Link to maps and Area 1 descriptions: Link

After a short morning announcement everyone gathers in the cafeteria. If you could help it likely some people would have just wanted to stay in their rooms. However it was now clear the rules here were not to be taken lightly.

As the eight of you make it to the cafeteria Monozaki pops out as his usual cheerful self.

"What a beautiful morning. Nothing like a good execution to get things right eh? I won't ask you something silly like 'Why the long faces' but you know, cheer up! Since the first round is over I will unlock the gate to the second area. You can find it down the path in front of the Guest Room Building.

That said, you guys stink. No, I mean literally. A lot of you bastards haven't been bathing at all so I've prepared some facility to make sure you do so. There are some good old onsen in the second area so everyone will need to go bathe there once per day . Just treat it like a temporary habit until you guys learn to clean yourselves. I've also hidden some more totems in the area, they won't give you any tips on getting out of here but some Monocoins is always nice right...? Lastly the gift shop has been restocked, if you care. Anyway, I'm out. I better not, Smell you later!"

He then hops away. Everyone is currently in the cafeteria.

>>3206

Round 2 Start. Exploration Phase Start!

"Oh boy, new area! I just can't wait..."

Kizami heads towards the gate and crosses over...

>>3208
BGM: Beautiful Days

As you walk through the gates it becomes clear that the new area is mostly an extension of the current one. The theme is similar with the resort like feeling perhaps felt even more here when you notice an outdoor pool. A large oriental styled building hugs the top left corner of the pool and that part of the enclosure as well. Behind the pool is a large building that does look out of place however as it has a big hardware store sign on it. There is also a small portion of the building that seems to have door on it. Finally to the right of where you entered is a number of different sports fields such as tennis, lacrosse, and basketball.

>>3208
Kai gave Kizami a suspicious look as he vanished. He was calm. Far too calm. Had she not been worried about the others, she would have followed after him to make sure he didn't do anything suspicious.

Taking a deep breath, Kai did her best to look strong for the others. "Anyone not confident enough to venture on their own may come with me. Will everyone be alright?"

>>3210
"i think i will be fine but thx" i say to kai and rub my eyes. aiko should be good protection. also go get joe before leaving.

Kizami explores the bamboo building.

>>3209
I go to the southwest corner near the hedges and trees and dig holes. Ten of them all next to each other. Three meters deep and one meter diameter each.

>>3211
You get your coffee. It's not as strong as yesterday. Maybe you have gotten used to it.

>>3212
The inside of the building matches the outside with little floral paintings along the wall and a hardwood floor. The lighting for the halls is even in little lanterns, although is is using electricity and not candle light. You take note that the onsen is in this building, but also a recording studio and infirmary oddly enough.

>>3213
You start digging all of your holes. This might take a while.

Kizami attempts to explore the recording studio.

>>3210

Aurora does not look well. She hasn't ever since the trial. Her eyes are darting between the others, and her left hand seems to be clenching and unclenching rhythmically.

"I'll come with you," she said to Kai, hurriedly. "Lead the way."

>>3214
i tell aiko i am going to explore new area and meet up when ready.

i got and search sports shed.

>>3216
Kai nodded to Aurora, her expression giving a subtle wince as she saw Aurora's unease. She had to keep everyone together and strong, no matter what the cost.

"Any are welcome to join us," Kai offered as she set off, offering to lead Aurora by the hand along the south side until they reached the sports area, trying not to follow anyone's footsteps. Seiko was going to the shed, so Kai and Aurora would search the sports buildings.

Last edited at 18/06/27(Wed)19:36:08

>>3215
The recording studio doesn’t really fit with the rest of the building. It has two main rooms, one for the control booth and the main area where a large amount of instruments could be played. Sadly there aren’t any but a large number of fold-able seats and music stands. There seem to also be some smaller rooms for vocal recording.

>>3217
Inside the shed is a large variety of different gear, balls, and other sports equipment. There are big baskets installed into the corner of the room each filled with their respectable balls for the three courts. There are a number of different tennis rackets and lacrosse sticks hanging along the walls. Seems like they have sizes for everyone. You also notice a totem resting on one of the wooden support beams on the ceiling.

>>3218
Each court is surrounded and separated by a tall fence about two stories high. Each are equipped with the basic gear (hoops, nets, goals, etc) however any gear to actually play the sports you can’t seem to find. There is a shed further behind the area that likely contains them. Inside each one are some bleacher like seats for spectating although there is no way they will ever be filled giving the current situation.

Kizami examines the small rooms for recording in more detail. Anything special inside?

>>3219
wao really bcuz im short right?

i grab a ball and try to knock it down. over and over till down

>>3220
The small recording booths have a micophone and the walls are padded similar to the rest of the rooms but nothing fancy inside it seems. You also take a look into the control room and it is mostly what you would expect. From here there are tons of buttons and switches that you have no idea what they do. There is a computer with some simply controls like record and play but beyond that you likely won’t be able to do much. You notice a little flashdrive in the computer's usb port as well. There is a window here to look into both the large room and the vocal rooms. There are some chairs and trash bins as well.

>>3221
After a number of shots and balls now covering the floor you manage to hit the totem down and snag it. Good job.

Kizami tries to see what's on the flashdrive using the computer.

>>3218
Nao wanted to say there was no reason to kill anymore but on second thought that bear could get angry and force our hands so he kept his mouth shut. Monozaki wouldn't be that unoriginal, would he?

He follows the group and goes to look at the new area. He takes a look at the pool area.

>>3219

Aurora begins looking around the bleacher seats and behind the backboards for a totem. She's never far from Kai, though, and on occasion looks to be talking quietly to her.

>>3222
take it back to my room since that is wat everyone else did. after search the infirmary

>>3223
There are some .mp3 files but they can't be played. Seems like they are corrupt. However if you format the flashdrive it should be usable.

>>3224
The swimming pool isn’t surrounded by a fence or anything and is mostly out in the open in the middle of the area. To the north is a drink bar with various different flavoring bottles, blenders, fridges, and other appliances used to make those fancy drinks. Next to that is a little lifeguard chair and some tools used for cleaning the pool of leaves and debris. Along the pool side are white reclining chairs and umbrellas for relaxing in the shade. The pool itself seems fairly standard with its square shape and it goes from shallow to deep at the end. There does seem to be something at the bottom of the pool but you can't make out what it is.

>>3225
As you are talking to Kai you don't seem to find anything under the bleachers. You don't notice anyone around either.

>>3226
You successfully stash your treasure back in your room and head to the infirmary.

The infirmary is mostly beds with curtains you can draw over them. The room is white and grey, very bland. In the back there are some desks with some items like stethoscopes and devices for taking blood pressure. There is a cabinet in the very back with bandages, gauze, disinfectant, and other simple tools for first aid.

>>3227
Nao grabs the skimmer tool and will attempt to fish whatever it is out of the water.

>>3227
Kizami formats the flashdrive and puts it in his pocket. Then goes to check out the staff room.

>>3228
You successfully do so. Who could have guessed it, it's another totem! Yay!

>>3229
The entrance to the onsen has a number of sitting areas. There are rows of massage chairs likely for use after soaking those muscles in the hot water. There are some vending machines were also serving milktea and other beverages. Further into the area is a reception desk although it doesn’t look like you need to actually check or pay at all. There is nobody stationed there but there is a sign that lists the rules of the onsen and a backdoor to the staffroom. The door itself is locked.

Rules:
-You must strip your clothing and leave them in the changing rooms before entering the onsen. Towels have been prepared to prevent nudity.
-You must wash your hair and clean yourself before entering the water.
-Leave your used towels in the laundry hampers provided in the changing rooms before leaving the building.
-Peeping over or through the fence in the onsen to the other side will result in immediate punishment.

Kizami attempts to lockpick the staff room. If he fails, he will follow instructions and take a bath in the onsen instead.

>>3225
Kai continued to search around with Aurora, completely on guard for anyone who could sneak up on them. There were no totems, no hints, and nothing that could help their escape. However, Kai couldn't stop herself from seeing everything as a weapon. She gave a worried frown as she thought about Andy, making a note to speak with him more later.

