Maki is the one who sifts through the files to denote the illustrated files. This presents the curious quandary that because we do not know exactly what she was looking at, we do not know HOW MANY files have illustrations.

Shuichi did not show his thought process as to how he denoted the illustrations to be mere fiction, and Maki did not question him. Yet, this was his first response, like instinct. What’s also notable is that he spoke ALOUD that they were fiction, while he mused about a possible motivation privately, in his head.

Why is that important?

Well, how was Kaede trapped in the manner that she was? Because she was surveyed. It was evident that she had acquired a shotput ball, because she was being watched every step of the way.

It is curious then, that the “fiction” shenanigans hinged on three major things:

Blurring of the lines. Namely, obfuscating the fact that there were [far more real, bloody photographs] than there were illustrations. This would allow ‘only the last games had real people’ illusion to become reality.



Namely, obfuscating the fact that there were [far more real, bloody photographs] than there were illustrations. This would allow ‘only the last games had real people’ illusion to become reality. The illustrated files being regarded as fictional so readily, as if it’s the first thing that came to mind for Shuichi. With that, it would be the easiest thing to lead Shuichi into accepting, even with lacking concrete evidence.

so readily, as if it’s the that came to mind for Shuichi. With that, it would be the easiest thing to lead Shuichi into accepting, even with lacking concrete evidence. Shuichi failing to note the overall content of the files- that is, the nature of the documentation, its notes - along with the tricks - and the presence of the 77th and 78th class. Not only does the matter of the documentation become irrelevant, confirming the classes would have later answered the question as to why those two were the only groups portrayed by Tsumugi.

Despite Shuichi’s doubts about his initial impression, he would not pursue it further. That this situation was consistent, meant that the gamemaster could use this information to distort and reshape the reality of what he had seen.

And since he didn’t take any evidence, he would have nothing to fight back with.