The Apex Academy for Gifted and Murderous Students

“.....”

“Dude, you are cruising for such a bruising if you are.”

“That may not be the best way to goad a confession out of someone.”

“Indeed.”

She turns to Ichiriki.

“Confess your sins now, and perhaps I’ll make your end swift.”

“That’s not really better.”

Regardless, we’re finally met with a heavy sigh.

“It’s not like anything interesting will happen if I insist otherwise, right?”

“I can’t expect better from you dullards once you latch onto someone.”

“Ah.” He’s back to his... original self? Is that what you’d call this?

“And let’s skip your stupid entire-narrative-of-events thing. Complete waste of time.”

Or not?

“Dang he’s throwing that cape-thing around fast.”

“You ever think ‘bout bein’ one of those, like, Spanish mad guys?”

“No wait I totally got distracted.”

“Is this, like, for real? You’re the hairydude?”

“Heir.”

“Well, I’m certainement the heir of Tokino Industries.”

If he stays in that mode, I’m smacking him until he puts the capelet back on.

“You know exactly what type of heir we mean.”

“Are you currently in control of Monochaperone?”

“I dunno! Maybe we should find out!”

“Monochaaaaap~!”

“Y-yes?”

“Can youuuuu... spin around in a circle really fast?”

Well, better than some requests he could be making.

“Mister Tokino, a simple command unrelated to any actual rules proves nothing! Please answer the question seriously!”

“But surely this disgraceful charade we call life is serious enough already?”

“I’m boutta serious my fist to your face.”

“How uncivilized.”

“Though this wretch deserves no better.”

Tsunyasha inclines her head toward Ichiriki.

“You didn’t think it ill-advised to attempt to trap the Holy Assassin—among a whole array of sinners, no less?”

“I-I-I...!”

He stammers a bit but is clearly going nowhere with it.

“...Should I still spin around?”

“I think we’ve all seen enough of you twirling in your skirts.”

“......”

I turn back to Ichiriki.

“If you’re so sure we won’t be swayed from our conclusion, you might as well just admit it.”

“Or if I’m wrong, you’re welcome to tell me why. Using an actual argument, not just...”

“...whatever fits your personality quirk at the moment.”

“Quirks, are they? How terribly simpleminded.”

“But since you’ll never stop insisting, yes, I’m your ‘heir’."

“So why don’t we get this whole farce over with already?”

He tilts his head towards the screen on his podium.

“What, so you can play us your execution—the one we already know was faked in advance?”

“And attempt a hasty retreat yourself in the meantime, I’m sure.”

“Well, VOTING is how the class trial WORKS! Those are the RULES! If you’ve got a PROBLEM, you can take it up with the one who MADE them!”

“Uhhhh isn’t that, like, you?”

“NO!”

“Miss Tanukihara, correct?”

“Then how precisely do you suggest we ‘take it up with’ her?”

“I’ve no interest in traipsing about with departed souls.”

“ ‘Less she’s totally not dead?”

“No, we’ve proven otherwise already.”

“In theory...”

“While everything indicates that Mister Tokino did remove her from her life support device... Some slight possibility exists that he could have... thrown a body double into the cooler instead... and reinstalled her shortly afterward.”

“But he had no reason to think we’d ever be rooting around that freezer.”

“How about someone else? Whatever party might... return to see the school after the game’s conclusion?”

“The yakuza?”

“The school or local authorities first, I assume.”

“Doubtless any experts tasked with identifying the discarded shell could be swayed with this one’s coin.”

“......”

“So you’re saying she could have faked her death for the authorities before her grand getaway with the yakuza?”

“She un-died again?!”

“It’s really nothing but blind conjecture...”

“...but it isn’t altogether impossible.”

“Then...”

“Where is she?!”

Would she really have let herself die twice? Did she have that much faith in that machine? Her machine, if I had to guess. Yes, then.

How long has she been awake? Watching us squirm? Is she watching us right now?

“Bringing Koko-Kokomo back again, huh...”

“Haha! That woulda been a really good idea!”

“You... didn’t think of that?”

“......”

“....”

“Eh, she was a bitch, anyway.”

“......”

“..........”

“Apparently so.”

Well, at least my earlier reasoning still holds?

