"Kyaaaaaaaaah!" Tsumugi screamed, hiding behind her arms.

"Amami-kun!? But... why!?" Kiibo exclaimed.

Miu gagged. "Hrk....! That's Amami? Oh, thank god! I thought it was a pile of dirty rags!"

"I see... So this ended up happening after all." Korekiyo giggled. "Kehehe... my, my. What a world this is, so full of jokes like this."

"Oh, looks like someone did end up giving in to the killing game after all!" Ichika chirped.

"Wh-What...? This is a lie, right? My dearest Amami-chan is dea-" Kokichi froze. "Oh, I mean... was kiiiiiiiiiiillled!" Kokichi burst out his crocodile tears.

Kaede shot him a glare. "That's the same thing..."

"Hmph, how ironic." Ryoma sighed. "The guy who wanted to live ended up dead... and the guy who wanted to die survived."

"So... can somebody explain the meaning of all this?" Kirumi interjected, a dark look adorning her face.

"Nah. An explanation isn't necessary. Thanks to the first blood perk, there won't be a class trial, so that'd just be a waste of time. With that said... if you're the blackened who killed Amami, raise your hand!" Monokuma looked around at the sixteen students expectantly.

"The one who... killed Amami-kun?" Tsumugi shivered.

"I knew it! A delinquent male killed Amami-san, didn't he!?" Tenko barked.

"How you know that a male killed him!?" Gonta exclaimed.

"Tch... That dumbass! How dare he go and get himself killed!" Kaito growled. "Who the hell did it!? I'll friggin' punch you into orbit!"

"Puhuhu... Don't get so angry." Monokuma laughed. "Send off your graduating classmate with warm farewells." The Monokubs appeared on top of the bookshelf behind Kirumi.

"Or send 'em off with hostility like a bunch of catty popular girls! That's fine, too!" Monosuke shouted.

"But if it's gonna disrupt the process, then we're gonna bust out the Exisals!" Monotaro added.

"Ughhh... I'm not gonna look... I don't wanna look at a nasty, dead body..." Monophanie whined.

"Slurrrrp! Nothing beats crashing a funeral!" Monokid has drool dribbling down his chin. "I'll throw in a wedding every now and then, but funerals are insane! Like fishin' with dynamite!"

Monosuke pushed his glasses up. "So whoever did this really gets to graduate, huh?"

"Heck yeah!" Monokuma grinned happily. "I'm a real stickler for the rules! I'm also tough on convenience store clerks!"

"Then congratulations!" Monotaro chirped. "Would the blackened whos about the graduate please raise their hand!"

There was a long, daunting silence. Not one of the sixteen remaining students raised their hand.

"What the-? No one's raisin' their hand?" Monosuke exclaimed.

Monotaro started to look around frantically. "Hey! Didja, hear me? All the blackened has to do to graduate is speak up, ya know!"

Still, no one raised their hand.

"Hm? No-ones stepping forward?" Monophanie questioned.

Monokuma just laughed his signature laugh. "Puhuhu... I see how it is. The blackened has no need for the first blood perk. They would rather do a class trial!"

Kirumi glared at Monokuma. "Excuse me?"

"Very well, then. I will give the blackened what they want and hold a class trial!"

Monotaro gasped. "Wow!"

"Now this is a spicy twist!" Monosuke laughed.

"W-Wait... What the heck's going on!?" Kaito barked.

"Like we said before, we're gonna hold a class trial so you bastards can find Amami's killer." Monosuke explained

Montaro nodded. "Get it right and only the blackened will be punished. But if you get it wrong-"

"Simultaneous surgery!" Monokid interrupted. "Brain and knee! Then brain surgery again!"

Monotaro gave Monokid a look. "...Everyone besides the blackened will be punished."

Kaede's face paled. "Everyone besides the blackened... Everyone..."

Maki sighed. "This outcome is much worse. The culprit should have just stepped forward."

"But before we hold the class trial, you gotta investigate first. If you don't investigate the murder, you won't be able to argue over who did it." Monokuma explained.

"So you're saying we need to do the investigation ourselves, too?" Ryoma questioned.

"Of course! The investigation is what makes the killing game so good! You guys are gonna investigate this crime and uncover the truth! Puhuhu..." Monokuma giggled. "The blackened's handiwork has made this much more interesting than I expected... All right! The trial will begin soon, so please give the investigation your all!"

Monokuma and his cubs finally left with their signature so long, bear well.

"Let's get going then!" Kokichi chirped.

"W-Wait... where should we start?" Gonta asked.

