"Alright! Let's pin those alibis down!" Kaito declared.

"We can exclude the people who were trapped in the Insect Meet and Greet, correct?" Kiyo asked.

"The people trapped in Gonta's lab were stuck there from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. So we can assume they're all innocent then." Rantaro nodded.

"The people who were at the Insect Meet and Greet…" Shuichi began. "Were me, Kaede, Kaito, Keebo, Tenko, Angie, Himiko, Kiyo, and Gonta."

"Yes. Gonta kept everyone there until Kokichi and Rin come back." Gonta confirmed.

"Hang on. Himiko and Angie only arrived at 9 p.m." Keebo noted.

"But we already discussed that. Angie and I were together the entire time." Himiko said.

"There's no reason to doubt us. If one of us tried anything, the other would have seen it." Angie agreed.

"Then you two are in the clear. That means the only people who weren't at the Meet and Greet without alibis other than Miu are…" Tenko began.

"Rantaro and Maki. Of course, they're not the only suspects. There were periods of time where Kokichi, Ryoma, and I were alone too." I finished.

"Wow, Rinny. You would tell the truth, even if it screwed you over." Kokichi said.

"Not like I have anything to worry about. I'm not the culprit. I just want to uncover the truth. If I must be suspected to find it, then so be it." I responded with a neutral tone.

"Aah! Beautiful! Your spirit of self-sacrifice is just too beautiful!" Kiyo shouted with a grand pose.

"You also were alone for a long period of time as well, correct Kokichi? Do you have an alibi?" Keebo asked.

"Nee-heehee… Who's to say?" Kokichi responded with a mischievous smile.

"Ryoma, Rantaro, and Maki are the other three without alibis. Let us hear your testimonies." Kaito asked them.

"I was in my research lab the whole time. I didn't go to the fourth floor." Maki answered.

"But that cannot be proven, can it?" Kiyo asked her. Maki just stayed silent at the question.

"What about Rantaro? You're pretty mysterious yourself. What were you doing?" Kaede questioned the adventurer.

"Can't say I have a much better alibi than Maki. I was in my room for most of that time." Rantaro admitted.

"And Ryoma?" Gonta asked.

"I was out and about like Rin was, searching for people to bring to the meet and greet." Ryoma added.

"Hmm, so the culprit is among these 5 people, right? It must be the one who has the weakest alibi!" Tenko shouted.

"...I apologize, but given the circumstances, we have no choice but to suspect you." Keebo apologized.

"Alright out with it!" Tenko yelled. "Who's the culprit!?"

"Ooh? Are you trying to say I'm the culprit? Well, perhaps I should give an honest effort in defending myself. That is of course if I'm not the culprit, but I am a liar so…" Kokichi began to say with a grin.

"Am I really suspicious? I don't think I was alone for long enough to be considered a suspect." Rantaro said.

"You'll see whether or not I'm suspicious as the trial progresses." I sighed.

"I am not the culprit./Maybe I am the culprit!/I'm not the culprit!" Rantaro, Kokichi, and I shouted in unison. And so, a massive panic-fueled debate began, with all of us talking over each other loudly.

Rin: "I saw Miu at 7:30 p.m, remember?"

Rantaro: "It's true. I was alone in my room when Gonta was gathering people..."

Kokichi: "Maybe I really am the culprit!"

Rin: "But after that, I met up with Kaito and talked with him for a bit. That was probably right at 8 p.m."

Rantaro: "But I met up with Rin, Kokichi, and Ryoma while they were stealing videos."

Keebo: "Why should we believe you? You lied about being the culprit before."

Kaito: "It's true. I pulled him into the girl's bathroom I was using to hide from Gonta and we chatted."

Rantaro: "Once we were together, I stayed with them up until nighttime."

Kokichi: "Ryoma mentioned it before right?"

Tenko: "P-Perverts! Filthy male perverts!"

Ryoma: "It's true we did meet up with him at the dorms. We were together till nighttime."

Kokichi: "I went to the warehouse, meaning I could have grabbed the hook."

Angie: "So what's Maki's alibi?"

Shuichi: "But that still means you had plenty of time before that to commit the crime, doesn't it?"

Kiyo: "If Kokichi did go to the warehouse, then he should remain a suspect until otherwise."

Maki: "I didn't run into anyone at that time."

Ryoma: "But if Rantaro was running around to set Miu up in her lab from the fourth floor, you would think that Gonta, Rin, or myself would have seen him."

