~Y/n pov~

After the investigation, we all gathered at Monokuma rock as Monokuma instructed.

It opened up and some steps led into an elevator? We all got in and it descended.

So this is where the trial room is?

The podiums all had our names on and Byakuya's had a photo of him with a cross on it.

I went to my podium which was between Nagito and Ibuki.

~*~

"Ahem! Now then, let's start with a basic explanation of the class trial. During the trial you'll present your arguments for who the culprit is, and vote for 'whodunnit' . Vote correctly, and only the blackened will be punished. But if you pick the wrong person.... I'll punish everyone 'besides' the blackened."Monokuma explained, "Now without further ado, let's begin!"

"Y-you're telling us to begin but...what are we supposed to do?" Mikan asked.

"Didn't that Byakuya dude die in the dining hall? Then everyone there is a suspect." Fuyuhiko stated.

"Isn't it strange that we found the body under the table?" Nagito asked.

"Maybe the killer moved the body?"

I bit my lip in thought, "I don't think the killer moved the body. Wouldn't there be blood stains in other places too?"

Nagito nodded, "Though there was a lot of blood everywhere, there were no signs the body was dragged through the blood."

"Right. That means Byakuya must've been killed under the table." Hajime concluded.

~*~

"Why did Byakuya go under the table?" Hajime pondered alive.

"Perhaps he wanted to scare us. That guy was a big jokester." Akane grinned.

That's definitely not it.

"Maybe he saw the knife. He was confiscating all dangerous objects." I stated.

Chiaki hummed, "But how did he see the knife?"

"The paint...it was glow in the dark."

~*~

"Byakuya was the only one who could see in the dark!" Hajime exclaimed.

"So you think he was the one who used the night-vision goggles?" I asked.

Hajime nodded, "It makes sense, he brought them in the case."

"Wait.." Sonia exclaimed before the topic could change, "If Byakuya was indeed using the night-vision goggles, then how did the killer navigate in the dark?"

"They used the glowing paint to find the knife, that also means they must've caused the blackout." I replied.

"Then that means Peko is the killer." Kazuichi exclaimed.

~*~

Peko became embarrassed and explained how she was in the bathroom the whole time.

"There was obviously some sort of trigger set up beforehand." I pointed out.

Hajime nodded, "That must be it. The blackout was caused by a power surge. It was caused intentionally."

"That's why there were three irons to cause the blackout." Nagito said.

"The direct trigger of the blackout was the air conditioners in the office. The irons were on the whole time." Hajime concluded.

~*~

"The killer is so sly.." Hiyoko commented, "I'm starting to worry we may never actually find them."

"It's all right, you don't have to worry. Because....they're just a petty killer, right? They can't defeat symbols of hope like you guys!" Nagito exclaimed, "There's no way everyone will lose now. This little incident will become a stepping stone for hope. In the end, hope always wins. That's what I believe."

I knew something seemed wrong...he must've been through some trauma.

"We don't have one clue that leads to the killer. Anyone could've done it." Nagito sighed.

"We've done all this discussing? Yet we've made little progress." Sonia exclaims.

"Maybe there is no killer." Nagito smiled, "There's no way. Instead of surviving by doubting others, isn't it better to get killed for believing in others?"

"Are you saying we should all give up and die!?" Ibuki cried.

"Nagito! There's definitely something wrong with you!" Hajime exclaimed.

I sat their silently listening to everyone. (I just sit back and observe ☕️)

"You guys only think there's something wrong with me because there's something wrong with you." Nagito chuckled, "Suspecting each other like this...there's no way that's healthy behaviour....Let's stop this already! We don't have to find out who the killer is!"

Nagito continued his speech and soon enough everyone else became discouraged.

~*~

"There are no clues. Let's give up."

"That's wrong...I think." Chiaki smiled softly, "How did the killer reach the table?"

"There was a lamp on the table....if someone was close enough they could use the wire to find their way to the table. Ah, does anyone know who was stood near the table?" I continued her argument.

Hajime was struck with realisation, "Mahiru, you know where everyone was standing, right?"

Mahiru nodded and pulled out a piece of paper with everyone's positions.

This means...

~*~

Nagito...It was you, wasn't it?" Hajime asked.

"M-me?"

"So he placed the knife while he was cleaning..." I stated.

Nagito was silent.

"Just admit it already." Mahiru said.

Nagito remained silent.

"Nagito, tell me you object to this...Frankly, I don't want to believe it either..." Hajime smiled nervously, "We investigated together....You were so kind...I can't believe you were the one who killed Byakuya..."