Kanagi’s the only one who doesn’t seem like she cares about getting her chain yanked anymore.

“Dude, can you, like, stop switching so much?”

“This is totally making my head hurt.”

“Switching wh-wh-what? Em-motions?”

“Whatever you’re calling those, yes.”

“B-but that’s wh-wh-what they are! I’m sor-r-ry!”

“What a mockery you make.”

“As if the Holy Assassin couldn’t tell they’re mere facade.”

“Like, don’t think you gotta be an assassin for that?”

“Dude looks totally fake to me, too.”

Ichiriki huffs. “And all you ruffians aren’t?”

“You would accuse us of falsifying our own reactions...”

“...to what you’ve wrought...?!”

Mahavir looks unsteady on his feet—not that I can blame him for standing up right now.

I lean to rest a hand on his arm before he can start coughing too hard. “Take it easy.”

He sputters, but at least nothing gets worse.

“Oh, a terrible thought, is it not...?”

“Yet I fear I only speak truth. Such is the lamentable nature of feeling...”

“Dudes be making literally zero sense right now.”

“What, you don’t know a thing about the science of it?”

“Do people of your status even go to school?”

“We are all very much inside a school at this very moment.”

“Touche.”

“I assume the intended reference is to the measurement of brain activity and the like, yes?”

“The what?”

“Measurement of brain activity... in the...”

“.....”

“You might want to stick to the short version.”

“Allow moi!”

“No.”

“Look, the dude’s gross, but, like, ‘s a way better chance of me gettin’ it if it’s not coming from Aid.”

“But it’s not that complicated. I’m not even a biologist.”

“But I’m sure...”

“....”

Mahavir slowly lowers himself back into his seat.

“...Riseiin, perhaps, would have been the ideal option.”

“More in his own field, too.”

“.....”

“And what am I, hígado picado?”

Did you just call me a potato?

“But I forgive you. Now, if you’ll allow me to explain...”

“...in grand detail...”

“No.” We’re supposedly talking about brains, but I’m not taking chances.

“At least pick a different one.”

“Hmm...”

He halfway swoons romantically or something, then straightens back up.

“Okay! Is this better~?”

“...” 

Actually, none of his “emotions” are people I’d want to listen to.

“They’re all very much the same from the viewpoint of the divine.”

“You may proceed.”

“Thanks.”

“Okie dokie! Sooooo...”

“Brains go pew-pew when they do things, right?”

Maybe I should’ve stuck with the other one.

“Like, laser beams, right? That sounds right.”

“.....”

“Wellllll, brain people look at the stuff when it lights up, and that’s how they know your brain works!”

“I fear they’d find much darkness among you lot.”

“Well, you certainly don’t want it all lit up, since that would indicate... probably one humongous whopper of a seizure.”

“But yeah! So that’s how they know that you see whatever and then decide what emotion it makes you feel!”

“Decide?”

“Yuh-huh!”

“You recognize that there’s a thing, and then your heart rate and stuff goes up usually, and then the rest of your brain goes—”

“—‘Huh! Time to figure out what that is!’ And then you do.”

“I don’t think that’s quite on track...”

“Totally. I’m no braindude, but I think I’d know if I was, like, picking how I felt about everything?”

“Like, sometimes it works, but. Super not that easy.”

“Right.”

“Hmmmm... If you say so~!”

“The point is, I get to switch as much as anybody else does if I feel like it!”

“And at this point I’m running out of options, so jumping around will have to suffice.”

“Oh, running outta options?”

“How ‘bout running outta places to hide?! If you seriously did all this...”

“I just said it was Kokoro. I was only helping her.”

“But I suppose I can’t expect simpletons like you to listen.”

Certainly not if you’re going to dismiss us out of hand every time. I look to Kanagi.

“We can’t afford to attack him with Monochap right there.” Exactly how we’re supposed to distract one or both of them long enough to do something I haven’t worked out yet, but...

I turn back to Ichiriki.

“Oh, we’ll listen.”

“But that means you’d better talk.”

Excellent question.

“Like, this masterthing’s totally still alive, right?”

“And everyone not present in this room... was accounted for in the cooler?”

“That’s right.”

