"A, a ghost...?"
Since it was Tana, I had been prepared for something to an extent.
"Yeah! Tana saw it! Between the Dormitory and the Annex, whoosh! A ghost flew by!"
But this did not seem like something I could understand through mere preparation.
"Tana... you're not joking around, are you? There's no way ghosts really exist... right?"
"Mmm! Shuko! An assistant must not doubt a detective's words! Tana really, truly saw a ghost!"
"...I don't think she's lying."
I felt sorry for Tana, but I knew because I had been secretly watching her closely.
"I'm telling you! I thought I might have seen wrong, so I rubbed my eyes all grimy and looked again, but the ghost had already vanished! That's what a ghost is! A ghost!"
Her eyes were simply too clear and innocent for her to be lying.
"Shu, let's leave it at that for now. We did get a lead, at least."
"Ah, right. Then Tana, don't get lost, and investigate hard!"
"Mhm! Thank you, both of you! Let's play detective together again sometime! Hehe!"
[Recorded [Tana's Testimony] in the detective's notebook.]
After briefly recording her testimony, we headed out as planned.
Toward the Annex, where Karafuru had last been active.
*
*
According to Shu, there was no need to inspect the first floor, where the cafeteria and kitchen were.
Since they had completely filled every room with gas, they had tacitly limited their investigation to the second through fourth floors.
"I see... Well, the stairs aren't inside the first floor—they're outdoor stairs on the outside of the building."
"Right. In other words, if you want to leave the Annex, you have no choice but to take the stairs outside the second floor."
Breaking a window to get out was impossible, both because of the height and because most of the classrooms were locked.
"More than that, approaching them would be difficult because of that highly toxic gas."
Muttering that, I surveyed the second-floor classrooms, which were still thick with gas.
Gas dispensers were still wedged beneath their locked doors, trapping the gas they had released inside.
"Put another way, does that mean we don't need to worry about those classrooms?"
"That's what I think too. What matters right now is Karafuru's route."
"Ah, that's something I wanted to ask. How did Karafuru investigate?"
"Karafuru? Um..."
Unexpectedly, Shu hesitated.
"The truth is, I wasn't able to pay that much attention to Karafuru. The three of us each had to cover three floors this huge, and there were only six of us."
"I suppose that's understandable. So basically, you don't know where he was or what he was doing at any given time?"
"Well, we passed each other from time to time or exchanged information, but those were only brief moments. In short, as for why he fell from the third floor of the Dormitory at seven o'clock... yeah, I have absolutely no idea."
"I see... Even so, finding that out is the point of this investigation. Let's go upstairs this time."
Not only me—Shu had a knack for investigation as well.
She moved fast enough to seem rushed, yet there was not a single place she neglected to search thoroughly.
But that was why we realized it.
"...There's nothing."
"Really, at this rate we're not going to find out anything..."
Even after searching up to the fourth floor, we had found no trace of Karafuru whatsoever.
There were very few classrooms we could enter, and naturally, we could find no useful evidence in those rooms either.
Should we give up? That thought began to weigh down my steps.
"...Huh?"
Then Shu, who had been following behind me, stopped.
"Shu...? What's wrong?"
"Shoko... look over there..."
She was pointing at an old door.
"What about that door...? Huh?"
Only then did I understand what she was pointing to.
A tiny gap beneath that door.
"Why... is there nothing there?"
It was an assessment fitting for a gap, yet precisely because of that, it was not fitting at all.
That was one of the locked classrooms too... so why was its gas dispenser gone?
"..."
Perhaps we realized it at the same time. Without a word, we approached the door.
Then I carefully grasped its handle.
"...Gulp."
Tense all over, I slowly pulled it.
Creeeak...
"...!"
To our surprise, the door opened with a worn-out groan.
From the lack of any smell, we had already confirmed there was no gas inside.
"..."
But we could not help holding our breath for a moment.
Wasn't that only natural?
The truth behind a place that had always been securely locked, inspiring a strange sense of mystery...
"This is..."
"A storage room...?"
To think it was just some old storage room.
*
*
It truly was no different from an ordinary storage room.
It was quite small, and the shelves that made it even more cramped were lined with all manner of crude odds and ends.
Yet it was not as stifling as I would have expected.
"...!"
As if it were meeting our gaze, the open window over there was airing out the stale air.