Gonta: "So that mean Kokichi culprit?"

Maki: "I was in my research lab the whole time."

Kiyo: "He could be extremely lucky. That should not dismiss him from suspicion yet."

Kokichi: "See? I'm TOTALLY the culprit!"

"I hear it!" Kaede shouted before pointing to Kokichi. "Kokichi, you can't be the culprit just because you went to the warehouse."

"Huh? Why not?" Kokichi asked.

"You mentioned it before when you and Rin came back at 11 p.m. You brought a monitor to Gonta's Research Lab so you could play the Kubs Pads on it." Kaede explained. "That monitor looked pretty heavy, and you had to take it from the warehouse to the far end of the second floor. Even if you were able to carry the cables needed for the monitor, it would have been near impossible for you to carry the hook as well."

"If Kokichi was unable to carry the hook, then Miu wouldn't have followed him to wherever he was going." Shuichi summarized.

"S-So what? I could have just put it in one of my pockets, couldn't I?" Kokichi said.

"I don't think so." Rantaro said. "I mean, you were carrying a heavy monitor at the time, right? And up multiple floors, no less. If you tripped and fell with the hook in your pocket, even with the curved blade of the hook, you might have ended up stabbing yourself. It would be safer to carry the hook in a more secure way."

"Then perhaps he made another trip to get the hook?" Maki asked.

"Gonta not think so. When Gonta brought in first group of people, Tenko and Keebo, Kokichi said he just returned with monitor." Gonta mentioned.

"Yeah. I remember that. Kokichi then stayed in the lab with us while Gonta went back out to gather more people." Tenko then said. "That was at 7:55, I think."

"If that's the case, then Kokichi couldn't be the culprit. He only left after the others were brought in, and even then, he was with Rin and Ryoma during that time, and he wouldn't have had time to kill Miu before either, especially with the monitor he was carrying." Keebo said.

"Is that right, Kokichi?" Kiyo asked the small boy. Kokichi remained silent for a little bit before he sighed loudly again.

"Maaan, you guys are no fun. Fiiiine, I'm not the culprit. Agaaaaain…" Kokichi admitted.

"So annoying…" Himiko moaned.

"Still, it's good that we can take Kokichi off the suspect list." Ryoma said.

"We can take someone else off the suspect list now too." Shuichi then said.

"Really? Who?" Tenko questioned the detective.

"Rin. He has an alibi with Kaito." Shuichi answered.

"Yeah. Like I said, the two of us chatted for a while before Rin brought me to Gonta's lab. From then on, he was with Kokichi and Ryoma. That must have been around 8, if I remember correctly." Kaito confirmed.

"This information could have and should have been stated earlier than now." Kaede said with a tired smile.

"My bad. I take full responsibility for not mentioning it earlier. I sort of forgot about it." Kaito told her.

"You don't have to do that, Kaito. I didn't bring it up either till now." I said.

"Don't worry about it! You're one of my sidekicks! Taking responsibility is my job!" Kaito responded with a smile.

"So that means that Rin can't be the culprit either!" Angie cheered. "Nyahaha! That's two suspects off our list!"

"That just leaves...Rantaro, Maki, and Ryoma." I said.

"There's actually one more person we can rule out of the suspects list." Kokichi said with a carefree smirk.

"Really? Who could that be?" Himiko asked. I put my hand to my chin and thought for a moment. One more person that isn't suspicious. That would mean they have a good enough alibi to negate the 30 minutes needed to pull off this murder. The only person on the list that could be is…

"Kokichi, you're talking about...Ryoma, right?" I asked.

"Ryoma?" Rantaro repeated.

"Yeah, you can take him off the list. He actually has an alibi that saves him too." Kokichi nodded.

"That's a relief. I'm glad that's the case." Ryoma gave a sigh of relief as he smiled.

"Hang on, what's this alibi that Ryoma has?" Maki asked.

"Well, Ryoma was searching for someone to bring to Gonta's lab." I started to explain. "He told us that at 8:10 p.m. he saw Kiyo in the dorms and brought him to the Meet and Greet. After he did that, he stayed in Gonta's Research lab until the three of us left together."

"I see. That would mean the Ryoma only had 10 minutes to pull of the murder. That's not enough time to do everything before meeting up with Kiyo. That leaves no chance for Ryoma to have committed the crime." Shuichi noted.

"Yup. It took a while, but at least we got everyone's alibis cleared up…" Kokichi said happily. "We should remember all of this, in case we need to recall these events again."