This list of suspects is a lot shorter than the sixteen we started this mess with. Maybe it doesn’t need to be all that complicated.

The six of us in the room exchange glances and squints. Do we already know who we suspect?

Do I know? Some options are easier to swallow than others. Am I letting that get in my way? Or could that be the right answer?

I just have to take another look through the evidence. Then it won’t be a matter of who I want it to be.

The heir wasn’t some randomly designated player. This is someone who was conspiring with the mastermind from the beginning. They likely had a hand in the setup, even if they weren’t the biggest fan of the original game rules.

And if Kokoro is the mastermind, I think the evidence says...

WHO IS THE HEIR?

“Ichiriki. You’re the most suspicious one here.”

“Oh, and being SUSPICIOUS makes me a KILLER now?”

“Dude, does it finally get to be that easy? Frickin’ sweet if true.”

“What a truly pathetic form of judgment.”

“Though it’s not as if I could expect anything else of you fools.”

“It’s evidence that makes him suspicious, mind you.”

“A preponderance of evidence or a particular piece?”

“I have one in mind...”

“I’d LOVE to hear all ABOUT it, then!”

PANIC TALK ACTION

“Let me GUESS, it's ME because I’M the only one with enough MONEY to pull this off, right?”

“It’s certainly more than I have, by the sound of it.”

“But unless we’ve found very exhaustive evidence somewhere... we can’t be absolutely certain that no one else... has significant financial resources.”

“Like, no offense—full offense?—half offense—to Ich, but out of everybody left, like...”

“You kinda super care the least ‘bout everybody else. Which totally seems like a thing for the masterhair.”

“Heir. The term we’re using is heir.”

“It would be a stretch to claim I ‘care’ for you lot as well.”

“Well, you’ve at least...”

What, not bullied anyone? Not threatened anyone with sharp implements?

“...been... consistent.” Let’s pretend that has any bearing in that argument.

“If we’re concerned with consistency, Tokino’s personality would certainly be a point of suspicion.”

“WHAT, a guy can’t EXPRESS HIMSELF in more than ONE way?!”

“I think your, uh, demeanor goes a bit beyond that idea.”

“Someone so prone to extreme changes would surely be more likely to change the rules, yes?”

“I’m SORRY, I thought there was supposed to be EVIDENCE here?”

“If you DON’T have something PHYSICAL that actually POINTS TO ME, then give it a REST already!”

“Oh, I’m not giving it a rest.”

I can’t claim there’s hard evidence and then not present it. Let’s not keep him waiting any longer.

LOAD KOTODAMA

[Lab Machine] [Protected Recording] [Orientation Emails] [Execution Props] [Personal Tech]

“Let me GUESS, it’s ME because I’M the only one with enough MONEY to pull this off, right?”

“It’s certainly more than I have, by the sound of it.”

“But unless we’ve found very exhaustive evidence somewhere… we can’t be absolutely certain that no one else… has significant financial resources.”

“Like, no offense—full offense?—half offense—to Ich, but out of everybody left, like…”

“You kinda super care the least ‘bout everybody else. Which totally seems like a thing for the masterhair.”

“Heir. The term we’re using is heir.”

“It would be a stretch to claim I ‘care’ for you lot as well.”

“Well, you’ve at least…”

What, not bullied anyone? Not threatened anyone with sharp implements?

“…been… consistent.” Let’s pretend that has any bearing in that argument.

“If we’re concerned with consistency, Tokino’s personality would certainly be a point of suspicion.”

“WHAT, a guy can’t EXPRESS HIMSELF in more than ONE way?!”

“I think your, uh, demeanor goes a bit beyond that idea.”

“Someone so prone to extreme changes would surely be more likely to change the rules, yes?”

“I’m SORRY, I thought there was supposed to be EVIDENCE here?”

“If you DON’T have something PHYSICAL that actually POINTS TO ME, then give it a REST already!”

“Oh, I’m not giving it a rest.”

I can’t claim there’s hard evidence and then not present it. Let’s not keep him waiting any longer.

“Let me GUESS, it’s ME because I’M the only one with enough MONEY to pull this off, right?”

“It’s certainly more than I have, by the sound of it.”

“But unless we’ve found very exhaustive evidence somewhere… we can’t be absolutely certain that no one else… has significant financial resources.”

