed. "And you two, what have you found?"

"Nothing," Nozomi replied. Her voice was remarkably calm.

“What do you mean nothing?”

"We found nothing! No one will come to our rescue!" Nozomi snapped, her voice cracking with despair.

I put my hand on Nozomi's shoulder. "Please calm down." Then, turning to Eito, I continued, "We went up to the roof, and from there, you can see that the school is completely ruined. We are in the middle of nowhere. We are so far away from humanity!"

“In the middle of nowhere? Are you sure?” Eito asked worriedly

"Yes, I don't think anyone lives near us. We're completely far away from humanity," I confirmed, my voice carrying the weight of the stark truth Eito had been fishing for.

Everyone's face fell after hearing my answer, including Eito's—except for one person.

"What better place for us to kill each other! KYOHOHOHO!" Darumi cackled, rocking in her chair.

"There are also huts on the roof—16 of them—each with our names written on it," I continued. This revelation added another layer to our bizarre predicament. "I think we'll be sleeping there."

"I see... Then—" Before Eito could finish his sentence, the announcement began.

DING

DONG

BING

BONG

"This is an official nighttime announcement! Sleep well, V4 Battalion!"

"All right, it's nighttime. Let's go up to the roof that Shuichi and Nozomi mentioned and check out our huts. There's nothing else to do for now." Everyone immediately and inexplicably agreed with Eito, leaving me puzzled.

"What about Darumi?" Yugamu asked.

"We can't leave her here alone. We can't leave her in her room, either," Moko added, supporting Yugamu. While Eito was lost in thought, Darumi's laughter echoed through the space.

"Someone has to keep an eye on Darumi. Does anyone want to volunteer?" Eito asked the crowd.

"Why don't Yugamu and Moko stay as lookouts?" Gaku asked, pointing his finger at them.

"Hey, hey! We've been watching Darumi all day. I need my beauty sleep!” Moko complained.

"Why don't you take Moko's place, Gaku?" I'm fine with watching Darumi, but you could sleep for forty years, and your face wouldn't get any cuter,” Yugamu quipped with a sly smirk.

Gaku fumed, pressing his finger into Yugamu's chest. "YOU THINK I'M GOING TO STAND IN THE SAME PLACE WITH A VILE ASSASSIN LIKE YOU—" By the time he realized what he had said, it was too late. Yugamu's eye(without the eye patch) were fixed on Gaku's face, a terrible smile twisting his lips.

"Woo-hoo! You poked a sleeping monster! You're going to die first!" Darumi said, looking at Gaku's agitated face. Gaku almost wet himself with fear.

"Eito, do something!" Gaku suddenly turned to Eito and asked for his help. Why?

"Okay, okay, everybody, calm down. There's no need to be nervous. I'll take Moko's place and watch Darumi with Yugamu, okay?" Eito said, turning to Yugamu as he finished speaking. The two looked at each other sternly for a while. Then, Yugamu smiled and spoke.

"I'm fine with it, Mr. Politics," Yugamu said, smiling strangely. Darumi smiled as well. What happened here while we were away?

"Shuichi and Nozomi, would you escort the others to the roof?" Eito asked, his gaze still locked with Yugamu's.

"...all right, guys, let's go." Nozomi, sensing the tension, took the initiative to usher us out of the room. It felt unsettling to leave the three of them in the same space overnight, but we were powerless to intervene.

When we climbed to the roof, we were all confronted with the same desolate scene that Nozomi and I had seen earlier. We were surrounded by ruins, and there was no sign of life in any direction.

After some grumbling from the others, we all went into the huts that we thought were ours. Although the day was over for everyone else, it was just beginning for me.

As soon as I stepped into my hut, I began searching it. The walls were painted black. Inside, there was a bed, a table, a chair, and a closet containing an exact copy of the clothes I was wearing. There was also a private bathroom. Monitors embedded in the ceiling displayed various views of the school. Everything seemed normal, save for one detail.

There was a tablet on my bed.

"What the hell is this?" I grumbled to myself as I picked it up. It looked like my SirPad. When I turned it on, a blood-curdling video started playing.

“Hey there, I don't suppose I should introduce myself?” The person who appeared and spoke in the video was me, Shuichi Saihara! But I don't remember recording such a video.

"It must be surprising to see yourself like this. But there's no need to be surprised. This is me. This is you," the Shuichi in the video continued.

"You don't remember recording this video because the heads of the Exodus Project erased your memory."

"Consider this video a warning from Shuichi, whose memory has not been erased."

“The reason I recorded this video is to give you some information.”

"Shuichi, this isn't your first killing game. You're eligible to participate because you survived the last one. You are the Ultimate Survivor!"

After video Shuichi's explanation, I immediately threw the tablet away in fear, but the video kept on talking.

"You can't trust anyone in this game—no one! No matter how well they treat you!"

"Also, the heads of the Exodus Project asked me to give you this message: 'Watch out for twins, especially the detective one.'"

"I think that's it. There's one last thing I want to tell you. You wanted this game, so you have to win! No matter what!"

Chapter Text

"You can't trust anyone in this game—no one! No matter how well they treat you!"

"Also, the heads of the Exodus Project asked me to give you this message: 'Watch out for twins, especially the detective one.'"

"I think that's it. There's one last thing I want to tell you. You wanted this game, so you have to win!

No matter what!"

‘Of course...

OF COURSE! It all makes sense now!

Everything that happened today was significant: the way everyone adapted to the killing game, the groups that formed, Nozomi's attitude toward me, and the way she hugged me...

EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!

This game is a trap set against me! This game is a trap!

But what should I do? I can't just leave this game as it is. The people who run the Exodus project set me up and put me in this game! They want me to die in this game!

So, what should I do? How can I win this game?’

Lost in thought, I heard strange sounds emanating from the tablet. When I picked it up, I found that a menu had popped up behind the finished video. There were two icons. Clicking the one on the right replayed the video I had just watched. I watched it again—nope, definitely not a hallucination. After the video ended, I clicked the icon on the left, and...

A map of the entire academy was in front of me.

"Is it possible?" I asked myself aloud, my gaze fixed on the map. Two unfamiliar locations caught my eye beyond the areas the others had mentioned discovering earlier.

"The basement and pod room?" I thought aloud again.

What's going on around here? After studying the map more closely, I realized that these two places are actually secret rooms. So, except for me, no one knows about these places! Then again, maybe everyone knows, and I'll be trapped in these rooms?

I quickly leapt from bed and made my way to the door. Tonight, I must inspect those secret rooms. Then I remembered that Eito and Yugamu are guarding Darumi. If I go downstairs, I could easily get caught, and I'd have to explain the situation. Is it truly worth the risk?

"No, it's not worth the risk," I muttered to myself as I deflated and trudged back to sit on the bed. I need to find a time when the downstairs is empty at night. Maybe tomorrow or the day after. Assuming I'm not killed by then…

Achoo! "Huh?" I shivered, realizing the room was suddenly frigid. Then, the monitor in the corner upstairs flickered to life, and I heard Sirei begin to speak.

"Battalion V4, I'd like to apologize. There was an issue with the heating system due to a problem at the school. I'm sorry you had to spend your first night in the cold!" Sirei finished, and the monitor went blank.

"Great! Ugh..." I muttered aloud. Now, I would have to spend the night in the cold. I took off my jacket, burrowed under the blanket, and hugged it tight as I lay down. I just hoped I wouldn't catch cold. After these thoughts, I fell into a cold sleep.

“THIS IS AN OFFICIAL MORNING ANNOUNCEMENT! IT'S 8AM! WAKE UP V4 BATTALION! MAY A DAY OF MURDER BE WITH YOU!”

Achoo! I woke to Sirei's morning announcement and my own sneeze. The night... ugh... was even colder than I'd expected. I urgently needed to get out into the sun.

I practically fell out of bed, not even bothering with my jacket, and stumbled out of my room towards the warmth. Once I thawed a bit, I could tackle my morning chores.

As soon as I stepped out of my room, I theoretically hugged the sun. Swept away by the sensation of warm, welcoming heat on my face, I noticed someone standing to my right.

Or rather, two figures. When I turned my head to the right, I saw Takumi and Kyoshika basking in the sun's warmth alongside me. Honestly, I didn't find anything strange about it, and the three of us continued to embrace the sun's rays.

"What are you idiots doing?" Hiruko's insult suddenly cut through the air behind us, snapping us back to reality.

"Lady Hiruko!?" We-" Kyoshika began, turning to face Hiruko. She realized with dawning horror that the front of her yukata was open, revealing everything. She bolted into her hut with a shrill scream, slamming the door shut behind her.

“Well, you can't start the day any better, can you?” Takumi turned to me and smiled, then got a slap right on the back of the head from Hiruko

“You perverts!" Hiruko hissed, then turned and descended the stairs.

"Does it hurt?" I asked Takumi.

"Yeah, but it was worth it," Takumi said with a foolish grin as he clutched his head and headed back into his hut. Just as he was about to step inside, Nozomi appeared before us.

Good morning! How are you? Did you hit your head, Takumi?" Nozomi inquired, a smile adorning her face.

"Something like that, Kar—" Takumi abruptly swallowed his words and went inside his hut.

"What's wrong with Takumi?" Nozomi asked me, her voice laced with worry. In that moment, I had an internal debate. How should I treat Nozomi? Should I ignore the fake kindness she showed me yesterday?

"Forget it," I said. Then I stepped into my hut, slipped on my jacket, and waited. I waited for Nozomi to move away from my doorstep. I didn't want to talk to her, either now or ever.

About ten minutes later, I emerged from my hut. Nozomi was nowhere in sight, which was good. I headed for the stairs and made my way to the cafeteria Takemaru mentioned yesterday. Takemaru said it was on the first floor. I hoped this wasn't another lie.

On the way to the cafeteria, I didn't encounter anyone. Upon entering, I saw that everyone, except Yugamu and Tsubasa was already there. An even more unusual sight lay before my eyes.

"Stop hugging my leg!" Eito exclaimed, his voice higher than usual.

"No way, Master Eito!" Darumi refused, clutching Eito's leg even tighter.

"...what's going on here?" I inquired, my voice filled with curiosity.

"That's what we're all wondering," Hiruko replied. "They've been like this ever since I got here."

"Master Eito, I hope you haven't forgotten your promise to me~ " Darumi asked in a coquette voice, tightening her hug around Eito's leg.

“I- DONT!” Eito wrenched his leg free from Darumi in a huff

"Eito, what happened last night?" I asked as I settled into the seat across from him.

"Sigh." "I convinced Darumi not to kill herself, ALONE, but now she's addicted to me," said Eito.

He emphasized "alone"; he must have been referring to Yugamu.

"Master Eito, please!" Darumi pleaded, opening her mouth. In turn, Eito fed her a spoonful of the cereal he was eating.

"Delicious~! Nothing is as delicious as Master Eito's milk!" Darumi exclaimed, licking her lips.

"Eito- what happened last night?!" I wasn't the one who asked. I was still trying to follow the story, mouth agape, when Hiruko cut in. "I can't put up with a fourth pervert in this school!"

"Fourth pervert? Whatever. After you left last night, Yugamu and I decided to take turns keeping watch so that Darumi wouldn't kill herself. But I was on guard all night while Yugamu slept until morning! I talked to Darumi during the night and convinced her not to kill herself." Eito took another spoonful of cereal.

"How did you do it?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Promising to keep the killing game going forever! KYOHOHOHOHOHO!" Darumi cackled, stuck out her tongue like a dog, and panted, "Master Eito, one more spoon!"

"I DID NOT PROMISE THAT!" Eito exclaimed, continuing after feeding Darumi. "I told her that the death game she had been waiting for had finally arrived, and she would miss it if she killed herself."

"Looks like it worked; lying is the specialty of politicians like you, after all~" Yugamu suddenly entered the cafeteria.

"Unlike you assassins, some of us are trying to stop the killing game!" Eito snapped, glaring at Yugamu.

"REALLY! WHY ARE WE LETTING AN ASSASSIN ROAM FREE!?" Gaku interjected, joining the conversation.

"I don't like it, but Mr. Maruko has a point. It's not safe for Sister Dearest to have a certified killer on the loose like this," Ima chimed in, supporting Gaku.

“HEY! What don't you like!?” Gaku asked Ima

As Ima spoke, Kako stood beside him with her head bowed. Clearly, something was bothering her.

"Whatever! Guys, I think we should lock Yugamu in one of the cages in the courtyard!" Gaku said, pointing an accusatory finger at Yugamu.

"Ohohohohoho BOY! You really want to die first!" Darumi said to Gaku with a serious grin spreading across her face.

"I-I-I'm not scared! Yugamu needs to be locked up somewhere!"

"You'll lose your cuteness if you worry too much~ . Don't worry. I have no plans to kill anyone~ " Yugamu said with a grin.

"How can we trust you, you asshole?" Takemaru said angrily.

"As an experienced and skilled assassin, I would be the prime suspect in the event of a murder, wouldn't I? If I commit a murder, I will easily be caught," Yugamu explained in a calm, logical tone. Then he continued:

"But if someone else commits murder and I take the blame, you cute beings will be dead~" Yugamu grinned, a sinister edge to his voice.

“So don't worry. I have no intention of killing anyone.”

"That's not going to happen!" Eito stood up and locked eyes with Yugamu. "No one will die!"

"I know lying is your job, Mr. Politician..." Yugamu suddenly sounded serious. "But don't lie to yourself!"

After glancing at each other for a while, they turned their attention in that direction as an intervening voice spoke up.

"Please stop it!" Nozomi intervened, her voice tinged with desperation. "Stop talking about death and lies! That's what Sirei wants. He wants to drive a wedge between us. At this point, we need to stand up to him and be friends!"

"Friends? This isn't the place to find friends, sweet girl," Yugamu replied to Nozomi with a cynical edge to his voice.

"Enough! Both of you, sit at the table and wait for your food! Shuichi and Takumi! Give everyone their breakfast!" Hiruko barked, cutting through the tension like a seasoned commander.

"Huh? Why us?" Takumi asked Hiruko, already knowing the answer. The only reply she gave was an angry glare. After that glare, we dutifully went to the Ration-o-matic and began filling plates.

"What is this machine?" I asked Takumi, my voice filled with curiosity, gesturing toward the Ration-o-matic.

"You tell it what food you want, and then it makes it for you. It's like a very advanced food processor," Takumi replied, stifling a yawn.

"Very, VERY advanced!" Takumi and I began filling the plates.

"Btw Shuichi, about this morning's incident..." Takumi began, then quickly added, "You have to believe me, I'm not a pervert!" I raised an eyebrow at Takumi.

"What does Kyoshika think about this?" I asked.

"I don't know! She hasn't spoken to me since this morning. She doesn't really talk to anyone except her sword," Takumi replied.

"Her sword?" I echoed, a quizzical look on my face.

"Believe it or not, it's true," Takumi confirmed with a shrug.

"Kurara, Nozomi, and Moko all tried to talk to Kyoshika, but none of them succeeded. I think she's hiding something!" Takumi paused for a second, then continued with a mischievous glint in his eye, "...except for her breasts."

I looked at Takumi's face for a while. "Dude, you're a pervert."

"I'M NOT!" Takumi shouted, his voice echoing through the cafeteria as he accidentally dropped the plate he was filling.

"YOU IDIOT!" Kurara joined our conversation, her voice sharp and accusatory.

"Can't we trust you with anything?!" Kurara yelled angrily. "You can't even hold a plate!"

"I'm sorry. It's just bad luck," Takumi said apologetically.

"Bad luck? Don't start talking like Gaku! Aren't you the Ultimate Lucky Student? What good are you if you're not lucky?" Kurara snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What good am I? At least I didn't earn my title with my parents' money!" Takumi retorted, lashing out at Kurara.

"You peasant—" She was about to continue, but I interrupted her. "Enough! Stop fighting! You've only known each other for two days, and you're already fighting."

"But, Shuichi—" They both said the same thing at the same time.

"Didn't you hear Shuichi say enough?" Hiruko intervened again and stopped another fight.

Takumi and Kurara looked at each other for a moment. Then, Kurara huffily returned to her seat at the table, and Takumi went back to filling plates.

"Thank you, Hiruko—" I sneezed while saying thank you. "Damn it."

"What, are you sick?" Hiruko asked, looking up. "I thought you were stupid and a pervert. I guess you're just a pervert."

"I'm not a pervert," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "My hut was cold last night. I must have caught a cold." I sneezed again after finishing my sentence.

"And how come you're not sick?" I asked, my voice sounding a bit nasal.

"I've walked naked in colder weather! This cold is nothing to me," Hiruko replied proudly. Then she continued, "Come on, finish filling the plates!" As soon as she turned around, she collided with Tsubasa.

"Watch where you're going!" Hiruko shouted at Tsubasa.

Bluurrgghhhh "I'm sorry, I lost my bag and I came to check if it was here," Tsubasa said.

"Nobody cares about your stupid bag! Now, get out of my way!" Hiruko poked Tsubasa, intending to pull her aside. Just then, something happened to them that no one would want:

Tsubasa vomited all over Hiruko.

Everyone in the cafeteria was shocked by the incident. Their mouths hung agape.

"S-sorry! I am very sorry!" Tsubasa apologized as sincerely as she could, but she couldn't stop Hiruko from getting angry.

"YOU BITCH!" Hiruko shrieked, her voice dripping with pure rage, and slapped Tsubasa with all her might. The force of the blow sent Tsubasa sprawling to the ground.

"Hiruko!" Takemaru suddenly stepped between Hiruko and Tsubasa. His voice was firm and commanding. "Snap out of it! If you want to hit someone, hit me, not Tsubasa!"

"It's none of your business whether or not I hit someone! This bitch threw up on me!" Hiruko said angrily, her eyes blazing with fury.

Then, Hiruko stormed out of the cafeteria. Tsubasa looked on behind her, her eyes filled with tears and anger.

“You can vomit on me if you want Tsubasa, I don't care since I was made to be vomited on” Shouma said

Moko gently lifted Tsubasa off the ground. "Let's go wash you up," he said. The two of them walked out of the cafeteria together.

"Things are not good. Everyone is arguing with each other. At this rate, we won't be friends!" Suddenly, Nozomi came up to me and asked, "Can't we do something, Shuichi?"

"Ask someone else." After I said my piece, I left her, took my plate, and sat down at the table to quietly eat my breakfast.

As nice as Nozomi's behavior towards me might seem on the outside, I still couldn't trust anyone, just as my past self had stated in the video. Besides, now that Darumi's problem was handled, I had to go see those secret rooms tonight. I hoped no one would get in my way.

*ACHOO*

Chapter Text

As nice as Nozomi's behavior towards me might seem on the outside, I still couldn't trust anyone, just as my past self had stated in the video. Besides, now that Darumi's problem was handled, I had to go see those secret rooms tonight. I hoped no one would get in my way.

ACHOO

"Dude, you don't look so good." Takumi sat down beside me with his plate in hand.

"Don't worry, it's just a cold, cough I'll be fine," I said with a cough.

"Honestly, you look worse, not better," Takumi said, furrowing his brow with concern. "How about we check out the lab on the second floor? There might be some real medicine that can help with your cough." He punctuated his suggestion with a deliberate bite of his meal.

Despite myself, a compelling urge to examine the lab had taken root. Hiruko's chilling remark about poisons lurking within its walls left me with a gnawing sense of apprehension. I reluctantly realized that I might have no choice but to prepare myself for potential threats.

"Yeah, let's go check that COUGH out after breakfast," I managed, a hacking cough interrupting my words. After finishing breakfast, Takumi and I headed to the lab.

An oppressive darkness consumed us as we stepped into the lab. This was no ordinary medical facility. It reeked of a chamber intended for human experimentation. Perhaps it was precisely that. I couldn't shake the unsettling thought.

"This place is creepy! Let's find your medicine and leave!" Takumi said.

"Hold on a second," I said, the chilling implication dawning on me. "Hiruko said there were poisons in this lab. How can I possibly tell if what I grab for a cold isn't deadly?" I asked Takumi the question, but it echoed louder within my own mind.

"I..." Takumi trailed off, visibly stumped.

Takumi and I were examining the drugs on the shelves, trying to figure out which were medicine and which were poison, when we heard a noise from the area where the lab door used to be.

"What are you cute things doing here?" Yugamu's voice slithered from behind us. Its unexpected presence instantly sent a cold dread spiraling down our spines. "Are you two planning a murder?"

"No!" Takumi's voice hitched, and a pronounced tremor betrayed his fear. The telltale wavering of his voice only seemed to sharpen the glint of suspicion in Yugamu's eyes.

COUGH

Yugamu narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Takumi's face for a tense moment, seemingly savoring the fear and doubt he saw there. Then, a slow, unnerving smile spread across his face.

"Then what are you doing here?" he purred. His unnerving smile didn't falter at all.

A fresh cough punctuated my words as I began, "I came down with a cold last night, so we're hoping to find some effective medicine here. The trouble is, we can't tell which of these so-called 'drugs' are genuine remedies and which are simply poison." I elaborated for Yugamu.