"That leaves...Rantaro and Maki as the only ones with no alibis." Kiyo commented.

"Then one of them must be the culprit! But which one, I wonder?" Angie asked. "Eenie, meenie, miney, mo! Catch the culprit by its-"

"H-Hang on. I would rather you not choose the culprit with a method like that." Rantaro said nervously. It actually startled me. He actually looked nervous, being one of the only people left on the suspect list due to his weak alibi. I then felt a chill on my back. We now have two prime suspects...but they're...Rantaro and Maki. I should probably be suspicious of them, but...I don't want to doubt Rantaro, and I don't want to doubt Maki. I don't...think they're the culprit. But is that faith in them accurate? Am I wrong in thinking they're innocent? The evidence right now points to one of them being the culprit, so...what should I do?

"Uh, maybe we should redetermine the sequence of events? The culprit wa-"

"Nope, we should do something more fun…" Kokichi cut me off before a wide smile grew on his face. "And I have the perfect idea."

"What?" I asked.

"We narrowed it down to two people, and one of those two is the culprit, right?" Kokichi reiterated. "Since we don't have to randomly accuse each other, finding the truth just got much easier. So, let's find the truth with a more effective method."

"And what is this effective method you're talking about?" Ryoma asked.

"If one of them is the culprit, then the innocent one should know who the guilty one is. Yeah? Because if you know you're not the culprit, then you can just accuse the other person."

"Yes, that is true." Keebo said while rolling his eyes. "But-"

"Which means, there is one person among us who definitely knows who the culprit is!" Kokichi continued, steamrolling whatever Keebo had to say. "To that someone who knows… Do your best to convince us! Work harder!"

"Work harder?" Angie repeated while tilting her head.

"Have the two argue for their innocence! That's how we'll decide our culprit!" Kokichi told us while giving an evil pose.

"B-But even if we did that, they would just keep accusing the other, wouldn't they?" Kaede asked with a doubtful expression.

"Aaaaaand?" Kokichi questioned.

"Huh?"

"You guys talk about cooperation and teamwork, but you're all afraid. You're too scared to point your fingers at others, so you hide behind the word 'trust'. How do you expect to find the culprit when you're all worried about each other's feelings?" Kokichi then put his finger to his lips and gave us a small smile, one that hid devious thoughts for sure. "If you're planning to expose a liar, then you have to corner them psychologically… Only then will they reveal their true self as a liar, hiding beneath a layer of deceit!"

"..." We all remained silent as we processed Kokichi's words. He's right, to an extent...as usual. We can't let emotions get in our way when our lives are on the line. We have to corner the culprit so we can uncover their lies. That's what we did with Tsumugi, so the same applies here too. We...can't hold back in our search for the culprit. Kokichi then continued to speak as we all listened in silence.

"If we want to find the liar, I suggest that the two suspects argue against each other. No pointless deductions! All we need is for them to fight for their lives! So let's host an argument that's totally-not-boring-but-super-fun! We'll catch the culprit in their lies when we find a contradiction! We'll scare the culprit until they screw up! That's how a true class trial works! Right, Monokuma?"

"Puhuhu… A development like that would liven things up a bit." Monokuma giggled.

"Yup, I totes agree." Kokichi nodded.

"You're agreeing with Monokuma? Just whose side are you on?" Kaito shouted at Kokichi.

"I'm on your side! I don't wanna die either, y'know!" Kokichi shot back. "That's why we need to take this seriously! A hot debate to smoke out the liar!"

"...And how do you expect us to start this?" Maki asked with an unamused expression.

"If you guys need some help getting started, I can give out the first topic." Kokichi said as he pulled something out of his pocket. "Our first topic is...this! Ta-daaaa!"

"A Kubs Pad?" Shuichi asked.

"Not just any Kubs Pad! This Kubs Pad contains the motive of the latest victim, Miu!" Kokichi said excitedly. "When we started investigating, I snuck away from Tenko, who was keeping watch on me, and went straight to the owner's room to borrow it. And the reason why I brought it out just for this occasion is…" Kokichi then pointed to both Rantaro and Maki with an evil expression, as if his smile had become something completely twisted. "Because one of these two had Miu's motive video! Dun-dun-dun!"

"One of these two had it…?" Kiyo asked with a shocked expression.

"..." Rantaro and Maki both remained silent as everyone turned to look at them with suspicious glances.

