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Chapter Text

"This court finds the defendant... Innocent. Court is adjourned."

Makoto discreetly breathed a sigh of relief at the verdict. It had been an arduous three days, but in the end his client was proven innocent, and the real killer had been dragged away from the witness stand.

Next to him, his assistant gave a small smile. "That was a close one. Should we meet up with Ms. Nosint?"

"Yeah, let's go." He responded, gathering his things and leaving the defense's desk. He followed the other as they entered the Defendant Lobby, where they were greeted by an energetic young woman.

"Ahhhh! Thank you so much! Ima thought she was gonna die!" Ms. Nosint was moving around; between bowing, dancing and shaking his assistant's hand, it was a wonder she had so much energy left.

"We're happy to help, Ms. Nosint" smiled the blue haired woman at his side.

"Please call her Ima. You saved her from execution, you can be on first name basis!" His client exclaimed with a smile and stars in her eyes.

E-Execution?!

"I'm... sure it wouldn't have come to that, Ms. No-Ima." He tried reassuring, waving his arms infront of himself as if attempting to dispel her thoughts of a horrible fate by sheer will.

"You never know! Ever since that 'Dark Age of the Law' thing, the court has been ruthless! Ima heard some people from the audience crying out for her blood!" Ms. Ima was now frantic, gritting her teeth and tugging at her green hair in an overdramatic show of pure desperation.

As Makoto thought of a way to reassure her that she wouldn't be sent to death, the other woman calmed down and looked towards the ground.

"Ahh... but it's fine now, right? My brother may be gone, but... I'm sure he wouldn't want me to be stuck over his death. His real killer was caught... and it's all thanks to you! Ima thanks you both, Mr. Plensait and Ms. Cuzin!" With hope shining in her eyes, Ms. Ima replaced her sad frown with a bright and sincere smile.

A warm feeling spread through Makoto's chest as he stared in awe at her expression. No matter how many times he's heard those words, being able to help others and receiving gratitude for it always reminded him of why he became a defense attorney: To help those in need and give them hope.

Lost in thought thinking about how to celebrate the conclusion of this case, he barely registered his companion and his client arguing over their first-name status. Footsteps came from the hallway as a figure suddenly appeared in the corridor.

"Mr. Plensait!" A brunette stepped through, a serious expression adorning his young face. He had his arms crossed as he approached the trio with a confident gait. His red coat tails were billowing behind him.

"Mr. Debeste," Makoto was snapped out of his thoughts and proceeded to smile warmly. "I can't thank you enough for your help today."

The prosecutor looked taken aback for a second. Seems like I'm not the only one still not used to receiving compliments.

"Ah, yes of course! It was thanks to me, Sebastian Debeste, that the truth of this case was found out." Modest as ever. "But, I'm not here to talk about the case, I'm here to... uhh..."

The baton that Debeste was clutching slipped from his grasp, hitting him in the face and leaving a red angry mark on the prosecutor's cheek.

"M-Mr. Debeste! Be more careful with that!" Makoto approached to take a better look at his face. As all the other times, however, the mark only lasted for a second before disappearing.

"I'm fine." His self-proclaimed rival waved him off. "I just wanted to give you this." From the vest under his coat, the brunette acquired a small paper that he handed over.

While Makoto examined said paper, the other continued. "It's uhh... a coupon for that diner three blocks down, the one with the burgers advertisement on its window? Maybe you can use it to go out with Ms. Cuzin. Celebrate another victory and stuff."

As the defense attorney looked up, he noticed Debeste looking away, unconsciously bending his baton in nervousness. At once, he realized the other's true feelings. "Thank you, Mr. Debeste. It's very thoughtful of you. Do you mind if I use it now?"

The other's posture tensed slightly before deflating. "Go ahead. I'll uhh... leave you two to it then."

Before the other could leave, Makoto held the sleeve of his coat. "Wait a moment please." Turning around, he spotted the two bickering women, whose conversation had moved onto TV shows, for some reason.

"Hey, Loth." The bluenette stopped her argument before turning to her boss. "I'm going to eat with Mr. Debeste. Want to come?"

Ignoring the surprise coming from the prosecutor, Makoto stared at his assistant, silently conveying a plea.

"No, thank you. Go ahead." She caught his silent words. "Ms. Ima and I were discussing watching a marathon to celebrate in order to discuss which classic show is better: Steel Samurai or The Nickel Samurai. It is plainly the Steel Samurai."

"Wh- Huh? The Nickel Samurai is clearly better!" Ms. Ima exclaimed.

"Alright then. See you back at the apartment. Have fun!" Makoto smiled before turning around to look at Debeste. "Shall we go?"

Before the brunette could respond, however, a shout from the bluenette caused him to turn around. Instantly blinded by her phone taking a picture, Makoto sighed. "Seriously? Another one?"

"Of course! I have to take a picture for every end of a case! It's tradition at this point." The woman replied, showing their client past photos that she had taken.

The defense attorney only looked at her with a deadpan expression before addressing the taller man at his side, motioning with his head towards the door. "After you."

Debeste shook himself out of his stupor, and hurriedly left the lobby, too confused to properly say goodbye to the two women. Makoto smiled as he bid them farewell, not even bothered by the fact they were too busy looking at Loth's phone to respond.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed a blonde turning the corner. He resolutely ignored the approaching woman as he walked faster to catch up to his rival.

...

Sitting across one another in a booth, with their meals infront of them, the pair ate in silence. The noise from other patrons and a TV in the corner filling up the quiet atmosphere.

"Ohhh... do you remember the way she cried? It would have been amazing to see her actually getting the Guilty verdict, don't you think? Her despair as she believed she was going to die would have been glorious!”

Or well... relatively silent. Makoto did what he always did: ignore the voice in his head. His face retained a placid smile as he ate his food, not even hinting at having heard the persistent woman.

“And don't forget about that little flinch you did when she mentioned the execution. Can you imagine? That pathetic client of yours getting to experience one of my beautiful deadly contraptions? Let's brainstorm!"

At the very detailed and gory explanation of how Ms. Ima would be killed in this hypothetical scenario, Makoto finally managed to tune her out completely. He had let his guard down, not expecting his client to mention something that reminded him of his past; giving a way for the blonde who haunted him to appear for a split second before leaving the courthouse.

Thankfully, the man he had invited to eat accidentally interrupted the quiet atmosphere. Debeste had failed to realize the napkin he was reaching for was under his glass, resulting in said glass tipping over and spreading its contents onto Makoto's fries.

"Shoot. I'm sorry! Here, let me–!" Makoto raised a hand, interrupting the other's panicked rambling and stopping him from using his gloves to clean up the water that managed to spill onto the table. "It's okay. It was an accident." He reassured with a smile.

But as he finished soaking up the water on the table with his own napkin and turned to look at the prosecutor, Makoto noticed the downtrodden expression Debeste possessed.

"Hey, it's okay, you can go refill your water while I clean this up; I am incredibly unlucky so this kind of thing happens all the time. And the fries weren't that good anyway–"

"Why?" Makoto's own rambling was stopped by the soft question. "Why did you invite me? I don't– It's just– Wouldn't Ms. Cuzin have enjoyed it more?" Debeste had taken out his baton, unconsciously bending it in confusion.

"Well... Loth doesn't really like burgers, and it would have been a shame to let this gift go to waste." When the other still looked conflicted, he continued in a softer voice. "Besides, you're my friend, why wouldn't I invite you?"

Debeste's ahoge unfurled in surprise, before going back to its curly shape. "You... consider me your friend?"

"Of course!" He smiled softly. "I thought we established that during Ms. Faraday's case?"

"I thought you had said that to reassure Kay about my social life." The brunette snorted. "And to get access to Mr. Edgeworth's office without my presence."

Makoto's eyes widened slightly as he hurried to reassure the taller man of his sincerity. "No, no! What I told Ms. Faraday was the truth. I've considered you a friend ever since that trial with De Killer. Remember? When you proclaimed to the Judge and her son about our rivalry?" At the other's unchanging conflicted expression, he continued. "Besides, Mr. Edgeworth wouldn't have let just anyone take Ms. Faraday's case. If you don't trust me, at least trust in your mentor's judge of character."

At last, Debeste sighed. "No, no, it's fine. I know the type of person you are. I'm sorry for doubting your honesty."

"It's okay." Makoto tried to reach the other man's eyes. "If you don't mind me asking, what brought this on? I can see something has been bothering you since the end of the trial. As your friend, I'm here to help."

It took a few seconds for the prosecutor to reach a decision in his mind. During which, Makoto waited patiently, letting Debeste organize his thoughts in silence.

"I guess... it's something Kay said." The brunette fiddled with his baton once again. "You know how she is, claiming that an older sister responsibility is to tease me about the most random things." Makoto felt hurt squeeze his heart. "She noted how many times my witnesses tend to be killers and how you manage to unmask them every single time. I don't know... I guess I just felt incompressive."

It took a second for the defense attorney to decipher the source of the prosecutor's troubles. "You're not incompetent, Debeste. If anything, it's thanks to you that these people had their crimes exposed. Without your thorough investigations and drive to uncover the truth, all of these people would get away with framing innocents." Makoto softly put his hand in between the other's clenched gloved ones, on top of where the baton was bending, in an effort to stop the other man from accidentally hitting his face with said instrument. "In this last trial, remind me again who found evidence of the killer's attempt to dispose of the real murder weapon? Who stopped the Judge from handing down an early verdict? Who didn't flinch at the madman's desperate attempt to escape?"

At the other's small smile and unclenching of hands, Makoto continued. "I don't think Ms. Faraday meant it that way. It's just unfortunate that the majority of the cases you take tend to have innocent people being apprehended. But hey, in the end, it's not about getting the verdict you want, it's about..." "Finding the truth." Debeste returned his smile. "You sound a lot like Mr. Edgeworth."

Makoto laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "That's a new one. It's an honor to get compared to the Chief Prosecutor."

The brunette straightened his posture, hope shining in his brown eyes. "Well, it's the highest praise coming from The Best Prosecutor, so you better take it seriously."

As Debeste put the baton back in his pocket, the defense attorney smiled. The prosecutor tended to remind Makoto of himself, especially from when he was younger. Of those first days in Los Angeles when thoughts of his past reminded him of what he lost and the future seemed so uncertain, when he needed someone to reassure him that he wasn't a bad person for leaving everything behind.

And looking at the younger prosecutor, who struggled with things he couldn't tell his family, who struggled with speaking up at times but still tried his best and was often underappreciated by others... Makoto was going to make sure this man had a friend there for him, like the one he himself needed back then.

"Ugh... this is so mushy, how is it not making you sick! Hey, how about we ditch this hopeful facade and discuss an execution for Mr. Incompetent here!"

Makoto's smile tightened. If only he could get rid of her, then everything would be perfect.

As the two men resumed their conversation, their food forgotten and cold, the weather seemed to worsen. With signs of rain from the dark clouds outside, the majority of the patrons left the establishment in order to avoid the delays in public transportation and get to their homes in time. This let the workers relax and change the TV channel to their own discretion.

As the first raindrops hit the side of the glass wall, Debeste stopped his retelling of an adventure his sister in all but blood had dragged him to. Frowning, the prosecutor noted. "It looks like a storm. We better hurry to the station before the rain gets worse."

Nodding, the two of them gathered their garbage and deposited it in the appropriate bins before reaching the door. At which point, Debeste frowned and held Makoto's shoulder, stopping him from opening said glass door.

"Hey." Makoto looked curiously at the taller man. "I just... thank you, for... listening."

The defense attorney smiled. "It's no problem, Debeste."

"Sebastian."

At Makoto's noise of confusion, the other explained. "If we are going to be friends then it's fine if we call each other by our first names, right? Or maybe nicknames? Then again, Mr. Edgeworth calls his best friend by his last name, so I guess any of them are fine?"

"To each their own, I guess." Makoto beamed, glad the other also saw him as a friend. "Though if I can call you by your first name, you can use mine as well."

Sebastian smiled. "Alright then, Hidan. Let's go before we get sick from the rain–"

"This just in!" The News Channel the workers had decided to watch flashed a sign with 'BREAKING NEWS' before turning to a reporter standing outside an airport. A horde of people behind her could be seen being pushed away from the doors by police officers, a redhead in green being extremely persistent in trying to get inside the building. "A murder has just occurred at Hope Springs Airport. Though the identity of the victim and the details of their demise are unknown, the incident has caused all flights to be canceled for the day. Many people are protesting for their canceled flights, and are demanding for passengers of Flight 708 to be apprehended for the murder. The aircraft touched down minutes before the discovery of the body and contained the Japanese ambassadors that came to the country to discuss Japan's recently opened borders, after the incident known as The Tragedy plagued the country for years." An image of said ambassadors then appeared on screen.

The woman on the TV continued talking, but Makoto stopped listening. His face paling and his pupils constricting as he stared at the screen. His surroundings washed away, taking Sebastian's phone ringing and the diner's workers gossiping away, leaving a white noise behind.

His pulse quickened as the eyes of the lavender haired woman and blonde man from the pictures seemed to escape from the TV to stare directly at Makoto's soul, judging him for his past actions. He thought he would stay there forever, the moment frozen in time as a choked sound threatened to escape from his lips.

Only to be brought back down to earth by feeling hands that were not there grip his shoulders tightly, phantom nails digging hard enough to draw blood had they been real. And from the corner of his eye, a blonde emerged; now no longer a faceless aparition he sometimes saw from afar, but a perfect rendition of the woman who haunted his nightmares.

Her crazed smile was getting wider the more she stared at the conflict in his eyes, feeding off of the desp– the grief that threatened to consume him. Getting her face right next to his left ear, close enough that his bleached blonde locks mixed with hers showcasing the almost identical shade between the two, she drawled. "Upupu... this will be so interesting."

Chapter Text

Sebastian finished his call with a frown. It seemed that Kay had managed to avoid her flight's cancellation, but Mr. Edgeworth, who had taken time out of his busy schedule to send her off, ended up being involved in the murder that was just described in the TV of the diner he was in.

He would have to hurry if he wanted to reach the airport before the weather delayed his own transportation. His mentor needed him to take over the case while the Chief Prosecutor searched for a veteran Detective to accompany him in his investigation.

Tuning out the workers' harsh words directed at the Japanese ambassadors, Sebastian focused on the shorter man beside him. "Hey, I'm sorry but I need to go."

The older blonde snapped out of whatever thoughts he was stuck in, giving him a shaky smile. Sebastian's frown deepened; after their heartfelt conversation, he wished to help the other with whatever was bothering him, but the case he had just been assigned was of the utmost importance.

While the brunette struggled with his sense of duty and his desire to help a friend, Hidan spoke. "Alright. Have a safe trip... and good luck with the airport investigation."

With the other's reputation, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he had figured out he would be taking over the case from the TV. But Sebastian was still impressed with his rival's (or was he just 'friend' now? He wasn't ready to lose the competitive aspect of their relationship. Could he call him 'friendly rival' in the meantime?) deduction skills.

Regardless, he adjusted his gloves and made a silent promise to help Hidan with whatever was bothering him as soon as this case was over. "Thank you. I'll see you later." With a confident grin, Sebastian opened the door and left in a hurry while being careful not to slip on the wet roads, leaving the conflicted hazel eyed man behind.

Getting through the crowd outside Hope Springs Airport had been more challenging than he had anticipated. The redhead showcased in the news report had gained an ally in the time it took to get to the building. The brunette in the parka being just as determined to gain access to the airport, as well as begging for an interview.

Thankfully, Officer Byrde was as fierce as the other two women, and had helped him in getting through and entering the building where the murder took place. He would have to send her something in gratitude, maybe more Blue Badger memorabilia?

Postponing his decision for a gift, Sebastian revised Mr. Edgeworth's message as he made his way to Gate A17, passing various officers on his way. A dead body found in one of the suitcases from Flight 708, the owner of said luggage being detained on suspicion of murder. A fairly normal case, all things considered, if not for the identity of the accused.

Arriving at the correct Gate, the brunette was greeted by Mr. Edgeworth talking to a displeased blonde man; a lavender haired woman standing silently in the corner, observing her surroundings. And with the scene in front of him, Sebastian was reminded of his second least favorite type of cases: international scandals.

"I believe there is enough proof of my innocence. All I ask is for permission to investigate to show you said proof and dispel these ridiculous accusations." Byakuya Togami, one of the ambassadors from Japan, crossed his arms and said in a haughty tone.

"I understand where you're coming from, Mr. Togami." His mentor smiled tightly. "But according to your own admission, the crime took place in this airport; in which case Japan's investigation laws don't apply. I'm afraid you will be detained in a cell while the murder is being investigated."

"By your companion here, I presume." Kyoko Kirigiri, the other ambassador, stated as she approached the other two men and stared at Sebastian. The prosecutor was startled by her sudden chiming, not realizing she had paid attention to his arrival.

Mr. Edgeworth turned towards him and nodded in acknowledgement, not showing any sign of surprise by the brunette's sudden appearance or the ambassador's sudden statement. "That is correct. Ms. Kirigiri, Mr. Togami, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Debeste. He will be in charge of the investigation."

Sebastian bowed slightly, trying his best to ignore the skeptical gaze from the blonde man and the analyzing stare from the lavender haired woman. He was used to being underestimated by everyone but his rival and mentor, the gazes of these strangers not affecting him as much as they would have once used to.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He gave them a small smile. The nods from both of them paired with a "Likewise" from the woman being all the recognition he got before the two ambassadors turned back to the Chief Prosecutor.

"May I inquire as to which detective will be assigned to Prosecutor Debeste?" Kirigiri asked, apparently deducing his profession without him even stating it.

As Sebastian stared in awe and confusion, Mr. Edgeworth cleared his throat before crossing his arms. "Why do you wish to know?" Normally they would never divulge said information to those who didn't need to know; but due to the importance of the people before them, the Chief Prosecutor seemed more willing to cooperate with the Japanese visitors.

"We were hoping to meet with your Minister in a couple of days, so the quicker this incident can be resolved and my companion is set free, the better. If you are understaffed, however, I would like to offer my services." From the pocket of her asymmetrical jacket, the woman procured a detective's badge.

As both prosecutors confirmed the validity of said badge in surprise (they were never told one of the ambassadors was a detective, was the other one high in importance too?), the blonde tapped his foot impatiently. He was muttering something along the lines of "Unbelievable... We should hurry... At least you brought it with you", to which the detective sent a smirk his way.

Finally, Mr. Edgeworth sighed softly as he took out his phone. Stating he would make a call, he left Sebastian with the two ambassadors.

Feeling anxious, part of him wished he had stayed with Hidan at the diner; at least then he would be with a familiar face and not feel inferior to the ambassadors. For their part, they seemed to enter a private conversation, as they went back a few steps and spoke in hushed voices. The other part of him was touched that his mentor had trusted him with such an important case, believing Sebastian would handle the investigation delicately.

Due to Japan's state of affairs, any mention of their citizens had to be treated with caution. The country already had a bad reputation from when they closed their borders and entered a lock down for years, trapping citizens and tourists alike. There were many whispered rumors of why the country cut itself off from the world, but nothing could have prepared them for the truth of The Tragedy. Ever since the leaked news broke out some years ago, avoidance of the country had skyrocketed, many conspiracy theorists believing Japan's citizens to be cursed and destructive.

Not that Sebastian was one of them. This would be his first time meeting survivors of The Tragedy and so far they didn't seem as despairful as the paranoid online claimed they were. This only served to reinforce his belief of no one deserving to be judged for things they had no control over.

After what felt like hours but were only a couple of minutes, Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth returned, an officer holding handcuffs in tow.

Togami raised an eyebrow as his mentor spoke. "Your cooperation is appreciated, Detective Kirigiri. We would be honored to work with you. There are some stipulations, however, that need to be met first."

At the lavender haired woman's nod, he continued. "First, we apologize for the inconvenience, but Mr. Togami will have to be detained as previously stated." The blonde's protests were shushed by the detective. "Rest assured that we will assign him the best defense attorney we can offer, unless you have someone in mind?"

Detective Kirigiri shook her head and accepted Mr. Edgeworth's proposal of finding them an attorney. "I will get on that immediately. " He continued. "Second, you may investigate as you please, but you must have a member of the police force with you at all times. This is to ensure your safety; if Mr. Togami's claims are true, then you could be targeted as well."

The detective mulled over his words as Sebastian took out his baton to hold in confusion. He seemed to have missed part of their conversation, apparently they had already discussed the blonde's innocence and came up with a theory of how he was framed?

The taller woman sighed quietly before the brunette could continue this line of thought. "Very well then. I accept your conditions. Anything else?"

"That is all. I will let you get to it." While Detective Kirigiri went to reassure Togami one last time, Mr. Edgeworth approached Sebastian.

"Keep an eye on her, will you?" He muttered. "It's not that I don't trust them but with tensions this high... the news are going to be a problem soon." The brunette understood, there will be backlash for letting one of the potential suspects investigate; a scandal was in the making and Sebastian already felt a headache coming over. "I believe in you." His mentor smiled as he put a hand on his shoulder affectionately, giving the younger man a smile.

Before he could leave, however, Sebastian gave voice to a concern he had. "Are you going to ask Mr. Shields to represent Mr. Togami?"

The older man crossed his arms. "No, he went on vacation with his wife and is unreachable at the moment. I was planning on calling a friend of mine, but his daughter informed me he is in the Kingdom of Khura'in. His other two workers either out of the country as well or helping the young lady with her magic shows."

Sebastian hesitated for a moment before suggesting. "Well, since we just finished the last case, I'm pretty sure Mr. Plensait is available. If you find no one else, of course."

Mr. Edgeworth gently put his hand atop his flexed baton, just like his rival had done earlier. It seemed he had subconsciously bent it in nervousness again. "I'll take that into consideration, thank you."

Before more could be said, the Japanese detective dressed in purple approached them. "Are we ready?"

"Yes, I'll leave you to it." The Chief Prosecutor nodded as he turned around to get back to work, leaving Sebastian to take a deep breath, unbend his baton and lead the way.

"This way." Both the lavender haired woman and the officer chosen to shadow her followed behind.

To say Sebastian was impressed would be an understatement. Detective Kirigiri was the most competent member of law enforcement he had ever met.

In just a few minutes, she had managed to organize forensics, examine the Baggage Claim Area and suitcase thoroughly and had created a list of key witnesses she wished to speak to.

Turning towards him, the detective spoke up; addressing him for the first time since they were formally introduced by Mr. Edgeworth. "The next step is to divulge my findings, correct?"

Sebastian nodded meekly. "Very well." She closed her eyes before continuing. "The suitcase was indeed used to transport the body; judging by the amount of blood and state of the victim, the body was placed while it was relatively fresh and moved around a lot. It is likely the body was placed inside immediately after the plane touched down."

She gestured with her hand a request to follow her, leading Sebastian to the bloody suitcase. "I can vouch that the suitcase possessed a sturdy lock, which is now missing, and there are marks of a small rope of some kind being wrapped around the handle. It's more than likely that the fingerprint scanner was tampered with, which denotes skill, as this model is very tough to bypass." The detective then crouched to close the suitcase. "Judging by the outside, what can you infer?"

Sebastian took a second to examine the evidence, closing one eye to focus while imagining a frame around the object. "It's clean." Was what stood out to him. "No signs of wiped blood or residue on the tires. If one were to know it had a lock, then its disappearance would have stood out but otherwise it wouldn't raise any alarms."

Detective Kirigiri nodded as she stood up, standing perfectly balanced on her heeled boots. "Though being a scapegoat isn't what we had planned on this visit, it's understandable why my companion would get arrested. However, there is plenty of evidence on why it is impossible for anyone on that plane to have committed the crime."

He nodded thoughtfully. "None of Flight 708's passengers were reported missing, and unless they were killed without blood splattering, and Mr. Togami's belongings cleanly disposed of somewhere in the aircraft, the victim had to have died in the airport somewhere. The choice of suitcase is also strange, why would they go through all the trouble of bypassing a fortified luggage when there are many other easier ones that would work just as fine?" Sebastian took out his baton and tapped it against his other hand. "It seems very likely that the murder and subsequent framing were premeditated."  His voice lowered. "A worker at the airport, or someone who snuck in, maybe."

Detective Kirigiri's eyebrows raised in surprise for a second, before going back to her neutral expression. Sebastian swore there was a small smile present on her face, however. "That is correct." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Very impressive, Prosecutor Debeste."

"Just Debeste is fine." He smiled internally, honored to receive a compliment from someone so talented. A different feeling from getting one from his friend and family, but nice all the same.

Suddenly, a member of forensics approached them, an autopsy report in hand. "Excuse me, Detective Kirigiri, Prosecutor Debeste..."

Turning towards the lanky man, Sebastian straightened up, hiding his bashfulness as best as he could. "Yes?"

"Here is the preliminary autopsy report." Handing the report to the lavender haired woman, the man continued. "We have also uncovered the identity of the victim. A japanese man who avoided the Tragedy and lived alone: Makoto Nagasawa."

The sound of wrinkling paper startled both men, who turned to stare at the lavender haired detective, her rigid posture complimenting her closed fists. For a moment, nobody spoke, before Sebastian's concern made itself known."Is... everything okay?"

The ambassador's expression turned conflicted for a split second before her posture relaxed slightly and her stoic glare focused back on her report.

"Of course. Is that all?"

The man shook his head. "That is all from the victim; the body is available now if you wish to examine it. In the meantime, we are in the process of carrying out your orders to test Luminol on the areas you mentioned."

The detective nodded, taking her eyes off of the report to look in their direction. "Alright then. You are dismissed. Thank you for your report."

Once they were left alone, Sebastian was handed the report as he asked. "What's next?"

Detective Kirigiri crossed her arms. "The witnesses I asked for should be in the Waiting Area. It's time to gather some testimonies.”

Chapter Text

"Thank you. I'll... keep that in mind." Makoto smiled with a pained expression.

"I'll organize an in-person meeting for next week." His therapist informed him with a monotone tone. The man may not express his emotions easily, but he was a great listener and an even better therapist.

With a nod of acknowledgement and a shuddering breath, the short blonde closed his laptop. His thoughts were in turmoil and his energy was depleted, he wished for nothing more than a nap and earplugs.

"You can just ditch, you know? Run like the coward you are."

Then again, the earplugs would not help with tuning the blonde's voice out. He had tried that multiple times before, all those years ago, and the results were always the same.

A towel being placed next to his laptop startled him out of the one-sided conversation in his thoughts. Looking at the one responsible, Makoto gave a small smile.

The bluenette copied his expression (though with added worry and less desperation) and explained in a soft tone. "To dry yourself off. We don't want you to get sick."

His smile became slightly more genuine. "Thank you, Tsumugi." Taking said towel and drying his hair, Makoto finally noticed the wet clothes he had been wearing.

By the time he had managed to become aware of his surroundings again and leave the diner, the weather had cleared. However, thanks to his luck, he had found himself drenched in water as soon as he left the subway, courtesy of a speeding truck and an unfortunately placed puddle of water.

His desperation and desire to talk to someone other than the phantom following him had made him forget about that unlucky encounter. Running the rest of the way, the man had ignored the startled yelp of his companion as he slammed the apartment's door open to immediately open his laptop and make a very important call; his drenched outfit not deterring him of his goal.

"Sorry. I... think I'm going to shower." He rubbed the back of his neck, ignoring the concern in the other's green eyes. Tsumugi, for her part, knew not to pry whenever he was desperate enough to call the man on the laptop. So with her soft "Alright. I'll make some plain tea", he entered his bathroom.

Opening a door in their sink drawer, he thanked his foresight by leaving an extra copy of his outfit in there, ready for situations just like this one. Undoing his low ponytail and putting the damp towel in the basket, Makoto accidentally looked in the mirror. His heart skipped a beat as the grinning face of a blonde winked at him, her left arm loosely draped over his shoulders as her right hand was held in a shushing motion over her lips, her blood red nails glinting menacingly.

Makoto felt his knuckles hurt from the clenching of his hands; his nails leaving indentations on his palms. He closed his eyes as he shook his head, held in place by intangible hands; trying and failing to rid the image in the mirror off his mind. A mantra of 'Go away. Not again. Stop.' repeating in his head as he tried everything in his power to not lash out like the first time. The scar on his hand pulsed in agony, as if remembering said incident.

And through it all, her voice resonated in his mind, hurling insults and pleas of violence his way. It was through sheer luck, however, that his ears picked up a faint trace of music coming from the stereo he had gotten Tsumugi for her birthday. Latching onto the random anime song, the defense attorney managed to claw his way back into reality. His accelerated breathing calmed down as he gained control of his body and turned his back to the mirror before opening his eyes to assess the damage to his hands.

Apart from the soreness and small cuts from his fingernails, everything seemed to be in order. So with a shaky sigh, the blonde did his best to ignore what just happened to focus on his shower.

A couple of minutes later, Makoto found himself sitting at their small table with a cup of warm tea in his hand. The bluenette in front of him was looking at her own cup intently as a catchy tune from her stereo served as background noise. "So, how was the marathon?" He asked the younger woman, trying his best to muster up a smile.

By Tsumugi's expression, it must have looked like an unconvincing grimace. Nevertheless, she humored him. "It was fine. It had to be cut short because of the weather, however. So Ms. Ima and I are meeting later this week to finish the Steel Samurai."

"That's nice." He answered, distracted. A certain despairful blonde was toying with a door lock.

The bluenette hesitated for a second before reaching a decision in her mind, speaking up with concern. "Shall I prepare the room?"

Startled into awareness, the blonde man recognized the door that the apparition had been examining. "No, she's– not yet. I'll let you know when it's time." He smiled tightly.

Tsumugi looked unconvinced, but before she could say anything, his cellphone rang. Makoto looked at the caller ID, not recognizing the number despite his gut telling him it was familiar. "Hello?" He answered the call.

"Mr. Plensait. Miles Edgeworth speaking." The voice of the Chief Prosecutor came from the other side of the line.

"Ah, Mr. Edgeworth!" He straightened his posture, ignoring the two women, one real and one a figment of his broken mind, who turned to stare at him in curiosity. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm afraid this isn't a recreational call." Makoto noted the serious tone in the man's voice. "I have a client in dire need of a defense attorney. Due to your exceptional performance during Kay Faraday's trial, as well as Prosecutor Debeste's recommendation, I have decided to ask for your assistance. Be aware that this client is of high importance and needs... delicate handling." Makoto must have stayed quiet in awe for longer than he thought, as Mr. Edgeworth continued with a slightly hesitant tone."Unless you are unavailable?"

Snapped out of his thoughts, the short man exclaimed. "No! No. I'm available. It's just an honor to be asked for assistance by you." Before he could embarrass himself further, Makoto cleared his throat. "I'll head over to the detention center immediately."

"Very well then. See you there." Sebastian's mentor stated before ending the call.

Makoto let out a breath of nervousness and grinned. Still awed by the Chief Prosecutor himself asking him for help, he failed to put the pieces together in regards to who his potential client could be. His assistant, however, came to a conclusion with her sharp mind.

"I think going is plainly a bad idea." Startled, Makoto turned towards the bluenette.

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

"It's just... you know." Tsumugi fiddled with her cold cup. "You haven't described her like that since... well..."

Understanding flashed across his mind as he glanced at the approaching blonde for a few seconds. Turning back, he spoke in a soft voice. "I'm fine, Tsumugi. Thank you for worrying, but I have it under control." He refused to listen to the part of him that was telling him that burying himself in his work over taking care of himself was a negative character trait that he shared with some old friends that he missed dearly.

As Makoto tried to go for a smile, the unfortunate voice of the ghost resonated in his mind as her arm surrounded his shoulders. "Of course you do. Why wouldn't you? It's not like you've lost control before..."

The former brunette did everything in his power to not react to the other's taunts; refusing to prove Tsumugi right. Finally, the real younger woman nodded while avoiding his eyes and muttered. "If you're sure..."

"I am." He reassured her while standing up. "Trust me."

As he shut his door with a promise to be back soon, Makoto's favorite dead classmate circled him. Taunting and teasing whispers filled his ears all the way to the detention center.

"I'll take care of it." With that last reassurance, the Chief Prosecutor nodded and left the room, going back to his office to continue working.

Alone with his thoughts, Makoto finally took the time to relax. The phantom had stopped her onslaught, being more focused on making him react by holding and pinching his limbs. She only stopped when the Chief Prosecutor informed him of his client.

Now with the time to properly process the details that the older man had given him, the small blonde straightened his posture as he walked towards the interrogation room. An international client of high importance who was accused of murder after a body was found in his belongings. Mr. Edgeworth hadn't given him the identity of his client, stating that it was better to meet him properly but to keep an open mind.

Gripping the handle of the door separating him from the accused, a thought entered Makoto's mind. Wait, is this client from Sebastian's airport murder–?

His realization came too late as the door opened. And there, sitting regally behind the glass pane with an air of importance around him, was his former friend Byakuya Togami.

A second passed, then two. He stood still as icy blue eyes snapped towards him. The cackling of a blonde apparition resonating in his ears as her manicured hand gripped his cheeks as if to hold his gaze in place.

Makoto felt his face pale as his hands tensed once again. Suddenly, he found himself comparing the Byakuya from Before with the man in front of him. The sharp eyes were the same, glaring behind impeccable white glasses. The blonde locks were longer than the last time he saw him in person, tied neatly in a low bun that only let some strands escape to give it shape. The white suit and vest he bore paired with his haughty posture served to accentuate his aura of superiority. Makoto's mind was torn between panicking at the sight of the former heir and admiring the changes in the other man.

Too focused on analyzing the man in front of him, he failed to realize the other was doing the same. The slight widening of the taller blonde's eyes as well as the gripping of his crossed arms were the only signs denoting his shock.

It was only when the despairful woman appeared before him, occupying all his vision, that Makoto managed to snap out of it. Ignoring her wicked smirk, Makoto turned his eyes slightly to the left of the ambassador, unfocusing his gaze just enough to make the man believe he had his full attention. Once he was no longer staring into blue eyes, Makoto relaxed slightly, feeling a burning in his cheeks that he refused to acknowledge.

Clearing his throat and waving his hand around in an attempt to repel the woman before him as if she was just a mere fly, Makoto approached his client.

"I apologize for the delay. I was told by Mr. Edgeworth that you require a defense attorney?"

Byakuya snapped out of whatever thoughts he was stuck in. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the man before him. "And you are?"

"Hidan Plensait." He conjured a strained smile. "Your defense attorney, if you permit me. I've been called by the Chief Prosecutor himself to take your case, but if you prefer another lawyer, it can be arranged."

Thankfully, the taller blonde's eyes didn't light up with recognition. There was, however, a subtle change in his posture as Byakuya rotated his head upwards to view Makoto in a different angle. The former brunette was really hoping Byakuya remained unaware of his identity.

"You will suffice." The tall blonde stated after a moment, averting his eyes from the shorter man with a slightly pained expression. "The trial is tomorrow, however. Think you can handle it?"

"Of course." Now that the other wasn't staring at him, Makoto felt more comfortable. He sat down in front of the other man, careful to avoid eye contact. "I have experience with last minute cases. You may count on me, Mr..."

A huff from Byakuya made Makoto's smile tighten. "You arrive here without even knowing the name of your client. Is this the best lawyer your Chief Prosecutor could provide?"

This man was going to be the death of him, with his familiar mannerisms sending bursts of pain through the attorney's heart. "Mr. Edgeworth believed it was better to meet in person. Clean first impressions and all, you know?" He gave a small nervous laugh.

Byakuya's eyes snapped towards him, making a drop of sweat fall from the back of Makoto's neck. Did I do something wrong? After a few seconds, the former heir spoke. "Right. Byakuya Togami is the name. I am an ambassador from Japan."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Togami." Recognizing their whereabouts, Makoto hurried to amend his comment. "I mean, I wish it was in better circumstances, but... you know." At the other's silence, he continued. "A-Anyway, I should get on with the investigation."

Byakuya nodded slowly before stating. "Then I leave it in your hands... Mr. Plensait."

Makoto's invisible companion cackled as she commented on the tension between the two men. Ignoring her crass comments, Makoto cleared his throat. "Before I forget, I would like to ask for your testimony as well as the reason you were detained. If it's no problem of course."

Byakuya snorted as he looked away from him again. "Avoid the pleasantries, just ask for what you need." At Makoto's meek agreement, he continued. "My companion and I arrived at around noon. There were no incidents during the flight. While collecting our luggage once we arrived in the country, however, we discovered a corpse in my suitcase. The buffoons in the building mistakenly thought of me as the killer and as such I was apprehended."

Makoto nodded absentmindedly, his brain automatically going into Investigation Mode as he analyzed the man's testimony. "Could you elaborate on the body discovery?" Byakuya's lips turned slightly downwards in displeasure. "Did you recognize the victim?" The smaller man continued.

"No. I can say with certainty that I've never met that man in my life. As for the discovery of the body..." The taller man paused for a second. "While collecting my luggage in the Baggage Claim Area, I noticed the weight being heavier. Further examination revealed the lock being missing and a distinct metallic smell emanating from it. In fear of anybody being in danger, my companion and I decided to open the suitcase, revealing the dead body inside."

Makoto closed his eyes, picturing the scene in his mind, pointedly trying not to think about the heir's companion. Finally, he asked, "Anything else?"

The ambassador seemed ready to snap, as the other man seemed to imply his testimony was insufficient, but then he stopped. "Actually..." he muttered. "I distinctly remember my suitcase taking longer than usual to show up. At the time I attributed it to the incompetence of the workers, but now I wonder if the delay was because of the body being shoved inside."

The defense attorney filed his testimony in his mind. Piecing together an idea of the order of events, he opened his eyes and stood up with a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Togami. I'll head over to the crime scene to hopefully investigate. I will uncover the truth, I promise."

Whatever the other man saw in his eyes was enough to leave him speechless, for he just nodded with gritted teeth behind a closed mouth.

Once the door closed behind him, Makoto shakily sighed in relief. The taller man's closed off demeanor paired with the blonde woman's unwanted statements had left him feeling mentally exhausted; he was barely able to remain cordial and keep his identity a secret. Realizing that he wouldn't be able to deal with his former friends alone, the lawyer headed to the exit door.

Chapter Text

"Alright, thank you." Makoto smiled at the police officer as they left to ask their superior about letting him investigate. Next to him, Tsumugi was texting on her phone, keeping him in her sights from the corner of her eye.

After leaving the Detention Center, Makoto had made a quick stop at their apartment. Explaining the situation to his assistant, she insisted on accompanying him to the airport. Now, standing amidst a growing crowd, Makoto was hoping the detective in charge would grant them access to the crime scene. Usually, Sebastian's word would be enough to allow them to be part of the investigation. However, Makoto still liked to get permission from the detective in charge; both to introduce himself and show his respect for their authority.

A couple of minutes later, Officer Byrde approached the duo. With a smile and a "Follow me" she led the way inside. Passing through the empty hallways was nerve-wracking. With the return of the despairful apparition, Makoto's memories of the Killing Games were returning with a vengeance and his subconscious was enjoying drawing parallels between the real world and said memories.

Trying his best to ignore the phantom feeling of walking along the empty corridors of a once-renowned school with the absence of nine people being felt in the building's aura, Makoto was constantly reminding himself of his current whereabouts.

So engrossed in keeping his thoughts in check, he didn't notice when they arrived at their destination. Thankfully, Tsumugi was there to thank Officer Byrde and shake him out of his thoughts by snapping her fingers in front of his face.

"–an? Mr. Hidan?" Focusing, Makoto found himself and his assistant next to a pillar outside of Gate A17. Hearing his fake name being uttered, he turned his attention towards the bluenette at his side, who smiled in relief. "We're here."

"R-Right..." Taking a moment to compose himself, he took a deep breath and exhaled. "Thank you, Loth." He smiled.

While still keeping an eye on him, she replaced her phone in her hand with her notebook she took from one of her skirt pockets and opened it. Before she could say anything, Tsumugi screamed as she was shoved from behind by a fast walking man.

"S-Sorry!" Holding onto the bluenette's arm, Makoto turned towards the rambling speaker: a lanky man who was adjusting his beanie over his dark blue hair. "I closed my eyes for a second and all of a sudden you appeared! I don't– you– where did you come from?"

Makoto felt a headache coming over. Before he could answer the sleep-deprived man (if the dark bags under his yellow eyes were any indication), a familiar voice spoke out. "Mr. Lumbor! Wait! The interrogation hasn't finished yet!"

Sebastian appeared from another corridor, followed by a couple of officers. They looked ready to drag the other man back by any means necessary. Before they could catch up to him, however, Mr. Lumbor muttered something under his breath and ran away, his pristine black shoes skidding through the clean floor.

"Hey!" The officers went after him, leaving Sebastian behind to sigh in frustration. Slowly approaching the prosecutor, Makoto cleared his throat.

"Tough witness, huh?"

"Mr. Plensait!" At Makoto's raised eyebrow and playful smile, he amended. "I mean, Hidan? I– it sounds weird outloud, huh? A-Anyway, I'm glad you could make it."

"Eh, you know how it is, Debeste." He shrugged lightly, silently conveying that during work hours they could refer to each other by their last names. "Can't pass up an opportunity to face my rival in court."

Sebastian straightened up. "That's right. The trial would be way too simple otherwise." With the playful banter out of the way, the brunette relaxed his posture. "Seriously, though, thank you for taking Mr. Togami's case. You have already spoken to him, yes?"

Makoto nodded. "Yeah... he's a bit hard to handle, but it's fine. Is Ema here with you?" He had meant to thank the forensic investigator for sharing her snacks with him that one time. Without her, he would have probably passed out halfway through the trial due to exhaustion.

"No." Sebatian took out his baton to tap it against his other hand. "She's busy with another case. I'm working with a foreign detective in the meantime."

A shock of cold passed through Makoto's body. Foreign detective... surely it's not...

"Oh, there she is!" Ignorant to the blonde's distress, Sebastian turned to the corridor he had arrived from. A tall woman dressed in purple was approaching the trio, a police officer trailing behind her. Her lavender hair was tied into a low ponytail held with a braid, two long strands being left in front, interwoven with black ribbons. Her gloved hands were holding a small notebook she had probably gotten from her designer jacket. As she got closer, her steps echoed due to her heeled boots.

And once again, Makoto found himself staring at his former friend, admiration and dread filling him as he desperately and discreetly took deep breaths to calm down. The apparition's insane laughter was starting to rise in volume. The blonde felt invisible hands hugging him from behind as she forced his gaze to be locked on the detective.

Before he could cause a scene, Tsumugi stepped in front of him, hiding the view of the approaching woman and trailing police officer, and forcing Makoto's panicked eyes to stare at her focused ones. With a practiced motion that she had perfected years ago, she flashed her phone screen at him. It took a split second for the video in her phone to take effect.

Relaxing slightly, Makoto felt the invisible hands disappear. Grateful for her help, the short lawyer sent the bluenette a smile and prepared himself for the meeting with Kyoko Kirigiri.

In the few seconds that transpired, the detective had finished writing in her notebook and both her and her escort had reached the trio waiting for her. Looking up, her eyes focused on Sebastian first before sliding towards the other two. Her parted lips, which were ready to make a statement, froze in momentary shock.

It was only through knowing the other woman for years that Makoto was able to identify the startled expression she was trying to conceal. Hoping that she would remain unaware of his identity, just like Byakuya had, Makoto employed the same tactic of not-quite-meeting her eyes and smiled.

"Detective Kirigiri. I would like to present to you Mr. Hidan Plensait. He is Mr. Togami's lawyer." Sebastian gestured towards the two. Then he turned towards Tsumugi. "And Ms. Loth Cuzin, his assistant."

The bluenette bowed lightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Makoto followed with a "Hello."

Filing away her shock for later, Kyoko's expression returned to her default stoic one, with an added narrowing of her eyes. "The pleasure's all mine." She nodded as she turned back towards Sebastian. "Where is the witness?"

The brunette visibly deflated. "Ah... he... escaped." Before the detective could say anything, he flexed his baton as his posture straightened. "But! I sent some officers after him. Once he is appreciated, they'll take him back to the Waiting Room."

"I see..." Though Kyoko's gaze was focused on Sebastian, Makoto knew she was watching him and Tsumugi from the corner of her eye. "I will investigate the body. Let me know when Mr. Lumbor is available."

Before she could leave, Makoto spoke up. "Excuse me, Ms. Kirigiri. Loth and I would like to gain your permission to investigate. If you don't feel comfortable giving us free range, you can set any boundaries and we will make sure not to cross them."

After a pause and an analyzing look, the lavender haired woman answered. "You have my permission. I do not mind where or what you investigate, just make sure to leave the crime scene as untouched as possible." With that, she left. Rather quickly, if you asked Makoto. The officer trailing her had to jog to catch up to her.

"That was... surprisingly easy..." Tsumugi muttered.

"Yeah. Apparently where the detective is from, investigation isn't as strictly regulated. Anyone participating in a trial is allowed to examine the crime scene and talk to witnesses. It's actually quite fascinating." Sebastian looked eager to participate in one of said trials, just to know what it was like.

Before the conversation could progress, Makoto clapped his hands. "Well, I would love to stay and talk, but I have a client in need of my help. I will get on with the investigation. Is that alright?"

"Of course!" The prosecutor nodded, startled. "I need to find our runaway witness in any case. Good luck!"

"I hope you apprehend the witness!" With that statement, they parted ways.

Just before they could finally access the crime scene, Tsumugi put a hand on his shoulder. "Will you be okay?"

There was definitely not a grinning apparition behind her. Nope. The video definitely made sure she would stay away for a couple of hours. With a grimace and a smile that hopefully conveyed relief, he nodded. "Yeah, thank you."

The sound of giggles returned as he entered the Baggage Claim Area.

The room in front of him was barren save for the conveyor belt in the center of the room. A black suitcase laid open in front of it, the insides stained with blood. As Makoto approached the luggage, he took notice of the bloodstains around the suitcase.

The body was fresh when it was placed inside. There's a lot of blood, it seems the murder was quite brutal. Unless the killer brought blood with them to cause a huge scene... though I think with a dead body inside a suitcase it would be enough, regardless of how much blood there was.

Before examining the inside, he took notice of the model. High quality material and decent security, if the fingerprint lock and the missing lock Byakuya told him about were any indication. He noticed the handle sporting a weird indentation, as if something had been wrapped tightly around it. The wheels bore no result but he noticed an invisible front pocket, barely visible thanks to the patterned fabric meant to conceal it being displaced and reflecting light onto the slim black zipper.

Cautiously opening it, he found a tablet. The power button wasn't working, but that's not what caught Makoto's attention. Looking around, he spotted an investigator. Approaching his target, he asked. "Excuse me, can you quickly tell me if the suitcase's front pocket was examined?"

The man looked up from the camera in his hands. "Yes? There was nothing there. It was really hard to find though, we only noticed thanks to this." Turning the camera around, he showed Makoto a picture of the front of the suitcase. Unlike the way the duo had found it, however, the smooth surface sported a small protrusion that revealed the existence of the front pocket. Another photo showed a small lock being the culprit, cute stickers of stars being plastered all around. Thanking the other man for his help, Makoto turned back to the suitcase.

"What's on your mind?" Tsumugi asked behind him, taking notes in her notebook.

"That lock... it looked rather cheap, right?" At the bluenette's confused affirmation, he continued. "I don't know what types of locks Japan sells, but I've seen that model being sold everywhere here. Byakuya wouldn't buy it, it's too... low for him, and the stickers are too tacky as well."

"Hmm... you think it was planted." Tsumugi mused.

"Yeah." He knelt to examine the suitcase better. "But it's weird, right? A cheap lock brings attention to the invisible front pocket. When it's being examined, it only has the lock. But the two of us come along and there's a tablet there?"

"That is... rather strange, yeah." From her tone of voice he assumed she frowned. "Did Togami tell you about it?"

"No." He realized with an exhale. "He never mentioned a cheap lock being added to his luggage." With a frown, he looked around. Suddenly, he felt like he was being watched.

"Ohh... a secret admirer? You're very popular, aren't you?"

Startled at the blood dripping over his shoulder, he turned quickly towards his left, where the phantom was replicating her sister's death. Horrified at her actions, his face paled as his eyes tried to turn away from the macabre scene. Failing miserably, he was saved by his assistant speaking up. "Is she...?"

Before she could finish her question, Makoto stood up abruptly, holding the tablet in his hands. "There's nothing on the inside. Just blood, no belongings. We should probably find where they went."

She pursed her lips behind him, but offered no objections as she followed him out of the area. Approaching one of the officers, he asked to be led to the vehicles used to transport the luggage.

The garage was spacious with tractors and carts filling the space. There seemed to be five of each, though one tractor, the one on the third spot, was missing. Asking around, it was revealed that due to staff shortage and security, the workers had been given a special card that granted them access to the vehicles. The logs of who took which cart were kept with the Chief of Security.

Next to the parking spots was a small terminal, which showed the following:
01-10:25
02-09:30
03-12:05
04-11:15
05-11:30

Tsumugi was walking around, taking photos of the place. After finishing with the carts, she joined him at the terminal.

Regardless, all the present vehicles were spotless; save for grime on the wheels and way too much mud on the fifth tractor's wheels, there had been no clues that would help them absolve their client. The investigator at his side had found no traces of blood on any of them and left back to their post. Which begged the question: where was the victim killed?

"Oi! Don't listen to them." A ragged man with an unkempt beard approached them from behind. "There's a conspiracy, I say! They're hiding the blue cart. I've seen it with my own eyes!"

Makoto stared at all the white tractors and carts surrounding them then turned to the other with a blank look. What kind of people did this airport hire? "Excuse me, who are you?" He asked politely.

"They call me the Luggage Keeper! I oversee all the bags and cases that pass through. Each and every one has a special place in my heart." The gray-eyed man put a hand over his heart while Tsumugi joined him in staring at the worker blankly.

"Okay... Mr. Keeper? Can you elaborate on your previous statement? The one about a blue cart?" Makoto felt a migraine coming up, he didn't have the energy to deal with the man. Regardless, he mentally added the short man in front of him to the list of "Weird Witnesses" and paid attention.

"Yes, yes! The blue cart. The bad one. It doesn't belong and yet it was brought here." The Keeper hunched over, rubbing his hands nervously.

"By who?" Makoto put a hand on his chin, focusing on the other's testimony.

"That boy! The Agent of the Ramp. He never takes his job seriously, he's a disgrace!"

"The ramp agent?" Tsumugi and him exchanged glances. "That's the one that unloads the luggage and sends it to the conveyor belt, right?"

"Yeah, why would he be driving a blue cart around?" Makoto questioned with a confused head tilt.

"No, no! Not the cart, the tractor! Boy left with it before the real one arrived."

"Umm... I thought Mr. Togami said his suitcase arrived later than the other ones. This blue cart couldn't have anything to do with the murder, could it?" The bluenette pondered.

"I'm not sure..." The short blonde still filed away all the information gathered from this man in his mind.

Before they could continue questioning the Keeper, he suddenly bolted upright, turning his head around so fast Makoto feared he might have gotten whiplash. Shouting "I'll find you, you rascal!" he ran away towards the Landing Area, bringing Makoto's attention to his lower body. Wait... is he... barefoot?

"Right... that just happened."

Makoto couldn't help but agree with the blonde apparition.

"What is that?" Tsumugi picked up a piece of paper that had fallen off the strange man's pocket.

Looking over her shoulder, he was greeted by a list of numbers and letters.
-13:05-
01SP-Y
04RE-Y
02AF-Y
03NL-N
05IZ-N

"I don't know, but we should hold onto it, just in case." Makoto mused as the bluenette put the paper in her skirt pocket.

"So... what now?" Tsumugi closed her notebook as she turned to stare at him.

"I don't know..." The lawyer closed his eyes in concentration. Preferably, they would find the location of the murder. But the second best option would be... "We should figure out where the suitcase hijacking took place. It should have left the plane in a baggage cart, powered by a tractor. Then it should have arrived here, where the ramp agent loaded everything to the conveyor belt. The question is: when was Byakuya's suitcase taken?"

As they pondered on the different possibilities, a notification sound came from one of Tsumugi's deceptively large skirt pockets. Startled, she took out the tablet she had stored there.

Together, they looked as the screen lit up. The screen remained black but a message was displayed in the center. The words "Tomorrow, it begins" stared back at them.

Chapter Text

Tsumugi trailed behind Makoto as they approached the Defendant Lobby. Yesterday had been tiring; apart from their inspection of the garage and suitcase, as well as the evidence gathered from the weird Keeper man, they hadn't really found out anything else.

The tablet had only displayed the ominous message, further fidgeting hadn't produced any other results. Any other potential witnesses had already been secured by Kyoko and so the duo had no one left to interrogate. Makoto desperately wished he could tell Byakuya he knew who had tried to frame him (if only so the trial would end sooner and he wouldn't have to be reminded of his past anymore), but he would be a liar.

Now he and his assistant were waiting for a certain blonde ambassador to arrive. In the meantime, the bluenette asked something that had been on her mind. "It didn't really work, did it?"

When the lawyer sported a confused expression, Tsumugi clarified. "The... video."

With a tired sigh and a frown, Makoto rubbed the back of his neck. "No... I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you. The truth is... it barely lasted five minutes."

"Five– how?! It should've–" Holding one of her arms with a distraught expression, Tsumugi seemed incapable of putting her thoughts in a coherent sentence.

"I-I know..." The blonde tried placating her. "Hopefully it gets resolved by next week, otherwise..." He didn't need to finish his sentence for both of them to understand the implications.

"I... I guess I'll prepare the room then." The assistant stated, resigned.

The short man could only frown, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah... I might need it after today's trial."

As if summoned by the mentioning of the trial, Byakuya finally came into view, escorted by a pair of police officers. With a frown, he walked quickly towards the duo.

"Well?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

The two quickly composed themselves, pretending their previous conversation hadn't taken place. "I'm sorry, Mr. Togami. I cannot tell you who framed you at the moment." Makoto apologized. Before the other man could go on a rant of his incompetence, he introduced the bluenette. "This is Loth, my assistant. We will figure out the true culprit during today's trial, I promise. We won't rest until the truth is revealed."

Makoto was keenly aware of the whispers from the apparition, taunting him for being a liar and a disappointment.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes and scoffed. "You better. There is a lot hanging on your performance today."

The bailiff suddenly appeared, informing them that it was time to enter the courtroom to start the trial. Right before the defendant could enter, however, Makoto stopped him.

"Very quickly, I would like to confirm something. The front pocket of your suitcase, did it contain anything?"

Confused and intrigued, Byakuya's eyebrow was raised delicately. "No, why do you ask?"

The shorter man could only hum, not bothering to answer the ambassador.

"The court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Byakuya Togami." The Judge announced with a smack of his gavel, silencing the noisy audience.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Sebastian gave a small bow and a flourish of his baton.

"The defense is ready as well, Your Honor." Makoto quipped with a smile and a tilt of his head.

"Mr. Debeste, please give the court your opening statement." The Judge addressed the prosecutor.

Sebastian straightened up before declaring. "The crime in question occurred at Hope Springs Airport at around noon yesterday. The defendant, Byakuya Togami, is charged with murder, as there is evidence of his guilt."

The Judge nodded with his eyes closed, processing the prosecutor's words. "Let's begin."

Alright, let's hope Sebastian has something, because we gathered close to nothing.

"The prosecution would like to call Detective Kyoko Kirigiri to the stand." Sebastian started.

The lavender haired woman walked over to the witness stand, surveying the assembled people. Multiple whispers from the audience arose, but were promptly silenced by the intensity of purple eyes glancing at them.

Once she arrived, she stood straight, looking the perfect picture of composed. At Sebastian's request, she gave her name and profession. "Kyoko Kirigiri, homicide detective."

"Say, Detective. I haven't seen you before, are you new?" The Judge questioned.

"I am from Japan, your Honor." Ignoring the whispers from the audience that were beginning to arise once again, she continued, unbothered. "I have lent my services for this case."

"Murderer!" "How do we know she's–" "She'll just lie for her accomplice!"

I didn't know everyone's opinion on Japan was this bad… Makoto stared in shock at the raging people, appalled at their animosity. He knew, at least from passing, that public opinion had been low, especially after learning about the Tragedy. But surely they would have known about Future Foundation and their dedication to restore Hope–

Oh, right... I was supposed to be the one… After his secret project had been realized, the surviving former Ultimates were going to work on restoring Japan to open its borders, with Makoto, the Ultimate Hope, holding a press conference to explain the country's situation. But surely, even without me, they would have found someone who had made the transition easier.

At his side, Tsumugi frowned at the hostility. More well-versed on Japan's reception, she was sure things weren't that bad. Something in her gut told her the situation was abnormal.

While the lawyer got lost in his thoughts, the Judge smacked his gavel, silencing the courtroom. "Order! Order!"

It took a couple of seconds before the audience finally quieted. Snapped out of his thoughts, Makoto surveyed the courtroom. The Judge was frowning, admonishing the people who caused the chaos. Kyoko was standing unperturbed in the witness stand. Tsumugi had a pensive look on her face. And finally, Sebastian had his mouth open in shock, his baton in his hands. From the corner of his eye he saw Byakuya was just sitting with his eyes closed, his arms crossed in displeasure.

Makoto took notice of his own frown and smoothed it out, recovering from the outburst that had taken place.

"Detective, please continue your testimony." The Judge said with a firm tone. With that, everyone focused, leaving the incident that just took place behind.

"The incident occurred in the Baggage Claim Area, where the defendant opened his suitcase to reveal the body inside. Authorities were immediately called and Mr. Byakuya Togami was arrested."

"His suitcase! I had no idea a body could fit in there..." The Judge mused. There's no way you haven't had a single case in however many years without a body in a suitcase… Makoto deadpanned in his mind.

"The victim was discovered to be Makoto Nagasawa, a local man who lived alone 20 minutes from the airport." Kyoko moved on swiftly.

M-Makoto? Spooked by the fact that the victim shared his real name, the fake blonde paused. Paling slightly, he shook his head, not noticing the detective searching for his reaction. Had Makoto looked further, he would have seen the defendant being as shocked as him.

"Very well then. Mr. Plensait, you may begin your cross-examination." At the Judge's words, the defense attorney admonished himself. Stop getting distracted, you have a job to do.

With a determined gaze, he looked towards the detective's fringe. "Yes, Your Honor." He was vaguely aware of her intense gaze focusing on him. "Could you describe in more detail the body discovery?" He pressed.

"After his suitcase arrived, Mr. Togami stated its appearance was different; there was also a distinct smell emanating from it. Worried, he opened it right then and there, to make sure no one was hurt."

"What about the smell was alarming?"

"The smell was metallic, reminding the two of us of blood. Even though the suitcase itself seemed fine, the smell was abnormal, so the defendant opened his luggage to determine its source."

"Just to clarify, you were there with the defendant."

"Yes." Kyoko turned her attention towards the Judge. "Though I am a witness in this incident and know the defendant personally, rest assured that I will not let my personal feelings get in the way. You may ask me about the incident, but my primary testimony is going to be about our findings."

The Judge nodded. "It's alright, Detective. Your commitment to your work is truly outstanding."

Makoto then analyzed Kyoko's testimony in his mind once again. "Can you elaborate on the arrest?"

"The defendant discovered the body infront of many witnesses. There was panic as security was called. After a quick glance and pressure from the witnesses, authorities apprehended Byakuya Togami immediately."

"What happened next?" Makoto asked after a moment.

"He was taken to one of the Waiting Rooms. Due to the... defendant's role, some care had to be taken in his arrest." Kyoko answered vaguely.

"Defendant's role?" Tsumugi asked at his side, confused. Kyoko had been fairly descriptive and concise in her testimony; for her to suddenly leave openings like this meant she was baiting him, for what exactly, Makoto didn't know.

Regardless, the lawyer had no choice but to fall for said bait. "What exactly do you mean by the 'defendant's role'?"

"He is one of Japan's ambassadors, scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister in a few days." Purple irises stared into his own hazel ones. "In the hopes of avoiding an international scandal, the incident would have been investigated and taken care of privately. With the amount of witnesses and speed at which the news broke out, however, it was impossible to go the said route."

"By whose authority was this private investigation going to be conducted?"

"Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth was at the scene." Kyoko stated, satisfied. Whatever bait he had fallen for apparently served to give her claims more legitimacy by being backed by the Chief Prosecutor himself.

"She got you good, huh? I mean, shouldn't you already know that?"

Now's not the time. It took everything in his power to stop Makoto from glaring daggers at the apparition. It would only make him look hostile, especially as she was currently standing behind the detective.

Clearing his throat to buy himself some time, he used this opportunity to establish a possible future alibi for his client. "So from the moment he was apprehended, the defendant was in police presence, correct? He had no opportunity to mess with the crime scene?"

"That is correct." Kyoko nodded. The fake blonde couldn't help but notice the other's satisfaction increasing. He pushed down a feeling of frustration as he realized he had never left the bait, her goal was to see his response to getting sidetracked. Though, to be fair, he was more awed at the lavender haired woman's capabilities; the frustration came mainly from the blonde phantom that teleported behind him to dig her manicured nails into his shoulders as she whispered taunts in his ear.

"Mr. Hidan?" The blue-haired woman at his side whispered, concern hidden in her voice.

"It's okay..." He answered quickly, not wanting her to worry. Raising his voice, he then questioned. "What can you tell the court about the victim?"

Kyoko closed her eyes. "Makoto Nagasawa. A Japanese man who moved to Los Angeles ten years ago; no known relatives and well-known in his apartment building. During the investigation, these were taken for examination." She motioned towards the bailiff, who had some men bring out evidence. "These were the belongings found on his person."

"The court accepts the following items as evidence." The Judge stated.

Adding the items to the Court Record, Makoto passed them to Tsumugi to examine while he continued his cross-examination.

"Any relation to the defendant?"

"None. Mr. Nagasawa avoided the Tragedy by being out of the country when the borders closed. The defendant and victim had never met before."

"A survivor..." Tsumugi muttered as she examined a crumpled letter.

Nodding, the Judge asked for Kyoko to add that statement to her testimony.

Taking the opportunity to examine the victim's belongings, Makoto picked up the objects one by one.

• An ID Badge from Hope Springs Airport with the photo of a serious-looking black haired man.
• A familiar looking black tie.
• A crumpled up letter that Tsumugi had finished reading.

He held onto the tie as he recognized exactly from where he had seen it. The apparition taunted him as he stared in Kyoko's direction.

"These items... where were they found exactly?"

Approval shone through purple eyes. "The victim was wearing the ID, and the tie was clenched in his fist."

"And the letter?"

The detective paused for a second, before stating unashamedly. "The letter was shoved down the victim's pants."

Of course. Kyoko may be eight years older than the last time he saw her, but she was still the same when it came to investigating bodies. Way too thorough for everyone's sanity…

"Risqué~ Ha! Don't you wish that was you?"

Fighting to push down the blush that was threatening to emerge on his cheeks, Makoto tuned in to the perplexed response from the Judge.

"Down his... Detective! We did not need to know that!"

"The defense asked, Your Honor." She smirked and crossed her arms.

"Mr. Plensait, please refrain from over questioning the witness." The Judge frowned.

Isn't that my job? Makoto deadpanned in his mind.

"Leaving the Detective's... honesty aside," Sebastian was mortified. "She answered your question, Plensait. Is there anything else you wish to ask of the witness?"

"Only for her to repeat her testimony once again."

"Alright." Kyoko kept her arms crossed. "The incident occurred in the Baggage Claim Area, where the defendant opened his suitcase to reveal the body inside. Authorities were immediately called and Mr. Byakuya Togami was arrested." Makoto nodded for her to continue.

"The victim was discovered to be Makoto Nagasawa, a local man who lived alone 20 minutes from the airport." Kyoko stated. "There is no link between the victim and the defendant."

"Objection!" Makoto smacked one hand on the desk. Kyoko didn't react, probably used to his previous exclamations back at Hope's Peak. "Detective, there is one link between the two." The hand that hadn't smacked the table was holding the piece of evidence that refuted her claim. "And you just presented it."

Unaffected, Kyoko just raised an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

Makoto knew that she knew what was wrong in her statement, she was just challenging him. "This tie is eerily similar to the one the defendant is wearing, wouldn't you say?"

