Monokuma cleared his throat. "Ahem! Now then, let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! During the trial, you'll present your arguments for who the culprit is, and vote for Vote correctly and only the blackened will be punished. But if you pick the wrong person... I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and that person will graduate from this academy! Also, refusing to vote will result in your death, so you better vote for someone! Now then, let's get the crazy, awesome, crazy-awesome trial underway!"

"I think we all know who the most suspicious one is! It's-" Kokichi tried to speak, but Tenko cut him off.

"Let's combine our power and work together, everyone!"

"Um... The person who's most suspicious is-" Kokichi tried again, but Tenko interrupted him once again.

"Now lend me your energy, everyone! So we can catch the culprit!"

"Because the murder happened during the magic show, the culprit can only be-"

"HAIYAAAAAAAHHH!!! I'm in top form today!"

"Chabashira-chan! Why are you interrupting me? We can't have a good class trial if you talk over me!"

"Huh? I'm not interrupting you." Tenko made a face. "Whatever you have to say is probably worthless anyway, cuz all males want to talk about is S-E-"

"Yumeno-san seems suspicious," Angie interjected cheerfully.

"Nyeh!?"

"Hey! Yonaga-san! How can you accuse Yumeno-san!?" Tenko yelled angrily. "Aren't you her friend!?"

"Um... I'm just telling you what God is telling me." Angie responded. "He is using his divine knowledge to show us the way to survive..." Angie's face turned dark. "... You should thank him, lest he pour his holy wrath upon you all."

"Screw God, that guy has got nothing on me! I'll protect Yumeno-san!"

"Chabashira-san, you could very well be protecting the killer. Are you willing to protect a potential murderer?" Ichika asked and tilted her head.

"I agree, it does point to Yumeno-san being the most suspicious," Kirumi agreed.

"His body appearing in the water tank leads one to think the escape trick played a part," Korekiyo stated. "It's only natural we suspect Yumeno-san. She was the one performing the trick."

"N-No, that's wrong... The underwater escape... wasn't a trick. It was... magic!"

"That's not the part you've got to deny! You gotta tell us you're not the culprit!" Kaito yelled, clenching his fist.

"Magic huh? That's so cool... What a mysterious miracle!" Angie clapped her hands together. "Now, did you kill Hoshi-kun, Yumeno-san? God will hear your confession.

"S-Stop it! There's no way any of that is true!" Tenko screamed out.

"It's true though. Yumeno-chan used the underwater escape trick to kill Hoshi-chan." Kokichi placed his hands behind his head. "But I still don't have a clue how Yumeno-chan did the trick..."

"Th-There's no trick... That... really was magic."

Gonta piped up. "Y'know, maybe it really *was* magi-"

"Oh, stop it. If you don't reveal your trick now, then we'll vote you as the culprit." Maki threatened harshly.

"Stop picking on Yumeno-san! A cute tiny flower like her could never kill anyone!"

"I get that you might want to defend her, but that might be a bit much." Tsumugi sighed.

"God has blessed me with an epiphany..." Angie said. "The culprit used an underwater escape trick to pull off a sneaky switcheroo with Hoshi-kun!"

"After that, the time ran out... The tank above Hoshi-chan opened, and piranhas came pouring out! Wahhhh!!! And he was eaten alive!" Kokichi cried.

"No, Hoshi-kun's death was not caused by the piranhas." Shuichi countered. "The Monokuma file indicates the cause of death is drowning."

Kaito hummed. "So it wasn't the piranhas, then. He was drowned."

"Ooooohhh, I see." Kokichi grinned. "I haven't checked the Monokuma File yet, so that's news to me."

Tenko glared at Kokichi. "Y-You lying little brat! Telling lies is what turns you into a male delinquent!"

"Hehe, so what?" Angie giggled. "Hoshi-kun drowned, Yumeno-san changed places with him, and then the piranhas ate him. Right?"

"That's not possible. Yumeno-san had only 60 seconds to escape from the water tank. That's not enough time to drown someone." Ichika refuted.

"If that is the case, then when did he drown?" Kirumi asked.

"Hoshi-kun was already drowned before the show started." Shuichi responded.

"Kehehe..." Korekiyo nodded in agreement. "Agreed. Before being eaten by the piranhas, he made no attempt to escape the water. To be precise, he made no movements whatsoever. Yes... By that point, he had already joined the ranks of the dead."

Kiibo hummed. "Could that mean his body was hidden until the culprit made it appear in the tank?"

Gonta scratched his chin. "Hidden... where?"

"The culprit would have to hide the body near the tank, and then show it during the act." Kirumi explained.

"Easier said than done!" Miu snapped.

