Chapter 2: Deadly Life 2
- Location
- SV's Only Complete Persona Quest
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] ...You know what, I might as well. Doesn't mean I'll believe it.
"Fine, tell me," I hissed beneath my breath. I at least figured there was no harm in hearing what the Voice would say, long as I took it with caution.
"Huh? Tell you what, Enoshima?" Fuhito cut in, somehow having heard what i just said. Much as I didn't want that Voice reading my thoughts, some sort of telepathic communication would make things easier.
"N-nothing, sorry, slip of the tongue," I said on instinct. That seemed to get Fuhito off my back this one time, though I could still feel his eye on me.
"Jeanne Chevalier, Ultimate Resistance Fighter, or so she calls herself. She's the one who killed Kagura," the Voice told me... and I knew immediately that had to be a lie.
I mean, not only had the Voice been wrong before with Aoko, but I knew Jeanne. Unless she was that desperate to get out, she wouldn't even have a motive for killing Kagura, like Jeanne didn't seem to care at all about hunting down the spy. She could have even seen them as a potential ally.
Unless- no, unless Jeanne was the spy, and killed Kagura to not be found out- no, no! I didn't want to believe that either, and even from a logical viewpoint I didn't have to believe that. Like Dejan, Jeanne was always too obvious and open to be any sort of spy.
For now, it was best if I just concentrated on the investigation itself, see if anything at all would back up whatever the Voice might say. Well, as much as Fuhito would let me, or anyone else, anyway.
Of course, I then immediately heard another voice I dreaded to hear.
"Alright, ya low-lives. You dirtbags better appreciate what time I spent drafting up this here Columbird File!" Columbird swooped down to bark out, "Which was... only a minute or so. Er, because I ain't no sad-faced slacker who takes all damn day to write up an autopsy report, ya hear?!" he came roaring back with.
Fuhito moved in to take it before any of us could and read out, "The victims were Dejan Albini and Kagura Amano, both were killed sometime between 1215 and 1230 hours. Dejan was killed in the ice cave by being pushed across the ice and hitting the back of his head on a pillar, with Toranosuke Ishimaru claiming to be his killer. Kagura was found drowned near her Lab by the hot springs."
(Columbird File #2(I>
Done reading, Fuhito shook his head and muttered, "I must have misread, Ishimaru couldn't have-"
"And that's where you're wrong," Genpachi chuckled, "Came right up ta us and said he dunnit. Am I right, sweetcheeks, dollface?"
Uncomfortable as I felt going along with Genpachi, I backed him up with, "Yeah, Ishimaru said he thought Albini was the spy, that's why."
"A-Although, that doesn't prove he did it," Momoka tried to say, but she then stepped back and admitted, "Even if there's otherwise no reason for him to take the fall..."
"I'll be the judge of that," Fuhito had to insist on, "Ishimaru after all may have been the most insistent on preventing any killings, that he'd commit the second murder doesn't align with his character. Besides, it makes perfect sense to me why one would falsely claim to be the killer, as via reverse psychology, that would lead everyone to think otherwise, and not wrongly vote for them."
"Kid, I know reverse psychology," Genpachi said and shook his head at Fuhito, "And tell me, what makes ya think a square like Toranosuke would ever utilise it himself? Guy's moral fibre couldn't handle it."
"Ishimaru was admitted here for being a genius, what makes you think he wouldn't know about reverse psychology?" Fuhito countered.
"Ah, see what I did?" Genpachi smirked, "Got ya to question his moral character, the thing you said made him innocent."
While Fuhito was left fuming at Genpachi's remark, I recalled at least one helpful thing the Voice had said, though not that it was hard to otherwise work out. "Hey, it's not just about the killer, either of them, it's also that if either Kagura or Dejan was the spy, their killer gets to go free. Columbird's probably gonna make us figure out the spy too."
"Damn straight, son," Columbird shot up again, "You wanna get off scot-free, you'd better work for it! That's how America came to be the power it is, and why you're not running the Killing Game!"
"Or you're making us figure it out because you don't know who the spy is either," Fuhito took it, making Columbird seethe.
"Well, a clear start would be ruling out, eliminating myself, Seki, and Kirigiri as suspects, for I can confirm we were in the Library the whole time," Kanji spoke up.
"Yeah, but you left, remember wise-ass? You were the one who saw the drowned dame's cadaver," Genpachi had to put it like that.
"No, I can confirm that alibi. Besides, a murder like this would've taken too long to arrange for Kanji to enact it in the time he was out of the library," Fuhito told him.
(Library Alibis(I>
"We knew there was a fight before Amano died, b-but what with her sword, her killer must've been someone quite strong," Momoka said, looking back over the scene and Kagura's... Kagura's corpse.
"Hmm, strength alone would narrow it down to Yamato, Kimura, Chevalier, and again Ishimaru," Fuhito remarked, "Also Seki, but they already have an alibi."
