The Truth of the Incident (1)
"Tsumiki! Hurry — first aid, now!"
"Th-the wound is too deep... I-I need medical supplies..."
"I-I think there were medical supplies at the supermarket..."
"I-is this a brainwashing assault by the Dark Reaper...? Or perhaps... a scheme of the Goddess of Fate...?"
"Until the supplies arrive, Tsumiki, take every measure you possibly can. The rest of you are not to take a single step from this room. I'll go to the supermarket myself."
The moment the lights came back on, the banquet hall plunged into utter chaos. Having barked his orders at the milling, panicked students, Togami bolted out of the old building at a dead run. Those left behind stood frozen where they were — all except Tsumiki, who was crouched over Hinata.
"Hah... haaah..."
"Nngh... nnnngh..."
Hinata, gravely wounded, was barely clinging to consciousness, managing only the shallowest of breaths. Beside him, Nanami sat crumpled on the floor, moaning in shock.
"So... what the hell just happened...?"
"We checked for weapons like a dozen times..."
"W-who was the one who searched Nanami...?"
"Th-that was me..."
Owari mumbled from the corner, her voice barely audible.
"B-but... there wasn't anything when I checked..."
"Are you sure you searched her properly?"
"I definitely checked her pockets... there was no knife or anything..."
"Don't tell me you only checked her pockets?"
"...Ah."
A cold silence settled over the room. Through that icy stillness, Kei began walking toward Komaeda, each step deliberate.
"Komaeda..."
"...Yeah?"
A fist cracked against flesh.
"Eeeek! What is it this time!?"
"Kei, what are you—"
"What the hell did you do, you bastard!!"
"Haha, ow... that's a pretty mean punch, Kei..."
"I said what did you do!!"
"S-someone stop him!!"
Having completely lost his composure, Kei lunged at Komaeda again as he lay on the floor — but the other students held him back before he could land another blow.
"Why!! Why would you do this!!"
"Kei, why are you suddenly going after Komaeda..."
"Kei, just calm down first..."
"Answer me, you son of a bitch!!!!!!!"
Watching Kei thrash about in a blind rage, Komaeda...
"Aha...!"
".....?"
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
...suddenly burst into roaring laughter.
"Wh-what...?"
"Ko... Komaeda...?"
"Th-that's creepy..."
Watching the students reel from one shock after another, Komaeda began to speak, his voice overflowing with joy.
"Yes... this is it...! This is the despair I've been waiting for...!"
"Wh-what did you just say...?"
"Without a despair like this, how could we ever rise above it and face hope?"
"What the hell are you talking about!"
"Now then — show me the hope you're going to bloom from this! Ahahahaha...!"
The eyes that delivered those words were steeped in layer upon layer of darkness — so deep that the darkness itself seemed to blaze with a dazzling light. Gazing into that dense mixture of hope and despair, the students sank even further into confusion.
"H-has he lost his mind?"
"Komaeda-kun's... totally lost it..."
"What the hell is even going on? Why did Kei suddenly punch Komaeda, and why is that guy acting like this?"
"Kei, explain. What is this?"
"....."
The students began pressing Kei — the only one who still seemed remotely lucid — but he held his silence.
"Upupupu... what's all this, then...? Looks like fun...?"
"Mo... Monokuma...!?"
"Y-you shouldn't be able to come in here!"
"Y-you! How did you get in here!"
As if things weren't bad enough, Monokuma's appearance sent the students into a full-blown panic.
"I just got the authority to... well, anyway! I'm stronger than Monomi in here now, too!"
"Th-that's impossible... this place is Fuji—"
"That's an NG word!!!"
"Ugyaaaaaah!"
After soccer-kicking Monomi into the distance, Monokuma turned to Kei.
"Kei... you should count yourself lucky. You came this close to breaking the no-violence-between-students rule and getting yourself executed! Shame, really. If I'd been just a little faster..."
"....."
"Well... Hinata-kun over there shivering on the floor isn't dead yet, so the school rules are back in effect, you know? But if Hinata-kun dies like that... then it's time for a fun little Class Trial!"
"Tsumiki! I brought the medical supplies— what on earth is going on here?"