"I understand," Yugamu purred, a chilling amusement flickering in his eyes. "Poisons are, in fact, my forte. I can certainly help you locate the medicine that will kill—I mean cure you." He then stretched out a hand, an unsettling smile playing on his lips.

"Do you realize what you just said?" Takumi asked, his voice cracking. Both Yugamu and I instinctively recoiled, our eyes darting away. My gaze snagged on Yugamu's extended hand, and I stared at it for a long moment. Yes, he offered help, but he's a killer—an expert one, no less. A chilling question echoed within me: Should I trust him?

"Sure, which medicine COUGH should I take?" I asked, not shaking his hand. Ultimately, I chose to trust Yugamu.

"Rude, but I understand," Yugamu purred. A knowing glint appeared in his eye as he shifted his attention, scanning the myriad bottles crammed onto the shelves. After scanning the packed shelves deliberately, Yugamu's fingers closed around a specific bottle, which he then calmly presented to me. I took the bottle from his hand and examined it briefly.

"What's in this?" The question escaped my lips, prompted by a sudden surge of apprehension.

COUGH

"It's a very effective cold medicine. It has side effects, but they're not fatal," Yugamu said with a smile.

"Side effect?" I blurted out, instantly fixating on the word. "What is the side effect?" I pressed Yugamu.

"Side effect?" I blurted out, my attention instantly fixated. "What is the side effect?" I pressed Yugamu.

COUGH

"You may have a fever after taking the medicine, but don't worry. It won't last long. If you take it before going to sleep, the fever will be gone by the time you wake up." Yugamu explained the side effect of the drug with an eerie smile on his face.

Takumi gravitated toward me, his eyes immediately assessing the bottle I was holding. After a quick, skeptical appraisal, he leaned in close and whispered cautiously, “Are you sure about this?”

"You still don't trust me, do you? Very well, then." Yugamu's voice held a sardonic lilt as he suddenly snatched the bottle from my hand. Before I could react, he tipped it back and took a deliberate, shallow draught. Takumi and I froze, our eyes wide and fixed on Yugamu's sudden action.

"You're crazy!" Takumi exclaimed.

"You're certainly not the first cute thing to say that," Yugamu drawled with a smirk. He lowered the bottle and casually wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before calmly presenting the medicine to me again.

"Got it! Thank you!" I said, securing the bottle in my hand immediately.

COUGH

"No problem at all," Yugamu murmured, a hint of weariness crossing his face. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to lie down." With that, he pivoted and moved swiftly toward the lab's exit.

"Wait a minute!" I called out suddenly, my voice cutting through the silence of the lab as Yugamu headed for the exit. "Why did you help me?"

Yugamu stopped abruptly, keeping his body perfectly still as he slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder and speak.

"Seeing cute things die is the last thing I wish to witness!" Yugamu announced, waving a hand in a dismissive, almost proprietary gesture before turning to leave the lab. But as the echo of his footsteps vanished beyond their reach, a chilling, soft whisper ghosted from his lips: "Without my permission, of course..."

After Yugamu left the lab, Takumi and I exchanged glances.

"Let's get out of here," Takumi muttered, shivering. "This whole place gives me the creeps." I nodded quickly, and together, we quickly left the unsettling lab. Having left the unsettling lab behind, Takumi and I walked through the quiet corridors for what felt like an age before finally reaching the familiar sight of the stairs.

"I'm heading back to my hut, " I told Takumi. COUGH "First, I'll take this medicine, and then I'm going straight to bed."

"It's only noon. Are you sure you want to call it a day?" Takumi asked, furrowing his brow slightly. "We could hang out for a bit if you want."

I shifted my gaze between Takumi's expression and the peculiar bottle in my palm. "All right," I finally conceded with a subtle shift in my tone. "Given what Yugamu said, it probably does make more sense to take this later, closer to evening."

We made our way up to the roof and stepped out into the refreshing open air. After finding a comfortable spot, we soon fell into easy conversation.

“What do you want to do when you get out of here, Shuichi?” Takumi asked

"Honestly, I haven't the slightest idea," I confessed, feeling the weight of the question settle over me. "I haven't thought about anything beyond this place since the morning we woke up in class."

"Is there someone waiting for you outside? Like family or friends?"

"I only have my uncle. I don't think my friends even notice when I'm gone," I replied with a sigh.

COUGH

"I see..." Takumi said softly. His touch was comforting as he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Shuichi. Everyone eventually finds that person—that one connection where they can truly feel at peace. I have no doubt you'll find it, too!"

"Thank you, Takumi," I murmured. My gratitude was underpinned by a profound sense of peace. His touch was utterly inexplicable yet remarkably familiar, as if—despite all logic—we had met before.

I felt that same unsettling familiarity when Nozomi hugged me. Yet every fiber of my being insisted that I had never laid eyes on any of these people before this place and this moment. I couldn't have met them, could I?

I pushed aside the disquieting echoes of my memory and met Takumi's gaze. "Did you find that person?" I gently pressed, returning his earlier question. Takumi slowly withdrew his hand from my shoulder and exhaled a soft, drawn-out sigh. He settled back against the cool wall, his gaze distant, and finally began to speak.

"Yes," Takumi murmured, his voice taking on a soft warmth. "Karua."

“Karua?”

"Karua," Takumi said, his voice softening and growing laced with a tangible ache. "She was my childhood friend. I lost her just before I ended up in this place somehow. I think... I must have hit my head while searching for her. Everything went dark, and when I opened my eyes again, I was simply there, in that classroom with you guys."

"What was she like?" I asked softly, gently urging him to speak of her.

COUGH

"Karua's gentle, pleasing voice... her baby face... her long, soft cascade of white hair... those violet eyes..." Takumi's words painted a vivid picture, but as he continued to speak of Karua, a chill began to creep down my spine. It was unsettlingly, undeniably as if he were describing Nozomi.

I stopped listening to him and looked at Takumi for a moment. Takumi realized that I wasn't listening, so he looked at me and asked, "What?"

"You must love Karua!" I declared, the realization forceful and clear. Yet, I held back the far more unsettling question about Nozomi that was bubbling inside me.

COUGH

"Wh-what? I—!" Takumi shot upright from his relaxed position against the wall. A deep crimson flooded his cheeks as he struggled to speak.

"Takumi," I murmured softly, placing my hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

Takumi exhaled a long, heavy sigh. His gaze dropped before he finally murmured, "I suppose I see her as more than a friend."

“I hope you find her again”

“I hope”

"Well, if you feel so deeply about Karua," I began with a mischievous grin, "then what was your attitude towards Kyoshika this morning?" I jabbed Takumi playfully.

“HEY!”

“Calm down, calm down,” I told him

"I...I didn't mean to react like that, okay?" Takumi stammered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "You were right there too, Shuichi! What did you expect me to do given the circumstances?" He tried to justify his flustered reaction.

"I guess you've got a point," I admitted, shrugging and settling back against the cool stone wall. A smirk tugged at my lips as I added, "I suppose that makes us both perverts, huh?"

"I'M NOT A PERVERT—!" Takumi exploded, his initial indignation momentarily eclipsing his composure. But the outburst died on his lips. With a frustrated sigh, he slumped back against the wall.

We continued our easy conversation for a while, still leaning comfortably against the wall. Then, abruptly, Takumi straightened up. "I'm going to grab something from the cafeteria," he said. "See you around, Shuichi."

"See you later," I called out, watching Takumi make his way toward the stairs. I finally pushed myself up and stepped into my hut only after I watched him disappear down the stairwell.

"All right, I'm alone now," I whispered to myself as the silence of the hut settled around me. My eyes immediately drifted to the small bottle of medicine Yugamu had given me, and I felt its weight suddenly become heavier.

"Tonight," I mused aloud, a new resolve hardening my voice, "I'll explore those secret rooms. I should probably take the medicine after I return from that expedition." After one last look, I carefully placed the small bottle on the table in the room.

As I set the bottle down, I was immediately struck by a weighty question: Trust. A familiar unease settled in as I began to meticulously assess everyone who had drawn close to me since my arrival in this place, which was shrouded in mystery.

Nozomi was the first person here to genuinely warm to me. Could I truly trust her?

Takumi, the one person I'd been by all day. Could I truly trust him?

Yugamu, the person who recommended the medicine to me, can I really trust him?

The amplified question echoed the lingering unease that had settled deep within me. It wasn't just Nozomi, Yugamu or Takumi; it was everyone I had met since waking up in that classroom. Could I trust any of them? This heavy, cold thought cast a long shadow over the strange, new reality I was forced to navigate.

My thoughts continued as I picked up the SirPad I was given and watched Shuichi's video over and over again on the tablet. The Exodus Project, the previous killing game, the twins...especially Kako.

As I thought about what it all meant, an egg appeared in my room.

"Oh, you like to see yourself so much, Saihara!" a startlingly close voice purred. In the blink of an eye, Sirei seemed to simply coalesce into existence in the middle of my room. His sudden presence jarred me so completely that the SirPad clattered from my grasp.

"Hey! That thing's expensive! Be careful!" Sirei shrieked, his composed demeanor shattered as he stomped his foot like a petulant child.

"What are you doing here?" I snapped, my voice cracking with a mix of anger and shock.

COUGH

Sirei's expression turned eerily solemn. "I am everywhere, Saihara," he announced in a low, unsettling voice. "Even where you least expect me." Then, with a sudden, mischievous grin, he lightened his tone to a whimsical cadence. "Though not in the toilet, of course."

"That's not what I meant!" I retorted, my patience wearing thin. "What are you doing here?" I demanded, my voice rising in clear challenge.

COUGH

Sirei's demeanor shifted instantly, his playful air vanishing to reveal a serious expression. "I came to offer you some assistance, Saihara," he explained, his piercing gaze locking on him. "You seemed lost in thought."

“What do you mean?” I asked Sirei

“You know exactly what I mean, Saihara!” Sirei replied

"Why would you pretend to help me?" Shuichi exploded, his voice raw with fury. "You're the ones who imprisoned us here! You and the heads of this Exodus project! What is the Exodus Project anyway?" he demanded, each question a desperate jab.

Sirei's demeanor became utterly devoid of humor. His eyes locked onto Shuichi's with cold intensity. "I know, Saihara," he began in a low, firm voice. "The Exodus Project is a vile undertaking that concerns the future of all humanity." His gaze intensified as he continued, "Remember my words from that first day: 'You soldiers of the V4 battalion must kill each other for humanity!'"

"So, what is this Exodus Project that concerns humanity so profoundly?" Shuichi asked, his voice tight with urgency and each word a desperate plea for clarity. His gaze sharpened as a terrible realization dawned on him. "Is it...is it this killing game?"

Sirei stretched his features into a horrible, eye-piercing grin, a smile that didn't quite reach his unsettlingly bright eyes. "Oh, I can't possibly answer that question, Saihara," he purred, his voice dripping with mocking amusement. "All I can tell you is this: The killing game is only a small part of the larger Exodus project." A dry, metallic taste filled my mouth. I swallowed hard—a purely involuntary reflex to Sirei's chilling revelation. The sheer magnitude of what he implied was dizzying and terrifying.

I pushed past the knot of dread in my stomach and forced out the next question, my voice hushed with chilling curiosity. "And what about the previous killing game?" I continued, my gaze fixed on Sirei. “Was that also part of the Exodus Project?"Sirei's unsettling grin remained fixed as he spoke. "It's fascinating how obsessed you are with the previous killing game, Saihara. However, you truly ought to forget about it. It belongs to the past." His grin widened, and a knowing glint appeared in his eyes. "You may still yearn for that girl. I understand. But seriously, leave it in the past and concentrate on this game!"

"Girl?" I interjected, the word sharp with bewilderment. "Which girl are you talking about?" COUGH

"Ka—oh, my, I almost gave away a spoiler!" Sirei declared with an exaggerated gasp, his eye-piercing grin widening. A playful laugh escaped him, clearly enjoying my frustration.

“What do you mean?” I asked Sirei. ‘Ka?’ Does the name of the girl who matters to me start with 'Ka'?

"Like I said, forget the previous game!" Sirei said with a hint of theatrical exasperation in his tone. "It's all in the past, a closed book!" To emphasize his point, he dramatically clapped his hands over his ears while a mocking grin stretched across his face.

I pressed for more details, trying to pry answers out of Sirei, but he remained stubbornly silent with an unwavering mocking grin. Frustration simmering, I knew that asking more questions would be useless. So, I pivoted and forced my attention onto a different aspect of the mystery.

"What about the twins?" I demanded, my gaze sharp. "How important are Ima and Kako in this game?"

"Oh, I can't answer that question either, Saihara," Sirei said, his face a neutral mask. "The importance of the twins? You'll simply have to learn that for yourself!" He offered no further explanation. I stared at Sirei, scrutinizing his neutral expression for any hint of deceit or deeper meaning. His gaze remained unblinking and unrevealing.

Finally, Sirei broke the tension-filled silence, his voice cutting through the quiet air. "The real reason I'm here, Saihara, is to give you an advantage," he stated, his expression unwavering. I simply listened, my gaze fixed on Sirei as I waited for him to elaborate.

"In two days," Sirei stated in an even, deliberate voice, "I will provide the first motivation for this game."

"Motivation?" I echoed incredulously. A small, involuntary cough escaped me. "For what?" COUGH

"To find a reason to kill each other, of course!" Sirei said in a chillingly casual tone. As if to underscore his point, a pair of sleek, dark sunglasses materialized in his hand, and he smoothly slid them onto his face. "It's all explicitly detailed in the game's rulebook," he added, his eyes now obscured.

"What exactly will this 'motivation' be?" I asked, my voice carefully modulated to betray a mix of curiosity and skepticism. I continued, "More importantly, why would you want to give me an advantage?" My gaze was unwavering. COUGH

"You are the survivor of the previous game, Saihara," Sirei declared, his voice cutting through the air. "You are special, and the SirPad in your hand proves it!" He paused, his obscured gaze seeming to bore into Shuichi. "But don't you want to be more special? Imagine if you had superpowers. Would you use them to help or dominate humanity?"

"Superpowers?" I echoed, genuine curiosity cutting through my caution. COUGH

"You heard right!" Sirei's voice suddenly became bright and almost jovial. "If you can kill someone and survive the trial, I will grant you superpowers!" The cheerfulness abruptly drained from his tone, replaced by a chilling coldness. "That shouldn't be too hard for you, Mr. Survivor."

"Don't lie to me! You can't give people superpowers!" I snapped, my voice laced with disbelief. "Those things aren't real!"

"Eggs do not lie!" Sirei declared, his voice abruptly shifting to a flat, chillingly robotic monotone. Then, just as suddenly, his cheerfulness surged back, vibrant and unsettling. "How was it? I stole that slogan from that grotesque, disgusting bear!"

I ignored his bizarre antics and pressed on, my voice firm. "So, how are you going to do it? If you're not lying, tell me how." COUGH

"You will get all your answers in two days, Saihara," Sirei stated, his voice carrying a note of finality. "Remember, this motivation is for the entire V4 battalion, not just you." With that, he turned, clearly preparing to leave.

"One last thing!" Sirei added in a low, imperative tone. "Choose carefully whom to trust and whom not to trust!" He pointed to the bottle on my table, then turned and left my hut, leaving me alone once more.

"Whom to trust and whom not to trust?" I murmured aloud. COUGH The cryptic warning echoed in the quiet of the hut. My mind immediately began replaying every word Sirei had said, searching for hidden meanings and clues in his unsettling pronouncements.

"Ka?" I asked aloud, the syllable echoing in the silence of the hut. What could it have been? Was it a name starting with "Ka" that mattered so much? I furrowed my brow, trying to grasp the elusive memory. Hmm? COUGH

"KARUA!?" The name burst from me, and I suddenly sprang upright from the bed, the realization hitting me like a physical blow.

So, the person who was special to Takumi was special to me? Was that why Takumi had been so inexplicably close to me? The implications sent a chill through my very core.

Just as I was thoroughly absorbed in these unsettling thoughts-

DING

DONG

BING

BONG

"This is an official nighttime announcement! Sleep well, V4 Battalion!"

The chilling nighttime announcement echoed, pulling me abruptly from my spiraling thoughts. Setting the unsettling revelations about Karua and the Exodus Project aside for the moment, I began preparing for my clandestine trip to the secret rooms—places only I knew how to access. I waited a little longer, listening intently, until I was certain that all of the other participants had retreated into their huts. Only then did I quietly slip out of my hut and descend the creaking stairs into the night.

My first priority was to reach the pod room, so I headed straight for the gym. To avoid potential encounters, I deliberately took the stairs by the classroom where we had first woken up, bypassing the cafeteria entirely. Once I was sure no one had noticed me, I cautiously made my way to the gym and slipped through its door.

COUGH

COUGH

Once inside the gym, I went straight to the lectern, as instructed on the SirPad. Behind it, I found a hidden hatch and lifted it, revealing a ladder that descended into darkness. As I climbed down cautiously, the true meaning of a "pod room" became clear.

A gigantic space rocket stood before me, filling the cavernous space.

"What is the meaning of this?" I murmured to myself, still gazing at the enormous rocket. Before I could finish the sentence, Sirei suddenly appeared right beside me.

"This thing is an escape pod," Sirei stated, answering the question I hadn't even voiced. Why was he helping me? The question burned in my mind, and his underlying motive remained shrouded in mystery.

"An escape pod?" I repeated, my voice laced with disbelief and desperate hope. "To get out of here? If this thing is really going to help us escape, why are you telling me about it?"

“What makes you think everyone wants to escape, Saihara?” Sirei countered, his voice smooth and unsettling.

Sirei's words sent a cold chill down my spine. Why would anyone want to stay here? The question gnawed at me, painting an even more unsettling picture of the game and its participants.

"Or else..." I began, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "Sirei, what do you mean?" I already suspected the horrifying answer, but I needed to hear him say it. COUGH

"Don't trust everyone so easily, Saihara!" Sirei declared, his voice echoing in the vast space. His words hung in the air for a moment. Then, as swiftly and inexplicably as he'd appeared, he vanished, leaving me alone with the colossal rocket.

"I get it," I murmured aloud. A cold dread seeped into my bones. "There's a traitor among us..." Suddenly, the Shuichi in the SirPad video made sense. COUGH

After spending more time exploring the impressive pod room, I carefully exited and made sure the hidden hatch was securely closed behind me. My next destination was the basement, another secret room. It took me a while to find its equally well-concealed door, but I persisted and succeeded. Finally, I found it and slipped inside.

COUGH

COUGH

In the dim light of the basement, I spotted a strange device. It was a peculiar machine displaying clear images of ten different people on its front. A tube filled with glowing green liquid snaked up its back. My curiosity overrode my unease, and I cautiously approached the machine and began to examine the photographs carefully. My breath caught in my throat when I realized the machine bore the pictures of ten of the participants.

The photos on the strange machine were of Hiruko, Darumi, Eito, Takemaru, Shouma, Ima, Kako, Tsubasa, Gaku, and Takumi. Notably absent were photos of Nozomi, Kurara, Yugamu, Kyoshika, Moko, and myself.

"What's the deal with this machine?" I demanded, directing the question outward, not just to myself. As if summoned by my words, Sirei appeared right beside me, ready to offer his cryptic explanation.

"What's needed for the **escape pod** to work." Sirei replied, his voice flat and direct.

I shot him a look that demanded a clearer explanation. Sirei seemed to understand and continued, "You need to get information from the ten people whose photos are on this machine. It doesn't matter what kind of information it is." As he spoke, he pointed to the glowing green tubes behind the device. "Once you've acquired this information and entered it into this machine, the fuel tankers for the escape pod will begin to fill."

"Why doesn't it matter what this information is?" I pressed, my mind racing. "And where exactly do we escape to with this escape pod?"

"It doesn't matter! Just know that!” Sirei retorted dismissively. "But if you really want to learn, you'll have to find out for yourself. The Escape Pod's destination is a mystery, and mystery is what makes killing games fun!”

"How is it right to give me these details?" I challenged, my voice edged with suspicion. "Wouldn't it be better to give it to the traitor among us?" COUGH

Sirei stopped abruptly, and that piercing, unsettling smile stretched across his face once more. "What makes you think they don't know these details, Saihara?" he countered in a low, chilling purr.

His chilling counter-question was all the confirmation I needed: there truly was a traitor among us. The realization sent a fresh wave of ice cascading down my spine. COUGH

I remained silent, my gaze fixed on the peculiar machine as I processed Sirei's chilling confirmation about the traitor. Seemingly satisfied with my silent reaction, Sirei left me alone in the dim basement. After a short while, I slipped out cautiously, ensuring my departure went unnoticed, and made my way back to my hut. Fortunately, the paths were deserted, and I didn't encounter anyone on the way.

As soon as I entered my hut, I collapsed onto the bed, still reeling from the night's revelations. My eyes immediately fell upon the medicine Yugamu had given me. Like me, Yugamu wasn't among the ten people whose photos were on that strange machine in the basement. I picked up the small bottle and turned it over in my hand, examining it more closely.

"You can't trust anyone in this game—no one! No matter how well they treat you!"

Shuichi's words from the video echoed in my head. If I couldn't trust anyone in this game, then who could I trust?

