The Hammer’s Origin

****Takagi Masahiko’s Perspective****

Katagiri Mimi: “Takagi, what evidence supports such a claim…?”

Takagi Masahiko: “Indeed, but… upon closer reflection, my earlier assertion might also possess a critical flaw…”

Suzuki Minoru: “You’re suggesting Anko arrived at the crime scene just as the culprit was assaulting Amemiya, correct? It’s true that under such circumstances, discerning whether Amemiya was still alive would have been incredibly difficult…”

Takagi Masahiko: “Precisely… the Monokuma File states the cause of death was fatal blood loss resulting from multiple blunt force blows to the back of the head. It’s plausible that Amemiya succumbed to her injuries from excessive bleeding in the interim between the culprit being witnessed in the act and Kamimura being incapacitated…”

Ishii Yoshimi: “If that were truly the case, Kamimura would undoubtedly have bolted straight for the main exit after witnessing the murder, wouldn’t she?”

Suzuki Minoru: “Oh…? And what precisely makes you so certain?” His gaze, sharp and piercing, fixed on Ishii as he challenged her assertion with palpable intensity.

Ishii Yoshimi: “What? An unarmed girl, by any rational measure, wouldn’t impulsively charge forward to fight someone wielding a weapon, would she?” Her brow furrowed in annoyance as she retorted, her voice tinged with indignation.

Suzuki Minoru: “What if she possessed the capability to do so?”

Ishii Yoshimi: “Hmph? Have you conducted research on her? Or do you merely presume she’s a martial artist?”

Suzuki Minoru: “Heheheh… pursuing this line of inquiry further will yield no progress. Perhaps we should instead address why Anko left that note for Takagi last night?” He let out a few soft, almost derisive chuckles.

Takagi Masahiko: “I suspect she must have possessed prior knowledge of the murder that was destined to unfold in the library that evening…? As a precautionary measure, she chose to impart this vital information to me through an inconspicuous method.”

Chisaka Erin: “However… does anyone know the precise time Kamimura entered the library?”

Takagi Masahiko: “…I’m truly sorry, I have no idea…”

A collective shaking of heads rippled through the group, the sheer weight of the unsolved mystery rendering my arms strangely powerless.

Ultimately, finding myself at a complete loss, my gaze drifted towards Suzuki.

Takagi Masahiko: “Hey, Suzuki… do you happen to know…?”

Suzuki Minoru: “Know what?”

Takagi Masahiko: “…Don’t play coy with me… I’m referring to the time Kamimura arrived at the crime scene.”

Suzuki Minoru: “I don’t.” His blunt response instantly extinguished the flicker of hope I had placed in him.

Akahira Yuusuke: “Are you genuinely ignorant, or are you merely feigning it?” Yuusuke’s gaze sharpened as he intently scrutinized Suzuki, seeking to verify the veracity of his statement.

Suzuki Minoru: “Hah? What possible motive would I have to mislead any of you? To be frank, I’m just as intrigued about when she arrived at the library… and furthermore, how did she come to know that a murder would transpire within those walls last night?”

Once again, we found ourselves inadvertently ensnared in yet another perplexing dead end of the mystery.

Perhaps it’s best to extricate ourselves from this impasse and explore an alternative avenue.

Firstly, we had previously dismissed the hypothesis that Amemiya remained unassaulted upon Kamimura’s arrival at the scene.

Secondly, the prevailing theory was that Amemiya was in the midst of being attacked when Kamimura reached the location.

However, based on Suzuki’s and my observations of the crime scene, Kamimura must have engaged in a fierce struggle with the culprit.

Yet, a new question arises… did Kamimura truly confront the culprit unarmed, engaging in a direct struggle?

No matter how I considered it, such an act struck me as profoundly reckless, bordering on sheer foolhardiness.

Given my current understanding of Kamimura, she doesn’t possess such an impulsive disposition.

She… must have meticulously prepared herself, both physically and psychologically, for a confrontation with the culprit.

What, then, constituted this thorough preparation…?

Takagi Masahiko: “…Could it… could it have been… the hammer…?” The words, fragmented and uncertain, spilled from my lips.

Osakabe Nanase: “The hammer…? Takagi, what’s come over you…? Why are you suddenly fixating on the hammer again…?”