"Ah...! So that's why!"
Shu, who had been looking at the scene, clasped her hands and cried out.
"Hm? Why?"
"Ah, I was wondering why every trace of gas was gone. If you ventilate it even a little like that, it disappears right away."
Sure enough, all I could feel now was the cold night air coming through the window.
"...But why has the gas only disappeared from here? No, how was this even opened in the first place...?"
"Hmm... I never saw anyone secretly remove a dispenser... and the same goes for the door opening."
"..."
[Recorded [Missing Gas] in the detective's notebook.]
I recorded it for now, but could information like this really be related to Karafuru's case?
"...Huh?"
No... maybe it suddenly could be.
"Shu, look at the floor over there!"
"Ah...!"
I had seen it.
A single strand of hair lying on the floor.
"This is... purple...?!"
Was there any need to beat around the bush? Among us, the only person with hair that deep, vivid purple was...
"Karafuru... right?"
"Y-yeah... I don't think there's anyone else we could think of at this point."
Somehow, we had suddenly found a reason to investigate.
If my immediate guess was right, this attic storage room was truly a storage room.
[Recorded [Purple Hair] in the detective's notebook.]
A storage room full of the truth behind this case.
Convinced of that, the two of us began searching every corner of the room.
When searching a storage room, the shelves were the obvious place to start.
"Huh...? This is...!"
"A grappling rope... and wire?!"
The grappling rope was one thing, but that wire coiled up over there...
"It's the wire that was tied around Karafuru's neck... right?"
"Yeah, it's the same material. No doubt about it."
As if proving it, there was an empty space for one coil among the displayed lengths of wire.
'This case is getting more and more complicated...'
[Recorded [Items in the Attic Storage Room] in the detective's notebook.]
"More importantly, if there's a hair here... does that mean Karafuru came in here at least once?"
"What...? But how? This place was thoroughly locked, and there's no sign it was forced open..."
"That's true, but..."
Before I could finish, I found something again.
"Shu! Look here! On the floor...!"
"The floor again...? What is it?"
I pointed to the floor, tinted blue by the moonlight.
"This is... powder...?"
"Yeah, and it's not just any powder...!"
A chill called déjà vu began crawling up my spine.
"It's definitely the sleeping-pill powder we found in Karafuru's mouth earlier...!"
At those words, Shu's complexion grew as cold as the night sky beyond the window.
"W-what...? Wait, then..."
"Yeah, we can't be certain yet... but Karafuru may have lost consciousness in this attic storage room...!"
[Recorded [Leftover Powder] in the detective's notebook.]
"But... then how did he fall from the third floor of the Dormitory at exactly seven o'clock!? Doesn't that make no sense in all sorts of ways?!"
"...I don't know. But it's clear this attic storage room is related to the case."
To organize my thoughts, I rose and looked out the window again.
'That's a fairly large window... Shu and I might be able to escape through it if we broke our fall, but...'
Just as I was about to dismiss it as impossible for Karafuru—
"...What's this?"
The window frame instantly seized my attention.
More specifically, it was the mark of something embedded between the wooden wall and the frame to the right.
'It's too rough to be something caused by the wood simply aging...'
If I had to compare it to something, it looked like it had been clawed by a wild beast.
Just as I decided to set it aside for now—
"Sho, Shoko! Look, look over there!"
This time, Shu urgently called to me after seeing something outside the window.
"...!"
Incredibly, she was pointing at the Dormitory across from us.
It was remarkably close even looking at it again, but that was not what mattered right now.
"Th-that's... blood...?!"
Bloodstains on the upper frame of a third-floor Dormitory window she was pointing at.
"You have to look down a little, but you can see it clearly, right...? Isn't that blood...?"
"It is... And judging by how it's dried, it's definitely a recent bloodstain...!"
"Then let's go right away! That's where Karafuru fell in the first place, so there must be more clues!"
"...Yeah!"
Our search of the storage room was wrapping up anyway, so we returned to the Dormitory.
*
*
We quickly headed to the Dormitory's third floor.
We arrived at the northeastern end, where the window we had seen before faced the Annex.
"This is...!"
The first thing that caught my eye was another mark of something scraping between the window frame and the wall.
As expected, it was smaller in scale—more like a pet dog's scratches than a wild beast's claws.
"...There's no way this is a coincidence. I don't know why their conditions are so different yet, though."