I uncapped the medicine that Yugamu had given me. Without hesitating, I walked to the toilet and poured its contents down the drain.

COUGH COUGH COUGH

After convincing myself that it was just a cold and certainly not fatal, I finally lay down on the bed. As I began to fall asleep, the enormity of everything I had experienced that night truly sank in.

DING

DONG

BING

BONG

“THIS IS AN OFFICIAL MORNING ANNOUNCEMENT! IT'S 8AM! WAKE UP V4 BATTALION! MAY A DAY OF MURDER BE WITH YOU!”

I opened my eyes to the echoing morning announcement. Last night's revelations and the information I uncovered had irrevocably altered my perspective on the game. My new, stark reality was clear: Trust no one, no matter how close they seem.

After showering and getting dressed, I stepped outside my hut. Takumi was standing right outside my door.

YAWN "Good afternoon!" Takumi greeted. "Feeling better?"

COUGH COUGH COUGH

"I don't think so," I replied

"That's not good," Takumi commented, a slight frown creasing his brow. "It looks like Yugamu's medicine didn't work. Come on, let's head to the cafeteria." He stretched and added dramatically, "I'm so hungry, I could swallow a frog!"

Despite Takumi's strange behavior, the two of us made our way to the cafeteria.

When we stepped into the cafeteria, we were greeted by an unexpected sight. Everyone was already there, standing in an orderly line and listening intently to Nozomi and Kurara.

"Now that Shuichi and Takumi are here, we can begin!" Nozomi announced cheerfully. What's going on here? I wondered, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

"Where have you been?" Hiruko snapped, her gaze sharp and accusatory. "We don't have to wait for the two of you perverts!"

COUGH

"HEY!" Takumi called out

No sooner had Takumi finished shouting than Kyoshika stepped in front of us, bowing deeply and formally. "I apologize to you both, Sir Takumi and Sir Shuichi, for my behavior yesterday, which was unbecoming of any warrior," she said sincerely.

"K-Kyoshika, you don't need to apologize—" Takumi started, taken aback by her formality, but Kyoshika continued before Takumi could even voice his own protest.

"I'll commit seppuku to redeem myself!" Kyoshika declared, already drawing her sword, preparing for it. Moko lunged forward just as quickly, desperately trying to stop her.

"Calm down, Kyoshika. You're not Kris Beneit!" Moko finally managed to stop her. Defeated, Kyoshika retreated to a corner and hugged her sword tightly as tears streamed down her face. "My honor is tainted. I will never be a pure warrior again!" she sobbed.

"Don't worry," Shouma offered, trying to encourage Kyoshika in his own peculiar way. "As long as there's vomit left over from someone like me, you'll always look pure."

"Man, what happened yesterday morning?" Moko asked, turning her serious gaze toward us both. Takumi and I both swallowed hard. As Moko's expression grew more intense, Takumi finally gathered his courage and spoke up.

COUGH

"Yesterday morning... when we came out of our huts to warm up... Kyoshika..." Takumi stammered, visibly struggling to form a coherent sentence.

"Go on," Moko pressed, her voice firm and unwavering.

"wesawkyoshikasbreasts!" Takumi blurted out, immediately squeezing his eyes shut.

"YOU SEE WHAT?!" Kurara, standing next to Nozomi, demanded, her voice sharp with disbelief.

COUGH

"It was an accident, I swear!" Takumi blurted out, desperately trying to explain the situation.

"You lucky ones!" Gaku commented, biting the brim of his hat.

"I'm dirty!" Kyoshika continued to wail, clutching her sword tightly. "I will never be a pure warrior, I will never be a pure bride!"

"Two perverts took a bath in the morning! KYOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" Darumi, perched provocatively on Eito's back, cackled. "You can look at my breasts if you want, Master Eito!"

COUGH

"Please don't talk about such things!" Eito said, adjusting his glasses with a slight push. "And get off my back," he added, addressing Darumi. Without saying a word, Darumi simply hugged Eito tighter.

"What are we going to do with these two perverts?" Moko asked, her gaze sweeping over us with a sarcastic glint.

"Let's throw these two perverts into the electric fence!" Hiruko suggested with a sadistic smile stretching across her face.

"We can't," Takemaru said, scratching his head. "If they die, we'll go to trial, remember?"

It's like everyone has already placed us both at the bottom, I thought, feeling a fresh wave of unease wash over me.

"I was imagining that you saw Sister Dearest's breasts..." Ima began, just as he seemed about to describe the tortures he could inflict on us. But then, for some reason, he simply drifted off into his own fantasy world.

COUGH

"You embarrass me, Brother Dearest..." Kako said quietly, her voice barely a murmur. As she finished speaking, I found myself looking at her.

'Watch out for twins, especially the detective one

"What are you doing, Mr. Saihara?!" Ima suddenly appeared in front of me and glared angrily.

. My expression remained unchanged. Perhaps that angered Ima because he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed me by the collar. "Keep your eyes off Sister Dearest!" he snarled.

"Calm down, please, Brother Dearest," Kako urged softly, trying to defuse Ima's anger. But before she could calm him down, another voice rose above the commotion.

"PLEASE CALM DOWN!" Nozomi shouted, her voice finally cutting through the chaos of the cafeteria.

Everyone's attention snapped toward Nozomi. Startled, Ima immediately let go of my collar.

"We can't work together or be friends if we keep fighting like this," Nozomi pleaded, her voice firm. "Please, everyone, calm down!"

"What are you trying to say?" Yugamu asked,

"The situation we're in isn't normal," Nozomi explained firmly. "In times like these, we all need to be friends and work together!" She paused, then continued, "So, we need to do something to bring us all together, don't you agree?"

"You have a point," Eito conceded, still carrying Darumi on his back. "But what should we actually do?"

"Curry party!" Kurara announced, her voice filled with unmistakable pride. "You peasants should thank me, Kurara Oosuzuki, because I'm going to make you curry using the sacred Oosuzuki family recipe!"

COUGH

“Curry party?” Eito asked with a note of surprise in his voice.

"Yesterday, we agreed to do something to bring everyone together," Nozomi replied, smiling. "I asked Kurara, and she agreed."

"I'm out," Tsubasa suddenly declared, her voice cutting through the cafeteria.

"Hm?" Nozomi said, her cheerful demeanor faltering briefly.

"COUNT ME OUT!" Tsubasa shouted, a *HURK* escaping her lips. "Whatever you do, do it without me!"

"But it's for everyone—" Nozomi began to protest, but Hiruko cut her off sharply. "Let her not come. We can't risk her vomiting on others again."

After Hiruko finished speaking, she and Tsubasa locked eyes. Their cold, unyielding gaze could have melted an iceberg between them.

"But—" Nozomi began, her voice laced with frustration.

"Don't bother, Nozomi. You can't put fire and gunpowder together," Yugamu said with a resigned tone.

"Then I'll see you at the curry party tonight!" Kurara declared, her voice cutting through the tension as she tried to lighten the mood. "Gaku, you're helping us!"

"Why me?" Gaku protested, his voice filled with surprise and reluctance.

COUGH

COUGH

After Gaku protested a bit more but ultimately failed to convince Kurara, he slumped his shoulders in defeat. With the decision about the evening's curry party made, everyone settled down for breakfast before dispersing. I then retired to my hut.

I sat alone in my room, watching the video over and over again, desperately trying to uncover a hidden meaning. Just as I was deep in thought, a soft knock sounded at my door. I quickly hid the SirPad in my wardrobe and opened the door. Standing there was none other than Kako.

"May I come in, Shuichi?" Kako asked, her voice cautious. I nodded, and she stepped inside.

As Kako stepped inside, a certain sentence from the video I had just watched inexplicably flashed back into my mind.

'Watch out for twins, especially the detective one

"What do you want?" I asked directly.

"I apologize for Brother Dearest's behavior this morning!" Kako said, her voice filled with genuine sincerity. I remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"It's just been the two of us since we were little," Kako continued, her voice tinged with sadness. "We lost our parents at a young age."

I felt a wave of sadness after hearing Kako's words. Having no family other than his uncle, I could deeply relate to her feeling of loss. But still...

'Watch out for twins, especially the detective one

"Kako, how did you get your Ultimate?" I suddenly asked, my curiosity shifting gears.

"My Ultimate? I—" Kako began, then brought both hands to the sides of her head. Her brow furrowed in thought.

COUGH

What is there to think about? I wondered, a flicker of suspicion igniting within me. Suspicious, very suspicious.

"After the murder of one of Brother Dearest's clients," Kako began, snapping out of her trance, "I had to save him because Brother Dearest was to blame. "I had to save him because Brother Dearest was to blame. After solving that murder, I got my Ultimate."

COUGH

Could this explanation be a lie? I wondered.

"How did you solve it?" I asked, keeping my gaze steady on her.

"It's...a bit embarrassing," she mumbled, averting her eyes from mine.

As Kako averted her gaze, her eyes fell upon an empty bottle sitting on the table. "What's this bottle?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

COUGH

Yesterday, after I poured the medicine from it into the toilet, I put it on the table and forgot to throw it away. I realized, a sudden knot forming in my stomach.

"It's nothing," I explained. "It's just a useless bottle." She didn't seem to like my explanation. Her look alone conveyed her disbelief.

"I should go now," she said with a hint of urgency. "If I stay here any longer, Brother Dearest will wonder where I am and come looking for me. If he sees us together alone, something unpleasant might happen."

COUGH

With that, she quickly left my hut.

After Kako left, I sat back down on my bed and waited for evening to arrive and the curry party to begin. When night finally fell, I left my hut. Luckily, I made it to the cafeteria without encountering anyone. "It would be good for me to not associate with anyone for a while," I thought to myself. Not until I get out of here, even.

When I entered the cafeteria, everyone except Tsubasa was already seated at the tables, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the curries. Kurara, Nozomi, Gaku, and Takemaru were busy handing out the steaming dishes.

"Hey, Shuichi! Sit next to me!" Takumi shouted, beckoning me over. I didn't want to get involved with anyone, but I knew I couldn't sit alone without arousing suspicion. Reluctantly, I walked over and sat down.

"Why is Takemaru helping them?" I asked Takumi, but before he could answer, Takemaru arrived and placed a bowl of curry in front of me.

"They needed help, so I'm helping them," he said, smiling happily.

"You're not a delinquent at all," Takumi remarked. As he said this, I took a spoonful of curry.

COUGH

"Being a delinquent doesn't mean being an asshole!" I retorted, my words sharp even as I continued to chew my curry.

COUGH

"You're a strange one, Takemaru," I said, still chewing my curry.

COUGH

COUGH

"Whatever, man," Takemaru said with a shrug. He turned and left. I just kept chewing.

"Like you said, he's weird," Takumi remarked. I simply kept chewing.

I chewed

I chewed

I chewed

I chewed

I chewed

I chewed

ACK!

As I chewed, I bit down on something unbearably hard. What could be that tough in curry? A piece of uncooked bean? I chewed it anyway and swallowed it without thinking.

COUGH

COUGH

COUGH

COUGH

COUGH

COUGH

"Hey, buddy, are you okay?" Takumi asked, concerned about Shuichi's cough.

COUGH

COUGH

COUGH

COUGH

COUGH

COUGH

COUGH

Shuichi stopped chewing and began coughing. Everyone turned their attention to him when they heard the sound of his coughing and became worried.

As Shuichi coughed up his last ragged breath, a dark pool of blood erupted from his mouth and splattered onto the curry. His head followed, collapsing into the gruesome mixture.

Shuichi's lifeless body lay sprawled on the curry-stained table as a chilling silence fell over the cafeteria. Then, cutting through the horrified quiet, a frightening announcement blared through the speakers.

“A BODY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED”

Chapter Text

As Shuichi coughed up his last ragged breath, a dark pool of blood erupted from his mouth and splattered onto the curry. His head followed, collapsing into the gruesome mixture.

Shuichi's lifeless body lay sprawled on the curry-stained table as a chilling silence fell over the cafeteria. Then, cutting through the horrified quiet, a frightening announcement blared through the speakers.

“A BODY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED”

I jumped to my feet as Shuichi's head hit the curry. The blaring announcement faded into meaningless noise; all that mattered was the horrifying, undeniable truth: Shuichi is dead!

"Shuichi? SHUICHI, wake up, man! This is no time for jokes!" Takemaru, who was standing nearby, called out vaguely, his voice laced with desperation.

"Eito, what's going on man?!" Gaku demanded, his voice rising to a shout. "You promised no one would die!" Yet Eito remained unresponsive, paying him no attention.

“ SHUICHI!” While some of us stood speechless, Nozomi threw down the plates of curry she was carrying and ran to Shuichi, shouting his name.

"No, no, no, no! NO, NO, NO, NO! THIS CAN'T BE REAL!" When Nozomi reached Shuichi's lifeless body, she collapsed into a state of shocked, disbelieving delirium.

"OH HO! KYOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOH! THE KILLING GAME HAS BEGUN!" After Nozomi, Darumi approached Shuichi's side. Her laughter echoed as she smiled disturbingly. Then, her expression turned serious for a moment as she bit her fingernail. "Shuichi kicked the bucket," she mused, her gaze cold. "I thought it would be Gaku."

Gaku did not respond to Darumi's chilling comment. Like everyone else in the cafeteria, he was utterly shocked and speechless, with Darumi being the sole, terrifying exception.

"This... can't be!" Eito was the next to react, his voice little more than a whisper of disbelief.

"But it happened, Master Eito!" Darumi retorted, her voice dripping with malicious glee. "As you said, the killing game has begun!" She then let out an ear-piercing laugh, a chilling sound that echoed through the stunned cafeteria.

"What's going on— Hurk...... Hurk.... HurUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAGHAGHAGHUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!"

The next visceral reaction came from Tsubasa. She must have been drawn by the announcement, for she had arrived in the cafeteria without anyone noticing. As soon as her eyes landed on the grotesque sight, she retched, vomiting onto the floor.

"But how?" Eito whispered, more to himself than to anyone else.

"How?" Yugamu answered Eito's question coldly, his voice devoid of emotion. "Someone killed Shuichi."

"You did it, didn't you?" Eito asked, pulling himself out of his shock. He looked at Yugamu with a serious, piercing gaze.

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down! Save these discussions for the trial!" Sirei suddenly teleported into the room, instantly demanding attention with his presence. He tried to calm the chaotic situation, his voice ringing with an eerie authority. "Spending your energy now will put you at a disadvantage in the trial."

"Trial?" I asked Sirei, the word barely escaping my lips. I was still in disbelief over everything that was unfolding.

"Yes, Sumino, the trial," Sirei confirmed, spreading his hands out as if explaining the situation to a baby. "Someone died, so we have to go to the trial, right?"

"Dead?" I asked myself. The word echoed hollowly in my mind. Shuichi was truly dead. The killing game had officially begun!

When I turned around, I saw Kyoshika hugging Moko tightly; both were crying. Kurara stood next to them, her face an unreadable mystery behind her mask. Shouma stood rigidly with his hands clasped over his mouth. He stared at Shuichi's dead body with abject terror in his eyes. Ima gently closed Kako's eyes. Of course, he didn't want his sister to see such a disgusting sight.

"What now? Do we go to trial now?" Yugamu asked Sirei calmly. His voice was a stark contrast to the surrounding chaos.

"Nope!" Sirei chirped unexpectedly cheerfully as he produced and held up a handful of confetti. "If we go to the trial right away we'll miss one of the most fun parts, the INVESTIGATION! "

"I see..." Yugamu murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"What are you smiling at?!" Eito demanded angrily, turning his furious gaze toward Yugamu. "You do realize someone's dead, right?"

"This isn't a new image for me. But it warms my heart every time!" Yugamu embraced himself, his voice laced with disturbing pleasure.

"When do we start investigating?" Hiruko asked, her voice cutting through the tension. Yugamu stood there, still looking disturbingly aroused.

Whether I liked it or not, I had to investigate Shuichi's death. I had to do it for everyone's good! And eventually reach Karua...

INVESTIGATION

"You'll need this," Sirei announced as he handed each of us a SirPad.

"What is this?" I asked, looking down at the device in my hand.

"This is a Sirei File," Sirei explained. "It contains information about Shuichi's death. It's essential for killing games." His voice then grew sharper and more intense. "Investigate it as if your life depended on this trial! Because it does!" With that chilling pronouncement, he vanished, leaving us holding the Sirei Files.

"Let's see what it is..." I murmured to myself and, with grim resolve, opened the Sirei File.

""Sirei File #1:

Victim: Shuichi Saihara

Ultimate: Ultimate ???

Height: 5”7

Weight: 128 lbs

Birth Date: September 7

Body Location: Cafeteria

Time of discovery: approximately 7:15 p.m.

Cause of death: poison.

Additional notes: No other injuries were found.””

"Poison, huh?" Yugamu chuckled, the sound dark and unsettling. "Clever."

"Clever?" I asked, my voice betraying my disbelief.

"It's clever to poison everyone while they're eating," he replied, his tone still laced with that disturbing amusement.

Who would want to poison Shuichi, and why?

“ Sirei File #1” has been added to the Truth Bullets

"Who did it?!" Nozomi demanded, suddenly standing up. Her furious question sliced through the quiet contemplation Yugamu and I were lost in.

"Nozomi, please calm down," Moko attempted to intercede, but her words failed to soothe Nozomi's anger.

"WHICH ONE OF YOU KILLED SHUICHI?!" Nozomi shrieked, her voice thick with shouting, furious anger, and desperate sobs.

My whispered "Nozomi..." was probably overheard by her, as she gradually turned her teary eyes toward me.

"Did you kill him?!" she demanded, her voice filled with accusation.

“ ...huh?”

"You killed him, didn't you?!" Nozomi accused, her voice laced with desperate fury. "You and your group!" She said something I didn't understand, her words ringing with a perplexing accusation.

"What group are you talking about?" I asked curiously. But before I could get an answer, Nozomi's tearful gaze abruptly shifted back to Shuichi's lifeless body.

"Never mind," Yugamu interjected calmly. "Her mind isn't normal right now. I don't think you'll get an answer from her." I didn't like what he said, but I couldn't deny that it was true.

Before turning my focus away from Nozomi, I went up to her one last time and spoke to her sincerely.

"I promise you, I will find Shuichi's killer, no matter what!" I vowed. I don't know how deeply my words reached Nozomi. She only turned her tear-filled eyes toward me for a moment before looking back at Shuichi's lifeless body.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked, returning to Yugamu's side after leaving Nozomi.

"Why are you asking me?" Yugamu questioned, his voice cool and level.

Although I still had my doubts about trusting him, who else but a professional killer could I turn to now? Who better to solve a murder... a detective!

I suddenly turned my head toward Kako, who was hugging Ima tightly. Ima was pressing Kako's face to his chest, shielding her from the horrifying events unfolding around them.

"Kako? She can help," Yugamu commented, his words cutting through the tense air. Without replying, I moved directly toward the twins.

"Kako, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked. But before I could get any closer, Ima immediately stepped between us.

"Don't you dare pin this murder on Sister Dearest, Mr. Sumino!" Ima snapped, still holding Kako tightly to his chest.

"Brother dearest, please let me go. I can't breathe," Kako pleaded, her voice muffled against Ima's chest.

"No, dear sister! I cannot allow you to see such a disgusting and grotesque sight!" Ima declared, pressing Kako even more firmly against his chest.

"Let her go, or we'll have to deal with another case," Yugamu said. His voice cut through the air as he appeared right next to me.

Ima stared at Yugamu's smiling face for a moment before finally releasing Kako. As soon as she was free, Kako took a deep, gasping breath.

“Kako, are you okay?” I asked

"I'm better now," Kako said, taking a few shaky breaths. Her eyes, still wide, focused on me. "Did you want something, Takumi?"

"Do you have anything to say about this case?" I asked, pointing to Shuichi's lifeless body. Kako was clearly seeing the gruesome sight for the first time.

"What are you implying by showing dear sister something like this, Mr. Sumino!?" Ima demanded, staring directly at me as his hand rose.

"Wow! So this is what dead bodies look like!" Kako commented, her voice holding an unsettling fascination. Her eyes... were they glowing?

"It's beautiful, isn't it? The lifeless eyes, the blood flowing out of his mouth and mingling with the curry..." Yugamu agreed, his words echoing Kako's unsettling fascination. I realized with a chilling certainty that the two of them were genuinely enjoying the sight of a dead body.

"Stop putting inappropriate ideas in Sister Dearest's head, Mr. Omokage! She is not fit for such things!" Ima tried to respond, but Kako was already completely lost in it.

"Is this the first time you've seen a dead body, Kako? Aren't you a detective?" I tried to intervene. Suddenly, the unsettling twinkle in Kako's eyes vanished, replaced by a profound sadness that washed over her face.

"Y-yes, I'm a detective," Kako stammered. She looked at Ima for a second before continuing. "But this is the first time I've come across something like this. The cases I've solved so far haven't involved a dead person." Kako tried to explain herself, but for some reason, her tone sounded strange, almost as if she were hiding something. Yugamu's gaze shifted, its intensity sharpening as he focused on Kako. It was clear that he wasn't satisfied with her explanation.