Takagi Masahiko: “Everyone, is it possible that the hammer discovered at the crime scene was actually brought into the library by Kamimura herself?!”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Kamimura brought it in? Hmmm… that might actually be a distinct possibility…”

Arisumi Momoko: “Huh? Shouldn’t the culprit have been the one to bring it?”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Oh? Arisumi, what leads you to believe the culprit was responsible for bringing it?”

Arisumi Momoko: “Chisaka just mentioned that Kamimura’s head wound was flat. Couldn’t it, then, have been inflicted by the culprit using the hammer?”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Hmph… that’s certainly plausible… Could the culprit have brought the hammer in beforehand and concealed it, only for Kamimura to witness the murder, attempt a hasty escape, and then be incapacitated before she could get away?”

Takagi Masahiko: “No, that can’t be right!”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Eh? Why not?”

Takagi Masahiko: “When Suzuki and I discovered Amemiya’s body, it was positioned by the foremost bookshelf in the library, with visible drag marks of blood spanning the floor between it and the entrance. Crucially, there were no other blood spatters nearby… This strongly suggests that Amemiya was a considerable distance from Kamimura during the incident. How, then, could she possibly have been unable to escape in time?”

Suzuki Minoru: “What if the culprit happened to be an athlete?”

Takagi Masahiko: “What?! An athlete…?” His abrupt conjecture instantly rendered my mind a complete blank.

Suzuki Minoru: “Right… Ishii?”

Ishii Yoshimi: “Ah, what?! Why have you suddenly turned your suspicions towards me?!” Ishii’s face paled, utterly aghast at Suzuki’s sudden accusation.

Suzuki Minoru: “Because you are the Ultimate Shot Putter (TL Note: A title for students with exceptional talent, often referred to as ‘Super High School Level’ in this context.). Your physical prowess, at the very least, must be exemplary, wouldn’t you agree?”

Ishii Yoshimi: “Hold on! I certainly didn’t bring that hammer into the library! No, that’s not it at all!! I am not the culprit, you hear me!”

Chisaka Erin: “Isn’t it rather premature to designate Ishii as the culprit…? I believe we should all give this more careful consideration.”

Akahira Yuusuke: “Is it truly you, Ishii…? Did you genuinely kill Amemiya and then incapacitate Kamimura?”

Ishii Yoshimi: “I’ve already told you, that’s not what happened!”

Monokuma: “Hold on! Hold on!!” Monokuma, overcome with excitement, abruptly interjected, halting our heated argument.

Monokuma: “Ah, that familiar tension once more~ It’s high time we initiated the Rebuttal Showdown, wouldn’t you say~?”

The central monitor illuminated, displaying a single, stark question: [Was the hammer found at the crime scene brought in by Kamimura Anko?]

I joined the affirmative side without a moment’s hesitation; after all, it was inconceivable that Kamimura, having foreknowledge of the impending danger, would have simply walked into it utterly defenseless. Furthermore… she had left that note for me before her departure.

Monokuma: “Same old rules apply! All of you, cast your votes to align with one side and engage in a heated rebuttal against the other! The moment you successfully dismantle the arguments of everyone on the opposing side, you will seize the initiative!”

Affirmative Side: [Takagi Masahiko, Chisaka Erin, Ishii Yoshimi, Osakabe Nanase, Katagiri Mimi, Habara Kazuhiro.]

Negative Side: [Suzuki Minoru, Akahira Yuusuke, Takahashi Aki, Arisumi Momoko, Kitajima Kazumitsu, Akino Atsushi.]

Instantly, an exhilarating, adrenaline-pumping melody swelled from the speakers positioned above and around us.

The platforms beneath our feet began their slow ascent, carrying everyone upwards in a helical motion. The six individuals on my side, including myself, formed a perfectly straight line, separated from our opponents by nothing more than a symbolic divide.

[Was the hammer found at the crime scene brought in by Kamimura Anko?]

Habara Kazuhiro: “I assert that Kamimura was the one who brought this hammer! After all, when confronted with unknown perils, a young woman would naturally require a weapon for self-defense, wouldn’t she?”

Akino Atsushi: “While that statement holds some truth… Kamimura’s head wound, however, was explicitly described as flat. Would it not be far more logical for the culprit to have brought the hammer themselves?”

Ishii Yoshimi: “But didn’t Chisaka already mention it? A flat injury could just as easily be the result of a violent impact between the head and a wall!”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “No! That is utterly impossible! I meticulously inspected every single wall at the crime scene! There were absolutely no bloodstains indicative of an impact!”