As long as they had in common being between a window frame and wall, we could no longer ignore them.
[Recorded [Dormitory Third Floor & Attic Storage Room Window Frames] in the detective's notebook.]
"Then, Shoko, let's investigate those bloodstains we saw earlier."
"Yeah, I'll hold you."
With my help, Shu leaned out through the window.
"...Ah! They're really bloodstains! And they're only on the upper window frame!"
"What condition are they in? Do they look recent after all?"
"I think so... Does that mean these bloodstains might be related to the case too...?"
"...Maybe."
[Recorded [Bloodstains on the Window Frame] in the detective's notebook.]
"...Shoko. Shall we go somewhere else now?"
"Somewhere else... where?"
"Hmm... The railing where Karafuru fell, I guess? Don't you think there might be clues there too?"
"You're right... There might be."
Following Shu's suggestion, we left the window we had investigated behind.
On the way, we passed Kitsui's research lab, which was also on the east side.
"Ah, I forgot. I should close it..."
Just as she said, her Ultimate Pole Dancer research lab was still open.
"It's amazing, though. To think it stays open until the timer runs out if you set one."
"Seriously. Normally, it automatically locks the instant it detects someone entering or leaving, doesn't it? Their technological prowess really is something else."
Making small talk, we finally reached the eastern railing from which Karafuru had fallen.
"..."
Unexpectedly, there was not a single clue to be found.
"W-why...? I thought we'd at least find a clue about the wire tied around his neck..."
"Who knows... Ah, maybe because it's the third floor, but it's pretty high..."
"...Yeah."
It was roughly seven meters high. Had Karafuru really fallen from a place like this?
"...Urgh."
"Shoko..."
Even imagining it, I could feel the terror and cruelty of it, and I unconsciously bit my lip.
"...Sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
"No, it's okay. Let's... go again."
"Ah, um... if it's all right, let's close the other kids' doors too. It's bothering me a little."
"...Yeah, we have time for that much."
And so, we began closing the third-floor doors one by one.
We closed Shu's research lab when we came to it, and then...
"Hiranui..."
The Ultimate Boss's research lab stood before us.
True to a mafia boss, it had a distinctly shady layout even at a glance from outside.
"...!"
But that was not what caught our attention.
"Th-that..."
Incredibly, it was there.
"A grappling rope and wire?!"
The two items we had seen in the attic storage room were openly sitting in his research lab.
What was more, the rope bore marks where something had rubbed violently against it, and the wire had clearly been cut for use.
"Why... why are these things in that guy's research lab...?"
"I don't know... But that means..."
The shadow that had been slowly rising inside me grew too large to deny any longer.
'Hiranui Renya, you really are...'
[Recorded [Grappling Rope & Wire] in the detective's notebook.]
The moment we finished recording it and quietly closed his door—
Ding-dong, ding-dong!
The Monotwins' childish notification chime rang out through the speakers.
"Ah...!"
Before we could even be startled, it continued speaking.
"You lot! You've investigated enough, right! Since it's the first case and all, we'll skip that interminable opening argument crap!! The investigation is now over!! All of you, gather in the central field between the Main Building, Dormitory, and Annex!!"
It was the end of the investigation.
"Damn, is this as far as we get..."
"Yeah... Looks like we have no choice now."
And the beginning of a new anxiety.
"...Right. Let's go."
But after coming this far, we could not run away.
We had promised to lay Karafuru's grudge to rest and reach the truth.
"...Ah!"
Then Shu cried out as though a thought had struck her.
"Hey, Shoko! Could you go on ahead? I just thought of a place I want to check quickly!"
"What...? But shouldn't we not be late? We don't know what they might do..."
"It's fine, it'll only take a few minutes. Trust me—I'll be right there!"
"...Okay. But don't be late, all right?"
It had been a long time since I had seen that serious expression on her face. Almost pushed along by it, I left first.
"Shu..."
As the Ultimate Fixer, and as my most precious friend...
"...I'd better hurry."
She must have had a plan.
*
*
I hurried out to the field.
"Hey! Shoko! You made it without being late!"
"Mayumi... You guys...!"
I reunited with everyone, all of them standing there with tense expressions.
"What's this? Where's Roshiya? Don't tell me she ran away..."
Rarely, Kadra spoke to me.