"All right, let's examine the body," Yugamu said with a grin. "Maybe we'll find something that will lead us to the killer."

One thing had truly struck me about Yugamu so far... Why did he want to help me? I'd better ask him.

"Yugamu, why are you so eager to find the culprit?" I asked bluntly. *Given the situation we're in, hiding things wouldn't help anyone. Unless, he was the culprit.

"It's the first time I've found the culprit. Usually, I don't get that satisfaction because I'm the culprit. But now..." Yugamu explained, putting both hands on his shoulders. He seemed to be enjoying himself again, that unsettling smile back on his face. *Having an experienced killer on our side could certainly help in finding the culprit, unless, as I'd already thought, he was the culprit himself.*

"You can think of me as your sidekick, Takumi. I'll be useful," Yugamu said with a smile.

"Excuse me," Kako interjected, stepping between us. "If you're going to examine the body, may I join you?"

Yugamu and I both turned our attention to Kako, who was experiencing the unsettling excitement of a high school girl attending her favorite band's concert for the first time.

"No, sister dearest!" Ima said, trying to refuse, but Kako paid him no mind.

"I don't mind, but can you bear to see dead bodies?" Yugamu asked. Kako just nodded excitedly.

Ima's expression, a mix of protectiveness and stubborn resolve, hardened. "Then I'm joining you. I can't let my dear sister see something like this alone," he declared. Although Kako was clearly uncomfortable with the situation, it was almost impossible to dissuade Ima from his stance, so we agreed. The four of us myself, Yugamu, Kako, and now Ima approached Shuichi's dead body.

"Hm," Yugamu murmured, remaining silent as he closely examined Shuichi's body. "Sirei File doesn't seem to be lying. Poison was used in this murder."

"Could it be anything other than poison? Mr. Saihara has been coughing since yesterday. He might die from his illness," Ima suggested.

"Impossible," Yugamu explained firmly. "The medicine I gave him yesterday alleviates, if not cures, all kinds of diseases. It would be hard for him to die from the disease."

"What kind of medicine was it?" Kako pressed, stepping forward slightly. "What kind of stuff was it in?"

Yugamu turned to Kako, smiling as he explained, "It's a liquid medicine in a glass bottle. The only side effect is a severe fever."

"I see. When I went to Shuichi's hut yesterday, there was an empty glass bottle on his desk—" Kako was explaining when Ima suddenly interrupted.

"What did you say you did yesterday, sister dearest?!" Ima demanded, his voice sharp with urgency.

Kako admitted in a quiet voice, "I went to Shuichi's hut yesterday."

"And why did you do that?" Yugamu echoed, his gaze fixed intently on Kako.

"Yesterday morning, I went to apologize on behalf of my dear brother because he had a quarrel with him," Kako explained, her voice still quiet under scrutiny.

Ima was clearly surprised by Kako's admission. "Sister dearest, it's not safe for you to enter the territory of strangers! What if he had hurt you?" he exclaimed, his voice laced with alarm.

"After I came in, I got cold feet. Shuichi was cold to me," Kako said, her voice dropping slightly.

"Did you notice anything strange about him?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

Kako put both hands on either side of her head, her brow furrowing as she began to think. “He spoke to me coldly and wondered how I had earned my ultimate title. When I explained, he seemed dissatisfied. He was also coughing the whole time," Kako explained.

"Coughing, huh? Didn't he take the medicine I gave him?" Yugamu thought aloud, then turned his gaze back to Kako. "You said there was an empty bottle on his desk, right?"

"Yes," Kako confirmed.

"Interesting," I said aloud. Shuichi told me this morning that he took the medicine, but it didn't work." Did he lie?

“ Kako’s account” has been added to the Truth Bullets

"Anyway, we'll talk about that later. Now, back to the body," Yugamu stated, steering the conversation back to the grim task at hand.

"How could he have been poisoned?" I asked.

"It looks like curry. Someone poisoned Shuichi's curry," Yugamu explained, turning to me. "Any ideas, Takumi?"

"No, I have no idea for now," I explained to Yugamu, and I got a reaction I didn't expect.

"Maybe you're the culprit," Yugamu said with an eerie smile, his eyes fixed on me. Yugamu's words filled me with a cold feeling.

"I'm kidding," Yugamu said, switching to a heartwarming smile. "I don't think someone as cute as you is capable of murder." Yugamu suddenly shifted his focus to Shuichi's corpse.

"Look carefully at Shuichi's eyes, Takumi," Yugamu instructed, pointing a slender finger toward them.

I looked carefully at Shuichi's eyes as Yugamu pointed to them. "His eyes are red," I murmured.

Yugamu nodded, his gaze still fixed on Shuichi's face. "That's right. It's red. Not all poisons do that," he explained.

"What poison does it use?" I asked, looking from Shuichi's eyes to Yugamu's.

"Actually, many poisons do," Yugamu explained. "I'll have to examine the poisons in the lab to be sure."

"The lab, huh? That must be where the poison came from," I murmured, realizing this.

“ Shuichi’s eyes” has been added to the Truth Bullets

"So, our next stop is the lab," Yugamu said.

"So, are we going to the lab now?" Kako, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up.

"No, dear sister, they're going. We're leaving this place! I can no longer allow you to remain in such an environment!" Ima intervened, his voice firm. His words shattered Kako's dreams of joining the inquiry. "See you at the trial, Mr. Sumino and Mr. Omokage," Ima said as a final goodbye before taking Kako firmly by the arm and leading her swiftly out of the cafeteria. We didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. Kako looked at Yugamu's face for a while before disappearing from our view. She looked like she would do anything to stay with us, but it was clear that Ima wouldn't allow it.

"It's a shame. We could have used Kako's detective skills," Yugamu remarked as he watched them go.

We watched them leave together, Ima's protective grip on Kako's arm never wavering until they were out of sight. Yugamu then turned to me, his gaze sharp. "Who are we questioning now?" he asked.

"Hmmm?" I thought for a moment as I looked around the cafeteria. Tsubasa was still kneeling in a corner next to her vomit, clearly unwell. Kurara, Kyoshika, and Moko were trying to comfort Nozomi, who seemed distraught. Eito was dealing with Darumi, though I couldn't tell what was happening. Hiruko, Takemaru, Gaku, and Shouma were nowhere to be seen. Where had they gone?

"Tsubasa! She's the only one who's alone. Maybe she has an idea," I said, voicing my thoughts. Yugamu nodded instantly, and the two of us went to the corner where Tsubasa was standing.

"Tsubasa?" I asked calmly as I approached her. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Tsubasa did not answer directly. First, she averted her eyes from us. Then, she looked down at the vomit on the floor. Finally, she nodded her head in agreement.

"Where were you at the time of the murder?" Yugamu asked before I even had the chance. It was as if he had been waiting ages to ask that very question.

Tsubasa wrapped her arms tightly around her body and whispered, "I'm not the culprit."

"Calm down. We're not accusing you of murder. We just need to know where you were when it happened," I said, trying to calm her down. But she didn't calm down.

Tsubasa wrapped her arms tighter around herself. "Why do you wonder? Are you going to pin your crime on me?" she asked, her voice trembling. I was stunned by what she said. Yugamu remained as he was, seemingly unperturbed by Tsubasa's distress.

"I didn't mean-" I started, but Tsubasa interrupted me, her voice shrill with terror. "A murderer is interrogating me, Takumi!" HURK

Now I understood better why she was so uncomfortable. Although it wasn't a good idea to investigate with a professional killer by my side, I couldn't think of anyone else who knew about dead bodies as well as he did.

"Don't worry. I didn't commit the murder. If I had, I wouldn't be so eager to solve it," Yugamu explained to Tsubasa with a grin. "Besides, I have no intention of dying here."

“Tsubasa, there's something I've been wondering," I said, seizing the opportunity to ask the question that had been on my mind for a while. "Why do you throw up all the time?"

"I don't know!" Tsubasa snapped, her frustration evident. "It's been like this since I was little. You wouldn't believe how many times I've been to the doctor, but they've never found a remedy. I vomit when I'm excited, scared, or very happy, regardless of whether my stomach is empty."

"Is that so? Maybe I can find a solution for you, Tsubasa!" Yugamu suddenly said. Tsubasa's eyes widened in surprise.

"Of course! Even though I'm a murderer, I know more about medicine than most doctors!" Yugamu suddenly declared, his creepy grin spreading across his face. "Maybe I can cure your vomiting problem by cutting open your stom—I mean, by treating you better. That is, if you agree to help us."

Tsubasa looked at Yugamu's face uncertainly for a moment. Her eyes were wide, showing a mix of fear and desperate hope. Then, she slowly turned to me.

"Tsubasa, you can trust us," I said, trying to sound sincere. "We want to find the culprit and ensure everyone's safety."

"Except for the culprit, of course. If the rules are correct, they will die at the end of the trial," Yugamu interjected, offering a grim reminder of the deadly stakes.

Tsubasa let her guard down for a moment, her shoulders slumping slightly. Then, she let out a shaky sigh and asked, "What do you want to know?"

“What were you doing at the time of the murder?” I asked this time. Yugamu looked uncomfortable.

"I was in the garage. Whenever I'm not feeling well, I like to tinker with machines," Tsubasa explained, her voice still a little subdued.

“You were a mechanic, right? Did you build anything special?” Yugamu asked.

“Actually, no,” Tsubasa mumbled, her gaze still fixed on the floor, though a faint hint of her earlier passion seemed to momentarily flicker. “I was just breaking an alarm clock and fixing it again.”

"Is that enough to relax you?" I asked in surprise. Part of me wondered how everyone truly had their own strange ways of unwinding.

"No," Tsubasa finally admitted, her voice dropping lower and taking on a raw, simmering anger that momentarily overrode her nausea. "I wanted to do something bigger, something that would truly distract me. But every time I tried, I saw that girl's silhouette, blocking everything out."

"Even now..." Tsubasa began, her voice tight. Suddenly, she doubled over and let out a wretched, choked sound. HURK!"

Hiruko. The skirmish they had the other day was still on Tsubasa's mind. It wasn't easy to get over, and the slap from Hiruko must still sting.

"That's why you didn't join the curry party, isn't it?" To avoid being around Hiruko," Yugamu asked, his deduction mirroring my own thoughts exactly.

Tsubasa just nodded.

“ Tsubasa alone” has been added to the Truth Bullets

"So, do you have any idea who the culprit might be?" Yugamu asked. A subtle spark in his eyes suggested that he was enjoying this detective work.

"I can't think of anyone else but Hiruko," Tsubasa choked out, doubling over again with a wet, gagging sound. "Hurk!" She then straightened slightly and looked at us with watery eyes. "Have you questioned her?"

"Not yet," I replied. "It's as if she left the cafeteria the moment Shuichi died." Tsubasa narrowed her eyes and pulled a face as if her suspicions had just been confirmed.

"We can't jump to conclusions. We haven't questioned everyone yet," Yugamu said with a smile, his eyes fixed on Tsubasa.

"I see. Then I'll see you at the trial," Tsubasa said, pointing to the puddle of vomit on the floor. "I need to clean this up."

We said goodbye to her and walked away.

"Can you really solve Tsubasa's vomiting problem?" I asked Yugamu once we were a little farther away from her.

"I can't be sure until I slit her stomach," Yugamu said. The more he spoke, the more scared I became.

"Who are we questioning now?" he asked calmly, as if he hadn't just made a murderous remark.

"Eito and Darumi. Maybe they know something," I suggested. Yugamu nodded, and we headed toward them.

We approached Eito and Darumi, who were standing near the kitchen entrance, whispering to each other. They immediately fell silent as we drew near, their eyes darting between us.

"What are you two talking about?" I asked suddenly, cutting through the awkward silence.

"Master Eito was telling me how he killed Shuichi!" Darumi blurted out suddenly, her words slicing through the tense silence. Our mouths collectively dropped open at the bombshell that had just come from her lips.

"I didn't kill him!" Eito shouted, his voice cracking. He swiftly adjusted his glasses; the movement was sharp and deliberate. Then, his gaze snapped to Yugamu, who was standing silently beside me.

"Hanging out with a killer? Not cool, Takumi,” Eito said, his voice laced with accusation. He glared from Yugamu back to me.

"Didn't Darumi just confess that you were the culprit?" Yugamu responded, his voice steady, cutting through Eito's outburst.

"Did I?" I don't know. Maybe I'm the culprit?" Darumi said with a strange look in her eyes as she put a finger to her mouth.

"Eito, do you know anything?" I asked pointedly, ignoring Darumi’s unsettling suggestion.

"Honestly, I don't know," Eito replied, his gaze flickering nervously toward Darumi. "I didn't have time to investigate the murder because I was dealing with her."

"Have you two been together this whole time?" Yugamu asked, his eyes sharp as he looked from Eito to Darumi.

"Unfortunately, yes," Eito said with a sigh.

"So, you both have an alibi?" I confirmed.

"Yes," Eito confirmed, turning his gaze sharply toward Yugamu. "She has been by my side since the day you fell asleep and I watched Darumi."

"Why would I leave Master Eito's side? He kept his promise and started the killing game!" Darumi chirped, hugging Eito's arm. Eito suddenly yanked his arm free from her grasp.

“I wish my promise hadn't come true,” Eito muttered, adjusting his glasses with a twitch. His gaze bypassed Yugamu entirely, fixing on me. “I wish I could help you, Takumi. But…” He trailed off, then pointed a frustrated finger at Darumi.

"It's abnormal for a politician to keep their promises. You should be proud," Yugamu said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“If you two are together all the time, you can't poison someone without each other knowing, can you?” I asked, just to be sure.

"But how do we know they won't lie for each other? Darumi seems okay with it,” Yugamu voiced his opinion aloud. At this, Eito’s eyes fixed on Yugamu, a hard glint appearing behind his glasses.

“Everyone thinks killing is wrong except you!” Eito lashed out at Yugamu, his voice sharp with accusation.

"I mean, I don't mind killing, but if Master Eito thinks so, then so do I!" Darumi said, spreading her arms wide in a theatrical gesture.

“ Eito and Darumi were together all the time” has been added to the Truth Bullets

"Takumi, if you ever have trouble finding the culprit, don't hesitate to ask for help," Eito said with a quick, perplexing wink. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Keep it in your pants, politician. He already has a sidekick," Yugamu retorted, narrowing his eyes at Eito.

“Let’s go now, we still have places to look.” I had to push Yugamu away. If the two of them had stayed together a little longer, it would not have ended well.

"What did he mean by that wink?" I asked aloud, more to myself than to Yugamu.

Yugamu, with a slightly puzzled expression, answered my unspoken question. "You're so naive, Takumi. I guess that's your charm.”

...what?

"Anyway, where are we going now?" Yugamu asked, as if his earlier comment about my naivety had been nothing more than a passing thought.

"To the girls," I replied with a sigh. "They're the only ones left in the cafeteria that we haven't questioned yet." Then, I headed toward Nozomi.

As we approached the small group of girls, I felt a knot of nervousness in my stomach. "Girls, how are you?" I asked, my voice slightly strained. Moko and Kurara were trying to calm a visibly distraught Nozomi, while Kyoshika wept openly a little further off, clutching her sword tightly as she stared at Shuichi's lifeless body.

"Get away from here, you peasant! Nozomi doesn't want to talk to you!" Kurara suddenly snapped, stepping protectively in front of Nozomi.

My attempt to speak was cut short instantly. "Now you want all of us!" Kurara shrieked, her voice laced with venom. I instinctively raised my hands in defense. "You want to strip us naked, just like you stripped Kyoshika!" She spat out the words, her fury unbridled.

"He'll take us to his hut, put us to bed, and make us—" Kurara's accusations continued, but her voice suddenly hitched. Yugamu had slowly and silently approached her from behind, moving with an unnerving grace that felt like a killer’s instinct. Kurara went speechless. As Moko tensed, preparing to counterattack, Yugamu suddenly reached out and removed Kurara’s mask.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Kurara, now unmasked, let out a shrill scream. Underneath the elaborate disguise was a cute girl with blonde, bob-cut hair. Was Kurara really such a cute girl?

"Good. We can talk now," Yugamu said, casually tucking Kurara's mask under his arm.

"HEY!" I snapped, my voice sharp with annoyance. "Let me know if you ever do anything like that again."

"I'm sorry, but it seemed like there was no other choice," Yugamu explained.

Moko tossed her hair dramatically with her right hand. "It's not nice to invade a girl's privacy like that, Yugamu!" she declared. "You took off her mask, just like in that Hair vs. Mask Match I had years ago, when I had to expose my opponent's face to protect my hair!"

"Please don't hurt me!" Kurara whimpered and immediately went into a defensive crouch. This was who she truly was under the mask.

"We don't want to hurt you. Just answer our questions,” Yugamu said. "If you're honest with us, I'll give you your mask back."

"Our questions," I thought, surprised. It seemed Yugamu already had them all lined up. I, on the other hand, was so preoccupied with Nozomi's distress that I hadn't begun to consider what to ask.

"What do you want to ask?" Kurara said shyly, her voice barely a whisper. This was a stark contrast to her earlier tirade.

"Curry party!" Yugamu suddenly declared, his eyes fixed on Kurara. "Tell me every detail."

“Every detail?” Kurara murmured, her voice still quiet. Then she began to explain. "Yesterday, after breakfast, Nozomi came up to me and asked how we could help everyone get along and become friends."

"I came up with the idea for the curry party. I thought using my family's recipe would bring everyone together," Kurara explained, her gaze briefly flickering toward Shuichi's motionless body.

“Who helped you?” Yugamu asked

"I cooked the curries myself," Kurara replied. "Nozomi helped me cook them." Gaku and Takemaru distributed the plates to the tables.

"He came to the cafeteria and said he was starving," Kurara replied softly. "He asked if he could eat the curry early. I gave him some in exchange for helping us.”

“Curry Party preparation team ” has been added to the Truth Bullets

"What about you, Moko?" I asked, realizing that I had no idea what she had been doing the previous day.

"I was with Kyoshika and Tsubasa all day yesterday. You have to support the heartbroken girls," she declared. Then she added, "We all found out about the curry party idea this morning."

"So Kyoshika and Tsubasa were with you the whole time?" I asked, putting a hand to my chin in thought.

"Not all the time," Moko corrected, shaking her head. "Tsubasa left when she heard about the curry party. She said she wanted to be alone. I didn't see her again until after Shuichi died."

"Is that true, Kyoshika?" Yugamu asked, turning his attention to the weeping girl. Kyoshika nodded, her eyes fixed on the ground as she continued to avoid eye contact with us.

"Sir Takumi, did Sir Shuichi die because of me?" Kyoshika suddenly asked, her voice small and tremulous.

"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my brow in confusion.

"I treated him very badly this morning!" Kyoshika wailed, her voice cracking. "He died before I could apologize!" She collapsed into hard sobs, her small frame shaking. Logically, she had no reason to feel guilty, yet the immense burden of his death was clearly crushing her.

I walked up to her and gently placed my hand on her trembling shoulder. "Don't worry, Kyoshika," I said softly. "We'll find the culprit."

"Yugamu, let's go! We haven’t finished looking yet!” I said, pointing toward him as if to pull him away.

"Wait a second!" Kurara rushed forward, her voice regaining some of its former sharpness. "Give me back my mask!"

"Ah, right." Yugamu acknowledged and, with a practiced flick, placed Kurara’s mask back on her face.

"You peasants had better not get caught up in something like this again!" Kurara snapped, her voice sharp and imperious now that her mask was back in place. She instantly reverted to her old self. Yugamu and I turned and walked away. We didn't even try to talk to Nozomi.

"How did you know Kurara had such a person under her mask?" I asked, still trying to reconcile the shy girl with her aggressive persona.

"I didn't know. Someone who wears a mask is hiding something, so I took it off,” Yugamu explained simply. As he spoke, I couldn't help but notice his eye patch.

"Where are we going now?" Yugamu asked, reviewing their progress. "We've talked to everyone in the cafeteria. Only Gaku, Takemaru, Shouma, and Hiruko are left.”

"First, I want to check Shuichi's hut," I stated, my voice firm with renewed purpose after the emotional encounter. "Then, we need to go to the lab and examine the poisons. If we run into Gaku, Takemaru, Shouma, or Hiruko in the meantime, we’ll talk to them then.”

Yugamu listened, a rare, genuine smile slowly spreading across his face. "You're thinking logically, Takumi. Maybe there’s a detective in you, too?”

I couldn't quite make sense of Yugamu's comment, but I smiled at him anyway. Together, we made our way to the roof, where the huts were located.

As soon as we stepped onto the roof, I made a beeline for Shuichi’s hut, eager to get inside. But Yugamu stopped me, putting a hand on my arm. When I turned to him, he simply pointed across the open space. There, huddled together and talking nervously, were Takemaru, Gaku, and Shouma.

The three boys were deep in conversation at the back of the hut, huddled together in the second row. As I started to approach them, Yugamu stopped me again. He clearly wanted to eavesdrop. Following his lead, we quickly ducked down and hid in front of my hut. We began to listen in on their hushed voices.

From our hiding spot, we heard Takemaru's voice rise to a near-shout. "What are we supposed to do?! WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?!" His voice cracked with desperation. "I don't know either!"