“Like, no offense—full offense?—half offense—to Ich, but out of everybody left, like…”

“You kinda super care the least ‘bout everybody else. Which totally seems like a thing for the masterhair.”

“Heir. The term we’re using is heir.”

“It would be a stretch to claim I ‘care’ for you lot as well.”

“Well, you’ve at least…”

What, not bullied anyone? Not threatened anyone with sharp implements?

“…been… consistent.” Let’s pretend that has any bearing in that argument.

“If we’re concerned with consistency, Tokino’s personality would certainly be a point of suspicion.”

“WHAT, a guy can’t EXPRESS HIMSELF in more than ONE way?!”

“I think your, uh, demeanor goes a bit beyond that idea.”

“Someone so prone to extreme changes would surely be more likely to change the rules, yes?”

“I’m SORRY, I thought there was supposed to be EVIDENCE here?”

“If you DON’T have something PHYSICAL that actually POINTS TO ME, then give it a REST already!”

“Oh, I’m not giving it a rest.”

I can’t claim there’s hard evidence and then not present it. Let’s not keep him waiting any longer.

“Let me GUESS, it’s ME because I’M the only one with enough MONEY to pull this off, right?”

“It’s certainly more than I have, by the sound of it.”

“But unless we’ve found very exhaustive evidence somewhere… we can’t be absolutely certain that no one else… has significant financial resources.”

“Like, no offense—full offense?—half offense—to Ich, but out of everybody left, like…”

“You kinda super care the least ‘bout everybody else. Which totally seems like a thing for the masterhair.”

“Heir. The term we’re using is heir.”

“It would be a stretch to claim I ‘care’ for you lot as well.”

“Well, you’ve at least…”

What, not bullied anyone? Not threatened anyone with sharp implements?

“…been… consistent.” Let’s pretend that has any bearing in that argument.

“If we’re concerned with consistency, Tokino’s personality would certainly be a point of suspicion.”

“WHAT, a guy can’t EXPRESS HIMSELF in more than ONE way?!”

“I think your, uh, demeanor goes a bit beyond that idea.”

“Someone so prone to extreme changes would surely be more likely to change the rules, yes?”

“I’m SORRY, I thought there was supposed to be EVIDENCE here?”

“If you DON’T have something PHYSICAL that actually POINTS TO ME, then give it a REST already!”

“Oh, I’m not giving it a rest.”

I can’t claim there’s hard evidence and then not present it. Let’s not keep him waiting any longer.

                  WALK

IST                                    SIDE

                    ART

“It may be helpful at this point to better explain my plan to target the mastermind during the second motive.”

“I was under the impression I'd failed, considering the game continued...”

“...But if someone else was available to take up the controls... that may not be the correct conclusion.”

“GREAT, another CLASS LECTURE from the NUTTY professor.”

“This better be real good if you seriously wanna say Koko set us up.”

“A few things were left unresolved in that case.” I think. All of this feels lifetimes ago already.

I nod at Aidan. “Go ahead.”

“.....”

“When you can.”

“...Ahem.”

“First, I’ll admit I had very few clues about the actual identity of the mastermind.”

“Accordingly, I wasn’t able to lure anyone out on any basis beyond having access to the security footage and wanting the killing game to continue.”

“So you very well could have rooted out the mastermind’s underling instead.”

“Insofar as a worm like you could accomplish anything.”

“Correct, although if I’d killed a party who hadn’t established the original ruleset, there shouldn’t have been such a drastic change afterward.”

“IF your victim had ANYTHING AT ALL to do with running the game.”

“Which is what we're trying to determine right now, yes.” I motion back to Aidan.

“So! Only someone monitoring the security footage should have known about the trap at all! I was very cautious to avoid in-person witnesses!”

“...And I assume i was successful... seeing as no one brought up any suspicious activity on my part during the trial.”

“If most of this took place past curfew, I certainly wouldn’t have seen anything.”

“Yeah, yeah, Mr. Goody Two-Shoes, we GOT it.”

“Back to four-eyes!”

“Aidan or Kokoro?”

Ichiriki gestures to Aidan with an affronted sound but doesn’t stop there.