(The Strongest(I>
"No, it couldn't have been Jeanne," I said out loud. Taking a breath to collect myself, I then explained, "I actually saw Chevalier and Amano sparring, they were evenly matched. Seki was refereeing, so they can back me up."
"Sparring ain't intent to kill, kid," Genpachi stared down at me, "'Sides, no ref this time means that the crazy broad was free to pull any tactic she wanted. Heh, like jazz in a way, once it don't gotta worry about sticking to any classical scales. Slippery cave floor could've given her the edge too."
(Slippery Surface(I>
I wanted desperately to think of a retort to that, to prove him wrong about Jeanne, or even about classical scales out of spite, but at present nothing came to me.
"Wait, does- does anyone else think it's weird that both these murders were committed in the caves?" Momoka then asked, "Caves amplify reverb and echo, so a killer could risk the victim screaming out and alerting everyone."
(Echoing Caves(I>
"That could help confirm Ishimaru killed Albini, since he didn't plan to keep the murder a secret," it occurred to me, though I hastened to add, "Again, if it was Ishimaru."
"And 'sides, sweetcheeks, if you did a guy in, wouldn't ya want yer murderin' to sound the best?" Genpachi had to insert a joke. At least, I hoped that was a joke.
"Silencing is hence why Amano's killer drowned her, although this wouldn't have muffled any noise from during their fight," Fuhito at least took this seriously, even adding, "We should inspect Amano's Lab, see if this fight could've started there."
The shimenawa rope and stalactites near the shrine were still in place, despite my previous worries. If they had fallen, it'd be way too soon to put the rope back in place again, let alone the stalactites.
(Outside of Shrine intact(I>
The inside though, not so much. The room was a mess, and not in a way that suggested Kagura was naturally like that. Lanterns had fallen to the ground, drumskins ripped, and altars knocked over. But the weird thing was a whole bunch of spare outfits and containers Kagura had had been rifled through.
(Inside of Shrine damaged(I>
"Hmm, that they'd go through Amano's belongings suggests that the killer was already searching in here, was found out, then got in a fight with Amano, which carried outside" Fuhito went over, "As her lab was where that skeleton was found out, it was already a suspicious place."
"Then could that skeleton have been a factor?" I asked, though made it clear, "Not that it narrows it down to my investigation group, we all learned about it at the meeting."
(Surprise Skeleton(I>
"If Amano was the spy, it raises the possibility that Sakamoto didn't goad Omura into killing Katsu alone," Fuhito raised the possibility, "The two seemed to form a close connection, and Omura was already acting suspiciously before his talk with Sakamoto."
"What, now I'm being denied credit? Sheesh," Genpachi muttered, as if that was the issue here.
"Iwai, we'll also need you to head down and inspect Albini's tank," Fuhito then said.
"W-what? Are we referring to that same war machine involved in Omura's death? Why on Earth would you send one such as I there?" Kanji asked and gulped.
"Unless you can name me anyone else with a chance of working out Serbo-Croatian, let alone the chance of Russian or Chinese, I'm afraid deciphering any personal notes Albini may have left behind will be up to you," came Fuhito's reasoning.
"Also, I-I don't see how Amano could be the spy," I then said, "Like, I could see why you'd want to disguise yourself as the Priestess of Izumo Shrine, but how would any of our enemies be able to get themselves into that position?"
"Likely when the real dame got called to Hope's Peak, the USS of R or whoever nabbed her and snuck their disguised spy in instead," Genpachi remarked.
"Being the spy doesn't rule out them still being Japanese," Momoka also said, "I've... I've had to broadcast reports of internal traitors being found out before, so it happens."
"Before we're called to trial, I'll need the fastest of you to time the shortest route between here and the site of Albini's death, to confirm whether or not it was possible for the same killer to have been there for both murders," Fuhito also ordered.
"Okay but... one question," I then had to ask, "Er, I notice you're not telling us to keep out like last investigation, I mean, I'm definitely grateful for that, don't get me wrong-"
Fuhito sighed. "After the last Trial, I concluded it'd be less of a headache if I kept you all where I knew you were. Well, even that idea has its limits, since with all the locations and so little time, we can't all stay in the same place."
[ ] I'd check out the tank with Kanji, he'd be safest there alongside someone with military vehicle know-how. Well, planes not tanks, but still.
[ ] I'd try to track Toranosuke, see if anything more proves or disproves his murder claim.
[ ] I could check the distance between kill-sites myself.
- [ ] I'd take the route through the North building.
- [ ] I'd the route through the South.
- [ ] I'd take the route through the central cave.
[ ] I'd keep investigating around the shrine.
[ ] I'd meet up with Jeanne, see if she had an alibi.
[ ] I'd check up on everyone the investigation hadn't already covered (Aoko, Hildegard, Manami, Etsuko).
