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  April 13th, 8:47 am
  Tokyo District Court, Courtroom No. 2

---Music: Mask☆DeMasque ~ Please Listen! ---

This must be some kind of joke, right? Am I being pranked right now? Mask☆DeMasque himself just flew into the courtroom from the skylight on the ceiling. And he's currently flying around the room effortlessly while maintaining somewhat of a T-pose... how in the world DOES he do his flying trick?! I'm starting to think the guy can actually fly.
"No matter how many years I've overseen trials," the Judge reminisces in his state of surprise, "And no matter how many times I've thought I've seen everything, somehow there will always be something new and unexpected. Mr. DeMasque, what in heaven's name are you doing in Japan?"
Yashin seems both entertained and curious at once. "Your Honor, do you know this person?"
The Judge nods. "If I recall, I acquitted this individual once. However, I thought he had hung up the mask or some such retirement of sorts."
"A ha ha ha ha!" Mask☆DeMasque laughs once more. "I commend you on your sharp memory, your Honor! However, the time was right and the situation called, and I recognized that it was the opportunity for one last encore!"
The Judge shakes his head to regain his usual firm demeanor. "I see. However, Mr. DeMasque, I do not appreciate my court being made into a spectacle. I'll be frank: what exactly is it you want to testify? Were you involved in the events of the night of the crime?"
"I think I can explain that, your Honor," Yashin volunteers. Her expression and behavior are somehow a fluid combination giddy excitement and calm analysis, marking for a somewhat subdued, amused disposition. "Judging by the evidence that the defense was about to present tells us all that we need to know. Tell me, Mr. Wright: is that one of this gentleman's calling cards? As in, the kind a phantom thief would leave?"
I nod. "Yes, you're exactly right. I was going to present Mask☆DeMasque's Calling Card, but then the man himself came out of nowhere..."
"I see," she acknowledges, moving to her next point. "From that we can deduce that you found that card at the scene of the crime? If this is true, there's no telling how much this could change the situation. Things just became a lot more interesting."
Detective Ritsu speaks his mind as well. "Mr. Wright, where exactly did you find that calling card? We didn't see anything like that when we searched the area."
"It was in the curator's office!" Maya answers.
*!*
This revelation has the audience in a hushed stir, whispering quietly. Though hardly a loss of order, a crack from the Judge's gavel still regains everyone's immediate attention. "Settle down. Now, if that is to be believed, then you were within the curator's office that night? If that can be proven, then that puts a significant hole in the witness' suggestion that the curator himself was there."
Ritsu holds his chin. "Hmm... we didn't search that area at all, come to think of it. That room is three stories above and away from the scene of the crime. Nobody would have thought it could possibly be involved."
The Judge continues contemplating Mask☆DeMasque's bizarre incursion into the court. "Mr. DeMasque, if you were truly involved, then you are indeed a potential witness... but also a potential suspect."
"Think what you will!" Mask☆DeMasque dismisses, maintaining his grandiose speech, "Nevertheless, as a consequence to my entrance into the Sniffsonian, I did indeed witness that which transpired to an extent. I had business elsewhere in the museum, but from a high viewpoint, I in fact caught a glimpse of what happened below."
"If that is the case," the Judge frowns with disappointment, "On the grounds of burglary alone, we're going to have to detain you, Mr. DeMasque."
"And I shall applaud you if your efforts to do so succeed, your Honor! I simply wish to assist the court in determining the truth of these crimes, and then I will be on my way!"
The Judge is certainly not pleased. "Bailiff, fetch a ladder so we can reach this gentleman!"
"That's not going to work!" I shout, "A ladder will have nothing to lean against, what you'll need is a stepladder!"
"Now is not the time to force a superficial distinction, Nick!" Maya argues.
"Now is EXACTLY the time to!!" I fire back incredulously.
"Regardless," Yashin coughs, "With what precious little perspective we have on what actually happened, the prosecution is willing to humor Mask☆DeMasque's desire to testify, for what it's worth."
The Judge didn't expect that stance, based on his surprise. "Is that so? I suppose I can see the reason why, given the circumstances... but I'm extremely reluctant to allow such an audacious testimony!"
I look towards Maya and Sae. "What do we think about this, team?" I consult.
"If he's offering, we should take it," Sae nods, and quietly puts her thoughts to whisper, "Given his relationship with you two... I doubt he'd be trying to hinder us, and may actually want to help."
Maya nods as well. "Let's give him a chance!" she speaks with pep, "We need more details as it is!"
Hmm. I think I'm in agreement, so I announce our collective thoughts to the court. "Your Honor, the defense would be fine with accepting new testimony as well. With how little we know about the actual crime, anything could help."
The Judge doesn't take this decision lightly, and puts a few moments of hard thought into it. "Hrm. I will give Mr. DeMasque the benefit of the doubt. But, I must insist that we get his high-flying act under control!"
Yeesh. The sad thing is this won't even be the strangest testimony I've ever experienced. But, it's time to get going to see what the phantom thief himself wants to say.

---(Music End)---

---Music: Looming Danger (Persona Q) ---

-- Beneath the DeMasque --

"On the night of April 11th, I had made my entrance into the Sniffsonian atrium from high above.
I could see--"

(I can't help but notice that for every statement Mask☆DeMasque makes, he floats to a different area in the air, and the poor Bailiff is getting quite a workout trying to keep up to set up the stepladder and reach him...)

"I could see through the glass ceiling as I prepared to enter, and saw the curator leave his office at 9:14 pm.
I found a way into his office, which took a minute or so, and I had what I came for by 9:15.
I hid near a potted plant until I was sure no one else was on the third floor with me, and made my escape.
As I flew through the air to take my leave, I heard a few loud noises in the distance.'
By 9:17, I was out of the museum and on my way."

---(Music End)---

For a time, everyone in the room is silent, and the only noise is that of the bailiff panting and frantically hauling around his stepladder in hot pursuit of the masked thief. This testimony doesn't tell us much information, but it will be our jobs to pick more info out of it.
The Judge holds his hand to his head. "I can only imagine how difficult it would be to prosecute an international criminal in a situation like this... it's giving me a headache just thinking about it."
"And honestly, your Honor," Maya adds, "With how many crazy laws there are, like allowing you to oversee trials here for instance, I wouldn't be surprised if there are loopholes that would let Mask☆DeMasque off the hook!"
Heh, that's Maya for you. Always looking out for our friends. She's even taking the opportunity to try and keep Ron's name clear.
"I have to agree," Yashin confirms unexpectedly, "All of these transitions to a new court system are making things pretty insane. But, anyway! We'll deal with that later."
I seriously cannot get a read on her. Sometimes she's serious, sometimes she's joking. Predicting what she'll do or say feels futile... I just have to be on guard for anything she comes at us with.
"Indeed," the Judge nods, "The cross-examination of the witness takes precedence. Bailiff, please try a bit harder to detain Mask☆DeMasque for us!"
The bailiff sighs in a way that lets us know that the effort he is putting into his job is incongruous with his pay grade.
Yashin has something to say first, however.