"That's right!" Tsumugi's soft voice piped up beside him. "Mr. Togami is wearing the same tie!"

"Is there not a similar brand in Japanifornia? How can you be so sure it's the defendant's?" Kyoko asked.

Makoto shook his head. "This tie is custom made. See the symbol on it? It bears no resemblance to any brand in the country. The material is high quality, and fits with the defendant's clothing."

"Custom made?" Sebastian asked for clarification.

The defense attorney nodded. "The symbol here is rather unique, and I can say with certainty that I... I've never seen it before." "Liar~" "Furthermore, I can confirm that it could only belong to someone from Japan."

"How so?" The lavender haired woman stared unblinkingly at him.

The fake blonde narrowed his eyes at her, doing his best not to flinch at the detective's icy stare. "You are wearing the exact same symbol."

A few seconds passed, Kyoko not reacting save for a slight narrowing of her eyes.

"Detective, is that true?" The Judge asked.

Snapped out of her thoughts, the lavender haired woman answered. "That is correct, Your Honor." Raising her hands for all to see, she put them side by side, her palms facing inwards. "I'm surprised Mr. Plensait noticed."

Now together, the two gloves showed two halves of one design. As she moved her arms to show the whole court, it was plain to see the design was actually the same symbol on Byakuya's tie.

"That's impressive, Plensait. How did you see that?" The prosecutor stared in awe at him.

"Ah... I just... have good eyes?" He winced internally at his excuse.

"That was so lame..."

"What is that? A... gas mask?" The Judge looked intrigued.

"Do not worry about that, Your Honor." Kyoko lowered her hands. "It's just something our mutual friend made for us. Mr. Plensait was right in deducing that the victim had no way of acquiring the same tie."

With that change of topic, the court was back in session. Deciding on ignoring the true meaning of the symbol, Makoto focused back on the matter at hand: how the victim acquired said piece of clothing.

"If it doesn't belong to the victim, but rather the defendant... then how was it found clutched in his hand?" Sebastian mused. "Could it have been during an altercation with Mr. Togami?"

"While I cannot refute that claim just yet." Makoto admitted with a grimace, keenly aware of blue eyes glaring at him. "I would like to offer a change of focus."

"Go ahead." The brunette pointed at him with his baton.

"The defendant is still wearing his tie; therefore, the one found on the victim could only have come from his luggage. Which means that he was near the defendant's belongings, and, more than likely, his suitcase at the time of his death." Makoto mused.

"But there was no trace of blood found in the building. And his suitcase was found empty." The prosecutor's eyes lit up in understanding as he posed with his baton and arms, standing sideways and gesturing to the lawyer. "Which means that the items inside were disposed of before or during Mr. Nagasawa's death. One of the mysteries surrounding this case is how the victim got inside the defendant's luggage, so if his belongings are found..."

"We can find clues for where the murder actually took place." The lawyer finished with a smile. "And from that we can deduce the identity of the true killer."

The Japanese ambassadors could only stare in awe at the duo. The kind of synergy the two shared reminded them of the one they themselves had shared with the member of their trio that went missing years ago. Their suspicions grew as the defense attorney smiled. That expression was so familiar...

"You two are so cool!" Tsumugi smiled at Makoto's side, who was unaware of the dangerous path the thoughts of his former friends had just taken.

"Ah... thanks." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"So... what's next?" Tsumugi asked, pensive. "How are you going to find the true scene of the crime?"

"That... is going to be the detective's job." He motioned towards Kyoko. "We should focus on proving why our client couldn't have done it."

"Your Honor, if I may. I have two final pieces of evidence to present." The lavender haired woman adjusted her gloves. "The suitcase where the victim's body was found, as well as the victim's autopsy report."

"The court accepts the evidence." The Judge nodded.

Makoto scanned quickly through the report, recognizing the black haired man as the same on the ID Kyoko had just submitted. Time of death: May 10, approx. 12:00 PM. Cause of Death: Immediate death due to a blow from a blunt object to the head.

"Detective, what can you tell us about the suitcase?" Sebastian pried Kyoko for more information.

"There are no signs of forced entry. Apart from the victim and his belongings, a small lock was found in the front pocket of the suitcase. Only the inside was filled with blood, which belonged to the victim. "

At the Judge's signal, Makoto started his cross-examination.

"How secure was the suitcase?" He pressed.

"It possessed a fingerprint lock, which was found operational after the incident. I can also attest that there was a sturdy lock keeping the luggage closed; it is now missing, but there is evidence of its existence if you look close enough at the zipper." Kyoko gestured at the evidence before crossing her arms.

"And the fingerprint lock?"

"The lock possessed fingerprints of various airport workers; the sensor itself only had Mr. Togami's, however."

The lawyer nodded slowly. "It seems the only one who could have opened the suitcase was the owner."

"Are you implying your client is guilty?" The Judge questioned.

"N-No! Not at all, Your Honor. I was just pondering." Did I say that out loud?!

"M-Maybe it's time to change the topic?" Tsumugi was judging him with her eyes.

After composing himself, the blonde asked. "Do you have this lock found in the front pocket?"

The lavender haired woman paused for a second before producing a photo that was tucked in her notebook. Makoto recognized it as the one the investigator had shown them at the airport. "Will this picture suffice?"

"Of course." He smiled as the photo was submitted as evidence. "Is the lock the defendant's?"

"No." Kyoko shook her head. "This brand is not Japanese, and it wasn't present on the suitcase during the flight. Furthermore, there was no receipt from the lock found in the defendant's belongings."

"Couldn't he have disposed of the reseat?" Sebastian mused, unaware of the fact that the word he meant to say was 'receipt'.

The detective looked the prosecutor in the eye. "There was no shop in the plane, and though the lock could be bought in the airport, the defendant only made it as far as the Baggage Claim Area before being detained. The lock did not come from the defendant."

"I-I see..." Sebastian played with his baton, clearly intimidated by Kyoko's fierce gaze.

"Any idea where it came from then?" Makoto decided to help his friend.

"I will leave that to the next witness, if that's alright." She turned to look at him.

"Th-That's fine!" He avoided her eyes.

"Mmm... Detective, please answer the question. You are being asked to clarify your testimony and..." The Judge was oblivious. When the lavender haired woman turned her icy gaze to him, he just stammered. "T-Then again, the next witness shall clear up the existence of this lock!"

Tsumugi just sighed at his side.

Fighting down his blush, the blonde examined the suitcase. The outside of the case looked the same as the last time they had examined it, so he turned his attention to the inside. It had blood all over the place, and there was tape outlining the body's placement. Narrowing his eyes, Makoto felt like something about the blood was wrong.

"A question, Detective. The autopsy report states the victim died due to blunt force trauma. With no mention of any other injury."

"That is correct." The detective raised an eyebrow.

"In that case," the fake blonde put a hand to his chin in thought. "Isn't the amount of blood a bit much for a blow to the head?"

"What are you getting at?" Sebastian asked, intrigued.

"The suitcase is filled with blood, not just the place where the victim's head would have been. If the victim was hit in the head and then placed inside the suitcase... how is it that the whole interior is filled with blood?"

"Couldn't it have happened while the suitcase was moved around? The wound would just continue bleeding, it's not that far-fetched is it?" The prosecutor turned towards Kyoko.

"Judging by the time that the victim was killed, the amount of blood is indeed far too much for the size and type of the wound. Furthermore, there was no space inside the luggage. The body barely fit in the cramped space." She answered.

"So where did all the blood come from?" Makoto muttered in confusion.

"The blood only belonged to the victim, correct?" Sebastian asked for clarification.

"That is correct. All of it is from Mr. Nagasawa." Kyoko nodded.

After a couple of silent seconds, Makoto recognized that the answer was not available to them just yet, so with a soft sigh, he nodded to Sebastian.

"Thank you, Detective." The defense attorney smiled. "For your testimony."

Ever a fan of theatrics, Sebastian closed his eyes and turned sideways. Opening his baton, he declared. "The prosecution would like to call its next witness."

Chapter Text

As Kyoko left the stand, Makoto's blue haired assistant turned to him. "You need to see this." She handed him the letter found on the victim.

Taking it with apprehension, the blonde read its contents. His eyes widened. "This is–"

Meet at Hope Springs Airport on May 10th at 11:00 AM. If you fail to comply, we will reveal your involvement in the target's hunt.

"A blackmail letter." Tsumugi nodded.

"But addressed to who? The killer or the victim?" He mused.

A manicured hand started playing with his hair. "Does it matter?" The blonde phantom smiled sharply. "In the end, it ended up in a dead guy's pants. And your little girlfriend had no qualms with digging in." She winked.

Mortified, Makoto let go of the letter and muttered with a red face. "She’s not my girlfriend."

The phantom just laughed as Tsumugi turned towards him with a frown on her face. "What was that?"

"Nothing." He shook his head. "Where were we?"

Just in time, the next witness arrived. The dark blue hair and beanie were familiar, as well as the half-lidded yellow eyes with dark bags underneath.

"Witness, please state your name and occupation." Sebastian pointed with his baton to the tired man.

"I'm Nites Lumbor, a ramp agent at Hope Springs Airport." The man yawned.

"Please tell the court where you were on May 10th from 11 AM to 1 PM."

Rubbing his eyes, the witness nodded. "Sure sure..."

When Lumbor failed to testify after a couple of seconds, Sebastian got ready to chastise the witness, but ended up accidentally hitting his knee against the desk.

Startled by the loud sound, the bluenette straightened up. "S-Sorry!" He looked around quickly before slouching.

"Mr. Lumbor, your testimony please." The prosecutor frowned as he rubbed his knee.

"Right... well. Yesterday I was working. There's a lot of flights, you know? There was this really important one that was coming around noon, and since there was just a couple of passengers, I was the only one assigned to drive the cart and unload the luggage at the uhh... correct gate."

Sebastian nodded, satisfied. "Is that enough testimony, Plensait?" He turned towards Makoto with a raised baton.

"Plenty." He answered. What am I going to get from this testimony?

"Proceed with your cross-examination." The Judge ordered.

The defense attorney started. "How many flights were there that day?"

The tall witness rubbed his eyes. "I don't– uhh– many?"

"Many?" The fake blonde raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"Many." Lumbor repeated slowly.

"I see... many." The Judge nodded.

After a few seconds, Makoto prodded again. "Could you please be more specific?"

The other man slouched. "I– well. Do you have any idea how many airplanes take off and land per hour? There's too many to count!"

"Well... how about you tell the court how many times you unloaded the carts that day? That's your job, correct?"

"Well, part of it." The bluenette stretched. "I also help guide aircraft to and from gates and for take off, place down chocks and cones, do maintenance and restocking on the airplanes, drive some equipment around…" He must have sensed the courtroom’s impatience at what should have been a quick ‘yes or no’ question, for he quickly answered. "But yeah, uhh… I’m the one who unloads the luggage from the plane to the cart, then move it with the tractor to the correct Gate. Then the luggage is sent to the...?" He paused and blinked slowly, apparently forgetting the words he was looking for.

"Conveyor belt?" Sebastian offered.

"Yeah! That!" The witness nodded rapidly, looking awake for the moment. "Anyway, I had been working since like... 6 AM? So I reckon I unloaded about... eight flights?"

"Eight? I am impressed, Mr. Lumbor. Your job sounds exhausting." Makoto stated, impressed.

"Eh, what can I say." He shrugged. "People love traveling, and the airport is small but very busy. Sometimes when the plane gets delayed, I can take a quick nap at the locker room."

Oh? "And did you take any naps that day?"

The witnesses' yellow eyes widened. "N-No! None whatsoever, I was awake the whole day!"

"That's suspicious, right?" Tsumugi asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Definitely." Makoto nodded. "Please add that statement to your testimony." The other man nodded.

"Is this going to help us in any way?" The bluenette at his side asked.

"Only one way to find out..." He thought for a second before pressing. "How many naps do you usually take per day?"

Startled, Lumbor thought for a moment. "I– well– a couple? Not that many." His voice lowered. "I’m rarely able to get to the locker room…"

"What does the locker room have to do with anything? Couldn’t you technically take a nap anywhere?" Makoto questioned, confused. That was the second time the witness had mentioned said room.

"N-Nothing!" The bluenette avoided his eyes. "It’s just a completely normal room, that’s it."

"If I recall," The prosecutor mused out loud. "There are no cameras in there. Plans have been made to install one due to workers constantly slacking off and hiding in said room, but no action has been taken yet."

"I-I said I don’t take that many naps! Stop talking about this please!" The witness was now pulling his beanie down, hiding his eyes.

"Right... that was plainly the least convincing testimony I've ever heard." Tsumugi put a finger up to her face and looked upwards in thought. "How useful is knowing the amount of naps Mr. Lumbor took?"

"I don't know." Makoto admitted. "But I feel that there is something important hidden in this detail. Maybe we can establish something." He tilted his head and  looked at the tired man. "Witness, how many flights were delayed that day?"

Closing his eyes, Lumbor started thinking. It was less than five seconds later when snores were suddenly heard throughout the courtroom. With a sigh, the short lawyer smacked his desk, waking up the narcoleptic witness, who startled with a shout.

"Sorry– uhh... where were we?" Lumbor shook his head rapidly.

"You were about to tell the court how many flights were delayed on the day of the murder." Makoto explained patiently.

As the bluenette paused to recollect, a blonde phantom made her presence known. "It's kinda cute how he keeps falling asleep, don't you think?" She circled him slowly, like a shark cornering its prey. Her blue eyes never left his hazel ones as her lower body phased through furniture. "Kinda reminds you of a certain pink haired gamer, huh?"

Makoto refused to give her the reaction she wanted, the one of a man being reminded of the death of a friend. For even if he didn't spend days trapped with her in the simulation, the virtual Chiaki had still been Alter Ego's family, and had done her best to help both the remnants trapped inside the Program and the helpless trio forced to watch their killings.

Suddenly feeling a hand lightly touch his, Makoto glanced down. Finding Tsumugi's hand lightly brushing over a clenched fist, he relaxed his hand. Turning his gaze towards the bluenette, he found her smiling with questioning concern behind her eyes. Sending her a small smile of gratitude and reassurance, he turned towards the sleepy witness. He had to stop getting distracted by the despairful ghost.

Thankfully, only a couple of seconds had passed, and Lumbor was just about to answer his previous question. "I... think it was two. But they were really early in the morning. The company prides itself on its flights always landing on time, so there aren't that many delayed flights."

"But weren't your words earlier that 'sometimes you took naps when there were delays'? And yet, you also claimed that you 'didn't take any naps that day'?"

Lumbor stood quiet for a few seconds, dumbfounded. Slouching more, he fiddled with his beanie. "Did I say that?"

"You did." Makoto then tilted his head in thought. "Can you explain this contradiction?"

The bluenette only avoided his eyes. "Well... that day was different! Because I– Uhh... I had to be alert due to a really important flight."

Finding the end for this line of questioning, he focused on pressing another part of the witness' testimony. "This 'really important' flight. Do you remember which one it was?"

"Yeah, it was the last one, the one with the murder."

"Flight 708?"

"I think so, yeah." Lumbor’s voice was getting softer, slowly losing its fight against tiredness.

"After that flight, did you continue working?"

"No... after the murder, all flights were canceled and I was told to be ready for questioning." The bluenette rubbed his eyes again.

"Can you describe your movements during that unloading?"

"Is this really necessary?" Sebastian interrupted.

Makoto nodded. "Mr. Lumbor's testimony is imperative. As the only one to move the luggage, he is the only person who could give us insight on when the body was stuffed in the defendant's suitcase." He turned towards the sleepy bluenette. "If there was something abnormal that happened during the unloading, you need to tell us."

"I-I get it." Lumbor adjusted his beanie, looking nervous under the shorter lawyer's fierce gaze. "So... let me think. The plane was small, with capacity for only twenty passengers, so I was tasked to do the whole unloading by myself. I arrived with my tractor, put the luggage in the cart and drove to the Gate. That's it."

"A blue cart?" He prodded.

"No, a white one. We only have white carts at the airport."

"And this suitcase." Makoto showed the black case belonging to Togami. "Do you remember anything about it?"

"No?" The man titled his head.

"Nothing? You don't recall it's weight, state or smell? Anything abnormal about it?"

Lumbor shook his head. "I don't kn– think so."

Makoto slammed his hands on his desk, making the bluenette jump. "Please. I need you to remember. This suitcase was taken in between unloading the plane and sending the luggage to the carousel. I need to know if you lost sight of it at any moment, or if there was someone else nearby."

"I-I mean." Lumbor looked off to the side. "I was busy doing my job to keep an eye on one case. I'm sorry, I don't know anything. I just did my job, alone."

This isn't good. He knew that Byakuya couldn't have murdered the victim in the plane. Therefore, the only way for the body to be put inside his luggage was for said case to be taken during the unloading and then sent with the rest of the passengers' luggage to frame the former heir. But the ramp agent's testimony solidified that no one took the case.

"Huh. So this is how it ends. Disappointing, even after everything.”

She wasn't helping things either. If only there was some way to prove that the man missed the case being taken, or that he wasn't the only one at the scene.

"Give up. Your boyfriend's getting arrested and you'll continue to be a failure. Just like you were before and how you will continue to be."

Shut up… He was missing something, he knew. Maybe it wasn't about what the man did at the moment, but at another time?

"They’ll probably execute him too, you know? The majority of the sentenced criminals are never seen again, ever wondered about that?”

No, he won’t– What could give him a clue? His actions beforehand or afterwards?

“Failure failure failure failurefailurefailure–"

That's it! "What did you do after?" The short lawyer put a hand to his chin in thought, rapidly waving his other one to dispel the phantom, trying to ignore how much her words affected him.

"After?" Lumbor tilted his head.

"After Flight 708, before the murder was announced, what did you do?" He stared, contemplating, at the other man. An echo of a despairful laugh was still resonating in his ears.

"Just... you know... I went to my locker to put my stuff away. I had twenty minutes till the next flight arrived. It was delayed, thankfully, so I was going to- uh, that’s not important. A-Anyway, just after I got in the locker room, the police arrived for questioning. I followed them and… that’s it." The bluenette played with his beanie, moving it around nervously.

"So to be clear, you unloaded Flight 708's luggage then went straight to your locker to… rest. When the police arrived to question you, you had not moved elsewhere."

"Th-That's correct." He looked around nervously, clutching his beanie tightly.

"And the vehicles you were driving?"

"I put them in the garage beforehand. You can't leave them just lying around."

I wonder… "Loth, do you still have the paper from yesterday?" He turned towards his assistant.

"The one from the Keeper?" She looked through her pockets.

"That's the one. Thanks." He nodded as he was handed said paper. Quickly scanning through the contents, his eyes widened as the idea that had crossed his mind earlier seemed more plausible. Turning towards the witness, he continued his cross-examination. "Which one did you drive around?"

The other yawned. "Why do you ask?"

Here goes nothing. "There was a missing tractor in the garage." Yellow eyes widened in confusion. "It wouldn't happen to be yours, would it?"

"Wh-What? No! I'm a model worker, I returned everything to its proper place."

"Your initials are NL, and you took the third tractor." From the corner of his eye, he saw Tsumugi gasp softly. "But you didn't return it, did you?"

"H-huh? What are you talking about?" Lumbor rubbed his eyes furiously.

"I'm talking about this." He presented the paper to the court.

-13:05-
01SP-Y
04RE-Y
02AF-Y
03NL-N
05IZ-N

"What is that?" Sebastian asked in confusion.

"This was gained from a key witness in the airport's garage. The... eccentric man had been complaining about a certain ramp agent not doing their job properly, and had left this behind."

Handing the paper over to the prosecutor, the fake blonde watched as his eyes lit up in understanding.

"I'm not sure I follow Mr. Plensait." The Judge stated.

"On the paper you will see some numbers and letters. First, '13:05' which is the time this letter was written. Followed by numbers that go from 01 to 05, corresponding to the tractors and carts in the garage. Next to them, a set of two letters: initials of the workers that took said vehicles. And finally, a dash with a 'Y' or 'N'; it is the defense's belief that they correspond to whether or not the worker returned the vehicle." Makoto explained.

"And the one next to 03 is..." Tsumugi's eyes brightened in realization.

The lawyer nodded. "NL or Nites Lumbor. Followed by the letter N."

"W-Wait!" The man in question stood straight, panicked. The bags under his eyes became more pronounced as he looked straight at Makoto while his head moved around wildly, his beanie moving back and forth. "I don't– that's speculation! The N or Y could mean anything!"

"True." Makoto conceded, making the other man relax his stance. "But there is one thing that doesn't make sense." At the other's stunned expression, he elaborated. "From your order of events, you took the tractor and cart back to the garage then headed to the locker room for a quick nap, where you then were told to head to questioning. However," He stared at the other man in the eyes. "The cart was returned but the tractor wasn't, this means that the worker that used the vehicle made a trip to the garage then moved somewhere else. The fact that, by your own admission, the tractor should have been found with the cart but wasn't, means that the facts do not line up with your testimony."

The man pulled his beanie down, hiding his eyes. "I..."

"Proving you were the one who took tractor 03 is rather simple, actually. The Chief of Security has the logs of who used the tractors; we can wait to receive confirmation or you can speed this up by answering the question." Leaning forward, the fake blonde's gaze pierced the bluenette man. "Where did you go, Mr. Lumbor? And how did you get to your locker in time to be asked to wait for questioning?"

"I don't– I– I didn't use it! I used another tractor!"

"Objection!"

Lumbor jumped, his beanie flying upwards to reveal a small alarm clock. Said clock started ringing, making the poor man hastily scramble to catch his beanie with one hand and turn the alarm off with the other. Once he accomplished both tasks, the man put his beanie back in place before blinking rapidly and going back to slouching.

"Mr. Lumbor, please. Be honest." Hazel eyes softened. "I have evidence that proves you could only use tractor 03."

The other man stood silent, blinking rapidly in confusion.

At his side, Tsumugi was scribbling rapidly in her small notebook she was given for her birthday. The Steel Samurai in the cover stared back at him while he waited for her to finish. Once she was done, she ripped out the page she was working on and handed it to him with a small smile.

Giving one back, Makoto turned to the Court and cleared his throat. "Next to the carts and tractors, there was a terminal with the following information: '01-10:25, 02-09:30, 03-12:05, 04-11:15, 05-11:30'" He read off of the paper. Looking at the witness in the eye, he continued. "These seem to be the times when the vehicles were taken, not returned, as two carts were supposedly returned after 13:05. Flight 708 arrived around noon, and the witness testified that there were no delayed flights at that time of day; therefore, the only tractor the witness could have used was the one taken around that time."

"Tractor 03..." Sebastian muttered before glaring at the man on the witness stand. "Mr. Lumbor, what is the meaning of this?"

The other man slouched more. "I..."

"Witness. Explain yourself!" The Judge demanded.

The bluenette folded in on himself. His arms and head were down, and his eyes closed in resignation. "I'm sorry." He paused for a few seconds before breathing out. "I lied."

"About what?" The defense attorney asked gently.

"Everything?" Lumbor whimpered.

There was a pause as everyone took their time to process the witness' words.

"What... what do you mean everything?" Makoto asked slowly.

"I– Well– The truth is..." The man's eyes were slowly closing but quickly opened due to the sound of Sebastian's closed fists smacking his desk.

"Witness, is anything in your testimony real?"

The other man sighed, defeated. "No. I... the truth is, I fell asleep just before Flight 708's arrival. I woke up right as the police asked me to stay for questioning."

"W-Why did you lie then?" Makoto asked, confused.

"I can't have another reprimand." The tired man admitted. "I was told that if I was caught one more time sleeping, I would be fired."

"So you lied in court." Tsumugi sported a conflicted expression.

"I'm sorry." Was the soft response.

Breathing out, the defense attorney took a moment to analyze the situation. Lumbor's testimony (or lack thereof) should have made him feel better, as now there was a chance for the culprit to have taken Byakuya's suitcase during the plane's unloading to frame him. However, it did the opposite. Someone took the tractor and was seen by the Keeper man... this meant there were only two options left: either Lumbor was lying or there was a third party involved.

But how could he figure out the correct answer?

"This witness has proved to be unreliable. Due to the circumstances, I will have to ask the prosecution to dismiss this witness. Mr. Debeste, if you could please..."

"Hold It!" Makoto exclaimed, interrupting the Judge.

"Mr. Plensait?" The old man silently asked for an explanation.

"I apologize, Your Honor, but I am not finished cross-examining the witness."

"What do you mean? What other testimony could you ask for?" Sebastian was bending his baton.

"If Mr. Lumbor is telling the truth, then the facts do not line up. Someone moved the tractor and unloaded the plane. The same person's actions were both recorded in the terminal and seen by the owner of this paper." The fake blonde gestured towards the Keeper's paper.

"Following that logic, Mr. Lumbor had nothing to do with the murder, however. And in that case, your witness should be searched for and taken here for their testimony." Sebastian added.

"I agree, the man who wrote this paper seems to be a key witness." Makoto concurred. "But if you recall, Detective Kirigiri stated that this witness can shed light on a certain piece of evidence."

The prosecutor's eyes lit up as he stored the baton back in his pocket. "I see, then you may cross-examine the witness."

"I see you've come to an agreement. Very well then, proceed." The Judge gave his approval.

"You've got this." Tsumugi smiled, making Makoto feel more confident.

He took a moment to smile back before he turned to the slouched bluenette. "Nites Lumbor." Said man startled before blinking rapidly and attempting to wake himself up. "The court will be lenient with your fake testimony, however, in exchange we need your cooperation. I have one last question, and I need you to answer honestly."

"Sure... What do you need?" Lumbor yawned.

"We were told you know the origin of this lock." Makoto presented the photo gained from Kyoko.

The other man stared at the image for a few seconds. When his eyes started to close, the alarm clock in his head activated once again, startling him into awareness. "Th-That's–!"

"You recognize it then." Thank you, Kyoko. "Could you explain where it's from?"

The man seemed even more nervous. His reveal of his lie hadn't made him fidget as much as the recognition of the lock did now. Eventually, with the intense gaze of the whole courtroom, Lumbor resigned himself. "It's mine..."

"I figured..." Makoto muttered. With the stickers and Kyoko's insistence of asking the witness, there was only one explanation as to who the lock belonged to. "Do you know where it was found?" He raised his voice.

"N-No?" Lumbor was slouched once again, fidgeting with his beanie. "W-Where?" There was a tremor in his voice.

"It was found in the defendant's suitcase. The place where the body was discovered." He sighed, giving the impression of a disappointed parent. "And yet, you testified that you were asleep during the murder."

"W-Wait! You don't– are you saying–" The other man widened his eyes. "I swear that's the truth! I didn't do it! I-I don't know how it got there!"

"Are you implying this witness did the murder?" Sebastian asked hesitantly.

"There is no evidence that supports his nap in the locker room." Makoto spoke up, conflicted. "And the fact of the matter is that the tractor disappeared, as well as Mr. Togami's belongings. Furthermore, his lock was found right next to the body and his movements were tracked via the terminal and another witness." After a pause, he continued. "This witness has already lied once. What's to say he isn't lying once again?"

Tsumugi wasn't convinced. "You don't genuinely believe that Mr. Lumbor did it, do you?" Her voice lowered in volume. "If he did, wouldn't he have lied about the lock? Don't you think he's being too honest right now?"

"What I believe isn't important." His gaze hardened. The apparition’s previous comments echoed in his mind, unwanted. "I have to believe in my client, right? If he didn't do it, and Lumbor can't explain the discrepancies..." His voice turned hollow. The truth was that he didn't believe the other man was guilty, it seemed too simple of an answer; but he couldn't give any other explanation, find any other guilty party. If he didn’t want Byakuya to be found guilty, he had to pressure the witness to proceed, and though he disliked this method, it had proven to be effective multiple times before.

"Oh! Throw him to the wolves! I must say I'm impressed, I didn't think you had the guts to try that again! Especially after last time~"

There was only one being who enjoyed this method, and unfortunately for him, he was the only one to hear her. The uncomfortable reminder of the last time he tried this method and it ended up backfiring miserably wasn't helping his conscience either.

"So you accuse Nites Lumbor of the murder?" The Judge asked for clarification.

A tense silence passed as Makoto deliberated on how to respond. Before he could, however–

"I apologize for the interruption." Kyoko's voice resonated through the courtroom. "But new evidence has come to light."

Off-put by the detective's sudden chiming, the Judge was stunned into silence before asking for an explanation.

"I have just received word that the scene of the murder was found." She elaborated.

Whispers arose amongst the courtroom, but Makoto could only focus on the man he had almost condemned. If he was honest with himself, he didn't know what his answer was going to be. Part of him was aware of the cruel way he was toying with the tired man's feelings; but the other part just wanted to finish the trial, save the blonde ambassador and get away from his former friends as soon as possible, regardless of collateral.

Blinking rapidly, he surveyed the courtroom. Kyoko was being admonished by the Judge for her interruption, Lumbor was shaking and holding his beanie close to him, Byakuya was looking at his polished shoes. He locked eyes with the frowning Sebastian but quickly averted his gaze as the other man seemed lost in thought while looking in his direction.

"Order! Order!" The Judge took control of the courtroom. "Since there isn't enough evidence to condemn Mr. Togami or Mr. Lumbor, and in light of this new evidence, the trial will reconvene tomorrow. I expect both parties to investigate the new evidence and present their findings, understood?"

Makoto nodded absentmindedly. "Yes, Your Honor." He was vaguely aware of Sebastian doing the same.

"All right then. Court is adjourned." The gavel came down, ending the proceedings for the day.

Chapter Text

Back in the Defendant Lobby, Tsumugi wasted no time to turn on him.

"What was that?" Her normally soft voice was laced with steel.

"What?" He asked, still in a daze. An invisible arm was draped around his shoulders as another manicured hand pinched his cheek.

"You– I thought you were done with those mind games." The bluenette frowned.

"I..." To be honest, Makoto had been. The impending fact that he could have been sending Byakuya to his doom if he didn't find a scapegoat, as well as being taunted by the apparition must have pushed him over his moral boundaries. "I'm sorry," was all he could say. "I won't do it again."

Whatever expression was on his face managed to calm Tsumugi down. Her frown disappeared and concern arose as she cupped her head in thought. "It's getting worse" came the whisper.

"What was that?" The phantom was taking all of his attention, as she was now daydreaming about an execution for Nites Lumbor and sharing the details with him.

"Nothing." The bluenette answered. "Shall we get going?"

"Right. Yeah." Makoto tried to dispel the apparition with his hand. When that proved unsuccessful, he turned towards Tsumugi with a frown. "Let's go."

Neither were aware of a tall figure observing them from afar.

Back at the airport, the lawyer and his assistant were taken to the very edge of the landing zone, where a blue cart was stuck in the muddy and grassy area.

"He was right..." Tsumugi gasped next to him. It seemed the Keeper had actually seen a blue cart, and moreover, it had been used in the murder.

Makoto was surprised as well, he reprimanded himself for being so willing to dismiss the other man's testimony purely for his weirdness. He knew better and told himself he would do better, regardless of the annoying phantom’s attempts to make him do the opposite.

The two exited the vehicle as soon as it stopped. Looking around revealed the absence of one lavender haired detective, which made him sigh in relief. He missed her, but being near her hurt him and made the blonde apparition more active.

Knowing he had permission to investigate, he wasted no time in approaching the stuck cart. The area was muddy, likely from the rain that had affected the area the prior day. There were some investigators examining the back wheels, which seemed to be the reason the whole vehicle was unable to move as these were sunk in the mud.

Next to the cart was a pile of what appeared to be the contents of Byakuya's suitcase, if the high quality clothes and products were any indication. They seemed to have fallen off the cart when it got stuck. He filed away the bloody clothes he could see on the pile for later before turning his attention to the most important piece of evidence.

The blue cart was open. Glancing in, he could make out a sheet of some sort crumpled in the corner that seemed to be almost completely covered in blood.

"Well, I guess Kyoko wasn't kidding. This seems to be the scene of the crime." Makoto sighed.

Tsumugi nodded as she took out her notebook, ready to take some notes.

Still, the same issue that had been touched on in court was presenting itself again. The amount of blood was too much for the head wound. Maybe the attacker was wounded as well? Or the victim somehow bled more than he should have?

Now with options, he went back to examine the outside of the cart first. It was blue without a logo on it and looked brand new too, as there were no scuff marks or bangs that the other carts had.

The mud made traversing slightly difficult as it stuck to his shoes. Thankfully the area he was standing on wasn't as bad as the one around the back wheels. If either of them went near there, they would probably sink halfway through their calves.

Suddenly, he felt a chill go down his spine.

"Mr. Plensait."

With a feeling of dread and despairful cackling in his ears, Makoto turned around slowly. Careful to avoid intense purple irises, he looked at the detective's bangs.

"D-Detective Kirigiri! Hello!" This was the first time he was going to talk to her one-on-one in years. If he could do it with Byakuya, he could do the same with Kyoko. Right?

Though one-on-one wasn't exactly correct, as there were two other people standing behind her, the black suits and sunglasses paired with the pin on their jackets created an itch in his brain. The image looked so familiar...

"Good job today in court." The detective complimented.

Startled, Makoto scratched his cheek. "T-Thank you." Why was talking to Kyoko so hard?!

The lavender haired woman followed his finger with her gaze before looking him in the eyes. Just as she was about to continue their conversation, Tsumugi appeared.

"Oh! I wasn't aware you needed bodyguards, Detective."

Makoto would make sure to buy her more Steel Samurai memorabilia. She was saving him despite the fact she hated being the center of attention.

"I don't." Kyoko side-eyed the people behind her. "However, since they have failed in their job, they seem to make up for it by following me everywhere."

The slender man at her left fidgeted with his sunglasses. "Ms. Kirigiri, with due respect..."

"Yes?" Makoto pitied the man that was now the target of her intense gaze.

The buff woman at her right took over her partner's statement. "The two of you secretly boarded another plane. We had to pull some strings in order to get here as fast as we did. The majority of your bodyguards are still back in Japan."

The blonde figured now was a good time to turn away, before Kyoko demolished the two with her words.

As he left the trio, he overheard the beginning of the lavender haired woman's tirade. "I don't recall asking for Future Foundation's services..."

That's it. Future Foundation, the organization the survivors had joined after Hope's Peak's Killing Game. Makoto wished he could say he could have figured out where he had seen those uniforms before, but to be fair, the workers from that place tended to wear the most average black suits in existence.

After leaving, he hadn't thought about what had happened to the organization. With the majority of the Division Heads dead, it was safe to assume they had disbanded. Apparently they were still active, though now serving as protection for their country's ambassadors.

"You owe me." Tsumugi reminded him, distracting him from his pondering.

Makoto sighed but then smiled. "Steel Samurai?"

His assistant thought for a second before shaking her head. "There's this paint that I need to finish my commission. Maybe..."

"Sure." He bumped her arm affectionately. "As soon as this case is finished we'll go get it. Anything else?"

As her eyes lit up and her rambling started, Makoto's smile only got bigger, affection softening his gaze.

"You really want to replace her that badly, huh?"

He closed his eyes and nodded politely. He refused to let the blonde apparition ruin this moment of respite.

After a couple of minutes, they were approached by the detective. Her bodyguards were standing on the outskirts of the crime scene, another police officer taking their place in trailing the lavender haired woman.

Tsumugi noticed her first. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes." Kyoko closed her eyes. "They won't be a problem anymore." The poor officer looked like they wanted to be anywhere but here. "As I was saying, however," she turned towards Makoto and slightly opened her eyes. "Impressive job in court today. Your powers of deduction are truly admirable."

Makoto bowed his head, blushing slightly, and thanked her.

"I do wonder..." Kyoko crossed her arms. "Do you really believe Nites Lumbor was the culprit?"

Makoto turned his head elsewhere, accidentally making eye contact with the phantom's blue eyes. "No..." Her smug grin was starting to annoy him. "It was a ruse that went too far. I'll be more careful from now on."

The detective nodded, deep in thought.

Tsumugi tried to put an end to the awkward silence. "So... what does the symbol on your gloves mean?"

Two heads snapped fast towards her direction. One with intrigue in her gaze and the other with panic in his.

"As stated in court, it's something a mutual friend of ours made." Kyoko mused something in her head before she angled her head to look at the lawyer from the corner of her eye. "It's a reminder of her brother. He used to wear clothing with this exact symbol on it."

Makoto did his best to not react. The ghost was not making things easier, with all her taunts and insults. "... It's an interesting design." He managed to grit out.

"Indeed." Kyoko looked at her gloves. "If I may, how were you able to notice this detail?"

"It's part of my job to notice things others would easily dismiss." He tried explaining. "They can easily be the difference between my client being found guilty or innocent."

"Still, for a lawyer, it's truly impressive."

Makoto gave Kyoko a strained smile before turning his attention to Tsumugi. The phantom calmed down slightly. "I appreciate the kind words, detective. I must go back to investigating, however. Mr. Togami is counting on us to prove his innocence."

"Of course." Kyoko straightened. She seemed to remember where they were standing. Just as the two turned around to go back to their investigation, the detective made up her mind. "Let me accompany you. I would like to assist the two of you in your investigation."

Makoto wanted to refuse, but Tsumugi's concerned eyes and the phantom's condescending words made him reconsider. He wouldn't run away from this interaction. He had to face Kyoko head on.

"Sure! You can come." The bluenette gave a soft smile after seeing the lawyer's slight nod.

Together, the trio and Kyoko's escort entered the cart. Now inside, the blonde recognized the material of the sheet as plastic. There were also traces of blood on the opposite corner of the cart, which seemed to be hastily cleaned, if the faint drag marks were any indication. After taking a quick look, Kyoko went outside to call for help in unfolding the sheet of plastic in the corner, her escort following her.

"I'm sorry." Tsumugi whispered. At Makoto's confusion, the bluenette elaborated. "For asking about her gloves and the... symbol."

"You didn't know." He sighed. "It's my fault for not telling you about it on the way over."

"You were dealing with her, I don't blame you..."

"Neither do I." The lawyer smiled tiredly. Something the phantom told him earlier popped into his mind. "Hey... I don't– Ko– you're not a replacement, alright?"

Tsumugi stood quiet for a second as she processed what he meant. All she managed to get out was a soft "I know..." before the detective came back.

The lavender haired woman instructed the investigators she brought over to carefully unravel the sheet of plastic. The duo carefully approached to investigate.

Unfolding the plastic revealed that the blood was only on one side of the sheet, the other was spotless. There was also a small case with a frayed string entangled in the spotless side. Opening the container revealed a tape and some white powder inside.

Hearing movement behind him, Makoto turned around to find Kyoko. She was kneeling by the corner of the cart, where the plastic the investigators were holding used to be. Picking up an object on the ground, she turned towards them.

Makoto's eyebrows shot up in confusion. "Is that... a blood bag?" He heard Tsumugi scribbling furiously in her notebook.

Kyoko nodded as she examined said bag. "It seems we now know where all the excess blood came from." When she showed the people in front of her the front of the bag, Makoto understood what she meant. For there was a tape with a name scribbled on it: Makoto Nagasawa.

"The victim's blood..." Tsumugi observed. When she realized she had gained the attention of everyone in the cart, she went back to furiously scribbling in her notebook.

"How did it get here? And how was it even acquired?" Makoto questioned out loud, taking the attention off the bluenette.

Kyoko stood silent, contemplating with a hand on her chin. Her other hand rotated the bag as she looked for clues.

Makoto took the time to examine the traces of blood. Having seen similar scenes before, he deduced the blood had been wiped with some kind of cloth. It also seemed to be the exact spot where the victim was hit, if he had to guess.

When he looked around, he realized that the detective had moved outside, and had ordered the investigators to put the sheet back, taking the case and string with her. Only Makoto, Tsumugi and a forensic investigator were still inside the cart.

With a nod, the two of them left the cart.

Kyoko was making a phone call, but finished as soon as she saw them. When the lawyer prodded for information, she conceded after a moment of hesitation.

"Mr. Nagasawa donated blood a week ago. The ones in charge of overlooking his donation and handling paperwork seem to have vanished."

"That's concerning." He mused.

"Indeed." Turning to the pile on the ground, she crossed her arms. "Shall we proceed with the investigation?"

With a nod, the trio (and escort) moved to examine said pile. It contained Byakuya's clothes, small electronics and toiletries. All of them seemed expensive and of high quality.

Makoto focused first on the bloody clothes he had seen beforehand. The majority of them had some drops of blood and nothing else. The only exception was a white cloth, which turned out to be one of Byakuya's shirts, ruffled and soaked in blood. An idea formed in his mind. Could the shirt have been used to soak up blood?

"May I?" Kyoko extended her hand, asking for the shirt.

"O-Of course..." He passed her the piece of clothing while avoiding her gaze, pretending to continue examining the pile.

As the detective stood up to talk to forensic investigators, Tsumugi's ringtone rang out. Startled, she took her phone out and looked at the caller ID before hastily leaving with an "I'll be right back."

Now alone and out of curiosity, Makoto sighed and actually examined the pile. Chargers, toothpaste, belts... it was a mess. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a cologne. Curious, he took it out. He didn't recognize the brand, so he took a whiff and... huh, it smelled nice.

"If you wanted to know what your boyfriend smelled like, you only needed to ask him. I'm sure he would have let you sniff him."

With a red face, the blonde quickly put the bottle back in the pile. He was just curious!

To avoid any questions from anyone who was watching, he moved the objects on top to the side. Doing so revealed a black object, caught underneath some socks. Delicately extracting the object and holding it in his hands, he realized it was actually a broken sturdy lock.

Byakuya's missing lock. He remembered the taller blonde mentioning something about that the day before.

If it wasn't obvious before, the taller blonde was being framed; not by a panicking culprit in the heat of the moment, but by someone who had planned the murder since the beginning. The lengths in which the culprit went to bypass Byakuya's suitcase, stuff the body inside, get the victim's blood and plan their escape could only mean that he was always their target.

Sighing, he felt like this case was going to uncover something monumental that was going to cause his whole world to come crashing down. As the ominous message on the tablet had stated, this was just the beginning.

Chapter Text

As Makoto stood up and continued to stare at the pile, his thoughts wandered. It seemed his old friends had brought people with a vendetta with them.

Muddy footprints approached him from behind. Tsumugi must have finished her phone call already.

He was surprised, however, to see one of Kyoko's bodyguards at his side. The shorter man tried to hide his surprise. "May I help you?"

"Defense attorney." The other regarded him with a stoic expression.

"Ah," He smiled nervously as he bowed. "I'm Hidan Plensait, Byakuya Togami's defense attorney, that's correct."

When the other made no move to bow back and remained silent, Makoto let out a small chuckle. "And you are?"

"This is so awkward I'd rather pop my eyeballs out."

When the phantom did as she stated out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but glance rapidly at her in disgust before turning his gaze back to the man in front of him.

The redhead's expression remained unchanging as he raised his own arm to shake his hand. Mentally sighing in relief, the blonde continued with the greeting.

"Is there a problem?"

Just as Kyoko arrived to save him from the awkward interaction, Makoto quickly retracted his hand with a small sound of pain. The other's rings had accidentally cut him.

Purple eyes glanced at the drops of blood seeping through the small cut before rapidly turning towards her bodyguard. Her stance straightened as she glared at the other. "Why are you not in your post, Mr. Igarashi?"

The tall man examined his now bloody rings before addressing her charge. "Ms. Kirigiri, I apologize but–" The redhead had lost his bravado in the face of the lavender haired woman's icy wrath.

"Do not forget what we've talked about. You are only here because I allow it, go back to your post."

The man shrunk slightly before bowing. He apologized quickly and left back to stand next to his buff partner.

"Are you alright?" Though from an outside perspective she seemed indifferent, Makoto knew Kyoko was actually really concerned for him. He could hear it in her voice.

"Yeah." He winced as an invisible manicured hand attempted to dig into said wound. "Just a small cut, really." Compared to the scar on the back of his hand, the cut was nothing.

Kyoko didn't share his opinion however as she reached into her pocket to pull out a handkerchief. With delicate handling, she wiped the blood off and wrapped his hand in the light purple cloth.

"D-Detective?" Makoto asked after the other remained unmoving for a few seconds.

Snapped out of her thoughts, Kyoko took a step back and crossed her arms. "Be more careful, Mr. Plensait." As she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the lawyer refused to acknowledge the faint red tint in her cheeks.

Just in time, Tsumugi arrived too. "What happened?"

The blonde shrugged. "One of K-Detective Kirigiri's bodyguards wanted to chat. He accidentally cut me and the detective was kind enough to patch it up." He raised his hand so the bluenette could see the other's work.

Tsumugi hummed. "What did he want?" When Makoto shrugged, distracted by an invisible being only he could see, she turned her attention to the lavender haired woman.

"Probably to intimidate you. The organization takes our security seriously." The detective's expression turned sour. "After what happened with Togami, they must have become more strict."

"I see..." Tsumugi motioned with her head. "Mr. Hidan, a word?"

"Sure!" He smiled in the detective's direction. "Thank you, Detective. We'll be right back."

Walking a few paces away, nearing the back half of the cart, the blonde sighed. "Thanks. It's getting harder to ignore her." The phantom just chuckled from her place a few feet away, where she was playing with the body parts she had removed earlier.

"I imagined." Tsumugi mused. Her lips made a straight line. "How badly did he hurt you?"

"Just a small cut, really." The blonde traced said cut with his index finger. "You're both just exaggerating."

The bluenette's response to that comment was to frown. "Good thing Kirigiri was there then." When the blonde agreed with a distracted “Sure”, she pushed. "What's wrong?"

Makoto kept his gaze on his wrapped hand. Picking at the cloth, he explained. "Kyoko is not someone who warms up to others quickly. Taking care of my cut... she wouldn't have done that for Byakuya's lawyer."

Tsumugi put a hand on her cheek in thought. "You think she knows."

"Yeah..." The blonde closed his eyes. "Or at least heavily suspects. She wasn't the Ultimate Detective for nothing."

Taumugi's lips formed a straight line. "And Togami?"

A weak laugh escaped him. "Even if he didn't, Kyoko would tell him after the case is over." He put his head in his hands. "This is such a mess."

They stood in silence for a couple of seconds before the bluenette sighed. "I guess now's not a good time for bad news, is it?"

Raising his head, the blonde frowned slightly. "What is it?"

"Hinata called for an update. He's aware of the... developments and wishes to come earlier to look at the tablet. Unfortunately, some unlucky events happened and their ship will be delayed a bit." Makoto muttered something sarcastic under his breath. "Also..." Tsumugi hesitated.

"Yeah?" He tilted his head questioningly.

"The video is obsolete. You're going to have to deal with her the old fashioned way."

Great. It's not as if he hadn't been doing that the past few days. Hajime's video would have been nice to have on hand for when the apparition got too rowdy, but without it... He was reminded of the first days, when there was nothing to stop her from being too active.

Alas, there was nothing to be done about it. No need to despair over their circumstances.

"Despair you say?"

"Let's go back to investigating." The lawyer did his best to ignore the bloody phantom hugging him, squealing in his ear about how proud she was of him for using her favorite word.

Let's see. We've already checked the outside and inside of the cart and the pile belonging to the contents of Byakuya's suitcase. What else is there?

"How about we check if any of the investigators around have something to say?" He decided there was no reason to go back to the places they had already examined. His assistant nodded and the two headed to the back of the cart, where the investigators were still trying to find clues in the muddy back wheels.

On his way over to talk to said people, the blonde felt his shoe get caught on something. He could barely let out a yelp as he tripped and ended with a face full of mud. Amidst the apparition’s cackling and condescending words, the only thing he could do was mentally sigh.

A fretting Tsumugi screamed at his side, gaining the attention of everyone in the vicinity.  At least the mud could hide his blush.

Makoto sat on his knees and wiped his face with his arm as well as picked mud off his vest, trying to look as presentable as possible before Kyoko got to them. Turning back towards what made him trip, the blonde was surprised to discover something orange buried in the mud.

"What's this?" He muttered as he carefully approached the triangular shaped object that had been uncovered in his tripping.

A confused hum escaped his lips as he pulled the object out of the mud with a lot of effort. It was a triangular prism, completely orange except for a long strip of white in the center. It had a wavy texture and was rather heavy due to the dense material it was made of. The mud covering it made it slightly hard for the lawyer to keep his grasp on it; thankfully, there was a rope of some kind attached to it with a knot at the end that made it easier for Makoto to hold onto it.

A gloved hand entered his vision. After staring at it for a few seconds, he held the rope tightly in one hand and wiped his other one as much as he could in his vest then tentatively took the offered hand, which pulled him to his feet. As Kyoko released him, Makoto felt a pang in his heart. He couldn’t help but miss the firm grasp; it had been nostalgic and comforting, even if the contact had only lasted for a few seconds.

"What have you got there?" The detective asked.

"Oh!" Turning his gaze back to the unknown object, he explained. "I don't really know what this is. It was half buried in the mud."

Kyoko hummed softly before responding. "An aircraft chock." When Tsumugi made a confused noise, she elaborated. "It's used to stop aircrafts from moving when parked. They're put by the wheels and come in various shapes and sizes. This one seems to have a reflector sticker."

But if it's used for parked aircrafts… "What was it doing all the way over here?" He muttered.

Kyoko went to take the rope from his hands but stopped. She produced another handkerchief from her pocket and held it to the shorter man's dirty face. "May I?"

With a blush, Makoto quickly took the black cloth and offered the rope in exchange. "Th-Thanks, but I'll take care of this myself."

A disappointed look crossed her face before it was gone in an instant. "Right." She examined the rope that was pushed into her hands before turning back to speak to the police officer behind her.

In the meantime, the bluenette helped the blonde in getting out of the mud.

"She really has a soft spot for you, huh?" He gave Tsumugi a dirty look in response.

"How many handkerchiefs do you think she has?"

Oh great, where is she going with this–?

"Maybe that one isn't even hers, but a certain blonde's... Hey, why don't you sniff it? Maybe it smells like him!"

His face flushed a bright red, startling the bluenette at his side. Amidst satisfied cackling, all he could think was how she was the worst. You smell a cologne one time-!

After quickly wiping his face, he held the black cloth and admired its high quality. Maybe the phantom was right, comparing it to the lilac one wrapped around his hand, this cloth's design was more sophisticated, with its embroidered design and silk satin material. It was such a shame it was now covered in mud.

"Congratulations Ma-Mr. Plensait." Kyoko's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He stopped comparing the handkerchiefs in his hands and turned towards the lavender haired woman. Out of the corner of his eye, he acknowledged that the investigators that had been examining the back wheels previously were now crouched over the chock.

A small smile was present on the detective’s face, melancholic fondness in her eyes. "You found the murder weapon."

"Huh?!" "W-What?" "Don't forget your fingerprints are on that thing~"

The lawyer and his assistant exclaimed, dumbfounded. The third inaudible voice went ignored by the only one who could hear her.

"How do you know it's the murder weapon?" Tsumugi asked, bewildered.

"A Luminol test revealed traces of blood on it. Other tests are going to be performed in order to determine who the blood belongs to, as well as find if it contains any clue to the real murderer." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But for now the fact that the shape of the chock matches the wound is enough. Thank you, Mr. Plensait."

A nervous smile appeared on the lawyer's face. He had no words so he just looked elsewhere. As he tried to figure out how to keep the conversation going, he fiddled with the black handkerchief in his hand, which reminded him of its owner.

"Here... Thank you for the handkerchief." He rubbed the back of his neck as his other arm raised the cloth towards the detective. "Sorry about leaving it dirty."

Kyoko stared at it for a second before closing her eyes. "Keep it."

"Wh– Huh?" Amidst the apparition's crass remarks and his assistant's soft muttering, Makoto lowered his arm in confusion. "But..."

"I insist." A small smile appeared on the detective's face. "Consider it a gift, for your contributions to the investigation."

He tried to find a remark on how he couldn't accept the gift, but came up blank. He didn't want to be rude, and besides, the handkerchief was pretty nice...

A notification sound suddenly rang out, breaking the silence. Kyoko took out her own phone. After reading the message she had received, she nodded.

"I must go and speak to some witnesses." Before the other two could thank her for her help and leave, she put her phone back in her pocket and looked the short lawyer in the eyes. "Would you like to accompany me?"

Makoto and Tsumugi looked at each other. Their old plan was to talk to the other investigators in the hope that they would have information and were willing to divulge it. Their plans were now thwarted, however, as they were all rather busy examining the new piece of evidence. Following Kyoko could prove beneficial in the long run, as she would be more open to discussing her findings. After their silent conversation, the assistant nodded.

"Sure!" Makoto smiled. "Thank you for the invite."

The detective guided them to a parked vehicle waiting for them by the edge of the crime scene. A driver was seated inside, ready to take them to the airport's main building.

The three of them boarded said vehicle, leaving a relieved looking police officer behind. The blonde guessed another escort would be waiting for Kyoko in the main building.

The defense attorney pondered for a second on what would happen to the Future Foundation members, but figured Kyoko had that under control. Whether they would follow them or stay behind remained to be seen. He stared at the back of the detective's head as the vehicle moved forward.

They could prove Byakuya innocent with his inability to come in contact with the murder weapon but the victim being found in his suitcase could still implicate him as an accomplice. The only way to fully clear his name was to find the real murderer and expose their plan to frame the tall blonde.

"Doesn't seem like you're trying to save him. I mean, you have a huge source of information right in front of you, and you're not even trying to ask her anything."

I'm working on it. He didn't want to admit the phantom was right; even if he had already talked to Kyoko one-on-one before, he hadn't actually been the one to start the conversation. Averting his eyes from a sharp smile, he turned towards the bluenette at his side, who was writing something in her Steel Samurai notebook. Seeing no other way to delay it, he took a deep breath and called for his old friend.

"Detective Kirigiri." She turned her head slightly to indicate she was listening. "Is it alright if I ask you some questions?"

"About?" There was something hopeful in the detective's voice.

"I would like some clarification on some evidence."

"... Go ahead." The hopeful tone vanished as she turned to stare at him.

Feeling slightly nervous, the defense attorney cleared his throat and scratched his cheek. Going through his Court Record, he decided to ask about a piece of evidence he hadn't had time to examine properly.

"Back in the cart there was a small case with a string, it contained some powder and tape. I was wondering what could have caused the fraying."

Kyoko hummed. "What is your hypothesis?"

The shorter man bit back a sigh. He had forgotten that Kyoko preferred to have him figure things out on his own rather than explain them herself.

Analyzing the evidence he had gathered, he realized there was a piece of evidence that had traces of a small rope being wrapped around a section of it.

"It could have been wrapped around the handle of the suitcase. The contents of the small case could have been used to bypass the fingerprint lock, what else would you use powder and tape for in this situation? That would mean, however, that the murderer was the one who attached it to the suitcase for some reason. The fraying could have come from the suitcase being moved around but we don't know how long it was wrapped around the handle. How long would it have taken for the string to end up like that? I don't believe it was long enough to snap naturally from the fraying."

He was unaware of Tsumugi's eyes getting wider as his musings went on. As well as Kyoko's smile getting slightly wider and fonder.

When Makoto stopped talking, the lavender haired woman's smile disappeared as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding his gaze and pretending she wasn't staring at him in awe.

"Interesting theory. To answer your question, taking into account the amount of time it would have taken for the suitcase to be moved from the plane to the cart... there should have been fraying, but not enough to snap the cord, as you stated. I believe the string was wrapped around on the handle for a rather long time for it to leave visible marks on it. Subsequently, it was given one last tug in order to snap it."

"Long as in... hours?" Kyoko nodded at Makoto's question.

"You don't think..." Tsumugi pursed her lips in shock.

The blonde took a deep breath. "Could it have been there for the whole flight?"

The detective stood silent for a couple of seconds before responding. "It's possible."

As Kyoko turned back towards the front, Tsumugi whispered. "What does this mean?"

"An inside job." The defense attorney murmured. "The murderer wasn't working alone, they had help from someone back in Japan.” After a couple of solemn seconds, he continued. “We know the murderer had to be someone who worked on the runway, at least.”

"We do?" The bluenette repeated hesitantly.

Makoto nodded. "Think about it: the location of the blue cart, the murder weapon, access to the vehicles and luggage of Flight 708. All of these point to someone who knew their way around the runway and had access to the equipment normally handled by ramp agents. We need to talk to the Keeper again, see what he can tell us of our murderer."

"How do we know it's not him?"

"Well..." Makoto held his chin in thought. "Remember when he left, screaming about 'finding a rascal'?" When his assistant nodded, he continued. "What was his footwear?"

Tsumugi closed her eyes in thought. "He... had none?" She sounded unsure.

"That's right." The lawyer nodded. "The area surrounding the scene of the crime was... messy." He gestured to his muddy clothes. "If he were to be our killer, he would have left muddy footprints everywhere."

"He could have taken his shoes off, though."

"He could have." He conceded. "But then wouldn't that make him more suspicious? The person who planned this went to great lengths to leave as little evidence behind as possible. There's nothing; no clue of their identity can be found anywhere. Someone this prepared wouldn't have been so careless as to lose their shoes and hope no one notices."

"I see..."

"Besides, why would he tell us about the blue cart? His testimony and note are the reason I accused Mr. Lumbor in the first place. Granted, that could have been done to frame him, but I don't think it's the Keeper. It... doesn't seem right."

Tsumugi bit her lip. "Alright. So who does that leave?"

"I don't know..." Makoto looked at their surroundings, they were halfway to their destination. "Hopefully Kyoko's witnesses give us a clue, otherwise..."

The two stayed silent as the vehicle moved along. There were still some mysteries surrounding the case but there was no way to solve them for now. When the case was finished Kyoko could uncover the whole truth; in the meantime, he would focus on proving Byakuya's innocence.

Chapter Text

With the remaining time before they got to the main building, Makoto decided to get as much information as he could from Kyoko.

"Has the missing cart been located?"

"Not yet." Kyoko answered without missing a beat. "A search is being conducted at the moment. Hopefully it is found by tomorrow morning."

I wonder where it went. Could it have some kind of clue to the murderer?

He decided to change the topic. "There's been something that's been bugging me about the victim." The lawyer thought about his belongings submitted during Kyoko's testimony. "It was never stated where he worked."

"That is correct." Was the response. "Mr. Nagasawa was a computer programmer."

Makoto raised his eyebrows. "Wait, but then... Had he ever worked at Hope Springs Airport?"

Kyoko gave an approving hum. "No. The victim had only worked as a programmer in various companies. He had just been to a job interview at Blue Screens Inc right before his passing."

Then where did the ID come from? He knew Kyoko wouldn't explain more, so he didn't try to ask her to elaborate. If Mr. Nagasawa wasn't a worker at the airport then that means the ID is fake. In that case... someone created it to get the victim into restricted areas, but who?

He filed that thought for later and asked the detective about a certain witness.  "About Mr. Lumbor, has his alibi been confirmed?"

Kyoko took a second to answer. "The locker room has no cameras inside. There is one stationed outside the door, but it has been impossible to get a hold of the Chief of Security to analyze the tapes."

"Why is that?" Tsumugi piped up.

"The previous Chief had been demoted a month ago. The airport had gotten a replacement, an old woman with experience. Said woman hasn't been seen since yesterday, when she left her post due to illness. No one knows where she lives or how to contact her."

"Sh-Shouldn't the airport have some kind of record?"

The detective closed her eyes. "The address she had given seems to have been the one for the Prosecutor's Building."

"And no one noticed?!" Makoto exclaimed.

Kyoko's silence spoke for itself.

"And there is no way to contact her? A phone number or email or... anything?" He continued, incredulous.

"She is an old fashioned woman." Was the simple answer.

For his sanity, Makoto decided to change the subject of discussion. Should I ask about the incriminating evidence against Mr. Lumbor or whatever happened to the old Chief of Security?

"So, about Mr. Lumbor's lock. Has anyone discovered why it was found on the suitcase?" He decided to ask first.

"There have been theories." She turned back again and stared at the shorter man intensely.

Right, she wants me to answer. The phantom started cackling.

There is no way to confirm the ramp agent's alibi. If we believe in his innocence, then someone took it from his locker and planted it in the suitcase to frame him. The question then would be: who?

"It had to be someone who had access to the locker room. And if Mr. Lumbor was the target from the beginning, then it had to be someone who knew his exact locker and possibly the combination as well. But if the victim had a fake ID, who's to say it wasn't the victim himself and it was just a coincidence that Mr. Lumbor's lock was chosen?"

"The same person came in contact with the suitcase after leaving the locker. Think about the suitcase's whereabouts at that moment. Once you piece the evidence together, the truth will come to light."

Did I say that out loud? The apparition laughed loudly after Kyoko followed his train of logic seamlessly despite not hearing the first half.

"Aw, she doesn't even find it weird that you preferred to start rambling instead of talking to her!"

Makoto blushed and looked elsewhere. The phantom, however, followed his gaze, unwilling to let him get away with ignoring her this time. Her empty sockets stared into his soul as she started juggling her still removed eyeballs.

"I've been thinking. You don't like talking to her, do you? Why is that? Did you not miss her? Is she too different? Or is it the opposite? She's the same but You. Are. Not."

Nope, now's not the time–

"W-What happened to the old Chief?" He asked, quickly closing his eyes and holding a hand to his chin, assuming the pose he usually was in when thinking. He tried to tune out the phantom and focus on Kyoko's words; he'd rather listen to his old suspicious friend than his... whatever she was.

Thankfully, the lavender haired woman didn't comment on his weird behavior. "He was demoted after he left his post one too many times. He became an overseer of sorts, making sure the luggage got to their corresponding gates in time." No more was said on the subject.

The phantom slapped him in the back of his head, making him open his eyes in shock. The first thing he caught was a glimpse of the main building. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head as the impromptu interrogation came to an end. Their time had run out, but he was glad he had at least managed to clarify some pieces of evidence.

After taking a brief moment to clean himself in the bathroom (and scold an amused apparition), Makoto followed behind Kyoko and walked next to Tsumugi as the detective led them through the corridors.

At one point, a new officer had joined them, trailing behind the three of them and keeping an eye on the lavender haired woman.

After turning a corner, a familiar voice called out.

"Detective!" Sebastian approached from the end of the corridor. "I've gathered the witnesses once again."

"Thank you, Prosecutor Debeste." Kyoko led the way to one of the waiting rooms. The trio behind her greeted each other before following.

Thankfully the brunette didn't question why his hair and clothes were wet. Sebastian knew of his bad luck and had grown so accustomed to it in the months they knew each other that he probably already deduced things didn't go smoothly when investigating the scene of the murder.

He caught the taller man taking a quick glance at his hand, however, which reminded him of Kyoko's handkerchief wrapped around it. The blonde stared at said cloth for a few seconds before exhaling softly. He still didn't know what he was going to do with it.

"You know what they say, burn your bridges. You should totally do the same to her gifts. I mean, you told me back in the bathroom: you don't want anything to do with her."

That's not true, I said–

"Ugh, stop! You know I hate it when you get predictable. 'It's what I had to do', 'It was to protect them', 'The best outcome is them leaving me behind', bla bla bla. You're just a coward, accept it. You couldn't stay with them before and you won't now. Burn your bridges and move on, gosh!"

He flinched after the phantom's tirade. He didn't bother refuting her claims. She would just taunt him all day if he tried to defend himself.

"If there's one thing you used to be was Brave. Naive, annoying, hopeful, ugh– But a coward you were not. Look at you, can't even talk back to me. Where's the fun Makoto from the early days, huh?"

She finally put her eyeballs back where they belonged and proceeded to stare intensely into his eyes.

"Oh don’t give me that look. I should totally be turned on by those tears but it just feels so... pathetic, not even worth my time."

The blonde confusedly raised his wrapped hand and was surprised to see the phantom was right. Tears were gathered at the corners of his eyes.

Angrily wiping them off, the lawyer proceeded to glare at the floor. His hands unconsciously formed into fists as he tried not to let his true feelings show any more than they already were.

Stop that.

A light tap on his hand made him jump. Quickly turning towards the one responsible, he was greeted by Tsumugi quickly retracting her arm and glancing at him in concern.

Letting out a shaky breath, he attempted to smile. His body relaxed slightly at the sight of the only other person who could understand what he was dealing with.