Shouma raised his hand, a surprising gesture amidst the panic. "If either of you is accused, I'll take the blame myself," he declared, his voice tight. "Anyone would think a snotty mouth like mine was behind it."

"No way!" Takemaru protested, his voice sharp with desperation. "Besides, if we accuse you, we're all dead! We need to find the real culprit!"

Takemaru paced nervously for a moment, then spun around to face Gaku, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Be honest. Did you kill Shuichi?" he demanded, his eyes wide with desperate fear. "Because if you did, I'll kill you before Sirei does!"

"I told you, man, it wasn't me!" Gaku retorted, immediately taking a defensive posture. "I only did what Kurara said. I didn't even go near where the food was made!"

"What if you're the culprit?!" Gaku shot back, pointing a trembling finger at Takemaru. "You were the one handing out the plates!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I came after you!" Takemaru shot back, his voice strained. "And you were with me when I was passing out the plates, remember?" He then muttered more to himself than to Gaku, "Who could it be?"

"Takumi," Shouma suddenly said, his voice cutting through the nervous bickering. As he said my name, a sudden, icy chill shot down my spine.

Gaku and Takemaru immediately turned their worried gazes to Shouma.

"Takumi and Shuichi were sitting next to each other, right?" Shouma continued, his voice surprisingly calm. "Takumi must have put the poison in his food while Shuichi wasn't looking."

As he explained his theory, Gaku and Takemaru both nodded slowly, their expressions shifting from panic to a chilling conviction.

"You're right. It must be Takumi,” Takemaru chimed in, his voice grim and certain. "No one else was so close to Shuichi." He paused, then added as if an additional piece of evidence had just clicked into place: "They were together yesterday."

"We found the culprit! Let's go kick his ass!" Gaku declared. Suddenly, he took a step that seemed to be directly toward our hiding spot. I flinched, thinking we had been spotted, but then I realized he was just heading for the stairs. Before he could take another step, Takemaru grabbed him firmly by the scruff of the neck, stopping him short.

"Calm down! Don't get carried away!" Takemaru hissed, pulling Gaku back. "We need to say this in front of everyone in the trial. Otherwise, we’ll be seen as the guilty ones.”

"But if we kick his ass now, we'll save everyone the trouble!" Gaku protested, trying to break free from Takemaru’s grip but failing.

"No, we can't! The next victim will be one of us three,” Takemaru hissed, tightening his grip on Gaku’s scruff. His voice was low and filled with a chilling conviction that instantly silenced Gaku’s protests. "It's the same underground. If you try to carry out the punishment alone, you'll be next."

His words hung heavy in the air, a stark warning that resonated even from our hiding spot. Mentioning "the underground" and "punishment" painted a grim picture of a deadly, hidden system at play that extended far beyond the current murder.

"Stop it, man! You're hurting me!" Gaku whined, squirming desperately in Takemaru’s tight grip. After a moment, Takemaru relented, dropping his hand from Gaku’s neck. The tense silence that followed was just as suffocating as the grip had been.

"So, what are we going to do?" Gaku asked anxiously, breaking the silence. "Are we just going to stand here and wait?"

Takemaru scratched the back of his head. "For now, let's go to the cafeteria," he sighed. "I'm still starving. I need to eat something before the trial."

Takemaru scratched the back of his head. "For now, let's go to the cafeteria," he sighed. "I'm still starving. I need to eat something before the trial."

"Even in a situation like this, you're thinking about your stomach!" Gaku huffed, but started moving anyway. "Let's go. I haven't eaten properly either."

As the trio started moving toward our hiding spot, Yugamu and I instinctively ducked inside my hut and pulled the door shut just enough to hide us. We waited in tense silence for them to pass by.

"Congratulations, Takumi. You've been added to the suspect list!" Yugamu whispered with a sarcastic grin once the trio's footsteps faded past our hut.

"HEY! Don't be ridiculous! I didn’t kill anyone!” I snapped. The accusation stung more than Yugamu’s sarcasm.

"But they're right in their own way. You were closest to Shuichi of all of us,” Yugamu said calmly, his grin not fading.

Unfortunately, Yugamu was right. A bitter truth settled in my stomach as his calm words echoed in my mind. It was only natural that I’d become a suspect. My proximity to Shuichi and my presence, however innocent, painted a damning picture. The cold, unavoidable reality of it began to sink in.

"What did you mean by letting me into your room, Shuichi? At least buy me dinner first!" Yugamu quipped sarcastically. But I was too focused on the task ahead to pay him any attention.

"Don't worry," Yugamu said, placing a firm hand on my shoulder and dropping his voice to a low, serious tone. "I'll take care of you no matter what, even if you're a murderer."

"Killers should have each other's backs, right?" Yugamu mused, his voice a low purr, and that unsettling, knowing smile returned to his lips. His gaze swept around my small hut, taking in every detail as if searching for hidden blueprints. "You have a nice room, Takumi. Is this where you plan your murders?”

“HEY!”

"Just kidding. Let's go to Shuichi's room now," Yugamu said. His earlier teasing evaporated as he headed for the door. He paused just before stepping out and glanced back at me. "Before I forget, don't forget why those three went to the cafeteria. You might need it.”

He offered no further explanation, leaving me to puzzle over his words. Why was that important? I didn't understand at the time, but if Yugamu mentioned it, there must be a reason. I made a mental note to remember it.

“Three boys goes to the cafeteria during the investigation ” has been added to the Truth Bullets

We left my hut and went straight to Shuichi’s room. The other three had already disappeared, presumably en route to the cafeteria.

As we stepped into Shuichi’s hut, we were greeted by a surprisingly normal scene. It wasn’t much different from my own small space, except for one striking detail, everything within it was black.

"Gloomy," Yugamu commented dryly. "I guess it's fitting for an emo."

"Emo? I don’t think Shuichi is emo,” I countered, frowning slightly. Yugamu turned to me with a look of perfect amusement and disbelief, as if silently asking, "Are you serious?"

"Whatever." Yugamu dismissed my comment with a wave of his hand and moved directly to a bottle sitting on the small table. He picked it up and examined it. "The bottle is empty. He must have emptied it somehow."

"Couldn't he have drunk it all?" I asked, looking for a simpler explanation for the empty bottle.

"If he had drunk it, he would have been cured. But he was still sick, wasn't he?" Yugamu countered, his voice sharp with clear, undeniable logic. He picked up the small, empty bottle again, tilted it, and gave it a conclusive shake. "He didn't drink it. He lied to you."

His words struck me with the force of a cold revelation. The implication hung heavy in the air: Shuichi had deliberately feigned compliance, hiding the fact that he hadn’t taken whatever was in that bottle, even though he was suffering. This deception complicated everything.

"So why did he lie to me?" The revelation churning in my mind prompted me to question it.

"I don't know. Maybe he didn’t trust you,” Yugamu mused, placing the empty bottle back on the table with a soft click. "If that's the case, we're headed down a very different path, Takumi."

"How so?" I asked again, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

Yugamu smiled again, a glint appearing in his eye. "Because, Takumi, if Shuichi lied to you about taking the medicine, it means he had a reason. That reason might be connected to his death in a way we haven’t considered yet. It means he wasn't just a victim of circumstance, he was part of a deeper game."

What Yugamu said made me swallow hard. What was Shuichi up to? The thought sent a fresh wave of unease through me.

“Shuichi's purpose ” has been added to the Truth Bullets

"Where are we going now? You’re the boss,” Yugamu asked. His voice was entirely unburdened, as if he hadn't just thrown a wriggling worm into the pit of my stomach.

"There's only one place left to go," I said, looking away from Yugamu and toward the door. "The lab."

We made our way to the lab together, the silence between us heavy with unspoken tension. I knew with chilling certainty that we wouldn't survive this trial unless we figured out what poison killed Shuichi.

We stepped into the lab, where Hiruko, the only person we hadn't spoken to yet, was standing amidst various scientific instruments. She looked up, her expression unreadable.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a flat tone.

"What are you doing?" I countered, my voice laced with suspicion.

"Research," Hiruko replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Her gaze swept over the various vials and equipment. "This place is full of poison. The poison that killed Shuichi must have come from here.”

“So that’s why you came here right from the cafeteria?” I asked, a flicker of understanding in my eyes.

"Or you acted prematurely to destroy the evidence," Yugamu added, his voice dropping to a low, challenging tone.

"Don't be delusional! I’m not the killer here; you are!” Hiruko snapped back, her voice suddenly sharp with anger.

"Don't judge people too quickly, soldier!" Yugamu retorted, his voice unwavering. "If you know how to hold a gun, then you must have killed someone before."

"Oh ho! Someone’s got a long tongue!” Hiruko retorted, glaring at Yugamu with unbridled fury. "It's true that I've killed people before, but they were worthless pieces of shit!"

"Oh ho! Somebody’s tongue is too long!” Hiruko retorted, crossing her arms and fixing her unyielding gaze on Yugamu. "It's true that I've killed people before, but they were worthless pieces of shit!"

"You know that pleasure! The path that blood takes as it flows through the body and the color it turns when it comes into contact with air...” Yugamu’s eyes glazed over. A chilling, rapturous smile spread across his face, and a soft moan escaped his lips. He seemed to be experiencing a perverse ecstasy.

"Isn't it?" Hiruko joined Yugamu, her voice echoing his dark satisfaction. "That sound when the body hits the ground..."

Those two were deeply unsettling, like standing too close to a flickering flame and knowing it could burn you at any moment.

"Poison? No, where’s the artistry in that?" A cold smirk flickered across Hiruko’s lips. “Death should be savored, not reduced to a silent, faceless gasp.” And just like that, the eerie calm settled back over them as if the darkness had never stirred.

"I see. Did you find anything?" I asked, brushing off the unsettling moment as if it had never happened.

"No, I'm not good with poisons," Hiruko replied curtly

Then Yugamu moved, shifting his focus entirely to the shelves and cabinets where the poisons were kept.

"Do you remember Shuichi's eyes, Takumi?" Yugamu asked without turning to me, his attention fixed on the various vials and bottles of poison.

"His eyes were red, weren't they?" I countered in a murmur.

"There are three poisons with this side effect. It must be one of them,” Yugamu announced, still facing the shelves.

Hiruko and I quickly moved to join him, scanning the vials he indicated with our eyes.

"Racoen!" Yugamu explained, tapping one of the vials. "It's a solid, pill-like poison. The only way to destroy it is to crush the pill with something hard because it doesn't dissolve in water or any fluid.”

"Pozoia!" Yugamu continued, gesturing to another vial. "This is a liquid poison. It spreads quickly through whatever it is put in."

"Otruva!" Yugamu stated, pointing to the last one. "It's a powdered poison. As soon as you inhale it through your nose, it stops reacting with the air!"

“ Three poisons” has been added to the Truth Bullets

"So the poison that killed Shuichi is one of them. Any idea?” Hiruko asked, crossing her arms and sweeping her gaze between the three vials.

"I have no idea," Yugamu said, his gaze still fixed on the vials. "Even though I'm an expert on poisons, I've never waited until my victim was dying to leave."

“Didn’t you stay to see if it would work?” Hiruko asked, raising an eyebrow and fixing Yugamu with a sharp gaze.

"If I want to kill someone, I make sure they're dead. But poison is risky—too easy to trace back to the killer," said Yugamu, adding with a cold smirk, "That's why I vanish before the arrows even leave the bow."

"Doesn't it work the other way around? I thought killing with poison was the most discreet method,” Hiruko asked, her brow furrowed in genuine curiosity. Hiruko asked, her brow furrowed in genuine curiosity.

"That's why you're not good with poisons, cute thing," Yugamu said with a patronizing smile. Hiruko's brow furrowed into a deep frown at the last two words; she obviously didn’t appreciate the endearment.

"Whatever." Hiruko dismissed us with a curt wave of her hand. Her earlier anger had seemingly evaporated, replaced by a cold pragmatism. "Now that I know about the poisons, there's no reason for me to stay here any longer."

Without another word, she turned abruptly and headed straight for the lab’s entrance, her silhouette stark against the dim hallway beyond. "I'm leaving. See you at the trial,” she called out. The words echoed with a finality that sent a shiver down my spine. Her voice promised a confrontation, not a reunion.

"Let's go too. We’ve looked everywhere I wanted to,” I said, ready to call it a day on our investigation.

But Yugamu added one more thing, almost as an afterthought: "There's one more place we have to look: the garage."

"Garage?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. "Why? I don't think it had anything to do with Shuichi's death."

"You'll know why when we get there," Yugamu replied with a smile. He offered no further explanation as he headed for the door. I followed him, feeling a familiar sense of bewilderment, even though I didn’t understand his intentions.

When we entered the garage, Yugamu immediately beat me to it. His eyes swept across the space as if he were searching for something specific. It was as if he could see something that only he could see.

"Yugamu, what are we doing here?" I asked, confused by his intense focus.

Yugamu continued searching without answering me, his gaze sweeping the garage. After a moment, his eyes landed on something. He walked to the right side of the table in the center of the garage and crouched down. "Here it is," he said, picking up a clock from the floor and holding it out for me to see.

"What's this?" I asked, my curiosity overriding my earlier confusion. I stepped closer to Yugamu and reached for the clock.

As my fingers brushed against it, he abruptly pulled it away. "Tsk, tsk, Takumi, it's dangerous."

I raised my eyebrow and looked at him, then let my gaze fall to the clock in his hand. I scrutinized its face and casing, searching for any anomaly or hint of what Yugamu considered dangerous. But I couldn't find anything unusual. Why was he so interested in a simple clock?

Yugamu then took a screwdriver from the table. Its glint caught the dim garage light. With practiced ease, he began to pry open the clock’s casing. As soon as the mechanism was exposed, he leaned in and took a deep, deliberate sniff. A familiar, rapturous smile spread across his face, and a soft moan escaped his lips. He was having another one of his perverse moments of ecstasy. Why?

"...Yugamu?" I asked anxiously, disturbed by his reaction.

"Can you smell it, Takumi?" Yugamu asked, his expression unchanged as he remained lost in his strange reverie. "The sweet smell of death?"

"The sweet smell of death?" I repeated, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach. My voice was laced with worry. "What do you mean?" I came closer and leaned in to sniff the clock in his hand. "Gasoline?"

"Reasonable, if you want to call it that," Yugamu replied, his eyes still distant. He then carefully unscrewed the lid of a small canister hidden inside the clock with the screwdriver. With a fluid motion, he inverted the canister, pouring gasoline onto the garage floor.

"What's all this about?" I asked, my voice edged with confusion and alarm.

"We have another suspect now, Takumi," he replied, his smile never wavering.

My eyes widened immediately after he said that. A name, a face, and a chilling possibility came together.

"Tsubasa!" I gasped.

"Exactly!" Yugamu confirmed, a predatory gleam in his eyes. He held up the clock, pointing to the top. "Take a look at the top. The alarm has been replaced with a flint. With the gasoline inside, when the alarm goes off, poof!" He punctuated his explanation with a sudden, explosive gesture, miming a small eruption with his hands.

Yugamu calmly placed the watch down on the table. Despite its deadly potential, the small, modified device looked innocuous.

"Remember to keep this in mind, Takumi," he said, his eyes meeting mine with a chilling intensity. "You'll definitely need it!"

"How could I forget something like that?" I murmured, staring at the clock on the table. The image of the flint and gasoline, along with Yugamu's chilling explanation, had already been burned into my mind.

“Clock full of gasoline ” has been added to the Truth Bullets

Just as we finished talking, the monitors mounted high in the garage flickered to life. The sudden, bright glare cut through the dimness, mirroring what I knew must be happening across the entire school. On every screen, Sirei's image appeared.

"I hope you did your investigation properly, troops! Because it's time for the trial! Everyone, gather in front of the Defense Room on the third floor!"

"It's about time," I muttered under my breath—a thought I hadn't meant to voice.

"Yes, Sumino, it's finally time," a calm, steady voice responded. It wasn't Yugamu.

"The trial to find that murderous, vile, callous, barbaric killer has finally arrived!" Sirei reminded me, his voice sickeningly cheerful as he spoke right next to me.

"So, how will this trial work?" Yugamu asked, his unsettling gaze fixed on Sirei.

"I'll tell you all the details when the trial starts. All of you, gather in the Defense Room. Come on, shush!” Sirei said, waving his hand dismissively. It was clear that the conversation was over and it was time to move.

"Let's go, Takumi," Yugamu said, turning toward the garage exit. His expression was unreadable. "We can't escape our destiny."

"You go ahead," I told Yugamu, holding my ground. "I want to talk to Sirei about something." I had an important question that I needed to ask him directly.

Yugamu cast a curious glance my way with a subtle twitch in his expression, but he said nothing. He simply nodded, turned around, and left the garage, leaving me alone with Sirei.

"What did you want to ask, Sumino?" Sirei asked with a playful, almost teasing tone. "I can't tell you who the killer is directly, remember?" He chuckled as if sharing a private joke, but I was deadly serious.

"Sirei, is Karua in the outside world?" I asked, my voice devoid of humor and cutting through his playful demeanor.

Sirei’s easy demeanor vanished. His face became impassive, and his sharp, unblinking gaze fixed on me as he replied.

"Yes, Sumino. Karua is in the outside world,"

"You're not lying, are you?" I asked in a barely audible whisper, desperately needing to make sure.

"Eggs do not lie, Sumino!" Sirei replied, his serious gaze never wavering from mine. "Karua is in the outside world and is living a peaceful life!"

"I see..." I murmured. Sirei's answer, regardless of its truthfulness, settled deep within me. Whether he was lying or not didn't matter; the response itself was enough. I now knew what I needed to survive this trial.

I will survive this trial for Karua!

About ten minutes later, the fifteen of us gathered in the corridor-like room just outside the ominous door to the Defense Room. I carefully scanned everyone's faces. Some were focused, their expressions grim with concentration. Others were visibly nervous, fidgeting or biting their lips. Then there were those whose fear was palpable, their eyes wide with barely suppressed terror.

"Are you ready, Takumi?" Yugamu asked, his voice cutting through the hushed tension of the corridor.

I didn't answer. He must have known the answer himself.

After waiting a little longer, the heavy door to the Defense Room slowly creaked open. We all nervously began to file in, each step echoing in the sudden silence. The Defense Room was immediately different from a normal courtroom.

In the center of the room was a raised dais arranged in a perfect circle. It featured sixteen pedestals or small benches, clearly meant for the "would-be criminals" on trial. On one of the pedestals was a black-and-white photo of Shuichi defaced with a pink "X." Directly opposite the entrance door, standing grandly behind the circle of benches, was an enormous, ominous throne-like structure.

“How do you like the new decorations?” Sirei's voice boomed, startlingly close, as he suddenly appeared, seated upon the huge, throne-like structure. "We redecorated it after it lost its old purpose. It's used for something else now!"

"What is this place?" Hiruko asked, her voice cutting sharply through the sudden silence that had fallen over the room.

"The courtroom, of course!" Sirei announced, his voice echoing through the strange space. "Now, everyone, step up to the podium with your name on it! The trial is about to begin!” We all took slow, hesitant steps toward our designated podiums on the circular dais.

One of us is the killer of Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate ???

Although I had spent time with him, he was someone I didn’t really know.

But no matter what, he was one of us! For his sake, I'll find his killer!

...and to meet Karua!

Chapter Text

Truth Bullets:

Sirei File #1

The official report on Shuichi Saihara, Ultimate ???'s death, confirming he was poisoned. It includes details like the location, time of discovery, and notes no other injuries.

Kako’s Account

Kako visited Shuichi’s hut and saw an empty medicine bottle on his desk. Shuichi was cold toward her, questioned her Ultimate title, and kept coughing.

Tsubasa Was Alone

Tsubasa skipped the curry party to avoid Hiruko and stayed in the garage fixing the clock.

Shuichi’s Eyes

Shuichi’s eyes were red after death, a symptom linked to specific poisons

Eito and Darumi Were Together

Eito and Darumi alibi each other, claiming they were together the entire time during the murder. Eito insists he was monitoring her.

Curry Party Preparation Team

Kurara and Nozomi cooked the curry, while Gaku and Takemaru served the plates. Before the curry party, Takemaru joined the curry prep team for some food.

Three Boys Went to the Cafeteria During Investigation

Gaku, Takemaru, and Shouma left roof to eat in the cafeteria mid-investigation.

Shuichi’s Purpose

Shuichi lied about taking Yugamu’s medicine, the bottle was empty. His deception suggests he had a hidden motive or distrusted others.

Three Poisons

Three poisons in the lab match Shuichi’s symptoms:

• Racoen: Pill form, doesn’t dissolve in liquid.

• Pozoia: Liquid, spreads quickly.

• Otruva: Powder, lethal if inhaled.

Clock Full of Gasoline

A modified clock found in the garage had its alarm replaced with a flint and was filled with gasoline, a makeshift incendiary device.

CLASS TRIAL BEGINS!

“Let's begin with a simple explanation of the Class Trial!" Sirei began to speak, we all listened, held captive by his words.