"Monsieur DeMasque," she addresses, her choice of honorific sounding like she's having fun playing up the flair, "The prosecution finds it crucial to know just what exactly your reason for being in the museum that night was. You even mentioned that you had gotten 'what you came for,' at that. I have to request that you explain to the court what you stole."
"In due time, mademoiselle!" he returns, "When all is said and done, there will be a grand finale indeed. A ha ha ha ha ha..."
Geeze... I really hope that the Orb doesn't get mentioned or revealed here. We're assuming Akira is being watched already, and the Orb coming to light would set off all of the worst red flags about the Phantom Thieves and our objective to stop this conspiracy.
As usual, we'll just have to ask the right questions and avoid the dangerous topics, and hope for the best...


---Music: Looming Danger (Persona Q) ---

Sae seems to be putting her brain to work already as she closes her eyes to think. "He said he saw the curator leave the office, right? We should ask for more details on that."
"Sounds good to start..." Maya agrees, but seems to be hesitant, "To be honest, I feel like something in this testimony seems important, but I'm not sure what."
We'll have to take things step by step, and maybe something will jump out at us.



I speak up, prepared to ask my first question. "Mr. DeMasque, if you had a clear view of the curator enough to see him leave the office, did you see where it was he was going?"
"To that, I am unsure," he answers, "All I know is he was going to a lower floor, because I saw him take a flight of stairs downward. For the entire while I was on the third floor, I never saw him return."
Sae contemplates the response. "So, that tells us that the entire time, the curator would had to have been on a different floor altogether..."
I hold my chin to think myself. "That's good information, but there's not much we can do with just that by itself. Maybe we should try a different approach."
"Oh, I think I've got it!" Maya announces to us with cheery pep, "Ask him about the noises he heard! If there was more than one loud noise, that has to mean something, right?"
"Ah! Good catch, Maya!" I commend, "Let's do just that."



I feel pretty confident about this plan of attack. "Mr. DeMasque, would you please go into a little more detail about the specific noises you heard that night?"
The masked thief smiles as he continues levitating through the air. "I wasn't focused entirely on them at the time, but they stand out in my memory nonetheless. Allow me to re-word my testimony, then."

"As I flew through the air to take my leave, I heard a loud 'THUD!' as if something heavy had hit the ground.
At the same time I heard I heard sharp 'SNAP' noises that sounded like breaking wood.
  Not even a minute later, there was an extremely loud 'SMASH!' which made me think that something large had been broken."

"Now we're getting somewhere!" Maya smirks with a fist pump, "Let's break this down based on what we know..."
Sae sounds ready to chime in. "We know that the statue fell on top of the victim... that certainly would have been a noise, alright. However... would a statue simply falling over really make such a loud sound, though?"
"I had almost forgotten to mention, Niijima-san," I reply, "Maya and I discovered something in our investigating. We haven't had a chance to bring it up in the trial as of yet, but we believe the statue was actually located on the first floor."
Maya nods. "It didn't match up with the exhibits on the ground floor at all, but the first floor is a statue gallery! It's much more likely that the statue was up above rather than on the ground with the victim."
Sae's eyes widen, and this new information clearly has her looking at things differently. "If it had fallen from a great height, it could have very easily made a much louder sound! But... that only accounts for one of the noises Mask☆DeMasque heard. It could have been either the 'thud' or the 'smash.'"
The three of us all naturally reach the same question, which I verbalize for us. "What could the other noise have been...?"
Wait... hang on a moment. So, if falling from a great height makes a louder noise... and there were TWO noises... did two things fall?
*!*
"Guys, I think I've figured it out!" I speak to my friends, prepared to explain, "Maybe the victim himself wasn't on the ground floor, either?"
*!*
"What do you mean?" Sae questions, "Like, he was on a higher floor and he fell to the ground, too?"
"Let's think about the state the victim ended up in," I focus, "He had wounds all over, not just on the side the statue fell on. If someone had pushed him off of the balcony of a higher floor, that would explain how the body was in such a bad state."
"Him falling would explain the 'THUD!'" Maya reasons, "And then, if the statue was pushed over too and fell on top of him, that could have made the 'SMASH!' too!"
"This could turn this trial on its head completely!" I recognize, "But... we need to be able to back up this possibility with proof of some sort."
Maya points to the Atrium Exhibit Guide. "We can use the guide to prove that the statue had to have been on the first floor, so that's no issue. But how would we be able to prove the victim was there, too...?"
"That will be tough," Sae laments, "Everything we know about the scene supports that the involved parties were on the ground floor. There was even some sort of physical struggle down there, based on the broken easel..."
Think, Phoenix, think. That much is true, Mask☆DeMasque even heard the snapping wood. How exactly was that easel broken, anyway?
Wait... let's think about the order of the sounds. There was a 'THUD' and a 'SNAP' at the same time, and then a 'SMASH' shortly after.
The thud and the snap happened at the same time...?
*!*
"Guys, I think I have an idea," I explain, "What if the victim fell ON the easel? That would explain the two noises happening at once, and would also explain why it was broken in the first place!"
"You may be on to something!" Sae nods eagerly, "That would also explain the puncture wound caused by a sharp piece of wood! I think we should go with this, Mr. Wright!"
Maya nods firmly as well. "That's true, I forgot all about the puncture wound in the autopsy. That's really solid support for our theory!"
  Looks like we're all in favor of this new theory. Time to roll with it!

---(Music End)---



---Music: Logic and Tricks ---

"You Honor, the defense has reached a new conclusion based on Mask☆DeMasque's testimony and the evidence thus far. To start, I would like to direct everyone's attention to the Sniffsonian's own Atrium Exhibit Guide. If you look carefully at the various pages, you'll see that the roped off area on the ground floor where the body was found was a gallery of paintings. A statue wouldn't have been there in the first place. The first floor, directly above it, was in fact a statue gallery! A fundamental misunderstanding we've had from the start is the statue's location. It wasn't pushed over during any altercations on the ground floor, but in fact fell onto the victim from above! The statue falling from so high up would make a noise that would perfectly describe the 'SMASH' that the witness heard!"
This new perspective gets the gallery gossiping as usually, with whispers filling the room. Yashin has her eyes closed and is thinking deeply--let's see her try and counter this!



"Mr. Wright," Yashin addresses me, "That guide isn't worth much. Exhibits in a museum are moved all the time for any number of reasons. Recall from the Crime Scene Photographs that there was even a platform with wheels near where the statue was broken. It was clearly in the process of being moved, and we can't conclusively prove where it was or wasn't."
Not going to cut it, Yashin!



