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  April 13th, 10:05 am
  Tokyo District Court, Courtroom No. 2

The audience continues on in hushed whispers as the dust settles from what looks like the end of it all. In a few moments here, Akira Kurusu is going to walk away a free man. We're off the hook, no more suspicion will be coming our way, and we'll be able to investigation and stop this potentially global conspiracy.
I don't think any of us feel right about how this is going to end, though. Jack Canary, still standing at the witness stand, seems to have lost all hope. What can we do, though? He might actually be the real culprit. The facts are all pointing to that conclusion.
Suddenly, someone starts to applaud, and the repeated sharp claps turn the room completely quite except for those very claps.

---Music: Elegant ~ And Excellence ---

"Sssplendid! Magnificccent!" Hebi Hibiki praises as if he had just watched a performance.
I bite my lip with frustration. Even the prosecution must see Hibiki's true colors with the way he has been behaving. "Miss Yashin, do you truly believe that Mr. Canary committed this murder? That Hibiki is innocent...?"
"Yes to the first question, no to the second one," she returns back. "It doesn't matter what I think if the facts line up. Whatever is left is the truth, that's all there is to it. And the curator clearly has a lot of shady things to own up for--blackmail in specific is a serious matter, after all--but that will have to wait for another time, if we are focused on convicting Austin Translation's killer."
"Oh, never you mind thossse accusssationsss," Hibiki dismisses, "You and I both know that there'sss no proof of anything Missster Canary alleged. Ssslander, plain and sssimple, I sssay. Either way, I'm more than impressssed, Missss Yasssshin! You dissscovered the truth down to the very lassst detail! Everything you dessscribed is exxxactly how I witnessssed it!"
Maya stands on her tiptoes and leans as if she's about to shout...

---(Music End)---



"We can't let that slide, your Honor!" Maya reasons with a very forceful tone, "The curator just said he witnessed the crime as it happened! He told us that at the very beginning when he accused Mr. Canary, even!"
"That may be true," the Judge nods, "And if the curator wishes to testify, I will certainly allow it. But, as things stand, I believe there is more than enough evidence and testimony to make my decision."
"Then go ahead, pleassse do ssso, your Honor! Capture that dessspicable killer and bring him to jussstice!"
  "Oh yeah?" Maya shouts back angrily, "If you're so confident that this guy is the real killer, then prove it! Why don't you tell us exactly what you saw, then?"
Hibiki dusts his shoulder off a few times while the tip of his tongue escapes from his lips a few times before sliding back into his mouth. "If I mussst. You lot are sssimply incorrigible. I'll testify and be done with it, and ressst assssured I will be pressssing chargesss when thisss is sssaid and done."
Maya and I stealthily high five. She's really got a talent for leading people into doing exactly what she wants. She just bought us one last chance to find the truth. "Go get him, Nick," she nods with a smirk.
"Well then, Hibiki-san," the Judge coughs, "Please, provide as much information as possible as to what you witnessed. We need as decisive a testimony as possible for justice to be handed appropriately."
"I sssuppose that'sss reasssonable..." he sssighsss... ack! Now he's got me doing the slithery 'sss' thing! Focus, Phoenix!

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

-- What Hibiki Sssaw --

"I wasss in my officcce all evening, like I alwaysss am. Running a mussseum issn't easssy!
At a little after the turn of the hour, I heard ssshouting echoing from the atrium.
I ran as quickly as I could, and on the first floor balcony I sssaw two men fighting.
I hid for my own sssafety, naturally. The two were clearly dangerousss.
I had no idea why either of them were in the building to begin with!"

---(Music End)---

"That... didn't really tell us much at all," Maya groans, clearly upset.
"I don't know what you expected," Yashin replies, "You're grasping at straws here."
"Regardless," the Judge coughs, "If we are allowing this testimony then I also allow the defense the right to cross-examine it."

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

"I think I can pick out an inconsistency already," Sae tells us.
"Hmm... let me guess, is it the last statement?" I infer.
"It definitely is. Maybe he didn't know why Mr. Canary was still there, but he should have a pretty good idea of why the victim was there."
Opportunities to present evidence during this entire trial have been pretty sparse, at least until now. Something in my gut tells me that the evidence train is finally going to get a chance to leave the station.

---(Music End)---



"Hibiki-san," I start off, "I want to go into more detail about your relationship with the victim. Specifically, the fact that he was sending you quite a few text messages, which we see on the Repaired Phone. The victim was not only trying to contact you, but he was even headed up to your office!"
Hibiki shakes his head, and I swear it looks like the red streaks in his hair are moving on their own... "I don't recall ever getting any text messssagesss at all. How do you even know any of thossse were directed at me?"
"That's obvious!" Maya hops in, "There aren't any other offices in the museum other than yours!"
*!*
"That'sss... er..." Hibiki hisses with his narrow tongue, "Maybe he truly wasss trying to find me. But I have honessstly not a clue what he could have wanted from me! I, truly, do not know why he wasss coming to me with a weapon, nor would I have any reassson to kill him. And, furthermore, I've done nothing of offenssse to anyone!"
But... has he really done nothing that would offend anyone else?
Of course he has. "Hibiki-san, your museum is wrapped up in scandals as if they were a boa constrictor. And I have evidence to prove it! Why don't we take a look at the very front page of this week's newspaper? It's right here in this Sniffsonian Article!"



"Mr. Wright, please do explain what that article is about," the Judge requests, "I hadn't a chance to actually read any of the headlines since I got here."
"I'll certainly sum it up for you, Your Honor. The Sniffsonian Museum has a very unfortunate case of various pieces of art going missing, mysteriously. A lot of the pieces in the museum have been donated or are otherwise being loaned by other owners and artists, and they are naturally extremely upset to know their exhibit pieces were handled so negligently they had gone missing completely!"
"While that does seem rather unfortunate..." Yashin responds, "I don't see how that in any way ties the victim and the witness together."
"Indeed," the Judge agrees, "I'm sorry, but I fail to see the relevancy to the situation at hand. I don't think anyone would be driven to want to kill him, nor would he have a reason to kill anyone, based on how he handles or mishandles his establishment. I would need something more directly related to really see any connection."
"Mr. Wright," Sae turns to me and whispers quietly, "I think I have an idea. If there's a disconnect between the missing pieces and the murder at the museum, we may be able to bridge the gap with another piece of evidence! One that your friend left, at that. I think he knew from the start it would be just what we need!"
"That's right!" Maya agrees, sounding pumped, "Now's the perfect time to put that piece of evidence out for everyone to see it!"
"Your Honor! I can very much give a better connection. Let's return to the Shipping Records that detective Ritsu still has in police custody. I think it's time the court had a closer look at the actual contents of the records."
"Sure thing, Mr. Wright," Ritsu agrees politely, "What in specific do you want to look for in these records?"
"Let's think about this, Nick," Maya encourages me, "We need to pick some kind of information that we could cross-reference with the article about the missing pieces."
Should we ask to look for...
The names of the artists
The names of the missing pieces
The cartoons section of the paper
"Very funny, Maya..." I groan, "But I don't think this today's Garfield comic is going to help us. (Or, anyone, for that matter.)"
"Just trying to cheer you up to make sure you're at your A-game," Maya winks and thumbs up. I can't deny that her cheery pep is infectious.
"Detective, can you check the names of the pieces of artwork that are listed in the Sniffsonian Article? I have a good feeling if we check those Shipping Records, then we may find some shocking similarities..."
The detective and a few other officers browse through the various papers and documents, and Ritsu soon has a look of revelation on his face. "Wow... every single one of the pieces that were reported as missing in the paper are listed in these records... with what seem to be dates and times, no less! There are amounts of money written, as well, like some sort of accounting ledger."
*!*

---Music: Phoenix Wright ~ Objection! 2013 ---

Great! I've been waiting for quite some time to bring his dirty deeds to light. "It seems to the defense like the witness has been keeping great care to track these pieces. I'd go so far as to say he actually knows exactly where the missing pieces are, when they left, and how much money he made by secretly selling them off on the black market!"
This really gets the crowd going. The picture we're finally starting to paint of Hibiki's true nature definitely isn't a piece he's going to want to hang in a museum any time soon.
"I have another request, detective," Sae announces, "Can you see if there are any names of individuals listed in those records? Specifically, the name of the victim...?"
Another quick scan for a few moments until an answer is reached. "Whoa... I see his name on this page right here," Ritsu confirms, "'Translation, Austin,' it says."
"I suspected as much," Sae nods. "Everything points to the fact that Hebi Hibiki was doing some sort of business with Austin Translation, and it was in specific relation to the very sensitive nature of his shady moonlight sales."
"So there you have it," I smirk, "The witness knew exactly who the victim was! That relationship could have turned sour any number of ways. For example, perhaps the victim had a personal stake in one or more of the exhibit pieces and he had been outbid by another buyer? Or, perhaps the victim was threatening to reveal the curator's midnight dealings. There's no way to tell the specifics, but even left to the imagination it's clear that the potential for motive exists there!"
  The people in the crowd intensify further, and the Judge has to caution them with a gavel tap or two before they get out of control. "Now this is intriguing indeed!" the Judge concedes, "Given that sort of relationship, it could be feasible that one would be driven to violence against the other... it's a bit of a stretch anyone would take art that seriously--"
"How DARE you!" Yusuke stands and shouts from the audience before the people sitting around him pull him back into his seat.
"--But, at the same time, just about everything else in this trial is a stretch, as well. Given that we simply do not know if Mr. Canary had any relationship with the victim, I'd go so far as to say that the Hibiki-san's likelihood of having a motive is--"
Hibiki doesn't take any of this quietly.

