Danganronpa: SHIFTED

-N-Nia?! What are you–

-Hmm, hmm, Memopo, I really like your style. A young magician, with honest feelings, and a honest desire for the truth.

-W-What are you saying? What game are you talking about?

-You see, I really hate magic. I don’t just dislike magic, I literally hate it. Illusions are just another form of manipulation, and this is something that only professionals should do.

-H-Huh?! First, you just yell at me, and now you’re insulting my talent?!

-No, god, heavens no! I’m just saying that, you really are smarter than I thought you would be. It’s really interesting to see this side of yours.

-So, I shall guide you some of my assistance. I can’t prove to your friend, or Maisake, or anyone inside this class trial my innocence, but you..! I might make you believe in me.

[EMERGE CONSENTING: START]

Look, you need to answer me some questions, I know it’s weird, but with this, you’ll be able to understand the full truth of this case.

First question! Was the secret passageway too far from the Audio Room? It’s around the shopping mall, so it shouldn’t be that far, right?

Second question! How did you walk inside that room along with your friend Makoto? It’s kinda specific, but you’ll understand soon.

W-Well, for starters… I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but…

Yes, it wasn’t that far, it was kinda boring but it wasn’t really that far as I thought it was.

Then… the next question… we walked in the middle of the room, I think.

At the beginning, Makoto walked to one of the walls, but it was just pitch black.

What does that has to do with the bloody passageway?

Uhu, uhuhu! I see, I see now! It’s very clear, too!

Take this, as an example: The culprit, probably wanted to make this scene less bloody, so they would be able to finish everything in the fastest way possible.

They got the knife, the thermostat, and entered the room. Seeing it was a corridor, it gave them an idea.

They walked as close as possible to the walls, and created a small strategy inside their useless mind.

After that, they disposed the knife and the thermostat, and before continuing, they used something, to clean the blood inside the passageway.

It’s an item that’s inside the storeroom, and combined with another item, it turns into something that could be used to wipe the blood.

I AGREE WITH THAT, NIA!

-…The bloody mop! And the bucket as well?!

-Correct. – Nia?! That actually makes sense! – Since both of you walked in the middle of the room, you guys wouldn’t feel a wet floor, because…

-The killer walked close to the walls! Then, you would never feel a drop of water!

-But how would they carry a thermostat, a knife, a mop and a bucket at the same time?! Actually, two buckets, since both buckets were bloody?!

-They probably disposed the knife and the thermostat first, and then got to cover the blood, but… that brings me to the clue that I was waiting to tell.

-Another… clue?!

-Yes. Remember what I said at the investigation? About entering the Garden and the Audio Room? Well, hehe… that was my first lie. And an obvious one, too

-I-I knew it! I knew that you were a liar! Why did you do this?!

-Again, at the time, I was helping the killer. And I really needed an alibi for that moment. But yes, I lied. In fact, I was bringing some of their clothes to the garden, for they to use.

-S-Some of their clothes?! Did you enter their dorm just to get their clothing?! T-Tsu, that’s so wrong!

-Hoshi, no! You made me sound like a pervert lunatic! I can say that, the killer was pretty… exhausted. And bloody, from that struggle and death. After all, Shiroga dropped a lot of blood.

-So, they contacted me, and their plan was to frame Memopo, after that, I would just bring some new clothes for them, and they would dispose of evidence. you know, pretty basic.

-A-And… what did they do with their old clothes?! I-It would be strange to walk around the shopping mall with bloody clothes on your hands…

-Shredder.

-WHAT?! S-SHREDDER?! S-So they used the shredder for both my thermostat and the clothes?! GOD, THIS IS HORRIBLE!

-Hehehe, ahahahaha! N-Nope, ahaha! Nope. Aha… Not exactly. The thermostat is fine, from what I do know, they only shredded their old clothes.

-It would take less time for them to just throw old clothes inside a shredder than throw an entire metal garbage.

-S-So… my thermostat, my BABY is still alive?! Y-YES! Please, please! I love it, I love it!

-…H-He’s weird….

-So, the shredder got actually clogged because of dirty bloody clothes?! God, that’s kinda fucked up.

-I wasn’t there to see the water getting clogged, though. I just gave them the clothes, and walked away. I won’t see someone getting naked without their consent, being a boy or a girl.