"Take a look at the very same Crime Scene Photographs, and you'll see that the area was roped off completely! There's no way a statue that heavy could have been pushed along the ground into the area where it was found broken... the only other explanation would be if the statue fell from above, and happened to land in the roped-off area."
She holds her chin in thought. "Alright, that's a fair take. Let's assume that's what happened. How, in this case, would that explain it falling on the victim? We can tell the victim was on the ground floor, most likely fighting with someone roughly enough to have broken the easel and painting that were destroyed nearby. Are you telling me that someone managed to push over the statue from above and have it land exactly on top of a moving target? And how would that be possible in the first place, are you suggesting a third party was involved? For all we know, the witness could have pushed it over from his vantage point above!"
Time for some more evidence to back us up. If this is what truly happened, then we have plenty of supporting evidence in our favor. Like how the puncture wound explains our theory!



"Miss Yashin," I reply back with confidence backing my words, "There's no reason for us to believe that there was a conflict on the ground floor at all, that night! I would like to refer to the Autopsy Report. Note that, in addition to having body-wide wounds, and a puncture would from a stake of wood from the broken easel. The defense asserts that the victim was having a confrontation on the first floor, and he himself was pushed over the edge and landed on top of the easel on the ground floor below!"
*!*
The audience is clearly buying what we're selling, which is good. At this point, I'm certain we're on the right track. "After all, this all lines up, doesn't it?" I push further, "A 'THUD' from a falling body simultaneous with a 'SNAP' from the easel it landed in, followed by a 'SMASH' from a statue!"
"Why, in your opinion," Yashin probes, "Would someone have pushed a statue on top of the victim after the fact?"
I shake my head. "We can't know for sure at this point in time. However, it is pure fact that the body had a statue on top of it, and that statue was likely on the first floor since it is so out of place on the ground floor. I'll go one further: you explained how hard it would have been to hit a moving target with a statue so large. But if the victim had just fallen and was already wounded--or even dead--it wouldn't be hard at all to aim a statue to fall right on top of him!"

---(Music End)---



"I have to stop you right there, Mr. Wright," Yashin retorts, "I have to give you credit on your creativity, but this theory simply isn't possible. You're neglecting to mention the Destroyed Painting that we found elsewhere in the crime scene. Every other easel in the display area had a painting on it already, ergo the destroyed painting had to have belonged to the easel that was broken. Why wasn't the painting directly underneath the body?"
"We've already established that someone tampered with the crime scene after the murder," is my counter, "They could have easily pulled the picture out from underneath and placed it elsewhere specifically to throw us off. It was a clever move, because that painting is the only thing that can confirm for us that the victim did fall from above!"



"You've got that right, Mr. Wright," Yashin chuckles, "That the painting is the only piece of evidence that can prove your theory. That makes it all the more of a shame that you simply can't use this evidence to support your theory, because there's no proof that that victim could have fallen on top of that painting. And without that, there's absolutely nothing to suggest that the location is anywhere other than the ground floor, where we started!"
This is a tricky spot. We're so close to changing the premise of this case completely... I better take a moment to revisit every piece of evidence we have for any kind of connection between the painting and the victim...
The painting was smeared, yes? Perhaps if the body fell on it, there would have been some sort of residual paint or smearing on the body... but all I see from the Crime Scene Photographs is the victim covered in blood--
Wait, is it really blood?
Could this be the evidence we need?
Yes, it can!



---Music: Phoenix Wright ~ Objection! 2002 ---

I shuffled the evidence I have in hand to straighten out the photos out neatly. "I need to direct the court's attention to the Crime Scene Photographs, specifically the body on the stretcher."
"What a gruesome image..." the Judge mourns, before asking, "But what exactly does this prove to us?"
"Allow me to point it out for you, your Honor:" I offer, drawing my finger right to the wounded area in the abdomen. "As you can see, the body is covered in 'blood' from the puncture wound of sharp wood from the easel... but, I have to direct the court's attention back to the Destroyed Painting, as well. It is a piece that has many rich reds used in it, and the painting is smeared completely. Detective Ritsu, I'd like to ask you, was there any paint residue left on the body, specifically in the bloodied area?"
He nods. "The boys back at the lab found there was a lot of red paint actually mixed into the wounded area, and it was a real head-scratcher. We knew that somehow the victim must have come into contact with the painting, but we couldn't figure out how."
This really has the court going. Even the Judge is in a state of heavy contemplation. I think we've really connected the dots here!
  "Nick, you're on a roll!" Maya cheers, "But now we have to take advantage of this opportunity! We know Akira didn't do it, so who else would have been on the first floor? Looks like we might finally have pinned a prime suspect!"

---(Music End)---



"Before you even say what you're about to say," Yashin interjects, "Do note that Kuchibiru-san pulled an alarm on the completely opposite side of the balcony, even if it was technically still on the first floor. He would have been nowhere near the purported area that the victim would have fallen from, had he been pushed over the railing as you claim."
"That's not necessarily a terrible loss of ground," Sae reasons, "We weren't really suspecting the security guard as much as we were the curator..."
"If you ask me," Maya jumps in, "I think it's important that we can prove that the curator wasn't in his office!"
  "There's no way around it," the Judge speaks, "Understanding the locations of everyone involved is an absolute necessity in understanding the truth of what happened..."
A familiar laugh echoes once more. "Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!"

---Music: Gyakuten Meets Orchestra - Villain Suite (Mask☆DeMasque Theme starting at 2:37) ---

Mask☆DeMasque flies to the very center of the courtroom, and all eyes are on him once again. "It has been my pleasure sharing this knowledge with the court, your Honor!" I must soon take my leave, but I trust that the ladies and gentlemen of this trial's proceedings will make use of the information I have delivered!



Yashin shakes her head. "A lot of the defense's interpretation of events ride on this testimony. The location of the curator, the noises that the witness claims to have heard, and the resulting times and events described. But, at the end of the day, this witness is a masked burglar. Before we even go any further with this line of thought, the prosecution would like to raise a question: exactly how trustworthy is this witness?"
"You make an excellent point," the Judge analyzes firmly, "I've been hesitant to even allow this testimony to begin with. Our poor bailiff has been run ragged trying to capture this witness, and this entire situation feels more like a theater performance than a cross-examination."
"Indeed," Yashin agrees, "Yet we're expected to change our entire understand of the crime based on this witness? Only a fool would place so much faith in such a testimony. If I wasn't seeing him flying through the air in front of my very eyes I'd go so far as to question whether or not Mask☆DeMasque was even at the museum that night to begin with. All we have to go on is his word claiming he was."
"Au contraire, mademoiselle!" Mask☆DeMasque grandly speaks as he enters the conversation once more, "If you need something better than my word, you can have it! As I stated from the beginning, I have a grand finale in store. I have one last parting gift I would like to leave in the capable hands of your Honor!"
He takes a momentary respite from his T-pose to draw his arms in while tightly holding his cape, wrapping himself as if he were a sleeping bat. With a dramatic flourish, he swings both of his arms back out and into their T-position once more, in the process causing mighty flaps of his cape, and scattering... pieces of paper? There aren't too many of them, probably five or six at most. Enough that the bailiff is quick enough to catch each one of them individually before they hit the ground.
"With this, I return that which I had borrowed from the Sniffsonian," DeMasque explains, "These documents come directly from the desk of the museum's curator, Hebi Hibiki!"
*!*
*!*
*!*
He gradually lifts higher and higher into the air before leaving through the glass sunroof and flying out of sight.
"Salutations, ladies and gentlemen! We shall meet again when the moon is full! Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!"