"Hah? You lot were going on and on about trusting each other, and now someone's gone and stabbed somebody? Unbelievable..."
Seeing Togami and Kuzuryu enter the banquet hall, Monokuma clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"Tsk... it was the perfect chance for a Class Trial... what a shame... Well, he could still die during treatment, so there's that!"
"...."
"Anyway... a Class Trial might still happen, so you'd better start investigating. Not that I can give you a Monokuma File, since Hinata-kun isn't dead yet! Upupupu..."
"...Get lost."
"Well then, good luck!"
With that, Monokuma vanished.
"First things first — we need to figure out exactly what happened here."
"Tsumiki, treat Hinata as quickly as you can. The rest of you will investigate with me. Kirigiri — you said you were the Ultimate Detective, so I'll leave the entirety of this investigation in your—"
"Is an investigation even necessary?"
Komaeda cut Togami off, smiling as he addressed the group.
"When the despair that we Ultimates must fight against is this obvious?"
"...What?"
"The culprit of this incident is obvious to anyone who looks..."
"Th-the culprit...?"
"That's right. That gamer girl over there, covered in blood and trembling — she's the culprit..."
"Na... Nanami...?"
"W-well, she is covered in blood... and she's been panicking and shaking like that this whole time..."
"Within that frail maiden... chaos of annihilation overflows..."
Anxious, suspicious gazes poured onto Nanami. Komaeda watched it all unfold with a quiet smile — and then.
"Hm...?"
Kirigiri declared it with her gaze locked on him.
"Haha, I'm the true culprit? Mind if I hear your reasoning...?"
"Nanami, do you have a moment?"
"Hah... haaah..."
Kirigiri approached Nanami, who was still trembling, and took her hand, speaking gently.
"To uncover the truth, I need your testimony. I know it's hard, but can you find the strength — for everyone's sake?"
"Nngh... o-okay..."
"Then, Nanami. You were the one holding the knife, correct?"
"Y-yes. But...!"
"Just answer the questions I ask for now. Did you stab Hinata with the knife?"
"N-no! I was... I was only holding it... for self-defense...!"
Nanami's pitiful protest set the students murmuring. From among them, Kirigiri pointed to someone.
"Mioda Ibuki, may I borrow your talent for a moment?"
"Whoa! M-me?"
"Yes... your talent is Ultimate Light Music Club Member, isn't it? Kei told me you have perfect pitch."
"Hmm... I did say something like that..."
"Ah, that's not important right now! If it's for the truth, I'll help however I can!"
"Thank you. Then, can you identify who said what after the blackout?"
"Hmm... after the lights went out, Koizumi-san shouted, 'Wh-what!? All of a sudden!?' and then..."
Ibuki began sifting through her memory, identifying the owner of each voice. Kirigiri listened for a long while — then her eyes suddenly lit up at a particular point.
"Yes. That part. Would you repeat that part for everyone?"
"Ah...? Got it! So... after Kei-san shouted to stop, Hinata-san said, 'Wah...! Wh-who is that? Why are you pushing...!' and after that came Nanami-san's scream and Hinata-san's groan..."
"That's it."
"H-huh?"
Kirigiri turned to address everyone.
"According to that testimony, Hinata was shoved by someone. In other words, Hinata was pushed into the knife Nanami was holding."
"So Nanami was only holding the knife for self-defense, but someone pushed Hinata toward her, causing her to stab him unintentionally. Is that what you're saying?"
"Exactly."
"Th-then... Nanami isn't the culprit — the 'someone' who pushed Hinata is the real killer..."
"The chaos of annihilation that filled that frail maiden has escaped and entered one among us... Everyone, be on your guard! We cannot know whose eyes have been blinded by the chaos of annihilation...!"
"Kirigiri, do you also know the identity of this 'someone'?"
Togami asked sharply over the commotion, and Kirigiri answered without hesitation.
"Yes. I know who that someone is as well."
"Th-that's amazing...! Kirigiri...!"
"Who is this 'someone,' then...?"
"Tell us into whose body the chaos of annihilation has crept!"
"To find that out, I need your help this time, Koizumi."
"M-me?"
Kirigiri looked Koizumi straight in the eye.