---(Music End)---



"Thisss isss preposssterousss!" he shouts, and I'm one hundred percent certain that the red strands of hair are standing up on end and wiggling as if they're alive, "Thossse are the logsss I wasss usssing to invessstigate the missssing pieccces! The datesss they went missssing, the amount of the damagesss... and the namesss of the artissstsss who I would compensssate for the lossssessss!"
"So, what," Maya argues, "You'll telling us that Mr. Translation was the artist of one the pieces or something?"
"Go asssk him yourssself," Hibiki bites back rudely.
"Um, hello, sorry to interrupt again," Ritsu calls to everyone, "But I have a bit more news. I've also been in touch with the guys who were working the Autopsy Report, and they have a new theory."
"Of course, detective," the Judge nods, "What new information do you have for us?"
"Well, they were so caught up in trying to figure out why the stab wound didn't match the wood splinter that they didn't do much looking into the head wound. They compared notes with the forensics team who were looking over the Hammer, and they've both come to a realization that the size and severity of the victim's head wound makes is seem like something larger than a hammer had to have caused it."
*!*
*!*
*!*
The Judge's eyes, like everyone else's, bulge out in surprise. "Goodness! What else could it have possibly been, then?"
"We aren't sure, yet," Ritsu explains, "We have our feet on the ground back at the museum as we speak. I've gotten word that there's an international investigations team with the boys there now, looking things over at the crime scene."
"Is that so?" the Judge questions, "Perhaps it would be best to postpone these proceedings until further investigations are completed..."
"If I may," Yashin interjects, though she looks very serious compared to normal, "I'm sorry to rain on anyone's parade, but we still haven't done anything to address the fact that Hibiki-san could not have made it to the first floor in the time frame this all took place. It doesn't matter what investigating is done, we've already proven all there is to prove."
"But," Sae fires back, "What about the fact that Mr. Canary couldn't have made it to the other side of the atrium and back to pull the alarm in time?"
"He didn't pull the alarm until after the deed had already been done," Hibiki states firmly.
"How the heck do you know that?!" Maya calls into question.
"I told you, I witnessssed the murder with my own two eyesss."
"Well, you sure didn't testify about that!" Maya asserts.
"Well, fine!!" Hibiki hisses, and it's as if his red hair strands wiggle along with his tongue. "If you would give me a chanccce, I'd very well explain the ressst!"
"If you have more testimony, Hibiki-san," the Judge speaks, "Please be as specific as possible about the details."
"Gladly," Hibiki speaks, dusting his shoulders as his hair settles down, "I'll put an end to this cccharade onccce and for all."


---Music: Blooming Villain ---

-- Ssstone Cold Gaze --

"I only sssaw the lassst part of the quarrel. It wasss horrifying, watching the victim get run through by that stone blade.
I ssstayed quiet and hid behind the ssstaircase for sssafety, and watched Canary pusssh the victim over the edge.
He rolled the ssstatue over and pussshed it asss well, I assssume to hide the evidenccce.
He ran downssstairs and began sssmassshing very ssspecccific partsss of the ssstatue even more.
Finally, Missster Canary ran to pull the alarm after the murder had already been finissshed.
When he pulled the alarm, I cccame down and pretended to not know what had happened, so he wouldn't be sssussspiccciousss."

---(Music End)---

"This is... the most direct anyone has testified about the murder yet!" the Judge remarks.
Yashin has her eyes closed and her arms crossed and doesn't say anything.
"Is something the matter, Miss Yashin?" the Judge asks her out of concern.
She opens her eyes and her expression looks very stern. "Nothing is the matter. The trial is almost over, and the true culprit will be revealed... once we've all done our parts. I'm simply... curious, as to how the defense will handle this last testimony, and their last part."
"I see," the Judge confirms, "Very well. This trial certainly is nearing closure. Unless the investigators come back with new information, or evidence can be uncovered, I'm nearly ready to pass the verdict."
I gulp, but muster up my reserves of courage. Just as much as I don't want to see an innocent person convicted, I want to see the clearly guilty one caught. I have every incentive to corner Hibiki until he can no longer hide the truth. There has to be an explanation for what truly happened. There has to be something here we can use, anything.

---Music: Blooming Villain ---

Sae and Maya seem relatively quiet. They are probably, like me, at a loss of where to go with this. I don't think we have evidence that can counter any of these claims.
"Guys... I'm running out of ideas, here. All I can really think to ask about is what kind of object the victim was struck in the head with. But, Hibiki specifically excluded that and said that he only saw the last part of the fight... he's probably going to keep his lips zipped on that point."
"Maybe we could brainstorm what else it could have been?" Sae suggests, "I doubt Hibiki would be the type of person to carry a weapon with him, plus they are saying whatever caused the wound must have been larger than a hammer. It would have had to have been something already at the scene used as an improvised weapon, I'd think."
  "We do have photographs of the crime scene," Maya points out, "Maybe try to buy us some time with more questions while Miss Niijima and I look the photo of the floor over again in as much detail as possible."
  I nod. "Alright. I'm counting on you guys. I'll keep going."
  Well, when in doubt, question everything!



"Hibiki-san," I call, "You claim Mr. Canary grabbed the piece of stone. Why were his fingerprints not found anywhere on the statue? As he stated, he wasn't wearing gloves."
"Have you been paying attention even ssslightly? Your boorisssh immaturity isss causssing you to forget that all of the partsss that could have been touched were dessstroyed completely!"
That route's a bust. Gotta try a different approach.



"Well, even if the statue lacking prints is explained, how was Mr. Canary able to push the victim over the ledge without leaving fingerprints on the victim's clothes?"
"Are you denssse?" Hibiki speaks back spitefully, "It wasss a tackle. He charged the victim with hisss ssshoulder. Hisss handsss would have never touched the victim."
That's reasonable... I hadn't thought that through. C'mon, what else, what else... "Are you guys seeing anything?"
They shake their heads solemnly, and Sae begins to explain. "There's nothing else on the first floor in that area other than statues."
"And none of the other statues were broken or damaged in any way," Maya adds, "We saw that for ourselves."
Something HAS to be there. I just need to buy them a little more time. I suppose the last thing I can think of is to nitpick every last detail.



"Will you ssstop yelling, you court jessster?!" Hibiki screeches back at me. "I'm right here. Ssstop ssshouting!"
Yikes. I guess the frustration with one another is mutual. Regardless, I ignore the backtalk and continue. "The defense still has reason to doubt that you were truly watching the entire back half of the crimes that night!" I assert, "You claim to have watched Mr. Canary destroy specific parts of the statue after the murder. If you honestly saw everything, then you would have to know exactly which parts in specific were broken!"
"Isss that all? Fine. I'll go over asss much asss I can remember."
Good, he's going to say more. Let's see where this new testimony gets us...

"The partsss ground down to dussst were the sssword holding hand, the point of the blade, and mossst of the sssword itssself.
   He didn't have time to crusssh the ressst of the ssstatue, but he dessstroyed asss much asss he could."

How generous, this time he's giving me two new statements to work with.
Let's break it down. Pun semi-intended.
Does this tell us anything new?

---(Music Soften and Slowly Fade Out)---

  My gut tells me that something about those pieces doesn't match.
Wait... the sssword hand--I mean, the sword hand?
That's not right. That was one of the pieces we were looking at earlier. It's in the evidence, even! I think he finally slipped up and revealed something critical!

---(Music End)---



"Whoa!" Maya steps back, "That caught me off guard! You found a contradiction, right?"
"That shout had quite a bit more spirit behind it than the rest, Mr. Wright," the Judge notes, "It sounds like you've discovered something important."
"I have indeed, your Honor! The witness said something that can change a lot about this case! Namely, he claims the hand that was holding the sword was destroyed without a trace."
The room is silent, at least until Yashin chuckles. I turn to see her with a smirk. She was looking at the pieces with me, so she already knows what I'm about to point out. "Your Honor, we need to look back at the Broken Statue Shards that the forensics team were able to put back together. One of those pieces... was the left hand!"
*!*
The Judge is thoroughly puzzled. "But... the left hand was the one holding the sword, was it not...?"
I nod my head. "That's exactly right. So, there are two possibilities here. The first, is that the witness could be mistaken about what he claims to have seen... but the second..."
I slap my the bench with both palms. "... Is that we were wrong, and the statue may not have been Jeanne d’Arc Vaillante in the first place!"
*!*
"Whoa... wait, what?" Maya gasps.
Sae has been tapping her fingers against the bench for a while now. "The only other statue that was missing which had a sword, was holding the sword in the right hand, which was held at the waist--much lower to the ground, and in a much more likely location for an accidental impalement, or for it to get caught in the arc of a swinging hammer to get broken off."
"But wait..." Maya contemplates, "Didn't you say the hand that you were looking at had to have been holding something?"
"It definitely was," I state firmly, "And my guess as to what it was holding... is Medusa's head. I think the statue may have actually been Perseo Trionfante!"



"I'll admit, that does make sense," Yashin tells me from across the court, "I think the defense is on the right track. However, my challenge to you, Mr. Wright... is prove how that fact could possible make a difference. Remember that you are arguing the impossible, here. It doesn't matter which statue it was. Based on the time Mask☆DeMasque saw Hibiki-san leave the office, and the time Mr. Canary pulled the alarm: Hibiki-san could not have reached the first floor."