---(Music End)---

"My word...!" the Judge gasps, "Bailiff, please deliver those to detective Ritsu. If these are truly what the witness claims, then... well, I won't jump to any conclusions. But I insist that the police analyze these papers immediately!"
"Roger that, your Honor," Ritsu salutes as the papers are handed over to him, and he prepares them to be scrutinized by the police and forensics teams. "We'll take a close look for sure."
Hebi Hibiki stands from his seat and shouts, shuffling to try and leave the stands to run after the papers. "You dastardly pickpocket! Deplorable criminal! The nerve of him, taking those from me! Give those back immediately!" he cries as the bailiff blocks him from moving any closer to Ritsu, despite his struggling.
The Judge slams his gavel down. "Hibiki-san, I demand orderly conduct."
The anticipation in the room is suffocating, until Ritsu finally returns with preliminary results. "These look to be shipping records of some kind. Each item listed is one belonging to the museum. Nothing about them shows any signs of being altered: each paper has already been laminated for preservation, and the curator's fingerprints seem to prove the legitimacy of their source."
"Of course they are legitimate, they are mine!" Hibiki shouts angrily, "So give them back to me, at once!"
The Judge's gavel comes down again. "Hibiki-san, I WILL have order in my court," he commands with authority, before coughing and easing up. "That said, shipping records do not relate even slightly to what we are discussing. Detective Ritsu, when you are done with analyzing them, you may give them back to Hibiki-san."
*!*
  "Nick!" Maya calls to me with a subdued, quiet shout, "This could be exactly what we need to connect this to the curator! We can't let this chance slip by!"
I hold my chin in thought and consider the situation as it stands presently. "It could very well. But, at this moment, we don't have anything in our evidence that would prove any link between the curator's dealings and the murder..."
"We have to do something," Sae insists, "This may be crucial to the truth, but it's useless if he gets them back--we'll never see them again if that happens!"
She's right. Something is exactly what I'll try and do, and hopefully I'll figure something out as I go along!



"Your Honor!" I plead, "Since we don't know exactly what those documents pertain to quite yet, erm... um, the defense requests that those documents stay in police custody for the time being...?"
Hibiki directs his anger at us, now. "You two have been nothing but trouble from the start! When this is said and done, rest assured that I will be pressing charges against all of you for-"
Three gavel strikes seems to quiet him down. "Hibiki-san, if you do not keep your calm, I will have you removed from this courtroom. I will not ask again."
The Judge frown turns to me, to which I scratch the back of my head and try to look as innocent as possible. "Mr. Wright, we have gone beyond pushing the boundaries of what any sensible court should allow. I'm leaning on having this entire testimony scratched from the record, and I cannot justify using evidence that has been stolen."
Yashin looks surprised by this information. As she eyes the documents, she seems very interested. "Your Honor, if I may. Evidence laws dictate that as long as evidence is overseen and approved by the police, it is legal to present, and it would also become legal evidence as well should it become relevant to the facts of the trial. The prosecution agrees with the defense that these documents should be kept in the possession of the police until this trial is resolved."
*!*
Sae, Maya, and I are all taken aback by this. Hibiki is ready to flip his lid, but he keeps his mouth shut. I can tell he'd be threatening to press charges against her as well if he could, but the Judge's threats have him just barely contained at the moment.
Regardless, thanks to her intervention, we should be safe to consider Shipping Records as part of our evidence. We know that these records actually detail the movement of the items he has been selling off secretly, but we'll have to bide our time until we can prove that those have anything to do with this case...
  "Miss Yashin," Sae calls to our rival, "I've met plenty of prosecutors in my career, and you're quite unlike any of them. On one hand, you've been unrelenting in trying to convict our client, but on the other you've taken almost all of this quite passively; casually, even. As one professional to another, I'm just curious: what are your goals, here?"
She lefts both of her open palms outwardly and shrugs with a smirk and a sigh. "Austin Translation was a foreign diplomat. To say he had a few friends in high places would be an understatement. A lot of people have vested interests in seeing his killer brought to justice. Whoever that ends up being, I'll do everything in my power to convict them. In this situation, I've been lead to believe your client is still the most likely suspect."
"Oh, come on, you can't still be saying that!" Maya rolls her eyes, "You still haven't come up with a convincing argument for Akira even being involved in the first place!"
Yashin tilts her head to the side and rests her cheek on her fist. "Well, I actually do have 100% conclusive evidence that I've been waiting for the right moment to present."
*!*
*!*
*!*

---Music: Poison Queen (God Hand) ---

The gallery is heating up with conversation and concern, and I can't help but voice my opinions. "Yashin, why on Earth would you wait this long if you had something that important?!"
Maya pouts as she eyes Yashin and whispers to us, "Well... she did say, 'Let us start the game...' Maybe she's making a game of this..."
Yashin's voice sounds like she is feeling humbled. "There's something that I love and respect about the relationship between the various sides in all of these trails. Between the prosecution and the defense, of course there's conflict. But, by putting pressure on one another, in a lot of ways we're encouraging each other to present new theories and imagine new angles. The best way to reach the truth is to exhaust all of our options and strategies until there's no more room for argument or doubt."
"'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth," Detective Ritsu summarizes with a quote that I recognize from Sherlock Holmes.
"Yes sir, detective!" Yashin nods, "And to reach the truth, we all have a role to play. Cooperative in spirit but competitive at the core. Kind of a Ying-Yang type deal, right? I want to win, but I want to be thorough about it."
"So... wait, do you accuse Akira or not...?" Maya questions in a confusion.
Yashin holds up a bag with thin black lines inside of it. "Oh, yes, of course. We found a few of Akira Kurusu's Hair Strands. at the scene of the crime."
*!*
*!*
*!*
Wh-
....WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???!!!!

  To be continued...