"Was there a place on the stage where the culprit could've hid the body? Oh wait." Kokichi looked at Himiko. "Yumeno-chan should know since she performed The Underwater Escape trick."

Kaito sighed. "Yumeno... why don't you just explain it to us?"

"Cuz it's magic." Himiko pouted.

Gonta piped up again. "Y'know, maybe it really *was* magi-"

"Shut up." Maki growled.

"Kehehe... Yumeno-san is committed to her act. But those who deal in dreams are oft liars." Korekiyo hummed.

"Wh-Why is everyone still picking on Yumeno-san!?" Tenko cried out. "You're all worse than a drunk dad's ramblings!"

"We should let him vent. After all, it's tough being the man of the house." Tsumugi said.

Kaito scratched the back of his head. "Man... we gotta figure out how the hidden trick works to find where the body was hidden."

"But Yumeno-san does not wish to tell us how she performed her act." Kirumi sighed.

"Then let's work together to reveal the secret behind Yumeno-san's trick!" Angie chirped.

"So... it wasn't real magic?" Gonta asked, still looking quite confused.

"No, it was real magic..." Himiko grumbled. "Maaaagic... Maaaaaagic... Maaaaaaaaaagic!"

"Oh, nooooo! It's Yumeno-san's curse! Her curses are really powerful!!!" Tenko exclaimed.

Ichika pouted. "Geez, the more Yumeno-san says 'it's magic'... the more annoying she becomes."

"H-How could you call someone as amazing as Yumeno-san annoying!?"

"Like this!" Ichika cleared her throat. "Yumeno-san is annoying!"

"I wasn't asking you to repeat it!" Tenko cried out.

"How did Yumeno-san escape the water tank?" Kiibo inquired.

"Maybe she just climbed out and no one noticed?" Angie suggested.

Kirumi hummed. "Perhaps some mechanism was set up on the stage?"

"The curtain covering the tank was certainly suspicious." Korekiyo added.

"Maybe the tank had a secret hatch?" Maki said.

"Harukawa-san is correct." Shuichi spoke up. "There was an escape hatch on the tank."

"I see, so it did have one."

"That's right. I discovered a similar tank in Yumeno-san's lab. There was a panel on the side that could open. That was her escape."

"No, your logic is all wrong, Saihara-san!" Tenko barked suddenly.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Hmph! And you don't even know why you're wrong, either! Typical male delinquent! Nnnnngraaaaaahhh!!! I'll smash your face with my fists of hot burning steel!!!"

***

"There was a reason the room wasn't flooded with water... The staircase that was attached to the water tank." Shuichi explained. "Try to remember how the staircase was positioned... It was aligned perfectly with the tank's escape hatch. Meaning the water tank was connected to the inside of the staircase."

"Inside of the staircase..." Gonta gasped. "His body was *in* the stairs!?"

"Knowing that, it's clear how Yumeno-san made her escape from underwater." Shuichi continued. "There was a curtain covering the tank during the performance, allowing Yumeno-san to enter the staircase from the hatch undetected. Any water that would've spilled simply funneled into the staircase."

"So how do you get out of the stairs?" Tsumugi questioned.

"The staircase also has an escape hatch, one facing away from us. It's placed so that the water would not drain from the staircase."

"In which case, a person could exit and leave water inside the staircase." Kiibo added.

"However, that one person would be soaked, meaning that *some* trace should be left..."

"That would explain why there was a puddle around the stairs..." Korekiyo mumbled.

"So when Yumeno came out from the stairs, her wet clothes dripped water all over!" Kaito exclaimed.

"Haha, bitch! Caught ya soakin' wet and red-handed!" Miu laughed.

Himiko's podium moved to the centre of the circle. "Nyeh... Nyeeeeh..."

"Judging from Yumeno-chan's reaction, you hit right on the bull's-eye!" Kokichi said.

"But... Yumeno-san's clothes should've been wet when she left the water tank..." Tenko trailed off.

Kirumi hummed. "Her clothes were definitely not wet."

"O-Of course!" Himiko stuttered. "That's cuz my Underwater Escape wasn't a trick... I-It was magic."

"...It's because she changed her uniform." Shuichi countered.

"The dormitory is stacked with uniforms. Did you hide one behind the stage in advance?" Kiibo asked Himiko.

"Nyeh... Nyeeeeh!"

"Oh! When Kiibo-san got soaked after being used as a batting ram... I found a slightly damp towel behind the stage." Ichika added with a smile.

"Nyeeeeehh...!"

"I remember seeing Yumeno-san go to the gym this morning, carrying a uniform and a towel." Angie chirped.

"Nyeeeeeeh!"