---Music: Suspense ---

She's still right. She's clinging to that argument for dear life. But, actually, the way she spoke didn't sound like she was in disbelief. It sounded strangely encouraging, in a way. Like she was challenging me to figure out a way to beat the impossible.
  I close my eyes, and as I focus intensely, it feels as though there's nothing but me and my thoughts, the world around me is pitch black. Absolute concentration on everything I know about this case. What's different about the Perseus statue compared to the Joan of Arc statue? We already know the sword hands were different. Perseus would have been holding Medusa's head in the other hand, but would that make a difference? No, no. I'm still thinking about the statues themselves. I need to think outside of the box here. Their physical structure truly doesn't matter if Hibiki couldn't physically be in that area at that point in time.
Wait... area...
These statues are moved around all the time. Maybe Hibiki rolled the statue from somewhere else on the floor? No, he wouldn't have had time to do that either. And he couldn't have rolled one down the stairs without it falling and breaking, so it couldn't have--
Wait.
Hang on, what was the second floor, again? Theme-wise, I mean. I can't remember. But I know I have that guide to double check...
Greece and Rome, eh...?
... isn't Perseus a Greek hero...?

---(Music End)---

Like thunder from Zeus, my palms come down onto the table once again, with a clap rivaling the Judge's gavel itself. "I've got it! I figured it out!"
Maya asks the question that I'm sure everyone else wants to as well. "What did you discover, Nick?"
"We've been wrong about more than just the statue itself. We've been wrong about the entire crime. The murder happened not on the first floor balcony, but the second floor balcony!"
*!*
*!*
*!*
*!*
*!*

---Music: Phantom Pursuit ~ You're Mine 2019 ---

"That... would explain a lot of the inconsistencies...!!" Sae reasons.
"I'm afraid I don't understand, Mr. Wright," the Judge shakes his head, "The statue was damaged during the fight. Are you suggesting the statue was on the second floor as well, all along? Isn't the first floor the one for statues?"
"I think we've found an exception, your Honor! Take a look at the Atrium Exhibit Guide, and read the section about the second floor."



I hand over the evidence to the Judge, who reads it promptly. "It says, 'Witness the most talented and unforgettable works of art from the greatest minds in history, and artifacts from a time long past! From Ancient Greece and Rome to modern day, please, enjoy our Western Art section on our second floor balcony!'"
"And therein lies the difference between whether it was a statue of Perseus or Joan of Arc. We've been taking for granite the idea that all of the statues were on the first floor--"
Maya nudges me. "Not the time for puns."
"I honestly meant to say, 'taken for granted,' I swear! I've got statues on the brain..." I whisper to her before coughing and jumping right back into it. "You see, Perseus is a legendary hero from Greek mythology. A statue of him could just as easily have been in a section dedicated to Grecian art, it would fit right into the theme of the entire floor!"
"Er, you sssee..." Hibiki tries to explain, at least until his snake-like hair strands begin to undulate so fast it's like he's being shocked by lightning, "GGGRRRRR!! Why doesss that matter at all?! Who caresss what ssstatue wasss where?!"
Sae slaps her palm on the table as well. "And, if we consider the second balcony, everything would make sense as it how Hibiki could have been involved! In that frame of time, he may not have been able to go down two floors, but he certainly would have gone down at least one! And, if we look back at the Repaired Phone conversation, the victim was already walking his way up before he even sent his last message. If his goal was the third floor, he would have made it up fairly high..."
Maya throws her fists in the air and pumps them back down with determination. "So, the victim and the curator definitely could have crossed path on the second floor balcony, with enough time to have a fight up there to boot!"
"And, let's not forget!" I press further, "It doesn't matter whether he was pushed off the first or second floor balcony... he would hit the ground and end up on the ground floor regardless!"



"Don't celebrate quite yet, defense team," Yashin pauses, "There's still nothing that proves or disproves whether Hibiki-san or Mr. Canary could have done it. And, we still have no idea what exactly struck him in the head. You said yourselves you couldn't figure out what other object it could have possibly been."
A light bulb goes off above Sae's head. "That's because we were looking in the wrong place! The object would have needed to be on the second floor!"
Maya rummages through our documents. "We took a picture of the second floor balcony as well, it's in here with our other Balcony Photographs!"



"Let's take a look then... it's time to solve this mystery!" I assert with confidence. Time to look at this photograph and see what there is to see...
  The second floor most closely resembles a regular museum. There are many podiums covered with glass housing various oddities, as well as a few objects that are out in the open such as pottery, a shield, and other ancient artifacts. There are a few paintings on the walls, and other various sculptures--
Hang on, now. It all makes perfect sense!
"Well? What did you find?" Yashin asks. She looks like she's been smiling this entire time. Looks like both of us are going to achieve our goals here, today. Akira and Mr. Canary will both be cleared of all suspicions, and Yashin will catch the true culprit.
"Now that we know who the statue is, it's obvious! Perseus' most famous exploit, killing Medusa, could only be accomplished by using the reflection of his shield! And, where else would a statue of Perseus be on display?"
I point right to the large, metal shield on display. "Perseo Trionfante would naturally be placed next to a display piece of Perseus' shield!"
*!*
*!*
*!*
"With this final piece of evidence, it all comes together. Miss Yashin was spot on about the conflict. Austin Translation had to have attacked Hebi Hibiki with a hammer, and knocked off Perseus' sword. Hibiki, out of self defense, would have grabbed whatever was around to protect himself... I'd say a shield is just the right weight where someone could lift it, but heavy enough that it could easily fracture a skull with a hard enough hit! In the heat of the moment, Hibiki must have realized the victim wasn't fully dead yet, and picked up the broken sword to stab the victim--or, perhaps the stab was first and the shield bash was second--and ultimately Translation-san was pushed over the balcony railing to the ground below. That explains all of the injuries happening in the same time frame!"
"Incredible!" the Judge speaks, sounding quite impressed, "So our understanding of the murder was nearly perfect, we were just looking at the wrong location...!"
"And the shield in this photograph is the final piece of the puzzle, your Honor," I summarize. "We need to get that shield over here immediately so we can test it for fingerprints!"
"Thisss is outrageousss!" Hibiki shrieks, his red hair strands snapping out aggressively as if they are living creatures trying to bite, "That ssshield isss mussseum property, don't you dare touch it! I absssolutely will not allow anyone to bring it here, or even to touch it!"
"Why not, Hibiki-san?" I smirk, with my hands at my hips confidently. "Are you afraid that if you look into the shield, you might see the real culprit in the reflection?"
Detective Ritsu waves his hand to get everyone's attention. "Your Honor, I think the timing on this revelation is pretty much perfect. I just heard word back from my guys. Apparently the head prosecutor of the international investigation team was able to reach the same conclusion, and they were running tests on the metal shield the entire time we were speaking about it."
"Huh. Imagine that! What an uncanny coincidence!" the Judge comments, almost incredulous.
That's crazy alright. I can't imagine what kind of investigator could have been able to figure that out so quickly. But, this is definitely to our favor. "So, detective," I call, "What were they able to discover...?"

---(Music End)---

The room tenses up. Though we have things figured out, we ultimately need some kind of proof to wrap this trial up cleanly. So, let's hear it, detective Ritsu... tell us what we've got...
"There were two discoveries that were made. The first, is that there is a dent in the shield, and the size of the dent is fairly close to the size of the fractured area of the of the victim's skull."
"You hit the nail on the head, Nick!" Maya praises, "It had to have been the murder weapon, like you said!"
"The second discovery is that there were a few fingerprints on the shield, and when they were checked along with our records, they showed consistency with the fingerprints of Hebi Hibiki."
*!*
Hibiki shouts once again, and I'm interested in seeing how he'll try to slither his way out of this one...



"I'm terribly sorry," he apologizes, surprisingly calm and collected... he isn't even doing the sss thing anymore. He dusts off his shoulder, he closes his eyes and raises his chin arrogantly, and his hair settles down to normal. He's eerily composed for someone about to be convicted for murder. His voice is just as posh and pompous as it was when we first met him. "But that doesn't prove anything at all. The Sniffsonian Museum is under my ownership. Of COURSE my fingerprints are liable to be on any of the exhibit pieces."
That's... a really weak crutch to try and stand on. Is that actually how he's going to try and deflect the blame?
"The fact of the matter remains that you have nothing to prove when or how that shield was touched. As much as you and the rest of the riff-raff enjoy eliminating the impossible, you simply can't prove that shield was ever picked up or used as a weapon. For all we know, the bumbling buffoon of a would-be murderer could have lost his balance while swinging around that blasted hammer, fallen, and bashed his head against the shield by mistake. And who knows, perhaps he fell and was impaled by the sword at that very moment? And maybe that brat with the black hair was on the second floor too? He was wearing gloves that night, he could have picked up the body and thrown it over the ledge! How about it, hmm? Can you disprove any of that? There's no camera footage whatsoever to support whatever kind of ridiculous claims you could make."
  "That's because you deleted it all!!" Maya shouts back, flustered.
  "You can't POSSIBLY mean to insinuate that an error with our security systems was my in any way, shape, or form, intentional," he brushes aside.
Everyone in the courtroom has gone quiet. It's clear as day that Hibiki is trying to slither his way out of all of the accusations. "Face it, you incompetent lopsided lawyers can't even prove who was or wasn't where that night at all. And it doesn't take a superfluous law degree to know that you clownish conspirators are powerless without any evidence."
The Judge's eyes are completely closed for a few moments as he thinks. "This individual truly intends to stretch the meaning of 'reasonable doubt...'" he finally speaks, "But he has a point. There's nothing that can conclusively prove who killed Austin Translation. I feel as if we've gone in circles here without much to show for it."
Yashin looks like she's upset, or at least gradually growing to be. "What will you do in this situation, your Honor?"
"I can certainly rule in favor of the defendant, as it's quite unlikely this young man had anything to do with these crimes after all," the Judge reasons, but he suddenly shakes his head and disappointment is clear on his face. "But when it comes to convicting whoever truly is guilty... there's just not much that can be done without proof."
"Hey, Maya, Sae... I think I have our solution here," I whisper softly.
"What do you mean...?" Sae questions.
"Think about it. This is a museum, right?" I reason, "What's one of the most basic of basic rules at a museum...?"
"You don't mean...!!" Maya gasps, "You DO mean! You absolutely DO mean what I think you mean!"
I smile and nod. "And I have one last piece of evidence to put an end to this. Let's catch this guy once and for all."