  ---(Music End)---

  ---Music: Jingle ~ That's All For Today ---

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Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

  April 13th, 8:47 am
  Tokyo District Court, Courtroom No. 2

---Music: Mask☆DeMasque ~ Please Listen! ---

This must be some kind of joke, right? Am I being pranked right now? Mask☆DeMasque himself just flew into the courtroom from the skylight on the ceiling. And he's currently flying around the room effortlessly while maintaining somewhat of a T-pose... how in the world DOES he do his flying trick?! I'm starting to think the guy can actually fly.
"No matter how many years I've overseen trials," the Judge reminisces in his state of surprise, "And no matter how many times I've thought I've seen everything, somehow there will always be something new and unexpected. Mr. DeMasque, what in heaven's name are you doing in Japan?"
Yashin seems both entertained and curious at once. "Your Honor, do you know this person?"
The Judge nods. "If I recall, I acquitted this individual once. However, I thought he had hung up the mask or some such retirement of sorts."
"A ha ha ha ha!" Mask☆DeMasque laughs once more. "I commend you on your sharp memory, your Honor! However, the time was right and the situation called, and I recognized that it was the opportunity for one last encore!"
The Judge shakes his head to regain his usual firm demeanor. "I see. However, Mr. DeMasque, I do not appreciate my court being made into a spectacle. I'll be frank: what exactly is it you want to testify? Were you involved in the events of the night of the crime?"
"I think I can explain that, your Honor," Yashin volunteers. Her expression and behavior are somehow a fluid combination giddy excitement and calm analysis, marking for a somewhat subdued, amused disposition. "Judging by the evidence that the defense was about to present tells us all that we need to know. Tell me, Mr. Wright: is that one of this gentleman's calling cards? As in, the kind a phantom thief would leave?"
I nod. "Yes, you're exactly right. I was going to present Mask☆DeMasque's Calling Card, but then the man himself came out of nowhere..."
"I see," she acknowledges, moving to her next point. "From that we can deduce that you found that card at the scene of the crime? If this is true, there's no telling how much this could change the situation. Things just became a lot more interesting."
Detective Ritsu speaks his mind as well. "Mr. Wright, where exactly did you find that calling card? We didn't see anything like that when we searched the area."
"It was in the curator's office!" Maya answers.
*!*
This revelation has the audience in a hushed stir, whispering quietly. Though hardly a loss of order, a crack from the Judge's gavel still regains everyone's immediate attention. "Settle down. Now, if that is to be believed, then you were within the curator's office that night? If that can be proven, then that puts a significant hole in the witness' suggestion that the curator himself was there."
Ritsu holds his chin. "Hmm... we didn't search that area at all, come to think of it. That room is three stories above and away from the scene of the crime. Nobody would have thought it could possibly be involved."
The Judge continues contemplating Mask☆DeMasque's bizarre incursion into the court. "Mr. DeMasque, if you were truly involved, then you are indeed a potential witness... but also a potential suspect."
"Think what you will!" Mask☆DeMasque dismisses, maintaining his grandiose speech, "Nevertheless, as a consequence to my entrance into the Sniffsonian, I did indeed witness that which transpired to an extent. I had business elsewhere in the museum, but from a high viewpoint, I in fact caught a glimpse of what happened below."
"If that is the case," the Judge frowns with disappointment, "On the grounds of burglary alone, we're going to have to detain you, Mr. DeMasque."
"And I shall applaud you if your efforts to do so succeed, your Honor! I simply wish to assist the court in determining the truth of these crimes, and then I will be on my way!"
The Judge is certainly not pleased. "Bailiff, fetch a ladder so we can reach this gentleman!"
"That's not going to work!" I shout, "A ladder will have nothing to lean against, what you'll need is a stepladder!"
"Now is not the time to force a superficial distinction, Nick!" Maya argues.
"Now is EXACTLY the time to!!" I fire back incredulously.
"Regardless," Yashin coughs, "With what precious little perspective we have on what actually happened, the prosecution is willing to humor Mask☆DeMasque's desire to testify, for what it's worth."
The Judge didn't expect that stance, based on his surprise. "Is that so? I suppose I can see the reason why, given the circumstances... but I'm extremely reluctant to allow such an audacious testimony!"
I look towards Maya and Sae. "What do we think about this, team?" I consult.
"If he's offering, we should take it," Sae nods, and quietly puts her thoughts to whisper, "Given his relationship with you two... I doubt he'd be trying to hinder us, and may actually want to help."
Maya nods as well. "Let's give him a chance!" she speaks with pep, "We need more details as it is!"
Hmm. I think I'm in agreement, so I announce our collective thoughts to the court. "Your Honor, the defense would be fine with accepting new testimony as well. With how little we know about the actual crime, anything could help."
The Judge doesn't take this decision lightly, and puts a few moments of hard thought into it. "Hrm. I will give Mr. DeMasque the benefit of the doubt. But, I must insist that we get his high-flying act under control!"
Yeesh. The sad thing is this won't even be the strangest testimony I've ever experienced. But, it's time to get going to see what the phantom thief himself wants to say.

---(Music End)---

---Music: Looming Danger (Persona Q) ---

-- Beneath the DeMasque --

"On the night of April 11th, I had made my entrance into the Sniffsonian atrium from high above.
I could see--"

(I can't help but notice that for every statement Mask☆DeMasque makes, he floats to a different area in the air, and the poor Bailiff is getting quite a workout trying to keep up to set up the stepladder and reach him...)

"I could see through the glass ceiling as I prepared to enter, and saw the curator leave his office at 9:14 pm.
I found a way into his office, which took a minute or so, and I had what I came for by 9:15.
I hid near a potted plant until I was sure no one else was on the third floor with me, and made my escape.
As I flew through the air to take my leave, I heard a few loud noises in the distance.'
By 9:17, I was out of the museum and on my way."

---(Music End)---

For a time, everyone in the room is silent, and the only noise is that of the bailiff panting and frantically hauling around his stepladder in hot pursuit of the masked thief. This testimony doesn't tell us much information, but it will be our jobs to pick more info out of it.
The Judge holds his hand to his head. "I can only imagine how difficult it would be to prosecute an international criminal in a situation like this... it's giving me a headache just thinking about it."
"And honestly, your Honor," Maya adds, "With how many crazy laws there are, like allowing you to oversee trials here for instance, I wouldn't be surprised if there are loopholes that would let Mask☆DeMasque off the hook!"
Heh, that's Maya for you. Always looking out for our friends. She's even taking the opportunity to try and keep Ron's name clear.
"I have to agree," Yashin confirms unexpectedly, "All of these transitions to a new court system are making things pretty insane. But, anyway! We'll deal with that later."
I seriously cannot get a read on her. Sometimes she's serious, sometimes she's joking. Predicting what she'll do or say feels futile... I just have to be on guard for anything she comes at us with.
"Indeed," the Judge nods, "The cross-examination of the witness takes precedence. Bailiff, please try a bit harder to detain Mask☆DeMasque for us!"
The bailiff sighs in a way that lets us know that the effort he is putting into his job is incongruous with his pay grade.
Yashin has something to say first, however.