"To the next place?" Kai asked in a full voice, making her way up around the hardware building.

>>3230
Nao will take it back to his room and add to the collection. Then he heads back and looks into the storage room.

>>3232

Aurora nods and follows along. At one point she gets a glimpse of Andy and pauses, and several different emotions war on her face, but then she turns and continues to follow Kai.

>>3231
To your surprise it does work. Inside is a fairly basic room with files and a desk. On the desk you notice a key and a totem.

>>3232
As you enter Monozaki pops out. “Heyo! Welcome to my other shop! This one works the same as the last, just it’s more... you know, hardware like. Anyway everything here still costs money but feel free to take a look! Oh and since you are first to arrive take this!” He hands Kai a totem. "Incidentally that is the last one in the area."

In the 5MC section you find some nails, a bundle of metal wire, and a bag of bolts and nuts.
For 10MC you can get a tape measure, pliers, or extension cables.
50MC Wrenches and hammers. Planks of wood. Tank of gas.
100MC: Portable battery powered nail gun with complimentary nails. A buzzsaw you have to plug into the wall, but is technically portable.

>>3233
A bit dark and dusty. The storage room is a messy heap of random items. There are some pool toys and inflatables here. Some old broken looking blenders and other equipment like an old score sign that flipped panels to display the store instead of lights, and a portable generator. There are a number of stacks of old books and magazines like Jump and random fashion magazines. There are some buckets and rolled up black mats. In the corner are some boxes with tons of plastic cups and plates. On a dolly there is also a box of plastic cutlery. On the roof is a small light bulb with a steel bead pull cord. It flickers every now and then.

>>3235
"..." It appears everyone running off is going to be a trend.
Most of the area has been explored so Taku will search for any wifi spots in the new area.

>>3235
>>3234
Kai jumped in front of Aurora on impulse when that murderous bear appeared. These items were... for sale? The Ultimate Bodyguard glowered before speaking, keeping the totem close. She then looked around before saying something, wanting to make sure no one was within earshot.

Kizami grabs the key and the totem. He brings the totem back to his room. After that he goes and does a climbing course in the Moonlight Building. And then, finally, he goes to enjoy a bath in the onsen. What a productive day indeed.

>>3236
You find the same type of setup near the drink bar at the pool. You don't even need to log in again!

>>3239
"Great, out in the sunlight..." Taku will bring some of the umbrellas close together and make a spot that completely covered him from any sunlight.

>>3237
As you ask Monozaki something you find nobody else around besides Aurora.

>>3238
You store it back into your room without issue. You find some Monocoins during your climb and get a good workout.

The changing rooms a are a bit small compared to the rest of the building but perhaps that is because only half of the people here will be using it. It seems to be a typical bathhouse like change room with little holes with baskets to put your clothing on one side. On the other are four stacks of towels with two in each stack. Presumably for each person. Next to that are the laundry hampers for used towels. There is a little sign that says the towels will be washed and returned each night. The door into the onsen is a sliding door although it isn't your typical paper thin japanese door as it has some glass that blurs the view so you can’t quite see inside and it is much thicker. Besides that there is a long wooden bench for people to sit down on and a mop and bucket in the left corner of the room beside the door.

You strip your clothing, don a towel, and enter the onsen.

Inside the onsen steam waffs up into the air creating a natural curtain of mist. To the side is a number of stalls for you to wash yourself including shampoo and conditioner. There is a mirror in front of a small bench for you to sit down. The shower head you can detach and use however you see fit. There is also a bucket to collect water and pour it over yourself if necessary. Most of the onsen itself is covered in nice black stone tiles that make it feel more in tone with nature. There is a large fence separating this side from the other and it continues to the back of the area and around to the washing area. The pool of water has some ledges built into it so you can simply sit down and rest but some of the areas go farly deep as well. There is a tall island of rock in the middle that stands up almost above the fence. At the very back the pool ends shortly before the fence and there are some stylized hedges and foliage.

You wash and rinse yourself then start to soak in the onsen. Any aches and pain start to wash away.

>>3240
You successfully do so.

>>3241
Kai grimaced, but kept her composure. She should have expected as much. "Then know this: we will not give into your game. We will not resort to murder." She nodded, looking back to Aurora. "Shall we?" she asked, moving to leave. She had no need to buy such things at the moment.

>>3213
You finish your holes. Maybe now the ground is more empty than yourself. You found some Monocoins.

>>3242

Aurora doesn't leave immediately. Instead, she stares at all the implements on the wall. The nail gun especially draws her gaze.

She suddenly seems to realize that Kai is leaving, and follows after. Her face is a mask of deliberation.

Aiko was glad someone was looking out for others but she would polite decline Kai's offer. She would then go and find Seiko.

"H-hey Seiko. Did you find anything useful? Like an exit maybe?"

Aiko will after go explore the area herself so she knows the locations if Seiko is busy.

>>3245
"just a stupid totem thingy. i'm going to the onsen so cya later." i check vending machine for any coffee stuff

>>3238
You finish your bath and head back into the changing room. After throwing the towels in the proper bins you get dressed and head out.

---

As everyone is wandering around they hear an announcement come on. "Man you guys didn't fool around huh? Well anyway I left some surprises for you guys. I am sure you will find them eventually. They should be very... motivating. Upupupu"

Last edited at 18/06/28(Thu)18:17:49

>>3248

Freetime! Move to Private Threads!

>>3249
BGM: Despair Pollution

People quickly gather, it appears Aiko was the one who found the body. Taku is last to arrive since apparently he had to get out of the onsen.

Once inside it becomes clear who the announcement is for. The tiny body of Seiko is floating in the water.

Monozaki pops out. "Man I didn't think it would work that well... Well anyway you know the drill. Here is the Monozaki file~"

Monozaki File:
The time of death was during Freetime.
The body was found in the the water of the female onsen.
The victim died where they were found.

>>3250
The body was floating on the water but Monozaki generously put it on the island in the middle of the onsen so that you can properly investigate. He also puts a bridge down so you can walk across without getting wet.

The room mostly looks the same. There is the cleaning stalls on the side next to the fence that surrounds the area. In the onsen on the island the body now rests. Behind that there is also a bridge to the bushes.

>>3248

Investigation mode start! Back to the private threads!

Shimizu Aurora: "I was with Kai ever since the initial exploration was over with. We were in the meditation room together. There's no way either of us could have done it!"

Gachari Taku: "Yeah I didn't do much. I went to the onsen and soaked for a while. Andy came in covered in dirt but we didn't say anything to each other. He left after he was clean. A while after that the body announcement happened. Monozaki said I could change quickly before the investigation started so I did."

Kizami Suzuya: "My alibi? I was doing some additional exploring during freetime and just happened to see Aiko as she was going inside the Bamboo Building. After that I explored some more and went back to my room. It was then that I heard the announcement."

Torasawa Aiko: "I-I was exploring the area more. Everyone had done so without me so I wanted to search too. When I began I saw Aurora and Kai leaving Area 2 and later I saw Kizami leaving the hardware store. Seiko said she was going to the onsen earlier so after that I went myself and... After that Monozaki let me change into my clothing so people could investigate."

Andy W. Hole: "I was digging holes. Lots of them. Check the southeast corner if you want to confirm it."

Sugimoto Nao: "I was exploring the new area some more. I saw Taku heading to the onsen at some point. Did not find much so I went back to the other area before we were all told to gather.

Kai Munchausen: "I was with Aurora the entire time. We had explored everything together, but after that we went to the meditation room and tried to think of a plan to keep everyone safe. Obviously, we failed... since he heard the announcement while we were in there."

Monozaki File:
The time of death was during Freetime.
The body was found in the the water of the female onsen.
The victim died where they were found.

Seiko’s Body:
Her towel has slipped off slightly. The body was lifted onto the island in the middle of the onsen close to where she was found. No noticeable wounds were found. Under her towel was a mark that was a red color similar to that of a rash. However it is a solid mark that twists up the back, branching off semi-randomly kind of in a tree-like pattern until reaching the neck.

Coffee Bottle:
A coffee bottle from the vending machines in the sitting area of the onsen. It spilled into the water and was found near where the body was. Further investigation revealed that the brown discoloration and stains on towels were from this. Both of which likely in contact only after the coffee dropped in the water.