The two held a silent conversation before being interrupted by Sebastian announcing they had reached their destination.

After one last questioning look from the bluenette, Makoto nodded slowly. He was fine. He was here to do his job and there was nothing she could do about it.

Together, the detective, her escort, the prosecutor, the defense attorney and his assistant entered the Waiting Room where the witnesses were located.

The first thing Makoto noticed when entering the area was the group of four people sitting in the chairs. Soon after, a shout caused him to look towards the corner, where an officer was trying to calm a certain bearded man down.

"Leave me! I need to find that rascal!"

The Luggage Keeper was making a ruckus, looking one second away from engaging in a fight with the man trying to calm him down.

The other four people were sitting unperturbed, the Keeper must have been shouting for a while now.

Sebastian headed towards the shouting man in the hopes of helping the officer, leaving Makoto and Tsumugi with the detective. Kyoko’s escort waited for them by the entrance.

Kyoko walked towards the group on the chairs and cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the four airport workers. They stood up as soon as they caught sight of her.

"Thank you for cooperating. I apologize for asking for your presence once again. Though you were cleared yesterday, some events during the trial have come to light and your testimony is needed once again."

There were grumbles and nodding of heads in response.

"In the hopes of making this interrogation as quick as possible, I would like everyone to introduce themselves and state what you were doing on the day of the murder."

A white haired woman with curls raised her hand and spoke softly. "Is the introduction really necessary?"

"Yes." Kyoko answered sharply. Though the short woman looked confused, the others looked in his direction. By the looks they were giving him and Tsumugi, Makoto believed they had already deduced the reason for the detective's request.

A tall raven haired man in a baggy shirt put a hand on the white haired woman's shoulder, stopping her follow-up question. "It's okay, Aurora. It's no big deal."

"But–" Aurora frowned in confusion.

"Eh, it's whatever." A tall and lean redhead spoke up. Her arms were crossed behind her head. "I'm Redley Erin. Ramp agent at Hope Springs Airport."

"I thought that was me." A pink haired man spoke up, his confused expression was plain to see on his freckled face.

"You are a ramp agent, Stu. But so are the rest of us." The raven haired man smiled in amusement, his glasses tilting slightly.

"Oh!" Stu's eyes sparkled in understanding.

Before the other's could continue bickering, Kyoko spoke up. "Your testimony, if you please."

The white haired Aurora finally took notice of the duo standing behind the detective. "Of course, but first... Who are you?"

Makoto prepared to introduce himself and move things along but the lavender haired woman stopped him with a hint of frustration and something else in her voice. "The defendant's lawyer and his assistant, do not concern yourselves with them. Please, your testimonies."

The short man spent some seconds trying to decipher what that unknown emotion was but gave up quickly. It couldn’t have been protectiveness, could it?

The redhead Redley Erin narrowed her eyes but did not question the detective. "As I was saying, I had been rather busy yesterday, all of us were. The last flight I had taken care of, before the murder stopped our work, was Flight 501. I had some problems with unloading the luggage so I requested Fields' help."

"That's right!" Aurora Fields spoke up. "I had just finished cleaning one of the planes when Ms. Erin called for me. I hadn't unloaded any luggage for a couple of hours and she sounded panicked, so I headed immediately to help her."

"I didn't panic..." came the exasperated mumble from Ms. Erin.

"It took some time, but we managed to sort everything out after 20 minutes." Ms. Fields finished.

"What did you do after?" Makoto couldn't help but question out loud.

There was some hesitation, but a nod from Kyoko let the ramp agents know that they were allowed to answer him.

"I headed to the security room! I needed to talk to the Chief but..." Aurora Fields looked down with some unknown emotion in her eyes. "No one answered."

"I headed to the locker room." Redley Erin shrugged with a frown. "I didn't get there, though, as Lumbor didn't do his duties and I had to do his work for him."

Makoto was intrigued with their responses. He opened his mouth to ask them to elaborate but felt a shiver run down his spine.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Kyoko slowly shake her head. At the same time, the apparition grabbed his hair and gave it a sharp tug, making him look up abruptly in the hopes of escaping her intangible grasp.

"I see, thank you." He smiled nervously, hoping the movement hadn't seemed unnatural.

Ms. Erin gave him a weird look but thankfully didn't comment.

"Mr. Peaks. Your turn." The detective commanded.

"Already?!" Answered the pink haired man. In his slight shock, the man raised his right arm and held his left in front of him.

With a start, Makoto realized the pose he held was similar to one of his old friend’s. He felt a painful tug in his heart when his mind reminded him of Hiro. He had already seen Kyoko and Byakuya, and had heard from his sister; but what about the others? Touko, Hina, Hiro… Would he inevitably meet them once again? How would he even react if that were the case? He guessed the first thing he would do would be to apologize for the hurtful things he said to the clairvoyant and swimmer before leaving. Those were some rather hurtful parting words.

Before his thoughts could spiral on his old friends, the lawyer closed his eyes to focus on clearing his mind.

After a couple of seconds, he felt more stable. Tuning back into the conversation, it seemed he hadn't missed much, thankfully.

"... right, testimony. Umm, I'm Stu Peaks! I'm a ramp agent at Hope Springs Airport. What else? Oh! I love cleaning! So that's what I focus on. The tractors, carts, equipment... I clean all of them!"

His rant was interrupted by the last ramp agent putting a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you tell the lawyer what you were doing yesterday?"

"Right!" The pink haired Stu Peaks smiled. "I spent my entire day cleaning everything. There was one point where I needed to unload a plane by myself, so I took my favorite cart and took care of the job. After that I had to help with placing down chocks and cones. But right after I went back to cleaning the carts!"

"You stayed there until noon?" The defense attorney questioned.

Mr. Peaks shrugged. "I don't know, the police officers didn't tell me what time it was. Usually Aurora tells me the time, but I don't remember her talking to me."

Ms. Fields gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry Mr. Peaks, you were so entranced with cleaning I didn't want to disturb you."

"It's okay!" Mr. Peaks smiled. "I probably wouldn't have noticed you talking to me."

The ravenette cleared his throat, taking the attention off of the rambling pink haired man.

"That leaves just me then." He gave them a closed smile. "Zane, at your service. You can call me Ian, however. Since I'm a bit strong and decent at driving the tractors, my schedule is usually filled with unloading the aircrafts. That's what I was doing actually, finishing moving things around after that big flight that came at 11:00 AM."

"Don't sell yourself short, Mr. Zane." Ms. Fields sent a smile in his direction. "You're plenty strong! And you're the best driver out of all of us!"

The raven haired Ian Zane blushed and looked away. "Th-Thanks..."

"Wait, you unloaded a big aircraft, all by yourself?" Makoto questioned.

"Well... it's my job. And I didn't want to bother anyone else. So..."

Ms. Erin huffed. "Next time, call one of us, we would have made time to help you."

"Yeah!" Mr. Peaks put his arm around the other man. "I would have totally come and helped you if you had called!"

"I... don't know what I could have done, but you can call on me anytime, Mr. Zane." Ms. Fields smiled nervously.

"Th-Thanks. I'll keep that in mind for next time." Ian Zane responded, attempting to hide his blush while adjusting his glasses.

Makoto glanced at Kyoko once again, who put her hand up and spread her fingers.

The short man took a couple of seconds to understand what she was doing.

"So... what can you tell me about Nites Lumbor?"

One expression turned nervous, two others darkened and the last one remained oblivious. Kyoko closed her eyes, satisfied. Makoto had correctly interpreted her hand signal as a sign to ask about the fifth ramp agent.

"Well..." Ms. Fields started before stopping herself.

"He falls asleep all the time." Ms. Erin continued, a frustrated expression on her face. "Every time he goes to the locker to take a nap, we have to do his job."

"I don't want to say anything negative but... Nites' habits make us work twice as hard to make sure there aren't any delayed flights." Mr. Zane looked down.

"I like him! He's got the funniest expressions when startled!" Mr. Peaks smiled.

So he isn't well-liked, even by the friendliest-looking of the group.

"Why do you do his work then? Wouldn't it be better to let him get fired?" Makoto questioned.

Ms. Erin huffed. "He may not do his job ninety percent of the time, but at least he helps guide the aircraft to and from the gates and for take off. None of us are particularly good at that specific job. If he were to be fired, we would have to do that part."

“Of course, if he is found guilty, that job would fall on us anyway.” Mr. Peaks spoke up, unbothered.

"Besides, it's not as if he would get fired anyway..." Ms. Fields muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." She seemed surprised she was heard. "The old Chief may complain about him a lot, but he still has a soft spot for him. He'd chase him around and reprimand him but at the end of the day he'll vouch for him to the higher ups."

Interesting…

Before he could continue the questioning, a shout and the sound of something falling to the ground caught the group's attention.

Rapidly turning his head, he was greeted with the sight of the Luggage Keeper standing triumphantly over two people on the floor. It seemed he had managed to somehow knock over both Sebastian and the police officer.

He looked around wildly before catching sight of them and running towards the group. The bearded man frowned as he examined the four airport workers.

"Where’s Beanie?"

When none of them responded, he grunted. "That boy will be in so much trouble..." The Keeper muttered before raising his voice. "And so will you if you don't speak up!"

"Ah! I haven't seen him since yesterday!" Mr. Peaks exclaimed, shielding himself with his crossed arms.

"You will be spared, Freckles. Glasses, why–" The man was interrupted by the appearance of other police officers entering the Waiting Room. When he realized they would try to restrain him, the Keeper straightened and gave a battle cry, running towards the officers at the entrance.

Surprisingly, the man managed to knock over the five people and ran away, still exclaiming about 'finding the rascal'.

Both him and Tsumugi stood with mouths agape, startled by the weird man's actions. Not even Sebastian's panicked shouting and subsequent frantic chase managed to snap them out of their stupor.

Instead, it was Kyoko's deadpan voice that brought them back to reality.

"I believe that ends the questioning for today. If you permit me..." She walked over to the entrance, where the five officers were picking themselves up. Once she was about to turn the corner, she turned around and addressed the ramp agents. "Thank you for your time."

Her gaze turned towards Makoto and stayed there for a few seconds. An unknown emotion shined in her purple eyes before she closed them and turned back. Finally, she left with an "Excuse me."

The ones left behind stood in silence for a few seconds before Tsumugi spoke softly. "That just happened."

"Yeah..." The lawyer responded. He turned back towards the airport workers and smiled. "It was lovely to meet you. If you'll excuse us..."

The others murmured farewells as the duo left the room.

"So... did you uncover anything?" Tsumugi asked at his side.

Makoto sighed and whispered. "Yeah. I know who the murderer is."

Green eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"Well, almost. The murderer is one of those four. I don't know who exactly just yet, but tomorrow we'll figure it out." He gave a tired grimace.

He took one last look at the evidence he had gathered and made a mental note to take some time later to organize his evidence in preparation for the trial.

It was a shame the Keeper had escaped, they would have to wait until the next day to hear his testimony. He was sure the man was the last piece of the puzzle in uncovering who had killed Mr. Nagasawa and framed Byakuya.

Chapter Text

This is it.

Makoto exhaled deeply as he stood in the middle of the Waiting Room, his eyes closed as he prepared himself to meet with his client once again.

The pencil strokes coming from Tsumugi sketching in her notebook from her place in the red couch was the only sound that reached his ears.

"So I was thinking, what do you think your boyfriend's gonna say when the case is finished?"

Correction: real and welcome sound.

"Maybe something like... 'Oh, thank you so much, handsome! I will totally take you and the dashing detective out for dinner! It's the least I could do after you oh-so-bravely defended me in court, doing everything possible to save me from being found guilty!'"

That does not sound like Byakuya–

"Oh?~ See how you didn't disagree with me calling him your boyfriend? Careful~ A certain detective might get jealous~"

The short man put his face in his hands, refusing to acknowledge the mocking remarks of the despairful blonde. Especially once she started asking if he was going to come clean to his old friends.

"Is she being annoying?" Tsumugi's voice reached his ears, clearing his thoughts and reminding him of his current whereabouts.

Even though she had whispered, her voice echoed loudly due to the emptiness of the room. Thankfully, the bailiffs at the door respected their privacy, not even twitching at the bluenette's impromptu question.

"You could say that." Was the mumbled response.

A sting in his hand made him frown. The short man retreated his face and stared at where a light purple cloth used to be wrapped around his hand. The cut caused by one of Kyoko's bodyguards had actually been deeper than he had anticipated; the skin had taken the whole night to heal.

The area was still sensitive, however, as Makoto had accidentally cut his hand earlier in the day while making breakfast. This led to the skin that had healed to be marred with a paper thin cut that was more annoying than painful.

A manicured hand approached from the corner of his eye to poke at the thin cut. In order to stop her from digging her nails into his hand, he turned away and closed his hands into fists.

"You're no fun." The despairful blonde pouted.

The sound of footsteps echoed in from the hallway just as the phantom started tugging at his hair.

Tsumugi stood up and went to stand next to Makoto, who straightened up and prepared himself for the meeting with his client.

The duo was surprised when Byakuya turned the corner, as his escort of the day had been different from the one yesterday.

"Good morning." Kyoko greeted the two of them politely.

"H-Hey. Good morning." Makoto smiled nervously.

"Hello." Tsumugi tilted her head.

The last person to speak stood quiet for a couple of seconds before being nudged by the detective at his side. With a sigh and an eye roll, Byakuya muttered a greeting.

"Are you ready for the trial?" The detective asked, looking the shorter man in the eyes.

"Y-Yeah! We're hoping to end it today. We understand that you still need to meet with the prime minister, so we don't want to have to keep you waiting." Makoto avoided her gaze.

"Right." The blonde ambassador cleared his throat. "Speaking of which, you are cordially invited to dine with us later this week. As a thank you for taking my case."

"That's..." "Bad, annoying, too forward?" "Very thoughtful, thank you. We just wouldn't want to take up much of your time. I understand you're very busy people." His hand started rubbing the back of his head.

"If we extend the offer then it means we find no issue with the invitation. Our schedules can be altered." The taller blonde frowned.

"Isn't it a bit too soon? I mean, you haven't been found innocent yet." Tsumugi came to his rescue.

Their client huffed. "I have complete faith in my lawyer. I know he won't disappoint us; isn't that right, Mr. Plensait?"

Makoto avoided his gaze and stared at the courtroom doors, internally wishing they would open soon. Alas, his luck was not on his side, as said doors stayed closed.

"I will do my best, Mr. Togami." The defense attorney spoke softly, trying to ignore the despairful whispers trying to convince him to let Byakuya be found guilty.

The tall blonde's frown deepened. Just as he was about to say something else, the lavender haired woman at his side put a gloved hand on his shoulder. The two shared a glance, communicating silently. Not long after, the man's posture relaxed slightly.

Makoto was unaware of this, as he was still willing one of the bailiffs to move and inform them that the trial was about to start.

"The offer still stands." Kyoko's voice resonated in the room. "You do not have to answer right away, of course. But," Her tone changed. "We would love to get the opportunity to know each other better."

The short blonde bit his lip once he had recognized her shift in tone. Since when does Kyoko get nervous?

Regardless, his heart squeezed painfully. If there were any doubts as to whether they knew who he was, it was gone now. They had extended an olive branch, now it was his turn to either accept said offer or retreat completely.

The bluenette, who had stayed silent until now, looked at her notes in previous pages of her notebook before taking a deep breath.

"How about we wait until the case is over? Mr. Hidan and I need to focus on proving your innocence first, Mr. Togami."

The defense attorney's expression softened. Her actions reminded him of the promise they had made eight years ago, when they met for the first time. We'll look out for each other.

"Hmph." Was the dismissive answer from the former heir.

"So... is this little dinner going to be between you three or do you need to bring her?"

Makoto frowned internally, not liking the way in which the apparition was referring to Tsumugi.

"Oh come on! You have to admit that she's such a bore. You'd get a more interesting conversation with a plain white wall than with her."

You shouldn't talk to her like that. She's your–

"Nuh-uh! She's nothing to me, remember?~"

Right. The real one was dead; had been for around nine years, actually. This was just an annoying remnant of what she had been, conjured by his mind to torment him after foolishly watching that video.

"Love you too~"

Though thinking about what happened to the real blonde's twin made him glad this particular ghost had no interest in the bluenette.

The unpleasant mental conversation ended right there, as the door Makoto had been glaring at finally opened.

As the bailiff asked for everyone to get inside, Makoto waved his hand in order to dispel his intangible companion. Though the effort was futile, it at least managed to shut her up.

From across the room, purple eyes narrowed in thought.

"The court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Byakuya Togami."

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Sebastian bowed from the opposite desk.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor." Makoto smiled softly.

"I trust that both of you expanded on your investigations, as requested yesterday." When the two nodded, the Judge continued. "Before we start I would like to ask Mr. Plensait something."

"Yes, Your Honor?" The defense attorney asked, confused.

The Judge closed his eyes. "Do you still wish to indict Mr. Lumbor as the killer?"

"After the investigation yesterday, the defense no longer pursuits that verdict. We believe that both Mr. Lumbor and Mr. Togami are innocent."

"So that's your stance." The Judge nodded. "Alright then. Mr. Debeste, what about your findings?"

Sebastian took out his baton and proceeded to tap it against his outstretched hand. "They were rather fruitful, Your Honor." He shared a glance with the hazel eyed man across him. "To start off, I would like to once again call for Detective Kirigiri."

The lavender haired woman took her place at the witness stand. Her purple eyes were closed as her crossed arms added to her aura of confidence.

Unlike the last time she appeared, the crowd stayed silent. Makoto guessed the perpetrators that caused the last disturbance had been held in contempt of court.

"Detective, could you please explain your findings to the Court?" Sebastian asked.

"Of course." Her eyes opened as she surveyed the courtroom. If her gaze lingered on the defense's desk for a little longer then no one commented on it.

Judging by the way Tsumugi's scribbling sped up, she had noticed the intense stare directed at the man at her side. Makoto was fine with not acknowledging the emotions he was able to make out in her purple eyes.

The detective straightened as she explained her findings.

"As stated yesterday, the scene of the crime was identified. A cart containing the victim's blood and other items was found on the outskirts of the Landing Zone, along with the defendant's belongings."

"I see..." The Judge nodded thoughtfully. "Mr. Plensait, is there anything you want the detective to clarify?"

"There is, Your Honor." Makoto took a deep breath and started. "May I ask about the cart? Was it the one that was missing?"

He, of course, knew the answer to that question. This was just a way to give more insight to the courtroom as well as indirectly ask if said cart had been found yet. He had to be careful with the way he phrased things, as Kyoko was just here to explain the police's findings and not give testimony to be cross-examined and objected to.

"No, this one was a different color than the one used in the airport. Scouting the place where it was found revealed a hidden entrance big enough for the cart to have entered from outside. The current theory is that the culprit was able to smuggle the cart inside, murder the victim in it and attempt to leave through said opening before being thwarted by the terrain."

"Thwarted?" The Judge repeated quietly, confused.

"So the other cart has not been found?" Makoto continued before the Judge could derail the conversation.

"No. There is evidence to suggest it had successfully been taken out." Kyoko tucked a strand of her behind her ear.

"Could you please clarify what evidence?" Sebastian asked politely.

"Muddy tracks leading from the entrance to the road outside the airport." She responded.

Both Sebastian and Makoto nodded, understanding the detective's reasoning. When Tsumugi asked quietly about the detective's logic, the blonde explained. "The blue cart never left the Landing Zone, so the only way for tracks to have been left behind is if another cart left through the same opening; aka, our missing cart. It's not that important so don't worry about it."

The bluenette nodded as Makoto asked for clarification on the autopsy report.

"The wound matches with a certain object found in the area. The following item was half buried in the mud surrounding the crime scene."

At Kyoko’s signal, one person appeared, pushing a cart towards the center of the courtroom. The scrawny bailiff seemed to be struggling slightly with the weight.

"Hmm. What is that?" The Judge questioned, intrigued, once the object was fully in view.

"This is an aircraft chock. Its common use is to stop the movement of parked aircrafts." The lavender haired woman paused for a second; if Makoto didn't know her better, he'd think it was for dramatic effect. "It is also the murder weapon."

Shocked gasps echoed through the courtroom from those who needed the clarification.

"It seems rather heavy." The Judge mused.

"Aircraft chocks tend to have a rope attached to them for easier transportation. Dragging the object around is easier than picking it up and moving it. This one in particular is from Hope Springs Airport and contains the victim's blood." The detective explained.

"I see..." The Judge closed his eyes. "Anything else?"

Kyoko shook her head. "That is all of the police's findings. The most important ones at least." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "The rest have already been submitted to the Court Record."

The Judge hummed. "Mr. Debeste, is this evidence enough to prove the defendant's guilt?"

"Not quite, Your Honor." Sebastian started bending his baton and folding in on himself as he glanced at Makoto nervously. "The prosecution will concede that the defendant was not capable of committing the murder."

Tsumugi smiled, relieved. "That's great. We did it!"

"Not yet." Makoto murmured. He had recognized Sebastian's gesture as the one he tended to use for when he was about to say something he didn't agree with but had no other choice than to speak up.

And true to his words, the brunette continued. "There is, however, the possibility  that the defendant was an accomplice in the crime."

Murmurs arose from the audience.

"Wh-What?" Tsumugi managed to stop her shout as she choked on the word, her expression one of betrayal.

"It's his job." The defense attorney shrugged. "He has to prove Byakuya's guilt while we do the opposite."

"B-But... he has done exceptions for us before." She frowned.

"Well, yeah..." Makoto looked in her direction, finding her confused and gripping one arm tightly. "But that's usually when the real killer is on the witness stand. You don't think Kyoko killed the victim, do you?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then he has no reason to be lenient." At his assistant’s unconvinced expression, he continued. "We've done the same before countless times; defending an obviously guilty person, that is. It's just how things go sometimes..."

He trailed off as he felt sharp nails caressing both the side of his face and the cut on his hand. The feeling made him shiver and he turned back to the courtroom, closing his fist and moving his whole arm away. "Don't hold it against him. Sebastian's doing his job and we're doing ours."

"Order! Order!" The Judge smacked his gavel repeatedly as the audience's volume rose. Once the noise died down, he put the gavel down and addressed Sebastian.

"The prosecution claims that the defendant is an accomplice then?"

"I merely stated a possibility, Your Honor. To clear this cone-on-drum, the prosecution would like to call its first witness." The brunette swiftly redirected the conversation despite his mispronunciation of the word 'conundrum'.

"Very well." The Judge nodded.

As Kyoko left the stand, the two made eye contact. Makoto felt his fist clenching further, his body tensing as he watched the array of emotions swimming through purple eyes.

And through them all, he managed to recognize one in particular: Belief.

She trusted him to get Byakuya acquitted and believed wholeheartedly he could do it. The sincerity in her eyes almost took his breath away.

So taken aback with the intensity in her gaze, he quickly turned away, missing the concerned and calculated look she shot him before turning around.

Evidence Holder

• Tablet
Found in the suitcase's front pocket. Planted for Makoto and Tsumugi to find. An ominous text was the only thing shown on it.
• Byakuya's Suitcase
Clean on the outside. Inside filled with the victim's blood, coming from both the wound on his head and a blood bag. It had a sturdy lock which was found near the scene of the crime, and bypassed fingerprint lock. A small case was wrapped around the handle.
• Carts & Tractors
Four out of the five pairs were found in the garage. The fifth tractor was spotless except for mud found on its wheels; its cart's whereabouts are currently unknown thought it is known it was taken out of the airport. Workers can take them out by using special cards, the more detailed logs are with the Chief of Security.
• Vehicles Logs
Combining the Terminal and the Keeper's Notes reveals the following information:
01- Taken by Stu Peaks at 10:25 AM
02- Taken by Aurora Fields at 09:30 AM
03- Taken by Nites Lumbor at 12:05 AM
04- Taken by Redley Erin at 11:15 AM
05- Taken by Ian Zane at 11:30 AM
All were returned to the garage by 1:05 PM except for vehicles 03 and 05.
• Luggage Keeper's Testimony
A blue cart was used by the ramp agent. He left with both the tractor and cart before the "real" ones unloaded the luggage.
• Victim's Belongings
Found on the victim's body were the following items:
Fake ID Badge from Hope Springs Airport with the victim's photo.
Byakuya's Tie which was clutched in the victim's hand.
Blackmail Letter which called the recepient to the airport at 11 AM with the threat of revealing their involvement in a hunt.
• Autopsy Report
Time of death: May 10, approx. 12:00 PM.
Cause of Death: Immediate death due to a blow from a blunt object to the head.
• Fingerprint Lock
It seems to have been opened with the white powder and tape found inside a small case attached to the suitace's handle.
• Blue Cart
Found in a grassy area at the edge of the airfield. Its back wheels are sunk into the mud. Seems brand new unlike the other carts in the airport.
• Bloody Plastic Sheet
Found in the scene of the crime. Bloody only on one side.
• Bloody Drag Marks
These were found in a corner of the cart, possibly the exact place where the killing blow was dealt. One of Byakuya's bloody shirts, taken from his suitcase and found in a pile outside the cart, seems to have been used to wipe the blood.
• Wheel Chock
The murder weapon. A Luminol test revealed the victim's blood on it.

Chapter Text

The exchange had only taken a split second but so many emotions were exchanged in that brief amount of time.

"Are you okay?" Tsumugi's voice had a confused tone to it, the feeling similar to what the lawyer felt inside.

"Yeah..." Makoto murmured, closing his eyes for a brief moment. He wasn't used to the lavender haired woman openly expressing so much emotion. Perhaps the phantom had been right; she had changed and it was unreasonable of him to assume that she, along with all of his old friends, had stayed the same as when he left them.

Though that begged the question, what did Kyoko see whenever she looked into his eyes?

Feeling the phantom's arms encircling him slowly in a mockery of a hug, the short lawyer dispelled such thoughts with a violent shake of his upper body and the opening of his eyes. Now wasn't a good time to think about that; he'd rather focus on ending the trial.

Speaking of the trial, the witness had finished situating himself in the stand.

"Witness, state your name and occupation." Sebastian asked with a wave of his baton.

All the brunette got was a grumble in response.

"Could you repeat that, please?" The prosecutor requested nervously.

"So you're the one that's been hiding him!" The Luggage Keeper exclaimed with a ferocious expression.

Sebastian yelped and jumped, his baton flying out of his hands.

Before anyone could react, the bearded man turned around and furiously stomped towards the defendant.

"So, what're you being tried for? What was so important that you had to drag that boy away from his duties?"

If Byakuya was shocked by the witness' outburst, he didn't show it as the blonde crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow delicately.

His lack of response only agitated the bearded man further as he looked to be two seconds away from leaping towards the blonde. Before he could, however, a couple of bailiffs managed to restrain him.

As the Keeper made a ruckus, Makoto sweatdropped. We've been waiting for this guy's testimony for so long... And this is what we end up with?

Thankfully, the Judge smacked his gavel and shouted "Order!" in an attempt to gain the attention of the whispering crowd and the agitated witness.

Once the ruckus diminished, the Judge cleared his throat.

"Mr. Debeste, what is the meaning of this? The behavior of this witness is not appropriate for a Court of Law."

Sebastian looked visibly uncomfortable as the attention was put on him. He started bending his baton that he had recovered in the middle of the Keeper's agitated actions.

"I apologize, Your Honor. The witness had been calm up until his summon to the witness stand. I'll make sure to properly prepare the witnesses next time so as to avoid this incident occurring again."

The Judge nodded. "Very well. I will hold you to that, Mr. Debeste. In the meantime, please remove this witness from the courtroom until he calms down." The old man instructed the bailiffs that were still restraining a now-silent Keeper. "And provide him with a pair of shoes!"

With the way things were derailing, Makoto decided to intervene as he took a deep breath and exclaimed. "Hold it!"

Once he had the Judge's attention, the lawyer continued.

"Please, Your Honor. I understand the witness' attitude leaves a lot to be desired."

"Hey!"

Makoto ignored the bearded man's exclamation.

"But his testimony is really important. The defense believes that the information this witness holds cannot be postponed. His actions were rather... extreme but he deserves another chance."

Sebastian sent him a grateful smile that he returned. Hopefully, he could convince the Judge to let the Keeper speak.

After a few seconds, the Judge sighed. "Very well then. But this is your final warning witness. Do not attempt to start a confrontation with anyone in this courtroom or else you'll be held in contempt of court. Understood?"

The Keeper was dragged back to the witness stand, where he grumbled his response.

When the Judge demanded he answer verbally, the airport worker nodded and raised his volume. "Yeah, yeah."

"Alright then." Sebastian spoke uneasily. "Can you state your name and occupation, please?"

The bearded man stayed silent for a couple of seconds before sighing.

"I've gone by many names. Airport Mage. Crazy Hermit. Old Chief. But none of them reflect on my current passion. Call me the 'Luggage Keeper'!"

"I thought that was just a weird nickname that people gave him." Tsumugi whispered at Makoto's side.

"Yeah, I didn't expect him to prefer to be called that over his actual name." The lawyer rubbed the back of his neck as Sebastian blinked rapidly.

"Right... Mr. Keeper, can we get your occupation?" The prosecutor ended up asking.

"It's in the name, boy!" The bearded man exclaimed before calming down as the Judge glared at him in warning. He resigned himself to grumbling. "Used to do other stuff before the old lady arrived. From boring Chief of Security to Luggage Overseer."

I don't think that's a real job… Makoto may not be that knowledgeable on airports and the jobs they offer but he was pretty sure that position was non-existent.

But his previous job, however...

"You are the Old Chief the other ramp agents kept referring to?" To say the lawyer was dumbfounded was an understatement. In hindsight, it made sense why Kyoko was quick to run after the man after he escaped from interrogation the day before. This witness was more important than he had first appeared to be.

Though he could probably have figured out the man's identity if he had given it more thought. Makoto may be good at finding evidence but putting it all together still took him a bit of time.

"Remind me what 11037 meant again?"

Shushing her mentally, the defense attorney entered a conflicted state between blushing by how obvious the answer to that question was in hindsight and paling at the reminder of the Killing Game.

His conflict didn't last long as the witness turned towards him with an agitated expression.

"What do you mean by that?!" The Keeper stroked his beard as he frowned disapprovingly.

"Ah, it's just... well..." It seemed he accidentally spoke out loud due to his surprise.

"We expected someone like you to have a... higher position." Tsumugi commented at his side, saving him from putting his foot in his mouth again.

The man seemed displeased at her answer, however. "I don't need a fancy title! Overseeing the luggage is fine for someone like me. A Chief of Security is useless when trying to make sure everyone does their job!"

"Speaking of which..." Makoto saw an opportunity to move the conversation back on track. "Can you tell the court what your job entails?"

As if invigorated by the change in topic towards something he was passionate about, the Keeper nodded enthusiastically.

"As Luggage Overseer, I make sure the luggage makes it to the Gates. That means keeping an eye on the Agents of the Ramp. Gotta stop them from slacking off." He then threw a stinky look towards Byakuya, as if he was the direct cause of his subordinates' laziness.

"And what were you doing the day of the murder, sir? Overlooking others' work, I presume?" Sebastian guided the man towards giving them the testimony he wanted.

The Keeper nodded. "That's right. That day I was checking on each of them. They were doing great until noon. When that damn murder happened, I made a note. Just in case."

"Very interesting testimony, witness." The Judge hummed.

Before Makoto's sassy remark could escape from his lips once again, the brunette across the room spoke up.

"I agree, Your Honor. With this, I believe it's time for the defense to cross-examine the witness."

Sending a grateful smile towards the prosecutor, the lawyer took a deep breath and prepared to deal with the Keeper.

"You were checking on each of the ramp agents. How so?"

"How else? I visited all of them. Made sure they were all doing their job." The witness answered.

"How did you get around?" The brunette in red asked.

The Keeper repeated Sebastian's question under his breath with a mocking tone before raising his voice. "With these of course!" He pointed down towards his bare feet.

"You... walked like that? All day?" The bluenette asked incredulously.

"Yes!" The man nodded proudly.

Putting aside how unhygienic it was to walk around without shoes, Makoto changed the subject. "Isn't your job to just... oversee the luggage, though? Why would you abandon that to go check on your... subordinates?"

"How dare you!" The man held his beard as an angry expression appeared on his face. "Are you saying that checking on the kids is a waste of time?!"

Kids? What–?

"I had my eyes on them that day. 24/7."

That's not– What? This witness was giving him a headache.

Regardless, that was a piece of information he had gathered. The Keeper was paying attention to the ramp agents, visiting each one during the course of the day and could supposedly vouch for them all.

He continued his cross-examination once Tsumugi was done taking notes.

"What exactly happened at noon?"

The man's expression darkened. "That rascal Beanie was nowhere to be found! And the plane was about to land!"

That's right. Mr. Lumbor had fallen asleep right before Flight 708 arrived.

"So what did you do?"

"What else?!" Was the frustrated answer. "I went and landed the plane myself. That boy was going to get it. After the precious luggage was taken care of first!"

"Landed the plane himself?" Tsumugi muttered.

"I think he's just exaggerating. He couldn’t have done more than guiding the aircraft to the Gate." Makoto answered absentmindedly before continuing his questioning. "Did you unload the baggage too?"

The man rubbed his hands. "No."

Makoto's eyebrows shot up. With the way this testimony was going, he had assumed the man took over the sleepy agent's duties at the last second but it seemed he was mistaken.

"Then who did?"

The Keeper just shrugged as he crossed his arms, slightly tugging at strands of his beard with one of his hands. "One of the other rascals. Maybe."

With his attitude, it was no wonder the man had been demoted. Thankfully, that particular thought stayed in his head as he debated on whether he should press the statement or continue with the cross-examination.

A part of him felt there was something important in the Keeper's statement but he couldn't figure out what just yet.

And so, with a soft sigh, he proceeded to let it go for now.

"You said you made a note. What did it have written on it?"

"Aha!" The man exclaimed, pointing at the blonde attorney.

Tsumugi screamed in shock while Makoto jumped.

"What...?"

The witness interrupted the short man. "That's why! You won't get to accuse any of the Agents!"

"The– What?" The defense attorney muttered.

"They're annoying and don't do their job well. But they're– ah! They're... good kids. I made that note to show you they had nothing to do with the murder!"

Sir, I'm pretty sure those kids you're referring to are older than me. Shaking his head, Makoto recognized that wasn't the issue with the man's statement. Let's not forget the fact that one of said people is the real killer!

"And this note of yours... where is it?" Sebastian hit his baton softly over his open palm.

The lively Keeper suddenly looked downwards and rubbed his hands together. "...I don't have it."

A couple of seconds passed before the brunette repeated. "You don't have it?"

The bearded man suddenly looked up, his expression turning to anger. "It was stolen! There's a conspiracy to frame one of the rascals!"

Before the Keeper could continue derailing the trial, Makoto took out the evidence he had collected from the unknowing man.

"Is this the note you're referring to?"

The Keeper looked at the paper in his hand for a few seconds. "That's it! You-! I trusted you. But you were just a spy! You thief!"

"It... it actually just flew out of your pocket." Tsumugi corrected softly.

Right as the barefoot man prepared to throw himself at them, Makoto waved the paper around as he exclaimed. "Wait! It really fell out of your pocket! How about you just explain how the ramp agents are innocent?"

Placated for now, the man sighed discontentedly. It seemed they managed to avoid getting the man thrown out of the courtroom for now.

"At around 1 in the afternoon I went to the garage. Made a list of the carts that were there. Used the Terminal to help with some stuff."

"Wait, why would you need the Terminal? If you supervise their work, shouldn't you know which vehicle is used by each one?" The lawyer mused.

"Well..." The Keeper avoided his gaze. "I needed it to remember their names. Just in case. I could be asked by the police later."

"Remember their names?" Makoto tilted his head in confusion. "Shouldn't you already know them?"

The man debated something in his head before bowing his head as the Judge glared at him.

"My memory isn't what it used to be." He admitted after a few seconds. "So I made nicknames. To remember better."

"That checks out." Tsumugi mused at his side.

"You should try writing their names thrice in the palm of your hand. That should help with your memory." Makoto shrugged as he offered the witness some advice before realizing what he just said. That was something he was taught by Hina!

"You really suck at distancing yourself from your past, you know?"

Ignoring the phantom, he did his best to avoid the stares from his old friends.

"What would our nicknames be?" His luck came in clutch as Sebastian's curiosity distracted the courtroom.

The Keeper closed his eyes in contemplation before pointing at each of them.

Starting with Sebastian. "Baton."

Then the Judge. "Beard."

Then Tsumugi. "Blue."

Then Makoto. "Shorty."

And finally, Byakuya. "Man Bun."

The five people stayed silent before the prosecutor exclaimed.

"W-What? My baton?! Nothing about my hair?!" He then continued in a lower voice and a wobble. "I spend so long styling it everyday..."

At least your nickname is a reference to something you carry with you. Why is mine about my height?!

"Don't take it personally." Tsumugi whispered at his side. "I think it's just because you're the shortest here?"

That doesn't make me feel better.

"Wow, she sucks at being reassuring."

Tuning back into the world around him, Makoto realized the Judge and Sebastian were busy debating their nicknames while Byakuya seemed to be getting more and more frustrated.

And so, the lawyer cleared his throat. "Your Honor, I believe we've deviated from the testimony. If I may, I would like to continue the cross-examination."

Startled, the Judge nodded. "O-Of course! Go ahead, Mr. Plensait." Across the room, Sebastian sported an embarrassed expression.

They really forgot we were in the middle of a trial, huh?

Regardless, it was now time to continue questioning the witness' testimony.

"I believe Mr. Keeper was about to explain how the note he wrote exonerated the ramp agents."

"Right." Said man gave a sharp nod. "The note says where the vehicles were. Exactly where they were supposed to be. The Terminal shows when each of the rascals took out the vehicles. Put both together and it shows that all of them were... doing their jobs, yeah!"

Seems my deduction was right then. Makoto's happiness at deciphering the meaning of the note didn't last long as a certain despairful blonde made her presence known.

"Anyone could have figured that out. Even that boring assistant of yours. Gosh, how did you manage to survive the Killing Game?!"

Feeling his thoughts beginning to spiral, he decided to ignore her voice and focus on the Keeper's testimony.

"You know I'm right~" Was her unwanted statement before the lawyer felt his hair being tugged.

"Ouch." He muttered before raising his voice. "Excuse me, Mr. Keeper, but how exactly does the note and Terminal exonerate all the ramp agents? The only thing it shows is that many of them used the vehicles hours before Flight 708 arrived."

The man muttered a response with a frown.

"Uhh... could you repeat that?" The blonde lawyer scratched his cheek nervously.

"I said...!" The bearded man stopped himself from making a ruckus as he realized he couldn't be thrown out of the courtroom if he wanted to prove his subordinates' innocence. "That's your job. Figure it out."

The duo at the defense bench adopted deadpan expressions. You were the one that kept insisting it proved their innocence!

Makoto sighed softly as he decided not to argue with the witness.

"Alright. Let's see..." What exactly did the note prove? All the ramp agents used their vehicles that day, though I don't really see how that's enough to exonerate them. Maybe if he combined it with another piece of evidence?

That's it!

"You're trying to show that none of them could have maneuvered the blue cart, right?"

"The blue cart?" Sebastian repeated with a confused expression.

"By the time this note was written, almost all of the tractors were returned to the garage. Since the tractors are needed to move the carts, it means that the killer would have needed to take said vehicle out which would have saved the time in the Terminal."

"That's right!" The prosecutor was catching onto his line of logic.

Makoto still explained for the Judge and audience. "Three of them were used too early. The other two were used half an hour before and a couple of minutes after Flight 708 landed. This means that for the blue cart to be used in the murder, it is more than likely that one of these two vehicles was used: 03 or 05."

"However, by the time of the investigation, one pair of vehicles had been returned and the other had its tractor present but not its cart." Sebastian continued.

"Correct." The lawyer nodded as he put his hand on his chin in thought. "Coincidentally, the missing cart was part of pairing 03 which was used by Nites Lumbor."

"And that would mean that said ramp agent was the one who used his tractor to move the blue cart around, after disposing of its own cart." The prosecutor crossed his arms, satisfied with their conclusion. A couple of seconds later, however, he seemed to realize something. "Wait, but didn't you claim Mr. Lumbor was innocent?"

"Well, yes. But–" Makoto's attempt at explaining his logic was interrupted by an agitated witness.

"Oi! What's this about that disgrace getting rid of the cart? It's property of the airport, you know! Do you have any idea how much it costs?!"

Back to name calling the poor guy, huh?

"Sorry." The prosecutor bended his baton anxiously.

"You should be!"

"Wait a second." Makoto interrupted the bearded man before he continued yelling at the brunette. "What's wrong with the idea of Mr. Lumbor disposing of the cart? If he wanted to drive the blue one around, he'd have to get rid of the one that's already attached, right?"

"You disappoint me, Shorty." The Keeper crossed his arms as he stared him down.

What did I say? And stop with that nickname!

"The tractors can move around by themselves. There's no need to 'dispose of the cart' or whatever you're saying. Just leave the cart in the garage. That's it."

"Huh? Then... the two carts were pulled by the same tractor?" Tsumugi mused out loud.

After taking a second to think about that theory, Makoto turned towards the Keeper. "How viable would that be?"

When all he got was a grunt of confusion, the lawyer elaborated.

"Can a single tractor move two carts? And would anyone raise any alarms if so?"

Nodding slowly after hearing the question in layman's terms, the Keeper answered. "It can. We've done that before. Usually it's one cart per tractor. To help with organization and stuff."

"So people would find it strange if the tractor had both carts attached." Sebastian stated.

"... Yes." The witness grit out after a moment.

"Then... what does this mean?" The prosecutor asked out loud.

Makoto took a second to think about the facts. Tractors can be taken out without the carts. To avoid suspicion, one would need to drive one cart per tractor. Two carts had to be moved: the missing one and the blue one. So, putting everything together...

He felt like slapping himself in the face. The answer was so obvious!

Before he could say it outloud, he felt a sting in his cheek. Dumbfounded, he turned towards a grinning phantom who was playing with her nails.

"You're welcome~"

Softly rubbing his face, he decided it wasn't worth his time to glare at the nonexistent being and turned towards the courtroom.

"The answer is simple." After a brief pause for dramatic effect, he continued. "Two tractors were used."

The courtroom took a second to follow his logic. From the corner of his eye, he saw the witness nodding approvingly.

"Oh? Oh!" The prosecutor's ahoge unfurled as he understood the lawyer's words. "Of course! How else would the missing cart have been taken out of the airport?"

"The question then is where the tractors came from, though the answer is rather obvious." The picture was becoming clearer, there was just one thing he needed to clear before talking about the tractors. "Before we proceed, however, I need to ask the witness something."

"What?" Came the grumpy question.

"Two days ago, you testified the following..."

"Yes, yes! The blue cart. The bad one. It doesn't belong and yet it was brought here." The Keeper hunched over, rubbing his hands nervously.

"By who?" Makoto put a hand on his chin, focusing on the other's testimony.

"That boy! The Agent of the Ramp. He never takes his job seriously, he's a disgrace!"

"Yet today, you don't seem to be pushing Mr. Lumbor despite the evidence you've found against him and the... negative attitude towards him. You're a smart man, sir, so surely you must have noticed how the evidence points towards Nites Lumbor." At the man's blank gaze, Makoto added. "Also known as Beanie."

The witness stood silent as his face contorted with different expressions, showing his internal conflict. Finally, it ended with the man's brows furrowed and shame reflected on his gray eyes.

"Bah! The boy's a disgrace! Nothing changes that."

"Perhaps." Makoto's eyes narrowed. "But regardless of your feelings towards the man, you testified having seen him use the blue cart. Do you still stand by that?"

"I–" For the first time, the bearded man seemed at a loss for words. His hands started rubbing together.

"Something's wrong. What is he hiding?" Tsumugi questioned at his side.

"I don't know..." He answered the bluenette.

"Should we... continue to push him?" She held her arm with one hand, conflicted.

Makoto bit his lip for a moment. The man was already volatile enough, would punishing him further get him to snap and lead to him being thrown out of the courtroom?

There was another piece of evidence that needed clarification from the witness too though. Could he really let the man relax?

He knew what his answer would be. Even though he almost changed his mind once the phantom started encouraging him to pressure the Keeper.

The lawyer sighed as he apologized silently to the witness.

"I would like to change the line of questioning, if that's okay."

"Go ahead." Sebastian pointed at him with his baton.

"Could you tell the courtroom what you observed in the garage?"

The man grumbled. "I've already told you. I saw nothing!"

You did, I remember you stating otherwise. Why are you being so secretive now?

"Just humor us, please." Makoto pleaded.

The man's brows furrowed as he stared contemplative at him. Whatever he saw in his eyes left him conflicted as he avoided the lawyer's gaze.

"Fine." The Keeper grumbled. "I finished my visit to Curls and Red. Then went to the garage to find Beanie. He wasn't there. There was a flight coming in. So I ran to help it get to the Gate."

"And you're absolutely sure what you are saying is the truth." The short man pressed.

A grumbled "Yes" was his answer.

"That's weird." Tsumugi piped at his side as she looked at the notes in her notebook. "Didn't he say something else before?"

Makoto took a moment to smile in her direction, showing pride at how she was starting to pick up on contradictions from the witnesses.

"Yeah. And we're going to call him out on it. Good job." He stated, receiving a small smile in return.

Turning back towards the witness, Makoto took a deep breath and started his cross-examination once again.

"'Curls and Red'... I'm assuming those are Aurora Fields and Redley Erin?"

The Keeper shrugged. "I guess so."

Right... memory problems.

"The white haired woman and the lean redhead?" He corrected himself.

"Ah. That's right. Yeah." The witness nodded.

"What were they doing?"

"Unloading a plane. Taking care of the precious luggage."

"Anything strange about their behavior?"

"Yes!" The bearded man exclaimed, making everyone jump and get Sebastian to hit himself with his baton.

The lawyer saw the prosecutor rub his cheek with tears in his eyes and winced. That one looked painful.

"What is it?" Makoto asked reluctantly.

"They didn't organize the bags by color! Red. Green. Yellow. That's the order!"

Deciding not to dwell on the guy's obsession with luggage and recognizing this line of questioning would derail the trial, Makoto continued on with the cross-examination in order to preserve his sanity.

"At what time did you go searching for Mr. Lumbor?"

The Keeper shrugged. "About 11 in the morning. Probably. Red followed me. Left angry though."

"Why did she get upset?" Makoto held his chin in thought.

"The rascal wasn't there. Red had to place down cones and stuff. She's scary when mad."

Thinking about the redhead, Makoto sweatdropped. Was she really that scary?

A part of him realized that his perspective of angry people might be skewed as no one had even come close to that time Sakura got mad at Syo for hurting Hina back in Hope's Peak.

"And that led to a murder! I remember!"

Right. He had to stop thinking about that place.

"At what time did you help land the plane?" He asked instead.

"Noon exactly! Can't keep the luggage waiting. Agents of the Ramp don't know how to guide planes."

Makoto remembered said agents agreeing, stating that Lumbor was the one usually in charge of that particular job.

"And what did you do between the time you arrived with Ms. Erin and when you left to take care of Flight 708?"

"Stayed at the garage! Inspecting vehicles. Cleaning them too. Making sure they were ready for luggage."

"Anything noteworthy happened during that time?"

The witness jumped, his movements becoming jerky out of nowhere.

"I, uh– No! No. All good."

"I'll need something more specific, Mr. Keeper." Makoto narrowed his eyes, he was so close to unraveling the man's lies, he just needed to press a bit more.

"Ah!" The bearded man held the witness stand tightly with one hand and with the other he tugged at his beard. "Nothing happened! I saw no one!"

There.

"Objection!"

The Keeper jumped again, his hands clutching his beard tightly as he pushed it upwards to shield his face in it. Muffled grumbling could be heard from the man.

"This is an interesting story you've crafted, sir." Makoto stated as the Keeper slowly put his beard down. "You almost fooled the court with that web of lies."

"Web of lies?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow as he tapped his baton with his hand. "Please explain."

The lawyer nodded. "This witness has seen the true killer before, he just refuses to condemn them for some reason."

"On what basis do you claim that, Mr. Plensait?" The Judge asked in a serious tone.

"To start off, I would like to read the testimony this witness offered beforehand." Receiving a paper from Tsumugi's notebook, the lawyer thanked her and cleared his throat. "No, no! Not the cart, the tractor! Boy left with it before the real one arrived."

"The witness said that?" The prosecutor bent his baton in confusion.

"That's right." The lawyer replied. "During the investigation, this man specifically stated that a fake ramp agent was at the garage, taking a tractor before one of the other ramp agents arrived."

"But... how do we know he wasn't referring to the tractor? As in 'the real tractor arrived'?"

"Well..." The brunette was right in that the statement was too vague that a different interpretation could be considered. But Makoto figured there was one way to know what he was referring to. "Why don't we ask the witness?"

The bearded man started to sweat, his hands rubbing together at a high speed. "I never said that..."

"If you're referring to the fact that only Loth and I heard that particular testimony and no recordings of said statement exists then, in a sense, you are correct." The man's relief didn't last long as the short blonde continued. "But that doesn't change the fact that you lied during your last testimony."

"Huh?" Came the confused grunt.

"You claim no one entered the garage between 11 AM and 12 PM. But there are two pieces of evidence that contradict said statement. The first would be a certain ramp agent's testimony..."

"... Since I'm a bit strong and decent at driving the tractors, my schedule is usually filled with unloading the aircrafts. That's what I was doing actually, finishing moving things around after that big flight that came at 11:00 AM."

"And the second would be this!"

He presented what he had compiled of the Vehicle Logs, pointing to the part that said:

01- Taken by Stu Peaks at 10:25 AM
02- Taken by Aurora Fields at 09:30 AM
03- Taken by Nites Lumbor at 12:05 AM
04- Taken by Redley Erin at 11:15 AM
05- Taken by Ian Zane at 11:30 AM

"This clearly shows that two people entered the garage during the time you were there. Furthermore," Makoto narrowed his eyes as he recognized another discrepancy in the witness' recent testimony. "Redley Erin's flight, the one where she requested Ms. Fields help, was at 11:15 AM."

"Wait. How did she follow you back after the unloading when she hadn't even started yet?" The prosecutor piped up from across the room.

"And there's something weird about the Logs, right?" The bluenette at Makoto's side whispered. "One of the carts was used at the wrong time."

Makoto nodded. "I'm surprised at how quickly you noticed." He smiled once again in her direction. "We'll acknowledge that in a second but I'm so proud at how well you're doing. I'm sure you'll do great in the festival's mock trial."

Tsumugi beamed and raised her index finger. "And with the costumes I made, the trial will be plain amazing!"

"So, uhh... about my question..." The prosecutor spoke up timidly.

"Right!" The blonde smiled apologetically at the brunette. "Sorry about that. As I was saying, Mr. Keeper's sense of time seems to be skewed. This could be chalked up to confusion due to the murder or memory problems caused by old age–"

"Hey!" Came the indignant shout from the witness.

"But I would like to propose a theory on why this witness has been acting strange." He continued, ignoring the offended man.

"Alright. Let's hear it." The prosecutor granted him permission to express his thoughts.

Makoto took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. The idea was pretty far-fetched to be fair, but the man had been rather inconsistent with his testimony. Everything seemed fine until he was questioned about what happened at the garage. Furthermore, once he looked back on it, the man had hesitated a couple of times during his testimony when asked about the ramp agents' innocence.

The lawyer exhaled and spoke up. "This witness is being threatened."

A beat of silence passed. Then two. The courtroom analyzed his statement without making a noise. At least until the prosecutor across from him exclaimed.

"W-What?!" Sebastian's baton went flying.

The audience started whispering, creating a blanket of noise that slowly rose up in volume. The Judge shook himself out of his stupor as he called for order.

Makoto kept his gaze on the witness, however. He saw the man's eyes widen slightly as he buried his hands in his beard. His eyes were scanning the noisy audience before examining the other's faces, passing Sebastian and the Judge before landing on him.

The airport worker frowned and gave an almost imperceptible nod before turning away.

With a final smack of the gavel, the courtroom was once again silent.

"Mr. Plensait!" The Judge's exclamation called for the lawyer's attention. "Please explain yourself."

"Your Honor." He stared the man in the eyes. "The witness is clearly covering for someone. Though no malicious intent seems to be present, the fact of the matter is that he tried to hide the fact that anyone entered the garage during the time he was there."

"It could be his memory problems though. Or maybe he got distracted." The prosecutor's voice came from his desk. The brunette was nowhere to be found, however, as he was currently crouched trying to find his baton.

Regardless, Makoto still acknowledged his point.

"Then why not just say so? The witness clearly stated that he saw nothing. If he had claimed otherwise, the cross-examination would have ended earlier and he would have been able to go home."

"Interesting point, Mr. Plensait. Do you have any evidence of these threats?" The question seemed to be coming from the brunette's curly ahoge.

"I believe the best evidence comes from the witness themself." He answered carefully. "So why don't we just ask him?"

With the attention of the whole courtroom, the Keeper seemed to fold in on himself, for once trying to be overlooked.

"Mr. Keeper. I understand this is a loaded question and I will not fault you for refusing to answer." Makoto's posture straightened unconsciously as his words came out more firmly and his eyes shined brightly. "But I need you to be truthful here. If you stay silent, you give the person who is threatening you power over you. Whatever it is they're holding over you, I can help you with it. I just need you to trust me. I won't let you down."

During his speech, the bearded man's conflict had heightened. His posture had both relaxed and tensed and gray eyes were hidden behind tightly closed eyelids and furrowed brows.

"Everything will be okay if you just say the truth, alright? So please, answer this: Are you unable to tell the truth due to outside threats?" Makoto finished softly.

The man stayed silent, so unlike his usual demeanor to be off-putting. After a couple of seconds, he took a deep breath and looked the defense attorney in the eyes. Whatever he saw in them was enough to make him stop frowning and look at his hands.

"... Yes." Came the somber reply.

Before the courtroom could devolve into chaos once again, Makoto spoke loudly.

"Thank you for being honest. I will do my best to help you, alright?"

The Keeper nodded as Sebastian spoke up from his standing position at the prosecutor's bench.

"Could you tell us who is threatening you?"

The man started shaking his head before pausing. One look at the intense gazes of both prosecutor and lawyer and he relented.

"I've been betrayed."

"It was someone close to you, huh? I'm sorry to hear that." Makoto made sure to keep his tone soft, almost like a whisper.

"I trusted him. I thought he was scared. A mistake but..."

When the man refused to continue, Sebastian took over.

"We'll make sure to investigate them. You don't have to say their name if you don't want to. Here..." The prosecutor went under his desk again, looking for something. "I know I just saw it... Ah!"

The brunette sprung up, a paper and pen in his hands.

"You may write their name here. We won't say it outloud."

The Keeper nodded and accepted the items, quickly writing a name down and passing it to the prosecutor.

"Thank you, Baton." The bearded man whispered softly. "You are a good kid."

Sebastian's brain short-circuited for a second as his body tensed up; the Keeper's words affected him deeply. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes before he quickly got rid of them.

"I-uh... Thanks..." He mumbled as a faint tint of red appeared on his cheeks.

"Oh? Was he not loved enough as a child?"

Can you stop appearing at inconvenient times?!

The phantom materialized in front of him in response. It took everything Makoto had not to glare at her as she was right in front of the brunette.

"Define 'inconvenient'. Is that just like, work hours or does it include free time, too? What about weekends and holidays? Is that also out of bounds?"

Makoto was starting to get a headache. Unfortunately for him, the phantom didn't care and actively tried to make it worse as she buried her sharp nails in his temple. As the shorter man held in a shout of pain, she continued.

"You need someone to banter with and we all know that disappointment over there isn't gonna fill that role."

Makoto's teeth gritted and his fists clenched. It was one thing to insult and taunt him but for her to go after Tsumugi...

He was about to shout at her, consequences be damned when‐

"Oh!" Sebastian exclaimed.

"Is everything alright, Prosecutor Debeste?" The Judge frowned, concerned.

"Y-Yes, Your Honor. It's just..." The prosecutor held the piece of paper tightly as he looked between it and the Judge. The man bit his lip as he explained. "This perfectly describes the next witness."

Gasps echoed through the courtroom as Makoto couldn't believe their luck. He was so thankful he managed to stop the bearded man from being thrown out earlier as they could have missed this damning testimony.

He swatted the space in front of him in the hopes of dispeling swirling blue eyes and looked towards the audience, scanning their expressions while the Judge ordered some bailiffs around.

His eyes eventually left the audience and inspected the rest of the people in the courtroom. He took note of intrigue on a blonde's blue eyes, furrowed brows on a bearded man's face and... a smug smirk on a pale face.

Oh. It wasn't luck after all. He noted as Kyoko's purple eyes turned towards him.

"Get that witness inside now! And please escort this witness out, don't let anyone come close to him." The Judge's orders reached Makoto's ears.

Right as the Keeper was about to be escorted out, he exclaimed. "Wait!"

Everyone paused as they stared at the bearded man.

"Before I go." He rummaged through his beard and produced a folded piece of paper. "I was told to leave this."

Sebastian reached over and held the paper delicately in his gloved hands. After a nod from the lawyer, he slowly unfolded said paper.

His brown eyes narrowed in confusion. "What... is this?"

"I don't know." The bearded man explained. "Had to present it in court, however. Couldn't ask questions."

"I see..." Sebastian straightened and addressed the man. "Thank you for your time, witness."

The Keeper nodded, satisfied as he was finally escorted out of the courtroom.

Makoto sighed as the intense last few minutes caught up with him. He couldn't relax yet, however, as the real culprit was about to take the witness stand.

Chapter Text

As soon as the Keeper left the room, Makoto turned towards Sebastian.

"What does the note say?"

The prosecutor shrugged, holding the note by the sides and turning it around to show the courtroom.

It was filled with strange symbols written in black ink. The symbols were arranged in strange groups, leaving blank space between each one. Judging by everyone's confused expressions, they had never seen said symbols before.

Well, not everyone seemed confused...

"That's-!" Byakuya's cut off exclamation gained the lawyer's attention as he turned to stare at the blonde ambassador. Makoto managed to catch a glimpse of his narrowed blue eyes and gritted teeth on the man's pale face before the former heir turned away with his arms crossed, a fake cough escaping his lips.

Surprised by the taller blonde's reaction, Makoto turned towards the other ambassador to see if she also recognized the symbols on the paper.

Hazel eyes widened at the detective's expression. The smirk that was present on her face was gone, replaced by a straight line formed by her lips and closed purple eyes. Her left arm started playing with one of the ribbons on her hair while the other supported said arm.

It may not have seemed much but from what the defense attorney remembered, Kyoko was never one to show her expressions so openly.

The defendant's reaction had also gained the attention of the prosecutor, whose surprise caused the note to slip from his hands. Quickly picking it up, he held the note by the top this time as he turned towards Byakuya.

"You recognize this, defendant?" Sebastian asked as he showed him the paper.

A wave of cold fear inundated Makoto's senses as the new position in which the prosecutor held the note revealed a symbol in red that had previously been hidden by a gloved hand.

But the reason for his sharp gasp and Tsumugi's choked scream came due to the familiarity of the symbol. A lightning strike shape reminiscent of a certain bear's eye.

"Upupu~ What's this?" Came the despair-filled voice of his unwanted companion. The arms which were hugging his neck felt more solid than they had ever felt in years as he suddenly found a hard time breathing.

Of all the things from his past to come back to haunt him, he hadn't expected the bear of Despair to be one of them. He'd rather see his old friends again, be confronted by the sister he abandoned than to deal with... whatever this was.

Judging by the way the ambassadors reacted, it was clear they had information about this note. Information which, knowing them (and was that even fair to say? He didn't know them anymore than they did him), they would be unwilling to share unless the situation called for it.

He spent half a second wondering if he could offer an exchange of information; though the idea fell flat when he realized he had nothing to offer. The fleeting thought that he could explain his actions from eight years ago was discarded as the fear that accompanied the memories of those last days kept his mouth firmly shut.

"Is everything alright, defendant?" The Judge asked when the blonde stayed silent for too long.

Byakuya cleared his throat. "Yes, Your Honor. I apologize, it seems I swallowed wrong and a cough escaped from me. To answer the prosecution, I have no information to give on that note."

The Judge nodded empathetically as he reassured the blonde man.

While that was happening, Makoto was still being pestered by a blonde phantom.

"Seems they brought more than just a murder to this little safe haven of yours." The arms around his neck tightened. "It's as I've always told you. Two sides of the same coin, you can't escape Despair no matter how much you want to."

Makoto's shame crept up on him. Despair had been fighting an uphill battle thanks to the efforts of Future Foundation. After the Final Killing Game, it had seemed they had gained an upper hand by the crumbling of their biggest opposition but his friends refused to let that be the case. The problem, however, was–

"When the Ultimate Hope runs away like a coward, what message does that send?"

Against his better judgment, Makoto had to admit that she was right. When both their biggest opposition and the symbol of Hope ceased to exist, Despair must have found a foothold to push back against the survivors' efforts.

What difference could he have made, however? The answer wasn't as simple as "the Ultimate Hope had to show the country that he would never yield by doubling his public appearances". If he had made an appearance days before his departure, then... well, it would have caused more harm than good as those he cared for could have been hurt.

Regardless, he had to compose himself if he wanted to finish the trial. Wondering about what-ifs and other regrets wouldn't help with finding Byakuya innocent. Thinking of the past wouldn't help anyone.

"Ignore it for now. What could possibly go wrong?" The phantom winked and petted his hair before disappearing from view.

Finally able to breathe normally, he turned towards the bluenette on his right, leaving his own worries aside to focus on the person who was also affected by the depiction of the bear's eye.

"You okay?" He whispered.

Tsumugi was trembling as, he assumed, memories of her time in the Despair-filled streets of Japan resurfaced.

"I just... I thought... you said–"

"I know." He spoke softly. "I'm sorry. But whatever those two are involved in, we won't be a part of it, alright?"

She still looked unconvinced but the sincerity in Makoto's voice placated her for now.

"You can't promise that. With that luck of yours..."

The fact that she was starting to joke around meant she was calming down, at least.

"Yeah..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, good thing we have the help of a superhuman who'd help us avoid all of that." He gestured towards the rest of the courtroom, though by his words it was easy to pinpoint he was referring to the note currently being examined by Sebastian, as well as the two ambassadors.

As the bluenette nodded, Makoto sighed in relief. He'd have to add to the counter of favors he owed Hajime but if it meant staying away from whatever Despair his old friends brought then it'd be worth it.

"I don't want to see that bear again." The bluenette stated before sketching some costume designs in her notebook.

"I know." He whispered in response, knowing she'd hear the unspoken promise of doing everything he could to ensure that wouldn't happen again.

The courtroom fell silent when the doors opened once again and their new witness entered the room. As he approached the witness stand, Makoto took a deep breath as he prepared himself to confront the true killer, for he was certain the man that blackmailed the Keeper was the one who murdered Nagasawa.

Once the witness was situated in the correct spot, he smiled. Makoto vowed not to fall for the man's mask again.

The prosecutor pocketed the evidence and took out his baton. "Witness, state your name and occupation."

The ravenette nodded. "Ian Zane. I'm a ramp agent at Hope Springs Airport."

"You were working your shift the day of the murder, correct?"

"That's right."

"And did you know the victim, Makoto Nagasawa?"

"The name is not familiar to me, I'm afraid." The placid smile stayed on Zane’s face as he pushed his glasses up.

"Alright then..." Even Sebastian was thrown off by how innocent the witness seemed. Granted, the only thing they had against him was the threatening of the Keeper and not murder but Makoto's gut was telling him that the man's hands were stained with blood. "Your testimony then, if you please."

"Of course. What would you like me to testify about?"

Sebastian turned towards the lawyer with an expectant expression, making Makoto ponder for a second. Would showing their knowledge of his threat so early on be beneficial? Or should he wait and reveal said testimony to use as a trump card later on?

An instinct, one that had saved him before during trials overseen by a black and white bear, told him to wait. Listening to that part of himself, he shifted his focus to proving the man before them was a murderer.