"Monsieur DeMasque," she addresses, her choice of honorific sounding like she's having fun playing up the flair, "The prosecution finds it crucial to know just what exactly your reason for being in the museum that night was. You even mentioned that you had gotten 'what you came for,' at that. I have to request that you explain to the court what you stole."
"In due time, mademoiselle!" he returns, "When all is said and done, there will be a grand finale indeed. A ha ha ha ha ha..."
Geeze... I really hope that the Orb doesn't get mentioned or revealed here. We're assuming Akira is being watched already, and the Orb coming to light would set off all of the worst red flags about the Phantom Thieves and our objective to stop this conspiracy.
As usual, we'll just have to ask the right questions and avoid the dangerous topics, and hope for the best...


---Music: Looming Danger (Persona Q) ---

Sae seems to be putting her brain to work already as she closes her eyes to think. "He said he saw the curator leave the office, right? We should ask for more details on that."
"Sounds good to start..." Maya agrees, but seems to be hesitant, "To be honest, I feel like something in this testimony seems important, but I'm not sure what."
We'll have to take things step by step, and maybe something will jump out at us.



I speak up, prepared to ask my first question. "Mr. DeMasque, if you had a clear view of the curator enough to see him leave the office, did you see where it was he was going?"
"To that, I am unsure," he answers, "All I know is he was going to a lower floor, because I saw him take a flight of stairs downward. For the entire while I was on the third floor, I never saw him return."
Sae contemplates the response. "So, that tells us that the entire time, the curator would had to have been on a different floor altogether..."
I hold my chin to think myself. "That's good information, but there's not much we can do with just that by itself. Maybe we should try a different approach."
"Oh, I think I've got it!" Maya announces to us with cheery pep, "Ask him about the noises he heard! If there was more than one loud noise, that has to mean something, right?"
"Ah! Good catch, Maya!" I commend, "Let's do just that."



I feel pretty confident about this plan of attack. "Mr. DeMasque, would you please go into a little more detail about the specific noises you heard that night?"
The masked thief smiles as he continues levitating through the air. "I wasn't focused entirely on them at the time, but they stand out in my memory nonetheless. Allow me to re-word my testimony, then."

"As I flew through the air to take my leave, I heard a loud 'THUD!' as if something heavy had hit the ground.
At the same time I heard I heard sharp 'SNAP' noises that sounded like breaking wood.
  Not even a minute later, there was an extremely loud 'SMASH!' which made me think that something large had been broken."

"Now we're getting somewhere!" Maya smirks with a fist pump, "Let's break this down based on what we know..."
Sae sounds ready to chime in. "We know that the statue fell on top of the victim... that certainly would have been a noise, alright. However... would a statue simply falling over really make such a loud sound, though?"
"I had almost forgotten to mention, Niijima-san," I reply, "Maya and I discovered something in our investigating. We haven't had a chance to bring it up in the trial as of yet, but we believe the statue was actually located on the first floor."
Maya nods. "It didn't match up with the exhibits on the ground floor at all, but the first floor is a statue gallery! It's much more likely that the statue was up above rather than on the ground with the victim."
Sae's eyes widen, and this new information clearly has her looking at things differently. "If it had fallen from a great height, it could have very easily made a much louder sound! But... that only accounts for one of the noises Mask☆DeMasque heard. It could have been either the 'thud' or the 'smash.'"
The three of us all naturally reach the same question, which I verbalize for us. "What could the other noise have been...?"
Wait... hang on a moment. So, if falling from a great height makes a louder noise... and there were TWO noises... did two things fall?
*!*
"Guys, I think I've figured it out!" I speak to my friends, prepared to explain, "Maybe the victim himself wasn't on the ground floor, either?"
*!*
"What do you mean?" Sae questions, "Like, he was on a higher floor and he fell to the ground, too?"
"Let's think about the state the victim ended up in," I focus, "He had wounds all over, not just on the side the statue fell on. If someone had pushed him off of the balcony of a higher floor, that would explain how the body was in such a bad state."
"Him falling would explain the 'THUD!'" Maya reasons, "And then, if the statue was pushed over too and fell on top of him, that could have made the 'SMASH!' too!"
"This could turn this trial on its head completely!" I recognize, "But... we need to be able to back up this possibility with proof of some sort."
Maya points to the Atrium Exhibit Guide. "We can use the guide to prove that the statue had to have been on the first floor, so that's no issue. But how would we be able to prove the victim was there, too...?"
"That will be tough," Sae laments, "Everything we know about the scene supports that the involved parties were on the ground floor. There was even some sort of physical struggle down there, based on the broken easel..."
Think, Phoenix, think. That much is true, Mask☆DeMasque even heard the snapping wood. How exactly was that easel broken, anyway?
Wait... let's think about the order of the sounds. There was a 'THUD' and a 'SNAP' at the same time, and then a 'SMASH' shortly after.
The thud and the snap happened at the same time...?
*!*
"Guys, I think I have an idea," I explain, "What if the victim fell ON the easel? That would explain the two noises happening at once, and would also explain why it was broken in the first place!"
"You may be on to something!" Sae nods eagerly, "That would also explain the puncture wound caused by a sharp piece of wood! I think we should go with this, Mr. Wright!"
Maya nods firmly as well. "That's true, I forgot all about the puncture wound in the autopsy. That's really solid support for our theory!"
  Looks like we're all in favor of this new theory. Time to roll with it!

---(Music End)---



---Music: Logic and Tricks ---

"You Honor, the defense has reached a new conclusion based on Mask☆DeMasque's testimony and the evidence thus far. To start, I would like to direct everyone's attention to the Sniffsonian's own Atrium Exhibit Guide. If you look carefully at the various pages, you'll see that the roped off area on the ground floor where the body was found was a gallery of paintings. A statue wouldn't have been there in the first place. The first floor, directly above it, was in fact a statue gallery! A fundamental misunderstanding we've had from the start is the statue's location. It wasn't pushed over during any altercations on the ground floor, but in fact fell onto the victim from above! The statue falling from so high up would make a noise that would perfectly describe the 'SMASH' that the witness heard!"
This new perspective gets the gallery gossiping as usually, with whispers filling the room. Yashin has her eyes closed and is thinking deeply--let's see her try and counter this!



"Mr. Wright," Yashin addresses me, "That guide isn't worth much. Exhibits in a museum are moved all the time for any number of reasons. Recall from the Crime Scene Photographs that there was even a platform with wheels near where the statue was broken. It was clearly in the process of being moved, and we can't conclusively prove where it was or wasn't."
Not going to cut it, Yashin!