"During the trial, you'll present your arguments for who the culprit is, and vote for 'whodunnit' at the end. If you vote correctly, only the blackened will be punished. But if you pick the wrong person... Well, I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and the killer will graduate!" Sirei began by reiterating the rules of the hearing.

"Haha! How was I? I was definitely better than that grotesque bear!" Sirei said something from his throne, but none of us cared.

“KYOHOHOHOHOHOHO! TRIAL! TRIAL! TRIAL!" Darumi suddenly began to chant, her voice rising in an unnerving crescendo that filled the already tense room.

"Okay, everybody, calm down and clear your minds," Eito said, his voice surprisingly steady. It cut through the tense atmosphere before anyone else could react. He adjusted his glasses, their frames glinting under the harsh courtroom lights. "The number one rule of trials is to listen to the judge and follow his decisions to the letter."

"Are you the judge?" Yugamu asked with a sarcastic lilt in his voice, his eyes fixed on Eito. "Remember, we are all suspects here."

"All of us?" Eito snapped, his usual composure cracking. "What makes you think someone like me is capable of murder, assassin?"

"That's why you're a suspect too, politician!" Yugamu replied with a twisted smile. "But have it your way. I’m excited to stand trial for the first time.”

Eito and Yugamu were already talking back and forth. I had to do something. Otherwise, the trial would take an undesirable turn before it could even properly begin.

"First, let's examine the victim," I interjected, offering my advice and hoping to divert attention from Eito and Yugamu's bickering.

"Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate ???" I began, addressing the solemn photo on the podium. "We don't know his ultimate yet. He died of poisoning in the cafeteria."

"He died too soon. HE DIED TOO SOON!” Darumi wailed, her voice rising to a hysterical cry. "He was eliminated from the killing game before he could attend the first trial!" She continued to sob uncontrollably.

"Maybe it's his luck, huh?" To leave this murderous game early,” Hiruko said, her voice cutting through Darumi’s sobs. “But we are not so lucky! Remember, if we don’t find the culprit, we’ll join Shuichi!”

"He's dead because of me! Sir Shuichi is dead because of me,” Kyoshika cried out, tears streaming down her face. This added another layer of raw emotion to the chaotic scene.

"Calm down, honey. I don't think Shuichi's death was your fault," Moko said gently, trying to soothe Kyoshika. But Kyoshika just continued to sob, her shoulders shaking with grief. She was unmoved by Moko’s words.

"How can you be so sure, Moko?" Hiruko interjected, her gaze sharp as she looked between Moko and Kyoshika. "Could Kyoshika have killed Shuichi for revenge?" She had identified the first suspect.

"Don't be like that, honey. You can't survive here by distrusting your friends," Moko said.

"You'll die here if you don't suspect anyone!" Hiruko countered, adjusting her glasses sharply. "It's a game of suspicion!"

"Don't worry, honey. I've survived the deadliest death matches. After all, I am Moko Mojiro, the Apocalyptic Maiden of Destruction!” Moko said proudly, a defiant glint in her eyes. Hiruko just shrugged, her expression unreadable.

"Who killed Shuichi?" While we were arguing, a very loud whisper cut through the tension and silenced us all instantly. The owner of that very loud whisper, Nozomi, asked, "WHO KILLED SHUICHI?"

"Nozomi, calm down," Eito said, trying to calm her down, but failing.

Nozomi didn't calm down. Instead, her voice escalated into another furious roar. “YOU KILLED HIM, DIDN’T YOU?! YOU KILLED SHUICHI!”

"Nozomi, lower your voice!" Eito responded, his voice remarkably calm despite the chaos. "We're all here to find Shuichi's killer. False accusations won't help us."

Nozomi breathed in and out, visibly calming down. It seemed as if she agreed with what Eito had said. Then she continued, her voice a low, dangerous growl: "But it's not baseless. You and your group killed Shuichi!"

"Nozomi, what group are you talking about?" I asked. "You had the same reaction in the cafeteria." I was genuinely curious about it. What group was she talking about? Nozomi stared at me with a piercing gaze. She looked so much like Karua that her stare sent a shiver down my spine.

"On the first day, Eito divided us into groups to explore the school," Nozomi began to explain, her voice steady. "Shuichi and I ended up in the same group."

"When Shuichi and I went to inspect the roof," Nozomi continued, her voice taking on a sharp edge, "he told me a little about it. He said that Eito was a politician and wanted to create a hierarchy here. He planned to draw the people at the bottom to his side to gain a quantitative advantage over the others.”

"According to Shuichi, Eito considers me, Kurara, Tsubasa, Gaku, Takumi, and Shuichi to be the weakest." Nozomi’s voice cracked as she said Shuichi’s name. "I'm sure someone from this group killed Shuichi on Eito's orders!"

"Wow, Shuichi is smarter than he looks! He knew who the weak link was from day one,” Hiruko said, her gaze fixed pointedly on Tsubasa. Tsubasa didn't like that look at all.

"What do you mean? I have no such intention!" Eito retorted, his voice sharp with indignation. "What good would it do me to order someone to kill? My life is at stake too!"

"Nozomi has a point," Yugamu said with a sly smirk. "Even if you didn't give the order, someone could've killed for you."

"Then we've found the killer!" Takemaru said triumphantly, raising his fist.

"What? Who?" Nozomi asked, her curiosity piqued. I didn't like where the conversation was heading.

"Eito, thank you for not considering me, a ground-up, earwax-smelling dwarf, as one of the weakest. But the killer is from your group," Shouma said, his voice surprisingly calm despite the bizarre self-description and direct accusation. Yes, it was clear what they were going to say next.

"You're the killer, Takumi!" Gaku said, pointing his finger directly at me. As I suspected, I was the one they suspected.

Everyone’s eyes, including Nozomi’s, turned to me suspiciously. Everyone except Yugamu, that is, who seemed to know this was coming.

"Takumi, explain!" Hiruko ordered, her voice cutting through the suddenly heavy silence.

"There's nothing to explain!" Takemaru declared, his voice firm. "Takumi and Shuichi spent a lot of time together. Even at the curry party, Shuichi sat next to Takumi. Takumi must have poisoned Shuichi at that time."

"It's true that I spent too much time with Shuichi, but I didn't poison him," I said in my defense. I knew it didn’t sound convincing because I was arguing without any evidence.

"Is that so? Prove it, then!" Gaku said, his voice laced with challenge.

"I never touched Shuichi's plate!" I defended myself, my voice rising in earnest. "You were there, Takemaru. You started talking to me after giving Shuichi his plate.”

"You distracted me and put poison on Shuichi's plate! You’re the killer!” Takemaru said, his voice growing firmer.

"Couldn't you be the real killer, Takemaru?" Yugamu said, jumping to my defense. "Don't forget that you were the one who gave Shuichi his plate. You had more opportunities than Takumi to put the poison on the plate.”

Takemaru's breath caught in his throat, sounding like he was choking. He did not seem to expect this slander. "So the killers have each other's backs..." he muttered, his voice strained.

"We have better ways of determining who the killer is than making baseless accusations," Yugamu said, cutting through the rising tension. "For example, we could share what we did between breakfast and the curry party."

"Why should that matter?" Ima asked, his voice carrying a note of confusion or skepticism.

"The curry party was announced at breakfast," Yugamu replied, his gaze sweeping across the tense faces in the room. "The culprit may have decided to poison Shuichi at that time." He then added, "Now, everyone, please explain where you were and what you were doing during that time."

"I was massaging Master Eito's shoulders!" Darumi suddenly blurted out, almost jumping in place. Eito's face took on a different expression, and his eyes narrowed.

“Really, man?” Moko's face took on the same unreadable expression as Eito's.

"She's crazy, but her massages are very good," Eito explained, as if such a defense were necessary.

"I'm good at massages!" Darumi elaborated, her voice sounding unusually bright. "I developed my massage skills because daddy punished me if I didn't massage him well enough."

"I can give you a massage next time, eh, Politician?" Yugamu said with a wide grin, his eyes glinting. "My massages are, how shall I put it, deadly!"

"Stop it already!" Hiruko interjected, her voice sharp with impatience. "I was in the training room yesterday during that time slot. As a soldier, I need to stay in shape."

"Aren't you missing an important detail, Hiruko?" Takemaru asked

"Like what?" Hiruko countered, her gaze sharp as she challenged Takemaru to elaborate.

"Shouma and I used to train in the same room as you," Takemaru explained, his eyes fixed on Hiruko. "I got hungry during training, so I went to the cafeteria afterwards. Shouma stayed with you."

"Then I didn't forget an important detail," Hiruko said sarcastically, her tone dry.

"You—!" Takemaru began, his face flushing with annoyance. "You're lucky I don't hit women!" Takemaru added, his jaw clenched.

"I understand that you don't care for someone who smells bad enough to make sewer rats faint," Shouma interjected in a flat voice, "but I was in that room with you until the curry party."

"There's never a time when Sister Dearest and I are apart!" Ima said. But...

THAT’S WRONG!

Kako’s Account

"Hm? What do you mean, Mr. Sumino?” Ima asked, narrowing his eyes slightly as he turned to me.

"Kako went to talk to Shuichi yesterday during that time slot. Right, Kako?" I asked, shifting my focus to her.

"Y-yes. I went to talk to Shuichi,” Kako said, her voice a little shaky. "I wanted to apologize for Brother Dearest's behavior, but he gave me the cold shoulder..."

"Ima was alone at the time," Hiruko stated, instantly turning the suspicion toward him.

"Come on, guys! Why are you looking at me like that?" Ima said, his voice rising in agitation.

"You don't think I'm the culprit, do you?" Ima added, his voice thin with a hint of desperation.

"I don't know, man. You had Shuichi by the collar this morning."

"That was a heel move," Moko recalled.

"Stop right there! I didn't do anything to anyone!" Ima's voice was laced with desperation. "I had been waiting at my dearest sister's door when she wasn't with me. I thought she wasn't answering because she was upset with me. I was pacing desperately outside her door when, to my surprise, she appeared right behind me."

"How long was the wait?" I asked, cutting through the lingering tension with my voice.

"It felt like an eternity to me," Ima replied, his voice laced with melodrama. "Time has no value when Sister Dearest is not with me." Ima’s explanation was not at all clear.

"...Kako?" I prompted, turning my gaze to her when I couldn't get a clear answer from Ima.

Instead of answering directly, Kako was lost in thought. She put her hands on her head, furrowed her brow, and thought for a while.

she thought

she thought

she thought

she thought

she thought

"I don't know," Kako finally answered in a defeated whisper. When she finally answered, it was hardly the breakthrough I had hoped for after her prolonged silence.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Hiruko snapped, her voice like a whip. Her gaze seemed to pierce straight through Kako’s eyes.

"Shuichi's behavior startled me," Kako began to explain in a slightly frightened whisper. "I didn't realize how much time I spent in his hut."

Ugh “Useless!" Hiruko snapped, clearly exasperated. "Ima is still suspicious. Nothing has changed."

"Okay, okay, don't be so nervous. You'll age that cute face of yours prematurely," Yugamu drawled with a smirk as he addressed Hiruko.

Hiruko visibly stiffened, disturbed again by the casual compliment that felt more like a taunt. "Ima is on the list of suspects. Now, let’s hear the alibis of the others,” Yugamu declared, effectively taking charge of the improvised trial. But something strange was going on...

"Right, let's hear your excuse, vomit monster!" Hiruko snapped, shifting her full attention to Tsubasa with a glare sharp enough to cut steel.*

"My alibi?" Tsubasa swallowed hard. "I was with Moko and Kyoshika the whole time." Her words came out rushed and defensive, but…

THATS WRONG!

Tsubasa Was Alone

"Tsubasa," I said, locking eyes with her. "Why are you lying?"

"Lying? I'm not lying!" Tsubasa protested, but her wavering voice betrayed her.

"You're a terrible liar! Spit it out already!" Hiruko's voice lashed out like a whip. "What were you actually doing then?"

"I'm not lying," Tsubasa insisted, her voice barely above a whisper as she clenched her fists. Tsubasa insisted, her voice barely above a whisper, her fists clenched. The tremor in her voice betrayed her more than any evidence could.

"Tsubasa, honey," Moko interjected softly, her voice laced with concern. "Why are you doing this? What aren't you telling us?"

"You told us Tsubasa left you and Kyoshika after the curry party announcement, Moko." Yugamu's voice turned razor-sharp. "Did that really happen?"

"Yes, that's exactly what happened. She left us for no reason. But Kyoshika and I are innocent. We were together all day, just like Meth and Nic Jerkson!” Moko explained, defending herself and Kyoshika. Kyoshika simply nodded in agreement. So they both have an alibi.

"Oh ho! Someone's lie has been exposed! We found the culprit!” Hiruko thought she had made the judgment. Tsubasa bowed her head.

"Calm down, Hiruko. Don't jump to conclusions. Let's listen to Tsubasa." I said

"There's nothing to hear here. If someone lies in a situation like this, she's committed murder!" Hiruko said and turned to Sirei. "Sirei, start the vote!"

"Already?" We haven’t even reached the most exciting part yet,” Sirei protested. “Does he think our life is a game?”

"You're always like this, aren't you? A selfish person who thinks of no one but herself?!” Tsubasa lashed out. Her accusation was directed at Hiruko.

“Did you decide to talk after your crime was exposed, vomit bag?” Hiruko tossed her hair back. "Fine by me. I'm going to enjoy watching you die."

Tsubasa hissed. Hiruko and Tsubasa exchanged an incomprehensible look. It looked like one of them wanted to kill the other with her gaze.

"Tsubasa, you told Takumi and me that you were alone in the garage before the murder occurred. What’s the reason?” Yugamu asked.

"I already told you why. I haven't been myself since that woman slapped me the other day. I tinker with machines to clear my head. That’s what I was doing at the time,” Tsubasa explained. But...

THATS WRONG!

Clock Full of Gasoline

"Then how do you explain the clock we found in the garage?" I suddenly asked. It's impossible for someone who was in the garage between morning and the curry party to know nothing about this clock.

Tsubasa's eyes widened when I mentioned the clock. “How did you find it—” Tsubasa gave himself away. Covered her mouth with both hands.

"What the hell is that clock?" Takemaru asked.

"Not a clock, a bomb!" Yugamu drops the bomb. Following Yugamu's words, the group, particularly Hiruko, focused their attention on him.

“During the investigation we found this alarm clock in the garage. The alarm had been replaced with a flint and filled with gasoline. In short, a ticking time bomb. Perfect for assassination,” Yugamu explained with a grin.

Tsubasa tilted her head forward again.

"You misunderstood me..." Tsubasa mumbled something.

“There is nothing to misunderstand! You killed Shuichi!” Hiruko said sternly.

“Not Shuichi, you! I WANTED TO KILL YOU!” Tsubasa’s voice cracked, raw with a sudden, unleashed fury. It was as if every drop of anger she had accumulated until now burst forth, echoing through the tense silence. Hiruko froze, utterly stunned by the unexpected confession.

“Yes, you! Do you even realize how much I despise you?” Tsubasa spat, her eyes blazing. “Your conceited attitude, the way you constantly humiliate me, always looking down on me as if I’m worthless! And that slap… that slap! It pushed me over the edge. I’ve been boiling inside, struggling, ever since. All that rage… it was for you! I WANTED YOU TO DIE!”

Tsubasa’s sudden tantrum caught us all off guard. The raw fury in her voice was disarming, and it seemed to catch her off guard, too. The moment her rage finally subsided, she began to tremble visibly. She stumbled back five to ten steps from her podium, clutching her stomach. With a harsh gag, she vomited onto the floor.

Moko, who was usually the first to offer solace, found herself rooted to the spot. The force of Tsubasa’s breakdown overwhelmed her helpful instincts. Surprisingly, it was Takemaru who stepped forward instead. Approaching Tsubasa with uncharacteristic gentleness, his usual boisterousness replaced with quiet concern, he offered her a steady, comforting pat on her shaking back.

"Damn, that's not cool, Kawana. Who’s going to clean that up now?” Sirei asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm rather than concern.

"Shut up, you hunk of metal!" Takemaru retorted sharply to Sirei. His gaze softened as he turned to Tsubasa, asking quietly, "Feeling better?" Tsubasa just gave a weak nod, still recovering from her outburst.

“Pathetic!” Hiruko's voice cut through the strained silence, devoid of warmth or concern. It was her only reaction, delivered with a cold, dismissive sneer that solidified her cruel indifference amid Tsubasa’s raw display of vulnerability.

"Why are you helping a potential murderer, Takemaru?" Hiruko spat, her piercing gaze fixed on him as she began her verbal assault.

"I help the weak, the elderly, and women, whether or not they're murderers!" Takemaru declared proudly, puffing out his chest slightly.

"Your pure naiveté will get you killed, Takemaru!" Hiruko retorted, but Takemaru didn’t even bother to acknowledge her warning.

A tense silence fell over the room as he waited for Tsubasa to recover from her outburst. When she finally composed herself and took the podium, we cautiously picked up where we had left off.

"Just to break this rather intense mood," Yugamu interjected, his voice cutting through the lingering tension with deliberate casualness. "Tsubasa, what were you doing between breakfast and the curry party?" Tsubasa took a few deep, calming breaths and let the last tremors of her outburst subside. Only then did she begin to explain, with a newfound steadiness.

"After the curry party was announced, I realized that I had an opportunity to kill Hiruko," Tsubasa began, her voice steady and calm. "While everyone was at the party, I was going to make a bomb and secretly place it near Hiruko’s hut." She then began to explain the intricate details of her murder plan.

"Between breakfast and the curry party, I started preparing the bomb. I chose a clock design so that it wouldn't stand out from the outside," Tsubasa explained, her voice steady but with a slight tremor. She paused, a sudden hurk escaping her lips, a leftover spasm from her recent illness. Recovering quickly, she continued, "I got the gasoline for the clock from the motorcycle in the parking lot." Tsubasa continued to reveal the chilling details of her murder plan.

“DID YOU SUCK MY YAMAHA DRY?!” Takemaru's voice boomed suddenly, cutting sharply through Tsubasa's chilling explanation.

"Ugh, phrasing!" Tsubasa muttered, a flicker of exasperation crossing her face before she regained her composure. "As I finished the clock, the announcement about the body discovery came. I rushed to the cafeteria and saw Shuichi’s dead body.”

"Hmmm..." I mused, a new conclusion forming. "Tsubasa isn't suspicious either."

"What do you mean she's not suspicious?" Hiruko shrieked, instantly objecting to the unspoken verdict. "This piece of vomit tried to kill me!"

"But she didn't. Tsubasa has a solid alibi; it's impossible for her to be the culprit," I calmly explained to Hiruko, trying to cut through her rage.

Hiruko glared at Tsubasa for a long moment, her eyes burning with unbridled fury and the promise of retribution. "I don't care if you survive this trial!" she snarled, her voice low and venomous. "The moment it's over, I'll kill you with my own hands!"

Tsubasa swallowed hard at Hiruko’s chilling words, the reality of the death threat settling heavily upon her. However, as the focus of the trial shifted, a grim truth emerged. Only one person remained on the suspect list. Ima.

"Okay, girls, what's your alibi?" Yugamu asked, turning his focus to Kurara and Nozomi.

"What's our excuse, you buffoon?" Kurara snapped, her voice sharp with indignation. “We were preparing the curry, remember?”

"You put the poison in the curry! Case closed!" Darumi announced triumphantly, as if sealing the fate of the accused.

"What? No! We didn't do that, did we, Nozomi?!" Kurara shrieked, her voice laced with desperate denial, and whirled to face Nozomi. But Nozomi offered no reaction, her silence chillingly absolute.

"Yeah, man, I didn't do that!" Gaku chimed in, attempting to intervene in the tense silence with his own denial.

"Shut up, you poor peasant! I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to Nozomi!” Kurara snapped, her voice dripping with disdain, swiftly dismissing Gaku’s attempt to intervene. She immediately locked her gaze back onto Nozomi, desperate for an answer.

"I...I don't know," Nozomi finally whispered, her voice barely audible. She broke the tense silence that had hung heavily between them.

"What do you mean you don't know, Nozomi?!" Kurara shrieked, her voice spiraling into outright panic. "We made the curry together, just the two of us!"

"Hey, I helped you two!" Gaku cut in, his voice urgent as he tried to support Kurara’s frantic claim. "I was with you!"

“SHUT UP!” Kurara sent Gaku flying with one punch, far away from his podium.

"Tsk, tsk," Sirei said, shaking his head with an almost theatrical nonchalance. "Violence during a trial isn't nice. But I suppose I’m at fault for not adding it to the rules. It was my mistake. Don't do it again, okay?"

School rules updated.

"Nozomi..." Kurara’s voice was barely a whisper, a desperate plea hanging in the tense air. Why wasn't Nozomi reacting? Her stillness was unsettling, and her silence was like a heavy weight in the already charged room.

"That hurt!" Gaku grunted as he slowly pushed himself up from where he’d fallen. He gingerly touched his jaw. He swayed for a moment, then straightened up and narrowed his eyes as he glared at Kurara. "What do you think you're doing!?"

"Shut up! You're not the important one here!" Kurara snapped and tried to punch Gaku again. But the newly added rule stopped her. Gaku flinched, momentarily frightened, then stiffened his chest as if Kurara couldn’t hurt him.