"Can you tell the court what you were doing right before the murder?" The lawyer asked.

Zane nodded. "Sure." The man pushed his glasses up. "I was in the middle of unloading a huge flight that had come in around 11 AM."

A silence spread through the courtroom as the testimony was shorter than expected.

"... That's it?" Makoto asked incredulously.

The ravenette shrugged with a playful smile. "That's what I was doing."

"You were using the cart and tractor assigned to you, I presume." Sebastian remained unperturbed by the short testimony as he closed his eyes and moved his hands around, almost as if conducting an orchestra.

"That's right." Zane nodded.

"Well... have fun cross-examining that." Tsumugi smiled in his direction.

"Thanks..." He was starting to miss Kyoko's testimonies. At least they were useful and concise.

But he couldn't complain; after all, he had been subjected to worse testimonies in his career.

Like that lady who only spoke three words at a time. That one was rough. Or the riddle guy.

Suppressing a shudder at the haunting memories, Makoto turned towards the witness. "Alright. Mr. Zane. Please elaborate on this 'unloading'."

"Sure." The ravenette pushed his glasses up. "What exactly do you want to know?"

Oh, he's one of those witnesses.

He could already feel a headache approaching. On second thought, maybe the riddle guy wasn't so bad...

"What about you just tell us exactly how you unloaded that plane by yourself?" The lawyer ended up asking.

"Well, like one would any other plane." The man shrugged good-naturedly. "Organize the bags by color, put them on the cart and unload them in the appropriate conveyor belt."

"Is it really necessary to organize them by color?" He deadpanned in his mind.

"It's a pet peeve of the Old Chief. It's better to just go along with what he wants." The witness laughed softly.

Makoto felt his face turn slightly red once he realized his sass once again escaped from his lips instead of staying in his mind. "That's... an interesting strategy. Out of curiosity, what's the order of the colors?"

"Red. Green. Yellow. Blue. Orange. Purple. Neutrals." The ravenette held his hands out and slowly put his fingers up as he recited the colors.

The sound of a paper tearing made Makoto startle as he turned towards his assistant.

"That's plain wrong." She stated with a frown. "Why mess up the colors of the rainbow like that? It's so unnecessary!"

From across the room, Sebastian held his fingers up and started muttering under his breath. Makoto could barely hear him over Tsumugi's gritting of her teeth.

"Red. Green. Yellow? I thought it was Orange after Red..."

Apparently, the prosecutor also felt it was an important detail if the frustrated tears gathering at the corners of his brown eyes were any indication.

Well, at least I got some more information. Should I ask him to add that statement to his testimony?

The rest of the courtroom seemed to believe it was important after all. Maybe it had a clue to how the murder was committed?

Who am I kidding? This is useless. I need something else.

"Leaving the Keeper– err, Old Chief's opinion on color theory aside." Tsumugi seemed ready to argue on its importance but stopped once he sent a deadpan look her way. "I still find it hard to believe that you unloaded a plane by yourself. Was no one else available?"

Zane shrugged. "Probably not, there was no one around to ask. Didn't want to bother anyone anyway."

"Do you tend to do that a lot? Do things by yourself?" Makoto held a hand to his chin.

"Sometimes." Was the lackluster answer. Makoto's headache was now very much present.

We're not going to get anywhere like this.

He'd have to find a way to make the witness talk more. His short answers were making this cross-examination harder than it should be.

What could I ask him that would get me a longer answer?

"What vehicles did you use?" The lawyer ended up asking.

"I tend to use 05, the ones on the far right. If you spoke to the Old Chief you'd be able to confirm this." The witness pushed his glasses up.

That seemed consistent with the evidence they had gathered, Makoto would have to try something else.

"Right." Clearing his throat, the lawyer tried again. "How long do unloadings usually take?"

"Well. They could be done in half an hour if you have a small flight. For the one I took care of, however, it took me an hour and a half."

I can work with that. "Please add that statement to your testimony."

"Sure." The man smiled as if he hadn't been aware of how annoying his responses had been.

"Alright. Time to press his new testimony." The bluenette smiled as she redid the drawing she had accidentally destroyed during the Color debacle.

He was able to catch a glimpse of long hair and an intricate dress before the page was turned around and a list of necessary materials for the cosplay occupied the back of the page.

Before his wallet could cry out in pain, Makoto turned back to Ian Zane. "An hour and a half, you say? Please tell the court your exact movements during that time. And be as detailed as possible."

"You sure are thorough." The words were said in a joking manner. For the first time, however, the ramp agent showed something other than calmness. His eyes narrowed slightly as he took his time answering. "The plane had arrived at 11 AM on May 10th. I took the vehicles out around that time. It took me around an hour and a half to unload it. At which point, a dead body had been discovered and I had to take the vehicles back."

"Thank you, witness." For finally giving me something to work with.

"You are welcome." Said ravenette smiled cockily.

Thankfully, despite the frustrating attitude of the witness, Makoto found himself feeling no more than a fleeting annoyance. His patience levels had increased dramatically during Hope's Peak and no witness since then had frustrated him more than Hiro and his attempt at convincing them a certain detective was a ghost. Right now, the only one who could make him lose his temper was–

"Wasn't that the trial where your girlfriend sent you to die?"

That moment had left him feeling betrayed. But it had been years ago, he had already moved past it.

The phantom's taunting smile widened.

He had.

"Did Mr. Togami do something?" Tsumugi's voice snapped him out of his glaring contest.

"What?" Makoto asked, confused.

"You're glaring at him." She smiled uneasily.

And she had been right. For when the lawyer turned back towards the annoying blonde, he found instead another intrigued one. Instead of swirling blue eyes, he found icy blue eyes behind white frames staring at him. Byakuya's eyebrow raised in concern before Makoto turned towards his desk.

"She was being annoying." Was his muttered explanation.

Thankfully, Tsumugi understood, for she sent an apologetic look towards their client and changed the topic. "There's a discrepancy with the time stated by the witness and the Keeper's notes."

He exhaled softly and nodded. He'd have to apologize later to Byakuya for he knew he had sent a scathing glare his way. Optionally, he could also avoid the blonde after the trial was over and ignore what just happened.

That would mean skipping the invitation to dinner though. He'd have to think about that.

"Nice catch." He complimented the bluenette instead before turning towards the man on the witness stand, continuing his cross-examination. "You stated you used the vehicles at around 11 AM, correct?"

When Zane nodded, Makoto continued. "Then why do the records state you took them at 11:30 AM?"

The man's eyes widened for a split second. That moment was gone in an instant as he shrugged and smiled nervously. "I don't know."

"That's not a valid response, witness." The Judge chimed in.

"I apologize, Your Honor. But I really have no explanation on the records being different. Maybe the terminal's internal clock got broken?" The ravenette fiddled with his glasses.

"No one's ever mentioned that being the case." Makoto frowned. "The only explanation is that the witness is lying about the time."

"Lying? Could he not just be confused?" Sebastian questioned.

The lawyer shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. That's not the only instance of the time stated by the witness conflicting with the evidence."

"Explain." The prosecutor pointed at the shorter man with his baton.

"Let's say that the Terminal is wrong. That the witness took the vehicle half an hour earlier than the machine stated. He unloads the plane at 11 AM and, an hour and a half later, the vehicles are returned. At what time were the vehicles put back in the garage?"

"That's..." Sebastian took a second to do the math in his head. "12:30 PM?"

"Correct." Makoto smiled. "But we have the note from the Old Chief which says that at 1:05 PM, vehicles 05 were missing."

"That's right!" The prosecutor's ahoge uncurled. "At that point, all but 03 should have been back in the garage. That can't be right..."

"And if Mr. Zane says that he actually started at 11:30 AM then that means that he would have been late on unloading the flight." Tsumugi chimed in.

"Then... what's with this dis... disparity?"

"Let's ask the witness. Can you explain the discrepancy?" Makoto asked the man on the witness stand, indirectly correcting the prosecutor in the process.

Said witness pushed his glasses up, hiding his expression from view for a second. A few seconds later, he assumed a relaxed posture and chuckled.

"I guess I got confused. I spent longer than I thought unloading that plane."

"Are you still claiming you took the vehicles at 11 AM then?" Makoto didn't like the man's sudden confident stance.

"Yeah." Zane smiled sheepishly. "Guess the Terminal was wrong after all."

"You can't just say that the evidence was wrong! No one else had a problem with the times." Tsumugi glared at the airport worker.

"Just because nobody commented on it doesn't mean there wasn't an issue." Zane answered calmly. "There was a murder on the same day, nobody would have noticed the Terminal displaying the wrong time."

That was true but there was something more than just physical evidence to disprove the man's claims.

"I think the answer to this contradiction is simply that the time was wrong. That's it."

"Objection!" Makoto slammed his desk, interrupting the ravenette. The startled man, who had been fiddling with his glasses, had them slip from his hands and onto the floor as the defense attorney glared at him.

Zane went on his knees and patted the floor in an attempt to recover his glasses. Meanwhile, Makoto asked Tsumugi for her notes on certain testimonies.

"Remember what your colleagues said? About their chores?" He asked once the bluenette showed him the correct page.

"No, sorry." Zane stood up and put his glasses back on. The smile on his face turned menacing for a split second before putting up a front of nervousness.

"Let me refresh your memory then."

The redhead Redley Erin narrowed her eyes but did not question the detective. "As I was saying, I had been rather busy yesterday, all of us were. The last flight I had taken care of, before the murder stopped our work, was Flight 501. I had some problems with unloading the luggage so I requested Fields' help."

"That's right!" Aurora Fields spoke up. "I had just finished cleaning one of the planes when Ms. Erin called for me. I hadn't unloaded any luggage for a couple of hours and she sounded panicked, so I headed immediately to help her."

"I didn't panic..." came the exasperated mumble from Ms. Erin.

"It took some time, but we managed to sort everything out after 20 minutes." Ms. Fields finished.

"Let's say you are right, that the clock on the Terminal was off by thirty minutes. Ms. Erin would have unloaded the plane at 10:45 AM. The time she would have finished then, would have been, when exactly?"

"I- 11:05 AM." The ravenette answered begrudgingly.

"Awfully close to the time your plane arrived, don't you think? What were your exact words? 'There was no one around to ask'?"

"Something like that." The man was back to his short answers.

"Wasn't Stu Peaks also busy with cart maintenance? Wouldn't he have-?"

"Ah! I remembered something." Zane interrupted the lawyer, his composure was back.

"That was weird." Tsumugi muttered, writing something down in her notebook.

Zane adjusted his glasses and looked downwards. "I think I know what happened. That whole thing, my testimony. It must have been a dream."

"What do you mean?" Makoto was not falling for the man's innocent act.

"It's shameful of me to admit it but," The man hugged himself, putting a mask of distress. "I had a dream, a vision, whatever you want to call it. I believed I had done my job, taken the vehicles out in time for the plane's landing, unloaded the plane and then put them back shortly after the murder was discovered."

"But...?" He didn't know which was worse, the witness' short responses or these dragged out explanations.

"We were just informed the plane had landed. I headed to the garage and went to take the vehicles out. That's when I felt a pain in the back of my head. I turned around but saw no one so I shrugged it off and did my job. But now..." Zane looked downwards. "I wonder if that was the moment I was hit in the back of the head and everything after that had been a dream."

"You can't seriously believe we'd fall for that." Makoto deadpanned.

The witness shrugged. "You're the lawyer here. I give my testimony and you cross-examine it, right?"

"That's... true but–"

"Then please, go ahead." The man smiled.

And Makoto could do no more than sigh, for the witness would only ask for his testimony to be cross-examined and would not answer any other questions.

Ian Zane was slowly climbing his list of annoying witnesses. Makoto was starting to really miss the riddle guy.

"What are you going to do?" The bluenette at his side asked, her shopping list complete.

Makoto took a glance at the materials and mentally calculated the prices, resigning himself to the fact that he will be unable to send that broken dining chair for repairs. Well, he could, but he'd have to spend a whole week eating only noodles and that sounded awful so, no chair it is.

"I'll give him what he wants." Makoto informed her, turning towards the airport worker with a hand on his chin.

"Good luck." She smiled.

"Thanks." He sighed. "Alright witness, do you have any idea who could have hit you in the back of the head?"

Zane looked conflicted. "I don't want to accuse anyone but..."

At the man's silence, Sebastian chimed in. "What is it, witness? Do you have a suspect?"

The ravenette fiddled with his glasses. "Wasn't Nites Lumbor accused of murder?"

"Wait, you're accusing Mr. Lumbor? For what purpose would he have allegedly knocked you out?" Makoto made sure the witness knew he was not falling for his ruse.

"To commit the murder. I've heard you claim he is innocent but I was never told the reason as to why."

"You don't need it. Mr. Lumbor was simply not found guilty and that's all you need to know." Hazel eyes narrowed.

"Is it now?" Zane smiled playfully. When Makoto's glare hardened, he put his hands up. "Alright, that's fine. I was just answering your question."

"Maybe don't ask questions you don't want the answer to."

That wasn't a viable option and the phantom knew it.

"You sounded really certain there, that Lumbor was the killer. Do you perhaps have evidence to suspect him?" He tried a different angle.

"It's more the lack thereof." Zane answered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, is there evidence of Lumbor staying where he said he was? Are there witnesses who saw him sleeping in the locker room? Wasn't one of his belongings found at the crime scene?"

The man wasn't wrong. The only reason Makoto hadn't condemned the narcoleptic beanie wearing man was due to a gut feeling he had. There was evidence against Lumbor, like the aforementioned lock, the Terminal and the Keeper's Notes but he hadn't really believed the blue haired witness could have been the killer.

In theory, Lumbor could be the murderer that slipped from their grasp, only due to Makoto's willingness to believe his innocence. But he was sure Zane was the killer, the question then became: how could he prove it?

"How did you know about the lock?" Sebastian bent his baton in confusion, snapping Makoto from his thoughts.

Zane's smile tightened for a second. "Ah, well, the detective asked around, wanting to know if anyone had been missing a lock. That, coupled with whispers from the investigators made me put two and two together."

A glance at Kyoko revealed she had not let anything slip. The witness knew about it from somewhere else.

"If we brought the detective to the stand she would corroborate your testimony, then?" Makoto pretended to ponder on the man's statement.

"I mean, I hope so." Though the man seemed relaxed, a drop of sweat fell from his forehead.

"Are you asking Detective Kirigiri to the stand then?" Sebastian tilted his head.

"No. That's not necessary." It would be pointless and would only give more time for the witness to work on his lies. "We don't need to inconvenience the detective like that. With that said," He addressed the man on the witness stand. "Do you really believe that explanation is sufficient?"

Zane hummed. "What do you mean?"

"That's a flimsy account, to say the least. Do you have evidence to prove you were knocked unconscious?"

"Is that really important?" The unexpected answer came. "I stand by my testimony and you stand by your evidence. There may be a contradiction there, yes, but how are we meant to resolve this, dear lawyer? Would you like to request more investigation time?"

"I..." Seems the raven haired man was more than infuriating, he was also crafty.

"Well, Mr. Plensait?" The Judge turned towards him, waiting for his response.

He took a second to analyze the situation. There was no more evidence to be found, Kyoko would have told him about it. Prolonging the trial would only help the man on the witness stand. The only option was to concede.

"That won't be necessary. I have all the evidence I need."

"Suit yourself." Zane smiled and shrugged.

Makoto looked at the ravenette in the eyes and narrowed his eyes in thought. "Going back to your testimony, I would like to prove that what you experienced wasn't a dream."

"Ah. Pardon?" Zane blinked, confused.

"For starters, I see no wound on the back of your head. If you were knocked out, I'd have thought it would be hard enough to draw blood. That, coupled with the fact that there was no trace of blood found in the garage and no account from Ms. Erin about finding you unconscious renders your testimony as a lie, don't you think?"

"Then why did I fall unconscious? Was there gas of some kind? Was Redley the one who-?"

This guy doesn't give up, huh? As much as he was annoyed by the other’s insistence, a part of him respected the hassle.

"He would have been great in a Class Trial, don't you think?"

... He was pretty sure that part of him belonged to the phantom.

"There wasn't gas or anything of the sort. Mr. Zane, let me be frank here. I believe you are Makoto Nagasawa's killer."

The courtroom erupted into whispers at his blunt statement. He could see Byakuya's expression turn to amusement as he smirked and closed his eyes, Kyoko crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow in curiosity and Sebastian's baton slipped from his gloved hands once again. Ian Zane blinked in astonishment before pushing his glasses up, his eyes calculating behind the frames.

"Order! Order!" The Judge smacked his gavel, attempting to silence the audience.

Once the courtroom became silent once again, the Judge turned towards the defense bench.

"Mr. Plensait, did I hear that right? Are you accusing the witness of murder?"

"That's right, Your Honor." Makoto nodded.

"Ah, I see how it is." The man on the witness stand looked downwards as he held himself in a distressed manner. "You're pining the crime on me."

"To pin the crime on someone, they would need to be innocent. Unfortunately for you, there is evidence of your guilt." The lawyer stated with conviction.

"Oh?" Zane smiled playfully. "Do tell."

"This guy won't give up easily. I wonder if he has explanations planned for everything." Tsumugi mused softly.

"Oh, he definitely does." Unfortunately for the man, Makoto had experience with cracking eggs tougher than this witness.

"What is this evidence you speak of, Plensait?" Sebastian spoke up, his baton back in his hands.

Alright, this is it. Time to use a certain witness' testimony.

"Remember the Keeper– Chief's testimony?" He addressed the prosecutor.

"Yeah." The brunette responded with a neutral look.

Makoto was really hoping the other understood his line of thinking immediately. But it's fine, he'd just have to remind the other of the evidence he possessed. "Do you have the evidence given to you by said man?"

"Of course." Sebastian took the piece of paper out of his pocket and presented it with a proud look on his face.

Makoto gave the other a sheepish look. Sebastian was smart but he sometimes took a moment to connect the dots.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Sebastian finally understood what the lawyer was hinting at. "Oh! Oh..." He turned towards the man on the witness stand. "We have testimony that you threatened another person of staying quiet about your visit to the garage."

"I did what?" The ravenette looked confused.

"You claim you were a victim of the real killer but innocent people don't need to threaten others, now do they?" Makoto spoke up.

"Is that it?" The ravenette laughed. "Surely you have more evidence against me than the ramblings of an old man." He joked.

"We could go over the crime if you want, explain how there are pieces that point to you as the culprit. You wouldn’t mind, would you? After all, you’d have nothing to lose." The lawyer put a hand on his chin.

"If that proves I'm innocent then sure." Was the reply of the relaxed looking man.

"Alright. What are we starting with?" Tsumugi asked with fire in her eyes.

"Let's see..." I need Zane to know that I know exactly how the crime was committed. Can't let him get an opening. Speaking of... which is the best opening? The victim, the moment of the crime or the aftermath?

"Let's talk about the victim first." He decided. "Has anyone wondered how Nagasawa got to the airport?"

"He just walked in, right?" Sebastian answered confidently.

"I mean, technically?" Makoto shook his head. "I was referring more to the fact that the man did not work at Hope Springs Airport."

"Oh. What did he work at?" The prosecutor wondered.

"He was a programmer and had never worked at an airport before."

"Hmm... programmer. A respectable job." The Judge approved.

"Right." Why is the Judge judging a dead man's job? "As I was saying, the victim had no reason to be in the airport that day. He had even done a job interview shortly before his passing, so the idea of leaving the country must have been the farthest thing from his mind."

"Are you saying I coerced him somehow?" Zane seemed amused.

"That's right. You used this." He presented the blackmail letter, paying close attention to the man's reaction.

For his part, Zane did a good job of seeming oblivious. "And what is that?"

"A blackmail letter, asking the victim to be at the airport at 11 AM." He saw the other attempt to argue about the time. "Yes, that is the time of your supposed unloading, we'll address that later. Right now let's focus on the victim's movements."

"Alright, he met with whoever was blackmailing him and then followed them to the garage." Sebastian nodded, pleased with his deduction.

"That's... exactly right." Makoto was impressed, not expecting the brunette to hit the nail on the head.

"I thought he was killed in a suitcase. Or found on it. You're saying that he was killed in the garage and later stuffed when the luggage arrived?" Zane questioned, a rebuttal ready on his lips.

"Of course not. The garage was a busy area, anyone would have noticed a random man getting murdered there." He watched in satisfaction as the other man's expression fell. "They took him elsewhere."

"You say they would have noticed a stranger in the garage. But wouldn't he have been stopped sooner? As you said, the man was not an airport worker." The man on the witness stand refused to give up.

"That's where this fake ID badge comes in." Makoto presented another of the victim's belongings. "Sure, he could still have been found out but with this badge, people wouldn't ask as many questions."

"Regardless, Nagasawa had no choice but to comply with whoever blackmailed him, let's call them the, uhh... blackened-"

"No!" Makoto interrupted Sebastian, slamming his desk with one hand and holding the other to his chest. "I-I mean, it's called blackmailer. Not-not blackened."

The prosecutor looked concerned with Makoto's reaction at his slip up but let it go for now, concern and confusion still remained in his brown eyes. And deep down, the short man knew that if he turned around, he would see purple and blue eyes holding the same amount of concern.

"Do you..." Tsumugi started hesitantly before being cut off.

"No. Let's just continue." He avoided turning to look at her, instead opting to stare at the man on the witness stand.

Zane smiled cheekily. "I quite liked the word. Blackened has a nice ring to it, in my opinion."

"No one asked you." Makoto let slip before taking a deep breath to calm himself. The phantom was starting her taunts and it was getting harder to ignore her, especially once she got a hold of his cut hand. He'd have to end the trial soon, preferably before she started digging her nails in the almost healed cut.

"Right." Sebastian spoke up after a moment of silence. "As I was saying, the victim was then lured to one of the carts."

"Which one?" Zane frowned.

"A blue one, as stated by a reliable witness." The brunette answered as he tapped his baton against his hand.

"I'm sorry to disappoint but the airport only has white carts. Maybe they were mistaken?"

"It was not just the witness who can corroborate the existence of the cart. It was found on the outskirts of the airport field." Makoto chimed in.

"Ah. My mistake then." Zane smiled apologetically. "Did they walk all the way over there? That seems like a long walk."

"Not exactly. The cart was driven using one of the tractors in the garage."

"Ah, I see what you mean." The ravenette held his glasses in one hand and held a fist to his mouth. "Since the victim was asked to be at the airport at 11 AM, then the tractor used closest to that time belongs to the killer. Who was that then? Ms. Redley Erin?"

"Not quite." Makoto narrowed his eyes, it seems the man was doing anything possible to pin the crime on someone else, regardless of the fact his accusations made no sense. "Ms. Erin has an alibi with Ms. Fields."

"Could they be working together then? Now that I think about it, you don't need to return the carts, do you? Taking them out beforehand would bypass the terminal's logs. So I guess the suspect list just expanded."

"What? No!" At the man's amused expression, Makoto realized the other was just toying with them, desperately trying to derail their train of thought and convince one of them to explore one of his explanations.

"Hmm... good point, witness." Unfortunately for them, it was working on the Judge.

"Your Honor, with all due respect..." He started before deciding his sass wasn't needed at the moment. "You are doing great, sir. Is that a new tie?"

"Why, you noticed! My nephew made it for me. How does it look?" The old man's eyes lit up.

"Stunning, Your Honor. It brings out your eyes." Sebastian complimented.

As the two chatted happily, Makoto resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands and scream. He liked Sebastian and the Judge was fair and pleasant but sometimes...

"Anyway, what happened after the victim boarded the cart?" Tsumugi patted his back.

"I... well. The victim was struck in the head, killing him instantly." He answered, hoping the other two would get back on track.

"Is there evidence of that happening?" The man on the witness stand asked with a smile.

Seriously?! It was official, Ian Zane was worse than the riddle guy.

"Other than all the blood inside the cart, the murder weapon nearby and the shirt used to wipe the blood discarded in the corner?" He deadpanned.

"I was just asking." Zane gave a small laugh and smiled sheepishly. "Before we proceed, may I ask about the murder weapon?"

"What about it?" Sebastian questioned.

"The lawyer mentioned that the murder weapon was discarded but I do not know what it is."

Recognizing that arguing with the witness would be pointless, Makoto motioned to the bailiffs as he answered. "It was a wheel chock, found buried in mud."

Once one of the bailiffs brought the weapon before the courtroom, the man in the witness stand nodded. "It's really dirty, the person who found it must have been very thorough."

"I... yeah. They were." He was not telling the man how the chock was found, the memory of purple gloves holding a handkerchief to his face brought a blush onto his cheeks.

"Tripped on it in front of the whole investigations team~"

It was a nice memory while it lasted. His blush deepened as the embarrassing moment replayed in his head.

"Regardless," He coughed. "Is there a reason you brought it up, witness?"

"I was wondering who could have handled said weapon. Wasn't Stu Peaks the one in charge of handling the chocks and cones that day? Ms. Redley Erin also could have moved said weapon around, she is really strong."

The man kept finding ways to put suspicion unto others quickly. Was he anticipating the murder weapon being used as evidence against him? Was that why he requested to talk about it now of all times?

There had to be a way for the man to use said chock as a weapon. Analyzing the airport worker, he tried to find a reason as to why the man was interested in who could move the weapon around.

The man had medium length hair, raven at the roots and fading to a grayish tone at the tips. He wore red rimmed glasses that went with his red shoes. His confident expression remained on his face as he put one hand on the pocket of his black pants. The baggy shirt he wore was filled with folds as the slouched posture made the man look smaller than he was.

Wait. Baggy shirt. Could the witness actually be stronger than he portrays?

There was only one way to find out.

"Take your shirt off."

When Makoto realized the courtroom had fallen silent, he looked around and blinked rapidly as he realized everyone was staring at him. What just happened?

Tsumugi coughed as she stared at him, her expression could only be described as a mixture of horrified and amusing.

"W-What–?" Sebastian was red in the face, his baton bending more than normal.

"Mr. Plensait, please refrain from such crude comments. We are in a Court of Law!" The Judge frowned.

Did I just say that outloud?! "No, wait–!"

"I... didn't know you felt that way, dear lawyer. Perhaps we can talk about this later." Zane smiled.

Due to the fact Makoto was staring at the ravenette mortified, he missed Byakuya and Kyoko sending death glares at the witness.

"That's not what I meant!" Makoto buried his face in his hands while the phantom laughed obnoxiously in his ear.

"...What did you mean then?" Sebastian asked timidly.

Taking a moment to compose himself, the lawyer put his hands down and straightened up. He spoke in a composed tone that was slightly hindered by the red still adorning his face.

"The witness is strong. He has said so himself. His exact words were along the lines of…

“...Since I'm a bit strong and decent at driving the tractors, my schedule is usually filled with unloading the aircrafts…”

…What's to say he couldn't have picked up the murder weapon during his unloading?"

"While clearly having the opportunity to come in contact with said item, there's a difference between dragging a chock and picking it up." The prosecutor countered.

"So let's see how strong the witness actually is.” Makoto suggested. “If you could please roll up your sleeves and show the court your muscles..."

"You know there are two others in this room that would do what you're requesting if you were to ask them directly, right? No need to make them jealous."

"... We could also just let the witness pick up the murder weapon to show us his strength."

Thankfully, his blush could be passed as embarrassment for realizing the easier option rather than due to the phantom's crass remarks.

"Alright." Thankfully, Sebastian was too busy weighing their options to focus on the blonde's mortification. "Perhaps we could ask the witness what he would like?"

Rapidly trying to dispel his unwanted companion's form with a wave of his hand, Makoto nodded rapidly.

When the brunette asked for his opinion, Zane remained silent. After a couple of seconds he sighed softly. "I guess if the lawyer insists..."

"Hey! I wasn't‐"

Makoto's words died on his lips as the man rolled his sleeves up and showed everyone scarred arms. But instead of distracting himself with the man's scars, he focused on what was beneath them.

"Those are some defined muscles there, witness." He complimented.

"Thank you, dear lawyer. Perhaps you would like to take a closer look?" The man interrupted Makoto's accusation.

"Huh? No, I wasn't–" He put his face in his hands, mortified.

"Ms. Kirigiri and Mr. Togami aren't looking too pleased." Tsumugi informed him.

I wonder why. He was wasting their time, letting the witness interrupt him and derailing the conversation.

"As I was saying," He spoke rapidly before lowering his hands. The airport worker had thankfully put his sleeves back down and was now looking at him with a playful twinkle in his eyes. "The man is clearly capable of handling the murder weapon. This demonstration renders his attempt at diversion obsolete, wouldn't you say so, Debeste?"

"Ah. Right!" The man snapped out of whatever thoughts he had been in. He pulled out his baton and continued. "Anyway, as we were saying, the blue cart was the crime scene." Sebastian stated. "There is no doubt about that."

"Hold on a second." Zane interrupted. "You realize the problem with that, right?"

"With what?" The prosecutor bent his baton in confusion.

"If the man died on the cart at the outskirts of the airport, then how did he end up in the ambassador's suitcase?"

"That's..." The brunette bent his baton as he pondered the other's statement.

"If I may, I would like to point out the ridiculous nature of the defense attorney's logic."

"Excuse me?" Makoto frowned.

"It's one thing to explain your theory, dear lawyer. But the facts do not line up. The cart was moved with one of the tractors before the plane arrived, the victim was killed and then what, they used the same cart to unload a plane? And no one noticed a bloody blue cart being used?" The man pushed his glasses up, satisfied with his derailment.

"Is that all?" Was the deadpan answer from the short defense attorney.

"I-what?" Zane seemed taken by surprise.

"I never said the cart was used to unload the plane. That was all you, Mr. Zane."

"Oh. My mistake then." The man smiled nervously. "But about my testimony..."

"I can cross-examine it if you want." I think I know what you're trying to imply anyway.

"What is he planning?" Tsumugi wondered as she started sketching another project.

"The victim was killed before the unloading, that's what you're implying, right?"

"What other option is there? The victim was summoned an hour before Flight 708's arrival, right? Therefore he had to have been killed somewhere around that time." Zane stated.

"Objection!" While the witness lost his glasses and tried to find them by patting the floor, Makoto took the time to refute the man's claims. "The Autopsy Report clearly states that the victim was killed at noon, at the same time that Flight 708 arrived."

"So the victim hung out with his blacken- umm, blackmailer for around an hour." Sebastian nodded and proceeded to lead an invisible orchestra.

"Why would he do that?" Zane smiled nervously as he recovered his glasses.

"I believe the answer lies in the victim's resting place." Makoto explained. "There was a case containing fingerprint powder attached to the suitcase. Furthermore, the suitcase contained a fingerprint lock. It's rather obvious what the powder was for."

"And a programmer isn't bad to have on stand-by. In case the suitcase had more electronic security." The prosecutor added. “There were also plenty of other things for him to do, an airport is filled with all types of computers.”

"So the victim in this case wasn't completely innocent..." Was this what the blackmail letter referred to? Was Byakuya the target they were hunting?

What are you guys involved in? Makoto couldn't help but worry. He wanted nothing to do with the Despair his old friends had brought but that didn't mean he wanted them involved in some conspiracy or anything that could get them hurt. We're gonna have to talk, aren’t we?

"Wait, you're saying the man opened the suitcase and was struck down? Isn't that a contradiction? If the suitcase was right next to the victim, it would have been covered in blood right?" Zane tried to find a weakness in their reasoning.

Before that talk could take place, Makoto had to make the airport worker give up. "Not necessarily. There was a plastic sheet found in the cart. The peculiar thing about it is that it was bloody only on one side."

"If you covered something with the plastic it would prevent it from getting bloody." Sebastian mused out loud.

"Mr. Debeste is right." Makoto smiled in the brunette's direction. "If the killer covered the suitcase with the sheet, no blood would have gotten on the suitcase. Now, does that clear the moment of the murder, Mr. Zane?"

"I-no!" The man fidgeted with his glasses nervously. "I mean... if the inside of the cart was as bloody as you said, then all the suitcases from the plane would have had blood on them too."

"He's right." Sebastian bent his baton. "Did we miss something?"

"No." Makoto was sure their logic was sound so far. The man kept reiterating that the blue cart was used to unload the plane after the murder, so that meant there was important information hidden in that statement.

"Any ideas?" He asked the bluenette at his side.

Her hand paused, the sketch underneath Tsumugi’s pen incomplete but heavily detailed.

"I don't think it's possible to use the blue cart." When Makoto asked her to elaborate, Tsumugi continued. "Weren't the wheels stuck in the mud? That made the whole cart unmovable, right?"

"Yeah... but we don't know when that happened. If it was before the murder, then it couldn't have picked up Byakuya's suitcase. And if it was after, then it had to have been used to return said suitcase, raising alarms in the process."

"Then... maybe it wasn't used to return the suitcase?" She wondered.

Return the suitcase... it wasn't used for that?

"Huh, she actually has a brain in there."

He decided to ignore the phantom's comment for now. Tsumugi was right, the blue cart didn't have to be used to do everything.

There were five tractors and five white carts. The blue one was different and would have raised suspicions, but the other ones... That's it!

Right as Makoto opened his mouth to explain he had to close it to snuff a cry of pain.

"Don't ignore me~" Red nails buried in the scar on the back of his right hand. The intangible nature of said being made her able to dig deeper and made his skin feel like it was being split open once again.

"I won't, sorry." He gritted out, deciding on letting her hear what she wanted to hear as now wasn't the time to pick a fight with the phantom.

"Promise?" She asked, putting her face right in front of him. The puppy dog eyes juxtaposed with the sharp smile she was sporting.

"Yeah... Promise." The lawyer whispered, willing for her to go away.

Finally, she winked and booped his nose, getting out of his field of view.

The sound of a pen scribbling rapidly on paper let him know that there was at least one person who had witnessed the exchange. He was not looking forward to Hajime's visit.

"The blue cart wasn't used to unload the plane." He spoke up after a moment, once he made sure the phantom was nowhere in sight. "In fact, it was only used once, to pick up Mr. Togami's suitcase and drive to the outskirts of the field, where Mr. Nagasawa was murdered."

"But the suitcase..." Sebastian started before Makoto interrupted him.

"Was taken by another vehicle. Remember, tractor 03 was used at 12:05 PM. If there was a white cart attached to it that picked up the suitcase and went on to unload Flight 708 then all the contradictions would be resolved."

"Huh. That makes sense." Sebastian nodded.

"And now that we're on the topic of the tractors... it's rather easy to pinpoint which tractor was used to move the blue cart." Zane blanched at Makoto's words, his posture perfectly calm except for the trembling of his hands.

"The one with mud on the wheels!" The prosecutor realized. His posture straightened as his ahoge uncurled.

"Remind me again, witness, what your favored vehicles are? They wouldn't happen to be 05, would they?" Makoto's smile sharpened without his knowing. Had anyone been able to see the phantom, they would have been able to see her standing proudly behind the shorter man, an expression identical to the other's on her own face.

"I..." Zane closed his eyes and gripped his glasses tightly. His muscles strained as the glasses started bending until–

Crack!

The two broken pieces fell to the floor as the ravenette looked downwards, his hair obscuring his face from view of the others. His shoulders started shaking as he looked upwards, staring at Makoto with swirling eyes.

"I'm sorry to say this isn't the end." The ravenette smirked.

"What do you mean?" Though the words were said in a strong tone, Makoto still felt a chill go down his spine at the other's expression.

The man stayed silent but his gaze scanned the courtroom, pausing briefly on Kyoko and Byakuya. They exchanged glances and, judging by the smile on Zane's face, his silent message was received by the two ambassadors.

Makoto exchanged a concerning glance with Sebastian, who only shrugged in confusion.

"I admit it, I was Makoto Nagasawa's killer." Zane smiled, putting emphasis on the victim's first name as he stared straight at hazel eyes.

"Why did you do it?" Tsumugi bravely asked the murderer, flinching slightly once the man turned towards her.

"Who's to say?" He shrugged, clearly letting the courtroom know he would not talk about the topic.

You may not want to talk but there are two others who might be willing to. Makoto stared at his old friends, seeing the way they exchanged glances and communicated silently with micro-expressions.

"Very well then," The Judge cleared his throat and gained the attention of the courtroom. "Mr. Plensait, do your thing."

The courtroom stayed silent as Makoto looked confusedly towards the Judge. "My... thing?"

Sebastian's excited expression that he had gained after the Judge's statement deflated. "Your Closing Argument, of course."

Right... That thing.

Makoto looked towards Tsumugi for help as he desperately hoped no one would try to elaborate on said topic.

Alas, his luck was not on his side as the bluenette shrugged just as the prosecutor decided to remind him what his 'Closing Argument' entailed.

"At the end of every case you put the sequence of events together so as to present your perspective of the crime. You know, in order to explain how all the evidence presented was relevant to the case."

Makoto flinched as he felt blue and purple eyes intensely staring in his direction.

"Uhh, right. I would do that, but..." Avoiding everyone's eyes, he desperately thought about a way to get out of the situation.

He wasn't opposed to making a recap of the crime but with the presence of his old friends, he felt like he had to avoid doing so at all costs. If he were to do his signature Closing Argument, the ambassadors would have more ammunition to corner him later when they inevitably confront him about why a random lawyer from Los Angeles ended trials the same way their missing friend did back in Hope's Peak.

"They don't need your Closing Argument to corner you. I'm pretty sure they already know!"

And wasn't that just great. The phantom spoke outloud one of the biggest fears in his heart.

As she hugged him, he racked his brain for a way to avoid doing said speech. Suddenly, a light bulb lit up in his brain.

"I wouldn't want to keep the ambassadors waiting." He smiled nervously. "The trial has already taken longer than they would have liked, I'm sure. It would be imprudent to keep them away from their duties any longer."

Tsumugi coughed out a "Nice!" while Sebastian stammered with disappointed eyes.

"B-But..."

It was such a shame he'd have to skip this Closing Argument. He knew how much Sebastian enjoyed those, especially when the brunette was able to keep up with his line of thinking and added his two cents.

Brainstorming ideas on how to make it up to the prosecutor later, he almost missed the Judge's statement.

"The defense is right," The bearded man nodded. "The ambassadors have been kept waiting long enough. Though it's a shame to skip such an intriguing part of the trial," Huh, apparently the Judge enjoyed the Closing Arguments too. "I must hand down my verdict."

The smirking ravenette was taken into custody as the blonde defendant took the stand. The two shared a passing glance, one seemed amused while the other one was disgusted.

Once he was situated on the witness stand, Byakuya looked Makoto in the eyes and narrowed his eyes appraisingly.

"Mr. Togami," Byakuya straightened when the Judge turned towards him. "I apologize for the inconvenience and wish you the best on your meeting with the Prime Minister."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Came the response from the blonde.

"And Mr. Debeste and Mr. Plensait." Once he got their undivided attention, the Judge nodded. "Good job in court today."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Both Makoto and Sebastian smiled.

"This court finds the defendant..." The Judge paused for dramatic effect. "Innocent. Court is adjourned."

With a smack of the gavel, the trial finally ended.

Chapter Text

Makoto sighed in relief as the doors closed behind them. After the judge signaled the end of the trial, he had calmly left the defense bench and strutted over to the doors leading to the Defendant Lobby.

If you were to ask anyone else, however, they would describe the way the defense attorney exited the courtroom as nothing short of mad scrambling.

The sound of the door opening scared the man, making him flinch and turn around in an instant. The image of a concerned bluenette both calmed him down and confused him.

"Tsu-Loth? What?"

Tsumugi seemed out of breath as she adjusted her glasses and smiled nervously.

"You... really took off back there."

"Oh." His face reddened as he realized that in his desire to run away before his old friends could corner him in the Lobby, Makoto had accidentally left Tsumugi behind. "Sorry about that..."

He didn't need to explain himself as the bluenette understood perfectly why he had exited the courtroom in such a quick fashion.

Speaking of...

"Hey, didn't I promise you we would look at some materials for your commission?"

The bluenette seemed conflicted as a part of her was really looking forward to finishing the outfit for the festival, she just needed some textile paint. On the other hand, the man's attempt at avoiding the ambassadors would only end in disaster.

"Shouldn't we wait for your client?" She asked slowly, keeping an eye out for his reaction.

Makoto flinched, avoiding her gaze as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well... We don't have to meet with them, you know? At least not right now..."

As the words left his lips, Makoto realized he had no valid excuse for avoiding his old friends.

Once Tsumugi's frown deepened with concern, he sighed.

"I don't know if I can handle it." He admitted. Since Byakuya was found innocent and Kyoko's investigation had come to an end, there was no way to avoid the dreaded conversation they would have. They would ask questions that he knew he'd be unable to answer, their friendship could be broken due to all the secrecy.

"Maybe abandoning them all those years ago already ended that friendship, don't you think?"

There was also that slight issue of his annoying companion butting in at the most inconvenient of times.

"Oh please, don't mind me." The phantom smiled as she put both her hands under her chin, her voice becoming a pitch higher in an attempt to sound cuter. "I'll just be your chaperone! Can't let those two break my little buddy's heart, now can I?"

"For all it's worth, I think they still care. They wouldn't have invited you to dinner if they weren't willing to make amends."

Makoto turned towards Tsumugi, rubbing his cheek as the blonde's attempt to pinch it left it feeling weirdly cold.

"H-Hold on! The invitation also applied to you!"

"I... don't want to be a third– fourth wheel, if that's alright." She smiled sheepishly. "I'd rather work on my commission than crash on your date."

"Wh-Who says this is a date?!" His face turned a deep red. "We'd just be talking about... unresolved business, that's it."

"'Unresolved business' you say?" A Cheshire grin appeared under narrowed eyes. "I hope they address your flirting with the blackened back there. They go through all the trouble of inviting you to dinner first when you just go around asking random guys to take off their shirts."

His blush deepened as he hid his face in his hands.

"I didn't mean it like that..."

"Mean what?" Tsumugi muttered.

Makoto waved his hand around in the phantom's direction, letting the bluenette know that he was being pestered by the invisible blonde.

Before they could continue their conversation, footsteps caught their attention, Makoto straightening as he did his best to ignore despairful cackling.

The one responsible turned out to be a brunette in a red coat. Upon seeing the prosecutor, Makoto smiled.

"Sebastian! Good job in court today."

"Likewise." The brunette smiled meekly. His eyes looked between the two as he started fidgeting with his baton.

Recognizing it as a sign of the man's nervousness, Makoto approached the other and asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Well–" Sebastian cut himself off before taking a deep breath. "It's just... is everything alright with you?"

Makoto's eyes widened, not expecting said answer. "What do you mean?"

Spurred on by the lack of dismissal from the older man, Sebastian continued. "Back then, when talking about the blackmailer, you..."

The brunette trailed off but Makoto knew what moment he was referring to. "Sorry." He rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't mean to cut you off. That word, it just– brings back bad memories."

"You can't help but be a nuisance, huh? First to your friends then your bland assistant then this useless prosecutor..."

He was planning on ignoring her, not willing to deal with her insults, but the reminder of what the phantom did back in the trial when he did so stopped him.

Makoto sent a glare her way in order to let her know he acknowledged her words but was displeased with them. When she sent a smirk back, he turned towards the taller man.

Sebastian nodded. "I know what you mean." He passed his hand through his long hair, lost in thought for a moment. "If you ever need to talk then I'm here. That's what friends do, right?" He smiled nervously.

"I will, thank you." The lie burnt his tongue but Makoto still smiled, pretending as he always did that everything was fine.

The room entered a comfortable silence that was interrupted by the prosecutor in red. "Oh! I talked to the Keeper, he'll have to give a statement in court for Zane's trial later but he'll be guarded in the meantime."

"I'm glad to hear that. Hopefully the old man is kept safe." A concern rose in the lawyer's mind. "Speaking of... what's going to happen with Zane?"

Sebastian tapped his baton against his hand. "Zane's actions are being investigated, his home is being searched as we speak. The detective in charge is a trusted friend of Mr. Edgeworth and is considered one of the best in the force."

Makoto nodded absentmindedly. His gut was filled with dread as one of the killer's last statements replayed in his mind.

'I'm sorry to say this isn't the end.' What was he trying to imply?

He didn't like the way the man had subsequently smirked in Byakuya and Kyoko's direction. Nor the way they had seemed to get whatever message he had been sending them.

The worry for his friends intensified before he had to stop as his unwanted companion commented on how much she enjoyed the direction his thoughts were heading in. Tuning out of his thoughts, Makoto gained a moment of clarity as he remembered where they were standing.

"Well! It's getting late and we have to do some shopping so..." He smiled in Sebastian's direction. "I'll see you next time in court, then?"

"Ah, yes!" The brunette nodded rapidly. Once both the lawyer and assistant turned towards the door, he exclaimed. "Wait!"

Before Makoto could move, the other man stepped in front of him, blocking his way to the exit. "Yes?" He asked, puzzled.

Sebastian's expression deflated with nervousness. Makoto's desire to leave before his old friends appeared vanished as he saw the other bend his baton, unable to speak what was on his mind.

"N– It's nothing. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Makoto's gaze softened. When the other turned around to leave, he spoke up. "Hey..."

Sebastian stopped, still half turned away. In the back of his mind, Makoto acknowledged the irony of their positions switching; he was now the one stopping the other from leaving.

"You can tell me what's bothering you. Do you want some privacy? We could–"

During his speech, the prosecutor had taken a deep breath and turned around fast enough to get whiplash. He straightened and looked at hazel eyes as he stated. "I would like to take another photo!"

A beat of silence passed before the lawyer repeated, confused. "Photo?"

"Y-Yes!" Sebastian took a step back and took out his baton. "Remember the last case? When we were leaving and Ms. Cuzin took a photo? I remember her stating that you take one after every case, and I was wondering..."

Makoto was vaguely aware of the door behind him opening and two sets of footsteps approaching. His idea of leaving before they caught up with him was now impossible.

Still, he ignored the ambassadors, as well as the blonde pigtails materializing behind them, as he debated internally on what to do.

On one hand, he really wanted to leave before those two got a chance to talk to him, possibly faking an emergency if needed. On the other hand, Sebastian had asked him directly to partake in Tsumugi's pastime. He couldn't refuse him in good conscience.

"So, what's more important: your friendship or your love life?"

He sighed internally as he heard her voice once again, her amused tone turning mocking as they both knew what his decision would be. Tuning out the phantom's teasing, Makoto smiled at the prosecutor.

"Sure. Loth, you brought your phone right?"

Tsumugi glanced quickly at the Japanese ambassadors before taking said phone out of her skirt pocket.

"Of course." She smiled uneasily.

"Are you going to take a picture?" Kyoko spoke up in a monotone tone.

Makoto knew what she would ask and that there was no way to reject her without sounding rude. The excuse that he used to end the trial early would not work a second time, sadly.

The phantom giggled as she buried her nails on his shoulders. He closed his eyes and smiled, hoping his grimace wasn't apparent.

"It's a bit of a tradition, taking a picture after every case. Would you like to be a part of it?"

Had his eyes been open, he would have seen Kyoko's eyes widen slightly in shock, not expecting his offer. Byakuya raised his eyebrow too, confused. Tsumugi's lips formed a line as she fiddled with her phone's settings, deep in thought.

"We were hoping to–" "Sounds lovely, thank you for the offer."

Byakuya side-eyed the lavender haired woman at his side after she interrupted him. A quick glance from the detective and a silent conversation between the two later, the blonde nodded stiffly and looked elsewhere.

"Very well then."

Makoto was unaware of all of this exchange, as he opened his eyes and looked at Sebastian. "Is it okay if the two join?"

Sebastian looked bewildered but his expression turned to a nervous smile after a few seconds. "Of course."

And so, the four of them stood in front of the painting in the Defendant Lobby. Makoto made sure Sebastian stood between him and his former friends.

The phantom dug her nails in his left arm, which was rubbing the back of his neck where her other hand, and therefore sharp nails, was burying itself.

By this point, Tsumugi had finished fidgeting with her camera settings and raised her phone, her uneasiness masked by a smile. She then exclaimed. "Smile!"

There was a flash from the camera as Makoto suddenly lost his balance and fell to the floor unceremoniously.

Panicked shouting reached his ears but the blonde ignored it in favor of attempting to reassure the people around him about his well-being.

From across the room, a stunned Tsumugi looked from the people in front of her to the wall to her right. The shoe that had been in direct route to collide with the lawyer's head had barely missed him and ended up smacking loudly into the wall.

Turning to her left, she could see the fumbling bailiff being reprimanded by their coworkers as their tripping caused their shoe to go flying and almost hit the blonde she considered family.

She gained a blank expression but internally felt relief, seeing the defense attorney with an embarrassed but sincere smile.

The door closed behind the figure as they entered the dark room.

Flicking the switch by the entrance, they proceeded to carefully approach the desk across the room and place the backpack they had been clutching in the chair in front of it.

Avoiding the police presence in both the dead man's apartment and the crime scene had been easier than they had expected. Calling in a favor, they had been able to secure the appropriate uniform and ID required to pass as a normal investigator.

The hardest part had been to keep their cover in the presence of the one who once held the title of Ultimate Detective. Thankfully, she had been distracted by the presence of the lawyer that had come in to defend her partner.

Curious, one would have expected to be more intrigued by the involvement of the Japanese ambassadors in the case over anyone else that had been present in the investigation. However...

Their luck had really come through. The tablet wasn't meant for the short defense attorney but they wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Looking at the backpack and the precious cargo it contained, the figure smirked. The late programmer's research had finally revealed where their target had been hiding.

"At least you were useful for something, Nagasawa."

It was a shame the man had been so against working with them. Maybe if he had been more cooperative, they wouldn't have needed to waste so many resources to keep the man under their thumb.

Speaking of which… All that blackmail material wasn't needed anymore. They made a mental note to get rid of all the evidence connecting them to Nagasawa and Zane as soon as possible. At least Zane was smart enough not to incriminate them in his plot of the old Chief of Security's blackmail and the incrimination of his colleague.

They had done their part and now were of no use to them. The next step would be to tie up loose ends which, thinking about the two people they had just mentioned, revealed that the man that was arrested was one of the last loose ends that was needed to tie up.

There were two others as well. Sadly, one of them was being closely guarded at the moment, which would make him hard to dispose of. The other, however...

As much as they would prefer to avoid getting their hands dirty, they realized it was better to take care of the situation themself over risking their associate's cover. Unlike the programmer they had blackmailed, Zane knew what his fate would be if he was found out so there was no fear of the airport worker resisting in his last moments. Both of them had the same goal after all.

What was that goal? Well... The figure delicately opened the backpack and took out Nagasawa's old laptop, carefully placing it atop their desk.

Next, they produced the photo of the ambassador's defense attorney that they had hidden under one of the loose floorboards. This particular photo had been secretly taken during the lawyer's investigation and had later been developed in order to maintain a physical copy while deleting all digital evidence of said picture's existence.

Opening a specific file in the computer, the figure held the photo in their hand and compared it to the image on the screen. Looking between the two, the figure smirked.

The hair was different and the man's eyes held a burden that was not present in the picture of his younger self, but it was undoubtedly the same person that escaped their grasp all those years ago before they could make their move.

"Found you~"

It had taken them eight years but finally, they had managed to discover where the Ultimate Hope had run off to. Clutching the photo in their hands, the figure reasoned it would only be cordial to make their presence known.

Chapter Text

Kyoko Kirigiri awoke to the sound of footsteps and a hushed conversation.

Opening her eyes, she turned to the other occupant in the room, who was pacing near the window to her right and scolding the phone in his hand.

"What do you mean he is gone? Your orders were to never leave his side and inform me if he planned on going anywhere." The exasperated Byakuya was showing no remorse to the AI on his phone. Though his aggravation was apparent, the man was still doing an effort to keep his volume low in order to not disturb her rest.

"I-I'm sorry, he said that he was taking a nap. I was put face-down, but I thought it was an accident and I didn't want to disturb him, I-" During one of the heir's turns, Kyoko was able to glimpse an image of a crying brunette looking down.

"I don't care about not wanting to disturb him. We had come to the agreement that you would monitor everyone's movements. Next time, notify me immediately."

Before the blonde could continue to pester the AI, Kyoko stepped in, having a good idea of who they were talking about.

"Alter Ego, can you find him?"

Byakuya turned around, his shock betrayed by a slight widening of the eyes, which then narrowed as he stated "You should be recovering."

"I am in bed, am I not?" She raised one of her eyebrows delicately. "Besides, your footsteps are loud. Alter Ego, where's Makoto?"

Ignoring the spluttering from the other man, Kyoko looked at the brunette on Byakuya's phone and quickly compared them to the one on hers. Alter Ego preferred changing their clothes depending on which phone they were in; the heir and detective got the suited version of the AI which, though similar, had a different suit and hair style.

In Kyoko’s opinion, the AI didn’t look quite right with the neat haircut and tuxedo.

"I've been scouting the cameras between his apartment and the hospital." Alter Ego explained as they looked to the side and held a finger to their chin. "But I haven't found anything. The one on the entrance to his building seems to be malfunctioning too. I also notified the others so they could contact me if he's been spotted. But..." The AI regained the tears in their eyes. "Nothing yet."

Kyoko nodded and addressed Byakuya. "Details?"

Said blonde sighed before pinching the bridge of his nose. "After his visit, I sent him to his apartment. Alter Ego states Makoto went straight to his room to take a nap. Two hours later, I get a call from Hiro stating that Makoto wasn't answering his door nor responding to his calls. Alter Ego then informs me that Makoto somehow evaded all cameras in the area and sneaked away to who-knows-where."

Kyoko ignored her own feelings of concern and exasperation. They had to find the brunette before he got in serious trouble. It wouldn't even be the first time it happened, the short man attracted trouble like no other person in their friend group could.

The difference this time, however, came from the fact that the short man had left his phone behind and had, to her knowledge, not informed anyone of his destination. Which meant Makoto was unable to be traced.

"Tell Hiro to go back to the building and monitor the entrance. I'll be taking over the search on the streets." Kyoko ordered, correctly deducing that the clairvoyant was sent to scout the area.

Byakuya crossed his arms and firmly objected "No. You are staying here to recover. That fool couldn't have gone far, especially while evading the cameras. I already sent Aoi to lead a search party."

Kyoko tucked a lavender strand of hair behind her ear as she analyzed her situation. Though the poison had been removed from her system, its effects were still felt in her decreased mobility and slight pain on half of her body. Rationally, someone in her situation should be recovering in bed instead of assisting a search party.

If Makoto is missing, however…

Her body's limitations would have to be ignored. She turned determined purple eyes to firm blue ones, examining the emotions he tried to hide. What she found, she recognized as a reflection of her own feelings; both of them were worried and desired to go search for the missing member of their trio. The amount of trouble he could get in was astronomical in the still unsafe streets of the post-apocalyptic country so they would have to act fast before the brunette got seriously hurt.

The biggest obstacle was Byakuya, who, in his distress, refused to leave her side, which was a hindrance to the help they could both provide to the search party.

She held his gaze as she prepared to point out his hypocrisy of letting Hina help despite just recently recovering from the bullet she took to the ankle, as well as inform him of her plan to investigate Makoto's apartment, when Alter Ego spoke up.

"Ah! He's back!"

Both of their gazes turned towards Byakuya's phone. Alter Ego sported a smile and had both hands clasped; they seemed to be having a silent conversation with their hoodie-wearing counterpart on the former luckster's phone.

"Put him through." Came the command from Byakuya.

Alter Ego stood still for a few moments before they nodded and a calling screen appeared. The background of a smiling Makoto with ice-cream on his cheek prompting a small reddening on both of their own cheeks.

"Ah... Hello?"

Said reddening promptly vanished as the other man refused the video call, instead opting for a voice one, and reminded the former heir and detective of the stunt he had just pulled.

"Where were you?" Byakuya cut right to the chase.

"Oh." Makoto gave out a small nervous laugh. "Hey there, Byakuya. H-How's Kyoko?"

The lavender haired woman shared a glance with the blonde man. He's deflecting, this is unusual…

"I'm fine. Answer the question, Makoto." Kyoko responded.

There was a slight pause that didn't go unnoticed by the occupants in the room.

"... Nowhere important. I'm more concerned about how you're doing Kyoko, any pain–?"

"Stop deflecting and tell us where you were already." Byakuya was running out of patience if the sudden pinching of the bridge of his nose was any indication. "You disappeared for hours, no one knew where you were, you didn't take Alter Ego with you..." The heir breathed deeply before continuing. "We organized a search party! Aoi, Hiro, even your sister was making plans to leave Towa City to come find you! You had us– all of us worried!"

A tense silence followed. Kyoko knew the shorter brunette wouldn't be able to understand the true meaning behind Byakuya's last remark; he was a bit dense with that sort of thing when it was directed at him.

A deep exhale sounded from the other side of the phone before the Symbol of Hope spoke up. "I'm... sorry. I didn't mean to disappear for that long. I just... I needed to do something by myself, and well, I didn't think I was gone that long..."

He had a difficult time putting out his words. Was Makoto that ashamed? He had been in worse situations, had disappeared for longer periods of time, and had even faced an angrier Byakuya before.

Granted, this was the first time absolutely no one had been aware of his whereabouts but that still shouldn't have caused such a reaction from him. The brunette was hiding something, and Kyoko was concerned enough to want to find out what exactly that something was.

"The truth is..." Makoto continued. "I'm planning something and I needed to check some things out. There was... it was going to be a surprise and e-everything! Or well... that isn't the best word to describe it... I... Listen, I messed up, okay? I'm really sorry and I will make it up to you all, but–"

"Stop." The brunette's tirade was cut off by an exhausted Byakuya, who had taken off his glasses at this point in time. "We will be talking about this later as I have to inform the others first that we found you first. But, Makoto, don't think we didn't notice how you avoided answering my question. Just tell us of your whereabouts and we can–"

"No."

The firm way in which that word was spoken made the two people in the room's expressions turn into surprise.

"I'm sorry. Not yet, okay?" A sound that sounded suspiciously like a sniff came through the speaker, causing Kyoko's heart to freeze. "I will tell you later when... I have this better planned out. I apologize for worrying you, but I can't tell you– yet. I... I have to go. Let's talk later, okay? Sorry."

"Wait–"

Makoto hung up before Kyoko could finish her pleas. She once again glanced at Byakuya, finding him just as bewildered as she was. What was happening? Makoto's behavior was extremely unusual: his disappearing act, avoidance of stating his whereabouts, the way he hung up abruptly... It was perplexing.

"It's late." Alter Ego's meek voice filled the silent room. "I advise you to take a rest. Maybe tomorrow you can pay him a visit?"

Byakuya snapped out of his thoughts. "No. I will go right there myself and drag the answer out of him. Who does he think–?"

"I... wouldn't recommend that." The AI advised. "I'm monitoring him right now, he entered his bathroom and locked the door. I don't think he'll be willing to speak up. His exhaustion was also extremely apparent. I believe he's going straight to sleep after leaving the bathroom."

Kyoko spoke up before Byakuya could take his concern-turned-anger towards Alter Ego. "Very well then. Tomorrow we are having words. Could you inform the others that Makoto was found?"

Alter Ego nodded. "Already taken care of."

"Then it seems the next step is to rest.” She turned her head slightly towards the other occupant in the room. “Would you like to stay here tonight, Togami?"

The blonde regained his composure while Kyoko was talking with the AI. Byakuya stared unwaveringly at the lavender haired woman as she made herself comfortable in her hospital bed.

"'We are having words'? What makes you think I will let you come with me?"

Kyoko closed her eyes as she answered. "There is a higher rate of success of getting through to Makoto with the two of us there. Besides, the other alternative would be me sneaking out and possibly putting myself in bigger danger. Who knows? Maybe I'll pass out from exhaustion while on my way to the apartment."

Byakuya pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed discreetly. After a moment, he put his glasses back on and muttered. "You two are going to be the death of me." He then continued in a normal volume. "We leave early, so you better get some rest. Alter Ego, set the alarm. I will go get some blankets; don't do anything idiotic in the meantime."

Kyoko remained silent as Byakuya left the room. With her mind tired from the recent events, she drifted off to sleep. Just before she did, however, a concern rose to her mind.

"Alter Ego," The phone was left on the table to her right. "How was he? Was he unharmed?"

"... Yes. I didn't notice any noticeable wounds."

Kyoko fell asleep, satisfied. Had she been more awake, she would have taken notice of the AI's slight hesitation before answering. 

Chapter Text

"... He even paid me double. As gratitude for getting his daughter acquitted in just one day." Makoto explained as he walked through the streets of Los Angeles.

"Ah, big brother, that's amazing!" Komaru exclaimed with stars in her eyes.

The two continued walking until they reached the courthouse. After greeting the police officer at the front, a stern brunette with freckles, they were let in.

"So, who's our client today?" Komaru questioned as she looked through the papers in her arms.

"I don't know, Kyoko wouldn't let me into the crime scene." Makoto admitted. "I was contacted by Byakuya, who just told me to accept the client and not to ask questions."

"Ah, and you couldn't say ‘no’ to him. I get it." She smiled teasingly.

The brunette's face flushed. "Well, he asked really nicely and we aren't busy with another case, so..."

"Sure, sure." His sister rolled her eyes. "Why is Kyoko mad anyway?"

"Ah, I may have... missed her birthday dinner." Makoto explained, avoiding his eyes and rubbing the back of his head.

"No you didn't." Komaru deadpanned though she was clearly both amused and horrified.

"In my defense, I went to sleep Tuesday night and have been pretty much dead since then."

"Wait, so when I woke you up this morning, you had been sleeping for two days?!"

Makoto winced. "Maybe...?"

"Big bro! You can't keep doing this! Just because those two work until they pass out doesn't mean you have to do the same! You're setting a bad example!" Komaru glared at him, displeased with her brother's sleep schedule.

As the two bickered, the sound of heels approaching the Defendant Lobby echoed through the room.

The two straightened up, pretending they had been patiently waiting for their client and not arguing like children.

Blonde pigtails, a stylish outfit and heeled boots appeared at the door.

Makoto blinked and smiled. "You must be our client. I'm Makoto Naegi and this is Komaru, my assistant."

Sharp green eyes narrowed behind round glasses. "Hey..." The girl attempted to smile as she avoided their gaze. Her short hair was so dirty its tint was more akin to a deep brown and the clothes she wore seemed like a mix of fabric scraps, put together in a hurry.

The sight of this miserable girl was familiar, Makoto felt like he knew her.

"What's your name?" Makoto asked, scratching his brown hair after the other stood silent in the entrance.

The girl continued staring at the wall for a few seconds before she turned back around. Her long hair fell in front of her face before she pushed it back and stared right into his hazel eyes. "You may call me E̴̩̪̖͂n̸̬̲͂o̵̳̍ṣ̷̤̫̑h̸͉͙͖̾i̵̢͖̲̎̓m̷̼̖̠̾ä̷̱̼͍́̂̈́."

"I..." Something was wrong, right? That's not her name. She's– "It's nice to meet you, Shirogane." The young lawyer bowed.

The bailiff suddenly spoke up, startling the duo as he informed them that the trial was about to start.

"Well, let's get this over with." Makoto smiled at the bluenette. "I've reviewed your case. It should be pretty easy to prove your innocence."

Shirogane smiled as the two headed inside.

The door opened and Makoto was greeted with the sight of the trial room. He took his place at his podium as the other six did the same.

"So... where do we start?" His blonde companion whispered behind him.

Before Makoto could answer, Byakuya sneered. "Don't bother with the trial. We already know who did it."

"We do?" The brunette frowned. The trial room darkened as he looked at the Heir in confusion.

"It was you, big bro." Komaru smiled sadly in his direction from her place next to Kyoko. Fog was rising, devouring the room until the only things visible were the podiums and the participants in them.

"Wait, I didn't-!" But it was too late as sharp nails dragged him away from the others, who only looked at him in disgust.

Once the others left his vision, consumed completely by the fog, Makoto fell to his knees. The floor was dirty and filled with debris. The red glow of the monitor cast the hallway in an eerie red light.

A uniquely shaped knife fell in front of him, a sharp Clank! interrupting the silence. When the brunette made no move to pick it up, the person behind him moved towards it, holding the knife delicately as she presented it.

Against his wishes, Makoto felt his hand enclose around the knife's handle as he debated internally on what to do with it. He was about to throw it away when giggles caught his attention.