"Take a look at the very same Crime Scene Photographs, and you'll see that the area was roped off completely! There's no way a statue that heavy could have been pushed along the ground into the area where it was found broken... the only other explanation would be if the statue fell from above, and happened to land in the roped-off area."
She holds her chin in thought. "Alright, that's a fair take. Let's assume that's what happened. How, in this case, would that explain it falling on the victim? We can tell the victim was on the ground floor, most likely fighting with someone roughly enough to have broken the easel and painting that were destroyed nearby. Are you telling me that someone managed to push over the statue from above and have it land exactly on top of a moving target? And how would that be possible in the first place, are you suggesting a third party was involved? For all we know, the witness could have pushed it over from his vantage point above!"
Time for some more evidence to back us up. If this is what truly happened, then we have plenty of supporting evidence in our favor. Like how the puncture wound explains our theory!



"Miss Yashin," I reply back with confidence backing my words, "There's no reason for us to believe that there was a conflict on the ground floor at all, that night! I would like to refer to the Autopsy Report. Note that, in addition to having body-wide wounds, and a puncture would from a stake of wood from the broken easel. The defense asserts that the victim was having a confrontation on the first floor, and he himself was pushed over the edge and landed on top of the easel on the ground floor below!"
*!*
The audience is clearly buying what we're selling, which is good. At this point, I'm certain we're on the right track. "After all, this all lines up, doesn't it?" I push further, "A 'THUD' from a falling body simultaneous with a 'SNAP' from the easel it landed in, followed by a 'SMASH' from a statue!"
"Why, in your opinion," Yashin probes, "Would someone have pushed a statue on top of the victim after the fact?"
I shake my head. "We can't know for sure at this point in time. However, it is pure fact that the body had a statue on top of it, and that statue was likely on the first floor since it is so out of place on the ground floor. I'll go one further: you explained how hard it would have been to hit a moving target with a statue so large. But if the victim had just fallen and was already wounded--or even dead--it wouldn't be hard at all to aim a statue to fall right on top of him!"

---(Music End)---



"I have to stop you right there, Mr. Wright," Yashin retorts, "I have to give you credit on your creativity, but this theory simply isn't possible. You're neglecting to mention the Destroyed Painting that we found elsewhere in the crime scene. Every other easel in the display area had a painting on it already, ergo the destroyed painting had to have belonged to the easel that was broken. Why wasn't the painting directly underneath the body?"
"We've already established that someone tampered with the crime scene after the murder," is my counter, "They could have easily pulled the picture out from underneath and placed it elsewhere specifically to throw us off. It was a clever move, because that painting is the only thing that can confirm for us that the victim did fall from above!"



"You've got that right, Mr. Wright," Yashin chuckles, "That the painting is the only piece of evidence that can prove your theory. That makes it all the more of a shame that you simply can't use this evidence to support your theory, because there's no proof that that victim could have fallen on top of that painting. And without that, there's absolutely nothing to suggest that the location is anywhere other than the ground floor, where we started!"
This is a tricky spot. We're so close to changing the premise of this case completely... I better take a moment to revisit every piece of evidence we have for any kind of connection between the painting and the victim...
The painting was smeared, yes? Perhaps if the body fell on it, there would have been some sort of residual paint or smearing on the body... but all I see from the Crime Scene Photographs is the victim covered in blood--
Wait, is it really blood?
Could this be the evidence we need?
Yes, it can!



---Music: Phoenix Wright ~ Objection! 2002 ---

I shuffled the evidence I have in hand to straighten out the photos out neatly. "I need to direct the court's attention to the Crime Scene Photographs, specifically the body on the stretcher."
"What a gruesome image..." the Judge mourns, before asking, "But what exactly does this prove to us?"
"Allow me to point it out for you, your Honor:" I offer, drawing my finger right to the wounded area in the abdomen. "As you can see, the body is covered in 'blood' from the puncture wound of sharp wood from the easel... but, I have to direct the court's attention back to the Destroyed Painting, as well. It is a piece that has many rich reds used in it, and the painting is smeared completely. Detective Ritsu, I'd like to ask you, was there any paint residue left on the body, specifically in the bloodied area?"
He nods. "The boys back at the lab found there was a lot of red paint actually mixed into the wounded area, and it was a real head-scratcher. We knew that somehow the victim must have come into contact with the painting, but we couldn't figure out how."
This really has the court going. Even the Judge is in a state of heavy contemplation. I think we've really connected the dots here!
  "Nick, you're on a roll!" Maya cheers, "But now we have to take advantage of this opportunity! We know Akira didn't do it, so who else would have been on the first floor? Looks like we might finally have pinned a prime suspect!"

---(Music End)---



"Before you even say what you're about to say," Yashin interjects, "Do note that Kuchibiru-san pulled an alarm on the completely opposite side of the balcony, even if it was technically still on the first floor. He would have been nowhere near the purported area that the victim would have fallen from, had he been pushed over the railing as you claim."
"That's not necessarily a terrible loss of ground," Sae reasons, "We weren't really suspecting the security guard as much as we were the curator..."
"If you ask me," Maya jumps in, "I think it's important that we can prove that the curator wasn't in his office!"
  "There's no way around it," the Judge speaks, "Understanding the locations of everyone involved is an absolute necessity in understanding the truth of what happened..."
A familiar laugh echoes once more. "Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!"

---Music: Gyakuten Meets Orchestra - Villain Suite (Mask☆DeMasque Theme starting at 2:37) ---

Mask☆DeMasque flies to the very center of the courtroom, and all eyes are on him once again. "It has been my pleasure sharing this knowledge with the court, your Honor!" I must soon take my leave, but I trust that the ladies and gentlemen of this trial's proceedings will make use of the information I have delivered!



Yashin shakes her head. "A lot of the defense's interpretation of events ride on this testimony. The location of the curator, the noises that the witness claims to have heard, and the resulting times and events described. But, at the end of the day, this witness is a masked burglar. Before we even go any further with this line of thought, the prosecution would like to raise a question: exactly how trustworthy is this witness?"
"You make an excellent point," the Judge analyzes firmly, "I've been hesitant to even allow this testimony to begin with. Our poor bailiff has been run ragged trying to capture this witness, and this entire situation feels more like a theater performance than a cross-examination."
"Indeed," Yashin agrees, "Yet we're expected to change our entire understand of the crime based on this witness? Only a fool would place so much faith in such a testimony. If I wasn't seeing him flying through the air in front of my very eyes I'd go so far as to question whether or not Mask☆DeMasque was even at the museum that night to begin with. All we have to go on is his word claiming he was."
"Au contraire, mademoiselle!" Mask☆DeMasque grandly speaks as he enters the conversation once more, "If you need something better than my word, you can have it! As I stated from the beginning, I have a grand finale in store. I have one last parting gift I would like to leave in the capable hands of your Honor!"
He takes a momentary respite from his T-pose to draw his arms in while tightly holding his cape, wrapping himself as if he were a sleeping bat. With a dramatic flourish, he swings both of his arms back out and into their T-position once more, in the process causing mighty flaps of his cape, and scattering... pieces of paper? There aren't too many of them, probably five or six at most. Enough that the bailiff is quick enough to catch each one of them individually before they hit the ground.
"With this, I return that which I had borrowed from the Sniffsonian," DeMasque explains, "These documents come directly from the desk of the museum's curator, Hebi Hibiki!"
*!*
*!*
*!*
He gradually lifts higher and higher into the air before leaving through the glass sunroof and flying out of sight.
"Salutations, ladies and gentlemen! We shall meet again when the moon is full! Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!"

