Museum of Medieval Torture Case

**Spoiler warning: *Plot and/or ending details follow. Read at user's own risk!***

## Details

### Number of Survivors

4

The **Museum of Medieval Torture Duel Noir** (中世西欧拷問器具博物館) is one of the many Duel Noir cases featured during the Twelve Zodiac Duel Noir Challenge. The participants involved in it come from the Detective Library and among the regular public.

## History

### 1900s

The museum itself used to be the university's repository, standing on a hillside which would go on to be the site of a residential area. Twenty years ago, prior to the Duel Noir, the building used to hold exhibitions of materials garnered from college festivals, where both professional and amateurs from all over Japan gathered. Because of this popularity, it was decided to be called a museum and to be opened up to the public. However, after some initial success, the museum gradually lost popularity. It did not help matters as, due to land development of the residential area, the increased population near the building started to complain about living next to a place that stored torture devices. Eventually, due to the university going bankrupt (thus needing to become a new legal entity), the museum also closed down, despite an effort to modernize it. The museum's redesign is an imitation of Anton Gaudi's architectural style, with all of the exterior made from special-ordered glass which likely took a lot out of the budget. There are little right-angled parts on the surface of the museum, instead the building going for curved surfaces. It is theorized this was to mitigate the building's creepiness.

### Duel Noir

On January 11th, Sachi Mizuiyama arrived at the museum. She is surprised by the place being open since it was previously closed as a result of its creepy atmosphere that unnerved nearby home owners. In the past, she asked to review such a location for it to be refurbished before it was decided to shut it down. When she gets there, the police had already got to work on their investigation. She uses her skills in deception to gain information on the case by lying about being connected to the staff and the recently deceased. This gives her access to learning that the victim Fukuju Idogaki (who worked for the nearby university) was dead and there was a fire of some sorts that killed him and charred his body (even though the murder weapon as listed as an iron maiden).

When she asked if the building was inactive all this time, the guard there says it was, when an organization bought it a few years ago, and that the only people to show up is those who want to take a look at records. When she asks if all the torture devices were still there, he admits they probably are, but finally gets suspicious of Sachi. Getting the hint, Sachi leaves the scene and heads outside to the courtyard. Sitting on top of the hill in the center is the iron maiden. but its noticeably headless and rather small. Two cops show up and Sachi reveals her identity to them as a detective, and gets them to show them theirs to prove they're legitimate. Sachi shows them her Duel Noir invitation, and presses them on the iron maiden being there before. They want to talk more about it inside the museum, but relent and explain that the iron maiden wasn't there before. From there, she sees a glimpse of the inside of the hut which was burnt to a crisp, yet still standing. The victim was found face up on a futon and his death was ruled as one via burning. He was a former smoker and the police ruled the fire might have been caused by a lit cigarette. Though throughout all this, Sachi noted they left out the iron maiden.

Later, Sachi questions one of Fukuju's seminar students, Katana Shindō, at a restaurant. He is the one who reveals the rumor that Fukuju killed a researcher for her paper, but disguised it as suicide so he would be fine. Katana then allows her to get in contact with Kariyasu Karasuba, who was the boyfriend of the researcher, and meet with him in the cafe However, before that can happen, she runs into Licorne who warns her not to go overboard before disappearing. At the cafe, she meets with Kariyasu, though notes mentally that he looks rather unstable. Kariyasu explains how he and Shōko met, which was at a library, as well and delving into the situation surrounding her and Fukuju. When Sachi asks why, he responds that she's probably going to ask him that anyway. He delves into Shōko originally being Fukuju's assistant, and that was Fukuju stealing credit for her work. Shōko would later discover that he's been doing such deeds for a while now without consequence. Kariyasu said she considered such things a crime against humanity, but when Sachi points out her strong sense of justice, it just earns her a bitter look from Kariyasu.

From there, he reveals how Shōko was murdered: Fukuju had drugged her before killing her with hydrogen sulfide to make it seem like she committed suicide. This had Sachi ask how he knew for sure that Fukuju did it. Kariyasu rattles off the evidence that proved it happened, such as Fukuju being caught on tape buying sleeping pills. When Sachi asks if there was evidence why was it ruled a suicide, apparently the suicide ruling was declared first and the police never bothered to investigate properly. When Sachi questions that if he has this evidence why not present this to the police, he merely dodges the question (which confirms to Sachi the Committee was behind such knowledge and they target those unaware they've been hurt by the system). When Sachi asked if he was aware that Fukuju died, he mentions he heard at work and has an airtight alibi for it.

When asked if he could meet Fukuju one last time, Kariyasu admits he would say 'you reap what you sow'. Kariyasu says he heard Fukuju died as a result of a fire coming from his cigarette, and starts to laugh, which creeps Sachi out. She thanks him for his time and says she now has more of an idea of the truth of this case. Before she leaves, she asks for his birthday, which he reveals to be August 30th, thus making him a Leo and solidifying that he is the culprit of the Duel Noir. She leaves, though notes it feels as though his sharp gaze was still aimed at her.

Convinced, Sachi headed back to the crime scene at 9:30 PM when the police disappeared. Knowing the security system was inactive, Sachi broke inside of the museum with a pipe she carries around with her to get inside. Inside the museum, she found five neckless Western armors at the crime scene, all shiny and spotless. Figuring out what happened, she left the crime scene in order to head to the Goodbye BAR Case, to kill Hajiki Yaki.

Following her apprehension, on orders of Gekka for if this were to occurs, she relays such information to Yui and how Kariyasu committed the murder. He got Fukuju drunk enough until he passed out and took him to a small cottage on the courtyard, nearby to the museum and locked him inside it. From there, with the use of an ice sphere (which would melt afterward) on a headless iron maiden which was outside in the courtyard, and the shiny armor from the headless warriors to help focus it, he redirected the sun's rays from the sphere to the inside of the cottage. As a result, a fire broke out that burned Fukuju to death. With the culprit known and how they did it all relayed to Yui, it marks Kariyasu's defeat and the case solved in her victory.

## Black Letter

Location: Museum of Medieval Torture — 30 million yen

Weapon: Iron Maiden — 30 million yen

Trick: Locked Room — 80 million yen

Total Cost: 140 million yen

The assigned detective for this Duel Noir is Yui Samidare

## Participants

### Participants

**Sachi Mizuiyama**

**Fukuju Idogaki***(Target)*

### Other

**Licorne**
 **Katana Shindō** | -

## Death Order

**Fukuju Idogaki**

## Results and Aftermath

* With the case information acquired, Sachi heads off towards the Goodbye BAR Case, to kill Hajiki.
* Licorne, following his warning of Sachi, also headed off towards the Goodbye BAR, albeit earlier than Sachi, in order to give a warning to Hajiki as well.
* Following Sachi's defeat, she reveals the information of the case to Yui Samidare by request of Gekka in case she lost. As such, the Museum of Medieval Torture is solved.