Onsen Rules:
-You must strip your clothing and leave them in the changing rooms before entering the onsen. Towels have been prepared to prevent nudity.
-You must wash your hair and clean yourself before entering the water.
-Leave your used towels in the laundry hampers provided in the changing rooms before leaving the building.
-Peeping over or through the fence in the onsen to the other side will result in immediate punishment.

On the roof of the building there is a machine gun turret that will sense if you break a rule.
There are eight towels in each changing room. Players are only allowed to use two towels a day, one for when in the onsen to get wet, and the other to dry off with. Monozaki seems strict when it comes to the towels.

Footprints In Bushes:
The bushes are about waist height and block most of the view of the lower portion of the fence. In the bushes of the female onsen it is clear someone was behind the bushes near the gap under the fence. It is unclear who made the marks since they have been covered up and brushed out.

Gap Under Fence:
In the very back fence of the female onsen there was a man-made gap in the dirt no larger than a fist. The fence touches the ground so the gap went under the fence.

-

Female Clean Towels:
Three have been taken from the total eight. The rest were perfectly folded and have not been touched.

Towel in Female Laundry Hamper:
There was a single soaked towel in the female laundry hamper. It has a brown stain on it confirmed to be coffee.

Female Clothing Cubbies:
Seiko's clothing remained in one of the bins. In front of the bins was a dry towel that Aiko used to enter the onsen. Monozaki made her change after the body was found so people could investigate.

Male Clean Towels:
There was only one untouched towel remaining out of the original eight.

Towels in Male Laundry Hamper:
There were five towels found in the hamper. The one on the very top was drier than the rest.

Male Clothing Cubbies:
On the ground were two towels used by Taku. Monozaki made him leave the onsen and change once the body was found so he could investigate. One of the clothing bins was covered in dirt and some was on the ground.

Male Broom and Door:
There is a mark on the sliding door that seems to match the broom handle. When sticking the broom handle between the wall and the door where the mark is, it prevents the door from opening.

-

Tracks Behind the Onsen:
On the other side of the gap under the fence were some tracks. It looks like something was brought here and then taken back. The tracks get lighter as they get closer to the path near the storage room and hardware store.

Portable Generator:
A gas powered generator found in the storage room. It is rather heavy despite being portable. The labels on the side say it is near silent. During the investigation phase it smelled like gas and was found to have been filled, where it was not during exploration phase. It has output cables that reach fairly long and produce electricity.

Dolly:
A dolly found in the storage room. Although it has four wheels it can function like a two wheeled one and you can stick the front under an object to lift it onto the dolly. The dolly wheels matched the tracks behind the onsen.

Hardware receipt:
A copy of a receipt found behind the counter of the Hardware store. Besides various non important advertising it reads “STORECOPY Tank of gas: 50MC. Buyer: Ultimate Swindler S.-san. Cashier: Monozaki” When questioned about it Monozaki said ”Man I am surprised nobody else lied about their abilities. Good thing everyone was truthful about their names at least.”

Motive File:
A file was found in the personal guest rooms. It only appeared after Monozaki said something about “Motivation”. However it seems like the files no longer function...

Last edited at 18/07/03(Tue)11:37:58

>>3254
"Ping, pong, bong! That is enough time to investigate! Everyone head to the outdoor theater again!"

It hasn't even been 24 hours yet everyone finds themselves descending the elevator once more. The memories of death are still fresh. Maybe some are still in shock and can't even reaction. Either way the trial is about to start and everyone will have to fight for their lives once more.

>>3255
Andy arrives but he doesn't say a word. His nose is in a book. He seems uncharacteristically focused on it. The cover says "Botany 101."

>>3255
Everyone enters the familiar court room and takes to their stands. Monozaki hops into his own seat.

"Long time no see! It hasn't been long so I don't think I need to remind you how this works! Let's get it started!"

(Alright so the trial will work mostly the same as last time just with a few changes. One being that there will be a few more topics this time and they will be a bit less vague. And two is that I will pause the trial if it goes too quick so other people can provide information before it ends. If everyone is online then we won't need to do this but I will still pause it when I am done for the night.

When the trial is paused we will wait for the next day to resume to continue. If you were not online and feel the need to post extra info or ideas to a topic that has passed you can make a single post for that before the trial resumes. Just make sure you point out which topics you were talking about in your post.)

Alright, court is in session!

>>3258
BGM: Discussion -BREAK-

Topic: What was the cause of death? (Note, not how the culprit killed them, just the cause, like an axe to the head.)

"There was a coffee bottle in the water where she was found. I couldn't find any wounds so a poison could explain that rash."

>>3260
Taku pushes up his glasses in a matter of fact motion.
"I believe since we didn't find any evidence of poison in this whole facility that would be unlikely."

Last edited at 18/07/05(Thu)18:19:08

>>3261

"And while she may have vomited some coffee, I propose the cause of that to be electrocution. As we have some evidence backing that up." Adds Kizami.

Has anyone ever heard of arborescent erythema? It's a strange redness of your skin resembling a branching tree when you get struck by lightning. Sounds a lot like what we've got on our hands.

>>3262
>>3263
"I agree. Electrocution is a more likely case of death."

>>3263
"That explains the marks. My bad. I thought it was more rash like. Electrocution it is."

"It seems you are decided. Very well! Onto the next topic!"

Topic: How would have the culprit used electrocution to kill Seiko? What evidence supports this?

Last edited at 18/07/05(Thu)18:32:57

>>3266
I saw a portable generator in the storage area near the hardware store. It turns gasoline into electrical power. Though portability isn't exactly easy when it weighs so much....

>>3267
"There was also that dolly in the storage room. If the generator was the murder weapon then they could have used that to move it."

>>3268

Kizami stops picking his nose. "But even so, how could they have used the generator to reach the pool? There was a fence around it after all."

Last edited at 18/07/05(Thu)18:49:59

>>3269
"There was a small gap under the fence and behind the onsen at that gap were tracks that matched the dolly. This supports the idea that the culprit brought the generator behind the fence of the Onsen and stuck the output cables under the fence and into the water to kill her."

Last edited at 18/07/05(Thu)18:58:31

>>3270

"Sounds plausible."

"Man you guys are really curt right now. Maybe this one will spark something. Think about it considering the scenario you have presented so far."

Topic: Why are there coffee stains on both the towel in the female hamper and the one on Seiko's body?

>>3272

"I don't really know, but since nobody is daring a guess, then let me throw this out there: perhaps the stain on the other towel isn't coffee, but dirt."

>>3272
"If I understand the bear correctly he is saying "if the culprit just stuck the cables under the fence it doesn't explain the towels." But I'm drawing a blank. I thought she brought two but the Onsen rules don't allow it."

>>3273
"I think Monozaki (coffee bottle bullet) confirmed the marks were coffee actually."

Last edited at 18/07/05(Thu)20:07:20

>>3274
If the victim were in the onsen, they would have nothing on their person. If they were startled or not killed instantly.... you'd expect them to throw whatever they had on hand in self-defense.

>>3274

Aurora has been very quiet this whole time, watching the boys speak. Finally she speaks up herself:

"You're right, they are both coffee. And that is because I think there was someone in there with her. Someone who brought that towel in there with them, and who had set up the generator beforehand. There were signs of tracks on the inside of the onsen where the gap was, so clearly someone must have pulled the cables through the gap. After all, it's hard to push limp things like that. My guess is that they pulled the cables in, set them in the water, went back out to start the generator, came back in, and pushed Seiko into the water. The shove knocked the coffee from her hands, and it splashed both their towels."

She said it all with a dead look on her face.

>>3276
Hearing Kai speak with that dead voice make Kai frown, but she shoved down her worries and focused. "Aurora, hold on," she said, looking at Monozaki to see if this wasn't staying on topic.

"If the culprit left and came back... would they have had to get new towels? The rules state the following: Leave your used towels in the laundry hampers provided in the changing rooms before leaving the building."

>>3277
Aiko had let the others do the talking so far but her eyes were determined. Her friend died before they could really become friends. Although her voice still trembled she fought through it and tried to help the conversation. She begins by agreeing with Kai.