*!*
All eyes are on me, and my eyes are on Hebi Hibiki. "Hibiki-san. How seriously do you take your job as curator?"
"What?" he blinks with a raised eyebrow, "You can't mean to be so crude as to attack my character, can you? Of course I take my job seriously."
"And you treat all of your museum's pieces with respect and care, right?" I lead.
"Of course I do," he confirms, as I'd expect, "I'm extremely careful and caring for my exhibits. What curator worth their salt would say otherwise?"
Let's keep leading him on. I need him to say exactly what I want him to say. "Does everyone on the museum staff treat the exhibits with care, too?"
"Are you daft? Of course they do! I ensure they do!"
He's taking the bait...!! "I see. So you're at least mildly strict on being careful around the artwork."
"I'm INCREDIBLY strict on them to be careful around all of the museum displays! What exactly are you trying to accomplish here other than waste everyone's time?"
"I was just trying to ensure that you at least run your museum professionally, since your behavior today as well as with the missing art pieces has brought your capability as a curator into question."
"How dare you!" he hisses back, and I can tell that my pushing his buttons is riling him back up. "Make no mistake. The Sniffsonian would not be a world-class museum if it weren't under the most capable of ownership! Running this museum properly is my life!"
"Mr. Wright, why on Earth are you badgering the witness with so many questions?" the Judge questions.
"I was just reflecting, your Honor. Reflecting... just like Perseus' shield did to help him defeat the snake monster. And I was just thinking to myself, that I wish Hebi Hibiki would reflect on the crimes he committed. But, there's one rule he broke that he has no choice but to own up to. One of the rules that he just quite clearly told us he takes EXTREMELY seriously."

---Music: Phantom Pursuit ~ You're Mine 2019 ---

"Ladies and gentlemen of the court, take a look at the basic guidelines of proper and improper behavior within the Atrium Exhibit Guide. I'd like for everyone to take notice of this particular line:

"Only museum staff may touch the art with specialized gloves."



His face turns white. The brief moments of composure he had tried to put on at the very end have vanished completely, and he opens his mouth to try and protest. All he's able to do is stutter and bumble as he gets tied on his own, slithery tongue.
"Face it, Mr. Curator. Maybe it's because you truly respect art. Or maybe you simply don't want to damage the merchandise you plan on selling under the table. Whatever the reason, you just told us yourself: under regular circumstances, you would have never touched your exhibits with your bare hands. But that all changed when you had no choice but to grab whatever object was close enough to defend yourself."
*!*
*!*
*!*
*!*
*!*
Everyone in the room is speechless.
  Yashin smiles at me and gives a thumbs up.
This is it. The moment the killer's identity is set in stone, this trial is over. "Hibiki-san, I can understand why you didn't admit to this crime, because you were afraid investigations would come back and reveal the secret of you selling off other people's artwork. However, instead of just admitting your wrongdoing, you tried to frame not one, but TWO, innocent people for this murder. I'd say that reflects fairly poorly back on you, Mr. Curator."
I point my finger right at the true killer. "The murder weapon has your fingerprints all over it, and the Sniffsonian Museum prohibits even the staff from touching the exhibits without gloves. Hebi Hibiki, if you won't reflect on your crimes, then maybe instead you should reflect on the rules of your own museum!"
All at once, Hibiki breaks down completely, and his serpentine hair strands lash out every which way in a frenzy as the curator shakes, holding his hands up in complete defeat. Slowly, the motions of his hair all stop until his whole body is extremely still. Cold sweat doesn't even begin to describe him. He's downright petrified. Statue-like. In fact, his skin and clothes all turn grey with a rocky texture as if he's literally turned into a statue, and he falls over with a thump.

---(Music End)---

  April 13th, 10:40 am
  Tokyo District Court, Courtroom No. 2

Those of us at the defense team couldn't be in higher spirits. We managed to save Akira, went out of our way to defend an innocent person, and managed to capture the true culprit. At any point, we could have walked away having achieved Akira's innocence, without giving those other things a second thought. Sometimes I wonder why we defense attorneys have to make things so hard on ourselves. But the answer is obvious. Because it's the right thing to do.
The Judge takes a breath of relief. "Well, Mr. Wright. Miss Fey. It certainly seems like no matter where any of us go, excitement will follow."
"You can say that again," I chuckle.
"And, Miss Niijima, Miss Yashin, and you as well, detective Ritsu," the Judge continues, "I have to thank all of you for doing your best today to ensure that justice was truly served."
"I'd take another bow," Yashin replies with embarrassment, "But I feel like a fool for bowing so preemptively earlier when I did. All of the credit goes to the defense on catching the real crook."
"I'd say you contributed more than a little, yourself!" the Judge compliments, "But Hebi Hibiki being convicted is neither here nor there. At this moment in time, we owe a proper verdict to the accused. I hereby declare the defendant, Akira Kurusu..."



The audience cheers like no tomorrow. The most lively of the celebrating comes from the cluster of young adults, including Yusuke, who I know by this point are all friends with Miishima and Akira. Iwai from earlier seem to be smirking quite cockily, and even the Big Wins guy has a look of relief on his face, as hard to notice at it is.
As confetti falls from the ceiling, I almost have to double-take to make sure the falling papers aren't the work of Mask☆DeMasque flying in again. He sure put on quite the show, earlier. And, thankfully, his involvement seems to be out of the spotlight for the time being. We'll need to meet up with Ron himself at some point after this all blows over. We're going to have a lot to talk about.
  As things are wrapped up in here, the audience members are beginning the leave the room in an orderly fashion, and those of us at the defense table gather our things and prepare to head out.
Really, there's a TON of things that we need to address now that this trial is over. We going to meet Alibaba and the Phantom Thieves, we need to find Ron to talk about the Orb, and--
"Mr. Wright," I hear someone call to me. As I turn, I see I'm actually approached by the gentleman in the hat who spoke to Mr. Canary during the trial. I wonder what he has to say? He offers me a handshake, which I return, and he extends the offer to Sae and Maya as well. "The name's Winfred Kitaki. I go by 'Big Wins,' though. Do you have a minute?"
"Of course," I answer.
"Thanks. I won't take up too much of your time," he speaks. He holds his fist up to his mouth to cough and turns his head slightly. Despite having the kind of face that would instill authority and respect, he actually seems to be acting a bit nervous. "You uh, you folks from California?"
"Miss Niijima lives around here, but Nick and I are from the states. Los Angeles, in specific," Maya explains.
"Really, Los Angeles, even? Small world," Big Wins chuckles, "My business is based in the same city."
"You mentioned your business was what brought you here to Tokyo," Sae recalls, "What kind of business do you run?"
"Hmm," he mumbles, as if he's thinking of how to word his answer. If it's going to be what I think it is, then I can understand why. "Well. Let's just say, that I run the family business, and leave it at that."
I wonder if they have exposure to those old Mafia films in Japan? Anyone familiar with a mob stereotype can pretty much instantly get what type of business Big Wins must work in just based on his style of dress and speech. I think Sae pretty much gets the gist, at least.
"Rest easy, miei amici. I never pull straight citizens into family matters," he deflects before coughing once more and speaking again. "I'm not great with words, so I'll get right to the point. All of you could have walked out of this room at least an hour ago with your client a free man. But you chose to stay in there and you helped Mr. Canary all the same. I can tell you ladies and gentleman have character. The kind of character that you don't see every day. I want to thank you. I truly do."
I feel humbled just because of how much authority and respect a man like this must normally demand. But this does have me second guessing myself, now... was Mr. Canary a part of a crime family...?
  "I see on your face what you want to ask. Listen. Jack isn't in the business. But I think you all would get along great, because he has character like you all do. In the past, he had a choice to do the right thing, and he did, and my son is still alive because of it. And what you did to help him today was a great service."
He hands me a slip of folded paper. Inside of it is his name, as well as a phone number. "And look. Service and respect are a two way street. If you guys are ever in a tight spot... just give me a call. My family will be there to help," is the last thing he says before straightening his tie and walking away.
"Did we just make a Mafia contact, Nick?" Maya asks in disbelief.
"I, uh. I think we did," I confirm.
Things are going to stay interesting for our entire stay in Tokyo, I can tell.

  CHAPTER SIX END.

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

Would you like to save your game?