“What you’re SAYING makes no SENSE! If the mastermind KNEW there was a trap, why would they have WALKED RIGHT INTO IT?”

“Two reasons.”

“....”

“Is Kakumi gonna hafta mind-read him again or, like.”

“I hope not.” I’m sure I could logic something out, but.

“....”

“Right, sorry about that.” He clears his throat again, weakly.

“First of all, bait.”

“Like worms?!”

Tsunyasha squints briefly before dismissing it.

“Nothing that literal.”

“I just narrated my steps as I performed them, thereby framing the whole setup as a threat to the continuation of the killing game.”

Another murder wouldn’t stop anything, so the only part of that trap that might threaten the game would have to be...

“Ah...”

“Was that the real point of the wiring around the brick? A decoy?”

“Well, ideally the current would have actually helped dissolve some of the grout... But yes, it was mostly a bluff.”

“But the rule against defacing the outer walls was already in place, wasn’t it?”

“What a foolish oversight.”

“Ah, but I hadn’t damaged the wall!”

“I only laid the groundwork for it to be damaged during the course of the murder. Should it have succeeded, I'd think the mastermind would be much more concerned with my fate in the trial than punishing me over the rule infraction first and spoiling the game.”

“Theoretically he or she could have punished me prior to actually breaking the rule, or done some other such underhanded thing, but then the only impending murder plan would be ruined.”

“Not exactly conducive to their hopes for the game to continue.”

“Okayyy...”

“Like, what’s so baity ‘bout that, though?”

“Totally sounds like they just can’t throw you outta the game.”

“The ‘bait’ comes from the mechanism posing a threat to the game.”

“If everything worked, the young master would have their murder, but the rest of us could escape afterward. Game over.”

“Then they did punish him?!”

“Well, he was executed, but that was rather in line with the graduation rule than any other.”

“Right, that was...”

“.....”

“Did one of you fools drug that worm again?”

“No, it’s just a lot of cumulative strain, I think.”

I glance at Mahavir, too, but he doesn’t notice. Probably for the best. If he thinks I'm worried, he might try standing up again.

“Er, apologies.”

“The mastermind’s best course of action... would be to find a simple way to bypass just that part of the trap.”

“HOW?! You’d KNOW it was messed with, WOULDN’T you?”

“Or are you JUST that FAR GONE?”

“The incident in question was way before he was in this condition, you know.” Not that he was the peak athletic specimen before, but.

Aidan shakes his head.

“Not if the trap was triggered... before I discovered the sabotage.”

“What could I do then? Confiding in anyone that something had changed would have only garnered suspicion during the investigation or trial. And if the young master didn’t leave anything that I could track back to him or her...”

“The ‘escape plan’ would be ruined, the mastermind would go undetected, and the killing game would continue as planned.”

“But the WALL didn’t kill Kokoro, REMEMBER?”

“Like, p sure it was a gun?”

“Thus we reach the second reason the mastermind managed to trigger my trap.”

“Keep in mind we’re talking about someone who was able to witness every step of what I did.”

“So how can you possibly... get someone who knows there’s a trap... to still trigger it?”

“....”

Maybe I should do some mind-reading if it gives him a second to rest.

WHY WOULD THE MASTERMIND SET OFF A TRAP THEY KNEW WAS THERE?

“This trial, whatever you fools would like it to be, is to determine the identity of the killer.”

“Yeah, yeah, the ULTIMATE killer of EVERYTHING, or WHATEVER!”

“The young master, that is.”

“Or, er, the ‘mastermind’ is the current terminology?”

“That’s who I came here to find, at least.”

“Fools!”

“You base your pitiful ‘logic’ on the abomination’s little files…”

“…yet all of your suspects are listed there as victims.”

“Like, they did all super die. That is totally a thing that happened.”

“But twice?”

“Taima and Tanukihara have appeared in two Monofiles, yes…”

“Ah.”

“If Kokoro is the culprit for this trial…”

“…she’d have had to have caused her own second death.”

“While being in a state… requiring advanced life support… It would be a bit difficult.”

“You think the MASTERMIND couldn’t FAKE her own REPORT?”

“But if we doubt the reports, we can no longer rely upon most of our reasoning!”

“Dude, again?!”

“I won’t tolerate yet another sad regression in this trial.”