"Aaaaaaahhhh! Why would you say that!?" Tenko screamed.

Korekiyo placed his hand on his cheek. "I see. She had a towel, too. She may not have had time to fully dry her hair... But her short hair and hat ensured we were none the wiser."

"Yumeno-san can't get wet! Cuz her body repels water!"

Tsumugi looked at Tenko confused. "Huh, like a duck?"

Kaito looked at Himiko expectantly. "Yumeno... C'mon. Give it up already."

"..." Himiko sighed. "Fine... you win. It's just like you said. The water tank and staircase both have mechanisms."

"So I was correct." Maki said.

"-But that doesn't mean I used them!" Himiko cried out suddenly. "I didn't need them... Cuz I used my magic!"

Miu groaned. "Again with the magic crap... Were you dropped on your head as a kid!?"

"Now that we understand how the trick was performed, let us move on." Korekiyo spoke up quickly.

"Yes, let us proceed." Kirumi nodded. "Where did the culprit hide Hoshi-kun's body? From our discussion earlier, his body could have been in the space inside the staircase."

"But that's where Yumeno-san escaped from, right?" Gonta said.

"So Yumeno went in the stairs with the body!? What kind of kinky shit is she into!?' Miu cried out.

"That seems unlikely." Kiibo countered. "There isn't enough space for two people to fit in there."

Tsumugi nodded. "Yeah, the stairs are pretty cramped. It'd be hard to fit even Hoshi-kun and Yumeno-san in there."

"Who says they went in together?" Angie chirped happily. "She could've made the switch as she was leaving the tank. At the same time, she could've pulled out the body from inside the stairs. That way, she'd have room to put herself in there. See how easy that is?" Angie smiled brightly. "I think that explains how Yumeno-san changed placed with Hoshi-kun's body."

"Wait a minute!" Tenko baked. "Why do you automatically assume it was Yumeno-san!?"

"Who else but Yumeno-san could've done it?"

"N-Nyeeeeh..."

"Ughhh... Yonaga-san, you spent more time with Yumeno-san than any of us, so why are you accusing her!?" Tenko cried out.

"You may think you're protecting Yumeno-san, but what if he really is the culprit? We'll all die, and it will be your fault. God will lose precious devotees." Angie gave Tenko a dark look. "Are you okay with that, Chabashira-san?"

"I'm totally fine with that!" Tenko snapped. "I don't care what anyone says! Yumeno-san would *never* murder someone! That's what I believe more than anything!"

"..." Himiko was silent.

"I *want* to believe in her, no matter what! If I can't do that, then I'd rather just die!" Tenko's eyes became glossy. "So until this body takes its final breath, I'm gonna keep believing in Yumeno-san!!!"

"But the only one who could've switched out Hoshi-kun's body is Yumeno-san herself." Angie said.

"When Yumeno-san was escaping the tank..." Korekiyo continued. "She dragged out the body hidden in the stairs and simply switched places with it."

"Are you telling me you saw that happen!?' Tenko barked.

Kirumi shook her head. "No one could've seen that. It would've occurred in the middle of the show when the tank was covered with a curtain."

Kokichi sighed. "So basically no one saw anything."

"No, someone did see inside the tank! It was Gokuhara-kun!" Shuichi countered. "Gokuhara-kun had climbed up on stage and was looking into the tank from above." Shuichi looked over at Gonta. "Isn't that right, Gokuhara-kun?"

Gonta nodded. "Y-Yeah... I saw down in the tank. But... I didn't see anyone in there."

"...No one was in there?" Maki asked.

"Yeah... Guess that clue is no good, huh?"

Shuichi gave Gonta a small smile. "No, that's actually a great clue. Because if Hoshi-kun's body was hidden in the staircase... Yumeno-san would have had to pull him out before she went inside. There certainly wasn't enough room in the staircase for both of them. But that means, if the tank was empty when Gokuhara-kun looked... Hoshi-kun's body must not have been hidden in the staircase."

"What if they squeezed into that space with Hoshi's body to avoid getting caught?" Miu asked.

"No, Yumeno-san wouldn't have had to worry about that since the entire stage was hidden behind the curtain." Ichika explained.

"Then the culprit never would have considered hiding inside the staircase with the body. Entering the staircase *after* moving the body is much faster, and seems more rational too!" Kiibo explained

Tsumugi gasped. "Then... Hoshi-kun's body wasn't hidden in the stairs?"

"Someone better say where the fuckin' body was or I'm gonna start cuttin' throats!" Miu growled. "Where were ya hidin' Hoshi's body!?"

"It wasn't really in the stairs, was it?"

"After all, there was only enough space for Yumeno-san." Kiibo said.