    Yes No

Description
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  April 13th, 10:05 am
  Tokyo District Court, Courtroom No. 2

The audience continues on in hushed whispers as the dust settles from what looks like the end of it all. In a few moments here, Akira Kurusu is going to walk away a free man. We're off the hook, no more suspicion will be coming our way, and we'll be able to investigation and stop this potentially global conspiracy.
I don't think any of us feel right about how this is going to end, though. Jack Canary, still standing at the witness stand, seems to have lost all hope. What can we do, though? He might actually be the real culprit. The facts are all pointing to that conclusion.
Suddenly, someone starts to applaud, and the repeated sharp claps turn the room completely quite except for those very claps.

---Music: Elegant ~ And Excellence ---

"Sssplendid! Magnificccent!" Hebi Hibiki praises as if he had just watched a performance.
I bite my lip with frustration. Even the prosecution must see Hibiki's true colors with the way he has been behaving. "Miss Yashin, do you truly believe that Mr. Canary committed this murder? That Hibiki is innocent...?"
"Yes to the first question, no to the second one," she returns back. "It doesn't matter what I think if the facts line up. Whatever is left is the truth, that's all there is to it. And the curator clearly has a lot of shady things to own up for--blackmail in specific is a serious matter, after all--but that will have to wait for another time, if we are focused on convicting Austin Translation's killer."
"Oh, never you mind thossse accusssationsss," Hibiki dismisses, "You and I both know that there'sss no proof of anything Missster Canary alleged. Ssslander, plain and sssimple, I sssay. Either way, I'm more than impressssed, Missss Yasssshin! You dissscovered the truth down to the very lassst detail! Everything you dessscribed is exxxactly how I witnessssed it!"
Maya stands on her tiptoes and leans as if she's about to shout...

---(Music End)---



"We can't let that slide, your Honor!" Maya reasons with a very forceful tone, "The curator just said he witnessed the crime as it happened! He told us that at the very beginning when he accused Mr. Canary, even!"
"That may be true," the Judge nods, "And if the curator wishes to testify, I will certainly allow it. But, as things stand, I believe there is more than enough evidence and testimony to make my decision."
"Then go ahead, pleassse do ssso, your Honor! Capture that dessspicable killer and bring him to jussstice!"
  "Oh yeah?" Maya shouts back angrily, "If you're so confident that this guy is the real killer, then prove it! Why don't you tell us exactly what you saw, then?"
Hibiki dusts his shoulder off a few times while the tip of his tongue escapes from his lips a few times before sliding back into his mouth. "If I mussst. You lot are sssimply incorrigible. I'll testify and be done with it, and ressst assssured I will be pressssing chargesss when thisss is sssaid and done."
Maya and I stealthily high five. She's really got a talent for leading people into doing exactly what she wants. She just bought us one last chance to find the truth. "Go get him, Nick," she nods with a smirk.
"Well then, Hibiki-san," the Judge coughs, "Please, provide as much information as possible as to what you witnessed. We need as decisive a testimony as possible for justice to be handed appropriately."
"I sssuppose that'sss reasssonable..." he sssighsss... ack! Now he's got me doing the slithery 'sss' thing! Focus, Phoenix!

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

-- What Hibiki Sssaw --

"I wasss in my officcce all evening, like I alwaysss am. Running a mussseum issn't easssy!
At a little after the turn of the hour, I heard ssshouting echoing from the atrium.
I ran as quickly as I could, and on the first floor balcony I sssaw two men fighting.
I hid for my own sssafety, naturally. The two were clearly dangerousss.
I had no idea why either of them were in the building to begin with!"

---(Music End)---

"That... didn't really tell us much at all," Maya groans, clearly upset.
"I don't know what you expected," Yashin replies, "You're grasping at straws here."
"Regardless," the Judge coughs, "If we are allowing this testimony then I also allow the defense the right to cross-examine it."

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

"I think I can pick out an inconsistency already," Sae tells us.
"Hmm... let me guess, is it the last statement?" I infer.
"It definitely is. Maybe he didn't know why Mr. Canary was still there, but he should have a pretty good idea of why the victim was there."
Opportunities to present evidence during this entire trial have been pretty sparse, at least until now. Something in my gut tells me that the evidence train is finally going to get a chance to leave the station.

---(Music End)---



"Hibiki-san," I start off, "I want to go into more detail about your relationship with the victim. Specifically, the fact that he was sending you quite a few text messages, which we see on the Repaired Phone. The victim was not only trying to contact you, but he was even headed up to your office!"
Hibiki shakes his head, and I swear it looks like the red streaks in his hair are moving on their own... "I don't recall ever getting any text messssagesss at all. How do you even know any of thossse were directed at me?"
"That's obvious!" Maya hops in, "There aren't any other offices in the museum other than yours!"
*!*
"That'sss... er..." Hibiki hisses with his narrow tongue, "Maybe he truly wasss trying to find me. But I have honessstly not a clue what he could have wanted from me! I, truly, do not know why he wasss coming to me with a weapon, nor would I have any reassson to kill him. And, furthermore, I've done nothing of offenssse to anyone!"
But... has he really done nothing that would offend anyone else?
Of course he has. "Hibiki-san, your museum is wrapped up in scandals as if they were a boa constrictor. And I have evidence to prove it! Why don't we take a look at the very front page of this week's newspaper? It's right here in this Sniffsonian Article!"



"Mr. Wright, please do explain what that article is about," the Judge requests, "I hadn't a chance to actually read any of the headlines since I got here."
"I'll certainly sum it up for you, Your Honor. The Sniffsonian Museum has a very unfortunate case of various pieces of art going missing, mysteriously. A lot of the pieces in the museum have been donated or are otherwise being loaned by other owners and artists, and they are naturally extremely upset to know their exhibit pieces were handled so negligently they had gone missing completely!"
"While that does seem rather unfortunate..." Yashin responds, "I don't see how that in any way ties the victim and the witness together."
"Indeed," the Judge agrees, "I'm sorry, but I fail to see the relevancy to the situation at hand. I don't think anyone would be driven to want to kill him, nor would he have a reason to kill anyone, based on how he handles or mishandles his establishment. I would need something more directly related to really see any connection."
"Mr. Wright," Sae turns to me and whispers quietly, "I think I have an idea. If there's a disconnect between the missing pieces and the murder at the museum, we may be able to bridge the gap with another piece of evidence! One that your friend left, at that. I think he knew from the start it would be just what we need!"
"That's right!" Maya agrees, sounding pumped, "Now's the perfect time to put that piece of evidence out for everyone to see it!"
"Your Honor! I can very much give a better connection. Let's return to the Shipping Records that detective Ritsu still has in police custody. I think it's time the court had a closer look at the actual contents of the records."
"Sure thing, Mr. Wright," Ritsu agrees politely, "What in specific do you want to look for in these records?"
"Let's think about this, Nick," Maya encourages me, "We need to pick some kind of information that we could cross-reference with the article about the missing pieces."
Should we ask to look for...
The names of the artists
The names of the missing pieces
The cartoons section of the paper
"Very funny, Maya..." I groan, "But I don't think this today's Garfield comic is going to help us. (Or, anyone, for that matter.)"
"Just trying to cheer you up to make sure you're at your A-game," Maya winks and thumbs up. I can't deny that her cheery pep is infectious.
"Detective, can you check the names of the pieces of artwork that are listed in the Sniffsonian Article? I have a good feeling if we check those Shipping Records, then we may find some shocking similarities..."
The detective and a few other officers browse through the various papers and documents, and Ritsu soon has a look of revelation on his face. "Wow... every single one of the pieces that were reported as missing in the paper are listed in these records... with what seem to be dates and times, no less! There are amounts of money written, as well, like some sort of accounting ledger."
*!*

---Music: Phoenix Wright ~ Objection! 2013 ---

Great! I've been waiting for quite some time to bring his dirty deeds to light. "It seems to the defense like the witness has been keeping great care to track these pieces. I'd go so far as to say he actually knows exactly where the missing pieces are, when they left, and how much money he made by secretly selling them off on the black market!"
This really gets the crowd going. The picture we're finally starting to paint of Hibiki's true nature definitely isn't a piece he's going to want to hang in a museum any time soon.
"I have another request, detective," Sae announces, "Can you see if there are any names of individuals listed in those records? Specifically, the name of the victim...?"
Another quick scan for a few moments until an answer is reached. "Whoa... I see his name on this page right here," Ritsu confirms, "'Translation, Austin,' it says."
"I suspected as much," Sae nods. "Everything points to the fact that Hebi Hibiki was doing some sort of business with Austin Translation, and it was in specific relation to the very sensitive nature of his shady moonlight sales."
"So there you have it," I smirk, "The witness knew exactly who the victim was! That relationship could have turned sour any number of ways. For example, perhaps the victim had a personal stake in one or more of the exhibit pieces and he had been outbid by another buyer? Or, perhaps the victim was threatening to reveal the curator's midnight dealings. There's no way to tell the specifics, but even left to the imagination it's clear that the potential for motive exists there!"
  The people in the crowd intensify further, and the Judge has to caution them with a gavel tap or two before they get out of control. "Now this is intriguing indeed!" the Judge concedes, "Given that sort of relationship, it could be feasible that one would be driven to violence against the other... it's a bit of a stretch anyone would take art that seriously--"
"How DARE you!" Yusuke stands and shouts from the audience before the people sitting around him pull him back into his seat.
"--But, at the same time, just about everything else in this trial is a stretch, as well. Given that we simply do not know if Mr. Canary had any relationship with the victim, I'd go so far as to say that the Hibiki-san's likelihood of having a motive is--"
Hibiki doesn't take any of this quietly.

