YASUHIRO: Okay, let me solve all the riddles for you in one swoop, ‘right? I’ll explain everything that happened in that room, beginning to end! MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: What happened in that room... MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: To discover the truth behind Maizono-san’s death, we have to make that clear... YASUHIRO: The struggle in the room started when... YASUHIRO: The culprit got their hands on the practice sword. YASUHIRO: That’s when they made their strike! YASUHIRO: A preemptive strike with the practice sword, ‘right?!! HIFUMI: That’s when Maizono Sayaka-dono got her wrist broken... TOUKO: T...then she panicked and decided to put up a fight... TOUKO: ...and took out the kitchen knife she was hiding, but then... CHIHIRO: The culprit managed to snatch even that from her hand... SAKURA: And then she was killed. YASUHIRO: That’s what happened in that room, beginning to end, ‘right! MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: The first strike was with the imitation sword, and then the kitchen knife was taken out... MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: Is that really what happened? If that’s the case, there’s evidence that can’t be explained... MAKOTO: No, it can’t be that the first strike was made with the sword... YASUHIRO: Huh...? Why is that...? MAKOTO: The sword’s sheath is damaged... MAKOTO: See? There are scratch marks on it, aren’t there? CHIHIRO: Scratch marks... from something like a kitchen knife...? That’s the only sharp object in the crime scene... MONDO: Don’t play guessing games with us! Just give us a straight explanation! MAKOTO: If the first strike was made by the imitation sword, we can’t explain the scratch marks on the sheath. MAKOTO: I mean, if you’re going to attack someone with a wooden sword, you’re going to take it out of its sheath first, right? MONDO: Yeah... if you attack with it still sheathed, it’s too heavy to swing and gets in your way. It’s also probably only half as strong... HIFUMI: So why are there scratch marks on the sheath? KYOUKO: Imagine you’re suddenly attacked with a knife, and to defend yourself you have to grab a nearby practice sword... KYOUKO: That doesn’t leave much time to unsheath it... SAKURA: That means the sword was first used in defense against a blow from the knife... HIFUMI: So you’re saying the first attack came from the person who was holding the knife! KIYOTAKA: I get it now! So that’s how it went! KIYOTAKA: The culprit discovered the hidden knife shortly after being invited into the room... KIYOTAKA: ...and used that knife to suddenly attack Maizono-kun! KIYOTAKA: At that point she decided to fight back with the imitation sword! But even that sword was snatched away from her... KIYOTAKA: Then, her wrist was broken with one hit from the imitation sword... and for the finishing blow... the culprit used the knife again...... KYOUKO: No. It’s impossible that the one who used the sword in self defense was Maizono-san... LEON: Huh!? Why is it impossible!? KYOUKO: Maizono-san never even held the sword. This is crystal clear if we examine a certain part of her body. MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: A part of her body that shows she never held that sword... MAKOTO: That would be... the palms of her hands, right? MAKOTO: The palms of her hands are completely clean, and that’s why it’s impossible she ever held that sword... AOI: How can you tell, just from looking at her hands? MAKOTO: We went over this before. The moment you touch that imitation sword, you get gold paint all over your hands. MAKOTO: And, in fact, see how the sword’s grip’s paint is considerably scraped off? MAKOTO: Anyone using this sword would definitely get paint stuck to their hands. MAKOTO: So if Maizono-san used this sword, isn’t it weird that her hands remained clean? TOUKO: Maybe she... washed her hands when she escaped into the shower room...? MAKOTO: No, that also can’t be true... TOUKO: How can you say that with such confidence...? Is it because... I’m so ugly...? MAKOTO: N...no...! That’s not it...! MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: The reason it would have been impossible for Maizono-san to wash her hands is... MAKOTO: According to the Monobear File, Maizono-san’s time of death was around 1:30 at night. MAKOTO: That is, Night Time. We have no water in the showers at that time, do we? TOUKO: Eh... I didn’t know... I didn’t take a shower once since we came here... HIFUMI: Uwah... TOUKO: Hey, you of all people is just the same! You smell just like an applesnail...! HIFUMI: Huh? Was I just insulted or praised? LEON: It was obviously an insult, bro... KIYOTAKA: ...anyway, if she never held that sword in her hands... KIYOTAKA: That means the culprit alone used it. KIYOTAKA: But, wait a second... If that’s the case, the person who made those scratch marks on the sword’s sheath... MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: The person who made the scratch marks... is the person who didn’t hold the imitation sword. So it’s... MAKOTO: Maizono-san...? She used the kitchen knife...? CHIHIRO: B...but... The person who made the first strike was... BYAKUYA: The person who held the knife attacked first, and the other