"Well, how about behind the curtain then?" Tenko suggested.

"If there was a way to enter the tank from there... then it would be plausible." Kirumi explained.

"Or maybe the body was in the tank all along but we just couldn't see it!" Angie placed her hands on her cheeks.

Maki shook her head. "Impossible. You'd need top-notch visual effects to pull that off."

"And what of the tank containing the piranhas?" Korekiyo spoke up.

"No way." Kaito said immediately. "If you put a body in there, the piranhas would've eaten way before we saw it!"

"But if the body and piranhas were separated..."

"Shinguji-kun's hypothesis is correct." Shuichi agreed. "The body and piranhas were separated! This was accomplished using the square glass pane found in the tank!"

"Kehehe... just as I thought. Using that glass pane as a divider, a safe space could be created in the tank. It is such a space that the body could be stored, operated from the piranhas."

Tenko gasped. "Then that means Hoshi-san's body was hidden in the piranha tank the whole time!"

"So Hoshi's body fell into the water tank with the piranhas!?" Kaito exclaimed.

"I knew it!" Gonta cried out.

"What is it Gokuhara-san?" Tsumugi asked, resting her head in her hand.

"I was above the stage when piranhas fall! That's why I saw something no one else could..." Gonta crossed his arms. "When the piranhas fell, I saw some big thing fall into the water tank along with them!" He looked down sadly. "Now that I think about it... it was probably Hoshi-kun's body."

"When the piranhas dropped from the tank, I thought I saw something bigger drop as well." Kirumi agreed. "The water tank on the bottom is made completely out of glass, correct? You can see what is happening through the glass. Can you really hide a body in the tank?"

"Even in murky water, a dead body would still be visible in a glass tank!" Angie added.

"Unless... a certain something was used to obscure the body." Shuichi said slowly.

"...A certain something?" Maki repeated.

"We all agree that the glass pane was used to separate the body from the piranhas, correct? Well, that method has the added benefit of hiding the body from view."

"Nyeh? How could you hide a body like that?" Himiko asked.

"It was the piranhas. The piranhas were obscuring the body." Shuichi said.

Tenko gawked at Shuichi. "Huh? The piranhas!?"

"That's right. Remember what Yonaga-san said during the investigation? 'I feel like there are more piranhas today than yesterday'."

"They increased *that* significantly!? I didn't know piranhas fuck like rabbits." Miu commented.

"It seemed that way, but it wasn't that the actual number of piranhas increased. The glass pane divided the tank nearly in half, right? The piranhas got crowded together, making it look like there were more of them." Shuichi explained.

Korekiyo tugged on his head and hummed. "The more densely the piranhas are packed, the harder it is to see past them."

"Because of that, it was difficult to see the body hidden in the tank." Kirumi added.

"The glass pane was... the lid from the piranha tank." Himiko said. "It was really easy to detach that lid, so it's no wonder they used it as a divider."

"Gee, thanks for telling us that useless detail!" Kokichi chirped.

"What the heck are you saying!?" Tenko snapped. "That detail was super useful! Sure, the lid looks a little big. But if you set it diagonally, it would fit perfectly... Nice job, Yumeno-san! Your explanation was awesome!"

"With this much evidence, it seems like the body was definitely in the piranha tank." Kaito sighed.

"Congrats, Yumeno-san! Now there should be no reason for anyone to suspect you!"

"Nyeh...? Really?"

"Yeah! Cuz if you didn't switch places with the body, then you couldn't have killed him!"

"It only means we now have other suspects." Korekiyo explained. "You are not cleared of suspicion yet."

Tenko shrugged. "Okay, but still, that's way better!!!"

"That's wonderful news, Yumeno-san! God is happy for you!" Angie smiled happily.

"Apologize, Yonaga-san! You and your God better tell Yumeno-san you're sorry right now!"

"God is sleeping. He went to bed angry cuz you all doubted him..."

"What a petty-ass god!" Miu grumbled.

"No, it's okay..." Himiko spoke up. "We shouldn't be mad at Yonaga... We should be mad at this class trial... At this killing game..."

"Ooooohhh, Yumeno-san! Bless your sweet, kind heart!" Tenko swooned.

"That's what God said, anyway."

"Wha-!?"

"It's too bad the handsome god went to bed angry, though..."

"Yumeno-san's still brainwashed!" Tenko cried. "B-But I'm not giving up just yet! This is gonna be a breeze!"

"Great, now what're we gonna do!? We're back to square one!" Miu shouted, clearly agitated.

"And why are we back to square one?" Kokichi asked.

"Cuz any of us could still be the culprit! Geez! You flunk outta 'tard school or something?"