(See the end of the chapter for more notes .)

You'll just have to read and find out.

Anyway... What could Fujihara possibly have to prove he didn't kill Degawa?

AARGH I CAN'T STOP MYSELF FROM WRITING. I'M LIKE REVERSE GEORGE R. R. MARTIN.

Chapter Text

[OST: Class Trial Future Edition]

Matsuoka: [Enraged] You have to be joking, Fujihara! After everything we've levelled against you...

...you're still going to deny that you killed Degawa?

Tamura: [Furious] For fuck's sake, know when ya lost!

Fujihara: [Grinning madly] You've all made a massive mistake!

Thank you so much, Minami! Now I can prove I'm not the killer!

Minami: [Determined] ...Come on, then, Fujihara.

Let's see what you've got.

Fujihara: [Cackling wildly] Gladly!

Allow me to prove my innocence!

NONSTOP DEBATE!

[OST: Discussion -HOPE VS DESPAIR- (2nd mix)]

Truth Bullets: Chiba's Testimony, Antiseptic, Hammer, Degawa's Body, Broken Glass, Washio's Testimony

Fujihara: [Smiling spitefully] I hope you're all ready! My proof is infallible!

Urayama: [Irritated] Tell us already! Prove you aren't the killer!

Fujihara: [Pointing furiously] Remember how that backstabber Minami proved Muramoto got injured?

Mai: [Head tilted in thought] Um... yeah! I remember!

Hanni showed that there was too much blood on the hammer for it to have just hit Yuiwa!

Hagino: [Hand on chin in thought] That's right. There was blood not only on the blunt end...

...but on the claw end , as well.

Junpei: [Startled] Aaaah! No way! I just remembered something!

Okazaki: [Nervous] L-like, what is it, Junpei?

Junpei: [Biting thumbnail] There was b-blood all over the hammer's handle, too!

Matsuoka: [Teeth gritted, sweating] He's right! If you were to use this as the murder weapon...

Your hand would be covered in blood!

Fujihara: [Grinning manically] FINALLY you idiots work it out!

[Holding out hands] Take a look at my hands right now. Do you see any blood on them? No!

[Pointing furiously] So it can't be me!

Noguchi: [Shaken] Hold on one moment! You could have easily washed your hands after the murder!

Fujihara: [Smiling spitefully] No! That's wrong too!

Remember the towel that got dumped in the washing machines?

Takanashi: [Clenching brush in hand, sweating] The one that was used to try and clean up the blood , right?

But it failed because... oh, no...

[Biting brush] ...because there was no water on during the nighttime...

Muramoto: [Sweating] So the devil could not simply have cleansed himself...

Fujihara: [Pointing furiously] And don't bother thinking that I washed my hands after the bell went , either!

Tamura: [Furious] Why the fuck not? That's the only thing that's makin' any fuckin' sense!

Hagino: [Gasping, hand covering mouth] Fujihara and Minami were first to the meeting this morning...

Fujihara: [Smiling spitefully] And she'll confirm that I was outside her room right after the morning announcement!

Washio: [Wringing hands] A-ah... I don't, um, know what to do...!

Chiba: [Serious] His argument... it's rock solid.

The hammer is the murder weapon, but it's impossible for him to have used it.

[Sweating] There's no way to fault him...

Fujihara: Exactly! So if you're out of ideas on how I'm the killer...

[Pointing furiously] ...maybe it's time to give up and accept that I'm innocent!

Minami: [Sweating, gritting teeth] Goddamn it! I was so close to finishing this case!

Fujihara... I'm sorry, but I don't have a choice! Can't you just stop this?

[Desperate] ...The others are right! There really aren't any problems in his explanation!

How... how do I break his flawless argument?

Answer: E4, S12

Minami: You've got that wrong!

[OST: None]

Chiba: [Confused] Uh... Minami? I think you're shouting at the wrong person.

I'm agreeing with you on this - Fujihara's the murderer.

Minami: [Serious] I know. But the only way to fault his argument is by correcting this mistake.

Noguchi: [Smirk] I'm not surprised the clown made a mistake...

Minami: [Confident smile] Don't be so smug, Noguchi. You made it too.

Noguchi: [Shaken] E-excuse me?