---(Music End)---



"Thisss isss preposssterousss!" he shouts, and I'm one hundred percent certain that the red strands of hair are standing up on end and wiggling as if they're alive, "Thossse are the logsss I wasss usssing to invessstigate the missssing pieccces! The datesss they went missssing, the amount of the damagesss... and the namesss of the artissstsss who I would compensssate for the lossssessss!"
"So, what," Maya argues, "You'll telling us that Mr. Translation was the artist of one the pieces or something?"
"Go asssk him yourssself," Hibiki bites back rudely.
"Um, hello, sorry to interrupt again," Ritsu calls to everyone, "But I have a bit more news. I've also been in touch with the guys who were working the Autopsy Report, and they have a new theory."
"Of course, detective," the Judge nods, "What new information do you have for us?"
"Well, they were so caught up in trying to figure out why the stab wound didn't match the wood splinter that they didn't do much looking into the head wound. They compared notes with the forensics team who were looking over the Hammer, and they've both come to a realization that the size and severity of the victim's head wound makes is seem like something larger than a hammer had to have caused it."
*!*
*!*
*!*
The Judge's eyes, like everyone else's, bulge out in surprise. "Goodness! What else could it have possibly been, then?"
"We aren't sure, yet," Ritsu explains, "We have our feet on the ground back at the museum as we speak. I've gotten word that there's an international investigations team with the boys there now, looking things over at the crime scene."
"Is that so?" the Judge questions, "Perhaps it would be best to postpone these proceedings until further investigations are completed..."
"If I may," Yashin interjects, though she looks very serious compared to normal, "I'm sorry to rain on anyone's parade, but we still haven't done anything to address the fact that Hibiki-san could not have made it to the first floor in the time frame this all took place. It doesn't matter what investigating is done, we've already proven all there is to prove."
"But," Sae fires back, "What about the fact that Mr. Canary couldn't have made it to the other side of the atrium and back to pull the alarm in time?"
"He didn't pull the alarm until after the deed had already been done," Hibiki states firmly.
"How the heck do you know that?!" Maya calls into question.
"I told you, I witnessssed the murder with my own two eyesss."
"Well, you sure didn't testify about that!" Maya asserts.
"Well, fine!!" Hibiki hisses, and it's as if his red hair strands wiggle along with his tongue. "If you would give me a chanccce, I'd very well explain the ressst!"
"If you have more testimony, Hibiki-san," the Judge speaks, "Please be as specific as possible about the details."
"Gladly," Hibiki speaks, dusting his shoulders as his hair settles down, "I'll put an end to this cccharade onccce and for all."


---Music: Blooming Villain ---

-- Ssstone Cold Gaze --

"I only sssaw the lassst part of the quarrel. It wasss horrifying, watching the victim get run through by that stone blade.
I ssstayed quiet and hid behind the ssstaircase for sssafety, and watched Canary pusssh the victim over the edge.
He rolled the ssstatue over and pussshed it asss well, I assssume to hide the evidenccce.
He ran downssstairs and began sssmassshing very ssspecccific partsss of the ssstatue even more.
Finally, Missster Canary ran to pull the alarm after the murder had already been finissshed.
When he pulled the alarm, I cccame down and pretended to not know what had happened, so he wouldn't be sssussspiccciousss."

---(Music End)---

"This is... the most direct anyone has testified about the murder yet!" the Judge remarks.
Yashin has her eyes closed and her arms crossed and doesn't say anything.
"Is something the matter, Miss Yashin?" the Judge asks her out of concern.
She opens her eyes and her expression looks very stern. "Nothing is the matter. The trial is almost over, and the true culprit will be revealed... once we've all done our parts. I'm simply... curious, as to how the defense will handle this last testimony, and their last part."
"I see," the Judge confirms, "Very well. This trial certainly is nearing closure. Unless the investigators come back with new information, or evidence can be uncovered, I'm nearly ready to pass the verdict."
I gulp, but muster up my reserves of courage. Just as much as I don't want to see an innocent person convicted, I want to see the clearly guilty one caught. I have every incentive to corner Hibiki until he can no longer hide the truth. There has to be an explanation for what truly happened. There has to be something here we can use, anything.

---Music: Blooming Villain ---

Sae and Maya seem relatively quiet. They are probably, like me, at a loss of where to go with this. I don't think we have evidence that can counter any of these claims.
"Guys... I'm running out of ideas, here. All I can really think to ask about is what kind of object the victim was struck in the head with. But, Hibiki specifically excluded that and said that he only saw the last part of the fight... he's probably going to keep his lips zipped on that point."
"Maybe we could brainstorm what else it could have been?" Sae suggests, "I doubt Hibiki would be the type of person to carry a weapon with him, plus they are saying whatever caused the wound must have been larger than a hammer. It would have had to have been something already at the scene used as an improvised weapon, I'd think."
  "We do have photographs of the crime scene," Maya points out, "Maybe try to buy us some time with more questions while Miss Niijima and I look the photo of the floor over again in as much detail as possible."
  I nod. "Alright. I'm counting on you guys. I'll keep going."
  Well, when in doubt, question everything!



"Hibiki-san," I call, "You claim Mr. Canary grabbed the piece of stone. Why were his fingerprints not found anywhere on the statue? As he stated, he wasn't wearing gloves."
"Have you been paying attention even ssslightly? Your boorisssh immaturity isss causssing you to forget that all of the partsss that could have been touched were dessstroyed completely!"
That route's a bust. Gotta try a different approach.



"Well, even if the statue lacking prints is explained, how was Mr. Canary able to push the victim over the ledge without leaving fingerprints on the victim's clothes?"
"Are you denssse?" Hibiki speaks back spitefully, "It wasss a tackle. He charged the victim with hisss ssshoulder. Hisss handsss would have never touched the victim."
That's reasonable... I hadn't thought that through. C'mon, what else, what else... "Are you guys seeing anything?"
They shake their heads solemnly, and Sae begins to explain. "There's nothing else on the first floor in that area other than statues."
"And none of the other statues were broken or damaged in any way," Maya adds, "We saw that for ourselves."
Something HAS to be there. I just need to buy them a little more time. I suppose the last thing I can think of is to nitpick every last detail.



"Will you ssstop yelling, you court jessster?!" Hibiki screeches back at me. "I'm right here. Ssstop ssshouting!"
Yikes. I guess the frustration with one another is mutual. Regardless, I ignore the backtalk and continue. "The defense still has reason to doubt that you were truly watching the entire back half of the crimes that night!" I assert, "You claim to have watched Mr. Canary destroy specific parts of the statue after the murder. If you honestly saw everything, then you would have to know exactly which parts in specific were broken!"
"Isss that all? Fine. I'll go over asss much asss I can remember."
Good, he's going to say more. Let's see where this new testimony gets us...

"The partsss ground down to dussst were the sssword holding hand, the point of the blade, and mossst of the sssword itssself.
   He didn't have time to crusssh the ressst of the ssstatue, but he dessstroyed asss much asss he could."

How generous, this time he's giving me two new statements to work with.
Let's break it down. Pun semi-intended.
Does this tell us anything new?

---(Music Soften and Slowly Fade Out)---

  My gut tells me that something about those pieces doesn't match.
Wait... the sssword hand--I mean, the sword hand?
That's not right. That was one of the pieces we were looking at earlier. It's in the evidence, even! I think he finally slipped up and revealed something critical!

---(Music End)---



"Whoa!" Maya steps back, "That caught me off guard! You found a contradiction, right?"
"That shout had quite a bit more spirit behind it than the rest, Mr. Wright," the Judge notes, "It sounds like you've discovered something important."
"I have indeed, your Honor! The witness said something that can change a lot about this case! Namely, he claims the hand that was holding the sword was destroyed without a trace."
The room is silent, at least until Yashin chuckles. I turn to see her with a smirk. She was looking at the pieces with me, so she already knows what I'm about to point out. "Your Honor, we need to look back at the Broken Statue Shards that the forensics team were able to put back together. One of those pieces... was the left hand!"
*!*
The Judge is thoroughly puzzled. "But... the left hand was the one holding the sword, was it not...?"
I nod my head. "That's exactly right. So, there are two possibilities here. The first, is that the witness could be mistaken about what he claims to have seen... but the second..."
I slap my the bench with both palms. "... Is that we were wrong, and the statue may not have been Jeanne d’Arc Vaillante in the first place!"
*!*
"Whoa... wait, what?" Maya gasps.
Sae has been tapping her fingers against the bench for a while now. "The only other statue that was missing which had a sword, was holding the sword in the right hand, which was held at the waist--much lower to the ground, and in a much more likely location for an accidental impalement, or for it to get caught in the arc of a swinging hammer to get broken off."
"But wait..." Maya contemplates, "Didn't you say the hand that you were looking at had to have been holding something?"
"It definitely was," I state firmly, "And my guess as to what it was holding... is Medusa's head. I think the statue may have actually been Perseo Trionfante!"



"I'll admit, that does make sense," Yashin tells me from across the court, "I think the defense is on the right track. However, my challenge to you, Mr. Wright... is prove how that fact could possible make a difference. Remember that you are arguing the impossible, here. It doesn't matter which statue it was. Based on the time Mask☆DeMasque saw Hibiki-san leave the office, and the time Mr. Canary pulled the alarm: Hibiki-san could not have reached the first floor."