He turned rapidly towards the sound, a shiver of cold fear passing through him making him attempt to stand up. But this action was halted as he saw her.

Long blue locks over a porcelain-like face along with a sweet smile with a trickle of blood running down the side. Arms covered in an old school uniform were stained with blood, open to hug him as if greeting an old friend. Melodic giggles escaped her lips as she approached him slowly from the edge of the fog.

"Makoto..." Her soft voice reached his ears. "Why was it you?"

Confused, the short man opened his mouth to ask what she was referring to but the words that he uttered were instead "I'm sorry."

"We know you are." She put her hand on his cheek as she looked at him with blue eyes full of sympathy. Her other hand held his wrist tightly, being careful not to cut herself with the sharp knife and leaving a bloody stain on his skin from her bloody fingerprint. "But you can make it right, you know?"

Could he? Was there really a way to do so? He didn't know how–

"It's okay." The bluenette smiled as she coughed up blood. "We can help you."

All around them, thirteen other figures emerged, all looking worse for wear.

He was already familiar with some of them so his eyes looked over towards the new additions. Touko stared back behind broken glasses, her body more reminiscent of a pin cushion with all the scissors stabbed into her. Hina had her limbs twisted, crawling on the ground as she coughed up water. Hiro was riddled with bullet holes as broken glass and sand pooled at his feet.

A croaking voice uttering his name made him turn around. He was greeted with Komaru's grinning face, the smile stretched too wide to be natural, tears falling from her swirling eyes as the various cuts adorning her body bled slowly. To her right stood Byakuya’s shivering form, blue covered the ends of his fingertips as his long hair fell on his face, his missing glasses and bloody face doing nothing to hide the slash splitting his face in half. On Komaru's other side stood Kyoko, the left side of her body was purple and the gloves that once hid her scars were missing, red was oozing from her chest from multiple stab wounds.

"You did this." The blonde at his side whispered, guiding Makoto's head to look at the knife in his hands. The cold, bloody hand that had been wrapped around his wrist was now replaced with a manicured one; its red nails reflecting the light of the monitor.

The murder weapon was dripping with blood, the shape of the knife matching the others' wounds. As his tears started to fall, his attention was caught by the blonde's grinning face. "Make things right."

The others started closing in, trapping him with the one person he despised. His blonde hair fell on his face as he closed his eyes tightly, unable to cover his ears due to being frozen. The broken figures’ chanting drowned out his thoughts as they all demanded the same thing.

Right as his hand clenched the knife tightly, however–

Makoto woke up, immediately sitting up and shaking his head rapidly as he coughed violently.

Water dripped down from his hair and onto his face, though due to his hands being restrained, he was unable to tuck the strands back.

A hand hesitantly approached from somewhere on his left, making him flinch once it touched his face.

The two people in the room froze for a few seconds, one due to terror and the other in uncertainty.

When the other moved the strands in front of his face back and retreated, he relaxed slightly.

"Wakey, wakey! How is my little buddy doing?"

After hearing her voice, he tensed once again. Thankfully, the other person in the room spoke up, distracting him from the blonde's taunting giggles.

"Hey..." Tsumugi's soft voice reached his ears. Once Makoto turned to look at her, her image was replaced by that of her younger self for a split second.

"Hey." He answered back, shivering from the cold.

When she noticed his shivering, the bluenette’s expression turned guilty for a moment, glancing downwards. Makoto followed her gaze and found an empty bottle of water by her feet.

It took a second for him to put the pieces together. "Sorry about that. I... probably scared you, huh?"

Tsumugi looked confused for a moment. "There was screaming, yeah." She then frowned. "But why are you apologizing? I'm the one who drenched you in water."

Makoto shrugged. "You did what you had to. Now," He raised his hands, which were wrapped with some cloth by the wrists. "Care to explain this?"

As the bluenette approached to undo his restraints, she explained. "You were punching the wall. Granted, it did no damage but I wasn't going to risk it."

"That's fair." He muttered. Once his wrists were free, he rubbed them as they were rather sore. "That one was rough."

Tsumugi hummed as she took a step backwards. "Good thing you slept here then."

Makoto agreed as he stood up, glancing at the small room. The padded walls were gray with a tint of green and the floor was covered with a thick fluffy beige rug. The only furniture in the room was a twin-size bed in the corner with a thin quilt cover. The lightning in the room came from a single ceiling light controlled from outside.

Thankfully, the water had not seeped past the quilt cover so he'd have to do less laundry than required. His wet clothes and pillow ended up being this night's only casualties.

"Alright. Are there any plans for today?" He asked as he headed towards the door, carrying the cover in his arms as the bluenette took care of the pillow and empty bottle.

"Well, the festival is tomorrow, though I have to meet with Himiko today to give her the cosplay and help with preparations. The cameras indicate that the ambassadors have visited the office around eight times already. And Hinata confirmed he will arrive tomorrow."

Makoto nodded as he processed her words. "They're persistent." He muttered as the two entered the laundry room.

Tsumugi hummed. "Considering they really want that date, I don't blame them." When Makoto sent her a half-hearted glare, she smiled. "You wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't 'lost' the paper with their numbers."

"I didn't realize it was with the discarded pieces of evidence." He tried explaining though Tsumugi just answered with an unconvinced "Sure."

Once he put the quilt in the laundry basket, Makoto turned around.

"Well, I need to get changed. Thanks for helping me out."

Her small smile widened slightly. "You're welcome. I need to go before Tenko gets impatient."

"Have fun." Makoto smiled as he opened the door to his room. "And don't forget your Key!"

Though there was no response, Makoto was sure she heard him.

Once the door closed behind him, the short man let out a deep sigh and rubbed his eyes. "Five years..."

It had been so long since he had a nightmare like that. Granted, that didn't mean he didn't suffer from them; the memories of at least a dozen times he woke up with a scream at the back of his throat flashed through his mind. But the fact that he had started thrashing around and had to be woken up abruptly indicated that the most intense nightmares were back.

A breeze coming from the small window in the room made the short man shiver. First things first, he'd have to take care of his wet clothes.

Stepping into the bathroom, Makoto took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes widened in shock as the strawberry blonde locks that he had carried for years turned a rich chestnut color in his reflection. Tears gathered at the corner of his hazel eyes as the simple change in color made him seem so different.

He raised his hand and touched the mirror lightly, entranced at the image before him. Unfortunately, once he blinked, the image went away, replaced with his present day reflection and revealing a grinning phantom behind him, stroking both his hair and her own.

"Looking great~" She winked.

Makoto grumbled as he turned around, giving her an insincere "Thanks."

A sharp tug in the lower part of his hair made him shout in pain. Glaring at the phantom, he rubbed the lower part of his head, pausing as he felt the band holding a certain section of his hair was rather loose.

He sighed as he adjusted said band before throwing the wet shirt he was wearing on the floor, getting ready for a quick shower.

A few minutes later, Makoto found himself in front of the mirror once again, dressed in his normal clothes: a white shirt, black pants, blue vest and tie.

He passed his hand through the bleached and dyed locks, lost in thought.

"Hey, I meant what I said." The phantom appeared sitting on the countertop, speaking softly as she looked at him with fake sympathy. "You're way better now."

"I don't remember that day." He admitted, referring to the day his brown locks changed color.

"It was necessary." Her hand extended to grab one of the locks. Instead of flinching or ignoring her, Makoto found himself subconsciously leaning in her direction. "You were being a good friend." Was her monotone answer.

A sudden crash startled the short man. In his dazed state, it seemed he had accidentally knocked over one of the glasses on the countertop. His eyes blinked rapidly as he realized what he was doing. Quickly exiting the bathroom, he left the smirking blonde behind with a frown on his face.

After quickly disposing of the glass remains with a broom and a scoop, and pointedly ignoring the countertop, Makoto was ready to finish his chores.

Taking care of his wet clothes in the laundry room, he proceeded to change the quilt in the bed in the padded room. Once that was done, Makoto sighed as he took a glance at his phone, the screen was displaying '8:47 AM'.

The time sparked something in his brain, didn't he have something to do today?

Shrugging it off for now, he headed to the room's door, making sure to grab the Key still hanging on the inner lock and hiding it on his person. After closing said door, he went to the kitchen, knowing that the door would lock automatically and would not open again until both Keys were put in.

With everything taken care of, he headed to the kitchen to make himself a quick breakfast. As the coffee was brewing, however, a ping caught his attention.

Surprised, he turned towards the tablet that had been left on the table against the wall. It seemed they had gained another message.

Makoto approached said device after taking a quick glance at the coffee machine. Examining the objects scattered around the table, he managed to find and pick up the notebook they had been using to keep track of the messages it had been displaying.

A frown appeared on his face as he looked at the new entry. A symbol and a letter, the fifth message of that type since they acquired the tablet.

With everything that had been going on, Makoto and Tsumugi had forgotten they had picked up the tablet during their investigation. It wasn't until they got back to the apartment after Byakuya's trial had concluded that they had realized the tablet was still in the bluenette's skirt.

They had intended to bring the device back to Sebastian, as it had been found during their investigations and was technically a piece of evidence. Lumbor's lock had been acquired to bring attention to the place where the tablet was hidden after all.

But before they could do anything, a message had appeared on the screen, one that sent a shiver down the two's spines. For it was a string of symbols, similar to the ones from the Keeper's message, and had that infuriating eye on the corner.

Apprehensive, Makoto figured the tablet was intended for them, as they were the ones to discover it and was signed with a symbol that only a select few knew about.

And so, for the past two weeks, they had been receiving various messages, varying from cryptic sentences to symbols with letters.

Adding the day's message to the journal, Makoto tilted his head as he noticed that this one in particular had come in a different color. Was this relevant somehow?

There was no time to think about that, as the coffee machine malfunctioned and started spilling the brown elixir everywhere. As Makoto looked at his ruined breakfast in dismay, he sighed. Could his day get any worse?

The ring of his cellphone confirmed that yes, it could. For his client's number appeared on the screen and he was reminded that he had a trial to attend that was due to start in ten minutes.

Chapter Text

"N-No, please!" The panicked voice echoed through the courtroom before being silenced by the Judge's next words.

"This court finds the defendant... Guilty. Court is adjourned."

The courtroom stood silent as the woman on the witness stand was taken away by the bailiffs.

Makoto stared at his client with an unreadable look. A sharp smile occupied the expression of the phantom next to him, who was trying to catch his gaze.

"Good job!"

He closed his eyes in tandem with the doors, the weeping woman's sobs cutting off.

The Judge stood up, leaving the room and taking some of the guilt in Makoto's heart with him.

It turned out the woman had been guilty of her husband's murder. But that didn't mean he was satisfied with the way the trial had ended.

She had seemed innocent in the beginning, being arrested impulsively by the prosecutor in charge. She had an alibi, no discernible motive and people more suspicious than her... but then one piece of evidence sealed her fate. One single contradiction that brought her crime to light.

Her friends and colleagues had tried to help her by lying about her whereabouts that day and fabricating evidence. All to protect the woman who had been suffering at the hands of the dead man.

If the circumstances had been different, Makoto may have been tempted to go with the lie. Save the struggling woman and give her a second chance at life.

But the framing of a man who did nothing wrong stopped him from going through with it. The poor coworker had been mixed up in the whole thing, all for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And so, to bring the truth to light, Makoto had to expose her lies.

"A murder is a murder after all. Can't let that filthy killer get away!"

It was self-defense…

"So?" The phantom invaded his personal space, leaning too close that their blonde locks mixed together. "She still tried to frame that poor guy. She wasn't exactly innocent in this."

And he almost fell for it. Yesterday had seemed promising, funnily enough. Despite his tardiness, the witness had been easy to crack and the evidence all pointed towards his client's favor. But then Sebastian brought up an important point and the trial had to be extended. It wasn't until the investigation later that day that he discovered the piece of evidence that shattered his knowledge of the case.

"You know... if you had condemned that guy and let her be set free, the two of you could be celebrating right now in the Lobby. Ignorance sure is bliss, isn't it?"

Ironically, his companion's attempts to convince Makoto to let his client go free was what hardened the decision in his mind to call out her lie.

Being a defense attorney was a taxing job. Difficult decisions like this were made every time he defended someone.

To seek the truth or protect the innocent? Those two unfortunately don't always go hand in hand.

Regardless, what's done is done. He could only hope her punishment would not be as harsh. He and Sebastian did keep reiterating it was self-defense.

"Is that justice though? One mistake cost her her future. That seems wrong, it's too... hopeless, don't you think?"

Nope. We are not having this conversation again.

Deciding to leave the courtroom before he accidentally slipped again and answered the annoying blonde outloud, he left the defense bench and headed to the doors leading to the Defendant Lobby.

Once in there, Makoto sighed deeply, sitting on the red couch and taking a moment to compose himself.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, alerting the man of a new message.

Taking said device out, he read the message before frowning in confusion. Reception must have been bad that particular day as the message was from Tsumugi, asking if he was going to attend the festival, and had been sent a few hours ago.

Makoto took a moment to ponder. The trial had left him exhausted. He had slipped about five times, talking to the phantom as if she had been real. And the nightmare from the day before had not faded from his mind yet; it stuck around in his head like an annoying fly.

Alas, those are the consequences of watching a video made to inflict as much Despair as possible to the user. The sudden arrival of Kyoko and Byakuya was not helping either, the reminder of his failures flashing through his mind every time he looked at them.

Looking at the time, Makoto was surprised at how little that trial had lasted. There was too much emotion and stress for the few couple of hours it had taken.

I need a nap…

Standing up, he hurried towards the exit, the thoughts of that fluffy bed in the padded room filling his mind as he sent an apologetic text back. He had really wanted to see how Tsumugi did in the mock trial later in the day but the most recent trial had soured his mood. Maybe a nap was all he needed to change his mind and get his energy back.

As he finished ascending the stairs, Makoto let out a deep exhale. Just his luck, the bus had gained a flat tire a couple of blocks before his normal stop, which meant the short man had to walk the rest of the way. Then, the elevator in the apartment complex broke once again, trapping him inside and making him wait for help for half an hour.

Now, he wasn't just mentally exhausted but physically too.

"Stop complaining. You need the exercise."

He didn't have the energy to be offended, either. That's what he gets for trying to stay up late at night to avoid the nightmares despite knowing he had important things to do that day.

As he arrived at the third floor, Makoto's expression softened with relief. The image of his door at the end of the hallway made him relax his shoulders as he excitedly thought about that fluffy bed.

"How are you going to get in? Don't you need both Keys to enter that room?"

Shush. I'll figure it out.

He took his keys out and opened the door. Right as he was about to enter the apartment, the sound of another slamming open made him turn around.

Startled, he watched as an old white haired woman exited her apartment, muttering under her breath. As she looked upwards, she caught sight of him and approached quickly.

"Mrs. Drow? How may I help you?" Makoto asked his neighbor, his exhaustion left to the side after seeing her panicked expression.

"Oh dear! Is Loth here?" She asked as she glanced around panicky. Noting how the other was trying to take a peek inside the apartment, he closed the door slightly and leaned against the doorframe.

"Sorry, she went out a while ago. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, it's horrible!" Mrs. Drow squished her face and slid to the ground slowly. Makoto took a step back to give her space for her theatrics. After a few seconds of her lying on the ground, she sprung back up. "I found something abhorrent in my bedroom."

"I see..." He raised an eyebrow as the old woman started dabbing crocodile tears with a handkerchief she had produced out of nowhere.

Mrs. Drow leaned in, cupping her mouth as if about to whisper a secret. Once he did the same, she continued. "A... spiderweb..." Her lips wobbled along with her terrified tone.

Makoto blinked slowly. "Right... And you want Loth... why?"

"Well, if you'd rather help me, then that's fine!" The old woman took a step backwards as she started bouncing in her place. "Now be a dear and follow me." She turned around to the apartment next door, expecting Makoto to follow her.

"I didn't..." The short man, for his part, was confused about the whole situation. But seeing as the other was worried enough to ask for help, and not being able to say no, he decided to do as she wanted, following the old woman as he closed his door.

Hopefully this will be quick. A yawn escaped from his lips.

That is how, five minutes later, Makoto found himself standing on a small stool, stretching as far as he could to get rid of a cobweb in the old widow's room. Unfortunately for him, said cobweb was at the very corner of her large room, on the ceiling.

"You're doing great, dear!" Mrs. Drow gave a thumbs up from her place in the armchair. She was rather relaxed despite the fact Makoto was leaning precariously over some old and rather well-kept mementos.

"Thanks." He responded in a friendly tone even when he was sure both women in the room were secretly laughing at him.

"So... where did your little sister go today?"

Makoto startled, losing his balance for a second. "Ko– ah, Loth?"

The old woman nodded rapidly. "She tends to help me with this stuff." She motioned in his precariously balanced direction. "Usually has it done after a few seconds too..." She whistled innocently after her muttered comment.

Not all of us are tall. He sweatdropped as he finally managed to swat the cobweb once.

"She's–" A pause after he almost lost his balance once again. "A bit busy. Had a... rendezvous of sorts." He answered carefully.

The nosy neighbor nodded rapidly. "I see, I see... Well, while you're here, would you like something to eat? For your troubles." Without waiting for an answer the old woman jumped out of her armchair and left the room at an impressive speed.

With one judgemental pair of eyes gone, Makoto felt himself relax slightly, letting his exhaustion become apparent as he got rid of the cobweb completely.

There. That only took a few minutes.

Would he still have time to take that nap? He attempted to take his phone out but realized it was not in his pocket. Taking a few seconds to remember where he put it, Makoto realized he had left it on the coffee table in the old woman's living room.

As he exited the bedroom, he found Mrs. Drow with his phone in one of her hands and a container with food in the other.

Makoto closed the widow's room slightly more forcefully than usual as he secretly berated himself for leaving his phone unattended.

The old woman startled, looking in his direction and heading towards him with a bounce in her step. "Hey dear! I really appreciate the help you two provide to this old lonely woman so I prepared some curry for you and–"

Makoto was ashamed to admit that he stopped listening past that point as his stomach growled with the reminder that the protein bars he had eaten that morning had barely been enough to get him through the exhausting trial. Later, he would feel bad for not paying attention to Mrs. Drow but at the moment his thoughts were distracted with the curry she was gifting him that he forgot he had caught her with his phone in her hands.

"...there's also a text from this fellow. Is it someone important?" He was reminded of said fact by her next words.

Blinking rapidly, the lawyer snatched his device from her grasp with a pale face and looked at the message he received.

[Arriving at 16 hours. Discussion of a potential client at the office. Meet at your most convenient.]

"Is that what it's called nowadays? 'Discussing a potential client'?"

It's not like that and you know it. Makoto rolled his eyes.

"Well, if I'm boring you then you can leave!" Mrs. Drow huffed at his gesture, turning around and taking the precious curry with her.

As his companion laughed obnoxiously, Makoto tried to apologize to the old woman as she stomped over to her kitchen, the slamming of the door echoing through her home. 

Annoying taunts followed Makoto as he entered through the building's front door, the door closing behind him as the small cozy lobby greeted him.

Adjusting the backpack in his arms, which contained a pillow, the ominous tablet and journal all wrapped around a blanket, he searched for the keys to his office.

His stomach growled once again as he sighed.

The food situation had not been resolved, unfortunately, as Mrs. Drow had made a huge scene about his rude behavior and had decided to give Tsumugi the food once she arrived due to the bluenette’s lack of tendency to roll her eyes when the old widow was in the middle of her tangents.

Furthermore, the nap he was looking forward to would not take place in the cozy, padded room but the small sofa in his office instead, as it was a good enough substitute.

He'd just have to take care of the meeting with a certain superhuman first.

As he opened the door and entered his office, his tired mind cleared with realization and panic.

That's right. I forgot. Makoto mused as he looked at the woman standing with her arms crossed next to his desk. Didn't Tsumugi say those two hang around my office a lot?

The slam of his door closing behind him made him turn around. The man responsible narrowed his blue eyes as he looked at the shorter man with an unreadable expression.

The realization that he was now trapped between Kyoko and Byakuya made Makoto pale. Before he could come up with a plan of escape, however, Kyoko spoke up.

"We need your help.”

Chapter Text

"Kyoko!" The brunette ran towards the lavender haired detective, raising her arm in greeting once she was close enough.

Said woman smiled slightly. "Komaru." The two shared a firm handshake. "It's nice to see you. How was the flight?"

"Loooong... It was almost twelve hours." The younger Naegi sighed before perking up. "But I slept on the plane so I'm ready to go! Where is he?!"

"I see you are eager." Kyoko noted as she turned around, taking Komaru's suitcase with her while the brunette held onto her backpack.

"Of course! He's so gonna get it for leaving!" She had planned the reunion with her brother ever since the woman at her side had informed her that both her and Byakuya had found him hiding in America. There was going to be a lot of scolding, tears and possibly threats and punches involved.

The taller woman led them to a car waiting for them outside the airport. The morning air made the brunette shiver as the sun barely peeked through the treetop.

They put the luggage in the trunk before boarding the car, sitting in the back seats. Komaru noted the front seats were being occupied by Future Foundation members; Kyoko's bodyguards, if she had to guess.

"Huh. They actually caught up with you." The younger woman murmured.

Kyoko tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "They did. Though not before Togami got arrested for murder, proving their incompetence."

There was a minute flinch from both bodyguards though they stayed silent.

"Harsh..." Komaru muttered before her brain processed the other's words. "Wait. Did you say arrested?!"

The detective shut the divider between the drivers and passengers as the vehicle started moving, ensuring the two could continue their discussion in privacy. "An intriguing tale for another time. Let's focus on the reason for your visit: your brother."

Komaru nodded, attentive.

"There is a festival organized by the Ultimate University for the Gifted that starts in a few minutes. Using the information provided by our informant, we have reason to believe Makoto will be attending."

"Festival?" The brunette held a finger to her chin and tilted her head in thought. She was not expecting their reunion to take place in such a public space.

Kyoko nodded. "For context, Makoto was the one who defended Togami in court. You can discuss the details with him later, let's not get sidetracked." She added once Komaru opened her mouth to question that particular statement, making the other pout. "He has been working as a defense attorney for a few months now, having gained an... assistant of sorts."

"Wait." The shorter woman interrupted. "What does that mean? 'Assistant of sorts'?"

Kyoko seemed displeased with the interruption but nonetheless answered, as the topic was related to her previous explanation. "Their relationship is rather obfuscated. Though the woman, Loth Cuzin, has been seen at his side in numerous trials, it does not seem to be her full-time job. The two have been seen together multiple times outside of court and, if our sources are to be believed, they live in the same place as well."

"That's..." Komaru hesitated. What was this woman to her brother? "What do you think? Are they da–?"

"There does not appear to be any romantic feelings between the two." The detective interrupted as she crossed her arms. "Though close in age, they seem to share a more familial relationship. Asking around, the consensus is they are believed to be siblings."

"Oh..." The brunette bit her lip and looked at the window, pretending to be intrigued by the images outside the moving vehicle. "I see..."

Have I... been replaced?

"Regardless," The lavender haired woman continued, sensing the morose thoughts in the other's head and wanting to focus on a more important topic. "The assistant has recently graduated from the aforementioned University and will be participating in the festivities alongside her old classmates. There is a high chance we will find Makoto there."

Komaru agreed distractedly, still focused on the outside. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, she seemed to come to a realization and turned back towards the detective. "What about Byakuya? Is he going to meet us there?"

Kyoko allowed the change in conversation, sensing the younger woman needed a distraction lest her thoughts drift to more depressing thoughts pertaining to her brother.

Closing her eyes, Kyoko held a hand to her chin. "Togami is rather busy at the moment. I believe he is currently in the middle of closing a deal in order to expand his business. It seems that attending a festival is beneath him, however, so we have a rendezvous point planned for when his schedule clears up."

Typical Byakuya… Komaru couldn't help but sweatdrop. The guy wasn't as annoying as the first time they had met but the stick up his butt had returned after her brother went missing. At least this time there was a reason for his attitude, however, as the blonde had been working hard to rebuild his family's company after The Tragedy. And with the way he had been using his free time to look for Makoto's whereabouts whenever he wasn't burying himself in his work, his stress levels must have been through the roof the past few years.

"That's fine..." Komaru replied as she wondered how Byakuya didn't have any gray hairs or stress lines yet. Maybe she should ask for his hair and skin care routine. "By the way, you mentioned an informant earlier, who is that?"

She had expected Kyoko to answer like she would any other question. Or maybe, had it been a secret, to hold a finger to her lips and look at her bodyguards with a meaningful gaze.

But instead, the detective moved her gaze towards Komaru's phone, confusing the brunette.

A beat of silence passed, then two, as the younger woman tried to figure out what the other was doing. Before she could ask if Kyoko needed to make a call, the other blinked slowly, as if remembering an important detail and cleared her throat.

"Apologies. I had forgotten..." Somehow, Komaru's mind filled in the blanks. You forgot I'm not as sharp as you, didn't you?!

Before that particular thought could escape the brunette's mind and into the world, Kyoko tapped her phone twice with her gloved hand, making the screen light up and revealing Komaru's wallpaper. It was a photo, one that had been taken years ago and was one of the few pictures Touko liked of the two of them together. Though it may have been because the writer was mainly hidden behind Komaru's hair and the lack of scowl made her face look softer.

Out of nowhere, a brunette in a dress appeared on the screen, hiding Touko's surprised expression from view. "Hi!" They yawned, rubbing one of their digital eyes.

Komaru blinked before smiling. "Alter Ego! Hello!"

"Hey, Komaru!" The AI perked up, adjusting their straw hat. "How have you been?"

"Good, thank you! Ready to kick some older brother butt!"

Kyoko interrupted their pleasant conversation before Alter Ego could question the brunette's totally valid response. "Alter Ego has been a huge help in monitoring Makoto's movements. They contain his schedule for the following month as well as other important information."

The casual tone in Kyoko's statement made Komaru pause. "That's... kinda creepy, Kyoko. I'm pretty sure that's stalking."

The detective fiddled with one of the ribbons in her hair as she processed the younger woman's words. It must have caught her off guard, Komaru realized, as the other had probably not considered the breach of privacy knowing that information entailed.

"He retains his privacy if that is your concern." Kyoko answered Komaru's thoughts with a slight blush. "Alter Ego makes sure we don't cross a line."

The brunette turned towards the AI, silently asking for an explanation. Said digital being obliged as they nodded, assuming a thinking pose. "Byakuya and Kyoko get a bit too... intense when it comes to their investigations. I've had to cut them short multiple times. So far I've kept Makoto's bank account, home address, and frequently visited restaurants out of their reach." They finished with a proud stance.

To say the younger Naegi was speechless would be an understatement. She had forgotten that her friend was an Artificial Intelligence, capable of monitoring everyone's digital and physical movements at all times so it was no surprise they had gathered so much information; still, in the hands of those two...

Do I really want to unpack all of that?

A sudden intrusive thought entered Komaru's mind. Did her brother have the right to privacy? After all he had put them through by his departure? A part of her felt bad for thinking this way but–

He abandoned us when we needed him the most. We were finally going to see each other again and then–

The unwanted memory of finding his empty apartment flashed through her mind. She had hated that moment, replayed it in her mind for months, regretting not leaving Towa City sooner. Wondering if things would have changed had she intercepted Makoto sooner, maybe then she wouldn't have been too late to change things.

But things will be different this time. She thought with determination. She wasn't going to let him leave again; if Komaru had to handcuff her brother to one of his friends to make sure he stayed put this time then she'd do it without a second thought. Speaking of which, that wasn't a bad idea...

"Hey, Alter Ego..."

"No. I'm sorry but I can't tell you where he lives either."

Komaru pouted. It was a shame Alter Ego wasn't willing to be her partner in crime; she'd have to find another way to make sure her brother didn't leave again.

"We are almost at the hotel." Kyoko noted. "We should have enough time to get you situated. Afterwards, I was hoping to get something to eat before seeing the festivities; there is a nice café down the street."

"Sounds like a plan!" Komaru smiled then hesitated for a moment, fiddling with frayed strings on the end of her jumper skirt before asking softly. "Hey... He– How did he look? Did he seem alright? Did he tell you why...?"

The other stayed silent for a moment, lost in thought. "Why don't you ask him yourself? When you see him later today." Kyoko gave one of her rare encouraging smiles.

Komaru looked at the pamphlet in her hand with a puzzled look. "What are the courses again?"

Kyoko answered as she turned back towards the younger woman, her bodyguards scurrying around to fulfill the orders she had just given them. "A bit of everything. Ranging from Botany to Law, the Ultimate University for the Gifted offers a wide array of courses for students of all types. There is a current experiment being run by the Psychology Department which groups students from all courses into mixed classrooms."

The brunette nodded skeptically. The arrangement was rather bizarre in her opinion; she couldn't imagine having classmates from other courses while she was studying to get her degree in Child Psychology.

"Why don't you check out the activities? I believe the Zoology students have put together a small presentation about animal classification over by the fountain." Kyoko offered, motioning with her head towards said presentation.

Komaru looked over, her eyes widening at the vast array of animals that could be seen in the distance. Is that a giraffe?!

Intrigued, the shorter woman started moving before pausing. "You're not coming?"

"I'd rather wait for the 'special guest', if you don't mind." Kyoko shook her head. "Have fun."

The other hesitated for a few seconds before nodding slowly. "Alright. Be right back!" She exclaimed as she approached the Zoology presentation.

The detective watched her go for a moment, making sure she was alright, then moved towards a small bench under a tree nearby. Sitting down, the lavender haired woman turned her attention towards her phone and, after making sure there was no one around, muttered. "Alter Ego."

The brunette appeared on the screen. "Nothing yet. He got stuck at work so he will not arrive for a while." The AI informed her while adjusting the bow on the back of their head.

Kyoko nodded as she sighed internally. Reaching the other man hadn't been as easy as she would have liked. They figured out Makoto's usual schedule and workplace rather quickly. Though, as mentioned beforehand, Alter Ego had been rather forceful in maintaining a certain distance between all of them, claiming to desire to protect his privacy.

While she would have usually appreciated Alter Ego's actions, as they had been rather useful in the past when she'd had her own share of bad days, this time was rather different. Shutting off her own electronics and tattling on to Byakuya whenever Kyoko spent more than two days without sleep or digged a bit too deep on a certain topic of Makoto's new life, the AI had been both an useful ally and an unfortunate thorn in her side the past two weeks.

Sudden footsteps approached from her right, moving in her direction. Alter Ego disappeared from view as Kyoko pretended to browse mindlessly through her phone.

"Ahem." The detective ignored the annoying person; if they had anything interesting to say, they could inform her directly instead of wasting her time with their warped sense of pleasantries.

The other cleared their throat once again, really hoping she would give them the time of day. Kyoko had half a mind to continue ignoring them but seeing as she'd rather not cause a scene, and knowing that Alter Ego would inform them when a certain lawyer arrived, she turned an unamused glare in whoever was disturbing her peace's direction.

The image that greeted her was that of a snobby-looking man. His well-kept suit and shiny barely-scratched shoes were rather clean for the grassy area they found themselves in, leading Kyoko to believe the man had stayed in the main concrete path for at least thirty minutes, more than likely standing in one place, pretending to be busy. The man's breathing was irregular and he was bending slightly, which signified he was not used to running around so it was unlikely he had been exploring the festival.

The righteous smirk and aura of self-importance, coupled with the fact he wasn't participating in the activities led her to believe the man was a faculty member. Regardless of his occupation, he was already grating on Kyoko's nerves.

"Ah, Ms. Kirigiri. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." The annoying man held his hand out, silently asking for a handshake which the detective was not willing to give any time soon. Instead, she stayed silent and raised an eyebrow. "... My name is Terrance Oak Theo Dehan. And I would like to welcome you to our humble Festival." He continued after an awkward pause, lowering his arm back to his side.

The lavender haired woman put her phone back in her pocket and got ready to express her disdain for the other man's presence. Thankfully, before she could express her displeasure out loud, her saving grace arrived in the form of a brunette rapidly approaching the duo.

"Kyoko, look! The guys from the Culinary Course were giving out free samples and– Oh. Who's this?" Komaru began excitedly running towards her before pausing in confusion, boxes of mochi and other confections in her arms.

Before the detective could respond, the annoying man stood straight, and held a hand towards the shorter woman's face. "Hush, young one. The adults are talking."

To say Kyoko was fed up with the man would be an understatement, for she turned her back to him and approached the brunette. "Those look great. Where did you say you got them?"

Komaru's perplexed look faded as she smiled nervously. "By the stands over there. Want me to show you? I have to warn you though, there's this rude person in a bear mask that likes to knock people's ice cream out of their hand..."

The taller woman nodded, intending on following the shorter brunette away from the pretentious annoyance by her side.

"Ah, I apologize deeply! I was unaware this lady was your companion." Said annoyance stood in front of them, blocking their path and cleared his throat. "On behalf of the Ultimate University for the Gifted, I had firmly wanted to offer my services to show you around the campus. But my actions were rather uncouth towards your assistant, so I, once again, apologize."

Komaru grimaced at the half-assed apology. "Who are you calling ‘assistant’?!"

"You, of course." Dehan bowed quickly before straightening up. "I was hoping to invite Ms. Kirigiri to look at our facilities, as I'm sure mingling with the riff-raff is not up to a woman of your caliber's standards. Please, let me guide you towards a more appropriate place."

The detective's expression remained impassive. "Mingling with the riff-raff sounds more enticing than a tour actually." She walked towards Komaru and started dragging her away from the gray haired man.

"Ah, but surely you must be interested! For why else would you come to our Festival? My students' exhibitions will not start until later in the afternoon and the mock trial will take place even later. Furthermore, seeing as you are an esteemed detective with a vast array of cases under her belt, I believe you must rather see how we prepare the youth to follow along your exemplary diligence."

Those are some bizarre assumptions. Komaru's head hurt from the other's usage of big words.

The man stopped following them after a few seconds but shouted after them right before they got back into the crowd. "It's a shame. I was hoping to discuss your work during the Games, Ms. Kirigiri."

The two women paused, the taller one narrowed her eyes as she turned around. "What are you...?"

"Ah, you must be curious! Please, follow me to the Criminology Department so we can talk in a more secluded area." With that, the man turned around, stuck his nose up in the air and triumphantly walked towards a building in the distance.

"... When he said 'Games', do you think he meant–?"

"It's a possibility." Kyoko interrupted. "There is only one way to find out."

With that, the two followed the other man, confused on how he could have known of the Killing Games when all the existing copies had been destroyed prior to the opening of their country's borders.

Just as the faculty member stated, the building had no 'riff-raff'. The halls echoed with their footsteps as the tall ceiling and lack of life amplified the building's creepiness.

"This is the entrance of our esteemed Criminology Department. Please help yourselves. Look around and absorb the glory these halls–"

"Can you just get on with it?" Komaru took a mochi out of her box, chewing loudly in frustration.

Dehan startled, clearly not used to being interrupted in such a way. He stared at Kyoko, probably hoping she would scold 'her assistant' for her apparent rudeness.

When the detective instead raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in his direction, the man cleared his throat.

"Ahem. As I was saying..." He turned around and led them towards a staircase on the left corridor, continuing his horrific tour as if the others were interested in it.

Despite the two women's attempts to stop him, the faculty member continued over-explaining the space around them, trying to make the empty hallways seem more exciting than they actually were.

Once they got to the third floor, Komaru had come to the conclusion that she'd rather go back to the festival than continue following the rude man. She had promised this buff entomologist that she'd pass by his booth to take a look at his insect collection later on after all. Kyoko could take care of figuring out this man’s secrets by herself, right?

Suddenly, a loud sound startled the trio, making Dehan stop mid-sentence. The faculty member blinked rapidly for a few seconds, stunned, before he shook his head and muttered angrily. "Who dares defy the sanctity of the Festival? It better not be one of those delinquents from the Sociology Course!"

He stomped over to the stairs leading to the lower floor, showing them the back of his hand once Komaru tried to call out for him.

"Rude." She muttered, turning towards the lavender haired detective at her side. "Should we wait for him or...?"

The brunette trailed off as Kyoko left her side and headed towards the end of the corridor with a narrowed gaze.

The detective crouched next to a plant in the corner. Before Komaru could call out her name, Kyoko stiffened and called her name worriedly.

The brunette approached rapidly. "W-What is it?" Then gasped as she noticed the drops of blood next to the pot.

Kyoko stood up abruptly. "This was not here when we passed through earlier. Follow the trail and find the injured person, I will go and find the culprit."

Before any objections could be made, the other left quickly, taking a taser from a holster on her leg and heading towards the stairs leading downwards.

Komaru stood silent for a few seconds before shaking her head and doing as ordered. Putting the boxes of confections on a bench near one of the windows, she turned around and carefully followed the trail, opening one of the side pockets in her backpack and taking her own taser out.

The trail led her to a classroom with traces of blood present on both the floor and doorframe. Taking a deep breath, the brunette hesitantly took a hold of the handle as her other hand gripped the taser tightly. She wasn't used to being in potentially dangerous situations without Touko; the writer's presence always made her feel safe.

Come on. You've faced worse! What if whoever's on the other side needs your help?!

With that, she let out a heavy exhale and opened the door, hiding for a second behind the open door before entering the classroom quickly, holding her taser in front of herself as if it was her trusty megaphone.

The image that greeted her was worse than expected.

There was a body on the floor, a familiar hoodie and blazer on top of the pink haired figure. Blood was splattered everywhere, coming from the numerous stab wounds scattered around the person's body. But what caught the brunette's attention was the knife buried deep in the body's chest.

Pale faced, Komaru screamed for help.

Chapter Text

Okay. This isn't how I expected my day to go. Makoto's eyes flickered between the two people standing in his office.

The air was tense as both Kyoko and Byakuya stared unblinkingly in his direction. The former's remark had left behind a silence that none of them were willing to break.

The one upside was that his unwanted companion was making no sound. Though a quick glance in her direction revealed the phantom was looking at him with a suggestive smirk on her face so he didn't know if that was any better.

"Are you planning on staying silent?" "Would you like some help with that?"

Byakuya and Kyoko's eyes flickered towards each other when they spoke up at the same time. A few seconds and raised eyebrows later, they went back to staring at the shorter man between them.

Makoto jumped, forgetting about the object in his arms for a moment. Blushing slightly, he smiled nervously and hoped said nervousness didn't come through his voice.

"Ah, let me put this down." He approached a cabinet near his desk, being careful to keep both people in his line of sight. Opening the small door and placing the backpack inside, he straightened up and smiled hesitantly. "You were saying?"

"You are available at the moment, correct?" Kyoko didn't give him time to answer. "We require a defense attorney for the case I am currently in charge of."

Makoto blinked slowly, unsure if he had heard the other correctly. "Could you repeat that?"

"Are you deaf?" Byakuya interjected. "We are asking you to do your job. Be present in Courtroom No. 8 tomorrow at 10 AM to represent the accused. You can expect to be paid once she's found innocent."

This is progressing a bit too fast. The lawyer stayed silent for a few seconds. To say he was overwhelmed would be an understatement. The hunger and tiredness had already lowered his comprehension skills at the moment, their unexpected request only exacerbated the problem.

"I-It's not– Hold on!" He looked between the two taller people, hoping it had been some kind of joke. But the impassive expressions on their faces coupled with the fact that they were not known for joking around let Makoto know that they were seriously asking for his help as a defense attorney. "You are serious."

The blue eyed blonde huffed, affirming sarcastically that yes, they were in fact serious. The lavender haired woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she nodded.

The shorter man hesitated, turning his attention elsewhere as he rubbed the back of his neck. He had expected them to corner him sooner or later but not in this manner. Ambushing him in his office and asking him to represent a stranger a couple of weeks after their reunion was quite unexpected to say the least.

"You can't just..." He tried desperately to come up with an excuse, something to distract them while he took a moment to analyze the situation. The yawn he had to squash before it escaped from his lips was not helping him stay focused. "Y-You're the detective in charge, you cannot go around finding a lawyer so willy-nilly! There are protocols!"

Makoto turned back to stare at the detective, his eyes widening at the fact that she took the opportunity to get closer.

Was she always this tall? Frozen by the intensity of her gaze, he stood still as both Byakuya and Kyoko approached slowly, cornering him.

"Are there?" The detective crossed her arms, leaning forward slightly, daring him to reject their plea.

"Do inform us of these protocols and how it relates to you avoiding our demand for help." The former heir did the same, more effectively making him feel small due to their varying height.

Blushing intensely, the shorter man avoided their gazes. "I..." He wanted some time to think, not to be pressured into agreeing to help! And the invisible being's crass remarks were not helping either!

As the two took another step closer, Makoto panicked. Quickly finding an opening, he ran past Kyoko and headed to the other side of the room. It would have been a clean getaway if it wasn't for a fold in the rug which, coupled with his tiredness from the stressful day, caused him to trip and fall.

The two other real people in the room stood frozen, not expecting his sudden movement before one huffed "Get up." and the other asked in concern "Are you alright?"

When the other's murmured "Ow" reached their ears, the two tried to approach the fallen man to help him up. They were unaware, however, that their image changed for a split second into those of their nightmarish counterparts causing Makoto to freak out internally and skitter backwards.

Startled at his panicked expression, Kyoko and Byakuya froze where they stood while Makoto reached his desk and stood behind it, acting as if it was a barrier between them.

The lawyer cleared his throat after a few seconds as he stared at the window to his right. His mortification at the past few minutes’ events was so strong that he avoided looking in the others' direction, instead opting to keep their reflections in his line of sight. "Just... tell me about your client." When there was no response, he let through some of his exhaustion in his tone as he added. "Please."

The taller blonde hesitated for a split second, letting the detective take the reins in the conversation. "As previously stated, an old friend is in dire need of a defense attorney. The trial is tomorrow and I have the evidence ready for you. If you take the case, of course."

Makoto nodded as he was finally able to analyze their situation without feeling pressured. Boldened by both the distance between them and the obstacle keeping the two from getting too close again, he responded. "You do realize I can't just accept a case like that, right? I don't even know who–"

"Oh? I don't recall not knowing the identity of your client being an issue when you accepted my case." Byakuya interrupted with a roll of his eyes. "You have clearly been avoiding us the past fortnight and that extends to the wrongfully detained person who needs your help. If it were anyone else seeking your services, you would have accepted without a second thought."

Makoto stayed silent, his lack of response enough to prove the taller man right.

Byakuya wasn't done, however. His old temper was coming back with a vengeance as the hurt he experienced once he realized Makoto had been ignoring them for days resurfaced. "We've been patient, going along with this... delusion of yours." His fist closed so tightly that veins were popping out. "It's time to stop this charade, Ma–"

"Komaru Naegi is in danger." Kyoko cut the taller man swiftly, an expression of frustration on her face being visible for a second before it turned stoic once again and she closed her eyes. "She's an old friend, someone who we care for deeply. Someone who lost her brother years ago and has been searching for him ever since. Someone..." She opened her eyes and stared intensely at the lawyer in front of her. "Who needs a source of Hope right now."

"Ah, so that's what it was.” A mocking giggle escaped from the annoying blonde’s lips. “It’s not about what you specifically can do but what the Ultimate Hope can.” It wasn’t like that at all; he knew that, but- “They need empty promises and platitudes from their doormat boyfriend. It really is such a shame they haven’t taken a moment to take your feelings into consideration, don't you think?"

Makoto's lips formed a straight line, his stare unfocused as he processed the woman's words.

"All she needs is a defense attorney. That's all we're here for. We would like to request your services and help her be found innocent." Kyoko continued. Her expression and tone softened as she noticed the conflict in hazel eyes.

"We'll pay you." Byakuya gritted out, uncomfortable. Whether it was because of being interrupted by the woman at his side or the previously mentioned visible conflict on the shorter man's face was up to anyone's guess. "Double. Upfront."

The detective sent him an unamused glance. It seemed that his calm and collected persona was only present when talking to strangers and friends or whenever he was in control of the conversation. But seeing as trying to convince Makoto to help them needed to be done delicately, he was acting like a fish out of water, unable to connect to the other at an emotional level like the lavender haired woman at his side could.

Said thing would normally not be a problem, of course. The two had grown closer during the past eight years and therefore knew when one was more suitable for partaking in a conversation than the other. But Makoto’s presence was throwing a wrench into their dynamic; as they had come to find out, the shorter man was different from the one they had known. Not by much but having to be mindful of their words around the former Ultimate Luckster was not something either had had to do before.

"...Komaru isn't here." Makoto spoke up hesitantly as his gaze turned back towards the two taller people. "She should be safe back in..." The words died in his throat, unable to finish his statement. Where was she supposed to be? Back in Towa City? Or had she moved into the apartment he and Hiro had acquired for everyone? Maybe even somewhere completely different? The realization that he had walked away from his sister and knew nothing about her sent a pang of hurt through his heart.

"She arrived earlier today, to see you." Kyoko admitted. "We got caught up in a murder incident and she was arrested."

"Which is why she needs your help. If payment is an issue, rest assured I will have it covered." Byakuya huffed, gaining more confidence as the conversation moved back towards Komaru's current predicament.

There was a pause where the two ambassadors looked at each other, hoping that what they just revealed would be enough to convince the shorter man.

"I... understand." Makoto's words attracted their undivided attention.

Unbeknownst to them, however, the defense attorney wasn't answering them but rather his unwanted companion, who had been trying to convince him to ignore Komaru's plight the whole time by poking at his insecurities and fears.

Makoto sighed as he looked away from the intangible blonde hugging him from the side. "Unfortunately, I'm rather busy, so I can't help you."

With those words, their hope shattered, shocked hurt and confused skepticism taking over Kyoko and Byakuya, respectively.

"That's what I thought." The phantom smiled sharply.

"Busy? With what, exactly? I was under the impression that your previous case has just been resolved." Byakuya raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms, reigning in his emotions and accidentally letting slip that they had been keeping tabs on him.

"I have... an appointment in a few minutes." Makoto answered distractedly, not noticing the slip up as he rubbed the scar in his right hand. "Depending on how it goes, I might not be able to help you."

"What could possibly–" "We'll wait then."

Byakuya was getting more and more frustrated, both with the fact that his old friend refused to help them and the detective's continuous interruptions.

"I... It will take a while." The lawyer gritted out as his companion dug her nails in his scalp as her tone turned threatening. "I admire your persistence but surely you must see that it would be more beneficial to look for another available lawyer."

Unfortunately for him, neither of his old friends were willing to compromise on the situation. "We've heard of your exploits. A lawyer with an uncanny ability to find the true culprits and pressure them into confessing their crimes. With a talent of explaining how the murders occurred with as little resources as possible. That... is who you are. We've heard of Haste's case; if you were able to get the defendant acquitted after taking over her old lawyer minutes before the trial started, surely Komaru's case should be pretty straightforward."

"That one was a fluke." Makoto answered Kyoko as he clenched his fists in frightened frustration. "If you've done your research then you've also heard of Motleigh's case or the most recent Aberse murder. Those didn't end with a happy ending, I'm afraid."

"Are you arguing then, that you are not a capable lawyer? Even after we've seen your mental prowess firsthand?" Byakuya challenged.

"I'm saying..." He took a deep breath, unwilling to get worked up over the two asking for his help. After a second, he managed to properly formulate a response. "That there are better choices out there. Have you not tried the Wright Anything Agency? The office is full of capable lawyers... and magicians too, if that's something you'd be interested in." He added, hoping to move the conversation away from his unwillingness to help them.

"Magicians?" The blonde ambassador's expression turned confused before he shook his head and focused on the conversation.

Makoto shrugged, desperately hoping his distraction would work. "You never know when you might need one. Besides, I've heard Ms. Wright is quite talented. You should go see one of her shows while you're in the country."

"We appreciate the offer." Kyoko stopped his attempts to derail the conversation as she stepped closer, making Makoto retreat even further. "And we'll check one of her shows whenever we have the time. Going back to the topic at hand, however, we wanted to contact you first, as we have personal experience with seeing your work."

"And I'm flattered really, but," The sharp smile on a blonde’s face reminded him of the threat she had promised to carry out. He bit his lip in thought as he avoided looking in said being’s direction. "It's important to have a Plan B."

Byakuya and Kyoko shared a bewildered glance, rather befuddled that Makoto refused to help his sister. The idea of trying to convince him by changing his focus to helping someone else occurred to the blonde, who crossed his arms. "Where is your assistant?"

Dumbfounded, the other took a few seconds to remember her whereabouts before narrowing his eyes. "Busy with a previous engagement. Why...?" He answered apprehensively, unknowing what Byakuya could possibly want with Tsumugi. Did they realize…?

"Said 'previous engagement' wouldn't happen to take place at the festival organized by the Ultimate University for the Gifted, would it?"

Thankfully, the two remained unaware of her real identity. It would have made Makoto sigh in relief if it wasn’t for the implication behind Byakuya’s response. Pale faced, Makoto muttered. "How did you...?"

The tall blonde continued with a smirk, knowing he had the upper hand. "That's where the incident took place. Wasn't she participating in the festivities? Have you confirmed she is alright?"

"Ts–Loth can take her of herself. I'm sure she is fine." The shorter man started to sweat at the other's icy gaze turning less and less sympathetic.

Byakuya rolled his eyes at Makoto's response while Kyoko took notice of his slip up. "You cannot be serious right now. The threat against both your sister and assistant is not enough to get you to accept Komaru's case?" The CEO huffed.

The lawyer fiddled with the hair band on the back of his head as he looked out his window uncomfortably. He did his best not to react as his unwanted companion started fantasizing about the worst-case scenarios and telling him all the gruesome details.

"So that's your answer." Kyoko broke the uncomfortable silence once she realized the other had begun to close off. "'No.'"

Makoto's silence spoke for himself. Somehow, his refusal to answer them verbally stung more than if he had proclaimed said refusal out loud.

"It seems we were mistaken." The tall blonde stated scathingly, standing upright as he stared at the shorter man with contempt. "We had believed you were a man who cared for those he loved. But all you've shown us is the opposite."

Makoto flinched slightly and looked at his reflection in the window in response to the other's words. Kyoko stood silent, not interrupting Byakuya's tirade as she was still processing the surprising turn of events.

"Excuse us, Mr. Plensait, while we look for a lawyer that actually cares." Byakuya spat out, his voice hostile with a twinge of hurt, before he turned around and quickly exited the office.

Amidst the uncomfortable silence, the lavender haired detective cleared her throat.

"In case you change your mind," Kyoko took out her notebook and wrote something on a new page. Looking in the lawyer's direction, she ripped the page out and left it on his desk. "Please contact us."

As Makoto glanced at the paper from the corner of his eye with a slight frown, she added. "And don't lose it this time."

She then hesitated for a second before retrieving something from her jacket and leaving it next to the note. The sound of heeled boots then faded away, followed by a door closing softly.

Makoto closed his eyes as he let out a deep sigh. He had messed up, he knew it. They had put their trust in him, believing that he would drop everything to save his sister but–

After his recent failure, he had been reminded that he was not infallible.

"Was it a failure? You caught the criminal didn't you?" The blonde approached from somewhere on his right and put one hand on his shoulder and the other over his hand still on the back of his hair. She then proceeded to soften her tone. "A murder is a murder. People that take another's life should be brought to justice, regardless of their reasoning."

We are not talking about that right now. He declared mentally as he lowered his arms, the clenching of fists coming back as he frowned softly. He would rather not be reminded of said unfortunate incident for the time being, Komaru’s plight was more important at the moment.

The phantom wasn't done tormenting him, however. "I wonder. If your sister was in real danger, if she had actually killed someone... What would you do? Would you defend her with all you got? Or would you find her acquitted despite knowing she was a filthy murderer?"

Unfortunately for the defense attorney, his unwanted companion was getting better at getting under his skin. "It doesn't matter because she would never kill someone." Makoto opened his eyes, a determined hazel pair staring at another blue pair filled with mirth.

"How do you know that?" An intangible arm wrapped around his neck as her tone turned mocking. "You won't even take poor Komaru's case, despite the fact you supposedly believe in her innocence wholeheartedly. If you truly thought she was incapable of murder then you'd have accepted the lovebirds' proposal."

He stepped away, the arms passing through his body making him shiver. Quickly turning towards the phantom, he narrowed his eyes. "You were the one who–"

"Ah, but I can't do anything, now can I?” The blonde interrupted with a smirk. “I'm not even real! I can threaten you all I want but," She approached slowly, and even though he knew she wasn't the real person, Makoto found himself scrambling away. In the back of his mind he realized the irony of being more scared of this intangible being than he was of anybody else, including his old friends. "Every little thing you've blamed me for, every action you've taken per my request, every consequence that will befall dear Komaru. Well..." The blonde towered over the other, the playful eyes and sharp smile sending a shiver of terror down his spine. Her next words came out softer, almost as if a whisper. "News flash~ It's all on you~"

Makoto tripped once again when trying to take another step backwards, falling down and hitting his head on the wall behind him. Unable to move his terrified gaze away from the despairful being, he stared frozen at the cackling blonde, her swirling eyes and wide smile being all he could focus on. His survival instinct was urging him to block his ears though somewhere in the back of his mind, he acknowledged that ultimately, it would make no difference.

Amidst the deafening laughter, the sound of someone clearing their throat caught his attention.

Chapter Text

Grabbing onto the sound like a lifeline, Makoto turned his panicked gaze towards the one who cleared their throat, focusing on the other as he desperately tried to ignore the blonde towering over him.

Barely audible footsteps approached slowly, the taller figure passing by his desk and kneeling swiftly. The sudden smell of chocolate reached him, his stomach growling and giving him a much needed distraction.

The other person held the petit four closer, prompting Makoto to hesitantly reach towards the chocolate covered biscuit. Once they left it in his hand, he whispered a quick gratitude before devouring the confection.

To say it was the tastiest thing he had eaten in a while would be an understatement. Though he would have probably said the same had it been any other food that was offered. With his hunger satiated for now, he sighed in relief. Said sentiment then turned into mortification as he focused on a pair of red and green eyes.

"... Sorry about that." He murmured, rubbing the back of his head.

Hajime stayed silent, merely raising an eyebrow imperceptibly as he straightened up, offering a hand to the shorter man.

After helping him stand up, the taller man took a step backwards. Makoto, meanwhile, looked away from the brunette in front of him, rubbed the back of his head and muttered a sincere "Thanks..."

There was no response though he wasn't bothered by it; the first Ultimate Hope was someone who spoke no more than necessary, after all. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, however; which, coupled with a teasing comment from the phantom, made Makoto feel the need to clarify. "For both helping me up and the food."

"I believe that last gratitude should be made to detective Kirigiri." At the shorter man's noise of confusion, Hajime elaborated. "The petit four was left on the desk next to her contact information. It seems she had noticed your hunger and wished to rectify said issue."

The lawyer could only let out a soft "Oh..." as a soft blush adorned his cheeks, both due to the thoughtful gesture and the reminder of how said confection was given to him. "If we could just... ignore the whole 'finding me on the floor' situation that would be great." He smiled sheepishly.

The other simply crossed his arms, expecting the opposite of him. And though Makoto was in no mood to acknowledge said situation, he knew that the talk Hajime was expecting them to have was inevitable. So, with a sigh, he let his shoulders drop with exhaustion.

When the taller man moved a few steps backwards and sat down elegantly on one of the couches, he had no choice but to follow his example. Striding apprehensively to the couch opposite the brunette's, Makoto sat down heavily and smiled nervously.

A few uncomfortable seconds passed before the more talented of the two took pity on him and guided the conversation. "Tell me about your day." He ordered stoically.

Makoto groaned, thankful that at least the state in which the other had found him in would not be acknowledged for a bit longer. "It's not been the best, I'll admit. The trial was a mess, I didn't get anything to eat after its conclusion because I was too busy helping our neighbor and then I received your message. I was hoping for a short conversation before taking a nap but as soon as I arrive, Kyoko and Byakuya corner me and tell me Komaru's here and that she's been arrested–" He let out a tired exhale. His statement had gotten faster the further he talked, revealing how stressed he had actually been from the exhausting day.

His phone emitted a notification sound. The shorter man was about to take it out and read the new message when it suddenly disappeared from his hand. Looking around, he found his device in the man with heterochromia's hand, who promptly left it in the end table closest to him and raised an eyebrow.

'No distractions' his gaze read. Makoto resisted the urge to pout childishly as he nodded tiredly to show he would not try to take his phone back. Instead, he admitted with a whisper. "I just don't know what to do."

The brunette hummed. "It is a complicated situation." He acquiesced. "But you've been doing fine so far despite... an annoying setback."

"Annoying setback, huh?" Makoto repeated softly as he stared at an amused blonde, who had thankfully calmed down in the talented man's presence. That's one way to call the whole situation.

"Have you figured out what to do with your sister’s predicament?" Hajime questioned once the other's hazel gaze turned back towards him.

The shorter man pondered for a moment. Now that he wasn't being pressured into answering, he could take the time to analyze his sister's situation. She had been arrested for murder on the same day she arrived in the country, with Kyoko taking over the investigation, as the lavender haired detective had previously stated. He doubted Komaru was the killer but had no way of knowing how much evidence was stacked against her.

Huh. Déjà vu… First Byakuya now Komaru. Hopefully none of his old friends ended up in the same predicament later on too.

The similarities between the two cases aside, he knew what the correct answer to Hajime's question would be but was still hesitant. "Not yet. I want to take her case but I'm... scared. Of hurting her."

"Again~"

Makoto rolled his eyes at the phantom's unwelcome input.

Hajime closed his eyes. "Remind me again. Why did you leave?" At the lawyer's noise of confusion, he clarified. "What was your motive?"

Feeling cold hands rest on his shoulders, as well as looking at long blonde hair falling from somewhere above him, Makoto shut his eyes and flinched. "...To make sure they weren't hurt."

"A selfless act that hurt everyone involved." The brunette nodded. "An unfortunate but necessary evil. Correct?" After a moment of hesitation, the shorter man agreed. "Then tell me, have your feelings changed? Do you still care about them?"

Opening his eyes in shock, Makoto stared at the other with his mouth hung open. "I– How could– Of course I do!" Appalled at the idea that he had somehow stopped caring about his friends and family, Makoto stood up and started pacing, leaving the blonde phantom by the couch. "I didn't want to hurt them at all! It's just–"

Hajime opened his eyes slowly, following the shorter man's movements. He raised an eyebrow in challenge as he uttered. "Then why are you planning on running away again?"

Makoto paused. With wide eyes, he rapidly turned towards the still-seated man. "I'm not..." When the brunette leaned forward slightly, he averted hazel eyes and admitted. "The thought has crossed my mind. But that was before! I just needed time, I wasn't really going to leave!"

The taller man remarked. "You spent time alone with Kirigiri and Togami, did you not?" Before the other could come up with excuses, Hajime continued. "And nothing happened. It seems you are just avoiding them because of shame, not due to a desire to protect them."

Can't it be both? Makoto remained silent, however, knowing the other wasn't looking for his input.

"I believe the last time we had a conversation like this, you argued against leaving. Why are you now doing the opposite? What is the difference between the events of eight years ago and now?"

"Seriously? You of all people ask me that?" A narrowed gaze in his direction let him know he didn't make a good job at staying silent. "I mean... I think it's obvious?" He amended, gesturing around him as he grimaced.

Hajime crossed his arms as he concluded. "It's getting stronger again then." Makoto nodded in agreement as he dodged the phantom's nails, who had approached during their conversation and attempted to grab his arm.

A tense silence settled between the two as the taller man took the time to analyze the situation. Two different colored eyes settled on the shorter man, who squirmed uncomfortably at the other's intense gaze. The atmosphere turned more and more awkward the more Hajime stayed silent.

Right before Makoto was about to disrupt the silence by asking the other about his trip, the brunette unexpectedly inquired about the phantom's actions.

Surprised at the question, Makoto glanced in her direction while emitting a confused "Uhh..." as he found her farther away, sitting next to the brunette and mockingly imitating his serious posture. "I– She's not really doing anything, just–"

"'She'?" Hajime interrupted.

Makoto turned towards him, finding a bored look on his face. If he hadn't spent so much time in the past with Kyoko and Byakuya and identifying their microexpressions, as well as polishing said skills to be used in court, he would have missed the slight frown the tall brunette sported.

"I... Jun– err, she doesn't like it when I call her an 'it'." He explained sheepishly.

The taller man narrowed his eyes further, imperceptibly. He leaned forward and spoke in his monotonous voice. "I believe we've talked about avoiding listening to the parasite."

"You teach a man the Despair of killing and he ends up calling you a parasite." The phan–parasite draped her‐itself over the other as it sighed. "You think you know a guy..." Then turned towards him and winked. "Careful with those thoughts~"

He shuddered at the intense gaze and sharp smile. "Easier said than done..." He muttered.

Hajime stood up and took a step forwards, unintentionally hiding the blonde from view. "You have to at least try."

Makoto couldn't help but feel offended. It seemed the talented brunette was under the impression that he had given up trying to control the phantom but that wasn't the case at all! He didn't listen to it as much anymore!

Though there was a reason he wasn't so keen on referring to the other as an object. "I... can feel when it–she digs her nails in." He admitted then corrected himself once said phantom popped up behind Hajime with her sharp nails in full view, her closed off expression terrifying as pink oozed from her form.

The brunette's eyes narrowed in thought. "You failed to mention that in your message." His tone was that of a disappointed parent, making Makoto feel worse.

He had a good excuse in the fact that it had been a recent development and that the bluenette had been unaware of said fact when she contacted Hajime for updates. But he figured the taller man would not care about his explanation, so he stayed silent.

After a few seconds of mocking laughter that only one of the occupants in the room could hear, Hajime sighed. "Does it speak?" When Makoto nodded, he continued in his monotone voice. "We'll figure it out. Appease... her for now but keep in mind what I've just told you." He gestured in the phantom’s direction, more than likely figuring out her position from Makoto’s quick glances at her.

"Aww... I knew we were best buds!" The blonde exclaimed as she turned back to her normal non-bloody form and hugged the brunette from behind. Meanwhile, Makoto sighed in relief, knowing that he was safe from her sharp nails for a little bit longer.

"It goes without saying that you should at least try and control her." The man with heterochromia added. Once the younger man promised to do said thing, Hajime crossed his arms. "There's something else, what is it?"

Blinking slowly, Makoto let out a soft laugh. He had spent a year living with the other man and he still was nowhere near figuring out how to fool him. With a sheepish grin, he admitted. "I don't want Tsumugi to get involved with... all of this. But I don't even know what this is."

The other closed his eyes for a few seconds before demanding. "Elaborate."

The shorter man rubbed the back of his neck. "We found a tablet during the investigation for Byakuya's trial." As he spoke, the taller man was already moving towards the cabinet the backpack had been put in, somehow knowing the contents of his backpack and the whereabouts of said object. "There's a message in there that we haven't deciphered yet, but–"

"You don't want to be involved either." When Makoto gained a guilty expression, Hajime added. "There's no shame in admitting you wish to be left out of whatever mess Kirigiri and Togami have found themselves tangled in."

It still took a few seconds before the lawyer sighed and admitted his feelings on the matter. "I don't know... I want to help them but what if I make things worse? They were followed, possibly hunted too and now Komaru..." With no way to express his feelings of frustration, worry and terror, he ended up stating, determined. "If I end up getting tangled in whatever they have going on, I want to make sure it's only me and not her."

Hajime brought the backpack over to Makoto's desk. Taking the journal out, he skimmed through it before turning the tablet on and taking a peek at the message.

"I will take care of it." The talented man stated with a visible frown, both items disappearing from view as he pocketed them somewhere. Before Makoto could sigh in relief and thank him, as well as ask for his assistant's well-being, the brunette continued. "But you must attend the trial."

The lawyer's eyes widened as he spluttered. "H-Hey! I haven't decided–"

"You have. I will only offer my help if you follow my instructions. Be present at the trial tomorrow at ten in the morning." Two different colored eyes stared intensely into hazel ones. "Do not try to skip it. I will know."

The two looked at Makoto's phone, which was still untouched on the end table, meaningfully. Both were deeply aware of the program on it that monitored his movements and that could easily be accessed by the taller man.