Minami: [In thought] We all did, right from the very start of the trial.

Hagino: [Frowning] Minami, please explain this to us.

What is the mistake we have all made?

Minami: ...The hammer. We all made the mistake of assuming...

[OST: Class Trial Solar Edition]

Minami: [Serious] ...that it's the weapon that killed Degawa.

Fujihara: [Stunned] ...!

Matsuoka: [Exasperated] ...That's a pretty big mistake to fix, Minami. Do you have proof to back it up?

Minami: [Asking] Akutagawa... can you please tell everyone how Degawa's body looked?

Akutagawa: [Arms folded, grinning confidently] Of course, classmate Minami! I shall attempt to recite exactly from memory...

...but do not be surprised if I make an error in exact diction!

[Flexing, arms by side] Degawa has a large bruise and skull fracture on her head!

[Pointing passionately] The bruise seemed unusual to me because the outer rim was more pronounced than the inner section!

...

[Shocked] I SEE WHAT CLASSMATE MINAMI MEANS NOW!

Chiba: [Wincing] Any chance of telling us before Akutagawa bursts our eardrums, Minami?

Minami: [Asking] Urayama. You're a sculptor. Hammers are made with as flat a surface as possible, right?

Urayama: [Arms crossed] Correct. Even a common tool hammer has to have as even a spread of pressure as possible.

Without it, hammering in a nail would be almost impossible.

Minami: [Hand on chin] In that case, there's no way that the hammer caused a wound like Degawa's.

[Explaining] It should be that the bruise is evenly spread, but the outside is more damaged than the centre.

Okazaki: [Eyes widened in realisation] So, like, the hammer can't be the murder weapon, then!

Fujihara: [Desperate] ...Stop, Minami!

Minami: [Confused] ...Fujihara?

Fujihara: I... I'm sorry for pinning the blame on you!

Muramoto: [Glaring] Scrambling to save your miserable hide, villain?

Fujihara: [Tearing up] I... no! I am not the blackened!

[Smiling nervously] I'm sorry for insulting you all, OK!? I'm sorry! Will that get you to stop?

[Panicking] Just stop, damn it!

[OST: Class Trial Dawn Edition]

Washio: [Eyes averted] Um... I...

Mai: [Cheerful] What's up, Tsushi? You look super unhappy!

Washio: [Reluctantly looking up] Th-there's a problem with Minami's, um, theory...

There's, uh, nothing... I mean, at the crime scene...

Nothing that... that fits the, um... the description of that weapon...

Minami: [Dawning realisation] ...Oh.

Fujihara: [Nervous smile] H-huh? Yes! Y-yes, that's right!

Junpei: [Biting thumbnail] H-he's calming down...!

Fujihara: S-so now that we've exhausted the possibility of me being the blackened...

[Smiling] ...let's move on, shall we?

Tamura: [Pointing angrily] Like fuck! Ya got too much against ya ta just drop everythin' like that!

Fujihara: [Confused] It's simple, isn't it, though?

The hammer has to be the murder weapon. After all, there's nothing else it could be.

[Serious] So I'm not the killer.

Minami: [Gritted teeth, sweating] And he's back to normal already!

Damn it! His argument really is good!

Takanashi: [Biting brush] What about... another place? Couldn't you have hidden it?

Fujihara: [Thinking] No time, I'm afraid, Takanashi. Remember? Outside Minami's room at the morning announcement.

[Smiling spitefully] So sorry.

Noguchi: [Shaken] Damn you! There must be somewhere you hid the real murder weapon!

Hagino: [Frowning] Everyone calm down. We need to think this through rationally.

If there is indeed a second murder weapon...

...we should eliminate where it cannot be first.

Minami: [Nodding] ...Let me think for a second...

[Thinking] So... if I think of where it couldn't be...

...I should be able to figure out the murder weapon's location!

LOGIC DIVE!

[OST: DIVE DRIVE]

Where could the real murder weapon not possibly be?

1. The Incinerator 2. Degawa's Room 3. Fujihara's Room

Where could Fujihara have hidden the real murder weapon before the morning announcement?

1. Fujihara's Room 2. Nowhere 3. The Medical Room

Therefore, where is the real murder weapon?