[ ] Write-in.
"Fine, tell me," I hissed beneath my breath. I at least figured there was no harm in hearing what the Voice would say, long as I took it with caution.
"Huh? Tell you what, Enoshima?" Fuhito cut in, somehow having heard what i just said. Much as I didn't want that Voice reading my thoughts, some sort of telepathic communication would make things easier.
"N-nothing, sorry, slip of the tongue," I said on instinct. That seemed to get Fuhito off my back this one time, though I could still feel his eye on me.
"Jeanne Chevalier, Ultimate Resistance Fighter, or so she calls herself. She's the one who killed Kagura," the Voice told me... and I knew immediately that had to be a lie.
I mean, not only had the Voice been wrong before with Aoko, but I knew Jeanne. Unless she was that desperate to get out, she wouldn't even have a motive for killing Kagura, like Jeanne didn't seem to care at all about hunting down the spy. She could have even seen them as a potential ally.
Unless- no, unless Jeanne was the spy, and killed Kagura to not be found out- no, no! I didn't want to believe that either, and even from a logical viewpoint I didn't have to believe that. Like Dejan, Jeanne was always too obvious and open to be any sort of spy.
For now, it was best if I just concentrated on the investigation itself, see if anything at all would back up whatever the Voice might say. Well, as much as Fuhito would let me, or anyone else, anyway.
Of course, I then immediately heard another voice I dreaded to hear.
"Alright, ya low-lives. You dirtbags better appreciate what time I spent drafting up this here Columbird File!" Columbird swooped down to bark out, "Which was... only a minute or so. Er, because I ain't no sad-faced slacker who takes all damn day to write up an autopsy report, ya hear?!" he came roaring back with.
Fuhito moved in to take it before any of us could and read out, "The victims were Dejan Albini and Kagura Amano, both were killed sometime between 1215 and 1230 hours. Dejan was killed in the ice cave by being pushed across the ice and hitting the back of his head on a pillar, with Toranosuke Ishimaru claiming to be his killer. Kagura was found drowned near her Lab by the hot springs."
(Columbird File #2(I>
Done reading, Fuhito shook his head and muttered, "I must have misread, Ishimaru couldn't have-"
"And that's where you're wrong," Genpachi chuckled, "Came right up ta us and said he dunnit. Am I right, sweetcheeks, dollface?"
Uncomfortable as I felt going along with Genpachi, I backed him up with, "Yeah, Ishimaru said he thought Albini was the spy, that's why."
"A-Although, that doesn't prove he did it," Momoka tried to say, but she then stepped back and admitted, "Even if there's otherwise no reason for him to take the fall..."
"I'll be the judge of that," Fuhito had to insist on, "Ishimaru after all may have been the most insistent on preventing any killings, that he'd commit the second murder doesn't align with his character. Besides, it makes perfect sense to me why one would falsely claim to be the killer, as via reverse psychology, that would lead everyone to think otherwise, and not wrongly vote for them."
"Kid, I know reverse psychology," Genpachi said and shook his head at Fuhito, "And tell me, what makes ya think a square like Toranosuke would ever utilise it himself? Guy's moral fibre couldn't handle it."
"Ishimaru was admitted here for being a genius, what makes you think he wouldn't know about reverse psychology?" Fuhito countered.
"Ah, see what I did?" Genpachi smirked, "Got ya to question his moral character, the thing you said made him innocent."
While Fuhito was left fuming at Genpachi's remark, I recalled at least one helpful thing the Voice had said, though not that it was hard to otherwise work out. "Hey, it's not just about the killer, either of them, it's also that if either Kagura or Dejan was the spy, their killer gets to go free. Columbird's probably gonna make us figure out the spy too."
"Damn straight, son," Columbird shot up again, "You wanna get off scot-free, you'd better work for it! That's how America came to be the power it is, and why you're not running the Killing Game!"
"Or you're making us figure it out because you don't know who the spy is either," Fuhito took it, making Columbird seethe.
"Well, a clear start would be ruling out, eliminating myself, Seki, and Kirigiri as suspects, for I can confirm we were in the Library the whole time," Kanji spoke up.
"Yeah, but you left, remember wise-ass? You were the one who saw the drowned dame's cadaver," Genpachi had to put it like that.
"No, I can confirm that alibi. Besides, a murder like this would've taken too long to arrange for Kanji to enact it in the time he was out of the library," Fuhito told him.
(Library Alibis(I>
"We knew there was a fight before Amano died, b-but what with her sword, her killer must've been someone quite strong," Momoka said, looking back over the scene and Kagura's... Kagura's corpse.
"Hmm, strength alone would narrow it down to Yamato, Kimura, Chevalier, and again Ishimaru," Fuhito remarked, "Also Seki, but they already have an alibi."