"Ponder this question." Once Makoto turned back towards Hajime, the brunette continued. "Will your sister not be hurt if you refuse to intervene? Wouldn't that make your whole sacrifice worthless?" At the other's hesitation, he added in a firmer tone. "There are a myriad of lawyers that would take one glance at her case and give up. The trial will be stacked against her and the chances of her innocence being proven are minimal, keep that in mind."

The shorter man hugged himself as he pondered. Finding a lawyer for tomorrow's trial was going to be easy for his old friends. The chances of them finding a good lawyer, however...

He really hoped they listened to his suggestion. The Wright Anything Agency had two highly capable lawyers that would take Komaru's case without a second thought; there was a slight issue in the fact that due to their renown, they were very sought after, but they'd make do. Right?

"I just want her to be safe." The shorter man admitted. "Kyoko and Byakuya getting hurt is bad enough but if something happens to my sister..."

"It already did. She's been arrested, hasn't she?"

Makoto swatted his hand in her direction. He had really hoped she would stay silent while he analyzed the situation. Alas, as stated beforehand, he had no control over her.

The taller man approached the other, bending slightly and putting a hand on his shoulder once he was close enough. Staring into hazel eyes, Hajime reassured with conviction. "As long as you have Hope, everything will be alright.”

Chapter Text

Makoto took a deep breath as he checked his phone for the time, the screen displaying '9:50 AM'. Knowing he was right on time, he entered the District Court and headed to the correct courtroom.

Last night had been rough though not as bad as the previous days, thankfully. Sleeping on the couch in his office had been rather comfortable but the nightmares woke him up rather early in the day. At least it gave him time to run back to his apartment, get a shower and eat a bit of the curry that Tsumugi had procured from their nosy neighbor when she arrived late last night.

Finding her asleep on the apartment's couch, he decided to let her rest, knowing the busy day she had had due to the police's interrogation of the murder incident. Leaving a note for when the bluenette woke up explaining where he had been plus promising to buy her the Steel Samurai collection she had been eyeing for getting Mrs. Drow's curry, he quietly left the apartment and headed to the District Court.

And now here he was, sitting at the very end of the gallery seats. Makoto looked around for signs of his old friends, finding Byakuya sitting in the front row and no sign of Kyoko; he figured she was likely waiting for her cue to take the stand.

Letting out a soft exhale, he scanned the rest of the courtroom. The Judge was set to arrive soon and he was curious on who they had gotten to represent his sister.

A peek at the prosecution and defense's benches had him widening his eyes. The prosecutor in charge was a familiar brunette but in the defense bench there was...

"Court is now in session for the trial of Komaru Naegi."

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Sebastian spoke up hesitantly.

"Where is the defense?" The Judge asked once he realized said bench was empty.

"It seems they... haven't arrived yet." The prosecutor tried explaining though it was obvious he had no idea either.

The old man hummed appraisingly. "I have a very important engagement I need to take care of so I will give the defense two minutes to arrive. What evidence does the prosecution have prepared?"

Sebastian startled, his ahoge extending and resembling an exclamation mark. "Oh! Umm... the prosecution has prepared the police's findings as well as a key witness who claims to have seen the moment of the murder." He admitted, bending his baton with more confidence the more he talked.

"And they claim with certainty that the young lady over there is the killer." When the prosecutor agreed with his statement, the Judge continued. "If the defense fails to arrive then I'm afraid the court will have to proceed without them. Unless the prosecution requests a continuance?"

The brunette in the prosecution's bench bit his lip in thought; anxiously bending his baton, he sighed. "The prosecution is willing to continue with the trial."

What?! There was no way the Judge was actually going to give his verdict without the defense, right?

"Would you look at that? You don't even have to fail at proving her innocence. At least you won't have to see poor Komaru's face when she is found guilty! Go old man!" The blonde at his side cackled.

Makoto knew what he had to do but was still hesitant. Defending Byakuya was one thing but defending Komaru was another. When he accepted the former's case, he had no idea who the defendant was going to be, plus the fact that the Chief Prosecutor himself had asked for his help made it impossible for him to refuse. But this time he knew who the defendant was and the idea of being the one who failed her was terrifying.

Can't forget about the threat against her either… He took a quick glance at the phantom sprawled on the bench, whose mocking smirk widened once she met his gaze.

"It seems the defense has failed to show up." The Judge pronounced, gaining the attention of the entire courtroom and making whispers rise up from the audience. "Can the prosecution give the opening statement?" He demanded.

Komaru let out a terrified exhale as she looked for her two friends who promised to find her help. Kyoko was nowhere in sight though it wasn't hard to imagine she would have stared back with a frown, analyzing the situation. Byakuya meanwhile crossed his arms firmly, frustration evident in his posture. He opened his mouth, ready to interject to the Judge's decision and request more time when a shout gained the attention of the courtroom.

"Hold it!"

The defense attorney shouted as he ran towards the defense bench. Trying his hardest not to stare at the brunette who'd be his client, he tried not to let his exhaustion from the mad run he had to make be apparent.

"That was quite the delay, Mr. Plensait." The Judge frowned, shaking his head in disappointment.

"I apologize, Your Honor." Makoto smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "I had something to take care of first but I arrived as soon as I could. It won't happen again."

Hajime was right. I can't lose what Hope I have left. Komaru needs me now and I refuse to hurt her again.

As the old man finished reprimanding him, a sharp gasp caught his attention. Knowing from whom it came from, he took a peek at the one responsible from the corner of his eye.

Komaru stared back, standing with her mouth open as she tried desperately to form words.

"Defendant, please sit down." The Judge's words startled her. If the way she looked around wildly right after was any indication, she had forgotten her whereabouts after catching sight of her missing brother. Taking a moment to process the old man's words, the younger Naegi then hesitated for a second before a nod from the blonde CEO in the audience made her do as ordered.

Feeling his sister's intense green stare remain on him, Makoto focused on the prosecutor in front of him. "I am truly sorry for the wait. You can continue with the proceedings."

Sebastian smiled back nervously. "Are you caught up with the evidence?"

The defense attorney hesitated. He was about to sheepishly admit that he wasn't when he took a step backwards, his foot making contact with an object on the floor. Looking down, he found a folder filled with papers.

Who left this here? He reached downwards to pick up the object. Once in his hands, his eyes widened in shock for when he opened the folder to take a quick glance, he was greeted with information about the case.

"I'm all good." Makoto smiled sheepishly in the prosecutor's direction as he tried to decipher which of the two people in his mind left the folder just sitting on the defense's bench.

Kyoko did say she had the evidence ready but she hasn't entered the courtroom yet. Plus now that I'm thinking about it, was the folder even there when I got here? Could it have been planted afterwards?

Said thoughts made him realize who had left the folder for him. It could only be one person, and the note left on the back of the folder confirmed his suspicions.

[The other defense attorney will not arrive. All the information the detective had provided for them has been compiled in these pages. -H]

So they actually got a lawyer… Makoto realized. But Hajime interfered. He was not surprised that the brunette had somehow planned everything out though the statement of the previous lawyer not arriving had him concerned on said person, were they okay?

"In that case, the opening statement if you please, Mr. Debeste." The Judge ordered, snapping Makoto out of his thoughts.

The brunette kept his perplexed gaze on the lawyer in front of him for a few seconds before he cleared his throat and straightened up. Extending his baton in a dramatic fashion, he declared. "The victim was Stu Peaks, a visitor at the festival organized by the Ultimate University for the Gifted. The defendant, Komaru Naegi, was seen looming over the victim's dead body."

The short man sent a mental apology to the mysterious previous lawyer, as well as a small prayer that his tall brunette friend hadn't done anything drastic. Analyzing the prosecutor's statement in his mind, he realized the name sounded familiar. Stu Peaks... where have I heard that name before?

"Let's continue then. The prosecution may now call on their first witness." The Judge announced after a thoughtful nod.

Knowing he had a few moments before said witness took the stand, Makoto quickly scanned the contents of the folder.

First, there was the Autopsy Report.

Cause of death: Blood loss. The victim was discovered on the 3rd floor of the Criminology Department at 1:10 PM.
Additional wounds include various cuts and stabs all over the victim's body. These wounds were made post-mortem. The victim also received a blow on the right temple.

Grimacing at the brutality of the crime, Makoto closed his eyes for a second. Sure, he had been witness to a lot of gruesome crime scenes ever since the Killing Game and was now, unfortunately, used to them. But it did not mean he enjoyed said scenes; if anything, he wished he was still surprised by how cruel people could be.

Before the negative thoughts could consume him, he turned to the next page, which ended up being a photo. The image was that of a Chef's knife; it had a tag of some sort attached to the handle with a string. Speaking of, the handle was rather ornate though whatever fancy sentiment it was supposed to convey was ruined by the drops of blood that managed to land on it; the blade, meanwhile, was slightly rusty and fully covered in blood. Suffice to say, there was no doubt this knife was the murder weapon.

Finally, there was a list of names. Quickly scanning the first batch of names, he realized he recognized only three of them. Two being those of his detective friend and sister. The third one, Terrance Oak Theo Dehan, seemed familiar but, just like with the name of the victim, he could not remember where he had heard it before.

It seems to be of people involved with the murder. Kyoko would be there as the detective in charge while Komaru would be there as the... potential killer. Maybe the rest are witnesses?

Regardless, there was no more information hiding in the folder. With a nod, he passed the folder to his assistant so she could compile the information. After feeling no motion of the object being taken from his hands, Makoto blinked rapidly and turned to face Tsumugi.

Ah, right. He put the folder down on the desk once he realized there was no one else on the defense bench. It's just me for this trial.

It wasn't rare for him to have trials without his blue haired assistant at his side. But he was really hoping to have a comforting presence who could help him concentrate on the proceedings around him, one he could rely on when he needed help.

"You got me, though. Am I not enough?" The blonde took her place where the other woman would usually stand, dramatically leaning on the bench as she batted her eyelashes with a mocking grin.

Shuddering, Makoto turned back to the folder in his hands, muttering in disgust. "I'm fine by myself."

Luckily, or unluckily, depending on the perspective one looked at the situation, the first witness arrived with the sound of heeled boots and an icy glare aimed at the man on the prosecutor's bench, leaving no time for the phantom to continue her pestering.

"Witness, state your name and occupation." Sebastian requested.

"Kyoko Kirigiri, homicide detective." The lavender haired woman stated with crossed arms.

To Makoto's chagrin, her gaze narrowed even more once she confirmed his presence in the defense bench. A slight raise of an eyebrow betrayed her confusion on why Makoto was standing in the place where the lawyer they must have hired at the last minute should have been. To say he was not looking forward to both her and Byakuya's interrogation later on would be an understatement.

As he was trying to come up with an excuse of where their lawyer went (which was rather tricky as he himself had no idea), an annoying voice interrupted his thoughts. "Oh, you are done for~"

Giving Kyoko a sheepish smile, the short man turned his gaze elsewhere, hoping Sebastian would take the focus away from himself.

His luck was on his side for once, as the prosecutor asked for Kyoko's findings, prompting her to close her eyes as she focused back on the trial.

"The incident occurred in the Criminology Department during yesterday's festival. The victim was found stabbed to death in one of the classrooms on the third floor."

With one less glaring pair of eyes, Makoto relaxed slightly, finally feeling comfortable partaking in the trial. "That's rather bold. Were there no teachers around?" He muttered.

"The building was empty at the time, as both teachers and students were busy with the festivities." Kyoko explained though not before giving him a pointed look that exclaimed ‘We’ll talk about this later’. "When the murder occurred, only three people aside from the victim were known to occupy the building."

"In other words, one of those is the culprit." Sebastian stated, tapping his baton against his hand before pointing at Komaru. "Coincidentally, Komaru Naegi is one of said people."

"Is that all you have?" Makoto frowned, protectiveness draping his words. "The fact that she was in the building?"

Surprised at the slightly hostile tone the other spoke in, Sebastian blinked rapidly and, lowering his arms, he stammered. "Well... no. She was seen dealing the final blow. But we aren't at that part of the testimony yet."

"Mr. Plensait, please refrain from trying to get ahead of the proceedings." The Judge admonished with a frown.

Grimacing slightly, Makoto apologized. I need to be careful. Can't let the Judge regret his decision of letting me be a part of this trial. It was easier said than done, however, as the combination of green and blue glares was making it hard to concentrate. The taunting words of his intangible companion was also making him panic, unwilling to let the awful situation she was imagining come to pass. Suffice to say, he really missed Tsumugi's presence at the moment.

Unaware of the lawyer's conflicting emotions, the Judge ordered. "Begin your cross-examination."

Nodding, Makoto closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. Feeling slightly more centered once he was no longer seeing the people he left behind at the corner of his eyes, he opened his eyes and focused on one of them. "What can you tell me about the victim?"

Kyoko snapped out of her musings. Uncrossing her arms, her gaze softened though her firm tone remained. "Two weeks ago, he was a witness to an incident which you may recall: The murder at Hope Springs Airport."

That's right… The memory of a smiling pink haired man appeared in his mind. He remembered him now as one of the ramp agents he had talked to in the evening of the first trial day. He mourned the loss of Peak's life and promised to find justice for him.

With determination, the lawyer opened his mouth to continue with the cross-examination but was interrupted by an intrigued exclamation.

"Oh!" The Judge raised his eyebrows. Someone's feeling oddly chatty today, huh? "The one where the other ambassador stuffed a body in his suitcase. You were the lead detective for that case, were you not?" He remarked, referring to the incident Kyoko had mentioned.

Though irked by the old man's insinuation that Byakuya was involved with the murder plot, Kyoko's frustration only showed through a slight closing of her fist. Still, she retained her impassive tone as she concurred with the Judge's recollection.

While said man started reminiscing about the trial, Makoto took the chance to take a peek at the subject in question. To his surprise, he found Byakuya unaffected by the Judge's words. He actually seemed unaware of the fact the others were talking about him, as the blonde was instead looking at him with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow over concerned blue eyes.

Blushing at the intensity of his gaze, the defense attorney turned back to the court's proceedings. I didn't expect to see him so... calm, especially after yesterday. Guess he has calmed down from that easily irritated Byakuya I used to know.

Unfortunately, his thought caught the attention of his unwanted companion, who sported a Cheshire grin as she started her taunting once more, this time mocking his feelings for the blonde and reminding him that people change, for both better and worse. "Just like you~" She finished with a wink.

"Regardless," His saving grace came in the form of Kyoko who, tired of the Judge's ramblings and lack of action from both the attorney and prosecutor, decided to take matters into her own hands. Interrupting the old man, she continued with her testimony. "Peaks was released from questioning and did not appear in court. Two weeks later, he was found dead, murdered in cold blood."

Grimacing at the bluntness of her statement, Sebastian turned towards the lawyer on the other side of the room and asked. "Is that enough for you, Plensait?"

Makoto pondered for a second before conceding. "For now it is. Thank you, detective."

Kyoko nodded, awaiting his next question. After analyzing her testimony in his mind, he realized there was an issue with the location of the body. "What was the victim doing all the way on the third floor?"

The detective in purple did her equivalent of a shrug, which was a combination of crossed arms and a slightly narrowed gaze. "It is unknown at the moment. It is confirmed that the victim was lured and killed in the empty classroom, however, as no other evidence was found outside of said room."

Tilting his head slightly, Makoto frowned as he noticed her hesitation on her last statement. Knowing Kyoko wouldn't keep secrets in such an important case for no good reason, he decided to let it slide, trusting her judgement.

Instead of pressing her statement, he changed the topic of conversation. "You mentioned he was stabbed to death, can you elaborate on that?" At her unimpressed stare, the man realized he needed to be more specific. "What type of weapon was used?"

"As the evidence provided to you portrays," She answered, making Makoto flinch at the reminder he would have to somehow explain how he acquired said evidence. "The murder weapon was a Chef's knife, the wounds around the victim's body match with the knife as well."

Something struck Makoto as odd, something related to those additional wounds on Peaks. Unable to fully grasp what was bothering him for the time being, he instead focused on Kyoko's statement. "The type of knife that was used is rather odd, don't you think? You would have expected to see it in the Culinary Department, for example, more than the Criminology one..."

His voice trailed off as he realized the detective, prosecutor and defendant were sending him incredulous stares. Did he say something wrong?

"You have a photo of the murder weapon, right?" Sebastian asked after an awkward pause.

Confused, Makoto produced said photo and answered. "Yeah?"

"Do you see what's around the handle?" The prosecutor continued with a nervous tone.

Staring at the other for a few seconds, he turned hazel eyes to the photo, looking for the detail Sebastian had pointed out. While his gears were slowly turning in his brain, he answered. "It's a string with a tag attached to it."

"Right! Does the tag look familiar?"

Once his brain finally processed what the prosecutor was getting at, Makoto blushed. The answer was so obvious in hindsight, how did he not notice earlier?!

Still, he had to answer out loud to let his rival know he got what the other was telling him. "It's an evidence tag. In a Criminology classroom. It was taken from the room, wasn't it?"

Sebastian nodded as Kyoko spoke up to explain to the Judge and audience members who still looked confused. "Every classroom has a cabinet filled with various objects. They represent evidence that can be used in mock cases so the students can practice their skills and learn how to properly examine evidence. As the defense stated, the knife came from said cabinet; additional objects used in the murder also came from the classroom."

As the audience started muttering among themselves, Makoto took the opportunity to get rid of the red tint in his cheeks. It was a rather difficult feat as he swore he heard a sigh and mutter of "Oh, big bro..." from the brunette in the defendant's place.

"Order!" The Judge ordered with a smack of his gavel. Once the noise subsided, he turned towards the defense attorney. "I must admit, I never heard of classrooms with cabinets filled with fake evidence. Is this what the education system is now like?"

Why are you asking me? I'm not the one who studied to be a detective here! Still, he did his best to answer. "The Ultimate University for the Gifted is rather peculiar with the way it teaches its students." He gave a nervous smile and a shrug, hoping the old man wouldn't ask for details.

"I see..." The old man closed his eyes and hummed.

With the Judge lost in thought, Makoto took the opportunity to continue his cross-examination. "What other objects were used in the murder?"

Reaching into her jacket, the detective produced a photo, which she passed to the prosecutor so it could be submitted as evidence. "The following picture can bring clarity to your question."

Once submitted, Makoto got a hold of the photo, his eyes widening in shock and horror at the image presented. The victim could be seen lying on the ground, facing upwards over a blood covered floor. His body was wrapped loosely with a rope with an evidence tag. The murder weapon was stabbed through his chest and his limbs were filled with stabs and cuts, with an arm and a leg having objects wrapped around them. A bundle of clothes as well as a piece of tape could be seen slightly out of frame lying next to the man.

"The rope was another object that originated from the cabinet in the classroom." Kyoko explained, answering Makoto’s prior question. "It is rather hard to spot but there is a chair in the background where the victim was tied up. Furthermore, it’s important to note the tape came from the classroom as well."

Narrowing hazel eyes, Makoto spotted the chair the detective had mentioned. It wasn't hard to see how she came to that conclusion, as blood could be seen splattered on the object.

"What other evidence can you submit, Detective?" Sebastian prompted.

The woman's response was to signal to the bailiffs, who brought forward a couple of objects from the image.

"First, wrapped around the victim's body were the following," The first bailiff stepped forward. "A tie wrapped around the victim's arm, specifically two inches from a deep wound." The second bailiff did the same. "And a plastic belt, this one was wrapped directly over a gash on the victim's leg."

Adding her statement to the Court Record, Makoto motioned to the last bailiff, who was holding the bundle of clothes in the picture. "What about those?"

To his surprise, the detective hesitated. Before he had time to be concerned, she crossed her arms with clenched fists and stared intensely in his direction. "These were found next to the victim's body and contain Komaru Naegi's fingerprints."

The bailiff carefully unfolded the clothes, revealing a black blazer over a green hoodie with red detailing. Splatters of blood could be seen all over the garments.

A gasp was caught in the back of Makoto's throat at the realization that the two pieces of clothing were strikingly familiar.

His face paled and his mouth opened in shock. Panicked hazel eyes turned to the detective as he questioned whether the image before him was real.

Purple eyes stared back. The owner gauged his reaction before nodding imperceptibly, confirming that yes, those were indeed the clothes found in the crime scene.

"Now it's getting interesting." A sharp smile greeted him when he turned his gaze away from the evidence presented. "Gotta say, did not expect that. I'm glad you decided to represent that talentless loser you call a sister in the end. Things are finally spicing up!"

Too shocked with the turn of events, Makoto didn't react to her taunting, instead trying to figure out how his clothes worn during the Killing Game made an appearance here. It was a rather faithful recreation, the level of detail that went into the clothes was impressive. If Makoto didn't know any better, he would have assumed they were actually his old clothes. The only difference that stopped said opinion from forming was that these were clearly custom made for a taller person in mind.

Noticing the other needed time to recover, Kyoko spoke up, taking the attention to herself. "Though the origin of the garments is unknown at the moment, I can say with certainty that the defendant did not bring them to the festival herself."

Sebastian nodded thoughtfully. "I assume you checked her backpack for countermands?"

After figuring out the prosecutor meant 'contrabands', Kyoko answered. "Correct. Speaking of, said item had no traces of blood on it, the only things inside were money, identifications and a staggering amount of sweets and reading material. The items were sent for testing but no link to the crime was found."

"Alright." The prosecutor closed his eyes and started leading an invisible orchestra. "Is there anything more you wish to present, Detective?"

Concerned purple eyes turned towards the man on the defense bench, who had slightly recovered and was looking at her in a dazed state. "Those are all the items relevant to the case." She stated.

"Good job, Detective Kirigiri." Sebastian praised before turning to Makoto and dramatically declaring."And so, more evidence of the defendant's guilt is presented. Does the defense wish to claim defeat?"

Ignoring both the newest piece of evidence for now as well as the annoying phantom, the shorter man focused on the man's statement. "Is that really all you got, Mr. Debeste?" Once the prosecutor flailed in indignation, he turned to Kyoko. Her concern snapped him out of his unbalanced state; now wasn’t the time to falter, he had to find his sister innocent! "There's still the cross-examination left."

When the brunette stayed silent, Makoto turned towards the man and found him with a defeated posture. Ah, I ruined his moment. Reminding himself to apologize to his rival later, he turned towards the detective and smiled nervously. Receiving a nod in return, he took a deep breath and started.

He knew it was cowardice dictating his next question but knowing that he'd be unable to process where the garments resembling his old clothes came from, he instead asked. "This cabinet in the classroom, was it locked by any chance?"

Kyoko's gaze softened slightly with understanding. "Normally it would be but due to the festival, it was left open. The alumni was able to access the objects in it for their exhibitions later in the day. This incident was only possible due to the professor's incompetence in keeping a vigil eye." She answered with closed eyes and crossed arms.

"Harsh." The lawyer muttered. She must have met the professor already if her contempt is this strong. "So anyone could have taken the rope and knife." Was his conclusion. The woman in purple nodded, ending the line of questioning. There was no point in asking whether the identity of who took the items was known; if it was, Kyoko would have spoken up and Komaru would have already been released after all.

Speaking of... "What concrete evidence is there against my client?"

Sebastian spoke up before the detective could. "Weren't there more items found with the defendant's fingerprints?" He asked with a pleased expression, tapping his baton against his hand.

"The plastic belt and tape." Kyoko nodded with an impassive expression. "There is also a witness testimony stating she was looming over the victim, which can be confirmed due to her bloodied clothes when she was apprehended."

The prosecutor turned towards the defense attorney. "This shows a clear picture of the truth, wouldn't you say? The defendant tied the victim up, stabbed him and left him to bleed out."

Makoto's response was to frown. "That's really vague. And it doesn't explain her motivations nor how she managed to overpower a man twice her size. Did she really have the time to set this all up, anyway?" He turned towards the detective, missing the slight flinch from the prosecutor on the other side of the room.

"The timeline is as follows," Kyoko answered, approval shining in purple eyes. "Komaru Naegi arrived in the country at 7:00 AM. She headed to her hotel before leaving for the festival. At 11:00 AM, she arrived and enjoyed the festivities. At approximately 12:40 PM, she was offered a tour of the campus. When on the third floor, her guide tour split off and she found the victim. A few minutes later, she was found with the victim and authorities were called."

"How trustworthy is this information?" The Judge questioned.

"I have been with her since the moment she arrived in the country." The detective in purple answered with a proud smirk.

"Wait, what? I was never told of that!" Sebastian complained with a frown.

As the detective apologized to the prosecutor to placate him, Makoto took the time to write said timeline down. To secure his sister's alibi, he asked. "Were you with her the whole time?"

Kyoko closed her eyes. "I picked her up from the airport and stayed by her side until we arrived at the festival. We were together until noon, where she explored on her own before reuniting right as the tour was offered." When Makoto inquired a little further, she continued. "When our tour guide left, we split up as well."

"There you have it." Sebastian pointed at him with his baton, looking more composed once his theory could be proven true. "She had time to tie the victim up when she split up from the Detective during the festival. Then, during the tour, she finished the job."

"Having the time to do the crime does not equal being guilty of said crime." Makoto frowned. "You could argue that even I could have done it as I was unaccounted for at the time."

"Is that an admission of guilt?" The Judge frowned at the same time Sebastian responded. "Not really, we had just wrapped up yesterday's case. I remember seeing you brooding on the Lobby's couch."

"I– Wait, 'brooding'?!" Was that what he had looked like to other people?

"You were glaring at the plant next to you rather intensely." Sebastian nodded as he fiddled with his gloves. "I... decided not to approach."

"Sorry about that." Makoto muttered. He had to be more careful with how he interacted with the annoying blonde at his side, as well as making sure the effect her words had were not as apparent. Wouldn't want to scare anyone off again…

"Aww, but then people will interrupt our lovely conversations! I rather like having you all to myself." She winked, tracing one of her fingers along his cheek.

Shuddering, Makoto was about to admonish her, immediately disregarding his intent of being more careful when the Judge spoke up.

"Then you have an alibi for the time of the murder. Are there any other suspects?"

"Well, there is yourself, Your Honor." The brunette in the prosecutor's bench mused. "Do you have an alibi?"

The old man pondered for a second before exclaiming in realization. "I do not!"

"You are not claiming the Judge is responsible, are you?" Makoto asked incredulously.

The prosecutor shrugged. "It's just a possibility."

"Fortunately for Your Honor," The disappointed voice of Kyoko cut through the conversation. "He was nowhere near the crime scene. There is a witness claiming he saw the moment of the murder, however, if you are interested in hearing his testimony."

Her icy glare made both defense attorney and prosecutor blush. The taller man bent his baton as he averted his eyes while the other muttered an embarrassed "Sure..."

The Judge exhaled, muttering "That's a relief."

To stop her glaring, Makoto cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, detective. I will gladly take you up on your offer to call the next witness.”

Chapter Text

Kyoko left the witness stand, leaving an embarrassed duo in the benches. As one was being tortured by his invisible companion, the other took the time to clear the waters with the Judge.

"I apologize, Your Honor." Sebastian bent his baton with a nervous expression. "I did not mean to imply you were the culprit of the case."

"Apology accepted." The old man nodded. "I must admit it was a first; a rather thrilling experience if I'm being honest. I'll need to make sure to have an alibi next time."

Makoto tuned in at that last statement, finally managing to ignore the teasing remarks from the blonde tugging at his hair. "I don't think that's necessary. It's unlikely there will be a 'next time'." He thought.

"Now Mr. Plensait," The Judge admonished with a shake of his head, letting Makoto know he once again let his thoughts escape from his mind. "You never know when a murder incident may occur. It's important to have an alibi at all times!"

"Yeah! Who knows, maybe the next trial will have one of us being accused of murder!" Sebastian exclaimed passionately.

There's no need to sound excited about the idea! Makoto thought in panic. Before the trio of Judge, defense attorney and prosecutor could delve into another pointless discussion, the witness arrived.

A tall black-haired man with gray edges appeared on the stand with an immaculate suit. His self-righteous smirk and straight posture mixed with the way he tilted his head upwards to look down on everyone else let the lawyer know he was in for a wild ride.

Already not looking forward to the man's testimony, Makoto turned towards Sebastian and gave a tired nod.

The other gave a nervous one back before clearing his throat. Straightening up, the prosecutor opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted.

"I cannot believe the state of this courtroom." The witness huffed and crossed his arms behind his back. "I expected more from the defense and prosecution; your pitiful squabbling is too discourteous."

His words made both the prosecutor and defense attorney pause, one in confusion and the other in perplexity. As the two processed his words, the Judge spoke up with a frown.

"What is wrong with the courtroom, witness?"

"Ah, nothing your Honor." The tall man answered with contempt dripping from his voice. "I just expected more... professionalism from these two." He waved dismissively.

"Who do you think you are?" Makoto muttered with a frown, not liking his attitude.

"Oh? Do you not know who I am, Mr. Defense Attorney?" The witness turned towards the lawyer with frightening speed. You heard that?! "Listen here, young one, for my name shall not be forgotten." After clearing his throat, the man proclaimed. "Terrance Oak Theo Dehan, at your service."

He turned back to the Judge and bowed deeply. The bearded man gave a nod of approval. "It's nice to see the younger generations still displaying respect for their elders."

"I said I was sorry..." Makoto heard Sebastian mutter. Ah, it seems he's still stuck on the fact he accused the Judge of murder.

Dehan's suckup attitude seemed to win the old man over, as the two started discussing the defense attorney and prosecutor's lack of manners.

When the witness suggested both him and Sebastian should be replaced, Makoto decided he had enough and with a frown stated. "Your Honor, please, let's not forget we are in a Court of Law. This witness is wasting time."

The snobby man on the witness stand spluttered while the bearded man in the Judge's seat nodded with a surprised expression. "Right. Apologies, Mr. Plensait. Please continue with the proceedings."

Relaxing his posture, Makoto turned back towards the brunette in the prosecutor's bench. Said man stared back, starstruck, and slightly folded in on himself in shame. Once he noticed the lawyer's concerned gaze, he sprung back up and sent him a relieved and nervous smile.

He stood silent for a few moments until the Judge repeated his statement, making the brunette shake his head and turn towards the witness. "Right. Witness, occupation please."

Said man seemed displeased but with the eyes of everyone in the courtroom, he had no choice but to comply and answer the man he saw as beneath him. "Attention young one. I am a Professor at the esteemed Ultimate University for the Gifted, in charge of imparting the very important course of Criminal Law."

Oh no. Makoto recognized the man now. Multiple nights of complaining from Tsumugi about the most self-centered teacher she had the displeasure of studying under came back.

"Oh, that's pretty impressive..." Sebastian tried to compliment.

Unfortunately, Dehan didn't take it as such and huffed. "'Impressive', the child says. Criminal Law is the most essential subject! How else is the youth of today meant to differ right from wrong and be aware of the consequences of their actions?!"

It went without saying that Makoto had gained a headache the moment Dehan opened his mouth and it only worsened the more he talked. Unfortunately, he had a job to perform and, giving the taller man the most charismatic smile he could muster, he asked. "Speaking of, what would the consequences of the murderer's actions be?"

"Ah," Dehan nodded, assuming what one would call a 'teaching pose'. "Given what evidence there is, there is no doubt the murderer is guilty of First Degree Murder. The defendant back there was aiming to hurt the victim, just look at the state the poor soul was found in. Suffice to say, the only fair punishment would be execution."

Makoto paled at the idea of Komaru getting Executed. He wanted to object with the witness' statement and defend his sister but kept his mouth shut, having no other choice but to keep silent if he wanted the witness to share what he saw.

❮Oh, I agree. An eye for an eye, a life for a life.❯ The blonde annoyance taunted.

Feeling judgmental eyes stare at him in desperation, Makoto flinched. Sorry, Komaru. But this is the only way to get this witness to do what we want. Regardless of the outcome, he would fight tooth and nail against that punishment.

The Judge nodded in thought, seeming to take the man's words into consideration and debating whether Execution was a fit punishment.

From the other side of the room, the prosecutor tapped his baton against his hand. "You wouldn't mind enlightening us with your information, would you?" He asked with a flourish, waving his gloved hands in the professor's direction with a pleased expression. "Tell the court what you witnessed if you please."

Giving a pleased nod, Dehan smirked and motioned towards Komaru. "I saw the young assistant over there kill the poor man in front of me."

"I told you I'm not an assistant!" Komaru stood up abruptly and shouted at the witness. From her expression, it was obvious to see that she had been getting frustrated with the man on the witness stand and his last remark had been enough to make her speak up in displeasure.

"Order, order!" The Judge smacked his gavel as the brunette's exclamation was enough for the audience to start chatting among themselves. Once it was silent again, the old man turned towards Komaru and, with a stern voice, admonished. "This is the second time, defendant. I will not tolerate any more interruptions from you. If you disrupt the trial one more time, I will have no choice but to hold you in contempt of court."

Please calm down. Makoto turned panicked eyes towards his sister, urging her to do as she was told. Green eyes locked onto hazel ones and, realizing the severity of the old man's claim thanks to her brother's pleading expression, the brunette muttered an apology and sat down.

Seeing as she was placated for now (he was ignoring the scathing glare she was sending the smirking man on the witness stand), Makoto sighed in relief. Just leave it to me, please.

Before the professor could continue antagonizing his sister, Sebastian spoke up. "Anyway, you were saying?"

Dehan straightened up and cleared his throat. "I apologize. It is time for my testimony, is it not?"

It was about twenty minutes ago. Making sure not to let that statement out, the lawyer smiled and confirmed his statement.

"Very well." The professor nodded and, with a flourish, started his testimony. "As the detective stated beforehand, I had been offering both her and her assistant a tour of the Criminology Department. We were unfortunately separated for a few moments but upon my return to where I left the two," Dehan held the back of his hand to his face and dramatically proclaimed. "There she was, the murderer looming over the victim's dead body!"

The Judge hummed. "That is quite the damning testimony."

It is a bit vague though… Makoto would need to gain more information if he wanted to find the weaknesses in the man's statement. "Mr. Dehan, about your testimony–"

Said man unexpectedly turned towards him and threw his hand up in Makoto's direction, silencing the lawyer through sheer shock of his unexpected movement.

"That will be Professor Dehan, young one." He stated with narrowed eyes.

"Right..." The shorter man sweatdropped. "Professor Dehan, I have some questions about your testimony. May I have the privilege of cross-examining it?"

"You may." The snobby man answered with a smirk and a flourish.

Finally. "To begin with, how exactly did the three of you get separated?"

"Ah, such an intriguing tale." Dehan nodded in approval.

"In the middle of the riveting tour, a horrendous noise echoed through the holy halls. In an act of bravery, I embarked on a quest to find the culprit of the ruckus. Alas, I found nothing and was forced to come back to the place where I left the two."

Asking about the noise, all Makoto got was the answer of it being a prank caused by some Sociology students. No matter how much he pushed, the professor elaborated no more than that.

"Can you describe what you saw when you found the defendant over the victim?" The lawyer asked instead.

"Certainly." Dehan straightened up. "The assistant was kneeling over the victim with her back turned to the door. When I arrived, her hand was holding a glinting item over his leg. Once she heard me come in, her blood-soaked form turned around as she let out a feral cry."

You really need to stop calling her that. Makoto sweatdropped as Komaru's glare deepened.

Curious but apprehensive, Makoto asked about her 'feral cry' first.

"A scream that could only be conjured by the suffering of others and indignation of being caught in the act." The witness made a show of shuddering. "Yes, her current glare is as intense as the scream she let out when I found her."

"It is rather terrifying..." The prosecutor made the mistake of commenting, as Komaru's narrowed eyes turned towards him. The brunette whimpered in fright as he bent his baton and proceeded to hide under the bench.

Stuck between amusement, concern and resignation, Makoto let out a sigh, acknowledging that if he continued this line of questioning, it could end with Komaru scaring the Judge enough to influence his verdict later on.

He braced himself as he stated. "She does have quite the glare. Perhaps if the witness stopped calling her an 'assistant', she wouldn't be that terrifying."

There. Now they could continue with the cross-examination while he held the burden of Komaru's displeasure and Dehan's annoyance.

"How about we move on? I'm curious about this 'glinting item' you referenced, professor." He held a hand to his chin as a drop of sweat fell down the side of his head from the two intense glares aimed at him. He hoped his questioning would make the witness relax his frown.

To his luck, it did, though not before Dehan huffed in discontentment. "A silver object, attached to a black handle. Shining with the crimson vital fluid that was taken from its original owner."

Sebastian blinked in confusion as he reemerged from under the bench. "So the blood was glowing?" He ended up asking as he played with his baton.

Dehan rolled his eyes then looked at the prosecutor with a disappointed expression. "It is a figure of speech, child. Though the blade had blood, the pristine metal shone due to the light coming from the window. Hence its glistening form."

The brunette nodded and shrugged, muttering "Oh, okay."

"There's something that doesn't fit in though." Makoto muttered in thought. Taking his Court Record out, he asked the witness. "You said she was holding a blade with a black handle?"

"That's what it seemed like, yes." The witness answered.

"But," The lawyer held the photo of the Chef's Knife he had obtained from his more talented friend and showed it to the prosecutor in front of him. "The knife has a brown handle."

"Hey, that's right!" The brunette answered. "It doesn't look glimmering either. It has rust on it."

Makoto blinked before smiling. "I didn't notice that. Good catch, Debeste."

The other man sent a proud smile back while the witness frowned. "That cannot be. The assis– defendant" He amended when tired hazel eyes narrowed in warning. "Was holding the bloody object over his leg, ready to strike it down."

"And did she?" At Dehan's confusion, he repeated. "Did she actually lower the knife?"

The witness' silence clearly showcased that she didn't. "Furthermore, you keep reiterating that she stabbed him in the leg even if you didn't see it." Makoto mused. "Yet the victim had a belt wrapped around it. Even if she had stabbed him, it would have been thwarted by said object."

"So what did the witness actually see?" The prosecutor led an invisible orchestra as he was deep in thought.

Komaru was holding a black and silver object covered in blood. The professor believes it was the knife but that's not possible. It was held above the victim's leg which could only mean... That's it!

Slamming his hands against the desk, Makoto took a deep breath and looked the witness in the eye. "Professor Dehan, what you saw wasn't the defendant hurting the victim but her attempt at helping him."

The man stared back with a shocked open-mouth expression, lost for words as his eyes showed how appalled he was by the idea. "Pardon?" He managed to grit out.

He showed the picture of the victim's body and motioned as he spoke. "The defendant wasn't holding the knife, she couldn't have, as it was stuck in the victim's chest. The question is, what was she holding then?" Motioning to the objects that were brought forward by the bailiffs, he continued. "If you could focus on the belt wrapped around his leg, take a note of its color."

"It's a black belt." Sebastian sported a concentrated gaze. "Glinting red with the elixir that once coursed through the victim's veins."

Dehan gained a pleasantly surprised expression due to the prosecutor's words as Makoto blinked, stunned. "... Right. And what color is the buckle?"

There was a moment of silence before the sound of someone gritting their teeth resonated through the courtroom, followed by an appalled "Inconceivable!"

"Hey, hold on! What are you getting at?" The brunette in the prosecutor's bench asked with a frown.

Instead of answering directly, Makoto looked the prosecutor in the eyes and asked. "Do we know when the tie and belt were wrapped around the victim's limbs?" Once Sebastian answered negatively, he proceeded. "Then it's possible it could have been done right before the professor found the defendant, right?"

The prosecutor stared at the evidence in concentration before he straightened up in realization, his ahoge resembling an exclamation mark. "She was wrapping the bloody belt right as Professor Dehan found her. The silver buckle glinted with the sunlight as she pulled the ends, right?" He received an affirmation from the shorter man across the room. "But why did she do that?"

The defense attorney held a hand to his chin in thought. "It is the defense's belief she had tried to stop his bleeding by applying a makeshift tourniquet using the belt. Though her panic shone through as she put it right over the victim's wound instead of a few inches away."

There were a few seconds where members of the courtroom flinched in discomfort. To have a deep wound on your leg and have someone apply such a force on it... to say it must have been painful would have been an understatement.

❮She is a bit sadistic, huh?❯

She was only trying to help. Makoto waved his hand in the blonde's direction in an unsuccessful attempt to dispel her form then added grimly. Besides, the victim was already dead at that point.

"That is preposterous." Dehan frowned in displeasure. "Are you claiming then, child, that I mistook a knife for a belt?"

Child? The lawyer narrowed his eyes. "I am."

"It did have the defendant's fingerprints..." The prosecutor mused. "And the victim's as well but that's to be expected." Processing the brunette's words, Makoto asked him to explain himself. "Well, both the tie and belt were originally the victim's."

Analyzing the picture of the victim's body, he realized the prosecutor was right. The pink haired man was missing those accessories from his person. Sighing in relief, Makoto smiled.

"There we have it. She tried to stop the victim's bleeding. And though her success in that endeavor is... questionable," He got a pout in response from the brunette in the defendant's place. "There is no doubt she had no ill-intent against Mr. Peaks."

The audience started muttering amongst themselves, debating whether the defendant was wrongfully arrested and judging the professor's comprehension skills.

Before the Judge could smack his gavel and control the audience, an infuriated yell resounded through the room.

"Quiet!" Dehan's shout silenced everyone. The Judge was about to reprimand him when the professor turned towards Makoto with a disapproving frown and indignant eyes. "How dare you doubt my testimony. The wretch over there is the killer!"

"Don't insult the defendant like that." He sent his own glare to the taller man, who didn't expect the hostile tone and jumped in surprise. Controlling his tone, he added. "That 'wretch' is a human being, be more mindful of your words, professor."

Dehan recovered and proceeded to ignore his statement. "She stabbed the victim, there was no one else in the sacred building."

"The defendant only handled the items used as tourniquets, she never touched the murder weapon."

"That is incorrect." The witness unexpectedly straightened up, calming down and sending a self-righteous smirk the lawyer's way. "You," He pointed to the prosecutor. "Remind the courtroom what items the defendant actually touched."

Sebastian startled, not expecting to be called upon. Bending his baton, he replied. "Well, there is the belt which we've already established. The tape on the floor and the bloody pair of clothes. And the door and stuff outside though I don't think that counts..." He trailed off in thought.

"Correct." The man nodded proudly, making the brunette smile at answering correctly. "See? She was not aiming to help but to deceive. Why else would the actually useful tourniquet be done with the item she did not interact with?"

"Well..." Unfortunately, Makoto had no answer. He wouldn't have the time to respond, anyway, as Dehan continued his onslaught.

"You put a lot of emphasis on the fingerprints." He huffed with an aura of self-importance. "Well then, explain the tape found at the scene of the crime." The man turned towards Sebastian and called out. "Prosecutor?"

"Right!" Said brunette answered with excitement . You don't have to answer, you know? "The tape is rather curious. It has remnants of the victim's DNA on the adhesive side. There is a high possibility that it was put over the victim's mouth to muffle his screams as he was stabbed." Sebastian turned towards Dehan with an expectant expression. Said man just raised an eyebrow, prompting the prosecutor to add. "It also has the defendant's fingerprints of course."

The professor nodded in triumph and started praising Sebastian. Makoto meanwhile, tried his hardest to come up with a rebuttal.

"Is that really such an issue?" He asked after a few moments of analyzing the situation. "As soon as she opened the classroom's door, she was greeted with the sight of a man bleeding out on the floor, tied up and with tape covering his mouth. All she did was take it off to help the man. Are you telling me you wouldn't do the same in her situation?"

"That would be cruel." The Judge commented with a shake of his head, making Dehan scowl.

"As for the tie..." He had a theory, one that could fall apart by the tiniest scrutiny but one that would buy him time. "What if there was someone else present in the classroom? This someone would try to help the victim by using Peaks' tie as a tourniquet but left to find help. Then–"

Dehan held his hand in Makoto's direction, interrupting him with a huff and a plea to stop his idiocy. "No such evidence of a being exists. No, instead be a good Defense Attorney and listen." With a frown, Makoto did as told, if only to find weaknesses in the man's following claim. "The killer does as follows,

In the midday zenith, the defendant lures the victim to his demise. After committing the horrendous act, her heart feels the cold of Guilt and so, she attempts to save her soul from judgement by stopping the flow of crimson liquid with her victim's garment. Shortly thereafter, her mind filled with bloodlust and, taking advantage of her sudden solitude during the sacred Tour, she visits the victim she left to perish. Her stone heart proceeds to take her anger out on the unfortunate victim and, in order to cover her crime, she attempts to disguise as an unfortunate witness."

The Judge nodded pensively, captivated by the man's flamboyant tale. From the opposite side of the room, Sebastian could be seen bending his baton thoughtfully.

Mutters of agreement from the audience reached Makoto's ears, making him close his eyes. This isn't good. Dehan's tale had swayed the majority of the audience members' opinions.

He really hoped there wouldn't be a repeat of Byakuya's initial trial, the one where people made their displeasure with the Japanese woman in the defendant's place known.

Riding his success, the professor smirked smugly and continued his statement. "Of course, the issue of the fingerprints comes around. Though it is rather simple to explain. If she were to wear gloves during the murder and came back later without them, touching everything in sight with her filthy hands, then there would be no contradictions." He finished with a flourish.

Stunned, all Makoto could repeat was "Filthy...?"

The professor's impressive hearing made itself known once again as he rolled his eyes and explained. "The ill-mannered child was eating in the sacred halls."

"What was she eating?" Sebastian asked, curious.

Dehan huffed. "Some sweets. Either way, food should not be ingested while inside the learning facility."

"That reminds me of the sweets my nephew makes whenever I come to visit." The Judge nodded as he reminisced on his time with his family. "Never underestimate the importance of cooking."

As the Judge and prosecutor entered a pleasant conversation revolving around sweets, Makoto took the time to look through his Court Record. The professor had unfortunately brought forward a very compelling theory, one that was more sound than his own frantic one.

A sniff caught his attention, making him turn towards the sound. He was greeted with the sight of a defeated-looking Komaru who smiled sadly in his direction.

The lawyer proceeded to turn away, unable to face his sister's resigned expression. This was what he was afraid of, failing Komaru in a way that not only left her heartbroken but could put her in serious danger.

❮Seems like she is going to be found guilty. Though how severe her Punishment will be remains to be seen.❯ His blonde companion taunted at his side, smiling mischievously in his direction.

She didn't do it. I just need time to prove it. He responded though he had no idea who he was talking to, the phantom or himself.

❮I wonder what kind of Execution she will receive. This country goes for the boring old-fashion ones, those without the thrill and spectacle that yours truly can conjure. I heard the most popular method is hanging...❯

She continued mocking him, even going as far as showing him what his sister's remains would look like after each execution idea she came up with.

Doing his best to tune her out, Makoto frantically examined every piece of evidence he had obtained. How could he prove Komaru didn't do it? Various ideas came to mind though none of them were feasible.

She doesn't have an alibi for the victim's initial stabbing nor for the time between when they got separated and she was found with the body. There was no evidence found of a third person being in the classroom. And what's more, her attempts at helping the victim could be read as her trying to deceive whoever finds her. His frown deepened as he desperately tried to find a way to show Komaru was nothing more than an unfortunate witness while ignoring the babbling phantom at his side.

An idea lit up in his head. Maybe he didn't have to explain her innocence but show a flaw in the professor's accusation.

He proceeded to repeat Dehan's statement over and over in his head. There had to be a hole in his logic, something that was overlooked...

during the sacred Tour... take her anger on the unfortunate victim... wear gloves during the murder... touching everything in sight…

Finally. Slamming his hands against the desk, Makoto looked the witness in the eye and proclaimed. "That's wrong!"

The black haired man stared back with an astonished expression as the silence of the courtroom enveloped the two.

After having their conversation interrupted, Sebastian hesitantly cleared his throat and asked. "What's wrong? Are marshmallows not sweeter than mochi?"

Not breaking his staring contest with the witness, Makoto ignored the prosecutor's question and stated. "Professor Dehan, there is a huge flaw in your testimony."

That seemed to snap the man out of his stupor as he narrowed his eyes and gained a terrifying tone. "Pardon?"

Unwilling to back down, Makoto explained slowly. "No matter how you try to spin this, Komaru never touched the murder weapon. You can create your own fantasies revolving around the tape and belt but you cannot deny that if she had gone back and stabbed the victim during the tour, her fingerprints would have been left on the Chef's knife. Besides," He read the Autopsy Report out loud. "Nowhere does it say the victim was stabbed twice in the chest. You are claiming that she tore the knife out of the victim's chest to stab him and cut him repeatedly then put it back in the exact same place without anyone noticing?"

A mutter of "Huh, that's weird..." coming from the Prosecutor's Bench reached his ears but Makoto ignored it in favor of glaring at the witness, daring him to keep claiming Komaru was the killer.

To the man's credit, he was doing a great job at keeping his composure. The one thing betraying his frustration, apart from the scathing glare, was his clenched fists. With the calmest tone he could muster, the black haired man turned towards the brunette in the prosecutor's bench and called.

"Prosecutor." Sebastian jumped at being addressed. "Are your investigators as incapable as you? Would they have missed such a significant detail?"

"I'm not..." Sebastian trailed off after gaining everyone's attention. "N-No, they wouldn't have, but–"

"Then your theory has been proven wrong, hasn't it?" Makoto interrupted the brunette. Sending a mental apology his way, he looked the witness in the eyes and added. "Or do you still want to condemn the defendant?"

Sebastian attempted to speak up again before he was silenced by Dehan, who held his hand in his direction as he shushed him. "I demand silence from the peanut gallery!" Then did the same to the confused Judge.

The lawyer and professor kept their intense glares on each other, both waiting for the other's next move.

It was Dehan who broke the silence as he smirked and proclaimed with a taunting voice. "Who says the defendant used the same knife?"

Confused, the lawyer motioned for the witness to explain himself.

The black haired man straightened up and nodded. "If the young murderer over there were to have a similar weapon then it's entirely possible for her to stab the poor soul and proceed to desecrate the victim's body."

"Then where is this weapon? And what would the point of stabbing the dead body even be?" The lawyer asked with a hand on his chin.

"That is the question you should be asking the killer." Dehan motioned towards the anxious-looking Komaru. "There is no doubt the victim was stabbed post-mortem and you cannot deny the fact that the only solution is for this second weapon to exist."

I really can't. It wasn't something he had taken into account before. The victim was stabbed in the chest with the Chef's knife. And later on was stabbed and cut with a similar blade. Either the same knife was used or there was another similar one at play. With that logic, the second theory was more likely but...

"And that's how the defendant completed her ruse." Dehan taunted with a triumphant smirk. "All this talk about 'fingerprints' is rather futile. She did as I have already declared with the added bonus of desecrating the victim's body to fool us all."

From the prosecutor's bench, Sebastian bent his baton. "Well..."

The back of a hand pointing in his direction stopped him in his tracks. "You weren't summoned, young one!"

"But you were there." Makoto counterclaimed. "Are you telling me you didn't see this second knife?"

"If you recall, I had asserted seeing the blade–"

"Which was just the victim's belt." Makoto interrupted the man. "You are dead set on labeling the defendant as a murderer. It seems to me then, Professor Dehan, that you are trying to condemn a young innocent woman just because you don't like her attitude. If she was apprehended right after you found her, then where did she hide this second knife?" He sighed.

The professor's face turned a bright red at the defense attorney's dismissal of his theory and lack of respect; his fists clenched as he tilted his head upwards and looked at him as if he was a stain on his shoe. Right as he opened his mouth to continue arguing, a meek voice interrupted their altercation.

"Umm... about that." Makoto turned his gaze away from the flabbergasted witness and stared at the speaker. Sebastian avoided his gaze as he bent his baton nervously, folded into himself as if expecting to be reprimanded again. "The defendant is entirely capable of being the killer."

Makoto stared in silent shock and betrayal at the prosecutor, prompting the Judge to speak up. "Elaborate if you please, Mr. Debeste."

Said man took a second to compose himself before he nodded and, after straightening up, he explained. "The notion that the defendant couldn't be the killer due to the fact that the additional wounds were done after the chest stab wound is flawed. As is the idea of a second murder weapon. The truth is..." Sebastian's cheeks gained a slight red tint as he continued in an embarrassed tone. "The Autopsy Report you have been referencing is outdated."

Muttering a perplexed "What?", Makoto narrowed his eyes and stared at the Autopsy Report he got from Hajime. As he was doing so, he couldn't help but feel confused as to how this situation could have happened.

Why did Sebastian let me continue referencing it? Did he not realize I didn't have the updated one or...? Did he... do it on purpose?

"Oh? Please continue, young one." Dehan smirked and sent a cocky smile Makoto's way.

"Why did you not tell me?" The lawyer let out a betrayed sigh.

"I tried to." The prosecutor bent his baton. "But the two of you were rather focused on your back-and-forth and, well..."

"Right. I'm sorry." The lawyer said sincerely and rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to come up with an idea on how to make it up to the taller man.

Said man shrugged. "It's fine, I'm used to it." Before the concerned Makoto could ask him what he meant, Sebastian continued. "I received the updated Autopsy Report right before the trial and since you confirmed you were caught up on the evidence, I figured you had it too."

It's my fault. Makoto should know better than to just assume he had all the evidence required just because Hajime said he did.

❮I'm pretty sure Izuru said that was the evidence from your girlfriend. It seems she was the one who deceived you.❯

There were so many things wrong with the blonde's statement but as his energy had been spent arguing with the witness, he only managed to muster a tired glare to send her way.

"That is rather irresponsible from the two of you." The Judge commented, making both the prosecutor and defense attorney flinch before adopting shameful postures. "Today seems to be a first for everyone: arriving late, updated evidence... I expected more from the defense and prosecution." He shook his head in disapproval.

To get rid of the awkward silence, Sebastian spoke up. "Well... you also had your 'first' time being accused of murder, Your Honor, so..." At the Judge's unamused stare, he let out a nervous laugh. "Sorry."

"How about we move on?" Makoto offered. "This updated Autopsy Report, what does it say?"

The prosecutor nodded and opened his folder, reading out loud. "Cause of death: Blood loss. The victim was discovered on the 3rd floor of the Criminology Department at 1:10 PM. The main injury is a stab wound on the chest. Additional wounds include various cuts and stabs all over the victim's body and a blow on the right temple which were inflicted prior to the victim's demise."

"So he was tortured before receiving that final blow." Makoto muttered in dismay. For there was no other explanation: the victim being tied up with tape on his mouth plus receiving various cuts and stabs before being finished off... the man's passing had not been peaceful.

The prosecutor nodded solemnly before clearing his throat. "As you can see, the defendant is not out of the woods yet. It's more than likely she wounded the victim beforehand and, after checking on her victim and finding him alive during the tour, decided to deal the final blow. Then she was found and arrested. That clears up all the contradictions, right?"

Makoto stood silent as he admitted, begrudgingly, that Sebastian's explanation of events made a lot of sense. And the evidence fit better as well; in this case, there was a reason for Komaru to visit the classroom the victim was in a second time.

❮Oh? Are you throwing in the towel? Is it time to admit dear Komaru is the killer?❯

That was a hypothetical. He sent a glare her way. There was still an issue with the prosecutor's theory after all.

"We already established she didn't touch the weapon during the tour." Makoto reiterated.

"Right..." Sebastian gave out a nervous laugh after being the recipient of a determined hazel glare. "Then she just checked on his body and did the whole 'pretending to help him' bit."

And with that statement, they were back to square one. Komaru could be the killer and there was no concrete way to prove otherwise. The professor in the witness stand seemed to think the same, as he started taunting both the defendant and attorney.

Leaving the pretentious man to it, Makoto took the time to check the updated Autopsy Report. There was nothing standing out so he'd had to approach the situation from a different angle.

"Is the defendant capable of dealing that blow to the victim's head? It is quite high and I don't believe a woman with her physique could have hurt the victim like that." He noted.

A displeased mutter from the brunette in the defendant's place reached his ears, the "Don't think you're off the hook. After this I'll show you what a woman with my physique can do." that he managed to catch enough to send a shiver down his spine.

The prosecutor tapped his baton against his hand in thought before answering. "Unfortunately there is no way to know when the victim received said blow. He could have received it while he was tied up in the chair, which renders this line of questioning useless, does it not?"

The lawyer across from him sighed in displeasure before agreeing with the other. He did not get the answer he wanted but it still gave him something to think about. In fact, now that he analyzed the situation, this turn of events could prove Komaru's innocence.

"Have we established how the victim got tied up in the first place?" When the prosecutor answered negatively, Makoto continued. "If we believe the defendant is the killer then we assume she overpowered Mr. Peaks and tied him up by herself, is she really capable of doing that?"

"'Do not judge a book by its summary', that's the saying is it not?" Sebastian gave no time for anyone to correct him as he proceeded to state. "She could be stronger than she looks."

"Maybe but consider this. Where did the rope come from?" Makoto tried to make the prosecutor follow his train of thought.

"From the classroom." Was the response.

"Such an unfortunate turn of events." Dehan proclaimed. "That sacred tools used for the teachings of the youth ended up being used to commit such a foul act." He hung his head in mock sadness.

Ignoring the witness, Makoto looked the prosecutor in the eyes. "How did she gain access to the objects?"

Sebastian blinked for a few seconds, stunned, before answering with a dumbfounded expression. "Well, the cabinet was unlocked, just as Detective Kirigiri stated."

"Right. But look at the items used for the murder." After listing them all, he saw the spark of understanding light up in the other man's brown eyes. "All of them were from the classroom. This means the murderer premeditated the crime. Now tell me, if the defendant arrived hours before the incident and had been with the detective ever since her arrival, how did she have time to set this up?"

"She was alone for a period of time, pretending to be an innocent enjoyer of the Festival." The professor in the witness stand answered before the prosecutor could. "This questioning you are pursuing is pointless."

Makoto shook his head. "Could she set everything up in forty minutes? And even then, how did she manage to lure the victim all the way to the third floor? How did she know the layout of the building if she had never set foot in the university beforehand?"

Seeing as no one had any rebuttal, he pressed. "Furthermore, let's say that she was somehow able to do all of that. The killer tortured Peaks by stabbing him and cutting him all over his body. I imagine they would have ended up quite bloody, would they not?"

The change in topic seemed to snap Dehan out of his perplexed thoughts as he huffed. "The killer could have changed clothes to disguise their awful actions. Do remember there was a tacky pair of clothes found in the classroom with the defendant's fingerprints. These could have easily been used to perform the nefarious deed."

"They are covered with the victim's blood, I agree." Makoto acquiesced. "But the blood came mainly from the inside. Do you believe the defendant wore these clothes inside out when committing the murder then left them right next to the body for everyone to see?"

Dehan's exclamation of "Do not put words in my mouth, child–!" was interrupted by Sebastian's "She had nowhere to put them. Perhaps she intended to hide them after the coast was clear but had to fake her panic when the Professor found her?"

Finding an opening in the prosecutor's statement, Makoto exclaimed "That's wrong!", slamming his hands against his desk and making the brunette jump in surprise. "Have you forgotten Detective Kirigiri's testimony, Mr. Debeste? The defendant was wearing a backpack that day, she could have simply used it to hide every piece of evidence that cast suspicion onto her."

"Oh yeah, she could have..." Sebastian mused as he closed his eyes and led an invisible orchestra.

"Do not forget young one," The professor narrowed his eyes, taking over the prosecutor's job and objecting to the lawyer's statement. "That authorities arrived at the scene in a timely manner. They would have searched her belongings and seized her immediately if they had found a bloody pair of clothes in her object of carrying."

"They did anyway, without that incriminating evidence on her belongings." The shorter man narrowed his eyes. "This whole accusation is ridiculous. It relies on the defendant being smart enough to hide her presence during the actual killing and then doing a complete one-eighty and leave plenty of evidence in the crime scene that only served to incriminate herself.

"What's more," He continued. "We still have no answer as to how she managed to overpower the victim in the first place. Please, professor, if you have an idea of how she could have done so, feel free to enlighten the court–"

"Ah, if that is your main concern, fret not for the answer is simple." The pretentious man interrupted. Nodding to himself, he straightened up and proclaimed. "The defendant had an accomplice!"

"What?" Makoto asked, stunned. "Weren't you the one that kept claiming Komaru was the only one in the classroom?!"

Unaware of his slip up at calling the defendant by her name for the second time, the lawyer stared incredulously at the witness.

Dehan sighed in disapproval and, turning away from him, stated with a condescending tone. "Look at the evidence, child." Seriously, how old do you think I am?! "I am not above admitting my lapse in judgment." He then smirked and closed his eyes. "In fact, I must praise your theory, for it was proven to be legitimate. Though the details differ greatly."

Waving a dismissing hand in his direction, the professor let out a mocking chuckle and muttered. "A witness who applied a tourniquet and left for help, ludicrous." Then raised his volume and addressed the courtroom. "It is rather peculiar how the three of us got separated, is it not?"

"It was due to the prank by the Sociology students, right?" Sebastian answered, recalling the man's previous testimony.

"Correct." Dehan nodded smugly. "Perhaps I had been too overzealous in my belief that they were the culprit. No, instead it was the work of that wretched killer that calls herself a 'wrongly accused defendant' and her minion."

"Please tell the court your theory." The Judge requested, intrigued.

"Certainly, Your Honor." Dehan cleared his throat and straightened up. "The defendant accepted going on my Tour in order to gain an alibi. At the appropriate moment, her accomplice sent a signal, which caused everyone to separate and gave her time to find the victim and confirm whether she had actually finished the job. An impressive plan, if only she hadn't been caught."

It was rather impressive the resilience the witness showed. If he wasn't dead set on painting Komaru as a sickening killer, Makoto would have been impressed.

"You are really dead set on making the court believe the young woman over there" He motioned towards a confused Komaru. "Is some sort of 'Master'..."

❮'Mind'?❯ An amused grin accompanied the phantom's statement.

"... 'Criminal', aren't you?" He glared in response.

The blonde rolled her eyes while keeping her amused smirk. Leaning in, she patted his head and dissipated, revealing an offended brunette, who glared back. His sister's pout and frown were sending the message that she would totally be good at coming up with a murder plan.

He sent a deadpan look back before turning to the witness.

"You sounded pretty confident with your theory." The shorter man narrowed his hazel eyes. "Mind if I cross-examine it?"

"Go ahead." Dehan waved a hand dismissively in his direction. "I am certain of what I witnessed."

After getting the go-ahead, the shorter man wasted no time in asking. "This tour, was she the one who came up with the idea?"

"Oh no." The man frowned in displeasure. "I was offering my services to a more capable individual but she stuck around like a leech."

"Stop-!" He cut himself off, angry at the man for insulting his sister but understanding that reprimanding the witness would not solve the problem. Taking a deep breath, he glared at the man and continued in a more composed tone. "If what you're saying is true then it sounds like the true purpose of this tour was to procure your alibi, professor."

"How dare you?!" Dehan held his arms behind his back as he stood straight, his expression darkened with indignation.

Before the two could continue arguing, the prosecutor cleared his throat and asked. "What signal are you referring to, Professor Dehan?"

"The noise that echoed through the halls of course." The man huffed.

"You never elaborated on that." The lawyer pointed out.

"It was not important at the time, young one." Dehan shook his head in disappointment. "But seeing as its relevance is now revealed, I may now enlighten the court with the information." With all the eyes of the courtroom, the man straightened up and with a flourish began his explanation. "A sudden deep and thunderous roar that echoed through the sacred halls, made with the sole purpose of frightening those who heard it."

That could be anything. Makoto closed his eyes in thought as Sebastian asked for details which the witness struggled to give. Low pitched so probably not something breaking plus Kyoko did say there was no evidence found outside the classroom. The culprit could have taken whatever it was that made that sound but he trusted the detective to be diligent in her search and to have informed him if said fact was true. Which meant that whatever made that sound was an object already in the building that would not leave evidence behind...

That's it. Turning towards the rambling witness, he prodded. "Professor, was the sound you heard that of a door slamming close?"

The man, who was in the middle of praising the building he worked on, paused and, stunned, asked the lawyer to repeat himself. After doing so, the tall black haired man closed his eyes in thought. "I suppose... Yes, there is a high possibility that was the source."

"That's not fair, how did you figure it out?" The prosecutor asked from the other side of the room, bending his baton with both hands as tears gathered at the corner of his eyes.