---Music: Suspense ---

She's still right. She's clinging to that argument for dear life. But, actually, the way she spoke didn't sound like she was in disbelief. It sounded strangely encouraging, in a way. Like she was challenging me to figure out a way to beat the impossible.
  I close my eyes, and as I focus intensely, it feels as though there's nothing but me and my thoughts, the world around me is pitch black. Absolute concentration on everything I know about this case. What's different about the Perseus statue compared to the Joan of Arc statue? We already know the sword hands were different. Perseus would have been holding Medusa's head in the other hand, but would that make a difference? No, no. I'm still thinking about the statues themselves. I need to think outside of the box here. Their physical structure truly doesn't matter if Hibiki couldn't physically be in that area at that point in time.
Wait... area...
These statues are moved around all the time. Maybe Hibiki rolled the statue from somewhere else on the floor? No, he wouldn't have had time to do that either. And he couldn't have rolled one down the stairs without it falling and breaking, so it couldn't have--
Wait.
Hang on, what was the second floor, again? Theme-wise, I mean. I can't remember. But I know I have that guide to double check...
Greece and Rome, eh...?
... isn't Perseus a Greek hero...?

---(Music End)---

Like thunder from Zeus, my palms come down onto the table once again, with a clap rivaling the Judge's gavel itself. "I've got it! I figured it out!"
Maya asks the question that I'm sure everyone else wants to as well. "What did you discover, Nick?"
"We've been wrong about more than just the statue itself. We've been wrong about the entire crime. The murder happened not on the first floor balcony, but the second floor balcony!"
*!*
*!*
*!*
*!*
*!*

---Music: Phantom Pursuit ~ You're Mine 2019 ---

"That... would explain a lot of the inconsistencies...!!" Sae reasons.
"I'm afraid I don't understand, Mr. Wright," the Judge shakes his head, "The statue was damaged during the fight. Are you suggesting the statue was on the second floor as well, all along? Isn't the first floor the one for statues?"
"I think we've found an exception, your Honor! Take a look at the Atrium Exhibit Guide, and read the section about the second floor."



I hand over the evidence to the Judge, who reads it promptly. "It says, 'Witness the most talented and unforgettable works of art from the greatest minds in history, and artifacts from a time long past! From Ancient Greece and Rome to modern day, please, enjoy our Western Art section on our second floor balcony!'"
"And therein lies the difference between whether it was a statue of Perseus or Joan of Arc. We've been taking for granite the idea that all of the statues were on the first floor--"
Maya nudges me. "Not the time for puns."
"I honestly meant to say, 'taken for granted,' I swear! I've got statues on the brain..." I whisper to her before coughing and jumping right back into it. "You see, Perseus is a legendary hero from Greek mythology. A statue of him could just as easily have been in a section dedicated to Grecian art, it would fit right into the theme of the entire floor!"
"Er, you sssee..." Hibiki tries to explain, at least until his snake-like hair strands begin to undulate so fast it's like he's being shocked by lightning, "GGGRRRRR!! Why doesss that matter at all?! Who caresss what ssstatue wasss where?!"
Sae slaps her palm on the table as well. "And, if we consider the second balcony, everything would make sense as it how Hibiki could have been involved! In that frame of time, he may not have been able to go down two floors, but he certainly would have gone down at least one! And, if we look back at the Repaired Phone conversation, the victim was already walking his way up before he even sent his last message. If his goal was the third floor, he would have made it up fairly high..."
Maya throws her fists in the air and pumps them back down with determination. "So, the victim and the curator definitely could have crossed path on the second floor balcony, with enough time to have a fight up there to boot!"
"And, let's not forget!" I press further, "It doesn't matter whether he was pushed off the first or second floor balcony... he would hit the ground and end up on the ground floor regardless!"



"Don't celebrate quite yet, defense team," Yashin pauses, "There's still nothing that proves or disproves whether Hibiki-san or Mr. Canary could have done it. And, we still have no idea what exactly struck him in the head. You said yourselves you couldn't figure out what other object it could have possibly been."
A light bulb goes off above Sae's head. "That's because we were looking in the wrong place! The object would have needed to be on the second floor!"
Maya rummages through our documents. "We took a picture of the second floor balcony as well, it's in here with our other Balcony Photographs!"



"Let's take a look then... it's time to solve this mystery!" I assert with confidence. Time to look at this photograph and see what there is to see...
  The second floor most closely resembles a regular museum. There are many podiums covered with glass housing various oddities, as well as a few objects that are out in the open such as pottery, a shield, and other ancient artifacts. There are a few paintings on the walls, and other various sculptures--
Hang on, now. It all makes perfect sense!
"Well? What did you find?" Yashin asks. She looks like she's been smiling this entire time. Looks like both of us are going to achieve our goals here, today. Akira and Mr. Canary will both be cleared of all suspicions, and Yashin will catch the true culprit.
"Now that we know who the statue is, it's obvious! Perseus' most famous exploit, killing Medusa, could only be accomplished by using the reflection of his shield! And, where else would a statue of Perseus be on display?"
I point right to the large, metal shield on display. "Perseo Trionfante would naturally be placed next to a display piece of Perseus' shield!"
*!*
*!*
*!*
"With this final piece of evidence, it all comes together. Miss Yashin was spot on about the conflict. Austin Translation had to have attacked Hebi Hibiki with a hammer, and knocked off Perseus' sword. Hibiki, out of self defense, would have grabbed whatever was around to protect himself... I'd say a shield is just the right weight where someone could lift it, but heavy enough that it could easily fracture a skull with a hard enough hit! In the heat of the moment, Hibiki must have realized the victim wasn't fully dead yet, and picked up the broken sword to stab the victim--or, perhaps the stab was first and the shield bash was second--and ultimately Translation-san was pushed over the balcony railing to the ground below. That explains all of the injuries happening in the same time frame!"
"Incredible!" the Judge speaks, sounding quite impressed, "So our understanding of the murder was nearly perfect, we were just looking at the wrong location...!"
"And the shield in this photograph is the final piece of the puzzle, your Honor," I summarize. "We need to get that shield over here immediately so we can test it for fingerprints!"
"Thisss is outrageousss!" Hibiki shrieks, his red hair strands snapping out aggressively as if they are living creatures trying to bite, "That ssshield isss mussseum property, don't you dare touch it! I absssolutely will not allow anyone to bring it here, or even to touch it!"
"Why not, Hibiki-san?" I smirk, with my hands at my hips confidently. "Are you afraid that if you look into the shield, you might see the real culprit in the reflection?"
Detective Ritsu waves his hand to get everyone's attention. "Your Honor, I think the timing on this revelation is pretty much perfect. I just heard word back from my guys. Apparently the head prosecutor of the international investigation team was able to reach the same conclusion, and they were running tests on the metal shield the entire time we were speaking about it."
"Huh. Imagine that! What an uncanny coincidence!" the Judge comments, almost incredulous.
That's crazy alright. I can't imagine what kind of investigator could have been able to figure that out so quickly. But, this is definitely to our favor. "So, detective," I call, "What were they able to discover...?"

---(Music End)---

The room tenses up. Though we have things figured out, we ultimately need some kind of proof to wrap this trial up cleanly. So, let's hear it, detective Ritsu... tell us what we've got...
"There were two discoveries that were made. The first, is that there is a dent in the shield, and the size of the dent is fairly close to the size of the fractured area of the of the victim's skull."
"You hit the nail on the head, Nick!" Maya praises, "It had to have been the murder weapon, like you said!"
"The second discovery is that there were a few fingerprints on the shield, and when they were checked along with our records, they showed consistency with the fingerprints of Hebi Hibiki."
*!*
Hibiki shouts once again, and I'm interested in seeing how he'll try to slither his way out of this one...



"I'm terribly sorry," he apologizes, surprisingly calm and collected... he isn't even doing the sss thing anymore. He dusts off his shoulder, he closes his eyes and raises his chin arrogantly, and his hair settles down to normal. He's eerily composed for someone about to be convicted for murder. His voice is just as posh and pompous as it was when we first met him. "But that doesn't prove anything at all. The Sniffsonian Museum is under my ownership. Of COURSE my fingerprints are liable to be on any of the exhibit pieces."
That's... a really weak crutch to try and stand on. Is that actually how he's going to try and deflect the blame?
"The fact of the matter remains that you have nothing to prove when or how that shield was touched. As much as you and the rest of the riff-raff enjoy eliminating the impossible, you simply can't prove that shield was ever picked up or used as a weapon. For all we know, the bumbling buffoon of a would-be murderer could have lost his balance while swinging around that blasted hammer, fallen, and bashed his head against the shield by mistake. And who knows, perhaps he fell and was impaled by the sword at that very moment? And maybe that brat with the black hair was on the second floor too? He was wearing gloves that night, he could have picked up the body and thrown it over the ledge! How about it, hmm? Can you disprove any of that? There's no camera footage whatsoever to support whatever kind of ridiculous claims you could make."
  "That's because you deleted it all!!" Maya shouts back, flustered.
  "You can't POSSIBLY mean to insinuate that an error with our security systems was my in any way, shape, or form, intentional," he brushes aside.
Everyone in the courtroom has gone quiet. It's clear as day that Hibiki is trying to slither his way out of all of the accusations. "Face it, you incompetent lopsided lawyers can't even prove who was or wasn't where that night at all. And it doesn't take a superfluous law degree to know that you clownish conspirators are powerless without any evidence."
The Judge's eyes are completely closed for a few moments as he thinks. "This individual truly intends to stretch the meaning of 'reasonable doubt...'" he finally speaks, "But he has a point. There's nothing that can conclusively prove who killed Austin Translation. I feel as if we've gone in circles here without much to show for it."
Yashin looks like she's upset, or at least gradually growing to be. "What will you do in this situation, your Honor?"
"I can certainly rule in favor of the defendant, as it's quite unlikely this young man had anything to do with these crimes after all," the Judge reasons, but he suddenly shakes his head and disappointment is clear on his face. "But when it comes to convicting whoever truly is guilty... there's just not much that can be done without proof."
"Hey, Maya, Sae... I think I have our solution here," I whisper softly.
"What do you mean...?" Sae questions.
"Think about it. This is a museum, right?" I reason, "What's one of the most basic of basic rules at a museum...?"
"You don't mean...!!" Maya gasps, "You DO mean! You absolutely DO mean what I think you mean!"
I smile and nod. "And I have one last piece of evidence to put an end to this. Let's catch this guy once and for all."