Kurara stared at Gaku for a while. Then, displaying his characteristic killer instinct, Yugamu swiftly moved behind Kurara and removed her mask.

"EEEEEEEEEK!" Kurara let out a shrill scream. "Give me my mask!" For some of us, including Gaku, it was our first time seeing Kurara’s real face. Not me, though. I’d seen it before.

“So there was such a pretty chick under the mask, huh?” Gaku commented, his voice muffled by the trickle of blood running from his nose.

"Kurara, did you put poison in the curry?" Yugamu asked directly, his gaze firm.

"Of course not!" Kurara replied, her voice trembling. "Do you think I would taint my family's legacy with poison?" As soon as Kurara finished speaking, Yugamu put the mask back on her face.

“One more person removed from the suspect list,” Yugamu announced, proudly returning to his podium.

"How do you know she's not lying?" Eito asked Yugamu.

"No one lies easily when their secrets are revealed, politician," Yugamu countered, his voice sharp with a familiar edge of challenge. "Just like your secrets are still hidden." The palpable animosity between Yugamu and Eito intensified, showing no signs of easing.

"So far, those on the suspect list are..." Yugamu stated, allowing the gravity of the names to settle into the tense air. "Ima, Nozomi, and Gaku!"

"Hey, man! I'm not a suspect!" Gaku immediately protested.

“Don’t bring Nozomi into this. She’s innocent!” Kurara added, defending her quiet companion.

“Do you think I would do such a thing with Sister Dearest’s life on the line?” Ima challenged, his voice sharp.

A moment later, Ima and Gaku spoke in unison, their voices ringing out together: “I am not the culprit!”

Kurara, not to be outdone, declared, "Nozomi is not a culprit."

"Sister dearest..." Ima murmured, his gaze falling on her.

"It can't be me," Gaku insisted.

"Nozomi, say something!" Kurara pleaded, her voice tinged with desperation.

"Brother dearest..." Kako murmured, her gaze softening as it fell upon him.

"I don't even know how to make curry!" Gaku exclaimed, throwing up his hands in protest.

“...” Nozomi remained silent, offering only a blank stare.

“Brother dearest is innocent!” Kako declared, her tone fierce and protective.

"How do we know it was poison? Couldn't he have died of a disease?" Gaku interjected, trying to sow doubt.

"Nozomi, say something!" Kurara pleaded, her voice cracking with desperation.

I HEARD IT!

Sirei File #1

"What you say is impossible, Gaku," I explained firmly. "The Sirei File clearly states the cause and time of death. He died of poisoning around 7:15 p.m.”

"Couldn't that file be wrong?" Gaku replied, his voice still holding a hint of desperation.

"No, it can't be," Sirei stated, his voice unwavering. “Eggs do not lie, neither do their files.” He seemed to consider the matter closed.

"What if he was poisoned beforehand and the effects were instantaneous?" Gaku continued to grasp at straws. "We don't know what kind of poison it was, do we?"

THATS WRONG!

Shuichi’s Eyes

"Yes, we can," I said, turning to Yugamu and giving him the floor. He picked up where I left off.

"Shuichi's eyes were red after his death. Only certain poisons cause that,” Yugamu explained.

Which poisons are they?

I GOT IT!

Three Poisons

"Racoen, Pozoia, and Otruva. These are the only three poisons that make a victim's eyes red,” I explained.

“Racoen is a solid, pill-like poison that does not dissolve in water. Pozoia is a liquid that spreads everywhere. Otruva is a dust. Inhale it, and you sign your death warrant,” Yugamu explained, detailing the properties of each poison.

"So Shuichi died because of one of these three poisons...hmm?" Eito mused aloud, mostly to himself.

"But there's one thing we missed, you two!" Eito declared, pointing his finger directly at Yugamu and me. "You two still have no alibi!"

“Us?” I asked in surprise

"Yes, you two! We know what everyone does between breakfast and the curry party, except you!" Eito declared, adjusting his glasses. "Explain!"

"Go ahead, Master Eito! Show these murderous killers!" Darumi’s voice rang out, filled with zealous conviction. She stood staunchly behind Eito, fervently supporting his bold accusation.

"We-" I began, preparing to offer our alibi, but Yugamu abruptly cut me off. "Takumi and I were plotting our murder!"

“HUH????? YUGAMU?!” I blurted out, utterly dumbfounded. What nonsense was he talking about?

"We put the poison in Shuichi’s curry while holding hands like lovers." Yugamu continued in a strange, dreamy tone. What the hell was he talking about? He was going to throw us to the lions!

"We thought that if we both put it in at the same time, we would both get away with it because we would both be considered killers," Yugamu elucidated. His eyes held a chilling, unwavering intensity as he explained his twisted logic.

"I knew it!" Takemaru roared. "You're the murderer, Takumi!"

"Sirei, is such a thing possible?" Hiruko asked, turning to face him.

"I don't want to spoil your fun, but there can only be one killer. It's impossible for more than one person to be a murderer,” Sirei explained, his tone a flat counterpoint to the escalating drama. Yugamu’s nonsense had clearly reached an even more extreme height.

"It doesn't matter! Either one of them is a murderer! Let's vote for both of them!" Takemaru continued to roar, his frustration clearly boiling over.

"That's not how it works, Yakushiji," Sirei explained evenly. "Only one can emerge victorious from the vote. What happens if two people get the same number of votes?” He posed the question thoughtfully, as if pondering an unforeseen complication.

"I don't know!" Sirei exclaimed, his voice tinged with genuine worry. "I'll check it out and be right back!" The trial is on a break, and somebody needs to clean up this vomit. It stinks!” With that, Sirei disappeared.

CLASS TRIAL INTERMISSION !

Chapter Text

"Okay, everyone," Sirei announced, reappearing as suddenly as he had vanished, a rulebook clutched in his hand. "I came here after checking the rulebook. Apparently, it doesn't matter if more than one person is voted out. The culprit just needs to get the most votes. It doesn't matter if they're tied with someone else for first place.” Sirei delivered the revised rules with authority.

"Huh? Why hasn't the puddle of vomit been cleaned up yet?" Sirei questioned, his attention abruptly shifting to the unsightly mess on the floor. At that moment, Tsubasa’s face fell visibly.

"You just disappeared for a second!" Kako snapped, her voice laced with irritation. "Ugh! I prefer that grotesque bear to you!"

"No, you don't!" Sirei snapped at Kako, his patience clearly wearing thin. "You have ten minutes to clean this thing up, and then we'll get on with the trial!"

I wanted to say that we all cleaned up together, but in reality, only Takemaru and Tsubasa cleaned up the puddle of vomit on the floor. We waited silently for the trial to resume. Why would Yugamu say something like that?

"Okay, it's over!" Takemaru declared, tossing down his mop and wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Sorry, Takemaru..." Tsubasa muttered.

"No problem!" He waved a dismissive hand. "There were always fights at my mom's bar, and I used to clean up the blood on the floor."

"Now that the cleaning is finished, we can continue. We need to improve our ratings!” Upon Sirei’s signal, everyone took their places on the podium again.

CLASS TRIAL RESUME!

"All right, Yugamu or Takumi, which one are we voting for?" Hiruko interjected abruptly, cutting to the heart of the newly established dilemma.

"Does it matter? Let's vote for both of them! After all, one of them is a murderer!” Takemaru insisted.

"It does matter! We can’t vote for both at the same time!” Hiruko retorted, her voice sharp with urgency. "If we vote the wrong person, we all die."

"Then let's split the votes equally!" Takemaru suggested, offering a compromise to the dilemma.

“ We can’t do that either, you idiot!” Kurara snapped, her voice sharp with exasperation. "There are fifteen of us. We can't divide equally!"

"Fifteen...?" Takemaru murmured, making a deliberate show of counting on his fingers as if the number were an enigma. Beside him, Hiruko let out a heavy sigh, clearly exasperated.

“It’s not evenly divided, you peasant! UGH! Didn’t they teach you math?” Kurara snapped again, her voice sharp with disdain.

“HEY! NUMBERS ARE HARD, OKAY!” Takemaru retorted, his voice tinged with a defensive frustration.

"Even if everyone votes equally, the closest it gets is eight to seven. One will always prevail,” Shouma explained calmly.

"So, don't let one person vote!" Takemaru declared, presenting yet another convoluted strategy. "If it's seven-seven, one of the two will be the murderer!"

"Are the numbers easier now?" Gaku asked curiously.

"You can't do that! Those who don't vote will be punished!" Sirei reminded them of the rule.

Takemaru stared at Sirei in bewildered silence. His earlier tenacity was replaced by a clear sign that he had run out of ideas. "So," he finally conceded, his voice heavy with frustration. "Which one is the culprit?"

"I'm not the culprit-" I began, but Yugamu cut me off.

"Neither of us are culprits," Yugamu stated with a disarming smile.

"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about? Why did you say you were both culprits then?!" Takemaru demanded, his voice laced with angry confusion.

“ To bait the real culprit,” Yugamu explained, raising a finger as if delivering a profound lecture. "I thought that if I said we were the culprits, the real culprit would take the bait and support us. Like you, Takemaru!" Yugamu turned his gaze directly toward Takemaru, a slow, deliberate smile spreading across his face, the creepiest smile he could possibly conjure.

"Oh, so that was the plan?" I murmured, realization dawning on me.

"Takemaru?" I asked, turning to face him as a sudden wave of confusion washed over me. Honestly, I had no idea Takemaru was a culprit. Just like me, everyone in the room swiveled their attention towards Takemaru, an undeniable spotlight now fixed upon him.

"What's going on? Why are you all looking at me?” Takemaru stammered, his eyes wide with genuine confusion as he struggled to understand the sudden shift in attention.

"Do you think I'm the culprit?" Takemaru asked, his voice laced with an uneasy plea.

"Who else could it be?" Yugamu countered, his gaze fixed on Takemaru.

"You or Takumi!" Takemaru insisted, his voice dropping to a hushed whisper. "Neither of you has an alibi yet."

"He's right. We need to know your alibi before accusing Takemaru,” Eito stated, lending his weight to the argument.

"If Master Eito says so, then it must be so! Come on, come on, come on!” Darumi chirped, practically vibrating with excitement. “Tell the truth. You two fucked recklessly, didn't you?"

"What? NO!" I practically shrieked in disbelief. Fucking Yugamu?

"Wow! So this is what high schoolers do in their free time!" Kako exclaimed, her eyes practically shining with morbid fascination.

"Sister dearest, please ignore them," Ima pleaded, trying in vain to pull Kako away.

“ Sir Yugamu and Sir Takumi, I didn’t know you were such people!” Kyoshika exclaimed, clutching her sword tighter to her chest. Then, in a softer, more protective tone, she murmured to the blade, "Don't listen to them, Holy Jumonji Sword."

"You're talking strangely for someone who uses a sword on their private parts." Kurara said, her hand rising to cover her mouth. The smirk on her lips was hidden by her mask.

"Lady Kurara! We haven't been doing it since we got here!" Kyoshika exclaimed in a panic.

"Takumi..." Eito spoke to me, his voice trembling with clear reluctance. "Is what Darumi said true?"

“ OF COURSE NOT!” I replied sharply, my voice rising. "During that time, I..."

My words trailed off. Wait a minute. Where was I between breakfast and the curry party? My mind raced as I grappled with the sudden blank. I had retreated to my own hut, but everything after that had been completely erased from my memory.

"Yugamu!" I exclaimed, turning to him, desperate for a reaction or a solution. But he seemed lost in a frenzy of pleasure at what had just been said. His mouth watered, and a strange, grotesque expression of delight covered his face.

“ SO THAT’S IT! YOU TWO FREAKS WERE STABBING YOUR SWORDS AT EACH OTHER!” Kurara roared, stepping forward. Her eyes blazed with what she believed was a horrifying revelation.

"YOU'RE WRONG LADY KURARA! The Holy Jumonji Sword was working at me!" Kyoshika gave unnecessary information

"So it was true..." Eito murmured, his voice heavy with disappointment.

"So what?" Takemaru snapped, cutting through the bizarre tangent with an irritated wave of his hand. "That doesn't change the fact that you two are working together!"

"You must have planned the murder while you were stabbing each other! Now you’re trying to frame me!” Takemaru added, his voice rising in accusation.

Panic tightened its grip. Everyone thought we were guilty. If Yugamu didn't speak up, one of us would be chosen as the culprit and we would all die.

"Yugamu, say something! Tell them what we did in the meantime!" I called out to him, but I didn’t like his answer.

"You don't want anyone to know what we went through between breakfast and the curry party..." Yugamu drawled, his gaze unreadable. The implication hung in the air.

"HEY!"

"Let's take a vote now! One of them is the culprit!” Takemaru declared, his voice ringing with renewed, almost manic excitement. His previous bewilderment had vanished, replaced by an eager conviction that a solution was finally within reach.

"I think we should stop for a second," Hiruko interjected, her voice cutting through Takemaru's eager declarations. "Even though they look suspicious, I don't think either of them are the culprits."

"On what basis do you say that, Hiruko?" Eito inquired, his gaze steady as he sought the logic behind her sudden interjection.

"From the things they did during the investigation," Hiruko replied, her gaze sweeping over Yugamu and me. "They interrogated us all one by one, didn't they? A culprit wouldn't risk drawing attention to themselves by leading the investigation meant to expose them."

"Is that so!?" Takemaru scoffed, his voice dripping with spite. "Then who's the culprit if not them?"

Hiruko was supporting us, which was nice, but a cold dread settled in my stomach. She wouldn't have stepped in without a deeper, calculated reason.

Hiruko paused for a second, her fingers rising to adjust her glasses in a deliberate. Then, her voice laced with what sounded like a painful revelation, she said, "Nozomi!"

"What?" No! Impossible!" Kurara shrieked, her voice sharp with instant, vehement objection. She was the first to openly defy Hiruko’s shocking accusation.

"Who else could it be? Let's see who has an alibi during breakfast and the curry party," Hiruko declared, her voice regaining its sharp clarity. However, her gaze suddenly snapped to Tsubasa, hardening into a stern, unwavering stare. "Tsubasa made plans to kill me!" her words cutting through her

"Eito and Darumi, the Twins, were always together," Kurara interjected, cutting swiftly into Hiruko’s ongoing deliberation. Her gaze then flickered to another pair. "Ima and Kako were separated for a while, though."

“ So, did you notice Ima?” Hiruko suddenly pivoted, her gaze snapping to Kurara. The question was sharp and direct.

"...What? When?” Kurara's voice was laced with confusion.

“While you were making the curry? Did he come to you?" Hiruko pressed, her eyes fixed intently on Kurara.

"No," Kurara replied slowly, a flicker of memory in her gaze. "Just Takemaru came and asked for some curry. I gave him some in exchange for his help."

"Then Ima can't be the culprit either!" Hiruko declared, her voice decisive as she struck another name from her mental list of suspects.

"I couldn't leave Sister Dearest to die and leave here alone," Ima murmured, his words soft and almost wistful, hinting at the unbreakable bond between the twins.

"Moko and Kyoshika were together," Hiruko continued, confidently striking another pair off the list of suspects. "They couldn't have attempted something like this without knowing about it."

She then turned her attention to me and Yugamu, and a slow, unsettling smile spread across her face. "Takumi and Yugamu were stretching each other's holes," she declared with an unashamed grin.

I wanted to shout in protest, but I couldn't. Since I didn't remember anything that happened between breakfast and the curry party... I couldn't object... even if I wanted to...

Besides, Yugamu's silence isn't helping at all. It's possible... that something like this happened...

A terrifying realization shot through me like a jolt. "Wait a minute!" My mind reeled as a new, horrifying possibility clawed its way to the forefront. Could Yugamu be responsible for my memory loss during that time? Had he drugged me? The unspoken implication hung heavy in the air, and a sickening dread twisted in my gut.

"Hm? Why wait, Takumi?" Hiruko inquired. Her sharp ears had apparently caught my panicked mutterings.

My gaze snapped to Yugamu, silently pleading with him, but he merely lifted a finger to his lips, making a swift, imperious "shush" gesture. The unspoken command was clear and chilled me to the core.

I swallowed hard and forced the words past the lump in my throat. "Nothing," I managed, my voice strained. "Please continue."

"Whatever," Hiruko muttered, dismissing my odd behavior with a wave of her hand, then resuming her explanation. "I was training in the training room."

"Shouma and I were in the same room, remember?" Takemaru chimed in quickly, as if to solidify his own alibi while the discussion was ongoing.

"Kurara, Gaku, and Nozomi were preparing for the curry party," Hiruko stated, meticulously laying out the timeline. "Takemaru came to help you. Is that right, Kurara?” she asked, her gaze steady on the curry chef.

"Yeah, right. That’s why Nozomi can’t be the culprit!” Kurara affirmed, her voice carrying a note of certainty.

"Who came closest to the curry?" Hiruko inquired, her eyes narrowing slightly as she posed the pivotal question.

"Me and Nozomi," Kurara replied, pausing slightly before answering. She then puffed out her chest, a flash of pride in her eyes. "I didn't let Gaku and Takemaru near it! Peasants have no right to learn the great Oosuzuki recipe!"

“Then you’re the culprit!” Hiruko declared, her voice sharp and uncompromising. The accusation landed squarely on Kurara with unyielding finality.

“You don’t think I’d poison the great Oosuzuki recipe, do you?” Kurara scoffed, her voice laced with indignation at the mere thought.

"Then let's eliminate you from the suspect list," Hiruko declared, her voice firm and unwavering. She turned and fixed her gaze on the last remaining figure. "Only Nozomi remains. You are the culprit, Nozomi!” she announced, as if driving the final, irrefutable nail into the coffin of her deduction.

Nozomi?

I studied her face carefully, just as I had with everyone else. A look of regret marred her features, and she avoided our gaze, as if trying to conceal something deeply unsettling. Could she truly be the culprit?

The longer I stared at Nozomi’s face, the more Karua came to mind. Sirei said Karua was out there waiting for me. But what if there was a deeper connection between Nozomi and Karua? A chilling thought solidified into a conviction. I couldn't let her die here!

"Nozomi is not the culprit!" I declared, my words ringing out with unexpected force.

After I said that, a sudden, collective silence fell. Nozomi, Yugamu, Eito, and Hiruko all turned their eyes toward me, fixing me with an intense, unblinking stare. The others present simply gaped in surprise, caught off guard by my unexpected declaration.

"Oh ho!" Hiruko mused, a knowing glint in her eyes. "So, Takumi, do you have any idea who it is?" she challenged, her gaze sharp and expectant.

"So far, we've only focused on the time between breakfast and the curry party," I blurted out, my first desperate lie springing to my lips. “What if the poisoning happened before?”

Lying in this situation made no sense, especially when lives were at stake, but I had to. I simply couldn’t let Nozomi be condemned.

"What do you mean?" Hiruko asked, raising an eyebrow slowly. There was a clear challenge in her gaze. "Is there something you're hiding from us?"

"Yes!"

I’LL REVEAL THE TRUTH!

Eito and Darumi Were Together

Eito and Darumi Weren’t Together

"Last night," I began, forcing the words out, "I heard voices coming from my door. When I looked through the crack in the door, I saw Eito walking toward the stairs."

I had to lie. I knew I had slept soundly all night, unaware of anything, but this lie was my only weapon at the moment. I had to tell it to save Nozomi.

Eito's gaze was anything but pleasant. His gaze was sharp and discerning, and it was unnervingly steady. He seemed to know I was lyinghe's a politician, after all.

"Is that true, politician?" Yugamu asked, his voice laced with cynicism. "What were you up to at night?"

"Master Eito?!" Darumi snapped, her face contorted with shocked betrayal. "You committed murder without my knowledge!" She bit down hard on her finger, her expression twisting further. "Damn it! I don't like that you cheated on me!"

"Eito, spill!" Hiruko didn't ask; she commanded. Her voice was sharp and unyielding.

Eito looked from me to Hiruko, his gaze holding a mix of resignation and weariness. He let out a slow sigh. "Yeah," he admitted. "I showed up at my own doorstep last night." Wait, really? So what I said wasn't a lie?

"Last night, Darumi..." Eito began, letting out a weary sigh. "She slept in front of my door. I tried to sleep, but I kept getting disturbed, so I went out to check on her.”

Eito continued his explanation, his gaze distant. "She was still sleeping soundly in front of my door." Just as I was about to go back inside, I noticed something near the stairs. Shuichi was coming down. I was curious and wanted to follow him, but Darumi seemed to wake up right then. I couldn't follow Shuichi because of Darumi." He then turned to me and added, "You must have seen me at that moment, Takumi." It was impossible to tell whether his corroboration of my lie was true or merely a clever fabrication.

"Ahh, something like that happened, didn't it?" Darumi said, nodding vigorously at Eito. She then leaned closer suddenly, her voice dropping to a low, suggestive tone. "Master Eito, did you get an erection while watching me sleep? My vulnerable body must have attracted you!"

"That changes everything," Hiruko stated, her eyes fixed on Eito. "You're not lying, are you, Eito?" she asked, her voice sharp and demanding the truth.