defended themselves with the practice sword on a moment’s notice... HIFUMI: So the person who attacked first was...! MAKOTO: ...M...maizono-san!? KYOUKO: So do you all understand now...? That girl wasn’t a simple victim... BYAKUYA: It’s almost as if she wasn’t a victim at all... and wanted to kill someone on her own... MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: Eh...? BYAKUYA: She took a knife from the kitchen. Then, she invited the culprit into the room she stayed at... BYAKUYA: And if we take into account that she made the first strike with that kitchen knife... SAKURA: Those are clearly the acts of a murderer... CELES: Come to think of it, it was Maizono-san who suggested the room exchange, wasn’t it? CELES: Maybe the reason she wanted to exchange rooms was... CELES: ...to push the blame for the murder into Naegi-kun... that’s probably what it was. MAKOTO: Maizono-san... wanted me to...!? KYOUKO: ........... CELES: It also fits the switched name plates like a glove. CELES: She invited her mark to Naegi-kun’s room, where she was staying... CELES: ...and by killing them in that room, she could point the suspicion toward him. CELES: But in order to do that, she had to conceal the fact she switched rooms for the night from her mark. CELES: If her mark discovered the switch, they would undoubtedly get suspicious. MONDO: So that’s the reason... she switched the nameplates...? HIFUMI: But isn’t that plan a little too dangerous? HIFUMI: Even if she managed to kill her mark, Naegi Makoto-dono would tell everyone about the exchanged rooms after the murder is discovered... BYAKUYA: Is that so? I’m not sure that softhearted Naegi is capable of throwing Maizono to the wolves like that... BYAKUYA: I’m sure that’s exactly why she chose Naegi as her room-exchange partner. MAKOTO: ............ TOUKO: A...and... additionally, we’re talking about a “Super High-school Level Idol” here... TOUKO: Whose words would you choose to believe...? That lackluster Naegi’s or... national idol Maizono’s? HIFUMI: S...so... she planned all that as well...? MONDO: S...seriously...! CELES: But her plan concluded in failure... CELES: When she made a strike with the knife, she received a counterattack from the practice sword... CELES: That attack broke her wrist, and she ended up dropping the knife... SAKURA: And then she was killed by the person she intended to be her mark... MAKOTO: W...wait a second...! That can’t be true...! MAKOTO: Because.... because...!!
MEMORY #31
YASUHIRO: Okay, let me solve all the riddles for you in one swoop, ‘right? I’ll explain everything that happened in that room, beginning to end!
MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: What happened in that room...
MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: To discover the truth behind Maizono-san’s death, we have to make that clear...
YASUHIRO: The struggle in the room started when...
YASUHIRO: The culprit got their hands on the practice sword.
YASUHIRO: That’s when they made their strike!
YASUHIRO: A preemptive strike with the practice sword, ‘right?!!
HIFUMI: That’s when Maizono Sayaka-dono got her wrist broken...
TOUKO: T...then she panicked and decided to put up a fight...
TOUKO: ...and took out the kitchen knife she was hiding, but then...
CHIHIRO: The culprit managed to snatch even that from her hand...
SAKURA: And then she was killed.
YASUHIRO: That’s what happened in that room, beginning to end, ‘right!
MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: The first strike was with the imitation sword, and then the kitchen knife was taken out...
MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: Is that really what happened? If that’s the case, there’s evidence that can’t be explained...
MAKOTO: No, it can’t be that the first strike was made with the sword...
YASUHIRO: Huh...? Why is that...?
MAKOTO: The sword’s sheath is damaged...
MAKOTO: See? There are scratch marks on it, aren’t there?
CHIHIRO: Scratch marks... from something like a kitchen knife...? That’s the only sharp object in the crime scene...
MONDO: Don’t play guessing games with us! Just give us a straight explanation!
MAKOTO: If the first strike was made by the imitation sword, we can’t explain the scratch marks on the sheath.
MAKOTO: I mean, if you’re going to attack someone with a wooden sword, you’re going to take it out of its sheath first, right?
MONDO: Yeah... if you attack with it still sheathed, it’s too heavy to swing and gets in your way. It’s also probably only half as strong...
HIFUMI: So why are there scratch marks on the sheath?
KYOUKO: Imagine you’re suddenly attacked with a knife, and to defend yourself you have to grab a nearby practice sword...
KYOUKO: That doesn’t leave much time to unsheath it...
SAKURA: That means the sword was first used in defense against a blow from the knife...
HIFUMI: So you’re saying the first attack came from the person who was holding the knife!
KIYOTAKA: I get it now! So that’s how it went!
KIYOTAKA: The culprit discovered the hidden knife shortly after being invited into the room...
KIYOTAKA: ...and used that knife to suddenly attack Maizono-kun!
KIYOTAKA: At that point she decided to fight back with the imitation sword! But even that sword was snatched away from her...