"We could start by checking the body to confirm the cause of death or any other clues." Ichika suggested.

"What the-!? Check the body? Are you fuckin' serious about this shit!?" Miu barked.

"We're looking for the truth of Amami's death, right?" Ryoma said. "If we cant figure out who the culprit is, then we'll be annihilated for sure."

"I-I don't wanna be annihilated!" Tenko shrieked. "The girls should be allowed to live, at least!"

"Nyeeeh... I'm just a cute normal girl who can use magic, y'know?" Himiko sighed.

"You're the last person who should be callin' herself cute!" Miu snarled.

"Do not fret. Just imagine this as something out of a police drama or detective manga." Kirumi turned to look at Shuichi. "Right, Saihara-kun?"

Shuichi nodded uncertainty. "R-Right..."

Kiibo sweated. "I'm in trouble... I've never watched police dramas or read detective manga!"

"Well... there's no need to think so hard. We need only converse with the corpse... A corpse is not simply a dead person. That is just an assumption made by the living." Korekiyo spoke ominously. "Yes! By coming face to face with the corpse, you will learn a great many things!"

"Why are you getting excited!?" Tenko yelled, pointing at Korekiyo. "You're not into dead bodies, are you!?"

"But... is it true?" Tsumugi asked. "Is one of us really the culprit?"

"...The odds are one in sixteen. That shouldn't be hard to figure out." Maki said.

"That's not the problem here!" Kaito yelled.

"Wh-Who's the fuckin' culprit, huh? Is it you!? Or maybe it's you!" Miu shouted and started pointing at random students.

"Eeeny, meeny, miney, moe..." Angie also started pointing at random students. "Who's the killer? Only God knows..."

"You can't choose that way, Yonaga-san!" Gonta cried out.

"Ah-haha, everyone's competing to see who's the most paranoid." Kokichi giggled. "Yeah, that's not boring."

"Wait... Wait, stop!" Shuichi cried out desperately. "We can't do this! We can't go back and forth accusing each other! For now... we need to trust each other and start a serious investigation."

Kaede blinked. "Huh?"

"If we all lose our trust in one another because of this... it's all over! We have to believe in each other and investigate this case."

"Investigating is the same thing as not trusting each other." Miu snapped.

"No, it's completely different from what Monokuma wants us to do. He wants us to throw accusations at one another, and lose all trust in each other and we... can't let him get what he wants. We need to investigate this murder. Not because we don't trust each other, but because we *do*."

The sixteen students stared at Shuichi in silence.

"Ah... did I... say something wrong?"

Kaede giggled. "You were just so... direct and assertive."

Shuichi shook his head with a small smile. "Ah, no, I just... said what was on my mind..."

"You really are a detective! Now that we need to investigate, you're becoming super reliable!"

"I agree with Saihara!" Katio grinned. "Actually, he just said exactly what I was gonna say!"

"Male delinquents are creatures who betray others easily, but I'll trust you this time..." Tenko said. "The only thing good about males is that girls give birth to them!"

"I'm not that smart. I'm not sure if I'll be much help... but I'll do my best for everyone!"

"I will work hard with God's guidance. I'm much happier alive than dead anyway." Angie chirped.

"As novice investigators, logic dictates that we work together rather than give into paranoia." Kiibo added.

"If this is what everyone desires... then I shall give this task my all." Kirumi said.

"You can leave it to me! I'll find the culprit in no time!" Kokichi giggled.

"..." Kaede let out a sigh of relief, glad that no one has given up yet.

"Then we should probably start investigating now." Ichika spoke up.

Tsumugi nodded. "We need to do this. So poor Amami-kun won't have any regrets... and so we can survive."

"Yes... Let's find the culprit who killed Amami-kun." Shuichi said.

"You're right! Let's do it!" Kaede agreed.

All of a sudden, Monokuma returned and tilted his head curiously. "Hmm... This isn't quite the mood I was expecting, but... It's okay!" He chirped. "At least now you guys seem like you're getting into it!"

"You again!? The fuck are you doin' here!?" Miu barked angrily.

"Puhuhu... Don't be so crude. I've come to bring you all a wonderful present."

Tenko narrowed her eyes at Monokuma. "This is giving me the heebie-jeebies."

Monokuma pulled out a black tablet. "Dun dun dunnnnn! A notebook that will kill anyone whose name is written in it!"

Tsumugi gasped. "Could it be!? The Death N-"

"Whoops, my bad. It's a Monokuma File."

"You... did that on purpose, didn't you?" Tsumugi sighed.