-Hmm… – It makes sense. Nia’s not a freaking pervert. If she’s also not lying about that. – So… with that being said, the killer used the secret passageway, disposed the knife and kept the thermostat with them, got new clothes, threw the old ones at the shredder, and then cleaned the dark bloody corridor with water from the mop?!

-Yes, exactly. A big explanation, but you’re absolutely correct.

-But, uh, just a question, if I may ask. – Aki’s gonna say something. – Well, sure, it makes sense. But wouldn’t they be able to see something like a bloody water inside that room? Or at least smell something strange?

-Wow, that makes sense, actually, we would be able to smell something strange.

-Not if Memopo’s theory is true. – My theory? Maisake, what are you saying? – Remember, there’s no clocks inside this place. So Memopo could’ve been knocked out at 10:06pm, and being discovered at 11:06pm or something like that.

-Oh, now I understand what you’re saying. The killer would have plenty of time to do all that, and the floor would be kinda wet, but not smelly or really noticeable anymore.

-There’s also the fact that we just entered the secret passageway after the investigation started, so it’s a lot of time to dry at least something.

-Hmm, I see. Alright, this a lot of stuff to think, but I understand, I guess.

-Then… what should we discuss about now? We already discussed about most of the stuff that I can remember.

-May I suggest something, Ms. Sakagara?

-Yes, Ms. Nikada?

-W-Well… we talked about the alibis, but… we still didn’t talk about the people that doesn’t have alibis for this crime. We should start asking for their opinion about this!

-Yes, I agree with that. What’s your opinion on this murder, Ms. Nikada?

-W-What..?! Ms. Tsukiyama?!

-Well, you don’t have an alibi, you know? As well as Hajime, Zeto, Kiyohara, Chokakku and… I. But you don’t have one!

-S-So… now… from 16 students… considering S-Shiroga’s case as a suicide… we’re now with only 6 suspects?! That’s amazing!

-Y-Yes… but now’s the hard part… gal. It’s gonna get really complicated…

-Actually, what if we make an elimination method?! – Huh? What are you onto, Maki? – We do have SOME info! We can eliminate the non suspect ones from the list, until only one remains!

-What?! How did you know something as clever as that?!

-Whaaat? Many auditions for non-family circus and musicals or desperate students in general does that! It’s just common sense, dummy dum!

-Man, I wish I was that clever. You’re really smart, Maki!

-Ok, so… if we consider our suspects as the ones who doesn’t have an alibi… considering Nia’s words as true facts… we have Chokakku, Nia herself, Ms. Nikada, Hajime, Zeto and Kiyohara as our suspects.

-W-What?! Ok, this is definitely strange!

-Well, it ain’t me, dumbass..!

-Not me, either. I wouldn’t be able to kill my best friend, you know.

-I-I’m also not able to commit something as brutal as that!

-I’m with Mr. Nohara… I’m too small to attack a girl, and I wouldn’t stand a chance against Ms. Nesumi!

-What if you jumped? It would make a lot of sense, now.

-I-I promise I didn’t jump! I never committed a crime in my life! I’m a teacher, not a serial killer!

-So… how should we start this? Do you have any ideas, Memopo?

-… – Six… suspects… should we really focus only on those six..? It’s true that they’re the only ones without an alibi, but we should be able to eliminate some of them right away. –

-Hey, gal. – Hm? Joshua? – Rem’ber that thing that robot said a while ago? About that thermos thing an’ stuff.

-Oh, yes. We’re going back to where Nia wanted us to be, that’s wonderful.

-Not quite, pal. At least now you’re gettin’ this information from a reliable partner.

-Oh, that makes me sooo sad. The fact that you don’t think that I’m reliable.

-Anyway, Joshua, you really made an important point! We could use these people as a clue!

-Ok, but who were these people, again? It was four people, right?

-Hmm…

IT’S THE POWER OF MAGIC!

-It was… Ms. Nikada, Hajime and Hoshi. From what we know so far, only those three couldn’t get the thermostat.

-It makes sense for Ms. Nikada, but why not Hajime and Hoshi?

-Well, Lucky Boy… because they’re weak!

-W-WAAAAAAHHH!! Stop yelling out of nowhere!