"I-I think Aurora is correct that the culprit pulled the cables through the fence since there are footprints on the inside b-but if they went in and out they would have had to take another towel or two.

I-I have a theory. The information for the coffee bottle says that the towels touched the coffee after it was already in the water. It l-looked like you have to enter the water to reach the gap where the generator was used. S-So if the hamper towel and Seiko's towel has coffee on it then could the culprit have been hiding in the bushes and left after Seiko was killed? They had to wade back through the water after Seiko spilled it when being shocked."

Aiko knew this created even more questions but it explained the current topic.

>>3277

Aurora shrugged, eyes downcast as her friend pointed out the flaw in her theory. "I couldn't quite make the towels work, yeah..."

>>3278

As Aiko spoke, Aurora's eyes grew a little sharper. "Yes...yes that might work. Pull the cables through after the generator is running, hide in the bushes...m...murder...then take the cables out and proceed through the then-safe water, getting coffee on the towel. That would definitely explain a lot."

>>3279
That expression on Aurora's face hit Kai like a physical force. She reacted more to that than she would've a punch to the gut.

"Apologies," she whispered, looking away. "But... there were three towels missing, right? Something doesn't seem quite right with that, but I can't put my finger on it. Perhaps I am imagining things, but it seems we can understand the stain for now."

>>3280
"Upupu. This is where I say something witty and you laugh."

(Gonna pause for tonight, feel free to make a post on the next topic while I am offline.)

Topic: Let's consider the Onsen rules. Is there anything odd about them? Also, what is wrong with the number of towels and can you come to an explanation?

>>3281
"The rules...." Kai stopped and looked thoughtful, trying to piece together what that meant. Was she right about something being wrong with them? Did she count wrong? Did she...?

Then it hit her.

"Wait.... There were three towels missing. Seiko was using one... and the culprit must have used two. They used one to enter, then they must've used one to dry off. But when we checked alibis...."

Kai's glare shot over to Aiko, locking onto her target. "Someone was wearing a towel when the body was found...!"

>>3281

Aurora continues on, seemingly with a bit more life in her.

"Well, there are two obvious issues with the onsen rules. First, there is no problem with boys and girls simply walking into the other side's area. This might have been an oversight, or something to facilitate investigations, but I honestly just think the bear was hoping something perverted would happen." She shoots a vicious glare at the bear.

"The second item I think should be noted is that the rule about not peeking over the onsen walls applies for all of them, not just the one between the two halves. I almost got my bloody head blown off when I tried to climb over the back wall when I was investigating."

She sighs, calming herself. "As for the towels, it's a math problem. There were three used towels found in the girls' side. Two were wet, one was dry. The dry one was, per the affirmed truth, used by Aiko to enter the onsen. There should be another towel, used to dry off the other person in there. There is not. Yet three towels were taken from the pile of eight, the same number that were found."

She takes a deep breath to calm herself. "I think that is because the culprit brought a towel with him from the male side, got it wet and stained with coffee, then left it in the girls' hamper. He took one from the girls' side to dry with, and dumped it on top of the boys' hamper. That was the much drier towel on top."

>>3282
>>3283
Aiko jumps back a bit from Kai's vicious look. "W-why am I always getting glared at? The body announcement played right when I entered the onsen!"

She starts to explain the rest of her theory but Aurora swoops in and says everything she was thinking. "U-um, what Aurora said..." She manages to say before questioning her usefulness.

>>3283
"Yeah that theory explains the towels. Peeping is not allowed but simply walking in is. Typical wordplay."

"Well of course, peeping is unsafe and immoral. Gotta just go right for it! The witch in me always sticks around. Upupu. Anyway this is a bit of a side thing but it might help so let's get it out of the way."

Topic: Considering the idea the male changing room was used, is there an explanation for the marks on the male onsen door and on the broom handle.

>>3286
I turn to Taku and ask a direct question.

"Taku, did you ever try to leave the onsen prior to my arrival?"

>>3287
"Leave?" Taku thinks for a moment, but realizes what Andy is getting at. "I didn't. I went to the Onsen pretty earlier and stayed there soaking until the announcement happened."

Last edited at 18/07/06(Fri)17:35:52

>>3288
"When I entered, you were already in there. But I had to move a broom off the door to get in. Seems somebody placed it there to keep you from opening the door and leaving."

>>3289
"I agree. I didn't notice anything when I went in. From the culprit's perspective if I had walked out when they were there it would have been a problem."

BGM: Discussion -HEAT UP-

"Alright we have been ignoring it for a while now so we should get down to business."

Topic: The receipt from the hardware store. The tank of gas had to be bought to kill Seiko. Can we narrow down the culprit with this?

>>3291
"Ultimate Swindler S.-san. Ordinarily, you'd expect the S. to be a hint: an initial to a name. But if they're a swindler, I doubt they ever gave us their real name.

You'd expect a person to demonstrate their Ultimate Trait in some capacity since the time we first met. Like seeing gardening done by Mori...."

Andy seems to pause for a moment, lost in thought.

"Anyway, a swindler would likely be very good at hiding their true nature."

>>3292

"But I believe Monozaki has stated before that nobody lied when giving us their names."

>>3293
"Yeah. In that case since Seiko is dead only Nao, Kizami, and Aurora could be S.-san. Aurora has an alibi so that would bring it down to two."

>>3294

"Well it just so happens I bought something else."

Kizami produces a receipt.

“Hammer: 50MC. Buyer: Ultimate Thrill-Seeker S.-san. Cashier: Monozaki”

>>3295
"Can you confirm the validity of both the transaction and this receipt, bear?"

>>3295
"You bet!"

Bullet Truth: A genuine receipt from the hardware store that Kizami received for buying the hammer. It reads: “Hammer: 50MC. Buyer: Ultimate Thrill-Seeker S.-san. Cashier: Monozaki”

Last edited at 18/07/06(Fri)18:37:28

>>3297
"50 MC for a hammer, huh? He certainly gave you a whole bunch because you found those totems."

>>3298

"Surely I'm not the only one well off around here."

>>3299
"The receipt has his title on it, so if he bought something else it would have still said "Ultimate Thrill-Seeker". We can say for sure Kizami is not the one who bought the gas."

Last edited at 18/07/06(Fri)18:53:00

"Don't cross off Aurora so soon. That Kai is the Ultimate bodyguard right? She could be covering her alibi to protect Aurora. It is still possible for her to walk into the male side and carry out the murder."

>>3301
The instant that Aurora was blamed, Kai's bearing darkened. She turned to Nao, fire in her eyes. "She was with me the entire time," she stated firmly. "Would you care to back up your words...?"

>>3302
Nao shakes his head. "I'm saying it's possible alright. Do you have any proof you guys were there?"

>>3303
Kai blinked a few times, completely caught off guard. She was about to speak up in her defense, but it was time for a change in strategy. She looked over to Aurora for a second before nodding and turning to Sugimoto.

"No. I have absolutely no evidence proving Aurora and I's alibis." She glared at everyone in the circle in turn before, at long last, she turned her attention to someone new.

Monozaki.

"I shall instead find the culprit in my own way. I would like to make a request. Will you be able to provide me with certain items if they are useful for the trial?"

>>3304
"Sure. I'm interested. What did you have in mind?"

>>3305
Kai nodded gravely. "I will recite a list I have prepared."

"Please bring me a knife, a basketball, and one of Taku's smartphones. Is this an acceptable list?"

>>3303
"Sure. But just so everyone knows I won't be letting anyone die unless it is by execution."

In the middle of the area a knife, a basketball, and a smartphone with a game loaded pops onto the table.

>>3306
"I believe I already have an alibi but if you want to test my skills I don't mind." Maybe Kai has forgotten but I am constantly playing multiple games on the devices strapped to my arms. I will demonstrate my skills with the phone in the middle and let everyone watch.

>>3307
Kai nodded slowly and looked around the circle. "Everyone," she announced, her voice booming. "You are going to prove your talents to everyone... right here and now. Aurora may prove her massage skills if she wishes. If Aiko wishes to prove herself, she may spar with me. Andy has proven his digging skills. Those remaining... are who these items are for."

