Unraveling the Killer’s Advantage

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Takagi Masahiko’s Perspective

This was a question that demanded serious consideration: if Kamimura Anko had indeed brought the hammer with her, then why had she ultimately found herself on the defensive, unable to retaliate effectively?

Katagiri Mimi: “Could it be that the killer’s weapon was even more formidable?”

Habara Kazuhiro: “What, then, was the killer’s weapon? I’m quite curious.”

Chisaka Erin: “Hmm… We’ve already analyzed Amemiya Wakaba’s wounds.

The cross-section of the weapon’s impact site was a straight line.”

Takahashi Aki: “A knife, then?”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “But the Monokuma File stated it was a blunt instrument, didn’t it?”

Akino Atsushi: “I’ve got it!” Akino Atsushi suddenly exclaimed, his voice cutting through the discussion.

“The weapon was a rebar! Right?!”

Ishii Yoshimi: “Rebar? Where would we find something like that around here?”

Akino Atsushi: “It must have been in the convenience store’s small storeroom, surely?”

Takagi Masahiko: “That’s incorrect,” I interjected at once, cutting short his speculation.

Akino Atsushi: “Huh? There’s no rebar in the storeroom?”

Takagi Masahiko: “I hadn’t even caught a glimpse of rebar, let alone found any.”

Osakabe Nanase: “Could the weapon have come from the dining hall, then?”

Chisaka Erin: “Hmm… that’s rather impractical.

Most kitchen utensils in the dining hall are either sharp objects or blunt instruments with non-linear cross-sections, like frying pans or cleavers.

None of those would fit the criteria for the murder weapon, would they?”

Akahira Yuusuke: “What about the blunt side of a cleaver?”

Ishii Yoshimi: “Ugh… would anyone really kill someone by striking them with the blunt side of a knife?” Yoshimi Ishii’s tanned face was etched with bewilderment and surprise, conveying her utter incomprehension.

“Why wouldn’t they use the perfectly good blade?”

Akahira Yuusuke: “Ah, my apologies, I was just letting my imagination run wild.”

Suzuki Minoru: “Furthermore, the dining hall is supervised during the day and locked after ten at night.

It’s highly unlikely the killer would have considered obtaining a weapon from there, is it?”

Katagiri Mimi: “But if that’s the case… where else could a weapon fitting these conditions be found?

It couldn’t possibly be on the third floor, could it?!”

Takagi Masahiko: “Precisely,” I confirmed.

“The killer did indeed obtain the weapon from the third floor.”

Habara Kazuhiro: “Obtaining a weapon from the first floor posed certain risks, so they opted to search on the third floor instead…?”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “What exactly was the weapon, then?”

Akahira Yuusuke: “C-could it be a mop from the restroom?!”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “That… that seems a bit far-fetched, doesn’t it?

I’d sooner believe the blunt side of a knife than a mop.”

Takagi Masahiko: “Everyone, has it occurred to any of you to consider the recording studio?”

Osakabe Nanase: “R-recording studio…? Could the weapon have been a musical instrument…?”

Akahira Yuusuke: “W-wait a minute! I think I’m starting to get an idea…” Yuusuke suddenly blurted out, a flicker of understanding crossing his face as if the answer had just struck him.

“It’s… a Waterphone, isn’t it…?”

Arisumi Momoko: “What’s that? It sounds rather delicious…”

Katagiri Mimi: “Made entirely of metal, do you fancy a bite?” Katagiri Mimi teased Arisumi Momoko with a mischievous grin.

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “What kind of instrument is that? How could it possibly kill someone?”

Akahira Yuusuke: “It’s like a large iron bowl, with a cylindrical handle inserted in the center, and small rods of varying lengths around its edge.”

Habara Kazuhiro: “It looks so unique… How do you even play this instrument called a Waterphone?”

Akahira Yuusuke: “You pour a little water into the opening, then gently rub those small rods.

However, the sounds it produces are specifically used in horror films… it’s generally not employed for playing songs or anything like that.”

Osakabe Nanase: “So, how exactly did the killer use this weapon to commit the crime?”

Suzuki Minoru: “One would simply grip the handle tightly and strike vital areas with the bottom edge.”

Akino Atsushi: “And that also fits the linear cross-section requirement!”

Takahashi Aki: “Beyond this, it seems we can’t find any other weapon that meets these conditions…”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Speaking of which, Amemiya Wakaba’s occipital region was a bloody mess.

Was there no deformation whatsoever on that Waterphone?”