KIYOTAKA: Then, her wrist was broken with one hit from the imitation sword... and for the finishing blow... the culprit used the knife again......
KYOUKO: No. It’s impossible that the one who used the sword in self defense was Maizono-san...
LEON: Huh!? Why is it impossible!?
KYOUKO: Maizono-san never even held the sword. This is crystal clear if we examine a certain part of her body.
MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: A part of her body that shows she never held that sword...
MAKOTO: That would be... the palms of her hands, right?
MAKOTO: The palms of her hands are completely clean, and that’s why it’s impossible she ever held that sword...
AOI: How can you tell, just from looking at her hands?
MAKOTO: We went over this before. The moment you touch that imitation sword, you get gold paint all over your hands.
MAKOTO: And, in fact, see how the sword’s grip’s paint is considerably scraped off?
MAKOTO: Anyone using this sword would definitely get paint stuck to their hands.
MAKOTO: So if Maizono-san used this sword, isn’t it weird that her hands remained clean?
TOUKO: Maybe she... washed her hands when she escaped into the shower room...?
MAKOTO: No, that also can’t be true...
TOUKO: How can you say that with such confidence...? Is it because... I’m so ugly...?
MAKOTO: N...no...! That’s not it...!
MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: The reason it would have been impossible for Maizono-san to wash her hands is...
MAKOTO: According to the Monobear File, Maizono-san’s time of death was around 1:30 at night.
MAKOTO: That is, Night Time. We have no water in the showers at that time, do we?
TOUKO: Eh... I didn’t know... I didn’t take a shower once since we came here...
HIFUMI: Uwah...
TOUKO: Hey, you of all people is just the same! You smell just like an applesnail...!
HIFUMI: Huh? Was I just insulted or praised?
LEON: It was obviously an insult, bro...
KIYOTAKA: ...anyway, if she never held that sword in her hands...
KIYOTAKA: That means the culprit alone used it.
KIYOTAKA: But, wait a second... If that’s the case, the person who made those scratch marks on the sword’s sheath...
MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: The person who made the scratch marks... is the person who didn’t hold the imitation sword. So it’s...
MAKOTO: Maizono-san...? She used the kitchen knife...?
CHIHIRO: B...but... The person who made the first strike was...
BYAKUYA: The person who held the knife attacked first, and the other defended themselves with the practice sword on a moment’s notice...
HIFUMI: So the person who attacked first was...!
MAKOTO: ...M...maizono-san!?
KYOUKO: So do you all understand now...? That girl wasn’t a simple victim...
BYAKUYA: It’s almost as if she wasn’t a victim at all... and wanted to kill someone on her own...
MAKOTO'S THOUGHTS: Eh...?
BYAKUYA: She took a knife from the kitchen. Then, she invited the culprit into the room she stayed at...
BYAKUYA: And if we take into account that she made the first strike with that kitchen knife...
SAKURA: Those are clearly the acts of a murderer...
CELES: Come to think of it, it was Maizono-san who suggested the room exchange, wasn’t it?
CELES: Maybe the reason she wanted to exchange rooms was...
CELES: ...to push the blame for the murder into Naegi-kun... that’s probably what it was.
MAKOTO: Maizono-san... wanted me to...!?
KYOUKO: ...........
CELES: It also fits the switched name plates like a glove.
CELES: She invited her mark to Naegi-kun’s room, where she was staying...
CELES: ...and by killing them in that room, she could point the suspicion toward him.
CELES: But in order to do that, she had to conceal the fact she switched rooms for the night from her mark.
CELES: If her mark discovered the switch, they would undoubtedly get suspicious.
MONDO: So that’s the reason... she switched the nameplates...?
HIFUMI: But isn’t that plan a little too dangerous?
HIFUMI: Even if she managed to kill her mark, Naegi Makoto-dono would tell everyone about the exchanged rooms after the murder is discovered...
BYAKUYA: Is that so? I’m not sure that softhearted Naegi is capable of throwing Maizono to the wolves like that...
BYAKUYA: I’m sure that’s exactly why she chose Naegi as her room-exchange partner.
MAKOTO: ............
TOUKO: A...and... additionally, we’re talking about a “Super High-school Level Idol” here...
TOUKO: Whose words would you choose to believe...? That lackluster Naegi’s or... national idol Maizono’s?
HIFUMI: S...so... she planned all that as well...?
MONDO: S...seriously...!
CELES: But her plan concluded in failure...
CELES: When she made a strike with the knife, she received a counterattack from the practice sword...
CELES: That attack broke her wrist, and she ended up dropping the knife...
SAKURA: And then she was killed by the person she intended to be her mark...
MAKOTO: W...wait a second...! That can’t be true...!
MAKOTO: Because.... because...!!