"Nao, please show us your basketball skills. Taku, please wipe one of your programs and play it from the beginning. And Kizami... I want you to play a game with that knife. Have you ever seen someone stab it in between their fingers as quickly as they can? Please demonstrate your thrill-seeking talents."

>>3308
Taku picks up the phone and begins tapping away at the screen. The phone is rocking back and forth so fast as the character on screen is jumping around in ways that are clearly broken, yet are still completing the goals. There is no doubt about Taku's skill.

"That is a custom game I made by the way it should take yo-" As Monozaki is saying this Taku beats the game.

>>3309

"Oh, a Finger Roulette, eh? But you know, doing it on myself wouldn't be fun at all." Kizami gets a dangerous smirk on his face. "I wonder, Miss Munchausen... could I borrow your hand?"

>>3311
"Ah, my hand?" Kai asked, taking a deep breath. "I see. If you are so inclined, then I understand. However, shall you miss, I shall make sure that I do not."

Kai closed her eyes, walked over to Kizami, and put her hand on his bar for the trial.

>>3312

"If you close your eyes, you won't be able to ascertain for yourself, silly." Kizami waits for Kai to open her eyes and then proceeds with the finger roulette... on his own hand.

>>3311

Aurora stays quiet at the beginning, but then says, "No, I will not demonstrate my massage technique on those gathered here. Massage is for peace and healing, and should not be used in a place like this."

Last edited at 18/07/06(Fri)20:09:45

>>3313
Kizami begins. Tap, tap, tap. Now that everyone can see the knife it is clearly sharp. So sharp it is carving out chunks of the table. It begins to slowly picking up speed to the music. Music? Oh Monozaki started some background music and is clapping along to the beat. Each hit growing louder and louder as he moves quicker and consequently is hitting harder. The music ends and Kizami stops, with all fingers intact. It looks like this was no different than writing a letter to him. He is perfectly calm, or well maybe more so enjoying it.

>>3309
"...Fine. Give me a hoop."

>>3313
Kai... blinked. She opened her eyes to find him playing on his own hand, despite the stakes. It seems that this would confirm his identity, even if the receipt hadn't already. And the manner with which he did it left Kai genuinely startled, which was rare even for her. He truly was... well, a thrill seeker.

"Aurora, it is fine," she answered in response. "I have witnessed your techniques firsthand, so you need not prove them here. However, there is still one more person who has yet to prove himself. I may not be very talented at basketball, Mr. Sugimoto... but surely you would be able to best me."

>>3316
A basketball hoops pops out of from the wall. Nao grabs the ball and lines up the shot. He lifts it up, once, then twice, then shoots. It flies through the air, and... completely misses. Although you are no experts his form looked amateurish as well.

>>3318
"..." Nao closes his eyes and grits his teeth. He doesn't say anything else.

"Well that was fun. I think it is voting time wouldn't you say?"

(You know the drill. Send it over discord. Results will be up later.)

>>3319

"...I wondered why the first place you went wasn't the sport courts..."

>>3319
Kai sighed and closed her eyes. There was almost a sign of pity on her face, but she said nothing. The place was... oddly quiet. Should she feel guilty? Should she feel... anything...?

She looked over at Aurora before returning to her place to vote, making sure she was okay. This was the only way to protect everyone, it seemed. The only way to protect....

>>3322
"It just doesn't feel right.... to be relieved while someone is about to die."

Last edited at 18/07/06(Fri)22:05:30

>>3323
"I... know," she whispered. She had this plan prepared from the beginning of the trial, yet she still felt... *wrong*. Like she shouldn't have done it.

"But... I am the ultimate bodyguard. I threw away everything that I was to protect others. And to protect all of you... this is all that I can do...."

Kai had never felt so helpless in her life. She just wished that she remembered how to show any expression other than glaring.

Last edited at 18/07/06(Fri)22:09:06

"And the votes are in! Let's see the results!"

A big screen comes down and on it everyone's names are listed. One by one the shine black and white and the votes are counted.

---

Torasawa Aiko:

Sugimoto Nao: IIIIII

Kizami Suzuya: I

Mori Akane:

Andy W. Hole:

Kai Munchausen:

Hadaka Wafuku:

Shimizu Aurora:

Yuu Seiko:

Gachari Taku:

---

You voted for Sugimoto Nao for the culprit! That answer is... CORRECT! CONGRATULATIONS!

Last edited at 18/07/06(Fri)23:43:29

>>3325
Nao remains silent, but with a pained expression on his face.

>>3326
"The silent treatment still eh? Well that is no fun! Why don't we show everyone what was on that Motive File!"

The screen displaying the votes flickers for a moment before displaying a video. "The Ultimate Swindler Sugimoto Nao! You have lied and cheated your way to the top. That much is obvious to anyone you have screwed over, but it seems there is a deeper reason for this thirsty obsession over money and fortune."

The screen transitions and now shows a hospital room. There on the bed is a small girl... presumably someone close to Nao.

"You may have discarded your own life but it seems you still care deeply for someone. Deep enough to throw yourself into hell itself. After everything you went through to prolong your sister's life... It would be a shame if something were to happen to them..."

Suddenly the visuals change and the hospital bed is ripped up and bloody before the video cuts off.

"Well," Monozaki says "Looks like you got caught, so I don't think I can keep her safe anymore if you know what I mean."

>>3327
"You... BASTARD!" Nothing mattered anymore. Nao grabs the knife and jumps over the tables trying to stab Monozaki.

Last edited at 18/07/06(Fri)23:54:23

>>3328
From the darkness a mechanical hand grabs Nao by the neck and yanks him backwards. He flies off out of sight.

"Well enough of that! It's execution time! Everyone take your spots! Lights, camera, and action!"

(Will post the execution tomorrow)

>>3329
BGM: Punishment Rocket

The curtains draw back and you can see Nao strapped to a pipe chair in the middle of a basketball court. Suddenly basketballs start bouncing around him in unison coming closer and closer until they suddenly deflate like his facade.

The scene changes as the light turns harsh. Suddenly Nao is on the ground with his limbs spread out. The area looks like a dirty ally in some city. Suddenly a large bag of what looks like drugs falls on his arm, completely crushing it and staining the ground red. He screams out in pain, but not before another object falls on his other arm. One by one drugs, illegal weapons, and other shady business items fall down on him, crushing them with their weight. Until finally with a low whistle something starts to fail from far above. With a thunderous crash the area is decimated by a stupidly large pile of money. Only a single stream of blood manages to leak out.

(Same deal as last time, there will be a short break before round 3.)

>>3330

Aurora again shakes somewhat after witnessing the death of another of their number. However, this time, there is a hint of a grim smile on her face, and her eyes gleam slightly with the light of victory.

>>3331
Kai's mind could barely process what happened. Just like before... it was impossibly elaborate and vicious.

She looked at everyone in turn, but couldn't find the defiant spirit to shout out like she had last time. All of that talk about not letting this game get to them... and yet a murder had still taken place almost immediately. She looked absently over by the lonely hoop and the basketball that had long since rolled to a stop, but had to look away. With a motive like that... what choice did he have?

No, she couldn't say anything. All she could do was make a silent promise to herself that she would make sure that there would never be another murder... by any means necessary.

Round 2 End

After the trial everyone heads back to their rooms to end the day.

>>3333
BGM: Beautiful Dead

The morning comes the next day. You greet the day ready to take in all the warmth and happiness. Like usual everyone gathered in the cafeteria however Monozaki decides to grace you with his presence.

"Alrighty everyone! You know the drill, new round new areas... But I think some of you forgot that after the third round I will be giving you guys a chance to escape! So because of that I am going to mix things up this round."

He then makes everyone follow him over to the next gate in area two, presumably heading to the next area.

>>3334
As you enter Area 3 you notice that it looks a bit familiar. Sure enough the whole area is mostly a reflection of the first area, with one or two differences. At least in the general area you can notice the garden has been replaced with some weird building that looks like they cut out parts of random buildings and stuck them together. This also takes up space from where the outdoor theater would be so that space just has a path now. Finally at the end of the wall is a large vault like metal door that looks very secure.