Makoto's response was to shrug. "Since the detective made no mention of an out-of-place object, the sound could only have come from something already inside the building. Since those on the tour were able to hear it, it must have come from the halls. And by process of elimination plus the professor's description... a door slamming close made the most sense." He finished his explanation with a nervous laugh.

Makoto let the prosecutor take his time to reflect on his rival's logic, as he stated. "This does prove there was someone else in the building, however." He wished the witness had mentioned that particular incident beforehand but at least they were able to confirm it during the trial. Before said man could get any ideas, he added. "Whether that was an accomplice remains to be seen. In fact, with this newfound knowledge, the verdict cannot be handed down."

"Why is that?" The prosecutor inquired.

Makoto turned towards the Judge and narrowed his eyes in determination. "This whole trial, both prosecution and witness have pushed the narrative that the defendant was a cold blooded killer who tortured the victim and pretended to help him in order to fool everyone. But with the revelation of another being's presence, the notion that she was an actual bystander is now possible. The defense wishes to ask for more time in order to investigate this person."

The Judge hummed in thought as the witness turned towards Makoto and huffed. "This investigation is otiose. All you will uncover is further damnation for your client, is that really what your heart desires?"

Before the lawyer could state his resolve, his taller rival spoke up. "Regardless of the defendant's guilt, the person's involvement in this case does need further examination. Whether they're an accomplice, coincidental passerby or real killer needs to be discussed in court."

Dehan spluttered as he reprimanded Sebastian for not allowing Justice to be served. At which, the brunette responded. "What you seek, Professor, is not Justice but Condemnation. The defendant deserves to have a fair trial as much as the victim deserves to have their killer arrested. We cannot end the proceedings at this point in time."

Makoto stared in awe at his rival across the room, proud of how he stuck to his ideals and relieved at having his backing in extending the trial.

Finally, the Judge made a decision as he shook his head. "Both defense and prosecution have made compelling points." Silencing the snobby witness who attempted to object, he declared. "The verdict cannot be passed just yet. Mr Plensait, Mr Debeste, I expect you to investigate this matter diligently."

The old man waited for the two men's confirmation before he nodded. "In that case, Court is adjourned."

The gavel came down and the first day of the trial came to a close.

Chapter Text

Makoto Naegi was not a coward. If you were to ask any of his friends, both old and new, they would confirm that the blonde defense attorney would never back down when faced against any challenge.

Be it during a Killing Game, a post-apocalyptic world or a trial in Los Angeles, he would stand his ground and show his unwavering determination.

But this current situation was too much for him; for the first time in a long time, he felt like he bit more than he could chew.

❮So are you going to go in or...?❯

"I am." He responded. Though his words were uttered with confidence and professionalism, his tense posture betrayed how apprehensive he was to enter the room.

Alone in the hallway, he closed his eyes for a moment, retracing the steps that led to him standing outside this particular room in the Detention Center.

Right after the trial had ended, he had run out of the courtroom with the purpose of avoiding everyone. Unfortunately for him, Kyoko had expected his reaction and was already waiting in the Defendant Lobby, ready to intercept him.

What ensued was an awkward conversation where the detective had taken the time to praise him while trying to prod on what had happened to their other defense attorney.

Unable to answer, Makoto had smiled placidly as he avoided her gaze. As he had been too busy during the trial, he had had no time to work on his explanations.

And when Byakuya arrived to share how much he had enjoyed his performance and joined Kyoko in her questioning, Makoto could only close his eyes and hang his head.

Thankfully, as soon as the door behind him opened and Komaru stepped through, the two had become distracted, giving Makoto enough time to run and hide in the bathroom.

Not his proudest moment but it had given him time to unwind and think about his next step. Debating with both himself and his invisible companion, he had gained the courage to face his sister as he moved towards the Detention Center with the rationalization that she deserved to at least get a conversation with him.

Courage which had promptly vanished once he got to the final door.

Behind said door was Komaru, who was waiting to meet with her defense attorney and, seeing how he was the one who proclaimed she was his client to the courtroom, meant he officially held that title.

We can talk as just a lawyer and his client. She won't pry more than that, right? Regardless of how much Makoto repeated said sentiment, it didn't change what he knew in his heart: Komaru would not let things go. Unlike Kyoko, who would back down whenever he was too uncomfortable, and Byakuya, who could be persuaded to do the same by the lavender haired detective, Komaru would hold him down if she could and refuse to let him get away again.

❮It's just a reunion between siblings, do you know how much other people would give to be able to do that?❯

I know how much YOU wouldn't.

❮Oh? Now you are the voice of the virtuous? I don't know what it is with older siblings. They just looove abandoning their younger sisters, don't they?❯

What followed was various reprimands and comparisons that served to emphasize how bad of an older brother he was, which he already knew.

Ignoring the pesky being, Makoto took out his phone and looked at the time. If he wanted to have enough time to look at the crime scene, he'd have to enter the room and have a talk with his sister now.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the doorknob and told himself one last reassurance. I can do this.

Even if he wanted to change his mind at the last second, it would have been too late to turn back, as the door opened and he was finally confronted with Komaru Naegi.

This was the first time they had seen each other in years. They held various conversations through the computer and calls late into the night right after her impressive actions in Towa City but being this close, in person, was something that hadn't happened since his school years.

"Makoto?" Her breath left along with her words as green eyes showed conflict in them.

Said man smiled as he hid his grimace and avoided her gaze. "No, sorry. My name's Hidan Plensait, the lawyer that defended you today in court."

At her silence, Makoto turned to look back towards his sister and found her holding a hand to the glass, her brown locks with a green tint were disheveled and tears were threatening to gather at the corner of her eyes as her mouth hung open in shock.

"I..." She refused to blink, probably afraid that if she did, he would disappear again. "I missed you..."

Her voice broke as she uttered the last word, causing Makoto's heart to break as well. The way she was looking at him was both relieved and terrified, as if she was committing his image in her memory.

"I..." No words came to mind. He wanted to apologize, reassure her she would be okay and promise to protect her as his duty as an older brother dictated but he couldn't. Not yet at least. Not until he made sure she was safe.

"You..." Her eyes suddenly hardened as the palm she held against the glass pane turned into a fist and she smacked it against the glass. "How could you–? Did you think I wouldn't recognize my own brother?! How dare you just act like everything's fine?!"

Makoto jumped as he desperately tried to find the right words to say. "Listen, I– I know you're mad but–"

"Mad?! I'm livid!" Her glare intensified. "Makoto Naegi, you are grounded!"

As she continued shouting, Makoto could only stare at her, flabbergasted. At least it was nice to know she hadn't lost her fiery attitude, the one Touko loved to brag about during those late night calls.

"You get in here and we'll resolve this with fists or... something!"

That final smack against her desk was enough for the tired man, as he took several steps back while realizing there was too much animosity coming from her side to properly work as her defense attorney.

❮Oh yeah, because that's the problem. Not that, you know, you left her behind and are scared to get to know her again, just like the lovebirds.❯

"Shut up." He muttered as he turned away. "I can't do this right now."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Komaru paled as she lost her hostile attitude, making the other realize he had answered out loud. He turned to apologize and tried to vaguely explain why he was going to look for another defense attorney but paused.

In her haste, the brunette had put both her arms against the glass; the sleeves that hid her arms now lowering and revealing a gnarly scar on her left arm.

Makoto stared at said scar with widened eyes and a mouth hung open in shock. After a few seconds of silence, Komaru realized where his eyes were looking and nervously sat down, covering her arms with her sleeves.

Her brother approached slowly and did the same, letting out a shaky exhale. "What happened?"

The other stayed silent, mulling something in her mind before turning towards him and giving him a shaky smile. "Assassination attempt." Hazel eyes widened as she continued. "Syo managed to disarm the guy but right before she could take him away, he threw dust at her face and stole one of her scissors. When Touko let go of him, the guy rushed at me and... well..."

The silence sat heavy between the two siblings as the elder closed his eyes.

❮Oh this is rich.❯ A certain annoying blonde barked out a laugh before appearing behind the younger Naegi. ❮Even after everything you've done, everything you've sacrificed, your goal has ended up being ultimately useless.❯

I couldn't keep her safe. Makoto flinched, knowing the other was right.

Before he became deafened by regrets and taunts, Komaru asked hesitantly. "What about you?"

He opened his eyes and stared in confusion at his sister. "Me?"

The brunette nodded. "Your hand." She put a hand to the glass, almost as if reaching for said body part and frowned.

Makoto hesitated as he stared at his own scar. The memory of getting it was quite foggy though he remembered the blonde dancing around them had been partly responsible for it.

❮Do you need a reminder?❯ Her manicured hand suddenly appeared to get a hold of his wrist. Startled, he followed her arm and grimaced at the image in front of him. Instead of Komaru, he was greeted with the taunting blonde, her smile sharp as her form melted into a puddle of pink; eight familiar silhouettes materializing behind her, their forms the same as those that had appeared in his nightmares.

The memory came rushing back. Flinching, Makoto turned away and moved his hand under the desk so he wouldn't have to continue looking at it. "I'm good." He muttered.

"... Are you sure? That didn't look good." Komaru frowned at her brother's strange behavior.

Mentally scolding himself, he vowed to be more careful when answering his unwanted companion.

"It's old, it doesn't hurt anymore." When Komaru opened her mouth to lecture him, he added, "It was broken glass. If anything, the fact that I only got one scar is quite lucky." Seeing as she still wasn't convinced, he reiterated. "Really, it's nothing. Yours is more worrying."

"I've faced worse..." She muttered with a pout.

Shocked, Makoto asked his sister to repeat herself. With a sheepish smile, she refused, dismissing his worries and changing the topic. "So, are you going to help me then?" She asked.

"I..." He hesitated for a second, knowing the danger he could be putting her in. And though all he wanted was to make sure she stayed safe, he recognized the only way to do that was to find her innocent first. So with a sigh, he nodded, making the brunette in front of him smile in relief.

"Thank you..." She sniffed. A few seconds passed in silence before the taller woman spoke up. "So... what now?"

"Now... You tell me how you got arrested in the first place." Makoto demanded with a frown.

Komaru gave a nervous laugh before she crossed her arms and looked away. "Well, you heard it during the trial, a tour gone wrong."

Her brother shook his head. "No, I mean, what were you even doing in the festival to begin with? I doubt the first thing you would have done after arriving in the country would have been to go visit a random festival. Which means," He closed his eyes and held a hand to his chin in thought. "Kyoko brought you there for some reason, and you had no objections."

"Hey!" The brunette frowned as she turned her gaze back to the man in front of him, moving her left hand to her hip and waving her right hand around. "I could have just been curious, you know? The school had 'Ultimate' in its name, I was wondering what was up with that!"

Despite her cries, Makoto tuned her out. Kyoko was the one with the idea, he was sure of it. The question was, what would they find in there? He was nowhere near the festival so it couldn't have been him, could it have been-?

His eyes widened in shock. Had they realized...? But no, it couldn't be; Byakuya and Kyoko had already made it seem like they didn't know so...

"Hey, you okay?" Komaru's voice reached his ears. "You're looking a little pale there."

Makoto shook his head. There was only one way to find out what they were doing at the festival. There was no room for speculation in a situation like this, someone else's identity was in jeopardy.

"Listen. I really need to know what you were doing there. Were you looking for someone?"

Whatever his gaze was reflecting was enough for Komaru to pause. She proceeded to close her eyes and turn away. "I... was looking for you, okay?!"

Oh. Her ashamed expression made him feel awful. It seemed he had panicked for no reason. Before he could put his foot in his mouth and reveal something he shouldn't, he cleared his throat and, after a pause, asked. "Why there? Kyoko and Byakuya already know where I work. What would I even be doing at the festival?"

Surprisingly, his sister’s brows furrowed and a pout appeared on her lips. "Why else? For your assistant."

"Wh-What does she have to do with anything?" Makoto laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't think I haven't heard the rumors." Komaru frowned and crossed her arms, her eyes opening to reveal a dangerous glint on them. "You replaced me!"

"H-Hey, calm down!" The shorter man attempted to placate her once he caught sight of the normally unmoving guard in the corner turn in their direction with a frown. "I don't– What are you even talking about?"

"Don't act like you don't know, Mr. I-abandoned-my-sister-and-got-a-new-one." She scowled.

Makoto blinked slowly as he processed her accusation. "You're talking about Tsu– err, Loth."

Though it was not a question, Komaru answered as if it was one, slamming her hands against her desk. "Who else?!"

"Listen," He leaned backwards in his chair, trying to put some distance between the angry brunette and him. "It's not like that. We live together yes, but–"

"And what do Kyoko and Byakuya think about that, huh?" She raised an eyebrow in challenge.

The shorter man's cheeks gained a slight red tint. "I don't know, why is that important?"

An amused glint passed through Komaru's green eyes as she muttered something under her breath with a shake of her head. Before her brother could question her, she sighed loudly. "Don't you have an investigation to get back to?"

Deciding to let her weird behavior slide, Makoto nodded slowly. "Right. I'll have to head to the crime scene after this." And be confronted with Kyoko again. As much as he liked the detective, he was not looking forward to that encounter.

"Okay..." The brunette wrung her hands and turned towards the shorter man infront of her; closing her hand into fists, she proclaimed loudly. "Just to make it clear, I didn't do it."

"I know you didn't." After a pause, he nodded determinedly. "I will prove your innocence, don't worry. I would never leave you like this."

Her response was an unamused glare. She looked ready to make a snarky comment but held herself back at the last second. Instead, the brunette crossed her arms and scowled.

Makoto sighed in shame and added. "... Not again."

Her scowl softened slightly. "... Promise? You're not going to leave again?" The taller woman’s voice was filled with tentative hope.

And who was he to crush that hope? With a fond smile, he answered. "Of course. I'm genuinely sorry about... everything. But we can talk about it after you're found innocent." He added once he saw Komaru open her mouth to interject.

She wrung her hands and nodded, looking elsewhere. "I'll hold you to that... Big Bro."

A hesitant smile appeared on Makoto's lips.

The two took a moment to relax. Though their relationship wasn't mended completely, they had taken the first step into repairing it. A part of him sighed in relief as he realized if he could make up with Komaru, he could do the same with the rest of his old friends.

❮That's so sweet~ But aren't you forgetting something? Don't you have to figure out who the true killer is first?❯

Right. He had a job to do. Glancing rapidly through his Court Record, he took a deep breath and acquired a more serious tone.

"Anyway, Ko," Komaru gained a surprised expression that quickly turned into joy at hearing her brother use an affectionate nickname. "What can you tell me about the crime scene? What exactly did you witness in that classroom?"

The taller brunette frowned as she tried to remember the moment. "Well..."

"M-Makoto!" Komaru's hold on her taser weakened as she ran to the prone figure. The smack that echoed as it fell to the floor went unheard.

No no no. Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes as she fell to her knees, the blood on the floorboards slipped into her jumper skirt and painted it red, turning it into a blue and purple mess. She hadn't had the chance to reunite with her brother! She just arrived in the country and now he was– he was–

As she moved the hoodie and blazer off the person's upper body, her heart skipped a beat in both shock and relief. It's not him. Before she could do anything, the man beneath her moaned in pain and his eyes fluttered open.

Her green eyes widened in shock. "Hey, can you hear me? What happened?"

As she analyzed the state the man was in, her gaze lingered on the tape around his mouth. Peeling it off, she threw the sticky material aside and called out to the other person.

Komaru frowned as she received another pained hoarse cry in response. "Hold on!" She took notice of the state of the man's body. Cuts and stabs filled his limbs and a knife was buried in his chest. A horrifying image that would have made her younger self flinch but months spent in Towa City's streets had hardened her heart enough that people mauled to the brink of death didn't make her bat an eye anymore.

Green eyes narrowed in determination as she grabbed the clothes she had thrown away and used them to try and stop the bleeding.

A soft grunt of pain made her grimace. "Sorry." At least he's still alive... Dammit! The bleeding isn't stopping. What can I do?! She knew she should have finished her first aid course before coming to the country!

A glance at the man's left arm gave her an idea. There was an object wrapped around it, above a nasty wound. Maybe there's something here I can use as a tourniquet? I don't have the time nor the tools to cut a piece of cloth, Makoto's old clothes are all bloody so I can't use them. What else is there?!

A glint at the corner of her eyes caught her attention, which turned out to come from the man's belt. She remembered hearing said object was good for tourniquets, so that would do!

The brunette apologized as she removed the garment. Quickly putting it above the gnarly gash on the pink haired man’s leg, she carefully wrapped it around said wound, garnering a weak cry of pain from the man beneath her.

"I'm sorry!" She bit her lip in anxiousness as she pulled the ends of the belt in order to tighten it. I can't do this alone. "Help!" She screamed again, hoping Kyoko would hear her.

To her relief, the door opened, but said sentiment turned to horror as her pompous tour guide pointed in her direction and scathingly uttered with a pale face. "Murderer!"

Komaru's eyes widened. "No! Wait! Help me save him, he–!" As she wrung her hands and turned to face the taller man, her gaze fell on the pink haired man's face.

Glassy eyes stared back as blood continued flowing from the body's numerous wounds.

With tears in her eyes, Komaru screamed in denial.

Makoto nodded with his eyes closed and muttered. "So he was still alive..." He held his chin with his hand and wondered. Things are starting to clear up but there are still so many questions left unanswered. Who did the tourniquet on the arm? How long was Peaks lying there? And the clothes, where did they come from?

He opened his eyes and went to question his sister for details but paused at seeing her conflicted expression. Now might not be the time to press her for details. I can ask Kyoko at the University.

Instead, he spoke up with a soft tone. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." Komaru hugged herself as hazel eyes stared in worry and helplessness.

"I tried to save him but... I didn't know how! And then in the trial you said that I messed up the tourniquet, I didn't– I hurt him!"

"He was bleeding out for who knows how long, Ko. There was nothing you could have done. You did your best."

She sniffed and wrung her hands. "What else did I do wrong? Tell me."

"I... Are you sure?" She nodded in response, expressing her desire to know what she could improve on for next time. "Well..." Makoto rubbed the back of his head. "The belt wasn't going to work anyway, it was made of plastic and didn't bend well. Maybe you should have concentrated on the chest wound but without the proper equipment there was genuinely very little you could do. Did you not try to use your phone?"

Green eyes widened. "I was too panicked." The younger Naegi admitted. "And since it was at the bottom of my backpack, I didn't have the time..."

"Hey, it's okay." Makoto held his hands in front of himself and shook them anxiously. "You were not prepared to find Peaks on the brink of death. Your reaction time is pretty impressive. I'm... proud of you, Ko."

A sniff accompanied the wobbly smile she sent his way. "Thank you, Big Bro."

❮Ugh. This hopeful stuff is making me vomit. Can we instead talk about the pain that guy must have been in? How many times do you think he was stabbed?❯

Shuddering at the feeling of sharp nails digging into his upper arms, he waved a hand in that phantom's direction, hoping it would dispel her form or at least make her retreat.

Keeping Komaru's testimony in mind, he exhaled deeply and stood up. "I need to go, I have to check the crime scene." He explained at seeing his sister's startled expression.

She wrung her hands and bit her lip, nodding shyly.

Giving her a nod and a shaky smile back, the shorter man turned around and headed to the door.

❮Finally! That was getting too mushy for my tastes.❯

"Hey." Makoto stopped, turning towards the speaker. Komaru stared back with an anxious posture. She shook her head and, after closing her hands into fists, stated. "You better come back soon."

Her brother's gaze softened once he noticed the fear in her eyes and the wobble in her voice. "I will. See you in a few hours."

The last thing he saw as he closed the door was Komaru's wobbly smile.

Chapter Text

❮That went better than expected.❯

"Shut up." Makoto muttered in response as he walked towards the Criminology Department. The police officer escorting him looked at  him weirdly, not that the short man noticed as he was currently glaring at an annoyance hanging around them.

❮So... what made you speed up the reconciliation process? Was it learning what your absence did to your dear sister? Or what it would have done had you not stepped up to be her lawyer?❯

Both. Makoto couldn't help but answer mentally. Seeing the new scar on Komaru's arm and the unshed tears in her eyes broke his heart. Especially because he knew that they were a consequence of his reckless actions.

Though what other choice did he have? His last day in Japan replayed in his mind, the one where he and a few others made the decision to leave.

❮Correction: THEY made the decision for YOU.❯

The young man exhaled. Stop trying to make me shift the blame, I had the final say.

❮It's not shifting the blame, it's exactly what happened. Remember that we did not want to leave.❯ The blonde with pigtails sighed morosely and put her hands on his shoulders before digging her nails. ❮But fine, keep telling your lies.❯ She winked as she disappeared behind him.

Makoto rolled his eyes as they finally reached the Criminology Department. A myriad of people could be seen around the entrance; from officers to investigators and a few reporters, the place was full.

The officer led him to a blonde in white, which made the young lawyer's pace stutter as he adopted a nervous smile.

"About time." Byakuya pocketed his phone and crossed his arms. A sneer appeared on his face once he crossed blue eyes with hazel ones.

With a nod, the officer was dismissed. Alone with the former heir, Makoto folded in on himself. "Hey..."

The taller man raised an eyebrow and with a scoff turned around. "Come on. Kirigiri is waiting upstairs."

The blonde CEO strode off, making the shorter lawyer scramble to catch up to him. Why does he have such long legs?!

❮Stop pretending you don't love them.❯ The blonde annoyance cackled in his ear as his face flushed.

Regardless of his internal struggles, Byakuya was not stopping. Ducking under the yellow tape and running towards the man in white, Makoto inquired once he was close enough. "So what are you doing here?" When an icy glare was aimed back towards him, Makoto rushed to amend. "N-Not that I'm not happy to see you. It's just... I didn't expect to find you in the middle of an investigation."

Byakuya's frown relaxed at seeing the other man's flustered expression. "If you must know," He slowed his striding, making Makoto sigh in relief and turning his run into a speed walk. "I finalized a business expansion earlier in the week. Since I was bored with my free time, Kirigiri was charitable enough to offer me a position as her partner." He explained with a tone of sarcasm present in his icy tone.

"Partner, huh?" The shorter man muttered as they ascended the stairs. He didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, it made sense for Byakuya and Kyoko to work together; he considered them as two of the sharpest people he knew and was witness to their incredible work during the Killing Games, which could not be overlooked. On the other hand, he didn't expect someone else to hold the title of Kyoko's partner in investigations.

❮Jealous?❯

No. He shook his head after a moment. If anything, he was glad the two managed to coexist without him. Before his unwanted companion could continue her teasing, Makoto cleared his throat.

"So about that business expansion, was it from the Togami Corporation?"

Byakuya paused his movement for a second before he continued walking with a slightly faster pace. He nodded in response to the shorter man's question.

Makoto hesitated before smiling softly. "I'm glad you were able to rebuild your family's company."

The taller man refused to answer but he could see the closing of his fist from behind and sighed then turned to look at the classrooms they passed through.

The corridors were bare on the lower floors but he was met with more people the closer to the crime scene they got, mainly officers and investigators. He managed to catch a glimpse of blue hair before they turned the corner and arrived at their destination.

Before Makoto could call out in confusion, the sound of heeled boots made him shut his mouth and a shiver run down his spine.

"You are late." The flat voice of detective Kyoko Kirigiri reached his ears.

Byakuya scoffed. "I am precisely on time considering how this one took his sweet time to arrive." He stepped aside to reveal a sheepish Makoto that had been trying to hide behind him.

"Hey Kyoko, how are you?" The short man gave a nervous smile that was acknowledged by a hum and a crossing of her arms.

"Fine, thank you. I assume you are here as Komaru's lawyer." Right. We still need to address that. Thankfully, the talk with his sister had calmed him down and he was able to come up with an explanation as to why their previous lawyer was missing.

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his head. "The previous one was... busy at the last minute so I was called in as a replacement." He laughed nervously.

Judging by the raised eyebrows and unamused expressions, neither she nor Byakuya believed his explanation.

"And we are meant to presume Mr. Fender called on you without informing us." The taller blonde scoffed.

Makoto bit his lip and looked elsewhere. He gave an unconvincing shrug and muttered "It was a last minute switch."

❮I love the implication that you'd rather help a stranger than your own friends. Really aiming for them to question how much they mean to you.❯

Makoto's eyes widened once the blonde phantom let him know of his slip-up. "I realized I had to help her. It's not that he was more convincing, it's just..." He trailed off at seeing Kyoko close her eyes.

"We are wasting time." She turned around in tandem with the blonde at her side and headed to the classroom where the murder incident took place.

"Wait! Before that..." The two taller people paused and turned their heads in his direction to show they were listening. "I want to apologize. For ditching you back at the District Court." They fully turned towards Makoto, one with crossed arms and a frown and the other with a neutral look and a hand on her chin.

"At least you are aware of your shortcomings." Byakuya rolled his eyes. "But that is inconsequential at the moment so there is no need for that sentiment."

"There is." Makoto reiterated with a shake of his head. "I also wanted to apologize for my actions yesterday. You came to me for help and I wasn't the most responsive."

"You were overwhelmed." Kyoko spoke up. "It's understandable." She then exhaled softly and held her hand up when she noticed the shorter man opening his mouth to argue. "We are glad you are here now."

There was silence from the blonde at her side who, after being nudged in the ribs, sent a glare the woman's way before agreeing. "You came to your senses in a timely manner." With another nudge, he added through gritted teeth. "It will be nice to work with you."

Makoto's eyes softened with a tentative smile, causing the other two to relax their postures, especially once they heard his next phrase. "What did I do to deserve amazing people like you as friends?"

If any of their faces turned red, there was no one to comment on it. It was a nice moment they shared that would have lasted longer if it wasn't for the sound of a door closing that reminded them that they were not the only ones in the building.

Kyoko was the first to move. After inspecting the hallway, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and addressed the former heir. "If you could be so kind as to start interrogating the witnesses, starting in classroom 302, it would be much appreciated."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow and looked between the lawyer and detective repeatedly before pausing on the taller woman with a knowing and frustrated look. "I am not your errand boy, Kirigiri."

"My apologies, let me rephrase that." A ghost of a smirk appeared on her lips. "Due to lack of time, I require someone to start gathering testimonies in my absence. Seeing as you are my esteemed partner in this investigation and are more than qualified for the job, I have entrusted this valuable task to you."

"And you will be doing what exactly?" The CEO crossed his arms.

"Assisting the distinguished lawyer at my side, of course." She put her hand on Makoto's shoulder, making butterflies flutter in the shorter man's stomach at the contact. He was used to the cold digging of nails from a certain blonde or the firm but wary pat on his shoulder from his more talented friend; so to feel Kyoko's gloved hand lightly resting on his shoulder made him feel nostalgic and grounded in a way he hadn't felt in years. "He needs all the help he can get in his investigation in order to find our mutual friend acquitted."

The taller blonde narrowed his eyes and, after a moment of deliberation, backed down. Though if the irritated frown on his attractive face was anything to go by, he was more than displeased with Kyoko's underhanded attempt to spend time alone with their favorite former luckster.

Still, he was unable to argue with her logic and, with a final longing glance at the flustered shorter man, Byakuya rolled his eyes and turned around to head to one of the classrooms they had passed earlier. He didn't get far, however, as a firm voice stopped him.

"Oh, before you go." The detective in purple turned towards the shorter man at her side. "Do you still have all the evidence from the trial?"

Makoto, who had startled after the sudden attention, blinked in astonishment before confirming that he did.

Kyoko removed her hand from his shoulder, much to the shorter man's dismay. "May I have the list of witnesses?" She held her gloved hand out with a patient expression.

"S-Sure..." The lawyer averted his gaze as he patted his pockets to find said piece of evidence.

From somewhere on his right, he could hear Byakuya huff and mutter. "What are you trying to pull now? You have a copy–"

An attempted hit on the ribs silenced the CEO, who turned an unamused glare in the detective's direction.

"Here you go." Makoto offered the crumpled piece of paper.

Kyoko nodded and took the offered item though not before "accidentally" holding the shorter lawyer's hands for longer than necessary.

Once said man averted his gaze with a red tint on his face, she took a step back and handed the list to Byakuya with a smirk. "I believe this item will be useful in your assignment."

Irritated with her successful attempts at charming the shorter man, the blonde snatched the paper from her hands and stomped away.

"What... was that?" Makoto muttered sheepishly.

"Whatever do you mean?" Kyoko inquired with a hand on her chin.

The hand holding... Sending Byakuya away... The lawyer rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. "The list. That you gave him."

The phantom insulted his fumbling as the detective closed her eyes. "Did you not read it?" She asked with a soft frown. After Makoto confessed he had only taken a quick glance at it during the trial, she explained. "As previously mentioned, it is a list of potential witnesses. Or rather, the first page of a list of names of every single person in attendance during the day of the murder. Due to time constraints, we were only able to give Mr. Fender a portion of that list for the trial."

"And Byakuya's gone to procure this people's alibis then?" Makoto theorized.

The detective nodded with a small smirk. "Indeed. He will be preoccupied for the next couple of minutes so I suggest you investigate the crime scene before his royal nuisance comes back."

There were at least a hundred names in there. How do you expect him to get through so many people in a few minutes? Though he really wanted to express his disbelief, Makoto was able to keep said comment to himself. Instead, he smiled at the detective. "Right. I have a sister to save after all."

Now where to start?

Before heading into the classroom, Makoto took the time to examine the outside of said room, just in case there was evidence to be found.

The first thing to catch his attention were the drops of blood on the floor in front of the door, though remembering Komaru's tale, there was a high possibility that they came from her blood-soaked clothes. The doorframe also seemed to have bloody marks on the side where the door slid open.

Moving his attention to the door itself, it seemed to be completely spotless if it wasn't for the faint red that could be barely perceived on the door handle. Who is responsible for this? A theory formed in his mind, one where the culprit themself opened the door and left the bloody evidence behind but tried to cover their slip up by wiping the blood away.

But why wipe the blood on the handle and nowhere else?

"Hey Kyoko," He called out to his taller friend as a pensive frown adorned his face. "Does all the blood come from the victim?" When she responded with a confirmation, Makoto sighed. "Is there something out here that can lead to the killer's identity?"

"Unfortunately not." The detective crossed her arms. "As the staff and alumni frequently wander these halls, any trace of DNA like fingerprints or hair that could be left behind have been completely obscured. Though the place was less crowded than usual due to the festival, many students still accessed the classrooms in order to prepare for their activities."

"Alright. Figured I should ask just in case." The shorter man shrugged in disappointment. "Let's go in."

The two entered the classroom and Makoto was taken aback by the scene of the crime.

Though he had seen the sight before him previously, it had been through a photo. Now in person and with newfound knowledge of the case, he could notice tiny details that made the scene more macabre despite the lack of body.

For instance, he was acutely aware of the spots of dried blood on the furniture surrounding the puddle of blood where the victim took his last breath. And with Komaru's testimony in mind, he could almost picture his sister, scared but determined, trying to help the dying man and being accused of killing him in the process.

"I will be examining the desks." Kyoko's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Makoto nodded in gratitude. "I will, thank you."

With a firm nod and a longing glance, the detective in purple turned around and approached an investigator in the corner, who was dusting a desk for fingerprints.

Taking a deep breath, Makoto closed his eyes for a moment. He had to be thorough and find as much evidence as possible in order to clear Komaru's name. The last thing he wanted was to visit her later in the day and have nothing to show for it.

❮Wasn't getting her acquitted the most important part? What would visiting her later in the day even accomplish?❯

I promised. Besides, she will want to hear how the investigation is going. He exhaled and opened his eyes.

First things first, the puddle of blood in the center of the room. Approaching slowly, he crouched down as close enough as he could without disturbing the scene and proceeded to rummage through his Court Record.

Comparing the photo of the crime scene submitted in court and the image before him, he noted they seemed to be quite similar. Nothing really stood out (ignoring, of course, the missing body and items submitted as evidence during the trial). Right as he was about to stand up, however, Makoto's eyes drifted to the drops of blood surrounding the huge bloody spot in the middle and noticed something.

Right at the very end, where the floor was primarily an off-white, the blood ended abruptly. Not in a 'the victim's blood didn't get that far' way but in a 'there is a rectangular area where there is no blood and the small drops seem to be cut'.

Frowning, he tilted his head and examined the space intently. It was barely noticeable, something easy to miss if one wasn't examining the most minuscule detail in order to save their brave but unlucky sister. Narrowing his eyes, he nodded in confirmation. There was a rectangular object there at one point, one that absorbed the blood that should have stained the tiles and was subsequently removed.

Out of curiosity, Makoto examined every single chair leg in the classroom and found no trace of blood on any of them except the chair in the center where the victim was once tied up. The rest of the furniture was the same, leading him to believe that whatever object had been there was now long gone and more than likely disposed of.

The lawyer tried to find any more discrepancies on the bloody area but was unable to. Standing up, he moved to the piece of furniture that had intrigued him ever since he learnt of its existence during the trial.

Approaching the cabinet at the back of the room, Makoto took note of the missing spaces where the items used for the murder once resided. The glass door contained a lock that appeared undisturbed, confirming the fact that the culprit had easy access to the rope and knives.

A vague memory of Kyoko explaining that students came and went during the day of the murder due to the festival came to the forefront of the lawyer's mind. The killer must have known that the cabinet was unlocked and no one was guarding it, right? Otherwise, they would have brought their own murder weapon and other items.

Filing that insight away for later, he turned around at finding no more evidence and hummed.

He hadn't noticed it before but the desk arrangements were rather bizarre. The desks in the middle had been pushed out towards the outsides, leaving a wide space in the center where a notorious lone chair covered in blood stood. A path had been cleared out as well, leading from the door to the puddle of blood where the victim's body used to be.

When nothing significant jumped out at him, Makoto turned his attention to the rest of the furniture in the room. His gaze rested on a cabinet by the entrance and, though there was nothing remarkable about it, his gut told him it was an important piece of the puzzle that was this case.

Inspecting the top, he was unable to find anything of note. Opening its drawers, however, was a different story. The slightly dusty interior was unperturbed, except for a familiar medium-sized rectangular shape where the wood remained pristine.

So that item was stored here. I have no way of knowing for how long but seeing as there is no blood, it's safe to assume it was taken out and then moved near the victim.

Pleased with his conclusion, Makoto closed the drawer and stood up.

The investigation wasn't as fruitful as he would have liked. He managed to find some important pieces of evidence but still found no clue about the killer's identity. Furthermore, the one piece of evidence that he refused to acknowledge still hadn't come into play; scared as he was to know the answer, he really needed information about that bundle of clothes resembling his old ones.

Recognizing that this case was not going to be as straightforward, he sighed.

I am sorry, Ko. Seems like you might have to stay in custody for a bit longer.

❮Or... we could just give up already. Finding the culprit seems like too much of a hassle. What if we can't find them? Perhaps we could do the ol' 'blame an innocent person to save the defendant' trick.❯

He nodded absentmindedly. That is an option yeah, but– Makoto glared at the phantom to his right, who had materialized and was sitting on one of the desks. It's wrong, I promised Tsumugi I would not do that again. Besides, it's too early in the investigation to give up.

❮I just wanted to let you know there is a Plan B in case you can't find the culprit.❯ The blonde shrugged.

And I am so grateful for it. Somehow, he was able to convey sarcasm and exasperation in his thoughts. But seeing as that idea came from you, I'll graciously ignore it. I will prove Komaru's innocence without your 'help'.

He received a taunting smirk in response. ❮I missed that cocky attitude of yours. Don't get me wrong, seeing you drowning in Despair is so delightful but there's something about that conviction that gets me all hot and bothered, you know?❯ The blonde fanned herself with one hand and dramatically proclaimed. ❮Oh, please raise that hope of yours. I can't wait for the moment you give up, it's going to be thrilling for sure~❯

You will have to wait for a long time then since I refuse to give up. Especially when you ask me to.

❮Oh? So you won't do me that small favor? You won't help an old pal out?❯ She stood up and with two strides leaned above him with a saccharine smile. ❮You yap about being a grown up that can make his own decisions yet you can't help but do as I say once in a while, can't you? Otherwise, this wouldn't be here~❯ Her hand disappeared behind his head and, though he was unable to feel her touch, he knew exactly what she was attempting to grasp.

"That– I can take it off whenever I want." He muttered scathingly and turned away, putting one hand over the small ponytail at the back of his head.

Deciding he had enough interaction with the cackling invisible blonde for the time being, Makoto approached Kyoko, who was looking out the window of the classroom and taking notes.

"So... I spoke to Komaru before coming here." Makoto spoke up a few steps behind her. "And there are some things that don't add up."

"Like?" Kyoko paused her investigation and turned towards him.

The shorter man held a hand to his chin and looked out the window. "She mentioned dropping a taser but there was no evidence of it presented during court." Hesitating for a second, he gave voice to his hypothesis. "Did you hide it?"

Purple eyes shone with approval. Their owner retreated from the window and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear then crossed her arms. "May I inquire as to why you believe that to be the case?"

It wasn't a confirmation nor a denial. "It was either you or the professor and I don't believe he would have kept quiet about it. And the police would have found it and sent it for testing." He shrugged. "Unless Komaru got that detail wrong, which I highly doubt, someone must have taken it for some reason and refused to share the fact of its existence."

Kyoko nodded and relaxed her posture, pleased with his explanation. "I see your deduction skills are as sharp as ever." The shorter man smiled softly at the compliment. "You are correct, I did take it. While we are on the subject, would you like to take a look at it?"

"Wait, you have the taser with you right now?" Makoto's mouth hung open in disbelief.

The detective adopted a pleased smirk. "I have two in fact. Mine and your sister's."

"How?!" He whispered, dumbfounded. He quickly scanned her clothing, trying to figure out where Kyoko could be hiding said objects. He ended up staring at her purple jacket as he knew her pockets were big enough to hold a petit four at least, which he still needed to pay her back for. Before he could inquire whether said article of clothing was custom-made, however, Kyoko made a move that startled him.

Unexpectedly, the detective grabbed the hem of her skirt, prompting the lawyer to avoid his gaze with a red face. "Uhh... what are you doing?"

Inaudible cackles filled his ears. ❮My, my, Ms Detective, wouldn't you rather wait until you're in a more private space?❯

"We all carry tasers for protection." Kyoko responded with a calm, if slightly teasing, tone. "I personally consider holsters to be more useful for carrying said devices and they are easier to hide." There was a pause before she added. "You can look."

Slowly, the shorter man turned back towards Kyoko. He willed his face to lose its red color as he gave an embarrassed cough. "Sorry, I didn't..." He shook his head. "Is– Is that Komaru's taser?"

The taller woman raised an eyebrow and, after examining his expression, decided to spare him the embarrassment. "Indeed." She turned the device in her gloved hands. "A piece of evidence that would have brought confusion to the case. The best course of action was to hold onto it as it was not relevant to the incident."

"But holding onto evidence like that..." Makoto took a moment to justify her actions. She was right, he acknowledged, as the presence of this taser could have been used to slander Komaru's image and make her appear as a dangerous individual. At the same time, however, he disliked important evidence being hidden in the investigation, especially as the only reason he knew of the taser's existence was due to the talk with his sister.

Still, Kyoko meant no harm by it and was correct in stating that it had no connection to the murder. And he himself had done his fair share of hiding evidence, primarily during the Killing Games. So, trusting her judgement, Makoto relented; his decision solidified once the detective uttered her next words.

"Due to safety concerns, we have special permission to carry these. Though not as useful as the Hacking Guns or regular guns for that matter, they have saved us from unsavory encounters in the past. In fact," Kyoko held the device closer to the shorter man infront of her and motioned along the object. "They have been especially modified to be more powerful than regular tasers and contain a fingerprint scanner so only those in our friendship group can use them."

Makoto was scared to know but still asked after a moment of hesitation. "By 'more powerful', you mean..."

"The Hacking Guns were too cumbersome at times. These were designed to substitute them. There are certain drawbacks, like the lack of diverse bullets, but they are easier to carry and have various settings to control the voltage." The detective lowered her voice. "They are particularly useful against certain hostile machines." She finished with an unwavering gaze.

So those things can destroy Monokumas and should be handled with care. Noted. He loved his sister dearly but knowing she was carrying such a weapon around... I don't know whether to be concerned or proud that no serious incidents have occurred.

"Let's proceed then." Kyoko held the taser in his direction. When Makoto made no move to take it, she inquired. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh? Y-Yeah!" Makoto took a step back and held his hands in front of himself hesitantly. "It's just... are you asking me to take it?"

The lavender haired woman raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?" When the other stayed silent, she continued. "It is a useful item to carry around and, seeing as its original owner is currently unable to hold onto it, it might not be a bad idea for you to carry the taser for the time being."

"Right." The shorter lawyer rubbed the back of his neck. "But I can't really hide it that well and people will ask questions. You guys have permission to carry these tasers around but I'm..." He lowered his voice. "As far as everyone is aware I'm not from Japan, remember? I can't take it."

There was an uncomfortable silence where neither he nor Kyoko gained the courage to look in the other's direction.

"My apologies, Mr. Plensait." She ended up uttering with a cold voice as she returned the taser to the second holster on her leg.

The combination of both her words and tone made Makoto flinch. "Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

"Do not apologize for stating the facts." The lavender haired woman crossed her arms. "I will hold onto the defendant's belonging until she is exonerated. Then it can be handed back promptly."

The lawyer attempted to apologize once again before being interrupted by the detective, who changed the subject.

"Togami is not unpunctual. It is rather odd how long he has taken, shall we track him down?"

Makoto hesitated for a second as he looked around the classroom. He had been pretty thorough in his examination though the fact that no clues to the murderer's identity were found unnerved him. But would he really uncover anything more if he continued to investigate? Perhaps following Kyoko would be more beneficial in the long run.

He turned back towards the detective in purple and nodded. "After you."

He received a hum of acknowledgement back before the two left the classroom.

Makoto had taken less than four steps forward when he was suddenly hit from the side and both he and whoever ran into him fell down.

"Ow!" The shorter figure with dark purple hair cried out from his left. "Why were you just standing there?! Do you want to get me killed?!"

Before Makoto could question the other person, a tall blonde in white appeared from around the corner. His fists were clenched tightly as his skewed expensive glasses were one jerky movement away from falling off his red face.

"You–!" Byakuya muttered through gritted teeth as he glared at the fallen figure with a checkered scarf.

Chapter Text

"Nee-heehee... You are too slooow. One would think someone with legs as long as yours would be faster!" The short man at Makoto's left laughed as he held a familiar device in his hand. "Seems like you don't care about this thing."

As the short man taunted Byakuya and Makoto took the time to comprehend the situation, Kyoko took matters into her own hands. Quickly snatching the taser from the taunting man with a black and white scarf, she ignored the disgruntled "Hey, that's cheating!" and turned towards the frustrated blonde at the end of the corridor.

"Is this why you were delayed? You were playing tag with one of the witnesses?"

"Do not be absurd, Kirigiri." Byakuya corrected his glasses with a huff. "You can clearly deduce why I am chasing this buffoon."

As the two entered an intense staring contest and silent argument, Makoto turned to the fallen man at his side. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Nah, I think I broke my leg."

Hazel eyes widened at the nonchalant statement. And though the tone was off for someone who had actually been hurt, he couldn't help but be concerned.

"W-Wait, seriously? I'm so sorry!" The short lawyer quickly stood up in order to better inspect the other.

The purple haired man looked at him incredulously for a second before his expression turned amused. "Give me more credit. As if a puny guy like you could hurt me."

Makoto apologized once again, offering his hand for the shorter man to take. Which he did, after a moment of deliberation. Once the two straightened up, however, the man in white paused as he inspected the taller man's face.

Makoto blinked, acutely aware of the silence encompassing them. "Uhh... is everything alright?"

The purple haired man hummed and smiled slyly. "Yup! Just wanted to check what the knight in shining armor looked like. Have you rescued any princesses here before? You look familiar."

"Really?" Makoto tilted his head in thought and rubbed the back of his neck. "I've only come once or twice before for previous festivals. Maybe you know me from the news? The airport case got a lot of coverage."

The other man snapped his fingers. "That's it! You rescued goldilocks over there from the big bad dragon that is the Justice System, right?" He motioned dismissively towards a frustrated Byakuya, who finally noticed Makoto fraternizing with the man he had been chasing.

"Na– Plensait, come here." The tall blonde ordered with crossed arms and an impatient frown on his face.

"Oops. That's my cue to leave~" The unknown individual laughed as he turned around. He didn't get far, however, as Kyoko grabbed the back of the man's scarf with frightening speed and stopped him in his tracks. Makoto looked at the two with worry, hoping that the detective didn't choke the man; he was making pretty concerning noises after all.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave, Mr. Oma." Kyoko explained calmly as she passed the confiscated taser to a confused Makoto so she could hold onto the shorter purple haired man more effectively. "In fact, it seems your presence is required for a second round of questioning. You are going to give your full cooperation, are you not?"

She didn't give the man time to respond as she started dragging him to the end of the corridor. "Please assist Mr. Plensait in his investigation while I am gone." She called out to her official partner. "I leave our esteemed lawyer in your capable hands."

Byakuya huffed and approached the perplexed Makoto. "It is alleviating to know you actually take your job earnestly instead of indulging in coquetry all day."

The detective sent a smirk back before her and her captive turned the corner, their footsteps and Oma's choking sounds fading away.

Byakuya sighed as he took his glasses off and held his nose in exasperation. Makoto figured the poor man had developed a headache after the hectic chase and so was apprehensive to call for his attention.

The taller blonde seemed to have sensed his thoughts as he turned towards him and raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

For the second time that day, the young lawyer avoided one of his taller friend's gaze with a lot of effort as his cheeks reddened. He had seen the blonde CEO several times ever since their reunion but never quite this close.

With this short distance between them, he was able to appreciate the vibrant blue of his eyes and even count every eyelash and hair that fell on his face. If he so desired, of course. At the moment, he was appreciating how different the blonde looked without glasses. He didn't look bad of course, just... different, maybe even better; without the expensive spectacles, more of his face could be appreciated.

❮And boy were you appreciating it. You were practically swooning over there.❯

Makoto absentmindedly waved his hand in the direction he believed the blonde phantom to be. To verify, he'd have to look in Byakuya's direction and that was something he was unwilling to do for a while.

"... Are you going to proceed with the investigation or continue standing there in silence like an idiot?"

It seemed he didn't have a choice in the matter, however. Leave it to Byakuya to know how to break awkward silences.

"Sorry..." Makoto muttered as he turned back towards the taller blonde. Thankfully, the man had put his glasses back on and was staring at him with a raised eyebrow and faint pink cheeks.

"If you are done wasting time, I would appreciate my taser back." Byakuya ordered as he held his palm open.

With a start, Makoto realized he was holding said taser. He chuckled nervously and moved to leave it on the other's waiting hand. As soon as the device made contact with the CEO’s right hand, however, his other hand suddenly appeared and engulfed his own.

Closing his eyes, the short lawyer exhaled deeply. The taller blonde's hands were warm, unlike Kyoko's cool gloves. Though he liked her contact as well, this was just an... observation that came to mind. The two of them held his hand with a steady yet gentle touch, different in nature but conveying the same feeling of yearning.

Before he could continue enjoying their hand holding, Makoto's finger slipped and activated the taser that was still in his hand.

With a yelp, the shorter man jumped back. Byakuya remained still, unaffected, due to the fact that the lawyer had been holding the device the other way around and had been the only recipient of the shock.

The sound of the taser falling to the floor echoed through the hallway. Not that the two men paid attention to it, as they stood frozen in startlement.

After a moment of deliberation, Byakuya took a step closer but stopped once some investigators in the area appeared around the corner to inspect the strange sounds. With a fluid dexterity, the man picked his taser up and hid it in a secret inner pocket of his pristine white jacket. Clearing his throat, he then asked with a firm tone and concerned gaze. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Makoto shook his hand in order to dispel the numbness and gave a shaky smile. "Sorry, that was my fault."

"We could visit the infirmary if necessary." The taller man crossed his arms and looked away.

The shorter lawyer took a second to respond. "No, it's okay. Besides, I need to keep the investigation going. I promised Komaru I would visit her later so I don't have time to waste."

Byakuya gave a slight grimace. "Of course." With a quick glance over, he nodded and stood next to Makoto. He then grabbed the shorter man's shoulder and guided him down the hallway. "Come on." Though the action was done in a rough manner, the former heir made sure to keep his grip loose enough so Makoto could easily escape his hold if he wanted to.

❮But you don't want to, do you?❯

His face reddened slightly as the unexpected memory of Kyoko's hand on his other shoulder came to mind, which made him slow his pace for a brief moment.

What would she do if she was here instead of dealing with the troublesome witness? Would she lead the way by standing in front of the duo and making them follow her or would she join Byakuya in holding his other shoulder? And... was it so bad that he wanted to know what that would feel like? To have both of them at his side at the same time and holding onto him?

❮Wow. You are down bad.❯

Makoto glared at the amused blonde. Then avoided his gaze once she started making crude gestures.

The comfortable moment ended too soon as the two stopped in front of classroom 302. Byakuya took a step forward and grabbed the handle. With one final glance at the shorter man at his right, he removed his hand from Makoto's shoulder and let it fall to his side then straightened up.

The door opened and Byakuya stepped through. "Thank you for waiting."

Makoto entered behind him and stopped. His hazel eyes widened in confusion as a familiar face looked back.

"Uhh... where's Kokichi?" One of the other people in the room questioned as hazel and green eyes locked onto each other.

Tsumugi gave a nervous wave and opened her mouth to greet him when a crude voice interrupted their moment. "And who is that shrimp?"

Its owner turned out to be a woman with steampunk goggles on her head. With her comment, he gained the attention of the remaining four people in the room.

A man with a cap gasped as a brunette in red looked at him with suspicion. The other two, a tall purple haired man and a blonde with music accessories, sent him a polite smile.

"Hello!" The blonde woman greeted him with a wave of her hand. "Are you here as Mr. Togami's partner?"

At the same time, the purple haired man asked. "Yo, were you snatched to be interrogated as well?"

Blinking at the loud voices, Makoto chuckled nervously and scratched his cheek. Deciding that introductions were in order, he smiled back at the two. "I'm Hidan Plensait, the lawyer in charge of this case. Mr. Togami was nice enough to let me tag along during his own investigation. I hope my presence is not too much of a bother."

"Wait, isn't that your boss, Loth?" The purple haired man turned towards the bluenette, who was startled at being spoken to.

"He is." She answered softly. "It is nice to see you again, sir."

"Likewise." Makoto's smile brightened despite his confusion. Hadn't Tsumugi already been interrogated the previous day?

"Enough prattle. We are here to continue with the questioning. Putting Oma's cry for attention aside, none of you have been cleared of suspicion." The tallest blonde in white reiterated as he glared at everyone in the room.

"Speaking of... Kokichi is not in trouble, is he?" The blonde woman with music accessories asked hesitantly. "We're really sorry for his behavior, he just... is like that."

Byakuya crossed his arms. "Oma was apprehended moments ago. He is quite lucky to have gained a one-on-one interrogation with the detective in charge."

"Serves him right." The tall purple haired man muttered as the brunette in red nodded, satisfaction glinting in her red eyes.

"His fate will be decided by the detective, who is not known for her kindness with people who waste her time." Byakuya smirked and pushed his glasses onto his face. "With any luck, he will not face any charges."

"Wait, what? What did he do?!" Makoto exclaimed, dumbfounded. He knew that the shorter man had done something that made his taller friend mad but what was that about charges?!

While Byakuya was too busy huffing in irritation, his trusty assistant stepped forward. "Aside from being uncooperative during the whole questioning, Kokichi stole Mr. Togami's taser and ran away. Though not before insulting his... 'carelessness'."

"Which is basis for obstruction of justice and theft." The brunette in red added.

Makoto was about to comment on the other's statement but one look at Byakuya kept his mouth shut. The tall blonde seemed exasperated with his crossed arms and veins popping on his forehead; he looked two seconds away from snapping at everyone.

"Well... How about we continue with the questioning? So that once it ends, you can go and visit your friend." He suggested with a smile.

"Ha! That little shit wishes he was friends with a gorgeous genius like me." The woman with goggles cackled. "But what about you, virgin, want to be friends with me?" She sent a wink Makoto's way, who shuddered.

A sudden smack silenced the woman. Turning his startled gaze to the source, Makoto found a red-faced Byakuya, who had slammed his hand against the desk closest to him and was currently glaring at the vulgar blonde.

"Silence, heathen." His icy tone made the other cower and whimper.

Amidst the silence, he took the time to approach a bag on the teacher's desk and take a paper out. Walking back to the desk he had hit earlier, he unfolded the paper and revealed a top-down view of the festival from the previous day.

"You will state your name and location during the event. Now." He ordered firmly.

The woman with goggles nodded rapidly and approached nervously as Byakuya's icy gaze was locked onto her. "M-Miu Iruma. I was hanging out with the rest of these losers around here, where the mock trial was going to be."

"Can anyone corroborate?" The blonde in white turned to look at the rest with a raised eyebrow.

The brunette in red approached, unbothered by the man's hostility. "Kaito and I were busy helping set up booths all morning." She motioned her head towards the purple haired man. "Around 10 AM, we joined the group for the mock trial, since they had one of the biggest events for the festival. I recall Miu being part of that group when we joined." Her red eyes then turned to Makoto and she added. "Maki Harukawa."

"Maki-roll's right." The man, Kaito, put a hand on the brunette's shoulder before it was shaken off. Not that the man was particularly bothered as he added. "We hung out for a while, helping with costumes and checking stage props. Though I did leave for a few minutes after receiving a call from the guys at the Space Center."

The man's statement made something click in Makoto's mind and, as he analyzed the other's attire, he recognized the dark blue jacket the man was wearing over his shoulders. "Are you an astronaut?"

The taller man grinned and gave a thumbs up. "That's right. Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! At your service."

Before the young lawyer could ask about the other man's job, a certain bluenette cleared her throat.

"I don't believe introductions are necessary since we've met before but... I'm Loth Cuzin, assistant by day, cosplayer by night." Tsumugi put her right hand on her hip and gave a close-lipped smile. "I was busy the last two days, finishing various costumes and going around to add final touch ups. By the time 11 o'clock rolled around, I had to focus on the mock trial and ended up repairing Kokichi's cape." She trailed off as she looked away.

Makoto took note of that statement, making a mental note to ask the bluenette later why Oma was wearing a cape. In the meantime, the blonde woman with musical note earrings spoke up. "So that leaves Shuichi and me then. I'm Kaede Akamatsu."

Approaching the map on the desk, she pointed to a stage near the Musicology Department. "I had to help some of the guys in the band since one of them broke their arm at the last minute. So I played on stage for a couple of songs before taking a walk around the festival and offering my help to some of our friends with booths. But both before and after that, I was helping prepare for the mock trial."

"At what time was that?" Byakuya asked her to elaborate.

Akamatsu held her arms in thought. "I arrived at 9:00 AM sharp. Then went onto the stage around 10:30. As for when I got back... I'm afraid I don't remember." She shrugged her shoulders apologetically.

"It was around noon." Momota interjected. "That's when I finished my call. You arrived a few minutes later."

As Akamatsu praised the astronaut's memory, Byakuya closed his eyes in thought. "Did you stay in that area the whole time?"

"Some of us went to the bathroom here and there." Momota answered. "Even the gremlin."

"Speaking of, do any of you know Oma's movements?" Makoto questioned.

The five people looked at each other, communicating silently with shrugs and dismissive hand gestures. A few moments later, Akamatsu stepped forward.

"He came and went a lot. I think he visited the Sociology and Criminology Departments at some point though I'm not sure..." She then turned towards the only person in the group who hadn't spoken. "Do you remember, Shuichi?"

The man with a cap blushed when everyone turned their attention to him. Lowering said cap so it covered more of his eyes, he asked with a trembling voice for Akamatsu to repeat herself.

Once she did, he adopted a thinking pose. "He definitely went to the Criminology Department. I asked him to bring back some items from the cabinet at the back. Though that was before... you know..." He motioned towards the door.

"With those noodle arms, Pooichi couldn't carry shit. Or maybe you were too busy perving on the girls and didn't want to leave?" Iruma cackled.

"Leave my sidekick alone! He was totally capable of leaving anytime he wanted; he left twice, remember?" Momota challenged.

Ignoring the others' bickering, Makoto frowned as he repeated Shuichi's statement in his mind. Cabinet in the back, could it be...? "Did he get them from the scene of the crime?"

The taller man startled before nodding and adjusting his cap. "It wasn't a crime scene yet but he got them from that classroom, yeah." When asked if he remembered the time, he shook his head. "I don't... 10:30? Maybe?"

So this Oma guy went to the future scene of the crime at one point in time. He may know something about the murder. Hopefully Kyoko can uncover something from him. Despite the bad reputation the purple haired man seemed to have, Makoto was still worried for him. Kyoko did seem rather impatient when she dragged him away; and everyone knows a displeased Kyoko was a frightening Kyoko.

"Did any of you commoners enter any of the Departments that day?" Byakuya continued with the questioning, annoying half of them with the way he referred to them.

"I was at the Arts Department in the morning, making some last minute adjustments to some of my work." Tsumugi answered, unbothered. "Though I was kicked out as soon as the festival started. Which was plain rude." She frowned softly.

Harukawa and Momota looked at each other for a few seconds. "We went in many. But we only entered their storage rooms, which were on the ground floor, to help prepare the booths." The woman stated.

Akamatsu answered "I didn't." as Shuichi shook his head behind her. I really need to ask for his last name…

Byakuya nodded, taking the information in. He turned towards Iruma, who flinched at his icy stare. He didn't need to repeat his question, as the woman with goggles quickly looked away and started playing with her long hair.

"D-Don't look at me. I was in the workshop, working on some inventions. At least until those virgin engineers kicked me out."

Intrigued, Makoto asked. "Are you an inventor?" Then blinked in confusion at hearing a cacophony of groans from the rest of the people in the room.

"Th-That's right!" The woman gained more confidence once she turned her attention away from Byakuya. "My genius is too valuable to be contained. Any and all ideas that my golden brain comes up with immediately come to life. Check this out!" She approached the startled lawyer and produced a pair of glasses out of nowhere. "This bad boy can scan an item and run the fingerprints on it against a country-level database to find who was the last to touch it. You know, in case there is an underwear stealer in the premises.

"Unfortunately, it requires user input and doesn't work while you sleep so it's a failure." She groaned. After a moment, she perked up. "But... I do need a lab rat; what do you say, shrimp? Want to work for me? I'll let you get a good eyeful of these anytime!"

Before the lawyer could process the conversation, the inventor had put an arm around his shoulder and started doing crude gestures with her free hand.

"Miu! That's my boss!" Tsumugi's exclamation was drowned out by Byakuya's growl. "He is not interested."

As the inventor whimpered at the harsh tone, Makoto felt a hand enclose around his wrist and yank him away from the taller woman. Once he was held against Byakuya's chest, the man used his free hand to take Iruma's glasses and hide it in another of his hidden pockets.

After confirming the shorter man was unharmed, the tall CEO left the blushing Makoto's side and loomed over a frightened Iruma. "The questioning concludes now. Everyone is dismissed." He addressed the rest of the room without looking away from the inventor. "Except for you. In fact, I know a lead detective who would like a word with you."

Though the woman with goggles attempted to apologize, the blonde in white refused to hear her out. Angered by her actions, he led her out of the room but paused at the door. Taking the list he had been handed previously by Kyoko, Byakuya held it out for Makoto to take. "I believe this belongs to you."

As the lawyer still hadn't recovered from the past few minutes, his assistant stepped forward and took the paper, thanking the man.

With a final nod, the blonde disappeared around the corner, leaving six silent people in the classroom.

The silence didn't last long. "Alright. I'm out."

Maki Harukawa walked towards the door with a serious expression.

"W-Wait, Maki-roll!" Kaito Momota ran after her.

"I guess we can go now." Kaede Akamatsu spoke up next. She grabbed Shuichi's hand and dragged him to the door. "Are you coming?" She asked Tsumugi.

Said bluenette shook her head. "I think my boss needs me now." She motioned to Makoto, who had finished processing the events of the last few minutes and was blinking in confusion.

"Alright. See you later! Nice to meet you, Mr. Plensait!" The woman with music accessories left the room with the silent Shuichi, who stared at Makoto with an unreadable look on his face until the two left.

Tsumugi sighed and put her right hand on her cheek, supporting her arm with her left one.

"... Those are some interesting friends you have." Makoto cut the awkward silence.

The bluenette smiled wistfully. "You have no idea."

The shorter man cleared his throat. "Right. I need to finish my investigation then head to the Detention Center. Do you want to tag along or...?"

His assistant pondered for a second before nodding. "I can come along. Now that your tsundere boyfriend isn't here, you're going to need someone to help you out."

Makoto had half a mind to comment on her latest statement but decided to let it slide as he lacked the energy to dissect what a 'tsundere' meant.

Speaking of Byakuya, what was that about? Why did he react like that?

❮Wouldn't you feel jealous if some skank started making moves on your man? I'm surprised he didn't leave her with your girlfriend and come back. I thought for sure he was going to offer to help you out with that raised flag of yours~❯

Makoto put his face in his hands and groaned.

Chapter Text

The two stayed in the classroom for a while longer. As Makoto dealt with an intangible blonde, Tsumugi decided to take a look at the map Byakuya had left unfolded on the desk.

"Hey, I was meaning to ask..." The lawyer approached his assistant as he swatted the invisible being cackling at his side. "Weren't you already interrogated yesterday?"

The bluenette hummed. "I was. Apparently there was a breakthrough on the investigation, however, so everyone was called back to expand on our alibis."

It took a second for Makoto to figure out what said breakthrough was. "The door slam." He muttered.

When Tsumugi looked back with a confused frown on her face, he elaborated. "Right before the body was found, the sound of a door slamming was heard. Which implies that there was someone else in the building."

"And they may have information on the crime." The bluenette realized.

The lawyer nodded with a smile on his face, proud of how quickly she had caught on. Though her sharp thinking did remind him of something.

"It's unfortunate the festival was canceled. I know you were looking forward to the mock trial."

Tsumugi looked away, biting her lip. "It's fine." She sighed. "There will be another time to show off the costumes."

Makoto let out a chuckle. Of course she was more concerned about showing off her hard work than participating in the trial itself. "You worked hard on those, it would be a shame if people never saw them." He agreed. "Speaking of, what were the costumes you designed again?"

Perking up at the mention of her hobby, the bluenette gained stars in her eyes and started gushing. "I did five commissions for the festival, including the ones for Himiko, Tenko and Angie's D&D party. Then there were the cosplays themselves for some people from the Art Department. For the mock trial specifically, though, I designed the costumes for the witnesses, culprit and lead detective."

"That's a lot..." No wonder we were only able to eat noodles for a month straight. Scratching his cheek in bewilderment, Makoto added. "Congratulations on finishing all of them on time."

Tsumugi sent him a small smile then put her hand on her cheek as she remembered their whereabouts.

"So, now that Mr. Togami is gone, what are you going to do? Is there a specific place that needs to be investigated?"

The lawyer hummed in thought. "Kyoko already investigated the crime scene with me and Byakuya led me here. The most important issue now is that door slam which is the whole reason I managed to delay the verdict another day. I need to figure out who slammed the door and if that person was involved with the murder." He turned towards the door. "But I got sidetracked. And now I have to go try and find clues to that person's identity."

His assistant nodded in thought. "Well, perhaps there is a witness out there who knows something. This may prove useful." She offered the list that Byakuya had given her prior to his departure.

With a smile and a "Thanks", the shorter man took the offered item. Now that he had time, he decided to analyze the list.

Just as he had previously assessed, the page was full with at least a hundred names on both front and back. It seemed, however, that in the short time that Byakuya had the list in his possession, he had blacked out more than half the names that were written on it.

That meant that in the few minutes they had been separated, the man had discarded dozens of testimonies with the notion that they had no connection to the case. How? The man's efficiency left Makoto in awe.

Regardless, Kyoko had seemed bewildered that he had not checked this specific piece of evidence, which Makoto was going to rectify. Especially now that there were less names to read.

At the top there was the trio of familiar names: Kyoko Kirigiri– the lead detective, Komaru Naegi– the accused and Terrance Oak Theo Dehan– the main witness. The other names were foreign to him and he had an inkling that they would not be useful during his investigation. At least, that's what he thought, until he got to the final batch of names.