"The Monokuma File is a detailed report that summaries all the info about the dead body! But there is no info that would point to the blackened, cuz that would ruin the trials. I dunno, maybe you guys'll find it useful since you're not experienced investigators, y'know?" Monokuma then hopped away, leaving us with the file.

Kaito scoffed. "Pfft, Monokuma File? Like hell I'm gonna believe something he made."

"Whether you believe it or not, it would still be prudent to examine its contents, no?" Kirumi said.

"God has spoken... He says we shouldn't take our eyes off of the Monopad."

Kaede switched the Monopad on and skimmed through it. It had Rantarou's profile, time of death and cause of death.

Tsumugi spoke up. "I know it's a little late, but... seeing this makes it real... Amami-kun... is really dead."

"This is the mastermind's fault... The mastermind killed Amami-kun!" Kaede exclaimed.

"...Mastermind? I'm sorry, what are we talking about?" Kiibo looked at Kaede expectantly.

"Akamatsu-san... please explain to us what is going on and spare us no detail." Kirumi asked.

Kaede looked at Shuichi and nodded. Kaede and Shuichi explained everything, from there being a traitor among us to their plan of exposing the mastermind.

Kirumi nodded. "I see... so that is what happened. I was not aware you two had planned such a thing."

"Kh! So you used the cameras I modified for this bullshit?" Miu turned her head away and put her hands on her hips.

"But... why would you keep something so important a secret from us?" Kaito questioned.

"Once we knew one of us was the mastermind, we'd start fighting over who it was... That's what you two were afraid of, wasn't it?" Ryoma asked.

"Y-Yeah... That's right..." Kaede agreed.

"But if there are cameras, won't this case be solved really easily?" Kokichi asked. "Aw maaaan, that's so boring!"

"Your amusement is the least of our problems right now! We need to check those cameras right now!" Tenko barked.

"The culprit should be in the pictures. It'll be case closed." Himiko mumbled.

"Alright, let me go get the cameras..." Shuichi quickly retrieved all three cameras and rusked back to everyone. "Okay, I've got them. It was hard removing the camera Akamatsu-san set up, she really taped it down well..."

"Well, I really didn't want that camera to fall, since it was aimed at the moving bookcase." Kaede chuckled.

Shuichi showed the other students three green cameras. "Here. It's the three cameras. Now, we just have to develop the film..."

"Allow me to perform that task." Kirumi offered.

"Wow!" Tenko exclaimed. "Is there anything the Ultimate Maid can't do!?"

"I heard everything you said! If that's what you need, just leave it to me!" Monophaine popped up out of nowhere, startling them all. "I'll develop the photos so you bastards can focus on the investigation! Cuz if you guys got punished, it would be too gory!"

"H-Hey! Don't butt into our-" Kaede protested but Monophaine ignored her and walked up to Shuichi, snatching the cameras from him.

"...Ah!?"

"I am a strong, sensual woman! Do not underestimate me!"

"Hey! Give those back!" Kaede demanded.

"No need to worry. We all have to follow the rules. We won't do anything underhanded or devious. So I'll let you know when I've finished developing the photos."

"W-Wait! give those cameras back-" Kaede shouted as Monophaine took her leave.

"Aww, there she goes..." Angie said.

"N-No... That was important evidence." Kaede grabbed her right arm and stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry... I-I was being careless..." Shuichi trailed off, refusing to meet Kaede's eyes.

"It's probably ok. She said she'll develop photos, then give them back to us." Gonta reassured.

"And she said she had to follow the rules, so I don't think she would destroy any important evidence." Kiibo added.

"Looks like we've got no choice but to believe that." Ryoma sighed.

"Still smells like bullcrap." Ichika huffed.

"It's important to believe. God only shows mercy to those who believe." Angie chriped.

Kaede was staring at the ground nervously. "..."

"Akamatsu-san, I know you're worried, but you can trust me. We just have to be patient." Shuichi reassured.

"That's not all I'm worried about... I thought this whole thing would be over once we expose the mastermind... But now... we're just in a bigger mess. A mess... we have to see through to the end."

"..." Shuichi sighed. "Ah... Akamatsu-san? I... have a proposal for you. If it's alright with you... could we keep working together during the trial? Like we're doing now?"

"Saihara-kun?"

"I know I'm just an apprentice, but... I think I can help you, as a detective." Shuichi shook his head. "No, I... I *want* to help you."

Kaede smiled sweetly. "Of course! With you by my side, it'll be like having 100 people helping me!"

"Hey, sooo..." Kokichi spoke up, interrupting Kaede and Shuichi. "I don't care about this mushy stuff, so let's get started already. And try to take this seriously, okay? Our lives are on the line."