1. The Courtroom 2. Degawa's Room 3. Fujihara's Room

Answer: 121

Minami: I've pieced it together!

[OST: Class Trial Dawn Edition]

Minami: [Confident smile] I finally got it! I know where the real murder weapon is!

Fujihara: [Serious] ...Do you, now?

Minami: [Explaining] See, we all know he couldn't have incinerated it.

Chiba: [Bored] Right. I'm the only one who could have done that.

Washio: [Reluctantly looking up] And, um... he said he, ah, didn't have the time to, um...

...to hide it anywhere else...

Minami: So there's only one logical conclusion, isn't there?

Takanashi: [Biting brush] ...Wait...

Noguchi: [Shaken] ...You don't seriously mean that...

Matsuoka: [Surprised] The murder weapon...!

Minami: [Serious] If Fujihara didn't have the opportunity to get rid of it...

[OST: Class Trial Strange Edition]

Minami: [Pointing] Then it's right here in the Courtroom!

Okazaki: [Startled] Like, WHAAAAAAAAAT!? You're, like, kidding me!

Junpei: [Stunned] Th-that's insane! He... he b-brought the murder weapon with him!?

Urayama: [Drawing on his palm with his finger] And yet... logically, that makes sense!

If he really didn't have the opportunity to dispose of it...

Tamura: [Pointing furiously] Alright, Fujihara! Show us whatcha got on ya!

Fujihara: [Desperate] ...! H-hold on! No!

Muramoto: [Glaring] Reveal your secret, devil. Show us the murder weapon.

Fujihara: [Smiling spitefully] ...Hah! Not happening! Because I don't have anything on me!

[OST: None]

Takanashi: [Despondent] ...He's right...

Mai: [Mock sadness] Huh? Umi? But we're super close to proving it!

Takanashi: [Frowning] Don't you think we would have noticed?

...

Junpei: [Biting thumbnail] ...C-can you explain?

Takanashi: ...

[Surprised] Ah, sorry! I mean...

[Biting brush] We would have seen something, right? If it was heavy enough to kill Degawa...

...he couldn't be hiding it, right?

[OST: Class Trial Turbulent Edition]

Fujihara: [Smiling spitefully] Yes! Exactly! Unless you're actually admitting you're all braindead idiots...

...you would have seen something out of the ordinary! So I'm fine!

Akutagawa: [Pointing angrily] Classmate Fujihara! Stop being so obstinate!

Fujihara: [Snarling] Stop shouting like a moron!

Washio: [Eyes averted] Please, um, don't fight...

[OST: None]

Minami: [Thinking] ...

Something that could have killed Degawa...

...but that we wouldn't think is out of the ordinary...

There's only one thing that can be!

HANGMAN'S GAMBIT!

[OST: ANAGRAM.NET]

What could have killed Degawa, but gone unnoticed on Fujihara?

M L A I E R F M C A

Answer: FILM CAMERA

Minami: Everything's falling into place!

[OST: None]

Minami: [Betrayed] Fujihara... I need to ask you a very important question.

...How heavy is your camera?

Fujihara: [Stunned] ...!

[Nervous smile] W-why would you want to know something like that? It's completely unrelated!

Hagino: [Gentle smile] ...I see, Minami...

Akutagawa: [Arms folded, frowning] Regrettably, I do not! Classmate Minami! Please explain!

Minami: [Explaining] If it's a film camera, with mechanical internal working...

[OST: Class Trial Solar Edition]

Minami: ...it must be at least a little heavy, right?

Matsuoka: [Smiling] Heavy enough to kill someone, perhaps?

Fujihara: [Desperate] ...

Mai: [Finger raised in realisation] Of course! Hira takes his camera everywhere!

Tamura: [Looking away] Every fuckin' mornin' meetin', at least...

Washio: [Surprised] And, um... the camera's lens would have, uh, the...

...the metal rim around, um, the glass...

Okazaki: [Playing with hair] Like, that would leave that weird bruise Minami was talking about, right?

Noguchi: [Serious] And we would never notice anything out of the ordinary.

[Smirk] After all... it's always on his person.

Muramoto: [Pointing] Even now... you wield it in your holster, do you not?