(The Strongest(I>
"No, it couldn't have been Jeanne," I said out loud. Taking a breath to collect myself, I then explained, "I actually saw Chevalier and Amano sparring, they were evenly matched. Seki was refereeing, so they can back me up."
"Sparring ain't intent to kill, kid," Genpachi stared down at me, "'Sides, no ref this time means that the crazy broad was free to pull any tactic she wanted. Heh, like jazz in a way, once it don't gotta worry about sticking to any classical scales. Slippery cave floor could've given her the edge too."
(Slippery Surface(I>
I wanted desperately to think of a retort to that, to prove him wrong about Jeanne, or even about classical scales out of spite, but at present nothing came to me.
"Wait, does- does anyone else think it's weird that both these murders were committed in the caves?" Momoka then asked, "Caves amplify reverb and echo, so a killer could risk the victim screaming out and alerting everyone."
(Echoing Caves(I>
"That could help confirm Ishimaru killed Albini, since he didn't plan to keep the murder a secret," it occurred to me, though I hastened to add, "Again, if it was Ishimaru."
"And 'sides, sweetcheeks, if you did a guy in, wouldn't ya want yer murderin' to sound the best?" Genpachi had to insert a joke. At least, I hoped that was a joke.
"Silencing is hence why Amano's killer drowned her, although this wouldn't have muffled any noise from during their fight," Fuhito at least took this seriously, even adding, "We should inspect Amano's Lab, see if this fight could've started there."
The shimenawa rope and stalactites near the shrine were still in place, despite my previous worries. If they had fallen, it'd be way too soon to put the rope back in place again, let alone the stalactites.
(Outside of Shrine intact(I>
The inside though, not so much. The room was a mess, and not in a way that suggested Kagura was naturally like that. Lanterns had fallen to the ground, drumskins ripped, and altars knocked over. But the weird thing was a whole bunch of spare outfits and containers Kagura had had been rifled through.
(Inside of Shrine damaged(I>
"Hmm, that they'd go through Amano's belongings suggests that the killer was already searching in here, was found out, then got in a fight with Amano, which carried outside" Fuhito went over, "As her lab was where that skeleton was found out, it was already a suspicious place."
"Then could that skeleton have been a factor?" I asked, though made it clear, "Not that it narrows it down to my investigation group, we all learned about it at the meeting."
(Surprise Skeleton(I>
"If Amano was the spy, it raises the possibility that Sakamoto didn't goad Omura into killing Katsu alone," Fuhito raised the possibility, "The two seemed to form a close connection, and Omura was already acting suspiciously before his talk with Sakamoto."
"What, now I'm being denied credit? Sheesh," Genpachi muttered, as if that was the issue here.
"Iwai, we'll also need you to head down and inspect Albini's tank," Fuhito then said.
"W-what? Are we referring to that same war machine involved in Omura's death? Why on Earth would you send one such as I there?" Kanji asked and gulped.
"Unless you can name me anyone else with a chance of working out Serbo-Croatian, let alone the chance of Russian or Chinese, I'm afraid deciphering any personal notes Albini may have left behind will be up to you," came Fuhito's reasoning.
"Also, I-I don't see how Amano could be the spy," I then said, "Like, I could see why you'd want to disguise yourself as the Priestess of Izumo Shrine, but how would any of our enemies be able to get themselves into that position?"
"Likely when the real dame got called to Hope's Peak, the USS of R or whoever nabbed her and snuck their disguised spy in instead," Genpachi remarked.
"Being the spy doesn't rule out them still being Japanese," Momoka also said, "I've... I've had to broadcast reports of internal traitors being found out before, so it happens."
"Before we're called to trial, I'll need the fastest of you to time the shortest route between here and the site of Albini's death, to confirm whether or not it was possible for the same killer to have been there for both murders," Fuhito also ordered.
"Okay but... one question," I then had to ask, "Er, I notice you're not telling us to keep out like last investigation, I mean, I'm definitely grateful for that, don't get me wrong-"
Fuhito sighed. "After the last Trial, I concluded it'd be less of a headache if I kept you all where I knew you were. Well, even that idea has its limits, since with all the locations and so little time, we can't all stay in the same place."
[ ] I'd check out the tank with Kanji, he'd be safest there alongside someone with military vehicle know-how. Well, planes not tanks, but still.
[ ] I'd try to track Toranosuke, see if anything more proves or disproves his murder claim.
[ ] I could check the distance between kill-sites myself.
- [ ] I'd take the route through the North building.
- [ ] I'd the route through the South.
- [ ] I'd take the route through the central cave.
[ ] I'd keep investigating around the shrine.
[ ] I'd meet up with Jeanne, see if she had an alibi.
[ ] I'd check up on everyone the investigation hadn't already covered (Aoko, Hildegard, Manami, Etsuko).
[ ] Write-in.
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