BGM: Mr. Monokuma's Lesson

"Now before you start complaining this area is too similar, here is the interesting part." Monozaki says. "I'm not going to let you explore right away, because I'm splitting you all up! You know like in that show where you have to survive in places or whatever. Anyway, Kizami, Aiko, and Taku will stay in this area. Kai, Aurora, and Andy will go back to Area 1.

I have added a riddle to your tablet that you can access at any time. You can assume some time after the riddles are solved the gates will once again open. Oh and you don't have to go to the onsens once per day anymore since Area 2 will be blocked off. Whoever solves the riddle will find a rather nice prize if I say so myself, Upupupupu. Anyway, I think that is everything... Man I'm so to-the-point lately, haven't been able to make any fun theater shows for you since the trials have been happening so quickly. Oh well!"

Without another word the gate comes up trapping Kizami, Aiko, and Taku in the new area, and Kai, Aurora, and Andy return to Area 1. Both groups are in front of their respectable Guest House Buildings.

>>3335

Changing it up! Private Thread Time!

>>3336
Everyone is currently in front of the Area 3 Guest House Building.

(Treat this as an event phase, although in this case it is no different than a breakfast phase)

Kizami looks at Gachari's terrible state of presentation.

"No fair, Taku. Looks like you got quite a thrill."

>>3338
Taku will try to dust himself off. "Something like that. I think the fountain in there blew up." After cleaning his glasses he will notice the other group. "Wait, why are Kai, Andy, and Aurora here?"

>>3338
Kai immediately ran to help, eyes going wide. Her instincts kicked in, but it seemed that everyone was fine.

"You... you detonated it?!" Kai exclaimed, looking genuinely shocked.

>>3340
Gachari looks at Kai. "Detonated what? Do you know what caused that?"

>>3340

Aurora's eyes had been wide with shock upon the initial meeting, but then narrowed with suspicion. She seemed about to say something, but then stayed silent, electing to stand behind Kai's shoulder. Her eyes flicked back to Andy for a moment, as if reassuring herself that he was there.

>>3341

"Well usually when things blow up some sort of explosive is involved. Though I take it you had no part in this. Perhaps that bear could shed some light on what's going on."

>>3343
Kai looked unnerved, both worried and suspicious about the safety of those involved. With a deep breath, making sure that Aurora was unharmed and alright, she answered.

"An explosive," she answered vaguely. "What else could you detonate? We had no part in this, I'll have you know."

Last edited at 18/07/23(Mon)18:22:49

>>3343
Aiko knew they should have stuck together. Everyone is always running around without a care. She had rushed over to see what caused the explosion now the other group is here so she decided it was best to remain silent as they spoke.

However what Kai said bothered her so she spoke up. "B-but you asked us if we 'detonated it'. T-that means you know something, maybe, r-right?" Aiko tries to channel her inner detective.

>>3345
Kai bit her tongue when Aiko called her out on her wording. She was used to guarding diplomats, not being one herself. Anxiously, she looked over to Aurora or Andy, looking for one of them to give an answer.

>>3346

Aurora took a moment, then stepped out from behind Kai. "Alright, cards on the table, yeah?" she began. "Well, if your experience was anything like ours, the bear gave you some kind of thing to solve, right? A riddle or a code or something? We tried ours, but it was too hard. We used up one of our chances. Then we got to thinking that maybe it was trapped, if we entered the wrong answers. We found a key for the areas squirreled away in Mori's old room, so we came through to see if we could get you all to help on it. Did you all mess up too many times?"

>>3347

"I did in fact get a riddle on my tablet doohickey. ...Can I ask a slightly unrelated question though? How did you guys gain access to Mori's old room and why did you go there in the first place?"

>>3348
"It was unlocked. Those who have died... have had their rooms unlocked for some reason. We were at a loss for the riddle, and were going room by room to try and find anything that could help." Kai gave a quick salute.

>>3349

"Interesting..." Kizami seems lost in thought for a moment. "Well unfortunately I didn't manage to get far with the riddle and I need to take a small rest." Kizami starts heading in the direction of the Guest House, but suddenly turns around. "Oh, but before I forget, I did manage to find something interesting before we all got separated."

"One of the rooms in the basement of Area 1's Moonlight Building. It looked just like the White Room we have all woken up in. Monozaki barricaded it from entry, though. See ya!"

And with that Kizami leaves them to take a rest.

>>3347
"We also got a riddle, although when I thought I was on the right track that explosion happened. I have it here if you would like to see it." Taku shows his tablet riddle.

>>3351
Everyone can see Taku's tablet if they wanted. The file was titled "Treasure Map".

---
If a wrong makes a right
but a correct does not
Then what is the correct point?

The eclipsing body to the point will guide you.
There a box of wonders will be found near discarded hopes and dreams.
---

>>3350

"I could use a nap as well," says Aurora, heading off in the direction Kizami went. "Kai, wake me up a little later, please? There's things I still want to do while the sun is out. I'll watch out for your knock."

>>3353
Kai saluted again to Aurora, giving a quick "Yes, ma'am," before watching her go off and making sure she was still safe. It was fairly obvious where her loyalties lied at the moment, but they still had a problem to solve.

Kai glanced at the riddle Taku showed her, then nodded. "We were given a nearly identical one. But do you know anything about that strange room Kizami mentioned? That may be useful to know more about."

>>3354
Taku returned the device to his pocket and continued taping away at his games. "I'm afraid not. This is the first I have heard of it."

>>3355
"Then... we shall investigate it tomorrow. A good night's rest will do us good, so we will investigate it tomorrow morning. I am relieved to see that you are all still alive after that blast."

Unless stopped, the Ultimate Bodyguard would step forward in order to investigate the blast zone, apparently not heeding her own advice about rest.

>>3356
"I'm curious about this blast zone too. I'd like to go and investigate with you, Kai."

It's now Exploration Phase.

(Since you didn't get one for Area 3. Also that took a while irl but it's not even noon yet so there will be a freetime and nighttime as well.)

>>3353
You head back to area 1 and go relax near by the sunshine building.

>>3356
>>3357
Andy and Kai enter the guest house to explore the aftermath. Inside the building is the same layout as the one in area 1. However now there are pieces of rubble and other debris around the floor in the middle. The fountain is clearly gone from the explosion as most of the chunks match the design. Near where the fountain stood is mostly charred and hard to make out anything.

The desk in the middle is littered with debris as well and the floor around here is covered in water as the broken fountain pipes continues to spray. The rooms around the building look the same as the other one, with matching rooms for everyone as well. The staff room is also here.

>>3359
The rubble was... disturbing. Kai silently thanked their luck that all of them had survived this. Kai went to inspect her own room to see if anything was different from her room on the other side.

"Andy, please check yours as well," she said, briefly getting worried about Aurora. No, she would be fine for now... and she needed the time.

>>3360
You enter the room with your name on it using your key and find a room just like the one in area 1. It looks just like how you found it originally.

Last edited at 18/07/24(Tue)17:10:56

Having rested, Kizami heads to the basement of the Moonlight Building in area 3. His plan is to open the (presumably) local white room. Will the key fit?

>>3362
You unlock the door and find the same room as before.

This time however Monozaki is already inside with his hands on his hips looking at you.

>>3363

"...So how about I don't come in this time? Will that keep the door from getting barricaded?"

>>3364
"...I'll think about it."

>>3365
Taku will go investigate the guest building in area one. Particularly around the fountain.

Last edited at 18/07/25(Wed)09:31:15

>>3363
Worried, Kai went to go check out the staff room... or, at least, what remained of it.

>>3366
You head over and find the building as you remember it. Searching around the fountain reveals a little flap that lifts up and underneath is some panel that looks like a code lock.

There are seven wheels in total and they are all showing different symbols. You notice there is a button presumably to enter a combination and a counter at the top with the numbers 01. Flipping through the wheels shows there to be a total of 7 symbols for each one that are as follows: moon, inner tube, sun, desk, pillow, cleats, hammer. The device is currently set to moon, pillow, sun, cleats, inner tube, desk, hammer in that order.

>>3367
You peak inside and find some cupboards and chairs, with a desk with a lot of monitors at the back. Looks like a security camera setup.