"Yeah, she said something just occurred to her and she'd quickly investigate it. She'll be right—"
"Huff... Sorry! Did you wait long?"
Speak of the devil—Shu came running over, panting.
"Ah, thank goodness... So, Shu, did you find what you wanted to investigate?"
"Yeah...! Look at this!"
What Shu took from her pocket was an ordinary pair of scissors.
"...!"
No, more precisely, scissors clamped around several dozen centimeters of wire.
"Th-this is that wire?! Where did you find it?"
"I checked the nearby trash cans just in case. It was lying in one!"
"I-is that so...?"
I wondered whether there had been a trash can nearby, but then figured she must have brought it because there was one.
"Anyway, thanks, Shu. I'm sure this will help."
"...Yeah, that's enough!"
[Recorded [Scissors] in the detective's notebook.]
The instant I hurriedly finished recording it—
Rumble...!
Something enormous rose up behind everyone with a majestic roar.
Once it had fully emerged, it took the form of a massive elevator.
"Upupupu~ You're finally all here!"
Standing atop it were the Monotwins, looking down at us arrogantly.
"From here on, you'll be heading to the [Class Trial Court] for a trial! Now, shut your traps and get on this elevator! The rest will take care of itself!"
At the same time, the elevator's red doors opened heavily.
"..."
Everyone knew. It was like a demon's mouth—if we entered it, nothing good would await us.
"...Let's go."
But starting with Tsurudo, everyone silently walked toward it.
They must have realized it. From the moment we came to this academy, hoping for anything good had been meaningless.
"Ikiro, don't worry... It'll all work out. I'll make sure it works out...!"
"Lady Rekida... Yes, exactly. All we can do is make the best possible move at every moment..."
"Isn't this quite an interesting development? In that case... I should enjoy it as you wish."
One after another, steeling themselves in their own ways, they entered that red mouth as if to flaunt their resolve.
"...Let's go, Shu."
"Yeah, Shoko."
Then the two of us who remained exchanged determined looks and stepped inside.
Rumble...
At the same time, the doors slowly closed once more.
"...!"
The elevator began descending at considerable speed, yet smoothly enough that we barely felt it.
As if we were being dragged down, we could do nothing but endure the unpleasant sensation of descent.
"...Shoko."
Between the harsh mechanical noises, Shu spoke softly.
"You remember our promise, right? We're definitely... going to make it home alive, okay?"
"Yeah... Definitely."
Just as we secretly exchanged faint smiles—
Thud.
At last, the elevator stopped.
Grrr...
Immediately after came the heavy sound of the doors opening again.
"..."
Then the footsteps of everyone beginning to walk across the floor of the trial court.
"Upupupu~! Welcome, to my Class Trial Court!"
Just as they said, this place was truly the Monotwins' sanctuary.
Against a cool navy-blue backdrop, every direction was covered in black and white.
And in the center, precisely sixteen stands had been arranged in a circle.
"Now, now, stand wherever you like for the moment! The real fun starts after that!!"
Shouting that, the Monotwins sat side by side in two small chairs positioned above the platform.
"...Sonoconsigliere. Let's go. Panicking any longer is a waste of time."
[You're so emotionless... Well, I suppose that's the right way to be right now.]
Starting with Akano and Kaiju, everyone headed to their places one by one.
"Ah, the spots..."
Before I knew it, only two places remained.
The places Shu and I had to stand, directly opposite each other.
"Shoko, let's go."
"...Yeah."
For the last time, we glanced at each other before splitting apart and walking to our respective places.
And that was the beginning of this Class Trial.
*
Ultimate ???, Karafuru Ikiro...
Honestly, I do not know much about him.
For all that I mourn him as a companion, I had not even spoken with him that much.
More than anything, I could never claim to understand someone who had lost his talent and past.
But even so, there was one thing I could understand.
He was someone who should never have died like that.
And the person who caused his death was among us.
Then the answer was practically already clear.
As a detective, and as a companion.
I will uncover the truth of this case, find the Ultimate Black hidden among us, and make them atone.
Because that is the only choice given to me.
Then I will cast aside all hesitation now.
A trial staked on our lives.
Trust staked on our lives.
Betrayal staked on our lives.
Deduction staked on our lives.
Discussion staked on our lives.
Justice staked on our lives.
The Class Trial staked on our lives begins now.
{ Class Trial: Commencement }
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