---(Music End)---

"My word...!" the Judge gasps, "Bailiff, please deliver those to detective Ritsu. If these are truly what the witness claims, then... well, I won't jump to any conclusions. But I insist that the police analyze these papers immediately!"
"Roger that, your Honor," Ritsu salutes as the papers are handed over to him, and he prepares them to be scrutinized by the police and forensics teams. "We'll take a close look for sure."
Hebi Hibiki stands from his seat and shouts, shuffling to try and leave the stands to run after the papers. "You dastardly pickpocket! Deplorable criminal! The nerve of him, taking those from me! Give those back immediately!" he cries as the bailiff blocks him from moving any closer to Ritsu, despite his struggling.
The Judge slams his gavel down. "Hibiki-san, I demand orderly conduct."
The anticipation in the room is suffocating, until Ritsu finally returns with preliminary results. "These look to be shipping records of some kind. Each item listed is one belonging to the museum. Nothing about them shows any signs of being altered: each paper has already been laminated for preservation, and the curator's fingerprints seem to prove the legitimacy of their source."
"Of course they are legitimate, they are mine!" Hibiki shouts angrily, "So give them back to me, at once!"
The Judge's gavel comes down again. "Hibiki-san, I WILL have order in my court," he commands with authority, before coughing and easing up. "That said, shipping records do not relate even slightly to what we are discussing. Detective Ritsu, when you are done with analyzing them, you may give them back to Hibiki-san."
*!*
  "Nick!" Maya calls to me with a subdued, quiet shout, "This could be exactly what we need to connect this to the curator! We can't let this chance slip by!"
I hold my chin in thought and consider the situation as it stands presently. "It could very well. But, at this moment, we don't have anything in our evidence that would prove any link between the curator's dealings and the murder..."
"We have to do something," Sae insists, "This may be crucial to the truth, but it's useless if he gets them back--we'll never see them again if that happens!"
She's right. Something is exactly what I'll try and do, and hopefully I'll figure something out as I go along!



"Your Honor!" I plead, "Since we don't know exactly what those documents pertain to quite yet, erm... um, the defense requests that those documents stay in police custody for the time being...?"
Hibiki directs his anger at us, now. "You two have been nothing but trouble from the start! When this is said and done, rest assured that I will be pressing charges against all of you for-"
Three gavel strikes seems to quiet him down. "Hibiki-san, if you do not keep your calm, I will have you removed from this courtroom. I will not ask again."
The Judge frown turns to me, to which I scratch the back of my head and try to look as innocent as possible. "Mr. Wright, we have gone beyond pushing the boundaries of what any sensible court should allow. I'm leaning on having this entire testimony scratched from the record, and I cannot justify using evidence that has been stolen."
Yashin looks surprised by this information. As she eyes the documents, she seems very interested. "Your Honor, if I may. Evidence laws dictate that as long as evidence is overseen and approved by the police, it is legal to present, and it would also become legal evidence as well should it become relevant to the facts of the trial. The prosecution agrees with the defense that these documents should be kept in the possession of the police until this trial is resolved."
*!*
Sae, Maya, and I are all taken aback by this. Hibiki is ready to flip his lid, but he keeps his mouth shut. I can tell he'd be threatening to press charges against her as well if he could, but the Judge's threats have him just barely contained at the moment.
Regardless, thanks to her intervention, we should be safe to consider Shipping Records as part of our evidence. We know that these records actually detail the movement of the items he has been selling off secretly, but we'll have to bide our time until we can prove that those have anything to do with this case...
  "Miss Yashin," Sae calls to our rival, "I've met plenty of prosecutors in my career, and you're quite unlike any of them. On one hand, you've been unrelenting in trying to convict our client, but on the other you've taken almost all of this quite passively; casually, even. As one professional to another, I'm just curious: what are your goals, here?"
She lefts both of her open palms outwardly and shrugs with a smirk and a sigh. "Austin Translation was a foreign diplomat. To say he had a few friends in high places would be an understatement. A lot of people have vested interests in seeing his killer brought to justice. Whoever that ends up being, I'll do everything in my power to convict them. In this situation, I've been lead to believe your client is still the most likely suspect."
"Oh, come on, you can't still be saying that!" Maya rolls her eyes, "You still haven't come up with a convincing argument for Akira even being involved in the first place!"
Yashin tilts her head to the side and rests her cheek on her fist. "Well, I actually do have 100% conclusive evidence that I've been waiting for the right moment to present."
*!*
*!*
*!*

---Music: Poison Queen (God Hand) ---

The gallery is heating up with conversation and concern, and I can't help but voice my opinions. "Yashin, why on Earth would you wait this long if you had something that important?!"
Maya pouts as she eyes Yashin and whispers to us, "Well... she did say, 'Let us start the game...' Maybe she's making a game of this..."
Yashin's voice sounds like she is feeling humbled. "There's something that I love and respect about the relationship between the various sides in all of these trails. Between the prosecution and the defense, of course there's conflict. But, by putting pressure on one another, in a lot of ways we're encouraging each other to present new theories and imagine new angles. The best way to reach the truth is to exhaust all of our options and strategies until there's no more room for argument or doubt."
"'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth," Detective Ritsu summarizes with a quote that I recognize from Sherlock Holmes.
"Yes sir, detective!" Yashin nods, "And to reach the truth, we all have a role to play. Cooperative in spirit but competitive at the core. Kind of a Ying-Yang type deal, right? I want to win, but I want to be thorough about it."
"So... wait, do you accuse Akira or not...?" Maya questions in a confusion.
Yashin holds up a bag with thin black lines inside of it. "Oh, yes, of course. We found a few of Akira Kurusu's Hair Strands. at the scene of the crime."
*!*
*!*
*!*
Wh-
....WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???!!!!

  To be continued...

  ---(Music End)---

  ---Music: Jingle ~ That's All For Today ---

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