"See? Isn't this interesting?" Kokichi smirked as he raised the motive video into the air. "Take a guess, everyone! Who had Miu's motive video?" The owner of Miu's video...I know the answer already. It shouldn't be too hard to say.

"The owner of that Kubs Pad...was Maki." I said.

"Wow, how did you ever guess?" Kokichi asked with a coy smile before he snapped his fingers. "Oh right! You were there gathering everyone's Kubs Pads with me and Ryoma last night! Of course you would know. Of course, Rantaro joined us later, but that's beside the point since that doesn't take him off the suspect list. Especially during that time the four of us watched Rantaro's video too."

"You what!?" Tenko exclaimed.

"That means Rantaro watched his own motive…" Himiko muttered nervously.

"...I've been hearing it during the trial, but is that true, Rin?" Maki asked me. "You stole everyone's videos, and were going to have everyone watch them?"

"Y-Yeah. It's true." Maki sighed at my answer before turning back to Kokichi.

"So what about it? Just because I had Miu's motive video, that doesn't make me the culprit." Maki said.

"Nee-heehee… Finally, you said something. This is how a debate should be." Kokichi laughed. "I only brought up the motive video to get you to talk."

"...Excuse me?"

"O-kay! Now that we got the party rolling, let's get you and Rantaro ready to argue! Remember, if you're not the culprit, then that means the other one is. Got that?" Kokichi then once again made a grand, evil pose as he laughed. "Let's start this extreme death debate! Tear up the other's lies! Rip each other apart!" Then, for the first time in a long while, I saw Rantaro give a dark glare to Maki. It was filled with suspicion and a strong feeling of dread. Maki then returned the look with her own glare, her red eyes piercing daggers into Rantaro.

"W-Wait just a minute, what are you trying to-?" Shuichi tried to say something, but someone completely unrelated then shouted.

"Quit screwing around! We don't need to debate who's the culprit!" Kaito shouted. "The culprit isn't Maki!"

"Then that means…" Ryoma said as he looked at Rantaro with a concerned expression.

"W-Wait! Kaito, what're you-!?" I was about to ask Kaito what he was doing, but then he finished his sentence.

"But Rantaro isn't the culprit, either!"

"Huh?" Most of us were completely flabbergasted by that statement.

"...What?" Maki and Rantaro questioned as well, both of them completely confused.

"..." Kokichi just stared at Kaito with wide eyes before he spoke again. "Huh? Really? You're saying neither of them are the culprit? Then what would be the point of this whole deba-?"

"Who cares about that!? All I know is that Rantaro and Maki aren't the culprit!" Kaito shouted. He then brought his fist together and, with not a bit of hesitation, said this: "It's just a hunch I've got!"

"A...A hunch!?" Kokichi gaped. "Are you being serious? You do know all our lives are on the line here, right? And you're betting our lives on just a hunch!?"

"Hmph… You don't get it. This isn't just any hunch." Kaito told him. "This is an official hunch from the Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!"

"Wh-What…?" Kaede stuttered.

"How illogical… This is even more difficult to comprehend than Kokichi's antics." Keebo sighed loudly.

"You're totally not serious! You can't be that stupid, right?" Kokichi asked with genuine concern for Kaito.

"No, he might actually be that stupid." Tenko said with a disappointed gaze.

"What an idiot…" Ryoma sighed.

"Atua-damned idiot!" Angie cheered.

"Hey! Don't call me an idiot! Anyway, those two aren't the culprit!" Kaito yelled. "There's no doubt about it! I believe in both of them!"

"...You what?" Maki asked.

"You...believe in us?" Rantaro asked with a surprised tone. "But why? You must have some basis for your belief."

"Huh? I don't gotta base it on anything. No matter where the clues point, in the end, the only thing that matters is what I believe! Right!?" Kaito said loudly. "Whether I believe or not! Whether I want to believe or not! That's the only thing that matters!"

"So you don't have any evidence?" I asked in a groan.

"Only baseless conjecture…" Keebo noted.

"B-But..I totally get where he's coming from!" Tenko cried out. "Cuz I have the same unwavering faith in Himiko!"

"Y-Yeah. I want to believe in Maki and Rantaro too." Kaede said. "But…"

"Wanting to believe in someone is a beautiful act, yes… However, it is a sentiment that has no place in a class trial." Kiyo finished for her.

"He's an idiot, after all…" Himiko sighed.

"Is okay to be idiot! As long as you believe in people!" Gonta smiled widely.

"Guys! I said don't call me an idiot! It really hurts my feelings!" Kaito cried out.