You inspect it a bit and conclude that you probably won't be able to access saved footage but at least you can watch in real time. Each camera seems to be hidden in the ceilings here, letting you see the halls for each room entrance as well as the main doors to the building which also gives a few of the middle of the area which is now destroyed. Essentially giving you a view of the whole building interior besides inside people's rooms. you also notice the monitors are currently displaying "Area 3" on them.

>>3368
A security camera setup, hm? Kai furrows her brow and looks for random buttons to press. Technology has never been her strong point, since other departments usually kept her clients safe in terms of technology and secrecy, but hitting random buttons could help!

>>3368
Taku will try to see if it has already been solved. If he can't find anything out he will press the button to test this combination.

>>3369
After hitting random buttons you find a way to switch the cameras between both Guest House Buildings. You can currently see Taku fiddling with the fountain puzzle in Area 1.

>>3370
The door seems closed, but you press the button and you hear a little success chime after the counter goes down to 00 and it opens. Inside is nothing, it is empty.

Last edited at 18/07/25(Wed)19:25:59

>>3371
Kai's random button-pressing eventually yielded some results... and her face drew into a line when she saw what was happening. She didn't say anything or try to leave, but she remained to watch Taku's actions, keeping a close eye on him.

>>3371
Taku will go find and talk to Aurora. "Hey Aurora do you mind if I ask you more about that code? You said you had a number of attempts. How many did you say you had again?"

Last edited at 18/07/25(Wed)22:08:41

>>3372
You can see in the monitor that Taku sees the empty box and leaves the Guest House Building and out of sight.

>>3374
Kai's expression darkened as Taku walked away, and Kai's gloved hand began to twitch. Should she follow him? The cameras only seemed to watch the guest houses, but....

No, she had to speak with him. It would obviously take some time to catch up, but she would leave and quickly try to go and find Taku in the first area.

>>3375
Aiko felt like her attempt at acting like a detective fell flat. Kai never responded to her question and the other members in her group were acting strangely. For that reason with a small "W-wait up!" Aiko followed Kai as she left area three.

>>3373

Aurora looked up from where she sat, resting her back against the outside wall of the building. Her eyes were wide for a moment, then narrowed in suspicion as she saw Taku approaching from the direction of the guest house, and her whole body seemed to tense. Yet, she rested her head back against the wall, looking outwards at the area cage.

"We had two left, when we got there," she said. "We tried entering in one combination, and the little counter went down to one. We started messing around, trying to figure out what the next combination would be, but before we entered it, Kai, ever the bodyguard, suggested that it might be booby trapped. Rather than risk it, we searched for more clues. That's how we found the key in Mori's room."

She looked up at him, a look on her face that seemed almost defiant. "Why? Don't you trust me?"

>>3377
"I don't think I would call it a lack of 'trust'... What are you doing over here anyway?" Taku will begin walking around the area looking for anything.

>>3378

"Well, I was hoping for some time to myself," she said, slowly getting up from her seated position and glaring at Taku. Once she was standing, though, she sighed.

"I was going to nap in the guest house, but then I started picturing Kizami there, waiting for me. So instead I came out here. Back when we were working on the riddle, I had an idea that maybe there'd be a clue on the Moonlight building wall on the opposite side of the Sunshine Building. There...wasn't, though. But I figured I'd check on this wall, which is like the opposite way, just in case. As you can see, though, I struck out. Again."

She stepped away from the wall, all the while making sure to be facing Taku.

>>3378
You don't find anything worth noting between the sunshine and guest house building.

>>3380
"This wall here?" Taku will continue behind the sunshine building looking for anything while fiddling with his phones. As he does this he decides to change the subject, "So are you... Kai's employer? She is the Ultimate Bodyguard so I can understand her wanting to protect everyone to some extent. But she looks fixated on you in particular. If not her employer are you just friends, or...?"

>>3376
Kai was en route to try and find Taku, just to be on the safe side, but Aiko apparently wouldn't let her earlier question slide. Kai pulled her cap down over her eyes and kept her face hidden from the taller woman. Aiko was... intimidating to talk to, even for the Ultimate Bodyguard. She just didn't want to address things directly.

"Yes? Is something wrong?"

Kizami decides to check if the new Moonlight Building also has a climbing course. If it does, he executes his routine.

On his way there he suddenly sneezes. "Feels like someone is talking about me! Must have been a compliment about my charisma."

>>3381

Aurora seemed to relax a little. "I doubt I could afford Kai's services. We're just good friends. It's probably because she knows she can trust me, and I know I can trust her, and right now trust is the most precious, rarest commodity around, I would think."

She continued, and a slightly manic look appeared on her face. "Yes, the rest of you, you may all be looking for the next victim, the next shortcut out of here, the perfect person to betray and slaughter like sheep. Me and Kai, though, we're going to stop whoever want to make that move. I'm certain of it. Kai and I will survive because we're not some filthy backstabbing traitors, even if everyone else is. Even if everyone else dies, Kai and I will survive."

>>3382
"Y-your group solved more of the riddle so I w-wanted to ask you to show me the trapped object Aurora mentioned," Aiko will say as casually as she can manage. She knows the group has more information but she doesn't believe they plan to do anything bad so her question and intent are genuine.

>>3381
As you get Aurora monologuing you find what looks like a filled in hole in the very corner of the area behind the sunshine room.

>>3383
You find another rock climbing room but this one has fiery hoops of death to jump through. How thrilling. You find some Monocoins in some of the rocks as you climb.

>>3386
Taku kicks the dirt around to try and see how fresh it is. "Andy said he dug a hole in the northeast corner a few days ago... Anyway I would say it was nice talking with you but, well..." Taku will leave the paranoia infused girl and look for Andy or Kai.

>>3387
You can't really tell.

>>3385
Kai's face remained impassive as ever, but something about her body language showed that she was on edge. But, despite Kai's paranoia, she was good at reading people, and she had a strong feeling that Aiko wasn't the type to treat this like an attack. She'd been wrong before....

"Of course, come with me," Kai said, turning and striding quickly back to the fountain in area 1. Kai was fairly tall, but still didn't have as long of legs as Aiko.

>>3389
>>3387
As Kai and Aiko enter area 1 they can see Taku walking away from Aurora from behind the sunshine building. Everything looks fine whoever so the two of them continue onwards to the fountain. Kai notices the counter, matching what she saw on the monitors.

Taku would come up to the two of them after a moment, having followed them into the building.

>>3390
Kai looked daggers at Taku when he walked away from Aurora, and she didn't try to hide her hostility. Kai gave a basic explanation to Aiko, but it was obvious that her attention was on whether Taku was a threat or not.

"It was Aurora's brilliance, but it was not enough. Something about the distance between buildings and totems and the time of day."

>>3391
"Kai, just the person I was looking for." Taku says this as he walks up to her and Aiko. "I was able to open that box here by inputting the already set up code but there was nothing inside. This contradicts Aurora's statement so I wanted to hear your side of the story."

>>3392
Aiko looked back and forth between the two of them with a worried expression. She herself was about to press the issue so this sudden confrontation caught her off guard.

"B-but Kai just said they were not able to open it! S-so does that..." Aiko's voice quiets down to a whisper. She doesn't want to continue the sentence.

>>3392
Kai stiffened, her face drawing to a line when Taku arrived, but didn't back tdown. However, when he mentioned that the fountain opened on the first try her eyes went wide. "You mean... we were right?!" She exclaimed. "We... we had a solution that we put in, but we were so worried about getting it wrong that we didn't hit the button to open it. But if you hitit, then...!"

Kai took a deep breath, looking suspiciously as Aiko, but not letting her continue her line of thought."Then... who stole what was inside?" Kai instantly looked worried, but she had a good poker face. "We could be in danger...!"

Last edited at 18/07/30(Mon)15:39:11

>>3394
"That's odd. Base on what Aurora..." Taku held his tongue when remembering Kai was the Ultimate Bodyguard. "Nevermind. We should be alright." After saying goodbye Taku would leave.

>>3395
Around this time everyone hears an announcement come on.

"Uh, I know you bastards are having fun and all but you do realize this is exploration phase right? The phase made so everyone knows new areas? Going to be a lot easier to do this sort of thing later. So you know."