Eito’s gaze swept from Yugamu to me, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips. "Unlike other politicians, I don't lie," he stated, his voice carrying an understated challenge.

He knew I was lying, I was certain of it. But his story… was it a calculated lie to protect himself, or a truth that had coincidentally aligned with my desperate lie?

"So, we have another suspect!" Hiruko said, her voice cutting through the tension.

"Who is it? Did you finally settle on Nozomi?" Takemaru asked, his voice sharp with impatience.

"Shuichi himself!" Hiruko declared, dropping the name like a bombshell.

Nozomi, who had been speechless until now, jumped up as soon as she heard Shuichi’s name. "What?! How?!" she exclaimed.

"I like where you're going, cutie," Yugamu said to Hiruko. Her face instantly twisted into a look of disgust.

"According to Eito, Shuichi came down from the roof to the lower floors last night," Hiruko stated. "Was anyone else awake at that time? Besides Eito and Takumi?" No one responded. I suppose everyone else was asleep.

"Then the culprit is Shuichi!" Hiruko declared, her voice firm and conclusive.

"I don't know. It still looks like Takumi to me," Takemaru said, scratching his head. "Besides, why would Shuichi go downstairs alone at night?"

"I don't know the reason," Hiruko replied. "But we didn't know his ultimate. There must be a reason!"

I AGREE!

Shuichi’s Purpose

"Yugamu?" I said, passing the turn to him.

"When we entered Shuichi’s hut during the investigation, we found that the bottle of medicine I gave him yesterday was empty," Yugamu explained. "But he was still sick this morning. So, he didn’t drink it all. Maybe he doesn’t trust me, but the fact that he went downstairs alone at night suggests that he has other things on his mind.”

"We make a good pair, Takumi. Let's keep it up!" Yugamu said, looking at me with a smile. The possibility of what he might have done to me between morning and evening sprang immediately to mind... Ugh!

"Shuichi wouldn't do something like that. He cares about you!" Nozomi exclaimed.

“Didn’t you say that the first thing you told us at the beginning of the trial was that Shuichi suspected Eito and his group?” Hiruko countered.

"Yes, but..." Nozomi began to object, but Hiruko cut her off.

"Shuichi tried to kill us! But he bit the dust himself."

"Hiruko, what do you mean by 'us'?" I asked.

"All of us, including Nozomi!" Hiruko declared, speaking her mind. "Shuichi planted the poison in the curry ingredients. He was going to kill us all and get out of here alone!”

"As I said, Shuichi wouldn't do something like that!" Nozomi jumped in again, her voice sharp with conviction.

"How can you be so sure, Nozomi?" Eito asked calmly, his gaze steady on her. "What is Shuichi to you? Do you know something about him?"

“EEEEEEEK!” Darumi squealed, her eyes wide with cheerful speculation. "Or is Shuichi your master? Do you have a Master Shuichi, just like my Master Eito?!”

"I don't know..." Nozomi said, tilting her head. "I've had strange feelings for Shuichi since the first day. It’s not romance. It’s a different feeling, one I can’t quite put my finger on.”

Nozomi suddenly became angry. "So no, Shuichi couldn't be trying to kill us!"

"Your reasoning is illogical, Nozomi," Hiruko said flatly.

"Then let me give you a more logical reason," I interjected. I couldn't let Nozomi become a target if I could help it. Besides, I didn't need to lie this time.

"You said Shuichi wanted to kill us all, right, Hiruko?" I asked her. "And how was he going to do it?"

"With Pozoia, of course!" Hiruko said, adjusting her glasses. "Liquid poison. He was going to pour it into the curry and poison us all.”

THATS WRONG!

Three Boys Went to the Cafeteria During Investigation

"Takemaru, did you go down to the cafeteria to eat during the investigation?" I asked him directly.

"Yeah, but how do you know that?" Takemaru asked, a curious look on his face.

"Because you were shouting on the roof!" Yugamu interjected.

"Even Sister Dearest and I could hear your conversations from our hut, Mr. Yakushiji," Ima added.

"Yeah?! So what?!" Takemaru demanded, his voice thick with indignation, his fists clenching at his sides.

"What did you eat?" I pressed, my gaze unwavering as I ignored his outburst.

"A lousy bowl of curry!" Takemaru finally blurted out, his anger deflating into frustrated exasperation. "Why does that even matter?"

“YOU STUPID!” Kurara snapped, her voice cracking like a whip across the room. Her eyes flashed with incredulous fury. "Remember, the curry was poisoned!"

Takemaru froze, his angry posture dissolving into utter stillness. His wide, unblinking eyes seemed to stare at something far beyond the present moment. The reality of Kurara’s words had just crashed down upon him, stunning him into silence.

"What?!" Takemaru shrieked, his voice cracking with sudden, raw terror. Moments ago, his face had been flushed with anger; now, it was drained to an ashen white. He clutched his stomach, his eyes wide and wild. "Am I going to die?!" I can’t die!”

Yugamu offered a calm, almost dismissive explanation. "If you were going to die, you would have died by now. The poisons I mentioned are all instant death poisons."

Takemaru sagged with a profound sigh of relief, the color slowly returning to his face.

"I meant that the poison used wasn't Pozoia," I explained, cutting through the lingering tension with my voice. "It was a different poison."

"Which was it, then?" Hiruko inquired, her brow furrowing with keen investigative curiosity. "Racoen or Otruva?"

"It couldn't be Otruva," Yugamu explained, his voice steady and precise. "It's an airborne poison. The moment the cap is opened, the poison enters the person's nose and suffocates them to death.”

I paused, letting the implication hang in the tense air. “So the poison used...”

"...Racoen!" I declared. The name itself was a chilling whisper in the room, confirming the insidious truth.

"So what?" Hiruko shrugged, making an almost imperceptible gesture of dismissal. "Shuichi didn't want to kill all of us. He wanted to kill one of us, but he killed himself. Nothing changes.”

"That's almost impossible," I began, my voice firm as I stepped forward to dismantle Hiruko's hasty conclusion. "If he wanted to kill one of us, he would have waited until we had eaten the curry before he started eating it himself."

I let the stark simplicity of that fact linger, the logic being undeniable. Why would a killer consume the poison intended for their victim? It defied all reason.

"So the culprit specifically wanted to kill Shuichi?" Kako asked, her voice quiet yet sharp, cutting through the sudden silence.

"It seems so," Yugamu replied, his gaze settling on Kako with a warm, approving smile. "Good observation, Kako. You’re a good detective.”

A blush bloomed across Kako’s cheeks, a subtle wave of embarrassment she couldn't quite conceal. Beside her, Ima's face darkened with an almost palpable anger that he made no attempt to hide.

"So, was the culprit the one with the grudge against Shuichi?" Moko asked quietly, her voice laced with a dawning understanding. Her eyes swept over the faces in the room.

"No need!" Yugamu interjected, dismissing Moko’s line of thought with a casual wave of his hand. "Anyone could have put the poison in. Shuichi was just unlucky to have eaten it.”

"Hm?" I murmured aloud, the sound barely a breath, as my mind snagged on Moko’s discarded thought. Someone holding a grudge against another...

"Tsubasa, did you want to kill me with poison?" Hiruko asked, her voice cutting across the room like a precisely aimed blade and pinning Tsubasa under its sharp gaze.

"Of course not!" Tsubasa stammered, her voice thin and tremulous with fear. She swallowed hard and averted her gaze from Hiruko’s piercing stare. “My plan was… different…”

Hiruko's sharp gaze swiveled away from Tsubasa and fixed intently on Ima. "What about you, Ima? Did you have an argument with Shuichi this morning?" she asked, her voice precise and allowing no room for evasion.

"I wouldn't do anything to endanger Sister Dearest!" Ima retorted, his voice tight with indignation and his gaze flicking to Yugamu for emphasis. "Even though I didn't like Shuichi's attitude, I couldn't do that."

Hiruko’s relentless gaze shifted once more, this time settling on Kyoshika. "Kyoshika?" she asked, her voice steady. "What about you? He saw you at an inappropriate moment."

"No way!" Kyoshika retorted, her cheeks flushing with indignation. However, her voice held a strange, almost formal conviction. "It wasn't nice for Sir Shuichi to see my breasts! But I wouldn't try to kill anyone over it!" With a peculiar glint in her eyes, she added, "Besides, trying to commit murder without using the Holy Jumonji Sword would be cheating on him."

"Then it was you, Takumi!" Kurara shrieked, suddenly springing forward and jabbing her finger accusingly through the air before Hiruko could voice another thought. "Because you hated me, you tried to curse the great Oosuzuki curry and accidentally killed Shuichi!"

"I didn't do that!" I retorted, my voice sharp with indignation as I cut through her wild accusation. "Why would I want to curse curry?" I narrowed my eyes

"Then, Eito or Yugamu, which one of you did it?" Hiruko asked, her gaze sweeping between the two. There was an unsettling precision in her tone. "You two are always bickering. One of you might have wanted to kill the other."

"Me? I would never do such a thing!" Eito was the first to respond. His voice was sharp with indignant disbelief. He pressed his hand against his chest as if wounded by the mere suggestion.

Yugamu chuckled, a low, knowing sound. "It's not nice to lie, politician. I know you don’t love me. A cute thing like you might have wanted to kill me."

"Cute thing?" Eito echoed, his expression shifting from indignation to utter bewilderment. The words themselves seemed to be a foreign, baffling concept to him. His eyes narrowed, and a sharp glint returned. "You're the assassin here, remember? You’re good with poison.”

"This is why I don't commit murder," Yugamu stated with a wry, almost world-weary sigh. A hint of a smirk played on his lips. "The arrows of suspicion always point to me first."

Something Yugamu said stuck with me, someone who gets along well with poisons...

Kako suddenly spoke up. "There's one thing we're missing," she said. "In order to poison the curries, the culprit would have had to know about the curry party."

"Yeah, it's good you reminded me of that detail, Kako!" Yugamu praised. This made Ima even angrier.

"Who could it be?" Hiruko asked out loud, scanning the group with her gaze. "Someone who knows about the curry party..." Her eyes suddenly landed on Nozomi.

Kurara responded immediately. "What?! I told you it can't be Nozomi!" she said.

"So, Tomato Head, who else could it be besides that normie?" Darumi asked.

Kurara’s panic was evident in her mask. She looked at everyone in the group, then stopped looking at me.

"Takumi!" Kurara shouted, pointing directly at me. "Takumi stopped by the cafeteria yesterday while Nozomi and I were planning our curry party. He must have overheard our conversation!"

"No, I didn't!" I protested. It's true that I stopped by the cafeteria last night, but I didn't overhear your conversation." Having Kurara target me now wouldn't help me in this trial.

"Besides, Yugamu and I were busy from breakfast until the curry party, remember?" I said, feeling a pang of disbelief that I had to resort to that excuse.

Takemaru spoke up. "But you were awake last night, Takumi. If you had known about the curry party, the time between morning and curry party wouldn't have mattered."

I wasn't awake last night. It felt like a twist of fate that my lie had come back to haunt me.

"Even if that were the case, how would I know which poison to use?" I countered.

"Yesterday, when Shuichi was sick, the two of you went to the lab, right?" Yugamu said. "I saw you checking out the shelves. You might have decided on the poison then.”

Yugamu? What nonsense was this?

Kako started speaking again. "Also," she said, "you would have to be very lucky to poison the curry ingredients before you could kill someone specifically..."

"Kako, please don't."

"Like the Ultimate Lucky Student!" Takemaru said, slamming his fist into his hand.

After what Takemaru said, I looked at **Nozomi**’s face. She was glaring at me angrily. It didn't help that she looked just like Karua.

Hiruko shared her thoughts. "I don't know. It still seems like Nozomi to me. Takumi’s plan is too complicated.”

Tsubasa agreed with Hiruko. "I think so too!" Takumi questioned all of us, didn't he? He wouldn't have done this if he were the culprit."

These two stopped hating each other and started helping me.

Eito chimed in. "I don't think it's Takumi either. He's just too slow."

"If Master Eito said it, it's true!" Darumi added, supporting Eito’s words.

The others remained silent, including Yugamu. I thought the rest blamed me. I knew I had to do something, or we would all die-

"Okay, the time limit is up! It’s voting time!” Sirei interjected.

I interrupted, my voice laced with concern. "Wait a second! We can’t vote right now. We haven't found the culprit yet!"

Sirei's voice hardened. "Time's up, Sumino! Remember, if you don’t vote, you will be punished!”

As soon as she finished speaking, a screen appeared in front of us displaying photos of everyone. A 1-minute timer began ticking down at the top of the screen.

What should I do?

0:57

Who should I vote for?

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I know I'm not the Culprit!

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"So, is it Nozomi? Did she kill Shuichi?”

0:47

It seems so…

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But who should I vote for?

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If I vote for Nozomi she will be punished

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If I vote for someone else, this time I will be punished.

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What if I vote for myself?

0:29

This time we will all be punished for sure!

0:24

Nozomi…

0:22

What should I do? Who should I vote for?

0:20

DECIDE YOUR FATE

Chapter Text

ITS YOUR FUTURE

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"Yes, troops! I hope you made the right choice. Now, let's see the results!" Sirei shouted excitedly. I hoped I wouldn't regret my choice.

Results:

Takumi Sumino: ///////

Takemaru Yakushiji:x

Hiruko Shizuhara:x

Darumi Amemiya:x

Eito Aotsuki:x

Tsubasa Kawana:x

Gaku Maruko:x

Ima Tsukumo:x

Kako Tsukumo:x

Shouma Ginzaki:x

Nozomi Kirifuji: ////////

Kurara Oosuzuki:x

Kyoshika Magadori:x

Yugamu Omokage:x

Moko Mojiro:x

Shuichi Saihara:x

When Nozomi saw that she had received the most votes, she couldn't hold back her tears.

Kurara hugged Nozomi and shouted, "NOZOMI!"

I'm sorry, Nozomi, but I don't want to die here-

“Your answer is wrong!” Sirei suddenly shouted.

"What? What do you mean is wrong?!” Takemaru yelled.

"You failed to find the culprit! You will all be punished!" At Sirei’s command, countless mechanical arms seized us and dragged us away to unknown places.

If Nozomi is innocent, then who is the real culprit?

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101: Danganronpa Route: ...me?

Chapter Text

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"Yes, troops! I hope you made the right choice. Now, let's see the results!" Sirei shouted excitedly. I hoped I wouldn't regret my choice.

Results:

Takumi Sumino: ////////

Takemaru Yakushiji:x

Hiruko Shizuhara:x

Darumi Amemiya:x

Eito Aotsuki:x

Tsubasa Kawana:x

Gaku Maruko:x

Ima Tsukumo:x

Kako Tsukumo:x

Shouma Ginzaki:x

Nozomi Kirifuji: ///////

Kurara Oosuzuki:x

Kyoshika Magadori:x

Yugamu Omokage:x

Moko Mojiro:x

Shuichi Saihara:x

I couldn't even look at the results screen. I knew exactly who they had picked.

"Congratulations, troops! You got it right!" Sirei laughed out loud.

"The culprit of the Shuichi Saihara, 'Ultimate Who-Gives-a-Fuck,' is Takumi Sumino, 'Ultimate Lucky Student!'" Sirei announced.

“...me?” Takumi jumped in alarm. He made eye contact with me, but I couldn't look him in the face.

"No, no, it can't be me! I didn’t kill Shuichi. I didn’t kill him! Please believe me!"

"I knew it! I knew you were the culprit from the beginning, Shuichi!" Takemaru said, his voice a mix of anger and pride.

A harsh, unhinged cackle burst from Hiruko, echoing through the tense silence. "It's hard to believe you were right, of all people," she declared, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. "But, as the old ones goes, even a broken clock is right twice a day."

Eito’s eyes darkened, and a profound shadow fell over their depths. "You've truly sunk to the point of killing someone, Takumi," he stated, his voice laced with bitter disappointment. A heavy sigh escaped him. "I...I trusted you."

"No, please, believe me! I didn't kill him!" Takumi continued pleading and headed toward me.

I closed my eyes in fear, afraid that he would hurt me.

"Karua!" Karua? "Karua, please!" He held my hands tightly. "Karua, yes, you are Karua! Please believe me! I didn't kill anyone!"

"...Karua?" I muttered. The unfamiliar name echoed in my mind. Who was Karua?

As I continued to shake with fear, Takemaru delivered a hard punch to Takumi’s face. The force of the blow sent Takumi crashing to the ground.

"I'd regret it if I didn't punch you!" Takemaru shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Violence is forbidden during the trial, Yakushiji, but since it's over, I guess it counts," Sirei said, her tone almost casual.

"No..." Takumi continued to struggle, his voice little more than a desperate, broken whisper.

"Takumi, before you die, tell us why you killed Shuichi! What was your motivation?" Hiruko demanded harshly.

"What motivation? I said I didn’t kill him! Yugamu, say something!" Takumi pleaded, turning his desperate gaze toward Yugamu.

"Stop lying, you bitch!" Takemaru roared, grabbing Takumi by the collar.

"Takemaru, let go of him! It's not like we're going to learn anything from him," **Hiruko** demanded.

Takemaru reluctantly released Takumi's collar.

"I didn't expect you to be such a sore loser, Sumino," Sirei said, her voice dripping with disappointment. "Anyway, now I want to show you a punishment for Takumi Sumino, the Ultimate Lucky Student!"

IT’S PUNISHMENT TIME!

With Sirei*s words, a metal hook clamped onto Takumi’s neck, dragging him away. Above Sirei’s throne, a screen flickered to life and began broadcasting Takumi’s punishment live.

Takumi now stood precariously on a solitary platform with a menacing grid of metal gratings on its surface. Below, a hellish spectacle unfolded: a vast sea of incandescent lava churned and glowed with infernal heat. Its surface rippled and spat like a hungry beast.

About fifteen meters from Takumi, the ground beneath the platform ruptured and a searing geyser of lava erupted. The molten torrent annihilated the platform and everything in its path. Then, another equally destructive blast erupted just thirteen meters away in the same direction.

As if a chilling realization had finally dawned on him, Takumi abruptly spun around. His legs pumped furiously as he began to sprint away from the advancing inferno. Yet the merciless rhythm of the punishment continued. A fresh, explosive geyser of molten rock erupted a mere ten meters behind him, painting the air with a deadly orange glow.

Then, the countdown began, each number a hammer blow against the silence:

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One!

Finally, with an earth-shattering roar, lava erupted from beneath Takumi's feet. An incandescent wave surged upward, seizing him in its fiery embrace and consuming him utterly.

"G'IEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Takumi’s final, piercing scream tore through the air. It was a horrifying, drawn-out cry that ended abruptly when his body succumbed to the molten lava. The searing, indelible sound echoed in all our ears, a chilling testament to his agonizing death.

"That's all, folks!" Sirei declared. The screen above his throne flickered and went dark.

A violent, uncontrollable shudder ripped through me. “Th-this is so cruel,” I choked out, my voice raw and thin as I clamped both hands over my mouth, the horrific image of **Takumi**’s demise seared into my mind. Hot, uncontrollable tears streamed down my face. This was all my fault. I was responsible for what happened to Takumi!

I lifted my tear-filled eyes and surveyed the reactions of the others. Eito, Takemaru, Gaku, Shouma, Moko, Kurara, Kyoshika, Tsubasa, and the twins were all staring at the darkened screen, their faces contorted with horror.

Then there was Darumi, who had a wide, unsettling grin plastered across her face as she gazed at the screen, too. Beside her, Hiruko and Yugamu wore similar grins, but theirs were far more twisted—a chilling testament to disturbing satisfaction.

"It's time for bed, troops! Tomorrow is a new day. Get to your huts!” Sirei announced, his voice echoing with finality. He turned and glided out of the defense room, leaving the stunned group behind.

“So, what now?” Moko's voice was barely a whisper, a faint echo in the heavy silence. “What do we do now?”

"We have no choice but to go to bed," Hiruko stated, her voice devoid of emotion. "Takumi asked for this. There's nothing we can do."

"I knew he was going to die, but this is too cruel-"

"Nozomi, where are you going?!" Kurara’s desperate plea followed me.

I ignored her, my feet carrying me swiftly out of the defense room and away from the others. I didn’t stop until I reached my own hut. I pushed the door open just enough to slip inside, then slammed it shut behind me with a decisive thud.

As soon as I entered my hut, I went straight to the bathroom and collapsed into a heap. Raw and unrestrained sobs tore from my throat until there was nothing left but a hoarse whisper of a scream. After what felt like an eternity but was probably only five minutes, I lifted my head and met my tear-streaked reflection in the mirror.

Shuichi was gone. Dead. He would never come back. His killer, Takumi, was dead too, but that wouldn't bring Shuichi back. The finality of it all pressed down on me, heavy and suffocating.

"I won't let this happen again!" I muttered to myself.

“Even if I don't have an Ultimate, I won't let anyone die again!”

After gazing at my reflection for a while longer and silently vowing to myself, I splashed cold water on my face. The cold water helped clear my head, and I finally made my way to bed. Tomorrow was a new day, the first of many days without murder.

To be continued

Chapter 1: Cold War

Remaining Troops: 14…?