“Of course, the mastermind could have preprogrammed Mister Monochaperone to manage the equipment in his or her stead.”

“Like, even reviving her twice?”

“That would certainly seem to be the most logical course of action.”

“Right, because PLAYING in your own MURDER GAME is LOGICAL.”

“But surely the mastermind would at least protect their own life?”

“But then why designate an heir at all?”

Or did she? Could Monochap have really managed everything necessary on his own? Or was he ever asked to?

We’ve got to sort this out.

“This trial, whatever you fools would like it to be, is to determine the identity of the killer.”

“Yeah, yeah, the ULTIMATE killer of EVERYTHING, or WHATEVER!”

“The young master, that is.”

“Or, er, the ‘mastermind’ is the current terminology?”

“That’s who I came here to find, at least.”

“Fools!”

“You base your pitiful ‘logic’ on the abomination’s little files…”

“…yet all of your suspects are listed there as victims.”

“Like, they did all super die. That is totally a thing that happened.”

“But twice?”

“Taima and Tanukihara have appeared in two Monofiles, yes…”

“Ah.”

“If Kokoro is the culprit for this trial…”

“…she’d have had to have caused her own second death.”

“While being in a state… requiring advanced life support… It would be a bit difficult.”

“You think the MASTERMIND couldn’t FAKE her own REPORT?”

“But if we doubt the reports, we can no longer rely upon most of our reasoning!”

“Dude, again?!”

“I won’t tolerate yet another sad regression in this trial.”

“Of course, the mastermind could have preprogrammed Mister Monochaperone to manage the equipment in his or her stead.”

“Like, even reviving her twice?”

“That would certainly seem to be the most logical course of action.”

“Right, because PLAYING in your own MURDER GAME is LOGICAL.”

“But surely the mastermind would at least protect their own life?”

“But then why designate an heir at all?”

Or did she? Could Monochap have really managed everything necessary on his own? Or was he ever asked to?

We’ve got to sort this out.

“I don’t think all of us saw it...”

“I hope we didn’t all see it...”

“...but there was a large cooler in the execution chamber.”

“I did see the outside of the cooler!”

“The lid wasn’t particularly accessible, though.”

“ ‘s that the thing you, like, totally told me not to see?”

“Yeah.”

“Is this regarding the tasteless disposal of empty shells?”

“That’s sure one way to put it.” Not exactly wrong, though. Especially the tasteless part.

“The cooler was full of dead bodies.”

“Dead...”

“Bodies?! Like, who?!”

“Who do you THINK it was, MORON?!”

“It was everyone—sans Aidan, of course—who died in this game.”

“Kokoro included.”

“And that’s supposed to PROVE her file wasn’t FAKE?”

“By itself? Maybe not. But not only was her body in the cooler...”

“...it was mixed in with the other victims taken off life support—between the fourth case victims at the bottom and the fifth case victims at the top.”

“In other words, Miss Tanukihara logically would have died at the same time as them, been disposed of at the same time...”

“...and stayed put.”

I nod.

“I didn’t exactly crawl into the cooler to take fingerprints, so I can’t prove all the bodies were exactly who they seemed to be...”

“...but preparing fake corpses to use like that, including where her own body would end up if she didn’t receive the motive vote, is kind of overkill, don’t you think?”

“So you mean the masterdude’s seriously Kokoro...”

“And she’s just, like, legit dead?!”

“And most certainly not by her own hand, as some fools have suggested.”

“Then MONOCHAP killed her?”

“If she’d already designated an heir to control the game after her, then what would be the point of making a fairly easily confused robot do it instead? Just to confuse us for a final trial that she had no reason to expect?”

“......”

“Besides, Mister Monochaperone couldn’t be considered the culprit. This trial is only taking place because a student committed the murders in question.”

“Yet he could be considered merely an instrument of the culprit, correct?”

“Okay, not sure what that means cuz I don’t think you mean, like, drums.”

“But why would she make Monochap kill her and then, like, not even bring her back? Totally wack.”

“Why hold this game at all, for that matter?”

“Kind of hard to look that deeply into the mastermind’s head after she’s died...”

“But one of us knew her a little better than the rest. Maybe we should ask her co-conspirator.”