[OST: None]

Fujihara: [Desperate] ...

I... no... shut up! It... it wasn't me!

Chiba: [Shrugging] I think he still needs a little convincing.

Hagino: [Frowning] Perhaps it would be best if we recounted everything we know?

Urayama: [Arms folded] If that doesn't do it, nothing will. I'm in favour of it.

Matsuoka: Any volunteers, then?

Minami: [Serious] I'll give it a shot.

[Determined] Let me take everything from the top, and prove this without a doubt!

[OST: Climax Reasoning]

Hello again. Our time together grows sadly short.

After this, I only see you one more time. Then I die.

After all, I won't be written anymore, so I'll fade away...

Excuse me. I got a bit metafictional there...

This game is called Closing Statement.

You will be given a set of events - each detailing what may have happened at the time of the crime.

Your job is to order ten of them in the correct way to show the events as they really happened.

There may be a few extra which don't fit in, of course, so be careful.

Think it through calmly, and you'll find the solution.

I wish you the best of luck. Over and out.

CLOSING STATEMENT!

1. Muramoto reads a note in the Cafeteria

2. Muramoto bandages his arm

3. The Blackened drags Degawa to the Medical Room

4. The Blackened hits Degawa with a film camera

5. The Blackened throws Degawa's ElectroID in the wash

6. Muramoto bumps into a door as he runs away

7. Degawa attacks Muramoto with the claw hammer

8. The Blackened tries to clean up the blood in the Green Hallway

9. The Blackened waits outside Minami's room

10. The Blackened knocks on a door

Answer: 1-7-2-6-10-4-3-8-5-9

[OST: Climax Return]

[The events play out, in jagged manga style, as Minami describes each of them.]

Minami: OK. Here's how I think everything happened.

First of all, Degawa, out of a desire to murder someone, left a note in the Cafeteria for someone to pick up.

That person ended up being Muramoto, who read through it, then left the note there.

So, once he was sure everyone was back in their rooms, he headed over to the Green Hallway.

My guess is, he probably wasn't expecting to get attacked.

But that's what happened. Degawa used the claw hammer she had taken earlier from the Incinerator Room...

...and drove the sharp side into his arm!

...Um, sorry for the reminder, Muramoto...

Muramoto: T'is of no concern.

Minami: Anyway... Muramoto fled into the Medical Room, where he began desperately bandaging the wound.

He was in such a panic that he just took all of the bandages in case the hammer had hit a vital artery or something.

Degawa, meanwhile, had one of her mood swings. She realised what she was doing...

...and returned to her room, which gave Muramoto the opportunity to escape.

As he did so, still a bit woozy, he bumped into someone's door - the killer's.

The culprit emerged to find Muramoto's blood painting the insides of the hallway.

They panicked, and decided the best course of action would be to check on their fellow students.

Unfortunately, the first room they stopped at... was Degawa's.

She opened the door, and the culprit must have seen the bloody hammer lying on the bed.

They assumed she had killed someone, and for their own safety...

...they hit Degawa with something they always had on them.

Something heavy... like a camera.

In any case, if they were scared before, they were utterly terrified by now.

So, for whatever reason, they carried Degawa to the Medical Room...

...but she was dead by the time they arrived. So the next course of action was to cover up their crime.

They stole Degawa's ElectroID first, along with a towel from her room.

With the towel, they tried to clean up the blood...

...but the absence of any water during the night made it impossible.

Following that, they hurried to the Laundry Room to dispose of the evidence.

They first scanned Degawa's ElectroID into every machine to cover their tracks...

...then tossed the towel into one.

I'm sure that they would have hidden more, but as we've realised... they ran out of time.

So they threw the ElectroID into the last machine as they sprinted out...

...ready to meet me in the Green Hallway.

But they didn't count on Chiba sleeping in that morning.

So when they were forced to take me to the morning meeting...

...Chiba discovered the blood, and the rest is history.

[The image changes to the Blackened and Minami, against a vibrant blue background, facing off against each other. The Blackened is utterly panicked, sweating and grabbing the sides of their head, while Minami is determined.]

Minami: There's only one person who carries a heavy item around with them at all times.