Last edited at 18/07/30(Mon)17:31:08

>>3396
Kai's brow furrowed beneath her military style cap, but she said nothing in response. She was... not used to situations like this. Did this count as protecting someone?

Kai swore under her breath. "He knows," she hissed, only to turn and remember that Aiko was there. Her poker face shifted, but she didn't take anything back. "Should we... go explore then?" Kai wanted to find Aurora, but....

>>3397

Aurora continued to rest against the side of the Sunshine building, staring off into the distance past the cage. Eventually she even got up and approached it, trying to see what was beyond.

She even reached out to touch it slowly.

>>3397
Taku leaving allowed Aiko to take a breath of relief. He did not seem like the type to start conflict but she was ready to stop a fight if it broke out.

"O-okay. I o-only wanted to check the fountain," she says quietly and raises her chest a bit. Aiko says this implying is fine if they splitting up.

Last edited at 18/07/30(Mon)22:32:48

>>3398
It was electrified and you pull a Seiko. Beyond the cage doesn't reveal much besides more trees. However you are unsure if there is even anything beyond the tree line, perhaps it just goes on forever. Needless to say you can't see anything useful.

The cage itself is as sturdy as ever with no hope of escaping through brute force.

>>3399
Kai looked noticeably uneasy, a trait you wouldn't want in a bodyguard, but she slowly nodded as Aiko mentioned investigating. "You are strong enough to not need my protection, so if you will excuse me, I will go and find someone more vulnerable." Not realizing how threatening that sounded, Kai spun on her heel to march off and find Aurora.

>>3401
You find Aurora without issue next to the cage behind the sunshine building.

>>3401
Aurora turned as Kai approached, and her dark expression melted away into a broad smile. "There you are." She looked around a little bit, looking for others, then back to Kai. "Sorry if you looked for me in my room. I was worried to go there without you, so I just came here. It's a nice place to stay and watch things. Have you seen anything interesting?"

Taku will head back to area 3 and investigate the large gate at the very end.

>>3404
Assuming that Aiko went off on her own, Kai would give a slightly worried nod, silently asking if Aurora was alright. "Yes. Taku pressed the button with the last available combination on the fountain and opened it, finding nothing inside." She took a deep breath and began to walk toward area 3. "Shall we?"

>>3406

Aurora nodded, then looked worried. "Do we need to have someone here, to make sure this area is safe?" She glanced around again, assuring herself no one was watching, but didn't seem reassured. "I mean, our room and whatnot?"

>>3405
You walk back over to area 3 and to the ginormous vault-like doors on the side of the wall of the area. On closer inspection there are some terminals however they appear un-powered and they don't react in any way when touching them.

>>3407
"Our rooms? Perhaps I should lock them... though I would very much like to ensure that you stay safe." Kai took a deep breath to calm herself. "Let us make sure our rooms are locked at the very least before we go. That bear was rather upset that we were not investigating the new area.

Last edited at 18/08/01(Wed)09:30:38

>>3408
He will look for any ports that you might be able to plug in or any switches that could turn it on.

>>3409

"I agree we should check them. I locked mine before I left, but who knows what someone might have done..."

She goes with Kai to the guest house, looking for any signs of traps or tampering. Assuming she doesn't find anything, she suggests heading towards the Hobby House in Area 3.

>>3410
Sadly, you don't find any ports or switches.

>>3411
You two check your rooms and find them to be locked as you would expect since you always lock your doors when leaving.

Heading to area 3 you come to the only particularly new area, the so called hobby house. It certainly looks strange as it isn't an evenly shaped building but rather almost like random rooms were thrown together into. There is a balcony on the second floor so it seems like most of the rooms themselves are only on the first room.

Entering the building you come into a lobby sort of area with an un-staffed reception desk. Next to the desk is some gachapon machines and staircase going up. The rest of the building seems to have four separate rooms each with their own symbols on the doors. One looks like a pickaxe, another a police baton, the third a game controller, and the last a pile of white stuff.

Last edited at 18/08/02(Thu)17:54:25

>>3412
Everyone also suddenly gets some much delayed Monocoins for various things.

>>3412

Kizami heads to the Hobby House as well and checks out the Shady Room.

>>3414
Inside of the dark room you see some pool tables and bars with the musky smell of tabaco stained into the walls. The room is mostly various tables and seats but in the back you can see a caged area with a slot and a door on the other side. The door opens and inside the area you find thick stacks of cash and many large bags of white powdery substance.

>>3415

Kizami extracts a tiny bit of the white stuff and snorts it. Just a tiny dose, a couple milligrams.

>>3416
You snort it up and don't die. That's a plus. You suddenly feel really good. Much more confident about the whole situation. Although being tired from rock climbing you find yourself more energetic than usual now.

Last edited at 18/08/02(Thu)19:51:01

>>3412
Kai always liked to double check things, even if she was just being redundant sometimes. It was hard to tell if anyone happened to bring along lockpicks.

However, the new building seemed... strange. Her senses were telling her something was wrong, but she didn't know what. Her eyes drifted toward the door with the police baton on it, motioning for Aurora to go and check it out with her unless something else caught her eye.

>>3418

Aurora follows the direction and investigates the door with the baton on it, opening it carefully, as if she was expecting a trap or someone to leap out at her.

>>3418
>>3419
The two of you enter the room together and instantly see something akin to a training room. There are a number of practice dummies, police batons, and even some air-soft guns. Looking around at the very back you notice a single taser, direct contact kind. Finally on one of the tables you find a totem.

Taku will also go to the hobby house and check the gachapon machines.

>>3421
The machines all seem Monozaki themed with each one being a different theme or costume. Each machine takes one MC. It says the rarer Monozaki's may have special abilities.

>>3420
Kai immediately let off a feeling of being much more relaxed, though her posture and expression didn't change. The sense of wrongness she had felt earlier was replaced by relief.

"Perfect," she said quietly, grabbing one of the guns and immediately sliding it into her holster. Fake for not, it was nice to have.

"Take what you would like, Aurora. We were lucky to find this place."

>>3423
Aiko will also walk to area 3 to help explore. Once there since the others are already investigating the other rooms she will chose to head upstairs and look around.

>>3422
"Special abilities?" Taku will insert a coin and try his luck.

>>3424
Upstairs isn't as exciting. There is a broom closet before entering the balcony. Out here are a number of tables as well as a bar with some cooking areas with barbecues. There are little stringed lights hung up over the area so it almost looks like a restaurant instead.

>>3425
You pop one in and turn the knob. After some fanfare one falls out and you give a look.

Sexy Swimsuit Monozaki - Uncommon
This one seems like has a basic ability to shoot water out from it's bum like a water pistol.

>>3426
"Not exactly what I was expecting," Taku will get one more and then look into the game room.

>>3427
You get one doing a fairly basic pose. Waving Monozaki. Looks like just a common this time with no other features.

The game room is as you expect, somewhat of an arcade. There are many racing games and other arcade games but you also see some other areas with couches and a variety of home consoles. Pool. air hockey, skeet ball, pachinko and a number of other similar games that pump out tickets for prizes are here too. The prize desk looks like it only has Monozaki products however.

>>3423

Aurora nods and immediately goes to the taser. Grabbing it, she takes a moment to look it over and familiarize herself with it before coming back over to Kai, idly snagging the totem along the way.

"The taser seems close to one Mom bought me after an...incident I had in an alleyway. I'm no good with other weapons though." Rather than put it in a pocket or anything, she continues to hold onto the taser, at the ready. Still, it seems to calm her down somewhat.

"Where to next? The mining room? The pickax door? I mean, unless Andy's already seen to it."

>>3429
Taku will look in the mining room next.

>>3430
Inside looks like a legitimate quarry with a deep hole going into the back. There are many different tools laying around like pickaxes and jackhammers. There are also some helmets and other basic protective gear. Deep inside the hole you can see something sparkling but can't quite make out what it is. In additional there is a crane that seems like it could be used to lift things in and out of the hole easily.

>>3431

Freetime. Private thread time.

(The next instance of a group phase will take place in a new thread.)

Third Thread