Takagi Masahiko: “There were indeed,” I affirmed.

“The bottom edge had several distinct dents, which must be the evidence left behind from the attack.”

Takagi Masahiko: “Additionally, I coincidentally discovered a small amount of water mixed inside the instrument’s opening at the time.”

Arisumi Momoko: “Water? So the killer was someone who appreciated a touch of horror ambiance?”

Takagi Masahiko: “I don’t believe that’s the case…”

Takagi Masahiko: “Personally, I believe it was simply left behind due to the killer’s carelessness.”

Arisumi Momoko: “Huh…? How careless?” she inquired, her face clouded with confusion as she looked at me.

Takagi Masahiko: “Please, everyone, take a look at this photograph.”

Chisaka Erin: “This is… a washbasin?”

Takagi Masahiko: “Exactly.

Has anyone noticed anything unusual?”

Every pair of eyes meticulously scrutinized the photograph.

Osakabe Nanase: “There appears to be a faint smudge on the edge of the washbasin…”

Takagi Masahiko: “Precisely! This isn’t just an ordinary smudge!”

Takagi Masahiko: “This smudge… was actually a drop of blood!”

Suzuki Minoru: “Takagi Masahiko is correct,” Suzuki Minoru confirmed.

“Before we arrived to investigate, that smudge was indeed a drop of blood.”

Akahira Yuusuke: “Blood?! Then… that means the killer came here to wash away the bloodstains?!”

Takagi Masahiko: “That must be it! After committing the murder, the killer must have brought the weapon to the washbasin to clean off the bloodstains!

And then, they returned the weapon to its original place!”

Takagi Masahiko: “And that cleaned weapon… was none other than the Waterphone!”

Chisaka Erin: “This connects all the dots; the killer, in a rush, hastily washed off the bloodstains and returned the weapon to the recording studio.

Yet, unbeknownst to them, it was precisely their carelessness that caused the water inside the instrument’s opening to remain uncleansed…”

Arisumi Momoko: “That actually makes a lot of sense!”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Now we can confirm what the killer’s weapon was.”

Suzuki Minoru: “And then what? What good is confirming the weapon?

The mystery of how the killer gained the upper hand still hasn’t been solved, has it?”

Takagi Masahiko: “T-that’s true…”

Chisaka Erin: “Nevertheless, we’ve at least deduced the respective positions and advantages of both the killer and Kamimura Anko.”

Akahira Yuusuke: “Indeed,” Yuusuke mused.

“The hammer, though heavy, possessed strong lethality; the Waterphone, while light, offered flexibility and agility…”

Ishii Yoshimi: “But the problem is, how did Kamimura Anko lose possession of her self-defense weapon?

No matter how I think about it, I can’t imagine Kamimura Anko being at a disadvantage?!”

…

How many times had we been stalled by an insurmountable mystery now?

It wasn’t just me; everyone had been forced to halt, sinking into this quagmire of uncertainty.

Let me think again, thoroughly… By what means did the killer strip Kamimura Anko of her initial advantage?

Perhaps I should try to think from the killer’s perspective?

If I were the killer, facing someone armed with a hammer, how would I deal with them?

The simplest method, first and foremost, would be to flee.

Charging in blindly before knowing the opponent’s strength would undoubtedly be risky.

Precisely… The next step would be to seize the opportune moment to gauge the opponent’s true strength.

Yet, one must never approach rashly; maintaining a certain distance would be crucial.

The most insidious and cunning tactic would be to exhaust the opponent’s stamina.

No matter how powerful the opponent’s weapon, once burdened with a heavy object and having expended energy chasing the killer, they would inevitably reach a point where they had to stop, gasping for breath, to regain their composure…

It would be then that the killer could seize this precise moment, swiftly and unexpectedly closing in to deliver a powerful blow, thereby catching the opponent completely off guard.

But in such a confined space, how could the killer successfully and safely evade Kamimura Anko’s pursuit?

The best method would be to obscure their vision, or to lure the opponent into a dimly lit area to disorient them.

So… that’s how it was…!

The main power switch in the library, the bruises on Kamimura Anko’s abdomen, and… the student ID card dropped nearby!

However, this would mean… the killer must have set an ambush beforehand, ensuring the opponent wouldn’t detect the trap laid for them…

W-which means! We’ve actually been mistaken all along, assuming the killer was in the act of murder when Kamimura Anko arrived at the crime scene!

In reality, when Kamimura Anko reached the crime scene, the killer was already lying in ambush within the inner room!