Tsumugi rested her cheek on her palm. "It takes a lot of mental power to say something like that so cheerfully..."

"Before we start, I'd like to suggest that we do not investigate by ourselves." Kirumi said.

"Huh? Why?" Gonta asked.

"If we let the culprit work by themselves, they might try and destroy evidence, right?" Ryoma explained.

"Kehehe..." Korekiyo chuckled. "If each of us watched the other, no one will be able to hide any evidence."

"I do not intend to offer a suggestion that would further arouse suspicion, but..."

"No, that's logical!" Kiibo shouted before Kirumi could continue. "Please speak your mind, Toujou-san!"

Kaito scratched the back of his head. "It's not something you should be proud to say... but I guess we don't have a choice. After all, if we don't find out who the culprit is, we'll all be killed."

Ichika smiled and crossed her arms. "Well if the beautiful girl suggests it, then let's hurry up and start this investigation. Remember that our lives are at stake and if we continue talking, we'll just waste time."

Everyone agreed and split up to investigate. Ichika and Kiibo agreed to investigate together and they headed to the classroom on the first floor. While investigating, Shuichi and Kaede came into the room to ask them about their alibis.

"Uh, hey Aki-san!" Kaede nervously greeted.

Ichika smiled. "Heya! You here to ask about my alibi?"

"Oh, yeah. How'd you know?"

"I have the ability to see into the future with the power of my hidden thrid eye, a gift bestowed upon me by the gods." Ichika chuckled. "Just kidding. It'd just make sense if you asked me about my alibi, since what else would you talk to me about?"

"I guess that makes sense..." Kaede shifted uncomfortably. "You seem... awfully cheerful..." She averted her eyes.

"It's easier to be happy instead of sad and mopey, y'know?" Ichika chirped happily. "So, my alibi. I was in the dining hall, eating with four other people. Iruma-san, Toujou-san, Shirogane-san, and Shinguji-san were all there as well. The Monokubs prepared a pasta dish for us called, 'Pasta that tastes like a lonely old lady eating her grandkid's birthday cake' I think..."

"...That pasta sounds depressing."

"Yeah, there was a lot of it as well. I couldn't eat too much of it though since I cannoli take so much pasta in one go." Ichika grinned mischievously.

Kaede narrowed her eyes. "Was... that a pun?"

"What about the people around you?" Shuichi quickly spoke up. "Did you notice anything in particular?"

"Hmm... Well, Toujou-san was in the kitchen washing up, Shinguji-san was eating the pasta, Iruma-san was tinkering with some kind of machine... Oh! And Shirogane-san left for the bathroom at one point."

"The bathroom, huh?" Kaede closed her eyes and nodded. "Interesting. She could've gone to the bathroom and secretly disguise herself as someone else."

"Someone else? But who?" Shuichi inquired curiously.

Kaede sighed. "I don't know, but I'll go talk to her. She should be at the crime scene in the library."

"Yeah! Make sure she wasn't being an impasta!" Ichika giggled.

"Please stop with the puns." Kaede groaned.

The two went off to ask Kiibo about his alibi and then left the classroom together. Kiibo and Ichika looked around the classroom for a bit longer until they were interrupted by the intercom alerting them that the photos had fully developed and to meet at the warehouse.

Ichika hummed, standing up from crouching to look at the vent. "Looks like the photos are ready."

"W-We should hurry! We might discover the culprit!" Kiibo dashed out of the room, Ichika following him closely behind. They rushed over to the warehouse and met up with all the other students. Shuichi and Kaede were already there, photos in hand.

"...Akamatsu-san!" Kiibo exclaimed. "Are those the developed photos!?"

"The culprit should be in those photos, right?" Tsumugi asked hopefully.

"Nee-heehee. How exciting. I wanna see the dumb look on the culprits face." Kokichi giggled.

"Alright! Let's take a look!" Kaito said.

Kaede nodded. "Let's look at the photos taken by the camera near the front entrance first." Kaede pulled out the envelope that said 'front entrance'. She pulled out the first picture.

"This is... when we arrived at the library. So it took a picture then..." Kaede was staring at the picture that had Shuichi, Kaito, Tenko and herself running in the library.

"Yeah, this was right before we found Amami's body." Kaito said.

"This is a pretty bad picture of me... but don't focus on it too much, okay?" Tenko commented, a little embarrassed.

"Rest assured, we do not care." Korekiyo said.

"Alright, let's go onto the next one." Kaede grabbed the next picture and showed it to us. "Um... this is..."