*!*
All eyes are on me, and my eyes are on Hebi Hibiki. "Hibiki-san. How seriously do you take your job as curator?"
"What?" he blinks with a raised eyebrow, "You can't mean to be so crude as to attack my character, can you? Of course I take my job seriously."
"And you treat all of your museum's pieces with respect and care, right?" I lead.
"Of course I do," he confirms, as I'd expect, "I'm extremely careful and caring for my exhibits. What curator worth their salt would say otherwise?"
Let's keep leading him on. I need him to say exactly what I want him to say. "Does everyone on the museum staff treat the exhibits with care, too?"
"Are you daft? Of course they do! I ensure they do!"
He's taking the bait...!! "I see. So you're at least mildly strict on being careful around the artwork."
"I'm INCREDIBLY strict on them to be careful around all of the museum displays! What exactly are you trying to accomplish here other than waste everyone's time?"
"I was just trying to ensure that you at least run your museum professionally, since your behavior today as well as with the missing art pieces has brought your capability as a curator into question."
"How dare you!" he hisses back, and I can tell that my pushing his buttons is riling him back up. "Make no mistake. The Sniffsonian would not be a world-class museum if it weren't under the most capable of ownership! Running this museum properly is my life!"
"Mr. Wright, why on Earth are you badgering the witness with so many questions?" the Judge questions.
"I was just reflecting, your Honor. Reflecting... just like Perseus' shield did to help him defeat the snake monster. And I was just thinking to myself, that I wish Hebi Hibiki would reflect on the crimes he committed. But, there's one rule he broke that he has no choice but to own up to. One of the rules that he just quite clearly told us he takes EXTREMELY seriously."

---Music: Phantom Pursuit ~ You're Mine 2019 ---

"Ladies and gentlemen of the court, take a look at the basic guidelines of proper and improper behavior within the Atrium Exhibit Guide. I'd like for everyone to take notice of this particular line:

"Only museum staff may touch the art with specialized gloves."



His face turns white. The brief moments of composure he had tried to put on at the very end have vanished completely, and he opens his mouth to try and protest. All he's able to do is stutter and bumble as he gets tied on his own, slithery tongue.
"Face it, Mr. Curator. Maybe it's because you truly respect art. Or maybe you simply don't want to damage the merchandise you plan on selling under the table. Whatever the reason, you just told us yourself: under regular circumstances, you would have never touched your exhibits with your bare hands. But that all changed when you had no choice but to grab whatever object was close enough to defend yourself."
*!*
*!*
*!*
*!*
*!*
Everyone in the room is speechless.
  Yashin smiles at me and gives a thumbs up.
This is it. The moment the killer's identity is set in stone, this trial is over. "Hibiki-san, I can understand why you didn't admit to this crime, because you were afraid investigations would come back and reveal the secret of you selling off other people's artwork. However, instead of just admitting your wrongdoing, you tried to frame not one, but TWO, innocent people for this murder. I'd say that reflects fairly poorly back on you, Mr. Curator."
I point my finger right at the true killer. "The murder weapon has your fingerprints all over it, and the Sniffsonian Museum prohibits even the staff from touching the exhibits without gloves. Hebi Hibiki, if you won't reflect on your crimes, then maybe instead you should reflect on the rules of your own museum!"
All at once, Hibiki breaks down completely, and his serpentine hair strands lash out every which way in a frenzy as the curator shakes, holding his hands up in complete defeat. Slowly, the motions of his hair all stop until his whole body is extremely still. Cold sweat doesn't even begin to describe him. He's downright petrified. Statue-like. In fact, his skin and clothes all turn grey with a rocky texture as if he's literally turned into a statue, and he falls over with a thump.

---(Music End)---

  April 13th, 10:40 am
  Tokyo District Court, Courtroom No. 2

Those of us at the defense team couldn't be in higher spirits. We managed to save Akira, went out of our way to defend an innocent person, and managed to capture the true culprit. At any point, we could have walked away having achieved Akira's innocence, without giving those other things a second thought. Sometimes I wonder why we defense attorneys have to make things so hard on ourselves. But the answer is obvious. Because it's the right thing to do.
The Judge takes a breath of relief. "Well, Mr. Wright. Miss Fey. It certainly seems like no matter where any of us go, excitement will follow."
"You can say that again," I chuckle.
"And, Miss Niijima, Miss Yashin, and you as well, detective Ritsu," the Judge continues, "I have to thank all of you for doing your best today to ensure that justice was truly served."
"I'd take another bow," Yashin replies with embarrassment, "But I feel like a fool for bowing so preemptively earlier when I did. All of the credit goes to the defense on catching the real crook."
"I'd say you contributed more than a little, yourself!" the Judge compliments, "But Hebi Hibiki being convicted is neither here nor there. At this moment in time, we owe a proper verdict to the accused. I hereby declare the defendant, Akira Kurusu..."



The audience cheers like no tomorrow. The most lively of the celebrating comes from the cluster of young adults, including Yusuke, who I know by this point are all friends with Miishima and Akira. Iwai from earlier seem to be smirking quite cockily, and even the Big Wins guy has a look of relief on his face, as hard to notice at it is.
As confetti falls from the ceiling, I almost have to double-take to make sure the falling papers aren't the work of Mask☆DeMasque flying in again. He sure put on quite the show, earlier. And, thankfully, his involvement seems to be out of the spotlight for the time being. We'll need to meet up with Ron himself at some point after this all blows over. We're going to have a lot to talk about.
  As things are wrapped up in here, the audience members are beginning the leave the room in an orderly fashion, and those of us at the defense table gather our things and prepare to head out.
Really, there's a TON of things that we need to address now that this trial is over. We going to meet Alibaba and the Phantom Thieves, we need to find Ron to talk about the Orb, and--
"Mr. Wright," I hear someone call to me. As I turn, I see I'm actually approached by the gentleman in the hat who spoke to Mr. Canary during the trial. I wonder what he has to say? He offers me a handshake, which I return, and he extends the offer to Sae and Maya as well. "The name's Winfred Kitaki. I go by 'Big Wins,' though. Do you have a minute?"
"Of course," I answer.
"Thanks. I won't take up too much of your time," he speaks. He holds his fist up to his mouth to cough and turns his head slightly. Despite having the kind of face that would instill authority and respect, he actually seems to be acting a bit nervous. "You uh, you folks from California?"
"Miss Niijima lives around here, but Nick and I are from the states. Los Angeles, in specific," Maya explains.
"Really, Los Angeles, even? Small world," Big Wins chuckles, "My business is based in the same city."
"You mentioned your business was what brought you here to Tokyo," Sae recalls, "What kind of business do you run?"
"Hmm," he mumbles, as if he's thinking of how to word his answer. If it's going to be what I think it is, then I can understand why. "Well. Let's just say, that I run the family business, and leave it at that."
I wonder if they have exposure to those old Mafia films in Japan? Anyone familiar with a mob stereotype can pretty much instantly get what type of business Big Wins must work in just based on his style of dress and speech. I think Sae pretty much gets the gist, at least.
"Rest easy, miei amici. I never pull straight citizens into family matters," he deflects before coughing once more and speaking again. "I'm not great with words, so I'll get right to the point. All of you could have walked out of this room at least an hour ago with your client a free man. But you chose to stay in there and you helped Mr. Canary all the same. I can tell you ladies and gentleman have character. The kind of character that you don't see every day. I want to thank you. I truly do."
I feel humbled just because of how much authority and respect a man like this must normally demand. But this does have me second guessing myself, now... was Mr. Canary a part of a crime family...?
  "I see on your face what you want to ask. Listen. Jack isn't in the business. But I think you all would get along great, because he has character like you all do. In the past, he had a choice to do the right thing, and he did, and my son is still alive because of it. And what you did to help him today was a great service."
He hands me a slip of folded paper. Inside of it is his name, as well as a phone number. "And look. Service and respect are a two way street. If you guys are ever in a tight spot... just give me a call. My family will be there to help," is the last thing he says before straightening his tie and walking away.
"Did we just make a Mafia contact, Nick?" Maya asks in disbelief.
"I, uh. I think we did," I confirm.
Things are going to stay interesting for our entire stay in Tokyo, I can tell.

  CHAPTER SIX END.

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

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