Silence.

"Nagito, say something!" (I'm giving up on you)

Nagito suddenly broke out into crazed laughter, "The ultimates are working together to combat the despair of their friends death! Ah, how wonderful, how beautiful it is!"

He then admitted to setting up the crime but told us he wasn't the killer.

~*~

"Do you remember...what Mikan said?" I asked everyone.

They gave me blank looks.

"M-me?" Mikan exclaimed.

"You said that the weapon was only a few millimetres thick and the knife is too thick to be the murder weapon. That means Nagito's plan failed. So as he claimed, he really isn't the killer." I explained.

Nagito smiled but said nothing.

"They could've been underneath the floorboards." Hajime exclaimed, "They used the paint as the marker. Whoever it was, probably knew about Nagito's plan and was trying to stop him."

"That didn't go to plan...Byakuya died." I stated.

"So now, the question is who knew about him plan?" Sonia nodded to herself.

We discussed it for a while more and it seemed, Hajime had figured out who it was.

~*~

Let's try going over the whole incident, beginning with right after the party started... Byakuya had us gather in the dining hall of the old building near the hotel. He was extra cautious about a murder occurring that night because of a threatening letter he received. Therefore, he decided to throw a party so he could monitor us. Though one person didn't come, the rest of us assembled at the dining hall...and the party was underway. But, at that time, the trap set by a certain someone was already in motion.

They plugged three irons into the outlets in the storage room, which nearly capped the power usage... Additionally, they prepared something else that would activate at 11:30 p.m....

The air conditioners in the office and dining hall. They had already set the timers for these. Thanks to the irons maxing out the power usage, the breaker was tripped when the air conditioners kicked on. Since the windows in the old building were covered, the blackout plunged the dining hall into total darkness.

But when that happened, Byakuya took out a specfic item that he brought in his case. That item...was the night-vision goggles. Byakuya was so concerned about a murder occurring that he brought a variety of security equipment with him. When he put on his night-vision goggles, Byakuya witnessed a certain someone making a suspicious move... He saw Nagito guiding himself with the desk lamp's power cord so he could get under the table. That's right. Everything to that point was all part of Nagito's plan. The murder warning to Byakuya, the source of the blackout... It was all Nagito.

While the blackout was happening, someone else - the real killer - began making their move in the kitchen. The killer probably already knew about Nagito's plan, so they knew a blackout was coming... That's why the killer prepared all the items they would need to commit their crime in the dark beforehand. They needed a light source, which was provided by the portable stove in the kitchen. They needed a weapon, too... This had also been hidden in the kitchen beforehand. The long iron skewer used in the churrasco dish. The killer hid that inside that meat with the bone in it.

With the weapon and portable stove in hand, the killer stepped out into the hallway... First they closed the fire door in the hallway so their light source wouldn't peek toward the dining hall. Then, guided by the light, the killer headed toward the storage room and grabbed a specific item... That's right. A tablecloth to block the blood splatter.

With this, the killer finished their preparations and snuck under the floorboards through the secret passage. They probably turned off the portable cooking stove at that point, or left it near the entrance of the door. The floor in the dining hall is full of gaps, so there's no way they could've safely held a light source. But thanks to the glowing mark they painted earlier, the killer was able to get beneath the table.

Under the table, Byakuya found the knife that had been hidden there...

If only he had retreated, he probably wouldn't have gotten killed but... He had to retrieve that knife. And, at that moment... The killer lurking beneath the floorboards stabbed straight up with the iron skewer! The killer had been waiting in the dark for the moment when the glowing paint began to move.

After they murdered Byakuya, the killer... ...purposefully shouted from beneath the floorboards to make it seem like they were still in the dining hall. Afterward, they came out from underneath the floorboards and rushed back to the kitchen. And then, after hiding the murder weapon in the kitchen, they rejoined the group as if nothing had happened. There's only one person who would've been able to commit this crime... Especially if that person is someone who'd think of an unexpected way to hide a weapon inside food...

Isn't that right... Teruteru Hanamura!?

~*~

"I've prepared a special punishment for Teruteru Hanamura, the Ultimate Cook!" Monokuma beamed, "Let's give it everything we've got! It's....PUNISHMENT TIIIIIME!"

A collar wrapped around Teruteru's neck and he was hauled up by a helicopter. The helicopter went over to a volcano and dropped him in.

He got deep fried...

~*~

After it was all over, everyone just went to their rooms exhausted....Shocked by what just happened...

~*~

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1772 words

A/n it almost 3am I should sleep now