The person who met me this morning, and who distracted me from the crime...

[The words, "THAT'S A WRAP", appear in dark red lettering as the Blackened cross-fades into Fujihara, in an identical pose.]

[OST: None]

Minami: Hideki Fujihara! It could only be you!

[Fade to black.]

[Fade in to Courtroom.]

Minami: [Serious] ...And that, give or take a few things, is how it happened.

Fujihara: [Snarling] ...Rrgh...

Minami... You...

Okazaki: [Worried smile] ...Like, is it over now?

[OST: Class Trial Turbulent Edition]

Fujihara: [Gesturing wildly] No! Nonononono! I refuse to give in!

[Pointing furiously] You still haven't proved it!

Matsuoka: [Shouting] Proved what? There's nothing left to prove!

Junpei: [Determined] Y-you're the only person it could be, Fujihara!

Fujihara: [Clutching ears] ShutupshutupSHUTUP!

Tamura: [Irritated] Can't ya just fuckin' give in already!?

Fujihara: [Snarling] I am Hideki Fujihara! The greatest cinematic genius the world has ever known!

[Pointing furiously] If you do this, you'll kill the best mind of a generation!

[Desperate] For the love of God, please! Just STOP!

Minami: [Despondent] Fujihara... I'm so sorry for this...

[Serious] But whatever arguments you have left...

[Determined] ...for everyone else here, I'll disprove them all!

[OST: Trial Underground]

...Hello again.

This is it. The last game I have to explain...

It's been fun, right? Right.

Then let me finish my existence by teaching you the last game.

This game is called Panic Talk Action.

Every now and again, somebody will freak out.

Logic will fly out the window, and you'll just have to listen to their rantings.

Of course, since they're ranting, the formatting will mess up a bit. Painting the medium, you see.

Anyway, at the end, four words will appear on a cross, at North, South, East and West.

You must put the words in the correct order to proceed and shut down your opponent's claims once and for all.

For example:

Random Guy: Enough already! I didn't use any mustard on my sausage!

EMPTY

|

|

|

PACKET ----------------------------------------------------------------------- COUNTER

|

|

|

ON

As you can see, the sentence is EMPTY PACKET ON COUNTER.

As such, the answer would be based on their compass rose positions: NWSE.

With that said, I have nothing left to teach you.

For the final time...

I wish you the best of luck. Over and out.

PANIC TALK ACTION!

[OST: M.T.B.]

Fujihara: Just shut up already!

Nothing you say makes any sense!

How many Oscars have YOU won, huh!?

You don't even deserve to be in the same room as me!

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!

What's your problem with me!?

Fujihara: There's nothing that says my camera was the murder weapon! NOTHING!

SHARDS

|

|

|

FLOOR ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ON

|

|

|

GLASS

Answer: SNEW

Minami: This will finish it!

[OST: None]

Minami: [Serious] Fujihara... if you hit Degawa in the way that the bruise shows...

...your camera's lens would have cracked.

Fujihara: [Stunned] ...!

Minami: [Explaining] Remember those glass shards we found in Degawa's room?

Noguchi: [Smirk] Too far away from the broken drinking glass to be part of that.

Mai: [Cheerful] And super small, too!

Matsuoka: [Eyes closed] ...Well, then...

[Serious] Fujihara, do you mind showing us your camera?

Fujihara: ...

Minami: [Despondent] I'm sorry, Fujihara...

...but this is the only way to make sure.

[Serious] If your lens is cracked... then we'll know the truth.

Fujihara: ...

Hagino: [Frowning] ...I think we can take his silence as an answer.

Okazaki: [Teary] ...Fujihara? Can you, like, show us?

Fujihara: ...

[Tearing up] ...Take it. Just... take it.

Minami: [Despondent] Fujihara?

Urayama: [Serious] ...Minami, you guessed right. The lens is shattered beyond repair.

Minami: [Betrayed] Fujihara...

Monokuma: Now then! I think you bastards have been talking enough!

Use the buttons on your podiums to vote for the blackened!

For your sake, I hope you get it right! Upupupu!

Fujihara: ...Oh, God...

[Hugging self, in tears] Minami... Degawa... Everyone...

I'm so sorry...!

[Fade to black.]