"..." I thought about Kaito's words, and I couldn't help but chuckle. It's true. This isn't what a Class Trial is about. You're supposed to think logically, you can't let your feelings get in the way. Relying only on emotions...it's absurdity. Total absurdity. But...it's that ridiculous absurdity that I can't help but relate to and admire. It's that hopeless optimism that can pick anyone off the ground, even at their worst point. Kokichi's right. Normally, logic should be the only thing we use to help us survive in this death game, but if I can rely on my logic, then I should rely on my feelings as well. Not just mine, but everyone's feelings. That's a Class Trial. That's cooperation. We work together and use each other's logic and feelings to find the truth. Logic and Feelings, they're both needed to find the truth! If I can't believe in people, then there's no point in using logic in the first place. It's my job to believe and use logic together, after all! That's how I protect people! It'll work out in the end, so… "I believe in both of them as well." I said with a small smile.

"Huh?" Rantaro turned to me with shock in his eyes.

"Me too. I'll believe in both Rantaro and Maki." Shuichi nodded.

"...What?" Maki asked.

"That's our Kaito, right? Making us think with our hearts." Shuichi smiled.

"Yep. Our reliable hero. Always there to help us, no matter what." I chuckled.

"Maaan, you guys too? How could the Ultimate Detective believe in someone without proof? And Rinny, you're smarter than that. Why are you relying on feelings instead of pure logic?" Kokichi asked us.

"But there's no proof linking Maki or Rantaro to this crime either." Shuichi said.

"And don't you know the law, Kokichi?" I asked him. "It's 'innocent until proven guilty'. So that's what I'll do. For now, they're innocent."

"Right on, you two! I knew I picked good sidekicks!" Kaito gave us both a thumbs up, along with his signature grin.

"Uh, and by the way, I might be the Ultimate Detective, but...I'm in training." Shuichi added. "I...told you that, didn't I? I'm just an apprentice, not a real detective."

"And I'm not sure why you think so highly of me either. We still don't know what my talent is, so...right now, I'm just a normal person." I added before giving Kokichi a weak smile. "And while I know logic is important in a situation like this, so are emotions and feelings. Both are needed to find the truth, or so I've found in my experience."

"Huh? Rin, you make it sound as if-"

"Let's leave it there for now." I interrupted Kaede.

"..." Kokichi just looked at Shuichi and I with confusion and a blank look. "How do you plan to get closer to the truth without suspecting either of them? Unless you have evidence to the contrary, these two will remain suspe-"

"So I just have to turn it around, right?" Maki asked.

"Huh?"

"It's not like I owe that idiot a favor or anything just because he defended me, but that hopeless idiot may have encouraged me a bit."

"Seriously! Enough's enough! Stop calling me an idiot!" Kaito shouted angrily.

"What exactly are you saying, Maki?" Kaede asked with a confused voice.

"I didn't think it was important before, so I didn't mention it, but if this helps change things, then I might as well say it. So, I'll tell you." She said.

"Oh? Tell us what?" Angie asked.

"I had arranged a meeting with Miu yesterday right after 8 p.m, but she never came."

"...What?" I asked her.

"Y-You tried to meet up with Miu!?" Ryoma gawked.

"And she never came?!" Keebo gasped. "That must mean-"

"Then the crime must have happened right after 8 p.m! Right after Gonta saw her!" Tenko shouted.

"If that's the case, then that means anyone with an alibi during the time around 8 p.m can't be the culprit. That means…"

"Then that means that Rantaro and Maki can't be our only suspects anymore! This opens up more possiblities!" Kaito shouted happily.

"H-Hang on! If neither of them are the culprit, then that means there isn't a single person who can be a suspect at all!" Tenko shouted.

"It sounds too convenient." Ryoma added.

"But why did Maki wait until now to mention this? This tells us exactly when Miu died." Keebo stated.

"Ah-hahahahaha! It's totally obvious! Maki's sooo desperate that she has to lie!" Kokichi declared. I couldn't help but think about it. Was it a lie? It didn't feel like it. Maki sounded genuine enough. But...does that mean I can fully trust this? It's true, we don't know exactly when Miu's time of death is, and if Maki is telling the truth, this uproots many things we have discussed. We would finally have a concrete time of death, at probably 8:05 p.m. And if that's true, and if I'm dedicated to believing Maki and Rantaro are innocent, just what does that mean? And why would Maki stay quiet until now? I trust her, so I should believe what she says, but...why do I have this sinking feeling about it?