Chaos Mate ~Revenge In This Chaotic Academy~

Chapter 39: The Unconcealed Fabrication

Arriving at the rooftop with my backpack still on, not thinking about anything, I let out a deep sigh.

I don’t regret what I said earlier, but recalling it a few minutes later, I feel a twinge of embarrassment at how smoothly I spouted such dramatic words. Another part of me inside is mocking me for it.

What’s done is done. Even if I end up alone starting tomorrow, I won’t regret it. In a situation where I don’t know who the enemy is, sticking with a group only raises the risk of death.

Leaning my weight on the railing and looking up at the blue sky, I start thinking about what’s next.

“Still, what do I do now? If we assume Utsumi didn’t kill Kikuchi, the credibility of the evidence from Mogami’s vision gets shaky. And I have no clue about the source of a sword…”

Sighing and spacing out, I hear the rooftop door open.

“…Huh? Why’s Madoka here?”

Turning at the voice, I see Mogami. She comes to my side, takes the same posture, and looks up at the sky.

“Madoka, you’re not joining the class for their farce of a funeral?”

“Someone inspired me, so I couldn’t participate. Instead, I decided to honor Kikuchi’s death in my own way.”

“Oh, sorry for causing trouble.”

“Nah, you weren’t wrong. They probably aren’t either. They’re scared of being killed, so they look the other way. I think I get now why everyone loves parties so much. They want to hold onto memories, no matter who dies.”

“I can’t imagine those guys having the brains to think like that.”

Mogami pouts, looking sulky.

They’ve really earned her dislike, huh.

“I can sympathize. They grew up in different environments than me. For kids raised under their parents’ protection, an environment with killings and no one to rely on is brutal. I know I’m not normal, so I’ll do what I can.”

Muttering my thoughts casually, Mogami softens her expression a bit.

“…I think you’re the one who’s right, Madoka.”

“Thanks.”

I reply curtly and replay the classroom scene in my head.

Kikuchi’s body lying on the floor.

The desks and chairs unchanged from yesterday… Anything else that hasn’t changed… That’s probably where the cover-up is hidden.

Could it be the body itself?

A cover-up beyond the knife wound… Damn, I can’t think of anything.

Scratching my head roughly and glancing at Mogami, I notice she’s moved from my side to the rooftop exit.

“Hey, where you going?”

“Back to the classroom. Then to Kikuchi’s room.”

“Kikuchi’s room? Oh, right… There might be some clues there. But why go back to the classroom? Kikuchi’s body’s already been moved.”

“I know. I forgot to check under Kikuchi, so I’m just going to confirm that.”

“Under… Kikuchi?”

“I’m not explaining. Follow if you want, Watson-kun.”

“What, so I’m supposed to call you Holmes? This isn’t a detective game.”

Sighing, I follow Mogami anyway.

I’m not playing assistant, but I might need her ability to find the culprit.

※

At the classroom, Kikuchi’s body is gone from the center, and everything looks back to normal.

I’ve already checked everything worth checking, but Mogami goes to where Kikuchi’s body was, crouches, and touches the floor with her index finger.

“This is definitely weird.”

“…Weird?”

“You didn’t notice? Now that Kikuchi’s body is gone, some things become visible. Like this.”

She points at the floor, and I see Kikuchi’s bloodstain.

The moment I see it, I feel something’s off.

Having been involved in “that kind of work,” I know what happens when someone’s stabbed or slashed to death.

“This… isn’t right. The bloodstain’s too small.”

The heart pumps blood through the body. A sword piercing it would cause massive bleeding, and the bloodstain should be too wide for the body to hide.

Was it wiped up with a towel or something? Why? If so, they’d have wiped the blood under Kikuchi’s body too.

Her uniform’s back was soaked red across her entire back.

I mentally compare the blood on her back to the bloodstain on the floor. The former covers a wider area.

There’s only one conclusion.

The knife wasn’t just a decoy for the murder weapon.

Someone capable of this… Do they even exist?

No, I can deny it later. For now, this is the only possibility.

Taking a deep breath to shift gears, I tap Mogami’s shoulder and say, “Let’s go.”

She tilts her head, puzzled.

“Did you figure something out, Madoka?”

“Yeah. The cover-up wasn’t just the knife. Let’s go to Kikuchi’s room. The truth’s probably there.”

“…Wait, are you thinking…?”

Mogami seems to catch on, looking between me and the bloodstain.

“We fell for the culprit’s cover-up from the start, from the moment we saw Kikuchi’s body in this classroom. It’s so meticulous—definitely not something a typical high schooler could come up with on the spot. They probably planned it, expecting someone to look for the killer.”

I’m pissed. I got played by the enemy’s scheme. I wasted time—I should’ve noticed this when I first checked.

I push my bangs up, letting my irritation show.

“Kikuchi’s body was moved from where she was killed. Even the murder scene was part of the cover-up.”