-Huh? They’re weak? No wonder why that boy didn’t even struggle when I was choking him.

-S-Stop! I-I’m actually very strong! I’m just not strong enough to defend myself..!

-But, are we sure that we can trust Monobot..? He’s the one who organized this killing game after all…

-I don’t know, Teru. But this kinda makes sense, and it’s an important clue. It doesn’t have anything to support that theory, but we should at least believe it for now.

-Y-Yes, and it also helps our situation! Mr. Nohara and I are the only ones from that list who doesn’t have an alibi, so with that information, we couldn’t have gotten the thermostat!

-But… what if Nia took the thermostat, and gave it to one of you guys?

-I’m afraid I couldn’t do that. First of all, I already said before that I never planned Shiroga’s demise.

-But what if that’s just another lie?!

-Ok, please, shut your mouth.

-A-Agh! You don’t have any rights over my mouth!

-…And, it’s not like they only couldn’t get the thermostat, I mean, sure, they’re weak so they couldn’t get it. But they couldn’t hold it with ease either, the thing is probably heavy enough for them to just hold it and nothing else.

-And where’s your proof? They still would’ve gotten the thermostat!

-…Hahaha! Ok, here. Here’s your laugh. Let me finish this now, please? Anyway, if they were holding it, having some difficulties, they wouldn’t be able to knock out Memopo.

-Yeah, that thing was pretty heavy in my head. I was knocked out at once.

-So… then Ms. Nikada and Hajime can’t be the culprit! Now it’s only 4 people!

-…Ahaha. Alright, I think it’s understandable now. – Huh? – Memopo, Maisake, you probably know already the killer’s identity, right?

-Huh?! M-Maisake and I?! Why? and How?!

-…I-I see. Oh no… – Huh?! Maisake?! Can someone explain to me, please?! –

-W-Wait, I actually don’t understand, h-how did you discover the killer’s identity?!

-Uhu. It’s simple actually. Please, tell them, Maisake.

-…W-Well. We already know that Nia’s not the culprit, because she was working with them. And… we know that she used that night, walking at each one of our dorms, to talk to the killer… right?

-R-Right… and then what happened?

-Only… two dorms. S-She didn’t enter… two dorms. S-So, those two people… are innocent.

-…And they’re also two of those three suspects, right..?

-…Yes. If Nia’s actually telling the truth, then… only one person remained. Without an alibi, that could get the thermostat, and that Nia entered the dorm at night.

…W-What..?! So… we… we did it..? We found… the classmate… that killed Shiroga..?!

-And Nia also said that it was easy to know who killed Shiroga now, so I must be right.

…From Chokakku, Zeto, Nia, and Kiyohara…

…Nia can’t be the culprit, because she was working with them.

And… A-And…

-I-It’s Zeto… I-It’s Zeto and Chokakku… the ones that are innocent… a-aren’t they..?

-Ding ding dong! You’re correct, Memopo. So… you probably know who the culprit is now, huh? Hehe. Ahahaha.

-…I-I… – My heart… it’s beating fast now… So I must be right. T-They… they killed Shiroga. I-I don’t wanna lose another friend, b-but… why? –

W-Why did they do this? I-I don’t wanna continue, I-I’m scared for no reason… I-I must tell the truth, but being in a situation like this is so…

…I-I… I’m breathing fast. I-I must calm down… I… she’s gonna notice this…

-Hehe. I said it. If I told you guys the culprit’s identity before, then no one would believe me. It seems random, but oh trust me, that person is definitely the killer.

………

-Oh, c’mon, Memopo, I liked you. C’mon, say it! End this once and for all. With your own words, we’ll be able to find the culprit. With your own words, we’ll be able to finish this class trial.

-N-Nia, stop that right now! S-She’s clearly nervous!

-Oh, I was, too. But it’s normal to be nervous in a situation like this. We’re discussing about one of our classmates who killed Shiroga, right? and that classmate is getting executed tonight. – ..!! – Memopo, dear. Just finish this already.

-Nia, please. She never wanted to be in a situation like this, don’t let her be the one who discovers everything by herself.

-…Hehe. Afraid of the truth, maybe? This is what you all wanted, right? C’mon, Memopo! You don’t even know that person that well! You guys are just classmates.

…I… I… I…