"You took a photo before the blackout. Show it to everyone."
"Huh...? But why..."
"Now."
"O-okay..."
Overwhelmed by Kirigiri's firmness, Koizumi quietly pulled out the photo she'd taken earlier and showed it to the group.
"Hmm... a photo taken right before the blackout, I see. But what about it...?"
"Can you see who's standing next to Nanami in this photo?"
"...Ko-Komaeda?"
Kirigiri locked eyes with Komaeda, her voice carrying weight.
"Komaeda, you were standing right next to Nanami until the moment the lights went out. That's the perfect position to shove someone into the knife she was holding, isn't it?"
"Haha... I'm truly sorry for daring to contradict someone with such a brilliant Ultimate talent, when all I have is something as paltry as luck... but isn't that alone insufficient to prove that I was the 'someone' who pushed Hinata...?"
At that, Kirigiri turned her questions to Monomi, who had been sitting on the floor this whole time, crying as quietly as she could.
"Monomi, can you repeat to everyone what you said when you first appeared?"
"F-fuwawa..."
"...Monomi."
"Ah... you mean just now..."
"Yes. It's to uncover the truth, so I'd really appreciate your cooperation."
"T-ta-da! How did you like it...! The surprise party that I... and Komaeda-kun prepared...!"
Monomi awkwardly repeated her earlier words, even mimicking the motion of setting off a party popper. The students' expressions shifted as something clicked, and they began firing questions at her.
"You... you and Komaeda prepared it together?"
"Y-yes... it was supposed to be a party to make everyone happy... so why..."
"Monomi! What was this surprise party?"
"Ko-Komaeda-kun said that if I turned the lights off for a moment during the party, he'd show everyone a surprise they'd love... so I used my authority to turn the lights off during the party... and set off the party poppers the moment they came back on..."
As Monomi spoke in anguish, the suspicious gazes began turning, one by one, toward Komaeda.
"And there's still one decisive fact remaining."
"A d-decisive fact...?"
"Yes. This will make everything certain."
Having said that, Kirigiri turned back to Nanami and spoke carefully.
"Nanami, you did well earlier. I know it's hard, but I need you to bear with me one more time — for the truth."
"...Okay."
"The knife you were holding — where did you get it?"
"Ko... Komaeda... gave it to me..."
The moment those words left her mouth, every student turned to glare at Komaeda. He simply smiled in silence.
"Komaeda, you are the true culprit of this incident. I've been carefully watching the suspicious behavior you've been displaying this entire time, which is why I was able to grasp the truth immediately."
Kirigiri glanced at Kei, who had been standing beside her in silence this whole time, fists clenched, and continued.
"Of course, Kei had been observing you just as closely as I had, which is why he grasped the truth the instant it happened — and why he reacted so violently."
"Haha, as expected of the Ultimate Detective...? Truly, a talent that shines so brilliantly."
"Th-then... Komaeda, you really—!"
"As expected of the Ultimate Detective... amazing!"
"Kei's pretty impressive too... figuring that out... I guess partners really do take after each other..."
Komaeda had been watching everyone's reactions with a gentle smile — then his expression suddenly went cold as he looked at Kirigiri, and he began to speak in an icy tone.
"But tell me... someone with a talent that shines so brilliantly... why did you become everyone's despair?"
"What...?"
"Everyone, the true despair we must confront isn't me..."
The students tilted their heads, completely lost. Komaeda's face split into a wide grin once more as he declared to them all.
"Tr-traitors...?"
"Why are traitors coming up all of a sudden?"
"Laughing like that gives me the creeps... anyway, this bastard is the culprit, right?"
"That's right. The culprit of this incident has already been decided — it's you...!"
"Dealing with the person standing right in front of us is a sounder judgment than chasing after traitors we don't even know. Those of you with some muscle, give me a hand. Tie him up—"
"Haha, it's wonderful to see you all coming together... Yes, unity is the very soil from which hope grows. Then all that's left is to pull out the weeds called 'traitors' that would hinder your hope from blooming..."
Komaeda paid no mind to the students' accusations, speaking with a face full of hope.
"Isn't that right? Nanami? Kirigiri? Kei?"
"....!"