Osakabe Nanase: “Even if that were true, Kamimura’s head wound must have been inflicted by the very blunt instrument the culprit employed to assault Amemiya!”

Arisumi Momoko: “We’ve already covered this! Amemiya’s injuries were consistently linear, which is entirely distinct from Kamimura’s!”

Katagiri Mimi: “But Arisumi’s very statement, doesn’t it indirectly suggest that the culprit did not use the hammer to attack Amemiya?!”

Takahashi Aki: “Is there not a possibility that the culprit brought more than a single blunt instrument?”

Takagi Masahiko: “I personally observed numerous linear injuries on Amemiya. If this hammer was truly brought in by the culprit… then explain to me why the culprit would not have chosen the hammer to execute their murder? From the killer’s vantage point, wouldn’t that have been a far more efficient and straightforward method?!”

Akahira Yuusuke: “If the hammer was indeed brought in by Kamimura, then why was Kamimura ultimately assaulted with that very same hammer?”

Takagi Masahiko: “I believe she must have inadvertently lost her grip on the hammer. There are several distinct indentations on the wooden bookshelves at the crime scene! These are highly likely to be traces left by Kamimura’s struggle with the culprit!”

Suzuki Minoru: “Couldn’t those marks simply be from the culprit pursuing Anko with the hammer? Anko might have intended to save Amemiya, unaware of the hammer in the culprit’s hand, and thus couldn’t evade the attack in time, right?”

Chisaka Erin: “Based on Takagi’s description of the crime scene, the culprit’s specific location of attack was precisely in the middle of the foremost section of the library, correct? If so, Kamimura would have clearly seen the weapon in the culprit’s hand the moment she opened the door! Furthermore, if Kamimura witnessed the attack from the doorway, her first instinct, being unarmed, would have been to swiftly escape through that very door. Wouldn’t the indentations at the crime scene then contradict this? Therefore, I believe! Kamimura must have entered the library with the hammer, engaging in a fierce struggle with the culprit!”

Takagi Masahiko & Chisaka Erin & Ishii Yoshimi & Osakabe Nanase & Katagiri Mimi & Habara Kazuhiro:

“Argument Overthrown!!”

Takagi Masahiko: “Undoubtedly, Kamimura brought the hammer with the intention of self-defense, preparing to thwart the culprit’s murder plot! This also indirectly proves that Ishii cannot currently be directly confirmed as the culprit!”

Ishii Yoshimi: “Suzuki, did you hear that?! Falsely accusing someone of being the culprit is incredibly offensive, do you understand?” Ishii’s eyes blazed with indignation as she glared fiercely at Suzuki.

Suzuki Minoru: “Ah… Sumimasen (TL Note: Japanese for ‘Excuse me’ or ‘Sorry’). So that’s how those two indentations in the library came to be… It makes sense now, I suppose~”

Habara Kazuhiro: “By the way, how did Kamimura acquire such a weapon? Two days before the incident, we were all supervising the storerooms in the cafeteria and convenience store, but no one observed any unusual behavior from Kamimura, did they…?”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Osakabe, you seemed to have a good relationship with Kamimura… did you notice anything amiss with her at that time?”

Osakabe Nanase: “…No… She behaved perfectly normally, virtually no different from usual…”

Osakabe shook her head regretfully, denying any such observation.

Takagi Masahiko: “That hammer… Kamimura must have retrieved it from the small storeroom, right? I distinctly recall seeing a hammer stored there when Kamimura and I investigated the small storeroom previously. However, when Suzuki and I entered to investigate this morning, we found that hammer had vanished…”

Takagi Masahiko: “As for when the hammer was taken… I believe it must have been taken after ten o’clock at night, as virtually no one would have been wandering around the vicinity at that hour.”

Akahira Yuusuke: “You weren’t out then, were you, Suzuki?”

Suzuki Minoru: “How could I possibly refuse Anko’s request? Naturally, I obeyed my beloved goddess~” He placed his large palm over his chest, affirming with a closed-eyed smile.

Takagi Masahiko: “…”

Akahira Yuusuke: “Here we go again…” A single eyebrow on his face twitched independently.

Chisaka Erin: “Everyone, it seems there’s still one unresolved mystery…”

At this moment, Chisaka abruptly broke the brief silence.

Chisaka Erin: “Now that we’ve established the hammer was brought in by Kamimura, how did the culprit manage to seize the hammer and gain the upper hand during their struggle?”