Right at the end of the page were the following:

Loth Cuzin
Kokichi Oma
Kaede Akamatsu
Shuichi Saihara
Maki Harukawa
Kaito Momota
Miu Iruma

The short lawyer closed his eyes and let out a sigh. That's why Kyoko asked if I had read the list... He made a silent promise to himself to be more attentive to the evidence presented. Had he read the list earlier, he would have been prepared to see his assistant when he and Byakuya entered the classroom.

If there was a positive to the situation, it was that he now knew the man with the cap's full name.

He turned towards his assistant and was about to call out to her when he noticed her fiddling with the map that Byakuya had left behind.

"Shall we take this with us?" She held the item in her hands and sent him a questioning glance.

Makoto paused for a second as he contemplated their options.

It is Byakuya's but he didn't seem too attached to it; he did leave it behind after all. So he won't mind us borrowing it, will he?

❮Knowing that pompous prick, he might ask for a smooch for payment later but hey, at least you are more than willing to pay that price~❯

Through sheer force of will, Makoto managed to avoid the reddening of his cheeks. "He won't mind." He muttered.

Tsumugi nodded and held onto the map; so accustomed to his frequent talks with an invisible blonde, she didn't question his random statement.

The two exited classroom 302 and stood in the hallway for a few seconds.

"So, where do we start?" The taller woman asked as she looked at the occasional investigator rushing past them.

Closing his eyes, the shorter man replied. "First things first, where exactly did the slamming sound come from? Dehan explained during the trial that it was loud enough to startle him and neither he nor Kyoko managed to find the culprit."

Tsumugi nodded at his rundown of the facts before pausing. "Dehan? As in Professor Dehan?"

"Right. You weren't in the trial..." Makoto sighed in exhaustion as the mere thought of the man was enough to bring back the mess of emotions he experienced during the whole session. "It was... a whole thing, I'll explain later." At the bluenette's hesitant nod of confirmation, he continued. "The important thing is that he gave both Komaru and Kyoko a tour of the building before that noise caused him to separate."

"Well... in that case, the culprit couldn't have been more than one floor away. So we only have to examine three floors, right?"

Makoto opened his eyes and looked around the hallway in thought. After a few seconds, he turned towards the bluenette. "Is there a way off the roof of the building?" When a perplexed Tsumugi answered with a negative, he held a hand to his chin. "Then it's safe to assume that the culprit couldn't have gone upstairs, right?"

"Right." The taller woman tilted her head.

"And they couldn't have come from upstairs if both Dehan and Kyoko were searching for them. They may have gotten past Komaru when she entered the crime scene but not those two."

Green eyes brightened with understanding. "Then they could have only been on the lower floors and escaped by going downstairs."

"Or this one." Makoto added. "Let's look around, maybe they left something behind that tells us which door they slammed close."

With a nod, both the lawyer and his assistant explored the hallway. Nothing really stood out as all the classroom doors were the same. There were no scuff marks or bloody frames anywhere.

It wasn't until they got to the end of the hallway that they finally found a clue.

"Is that blood?" The bluenette at Makoto's side gasped as he crouched down by the potted plant.

"It is..." He responded absentmindedly and narrowed his eyes. "Wonder why no one is investigating this. Kyoko for sure wouldn't have missed this."

Taking a note of the blood splatter, he figured it wasn't as visible as he had assumed it was. It was at the very corner of the hallway after all. And the potted plant next to it was dry, as if it hadn't been watered in a while.

He made a mental note to ask his detective friend about this mysterious blood splatter later.

The sudden sound of an object falling on the floor nearby caught their attention. The duo followed the sound and came across a peculiar sight.

Two people in black suits were sitting at one of the benches near a window, empty boxes of confections were littering the floor at their feet.

Recognizing the slender redhead and the muscular woman at his side, Makoto sported what he hoped was a friendly smile and approached the duo.

"Hello! Aren't you the ambassadors' bodyguards?"

The two stood up rapidly before they straightened and turned in his direction. On seeing someone that wasn't their charge, the taller man relaxed his posture slightly as the woman at his side corrected her sunglasses.

"Defense attorney." The man acknowledged with an aloof nod.

The bluenette at Makoto's side watched curiously as he rubbed his palm, right where the redhead's rings once cut him. Said action didn't go unnoticed by the other woman who gave her coworker a look.

Said man coughed and apologized for hurting him that day two weeks ago with an embarrassed expression.

"It was an accident." Makoto placated. "No need to apologize." When the redhead attempted to argue, he added. "Really, it's cured now so there's no need for it, see?"

He showed the clean palm with a nervous smile.

As the other man analyzed his unblemished skin behind dark sunglasses, an intangible blonde gave her unwanted input.

❮Don't forget to thank him. If it wasn't for his idiocy, you wouldn't have gotten that lovely gift from that tall girlfriend of yours.❯

With his free hand, Makoto swatted at the smirking blonde.

A few moments later, the bodyguard gave a slow nod and turned back to the final confection box on the bench that still had its contents intact.

Hesitantly, he offered the box to the duo. Makoto took one of the remaining confections as Tsumugi tilted her head in thought. Her eyes narrowed slightly once she recognized where she had seen said item before. "Where did you get that?"

The muscular bodyguard put her hands behind her and raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"Those are from the festival." Tsumugi explained, crouching down and motioning along the brand on the front. "Kirumi made the packaging specifically for that event. Were you part of the festivities?"

The bluenette's words sparked something in Makoto's brain as he held a hand to his chin. "Shouldn't you have been with Kyo– Detective Kirigiri and Ms. Naegi?"

The taller woman hesitated for a second. "As soon as we arrived, we were instructed to sweep the area for potential risks and to keep an eye out for a certain individual. We followed Ms. Kirigiri's orders to the letter and, as such, were unable to enjoy the festival."

"Then... where did you get these boxes from?" Tsumugi asked before Makoto could question who the 'certain individual' they were keeping an eye out for was.

The redhead adjusted his sunglasses and admitted with a guilty expression. "They were left on this bench. Seeing as no person was interested in them, we helped ourselves."

To say both lawyer and assistant were dumbfounded would have been an understatement. The two were rendered speechless as the muscular bodyguard attempted to justify their actions.

"It seemed like a waste to leave them there. And they are quite delectable."

"You at least made sure this wasn't important evidence, right?" Makoto asked hesitantly then sighed at the silence from the two bodyguards. "Hopefully it wasn't..."

"Excuse me." The sudden voice of his self-proclaimed rival startled Makoto, who turned towards the brunette that had materialized behind him. Before he could greet him properly, the prosecutor added. "I will have to kindly ask you to step away from the witnesses, Mr. Plensait."

Confused by the man's uncharacteristically serious tone, the shorter man did as told. "Witnesses? Eustace, is everything alright?"

The man avoided his gaze and took out his baton. "Though these two were not present during the murder, they were tampering with evidence. I need to interrogate them." He shrugged.

Makoto noticed that the man refused to hold his gaze and had promptly ignored his latest question. Knowing now was not the best time to figure out what was wrong with the man, however, he acquiesced. "Of course. My apologies, Prosecutor Winner, go ahead."

He received a tense nod in response before Eustace motioned to the bodyguards and led them to one of the classrooms though not before signaling to one of the investigators in the area and pointing them to the bench with confections.

"That was plainly weird, wasn't it?" Tsumugi muttered.

Makoto nodded in agreement before they moved out of the way of the investigator. "I'll talk to him later." He vowed.

He looked around and recognized that with their only potential lead gone and both Kyoko and Byakuya occupied, he had run out of places to investigate.

"I guess the only thing left to do is to continue to take a look at the classroom doors, see if we can find which of them was slammed shut."

With that, the two proceeded to investigate the rest of the floor, eventually moving to the lower ones and inspecting every door they came across. Too soon, the two ended up at the entrance to the building with no leads whatsoever.

"What now?" The bluenette frowned.

❮My suggestion still stands. You can solve this conundrum by simply accusing an innocent person to save your sister.❯

Makoto frowned and turned away from the grinning blonde. "I promised Komaru I would visit her again today." I already told you I won't do it.

Tsumugi nodded and offered to accompany him as the intangible blonde shrugged. ❮Your loss.❯

"So why was Oma wearing a cape?" Makoto asked as the two entered the Detention Center.

"During the mock trial, he was going to be revealed as the leader of a Secret Organization. He asked if I could make him a cape so he could wear it after that revelation." Tsumugi shrugged softly. "I plainly decided not to question it."

"I guess the opportunity to make more costumes was a bonus then?" The lawyer asked with a smile. "Actually, while we're on the topic; seeing as the mock trial is canceled for the foreseeable future, is there a chance I can get a sneak peek of the story?"

The bluenette pondered for a second before nodding. "As long as you don't tell anyone..." Once the shorter man agreed to her condition, she continued. "A man was going to be found murdered under mysterious circumstances. The first part of the trial was going to center around the victim's cause of death, which was going to involve poisons and a locked room mystery.

"During the second part of the trial, it was going to be revealed that the victim was actually being hunted by a secret organization called D.I.C.E. and that the prosecutor was the leader of said organization. Long story short, the victim had previously stumbled upon one of D.I.C.E.'s operations and was used as an example to show their enemies not to cross them."

Stunned, Makoto took a few seconds to blink in astonishment. "That's pretty... elaborate." And that first part was rather familiar... "Who wrote the script?"

"It was a combined effort of Shuichi, Kaede and Kokichi. Though Kaito added some things here and there, especially for the costumes."

Before the shorter man could inquire more, the two arrived at their destination.

Makoto took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had every intention of coming back to this place but that didn't mean he was ready to confront his sister again.

❮The band-aid has already been ripped off. You can do this! Just try to not make dear Komaru jealous~❯

Why would she be jealous? The lawyer frowned in confusion.

Though he couldn't see it, the blonde phantom rolled her eyes and pushed him towards the door.

Makoto stumbled due to the unexpected touch, startling the bluenette at his side and causing her to give a startled yelp.

"Sorry." He muttered and sent a quick glare at the cackling blonde. When she looked back with an unapologetic smirk, the man sighed and turned back towards the door. "Let's go."

It wasn't until the two entered and green eyes locked onto them that Makoto realized what his unwanted companion was referring to.

That's a pretty intense glare. He sweatdropped. "Hey, I'm back." He smiled nervously and slowly approached his biological sister.

Komaru's eyes narrowed as they stayed on the hesitant bluenette at the door. "Who are you?"

Tsumugi hesitated for a second before giving a close-lipped smile. "I'm Loth Cuzin," She turned a questioning glance at Makoto, who nodded subtly. "Mr. Naegi's assistant."

Komaru tilted her head slightly as she examined the two. "So she knows then..." Green questioning eyes turned towards her brother.

"I couldn't keep it a secret from her." The shorter man explained as he motioned for the bluenette to approach. "Though she is the only one who knows, so if you could please refer to me by my other name when anyone else is in the room I would appreciate it."

"Yeah, I can do that." Komaru agreed, then crossed her arms. Once both lawyer and assistant stood in front of the desk and chair, she exhaled and kept her narrowed gaze on the taller bluenette. "So how was the investigation?"

"Right, about that..." Makoto let out a shaky exhale and chuckled nervously. "We found nothing, at least pertaining to the identity of the killer. And the door slam." He added reluctantly.

Green eyes widened as Komaru turned towards her brother in distress. "So I'm going to be found guilty...?"

"No!" The shorter man shook his head and proclaimed. "It won't come to that. I'll figure something out for tomorrow, don't worry."

The brunette on the other side of the glass bit her lips and wrung her hands. She gave a slow nod as she desperately tried to believe in her brother's words.

Taking advantage of the pause in the conversation, Tsumugi cleared her throat. "If I may," Once she had Komaru's attention, she continued. "There were some pieces of evidence we found that you may be able to shed light on."

At the brunette's questioning frown, the taller woman turned towards Makoto and motioned for him to speak up.

I was going to talk to Kyoko about them but maybe Komaru knows something. He nodded back with a grateful smile.

Looking through his Court Record, he found the evidence his assistant was referring to and spoke up. "On the same floor where the murder took place, we found a potted plant with a blood splatter at the very corner of the hallway. Do you have any idea where it came from?"

Komaru sighed and wrung her hands nervously. "It's what made Kyoko and I split up. After our tour guide left, she found the blood and decided to search for the culprit while I tended to the injured person. I had to leave my boxes behind though." She pouted.

So Kyoko already suspected someone had been harmed then. For why else would she force them to separate if not due to an inkling that the blood came from an act of violence between two people and not from an accident.

❮It does remind you of the old days, doesn't it? Say what you want about my Killing Game but it did help you develop that sixth sense that detects murder attempts.❯

Irritated, Makoto frowned and turned away from his invisible companion, not willing to entertain her goading. "What boxes are you referring to?" He asked Komaru instead.

"My boxes of mochi and chocolate and petit fours..." The brunette sighed in frustration. "I didn't get to eat them."

"Wait." Hazel eyes widened in realization. "Were they left on a bench near a window? Near the potted plant?"

"Yeah!" Komaru nodded rapidly. "How did you know that?"

Assistant and lawyer shared a look, neither willing to speak up and tell her of the unfortunate fate of her treats.

That's when Makoto remembered the item in his pocket. Taking it out slowly, he presented the wrapped confection to his sister and offered. "The food in there is probably not that good. Would you rather have this instead?"

The taller brunette gained stars in her green eyes and held her hands to the glass. "Is that from the maid's booth? Give me that!" She exclaimed.

Makoto let out a soft laugh that was echoed by the bluenette at his side. As much as he wanted to comply, he was unable to, as there was no possible way to pass the chocolate covered treat to the woman on the other side of the glass.

"I'll hold onto it for now. But I'll give it to you tomorrow, promise." He smiled and pocketed the treat, earning a pout and a glare from said woman.

"You better." She muttered then closed her eyes. "I don't want to be here anymore."

"I'll get you out." Makoto stated with conviction. "You will have your freedom by tomorrow, I promise."

The brunette opened hesitant eyes and, after looking at the duo infront of her, turned her gaze to the desk. "And after that?"

The shorter man knew what she was not saying out loud. She was inquiring as to what would happen with the relationship between the two; whether Makoto would go back on his word and leave her again or stick by her side and continue mending their relationship.

Unable to give her a concrete answer, he promised. "We'll figure it out. One step at a time.”

Chapter Text

When Makoto entered the Defendant Lobby the next day, he hadn't expected it to be occupied.

"Oh, hello." Tsumugi waved to the duo standing in the middle of the room from her place at his side.

Kyoko looked away from the painting in the wall and greeted the bluenette back while Byakuya gave her a standoffish nod. Not wasting any time, the taller blonde turned towards Makoto and narrowed his eyes.

"Where did you go?"

Dumbfounded at the icy tone, the lawyer opened his mouth and stuttered. "I... W-What?"

"Yesterday during the investigation. I don't recall giving you permission to leave the interrogation room. You were meant to wait for my return." The CEO crossed his arms.

"Technically you did say everyone was dismissed." Tsumugi spoke up, stopping Makoto from apologizing. "And it was a classroom."

"She's got you there." Kyoko remarked with a teasing smirk.

Byakuya scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"You... didn't say I had to wait for you. You just left abruptly." Makoto stated hesitantly before straightening and looking the taller man in the eyes. "I can't read your thoughts, Byakuya. If you wanted to continue investigating with me, you should have told me."

Kyoko hummed and held one of the ribbons in her hair between her fingers. "Did you ditch your date, Togami?" Purple eyes turned toward the taller man's direction as their owner raised an eyebrow. In a disappointed tone, the detective added. "What a shame. It would seem like you may need to apologize publicly for your actions."

The taller man huffed and looked away, a soft red adorning his cheeks. No one commented on it as the rest of the people in the room were busy staring at the shorter lawyer hiding his face in his hands.

Date?!

❮And she was nice enough to let you have a one-on-one with your man.❯ The annoying blonde clicked her tongue. ❮But you just had to ruin it by running into a stranger's embrace.❯

That's not what happened and you know it!

To his luck, the sudden clearing of Byakuya's throat gained everyone's attention.

"Moving on from such frivolous drivel, it is time we focus on a more important matter." He fiddled with his glasses, the red on his face slowly fading away, and proceeded to stand straight. "The investigation. Were your results satisfactory?"

The reluctant gaze that both lawyer and assistant sent each other spoke for itself. Amidst the silence, a mutter of "Ridiculous..." encompassed the room and made Makoto's confidence plummet.

Ignoring the muttering man in white, Kyoko approached the duo and offered. "There is still time before the trial starts. If there is anything I may offer assistance with, feel free to let me know."

"Is that okay?" Tsumugi asked softly. "Should the detective in charge really be offering the defense help? Wouldn't that be biased?"

"I don't see the problem." The lavender haired detective crossed her arms. "I have already offered my services to the prosecution after all. Though he was reluctant to accept them."

Right, Eustace. With everything that had happened the previous day, Makoto hadn't made the time to talk to his rival. His behavior the prior day had been strange, as the prosecutor believed in fair trials and would usually let Makoto do his investigation without interruptions, even joining in a few of them. In fact, his behaviour almost reminded him of the first few cases they had against each other.

Back then, the brunette had been pitted against various defense attorneys who hadn't taken him seriously and, in an effort to prove his worth, had been rather closed off. It didn't help that all eyes were on him after the Chief Prosecutor had publicly declared him his protégé, which had put public pressure on the man.

Thankfully, after a few talks with his self-proclaimed rival and reassurances from both of his mentors, Eustace had become more confident in his mental prowess and had opened up, letting Makoto get to know the brilliant and reliable man he was.

Regardless, all this reminiscence was not going to help with the man's strange behaviour. The young lawyer was going to talk to the other man as soon as Komaru was proven innocent.

And to do that, it would be a good idea to ask for the lead detective's opinion.

"When we visited Komaru at the Detention Center, she told us some rather interesting things." Makoto proceeded to relay what Komaru had told him the day before, from the blood splatter to her boxes of confections.

The lavender haired detective listened intently, holding a hand to her chin and nodding along to some of his words.

Once the lawyer finished his recounting, she straightened up. "I noticed the blood by the plant as soon as our tour guide left in that direction. As it hadn't been there a few minutes prior, I deemed its appearance alarming. I sent Komaru to check on the injured person as I looked for the assailant, as her task posed less risk."

"Of course, we can see that was not the case; if you had assessed the situation more efficiently, she would not have been arrested." Byakua pointed out a few paces behind the detective.

He was promptly ignored by said woman. "That reminds me, however, that you were not given the results of its analysis." Kyoko crossed her arms, not moving her gaze away from the shorter lawyer in front of her. "It belonged to the victim."

"Wait, how?" Hazel eyes widened in confusion. "The victim was attacked in the classroom, wasn't he? How did his blood end up all the way over at the end of the hallway?"

Instead of answering directly, the detective looked away and stated. "Peculiar, is it not?"

Her unhelpful answer went unheard as Makoto was already making theories in his mind.

Could he have been attacked beforehand and hid in the classroom? There is no more blood splattered anywhere, however; we checked. So the assailant could have wiped the blood to hide the attack, but then why attempt to wipe the blood on the classroom's door handle and not the one on the doorframe? Did they run out of time? Closing his eyes, his ruminations continued. Or maybe the answer is simpler than that. Maybe the blood came from something they took from the crime scene. There was a certain object we never found, after all.

Before he could ask Kyoko about the object in question, everyone's attention was grabbed by the brunette that appeared around the corner.

"There you are!" Komaru ran away from the officers escorting her and headed straight towards her brother, causing Tsumugi to quickly step backwards with a yelp lest she get knocked over by the determined brunette.

Where else was I going to be? Makoto sweatdropped before being grabbed by the shoulders.

"Give it to me!"

The short man blinked in confusion for a few seconds before sighing as he realized what his sister was referring to. A short laugh escaped his lips as he attempted to take a step backwards. "Alright, alright. Give me a moment."

It took a few more seconds before Komaru released him. Once she did, he grabbed the confection he had promised to give her the day before from his pocket and held it out in her direction. The taller brunette immediately snatched the treat from his hands and proceeded to devour it.

Makoto observed his sister's actions with a fond smile, oblivious to the way everyone in the room focused on their interaction. He would have been content to lose himself in the calm atmosphere if it wasn't for a certain annoying blonde breaking the silence.

❮... Did she just eat the wrapping?❯

Makoto waved a hand in her direction, ignoring her words.

"Ah, that's the good stuff." Komaru sighed in satisfaction. After the feeling passed, however, it turned to embarrassment at the looks of awe and shock that both her brother and his assistant were giving her. "A-Anyway, are you ready to prove my innocence?"

Her brother did not comment on the slight blush on her cheeks and, faking his confidence, he nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!"

The taller brunette stared back with narrowed eyes for a few seconds before biting her lip and looking away, a sigh of acceptance escaping her lips.

Did I do something wrong? Makoto frowned and attempted to question her behavior when the normally unmoving bailiff guarding the Courtroom door suddenly spoke up.

"The trial is about to start. Please make your way inside."

Giving one last reassuring smile towards his sister, Makoto turned around and headed to the Courtroom, Tsumugi in tow.

"Before you go," Kyoko's sudden words stopped the duo. Once they turned back towards her, finding her next to a frowning Byakuya, she gave them a final warning. "Be cautious of the prosecution's newest piece of evidence."

The sound of chatter reached the duo's ears as they stood on the Defense Bench.

"How's the list coming? Did you find anything?" Makoto looked up from his Court Record and asked his blue haired assistant.

Said woman shook her head. "Nothing. I don't recognize any of the remaining names."

The lawyer sighed. "That's a shame. Thanks for checking."

That was a dead end. Now the only thing left to do is wait then, I guess. Finding no clue to the identity of the person who slammed the door shut, Makoto's only hope was for Tsumugi to analyze the list Byakuya had used for his investigation and check if any of the names on it stood out to her.

Alas, she had found nothing and now the only thing they could do was wait for Eustace to present his witness and figure things out from there.

Right as he finished his thought, the Judge appeared. With a pounding of his gavel, he silenced the courtroom. "The Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Komaru Naegi."

"... The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Eustace muttered after a second of hesitation.

"The defense is ready as well, Your Honor." Makoto sent a concerned look to the prosecutor, which was promptly ignored.

"Please bring forth your findings." The Judge ordered the two men.

"Of course, Your Honor. Before that, however, I would like to give the opportunity to the defense to present their findings first." Eustace pointed in Makoto's direction with his baton though he kept his gaze firmly locked on his own desk. "It was due to Mr. Plensait's insistence that we had to extend the trial after all."

The Judge nodded in thought then turned towards the lawyer. "That seems reasonable. Defense?"

Makoto wilted under the bearded man's stare. "W-Well..." There goes my plan on waiting for the prosecution's findings. Though it was weird how aggressive Eustace's tactics were today; they were more suited for someone like Prosecutor Von Karma or Prosecutor Payne.

As much as he tried, he couldn't come up with a way to avoid stating he had no leads to present. So with a nervous clearing of his throat, Makoto smiled nervously. Right as he opened his mouth, however, Tsumugi nudged his side.

Confused, he turned towards her and found her pointing at a particular name on the list of witnesses she was still holding.

He stared at the name with confusion for a few moments before understanding filled his expression. He sent her a thankful smile then turned towards the Judge.

"During our investigation, we came across a particular individual: a man by the name of Oma. He had visited the Criminology Department at one point in time during the festival." That's what Akamatsu and Saihara claimed, right? "Unfortunately, we were unable to inquire further as he was taken for interrogation by Detective Kirigiri."

The sound of a baton smacking the prosecutor's cheek made the lawyer turn towards said man. The brunette's gaze had left his desk and was now focused on him. The man looked between the lawyer and assistant on the other side of the room rapidly before focusing on the baton in his hands.

With a nervous sigh, Eustace nodded. "I see you did well in your investigation." Amidst Makoto's confusion, the brunette turned towards the Judge. "The prosecution would like to call Kokichi Oma to the stand."

What was that? Makoto frowned as he stared at his rival, taking note of the way the taller man refused to look him in the eyes.

While in the process of formulating a plan to move his future talk with Eustace earlier (possibly taking place during recess), the witness arrived: a familiar man with purple hair wearing a white jacket with straps and a checkered scarf; a mischievous smirk sat on his face as he took his place on the witness stand.

The narrowed amused purple eyes made a shiver run down Makoto's spine. I've got a bad feeling about this guy.

"Witness. State your name and occupation."

The short purple haired man smiled. "Shuichi Saihara, detective in training!"

The dumbfounded silence that was left behind by the man's statement was interrupted by the prosecutor's "Wh-What?"

"Sorry, was I not meant to say that?" The witness smiled cheekily.

"Prosecutor Winner, I believe you said your witness' name was Kokichi Oma." The Judge frowned in confusion.

Eustace bent his baton and stammered "I-It is! This man isn't..."

"Oh, did you get the wrong person? What a shame." Oma put his left hand on his hip and cupped his mouth with his right one. "It's hard to find good subordinates nowadays, huh?"

As Eustace tried to come up with a response, an unimpressed voice suddenly spoke out.

"Kokichi, what are you doing?" Tsumugi sighed as she held her head with her right hand.

"W-Who do you think you are? Revealing my secret identity just like that?!" Oma pouted as tears gathered at the corners of his wide eyes.

Makoto ignored the Judge's confused mutter of "Secret identity?" and looked the unruly witness in the eye.

"Mr. Oma. This is a Court of Law, please refrain from jokes like that."

"Well, well... If it isn't the knight in shining armor!" The purple haired man sent the lawyer a smile. "Fancy seeing you here and with Plain Princess herself!"

Plain Princess?

❮Ha! That fits her perfectly!❯

Makoto frowned, about to comment on the man's nicknames when Eustace managed to compose himself.

"So you are Kokichi Oma." At the purple haired man's amused stare, he requested. "Can you state your occupation to the Court?"

"Now why would I do that?"

Sensing that the conversation would just keep going in circles if she didn't interfere, Tsumugi chimed in. "He's a Sociology student at the Ultimate University for the Gifted, top of his class."

The fake gasp of betrayal that Oma made went ignored.

"Moving on." Makoto closed his eyes. "Now that we have the witness' identity, perhaps we should move on to the cross-examination."

"Right." Eustace nodded, fiddling with his baton. "Mr. Oma was summoned because he is the person you deemed important enough to require a prolongation of the trial."

"Wait, you mean...?"

"The one who slammed the door during the tour." The prosecutor proclaimed as he pointed to the man on the witness stand with his baton. "That is who we were given time to investigate, was it not?"

Said man did not seem content to have the spotlight robbed off him. "Hey! Hellooo, I'm right here! Don't ignore me!" Oma huffed when no one turned towards him. "First you don't even verify my identity when calling me to the stand and now you ignore me after a small prank. Talk about useless..."

At the man's heckling, Eustace's face turned red and his baton bent in his gloved hands to the point that it looked close to snapping.

Before the witness could continue riling up his friend, Makoto interjected. "You went to the building where the crime took place sometime during the festival."

"So?" Oma put his right hand on his hip and raised his left hand with an aloof attitude that was meant to provoke the lawyer.

Unfortunately for him, Makoto had a large amount of patience due to years of experience and was not affected by the shorter man's behaviour. "If you could please testify about that, it would be much appreciated."

"And if I refuse?"

"You will have to be removed from the premises then, witness." The Judge informed the man. "If the situation escalates then you will be held in contempt of court."

"W-Wait!" Surprisingly, it wasn't the witness who interjected, but the prosecutor. "The witness will cooperate, won't he?" Eustace straightened and looked at Oma with a serious gaze, his exasperation forgotten in the threat of his witness being unable to testify.

Unfortunately for him, said man laughed in his face. "You're so much fun! Sure, I'll play the game but only if you keep that pathetic look on your face!" Eustace's expression fell, not that the witness cared as he turned towards Makoto and raised an eyebrow. "Well? What was it that you wanted to know? It was my visit to the Criminology Department, right?"

The lawyer sent a concerned glance at his rival but decided to take advantage of Oma's willingness to cooperate.

With a nod, he requested. "Please state what you were doing at the building."

"What one does when their beloved detective asks them to do something." Oma shrugged.

"... And that is?" Makoto prodded when the man stopped talking.

"You tell me. Don't think I didn't see the way you were looking at Detective Kirigiri." The shorter man's smirk sharpened as he held a finger to his lips and raised an eyebrow.

The Judge made an intrigued noise that went ignored as the lawyer buried his face in his hands. Now's not the time, Your Honor!

"The Judge sure does like his gossip, huh?" Tsumugi noted.

❮What are you doing? Don't show weakness! Look the guy in the eye and tell him exactly what you want the detective to do to you!❯

If his face wasn't red before, it was now with the unhelpful input from the phantom.

Before things could escalate, Eustace unknowingly came to his rescue. "You entered the building by someone else's orders?" He questioned meekly.

Oma must have been satisfied with Makoto's reaction, for he nodded and actually answered the prosecutor. "Shuichi needed some things from his classroom so he sent me to look for them."

"Can you elaborate on that?"

"Sure!" The witness smiled then looked at the lawyer with narrowed eyes and his hands behind his head. "Is the knight in shining armor ready for my cross-examination?"

Sending one last whispered "Shut up" to the intangible blonde heckling him, Makoto cleared his throat and straightened up. "Of course. Go ahead."

"Alright then, listen closely!" The short purple haired man leaned forward slightly. "We were hanging around where the mock trial was going to be. My dear Shumai, however, realized that dumb mutt Kaito forgot some things for the trial so, to show how much of an amazing friend I am, I offered to help him out."

Makoto held his chin in his hand. The man's testimony left various openings to be questioned. There was one thing, however, that stood out to him. "'Shumai'?"

"That's what he calls Shuichi." Tsumugi informed him. "I plainly advise not to question it."

He thanked her and nodded in thought. First things first, what exactly was missing for the mock trial?

Uttering his question out loud, he surprisingly received a direct answer.

"Some vials of poison and bandages with fake blood." The purple haired man shrugged.

"Why would you have needed that?!" Eustace exclaimed worriedly.

Purple eyes rolled as their owner mockingly stated. "What part of 'mock trial' do you not understand?" Oma pouted. "Jeez, and here I thought no dumb mutts were allowed in the Courtroom."

The prosecutor flinched and apologized, much to the witness' amusement.

"And why didn't 'Shumai' go and get those things himself?" The lawyer questioned with a frown, disliking the shorter man's attitude towards his friend.

The man in question sighed in disappointment. "I pity you, Mr. Knight." He waited for Makoto's noise of confusion before continuing. "You don't know the Power of Love if you are asking such questions."

The Judge hummed in thought and shook his head. "It is quite powerful, I'm disappointed the defense does not appreciate its value. Perhaps you are in need of first-hand experience... You should take the Detective out on a date; if needed, I can offer some restaurant recommendations."

How did we end up in a discussion of my love life?!

"Don't let them get away with that!" Tsumugi tried being supportive. "Tell them about Mr. Togami being a part of your harem too!"

"Not you too..." He deadpanned, shaking his head as the phantom chimed in with vulgar comments. He pointedly refused to look at Komaru, not wanting to come face to face with her judging stare.

"Though this conversation is very... intriguing." Eustace spoke up, saving his rival from further embarrassment. "I believe what the defense was asking was why the witness agreed to fetch things for this other person. Were they occupied with something else?"

"I was bored." Was the man on the witness stand’s response. "And he was busy coordinating things for the mock trial. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help the only not-boring person in that group?" He turned towards Tsumugi. "It's a shame he sticks with you lot. Shuichi would do so much better without you all dragging him down."

The bluenette shrugged, unbothered. "Shuichi can make his own decisions on who he hangs out with. It seems to me like he plainly doesn't want to be left alone with you."

The shorter man gasped with mock offense as crocodile tears suddenly fell from his eyes. "How dare you imply I'm unlovable! The only reason those guys let you stick around is to get free costumes and to ogle you!"

"At least they want me around." Tsumugi stated, matter-of-factly. "And I charge them for my work."

Knowing that the Judge was not going to stop the conversation any time soon due to his love for gossip, Makoto took matters into his own hands. "If he was busy preparing for the mock trial, what were you doing?"

The purple haired man's tears disappeared in an instant. "Didn't you hear me? I was booooored. Everyone was busy so I took a stroll around the area."

Seems like I won't be getting more information out of him unless I press him. With narrowed eyes, Makoto continued his cross-examination.

"Can anyone verify that?"

"Probably." Oma shrugged. "I did go and bother Mom for a while but she was paying attention to the stupid crowd instead of me." He pouted.

The lawyer sighed and turned towards his assistant who smiled in pity and clarified. "Kirumi Tojo. She was at one of the food booths. She is the one who made the chocolate you gave your sister."

"Thanks." He smiled before turning towards Oma, not bothering to question the topic further. "Going back to your visit to the Criminology Department, at what time was that?"

The witness shrugged. "I don't know, I didn't have a watch. Before your client murdered that man, probably."

Komaru's weak "H-Hey!" went unheard by everyone but the people on the Defense Bench, thankfully. Sending a warning look to his sister, Makoto turned back towards the smirking man.

"Please don't call the defendant a murderer, that has not been proven yet."

To his chagrin, both the phantom and the witness teased in unison. ❮"Yet~"❯

Moving on... "You are saying that when you went into the classroom where the murder took place, the body was not present."

Oma hummed and tilted his head. "I guess so."

"What about the state of the classroom?" He tilted his head in thought. "Were the chairs pushed to the sides, forming an empty space in the center?"

"Mayyybe~"

I'll take that as a yes. That meant that at the time the shorter man went to that classroom, the victim hadn't arrived yet but the room was prepared for his arrival. Whoever the killer was, they believed no one was going to visit that place despite the festival taking place outside.

Though, just to confirm that theory, he asked. "Was Mr. Peaks there?"

The witness hummed. "Who?" When the prosecutor clarified that was the name of the victim, Oma shrugged. "Nope. Don't know who that is."

"Was the classroom empty at the time?" Makoto pressed.

The purple haired man held a hand to his hip and gave him a thumbs-up. "Sure!"

So Oma arrived before the murder took place. If we can establish a more precise timeline then maybe I can prove Komaru's innocence completely and prod for clues about the real killer's identity.

With that hopeful thought in his head, the lawyer asked. "At what time exactly was that?"

"Is it important?" Eustace questioned as the witness complained in the background about 'dumb knights' and repeated that he did not know.

Makoto nodded and crossed his arms. “Knowing when the victim was attacked can narrow down the list of suspects. We still don’t have a clue on the attacker’s identity.” What he meant was ‘killer’ but he didn’t want to argue with the brunette about Komaru’s innocence. Right now, they had to focus on Oma’s testimony.

The prosecutor closed his eyes and nodded. “That is true… Witness, can you answer the question?”

“I already told you I can’t!” The purple haired man stuck his tongue out in their direction, reiterating that there was no way to know the exact time.

His words sparked something in Makoto’s mind and he proceeded to hold his chin as the interrogation at the classroom from the day before came to mind. "Actually… We got the opportunity to question this 'Shuichi' the witness keeps talking about. He said Oma went to the Criminology Department at around 10:30 AM."

The prosecutor nodded, moving his baton around as if conducting an invisible orchestra. “With that information we can now proceed to the next part of the cross-examination, correct?” At his rival’s unsure agreement, he frowned. “Is there a problem?”

The lawyer’s hesitant statement reached the prosecutor’s ears. "The infamous tour that ended with the defendant arrested was after noon." Makoto saw understanding cross the brunette's face. "Does getting a few bandages and vials of poison really take more than two hours?"

To his surprise, Oma was uncharacteristically silent as the two debated on the issue.

"Maybe he got distracted by the classroom's state? Or he couldn't find what he was looking for?" Eustace offered.

"That still wouldn't take two hours." Makoto reiterated. He turned towards the witness and asked. "Can you tell the Court what you were doing at that time?"

The shorter man smiled sharply, his lips seeming to extend past what they should and creating a truly disturbing facial expression. "I can. But letting you two figure it out seems more entertaining."

The two men shivered in place, doing their best to stand their ground as the Judge disappeared under his desk with a yelp.

"Oh, he's having fun." Tsumugi noted, unaffected by the shorter man's expression.

Closing his eyes, Makoto let out a shaky breath. Not willing to turn towards the witness for the moment, he decided to do as the shorter man suggested.

"S-So... Do we know when the victim arrived at the festival?" He asked, clearing his throat to get rid of the shakiness in his voice.

"We can confirm he arrived as a guest between 10:30 and 11:30 AM but not the exact time, unfortunately." The prosecutor responded, his gaze averted towards the Judge's direction and bending his baton.

Nodding in thought, his rival offered. "Maybe this witness had been waiting for him?"

Brown eyes widened and rapidly turned towards the lawyer, disbelief rang in his voice as Eustace prodded. "You're accusing the witness of being involved in the crime?"

Makoto hesitated for a second before answering. "It was just a suggestion though the witness' refusal to give concrete answers is rather suspicious, don't you think?"

To his surprise, it wasn't the prosecutor who answered but his assistant at his side. "Kokichi is many things but a killer is not one of them." She shook her head. "And being an accomplice isn't really his style. If he were to be involved in a murder, he would be the instigator or even the surprise victim thought to be the killer."

Hazel eyes stared at the bluenette in bewilderment. "Right..." That was oddly specific.

❮Well, well... who knew Ms. Plain has been thinking about the little nuisance's death. Perhaps she should be given the chance to host a Killing Game, hm?~❯

"N-No!" Makoto frowned and turned away from the smirking blonde. You stay away from her.

His response was the digging of sharp nails on his shoulders and a deranged cackle on his ears as the phantom dissipated.

"He could also be the unhelpful witness who knows the killer and is toying with the authorities." Tsumugi offered weakly.

The lawyer's eyes widened as he turned back towards the bluenette and shook his hands in front of himself. "S-Sorry. I wasn't... She was being a nuisance." He whispered.

The bluenette's green eyes softened with understanding. "It's alright. Now wasn't the time to speculate about Kokichi's role in a murder anyway." She stood straight and continued. "My point still stands, however. I don't think he was involved in the murder, at least not directly. If anything, it seems like it was just a coincidence he went to the Criminology Department."

"At Saihara's orders..." Makoto muttered, internally thankful for the bluenette's ability to seamlessly move on from uncomfortable topics. "Actually... how sure are we that Oma was gone for that long?"

"What do you mean?" Eustace frowned, having heard the other man's words. "The man you interrogated said that Mr. Oma left at 10:30 AM. And the defendant was definitely apprehended well past noon." His eyes widened in wonder. "Has there been some sort of time dilation?"

"Not that I'm aware of..." Makoto answered truthfully. A sudden thought entered his mind, one that prohibited him from correcting the other man's pronunciation of the word 'dilation'. But there's something wrong with the time. I just can't put my finger on what exactly. "If I were to say I needed to leave for a moment and I didn't come back..."

The Judge did not let him finish his hypothetical as he sprung up from under his desk and admonished. "Please do not leave the Courtroom while the trial is in session."

The lawyer laughed nervously and attempted to placate the bearded man. "It's just a hypothetical, Your Honor." When the glare he was being sent narrowed in suspicion, he sighed. "A-Anyway, as I was saying, if I said I was going to leave for a few minutes and didn't come back until more than an hour later, you would be concerned, right?"

"Of course!" Eustace frowned. When prompted what he would do in that situation, the prosecutor played with his baton. "W-Well... If Your Honor permitted it then... I guess I would send for a bailiff to fetch you?"

"Ignore that we were in the middle of a trial." Makoto laughed nervously, realizing the scenario he was presenting was too specific for the prosecutor to understand what he was getting at.

The brunette on the other side of the room bit his lip as he desperately tried to come up with a favorable answer. "I would call you?" Seeing Makoto's encouraging look, he tried again. "Or look for you myself?"

"Exactly." The thankful smile he sent the taller man made him sigh in relief. "It's understandable if many of his friends didn't notice Oma missing. But the person who sent him for important props for the mock trial? Why didn't Shuichi, or Saihara, say something?"

The audience started muttering amongst themselves, entertaining his observation. Even the prosecutor found himself grumbling about how the defense made a good point.

Once the chatter died down, Makoto let his theory be known. "One of the two men we've been discussing lied to us." Amidst shocked gasps, he turned towards the witness, who was staring intensely at the lawyer. "The liar is either the witness who went missing for more than two hours and then proceeded to slam the door right before the body got discovered or..." He gestured at thin air. "The man who stated this witness left at around 10:30 in the morning and did not mention knowing his whereabouts during interrogation."

Oma let out a dramatic gasp. "Are you saying I'm the liar?"

Hazel eyes narrowed. "Either you or Saihara gave the wrong information. And if it's not you then..."

The shorter man slammed his hands against the podium in front of him, startling the prosecutor and defense attorney. "How dare you drag Shumai's name through the mud! I thought you were a cool knight but you're just a dumb peasant!”

Left bewildered at the man's sudden tantrum, Makoto could only stare at the witness with a mouth hung open in shock.

Said witness was not done with his tirade. "If that was such a huge deal, all you needed to do was ask!" He admonished, actively ignoring the fact that he was the one who forced the lawyer and prosecutor to figure out his actions due to his uncooperation. "It wasn't that complicated, jeez. I just went to the Criminology Department twice!"

The witness' smile and thumbs-up juxtaposed with the confused expression on the prosecutor who just smacked his cheek with his baton.

At the man's revelation, all Makoto could mutter was a silent "Are you serious?"

"Yep!" The purple haired man's smile widened as he closed his eyes. "It turns out I brought the wrong poison so I had to go back and get the correct one! Shuichi was considerate enough that he tried to stop me from going back but I have to work hard if I want to steal his heart, so I went anyway!" His smile sharpened as he opened his eyes a sliver and with the terrifying expression on his face, he added. "I won't allow any more slandering of his name, got it?"

"What did you say those two had going on again?" Makoto whispered, his voice strangled as he desperately tried not to dwell on the man's threatening tone.

"I plainly don't know." Tsumugi admitted. "Though the Power of Love seems to be giving him strength somehow..."

Leaving that unhelpful observation aside, the lawyer focused back on the proceedings with a shaky exhale.

It seemed that in the short amount of time Makoto took to talk to his assistant, Eustace had gained enough courage to look the shorter witness in the eye. "These poisons you keep talking about... they were just the vials, right? They weren't actually filled with poison?"

To everyone's alarm, Oma just smirked in response.

"Could you please talk about your second visit to the crime scene?" Makoto spoke up, hoping the man would cooperate.

To his relief, Oma nodded. "Sure! What do you wanna know?" He asked with a smile that the lawyer did not trust.

First things first, let's try to avoid any more surprise testimonies. "To start, I would like you to state how long each of your visits lasted."

The witness nodded, approval shining in his purple eyes before he changed his stance. With a hand on his hip and the other lazily being waved around, he answered. "A few minutes each." When asked about his friends' reactions to his departure, he shrugged. "No one said anything, though I did get pestered by Plain Princess for tearing my cape." He stuck his tongue out at said person.

"How did you tear it anyway?" Makoto inquired, curious, letting the nickname slide. The bluenette herself didn't find it insulting and he had honestly heard worse from previous witnesses.

❮Let's be honest, the best one was 'Blue Bit–'❯

Thankfully, the witness spoke up before the phantom could finish her sentence. The man's "Are you sure you want to know?" did make him regret that sentiment for a split second, though.

The taunting smirk and raised eyebrow let Makoto know he would regret whatever came next if he asked. So with a sigh, he declined, hoping the testimony he could have gained from that question was unimportant.

"Why were your visits so far apart?" He asked instead.

"My poor Shumai was struggling with all the responsibilities he took upon himself that day." Oma sighed forlornly. "What a dreamy guy. There's nothing better than a hard-working man..." For some reason, his eyes wandered towards the audience. "Especially when he is small enough to fit in your arms, don't you think?"

"But he is taller than you..." Makoto tilted his head in confusion.

The witness huffed out a laugh and shook his head. "He is!" His cryptic responses were not helping the lawyer with his confusion. Though had he taken the time to look for his friends in the audience, he would have understood Oma's words were directed at those two. "Anyway, as I was saying, dear Shuichi noticed my mistake too late. He said he was just going to redo the script so I didn't have to go back but I went anyway."

"And he didn't stop you?"

"He maaay have tried." The purple haired man admitted. "But the poor guy was too exhausted from running around, he couldn't have caught me if he tried!" Then added in a lowered voice. "And he also had that call to attend to anyway."

Now that they had established the events leading up to Oma's second visit to the Criminology Department, it was time to ask about the visit itself.

"I assume you don't know the exact time you entered the building a second time." His statement was confirmed by the shrug the shorter man gave him. "Alright... so you entered the classroom sometime before the defendant did. Can you describe the state of the room?"

Oma closed his eyes and cupped his mouth with his hand. "I already told you, didn't I?" When the lawyer pointed out that they needed to know what the room looked like during his second visit, the witness hummed. "That's fair... Eh, it was the same as last time. Just with a body on the ground and blood splattered everywhere." He finished with a disinterested tone.

"W-Wait. You saw the victim after all?!" Eustace exclaimed, his ahoge resembling an exclamation mark.

"Was it the victim?" Oma bit his thumb and continued in an upset tone. "And here I thought it was just a dumb guy who had tripped and fallen to the ground."

Did he really just ignore the rope tying the victim up, the taped mouth and knife on his chest?

Before he could ask his assistant about if his unruly friend truly wouldn't have noticed, Eustace gave voice to Makoto's thoughts.

"You truly thought he had tripped despite all the blood on the scene?" The nervous expression on the man turned disturbed at Oma's cheery "Yep!"

"And the victim's state was not alarming?"

The witness took a second before responding. "I hang out with Miu way too much for that to affect me. I didn't want to question what the guy was into." He shrugged.

Both prosecutor and defense attorney stared at the shorter man with their mouths open, too appalled to form words. All Tsumugi did, however, was sigh.

"He's not wrong. Miu says some rather... outlandish things." She told the lawyer at his side.

Shaking his head, Makoto turned towards the bluenette. "But that's not... Y-You know what? Forget it."

It seemed he had underestimated Oma. Makoto could deal with witnesses like Dehan or the riddle guy but the Sociology student had a very unique way to get under everyone's skin. It wasn't that he just said whatever was on his mind, however, there was something... calculating about the way he could so effortlessly derail the trial.

It was with that thought in mind that Makoto resolved to pay closer attention to the man's words.

"Can you describe exactly what you saw?" He prodded. "Why did you think the situation wasn't that serious?"

Purple eyes narrowed as their owner assessed the lawyer and a hum escaped Oma's lips before his eyes shined with anticipation. "Sure!" He exclaimed with childlike joy. "The chairs in the classroom were pushed to the walls and in the center there was a man on the ground with blood splattered all over the place. Keep in mind that this was in a Criminology classroom, how was I supposed to know that murder scene was real? It's not like there was a murder weapon from what I could see."

Wait, that last part–!

Makoto slammed his desk and shouted "That's wrong!"

The prosecutor jumped, his baton flying out of his hands as he let out a startled yelp. The Judge blinked in astonishment, not expecting his outburst.

The witness, interestingly enough, only smirked wider, as if somehow anticipating Makoto's reaction.

"What's...?" Tsumugi's question was interrupted by the lawyer's "Could you repeat that last part?"

Oma nodded, doing as ordered but significantly slowing down his speech and emphasizing the words 'murder weapon'.

He knows that's wrong. The lawyer noted as he stared at the other man's eyes. And he expected me to point it out. Who are you Kokichi Oma, and what do you know?

"Is there a problem with the witness' testimony?" Eustace's voice popped up from his place crouched under his bench.

Makoto nodded, facing the purple haired man on the witness stand. "You are claiming there was no murder weapon when there absolutely should have been one."

"Whatever do you mean?" Oma smiled.

"There was a knife stuck to the victim's chest which, I will remind the Court, was proven to be there before the defendant arrived at the scene."

"B-But it was obscured by–" The prosecutor's observation was interrupted by the witness' "Well I couldn't see it."

"And why was that?" Makoto questioned, refusing to break eye contact with the witness.

Said man tilted his head and smiled. He nodded imperceptibly as he stated. "Because he was face down."

"T-That's–!"

"Not possible." Makoto finished Eustace's shocked exclamation.

"What do you mean?" Oma asked with a tilt of his head. "Nothing is impossible. Pigs already fly when you push them off a tall building, surely a man laying face down is not a huge deal." He shrugged, adopting a disinterested gaze as he stared somewhere to his left.

Makoto decided to ignore that last part and explained. "By the time the previous witness arrived on the scene, the victim was already facing upwards. And the time between when you claim to have been in the classroom and the discovery of the body wasn't that long. The scene of the crime should have stayed exactly the same."

"But... the victim could have simply been rolled over after the witness left." The prosecutor popped out of his desk, his recovered baton back in his hands and a frown on his face.

Makoto shook his head. "That's not possible, Prosecutor Winner." At the other man's inquisitive look, he explained. "Remember that Mr. Peaks had been tied up and tortured in a chair in the center of the room. He fell down shortly afterwards. If he had ended up face down, the knife would have been buried in his chest more than it already was, making it impossible for him to have survived until the defendant's arrival.

"Furthermore, there was no evidence of the victim being moved around. There were no smears of blood or handprints on the victim's clothes."

Eustace nodded along his words, contemplating something in his mind. With a tilt of his head, he asked. "The victim was alive when the defendant found him?"

Right. That was something Komaru shared in the Detention Center.

"That is what the defendant claims. Of course, her words alone are not enough to prove the contradictions in the witness' testimony." He didn't need to turn his head to know his sister was glaring at him with a pout on her lips as he implied her testimony was not trustworthy. "There is, for example, a certain piece of evidence missing from his earlier description of the scene of the crime."

It took a few seconds for Eustace to come to the same conclusion as his rival. "The bloody clothes..." He stated solemnly.

When Makoto nodded, the brunette bit his lips and stated. "But he mentioned he saw some dirty clothes!"

"Not exactly." The defense attorney shook his head. "Oma stated he saw the victim's clothes being dirty. There was no mention of the hoodie and blazer."

"M-Maybe because they were discarded in a bloody pile near the scene? And from his angle, they wouldn't have been visible?"

The defense attorney sighed, knowing he had to stop the prosecutor's desperate attempts to defend the purple haired man's words. "The defendant claims they were used in an attempt to stop the man's bleeding and that prior to that, they were left on top of the victim. Looking at the state they were found in... I'm inclined to believe her words."

"Well duh, she's your client."

The two ignored Oma's words as they stared each other down. It wasn't long before the prosecutor requested the lawyer to explain his reasoning.

"They were soaked with blood on the inside, which could only have happened if they had been left on top of a surface with a large amount of blood. And the outside had random splotches too, which makes sense if you imagine them being repeatedly pressed against a bleeding wound." He then added. "If you want to claim that the clothes were not bloodied by the defendant's actions then please tell the court how you believe they were."

Makoto did not like the fact that he had to add that last part but he had to make sure Eustace wouldn't try arguing against one of the few solid pieces of evidence he had.

❮And the fact that you don't like thinking about them has nothing to do with it, right?❯

With no arguments left, the prosecutor nodded in defeat. "Very well then, I will concede that those clothes were sitting on top of the victim then used to stop his bleeding." He tapped his baton against his hand anxiously. "Where does that leave us though?"

"Unfortunately, Prosecutor Winner, the only explanation for this disparity is that the witness is lying." The lawyer sighed, swatting his hand at the floating blonde.

Said witness let out a giggle. "Am I?" He put his hands behind his head and sent the two men a placid smile. "I could have just entered the wrong classroom. They are all the same, you know? Actually... yeah, that might be it. I keep failing my dear Shumai, going to wrong classrooms with stupid fake murder scenes." He bit his thumb in frustration.

"Did you now?" Makoto raised an eyebrow. Unfortunately, he could not dispute his words, as Tsumugi and him had checked the classrooms' doors but apart from the murder scene and the one used for interrogation, they had not entered any other one.

The lawyer's skepticism was met with an innocent looking smile, though it was hard to trust with the challenging glint in the man's eyes.

"That's my testimony now, do you want to cross-examine it?" His sharp, terrifying looking smile came back, making the hairs on the back of the lawyer's neck stand up and a shiver run down his spine.

He's toying with us, I need to stop him somehow.

Trying to come up with a plan to unravel the man's lies, he looked through his Court Record. There has to be something we can use that would stop him from playing these games.

His hazel eyes locked onto a newer piece of evidence as memories of a trial involving a murder in a changing room appeared in his mind.

"Before that, I would like to question you about something else, may I?" He waited for the other man's nod before asking. "Can you describe the state of the hallway?"

Oma made an intrigued noise as he answered. "Sure thing! It was all stale and bleak, like always. Those Criminology guys are so serious and boring all the time. Of course, I don't mean my dear Shumai, he's the only refreshing guy from that place."

Makoto made a mental note to inquire about the relationship between him and Saihara later; for though Tsumugi had warned him not to try, there was something within him that was calling for him to investigate further. Regardless, that would be a job for later; for the moment, he focused on continuing with his line of questioning. "What exactly was there in the hallway?"

"You're really focused on that thing, huh?" The mocking smirk on the short purple haired man turned amused. "Fine, I'll play your game. Nothing!"

"Really?" Makoto raised an eyebrow. "You didn't notice the boxes of confections left on the bench?"

"Nope!" Was the cheerful response the witness gave as he popped the 'p' in the word.

With how insistent the man was, the lawyer had half a mind to believe him. The purpose of this question, however, was not whether or not Oma saw something but whether he could be lured into Makoto's trap. "I'm amazed you didn't see them. As soon as they found those boxes, the ambassadors' bodyguards immediately ate their contents."

"What?!" Came the horrified shout from the defendant's place.

Makoto winced as he revealed what had actually happened to Komaru's confections, knowing she was going to tear him a new one for hiding it from her.

Tsumugi patted him on the back with pity in her gaze.

Before either the Judge reprimanded his sister or Komaru could cause a scene, Makoto cleared his throat. "Considering the green packaging stood out amongst the orange walls, I'm surprised you didn't give it a second thought, especially since you couldn't have been distracted by anything."

"There was a murder in one of the classrooms nearby, however." Eustace pointed out. "With a dead body on their mind, it is forgivable that the witness would not pay much attention to their surroundings."

"But Oma never saw it." The defense attorney responded. "He just testified that he went to the wrong classroom in his quest to get the things for the upcoming mock trial. This would imply he had no knowledge of Mr. Peaks' death."

"Perhaps he was too focused on his task then?" The prosecutor tried to counter, though his statement came out more as a question and his pleading brown eyes turned towards the purple haired man in the witness stand.

The man in question smiled playfully. "It's as I've said before, Mr. Knight. It's the Power of Love~"

Makoto saw the Judge perk up from the corner of his eye. Thankfully, just as he was bracing himself for another criticism of his love life, Tsumugi spoke up.

"Why are you pressing him on that?" She whispered at his side. "The boxes weren't there at the time. Kokichi couldn't have seen them."

"I know." Makoto whispered back. "But he's hiding something. And this is the only way I can think of to trip him up."

Green eyes lit with understanding then narrowed in worry. "Kokichi is too sharp to fall for that. You will have to try harder than that."

I figured. He noted solemnly. It was times like this he really missed the riddle guy; for no matter how infuriating his responses had been, the man had at least been trying to be cooperative (after it was revealed he was involved with the murder plan but that is a story for another day).

Still, he had to try. "How many times have you visited that building?"

Oma was intrigued with this new sudden line of questioning, he could see. Thankfully, the shorter man did not call into question its relevancy and instead responded. "You didn't hear it from me buuut" He leaned over his podium and sent the lawyer a mischievous wink. "There may be a group of pranksters that are coincidentally from the same Department as me that looove tormenting those poor Criminology students."

Tsumugi muttered something at his side though he was unable to hear her words.

Oma must have known what her words were, however, for he turned towards her and smirked. "There is no evidence of who the leader may be."

"But you are a part of it." Makoto noted, for why else would the witness comment on this group?

"Me? Nah." The shorter man waved his hand in dismissal. "I'm just helping Shuichi and Kayayday in their investigation. They're trying to catch those pesky criminals!" His posture straightened and with a tone similar to their first witness, he shouted. "There shall be no vandals in the sacred halls of learning!"

Eustace complimented the man's impression of Professor Dehan as the lawyer sighed. Though he agreed with the prosecutor's words, he couldn't let Oma take control of the cross-examination.

"So you are familiar with its halls?" When the man responded with a cheerful affirmative, he prodded. "Then you would notice if an unfamiliar object was left on one of the benches."

The purple haired man hummed. "If it is striking enough then sure."

"So why did you not recognize the box of confections?" Makoto pretended to ponder out loud. "If I remember correctly, you seemed familiar with Kirumi Tojo, who was the one responsible for designing the packaging of the treats at her booths."

"But I told you already, there was nothing in that hallway!" The shorter witness whined. "Stop gaslighting me!"

This is not working... The lawyer had really hoped the man would have let something slip already but despite what his attitude led them to believe, he was great at holding his cards close to his chest.

Trying one last time to trap the man, he asked. "So there was nothing in the hallway that stood out to you then. No abnormal sounds, strange smells or items out of place?"

The witness once again denied the idea, laughing at the lawyer for sounding like a broken record.

An unexpected voice suddenly interrupted the questioning.

"I'm sorry but..." Eustace interrupted with a frown. "Is this line of questioning relevant? I'm sorry if it is but... it all seems a bit redundant and repetitive." He fiddled with the baton in his hands.

Looks like our time is up. This isn't going the way I was hoping for. Makoto sighed. "Apologies, it seems I messed up the timeline in my head. We can move on to another topic."

"Oh, I see~" Oma's mocking voice reached his ears. "Clever!"

Makoto turned towards the witness after a moment of hesitation, his eyes narrowing at the amused expression on the other's face.

The smirk that the shorter man gave him made the lawyer let out a deep exhale to calm down. For what he saw on the other man's face made him understand.

Oma had been knowingly lying for a while now and he reveled in the fact that Makoto had figured it out. All of this, the trial, the testimonies, the cross-examination... it was all a game to him. He didn't care about the woman who depended on his words to get saved nor about their presence in a Court of Law.

To Kokichi Oma, this was nothing more than a game, a test to determine who was the best at their craft: himself, a masterful liar who could fool entire courtrooms with his words and charisma or the lawyer he had chosen to clash against, who had to reveal his lies and get his client acquitted.

The determined nod that he gave the shorter man made his smirk sharpen. I'll play your game and once I win, you will give your real testimony.

Game on~ His gaze read back.

"Let's go back to your previous testimony." Makoto sent the other a friendly smile though his gaze stayed sharp. "Do you remember which classroom you actually entered?"

Oma shrugged, not breaking eye contact with the lawyer he was playing against. "All I can tell you is that it was on the same floor as Shumai's classroom." When prompted, he added. "I don't pay attention to that boring Department." He finished with a huff.

"That is peculiar." The taller man noted. "Didn't you just state that you are familiar with the halls in that building?"

Oma's eyes twinkle with mirth as he sighed. "I'm afraid I only take note of areas my dear detective likes to roam. I know his schedule by heart and I pay attention to the rooms he tends to go in but I don't know more than that."

He left an opening there, should I take it? Pressing his lips for a moment, Makoto realized he had no choice if he wanted to proceed with their game.

"And yet you mistakenly entered the wrong classroom that second time." He sighed in mock disappointment. "Shouldn't you have known immediately the classroom you entered was not Saihara's?"

To his chagrin, the purple haired man seemed ready with a response. "Who says I was trying to go back there?" He didn't wait for the flustered prosecutor to question his statement. "The truth is... I didn't get the wrong poison on purpose. Poor Shumai didn't remember that his classroom didn't have the kind he was looking for and since I couldn't find it there, well, I decided to look elsewhere."

"But didn't you say that–" Poor Eustace was harshly interrupted by the witness.

"Yeah, that was a lie." Oma rolled his eyes, uncaring of the flabbergasted look the prosecutor sent him.

As much as Makoto wanted, he couldn't afford to ease up on his questioning, not even to admonish the man for interrupting the prosecutor. "Why go through all the trouble?" He tilted his head in thought. "No one in the audience would have noticed the poisons were wrong."

Oma closed his eyes, finally breaking eye contact. Letting out a sharp laugh, he wiped the fake tears gathering at the corner of his eyes and pointed towards Tsumugi. "Why don't you ask Plain Princess what would have happened if Kayayday had caught wind of that?"

Hesitantly, the lawyer did as suggested and turned towards the bluenette at his side. He found her holding one of her arms and with a haunted expression on her face. A whispered "Nothing good." was her response.

Is this 'Kayayday' really terrifying? And now that they were on the topic, who was that?

Sparing a second to look through the names on the list of witnesses, he managed to find the name 'Kaede Akamatsu' among the group containing Tsumugi and her friends.

"Is Akamatsu a perfectionist?" He turned towards the purple haired man on the witness stand, who nodded in approval as he realized the lawyer had figured out whose nickname he kept using.

"That's not the correct word..." Oma tapped his finger against his chin in mock thought. A few seconds later, he nodded and snapped his fingers. "She's more of a 'nagging bitch'!"

Now Makoto wasn't the kind of person who would stand idly as someone was called such names without the person's presence.

However, if the frown and muttered "So the antagonist doesn't make it to the finale, huh? That's disappointing..." from Tsumugi was anything to go by, then it seemed such crude nicknames were rather normal coming from the shorter man. And so, he saw no reason to admonish the man though a frown still remained on his face.

Besides, if Akamatsu had a problem with that nickname, he was sure she would let Oma know the next time she saw him.

With that in mind, he decided to continue with the cross-examination. "What happened afterwards? Did you get the correct vials?"

Oma pouted. "No, the stupid fake corpse was in the way! And then I heard voices in the hall and had to leave quickly!"

"Wait, what was wrong with the voices?" Eustace inquired. "Why did you feel the need to run from them?"

"The dumb professor was there." The shorter man rolled his purple eyes. "I didn't want to deal with him so the first opportunity I got, I took it."

"And that's when you slammed the door close, right?" Makoto prodded.

The witness agreed and the lawyer took the time to analyze his testimony in his mind.

Where can I find the lie? His testimony was solid and, though, unverifiable, it seemed believable. If he wasn't currently playing the witness’ game, Makoto would have been tempted to continue his cross-examination without inquiring further about this specific topic.

But there had to be something wrong with what he had just said. Oma was testing him, trying to see how much fun he was to play against. And so, Makoto could not give up.

Asking the bluenette at his side if anything in Oma's testimony stood out to her, she answered with a negative.

"Maybe try asking something specific that only those in the tour would know about." She offered when noticing his worried frown.

Nodding in thought, the lawyer gave a thankful smile to his assistant and turned back towards the man.

"These voices... Do you remember what they were talking about?" He tried.

"Nope!" The purple haired witness shrugged.

Makoto nodded and thanked the man for his answer though internally he grimaced, taking a second to think on his follow-up question.

In the meantime, Eustace took the opportunity to give voice to something that had been bothering him for a while. "Why did you try to run from the Professor as soon as you heard his voice? Wouldn't it have made more sense to wait for him and his companions to leave first before quietly sneaking out?"

Oma's expression turned neutral for a few seconds before a bright smile lit up his features. "That is a great question, good job!" He gave a thumbs up, making the prosecutor's expression turn bashful with the praise. "I didn't know what they were doing there, but just in case they were planning on checking the classrooms, I knew I had to leave."

"And where did you go?" Makoto prodded, intrigued with the man’s answer.

"Downstairs, towards the exit. I mean, where else was I meant to go?" Oma huffed.

A light bulb lit up in the lawyer’s mind. "Actually... Do you remember how far from the stairs was that classroom you exited?"

The purple haired man narrowed his eyes in thought. "Pretty near, I think. I didn't have to go past any corners or anything."

Wait. Hazel eyes widened as he noticed the discrepancy in the man's statement. Finally, he found an opening!

With determination, he slammed his hands against the desk and shouted "Objection!"

He ignored the prosecutor's flailing and his assistant's yelp, focusing on the intrigued purple haired man on the witness stand.

"Well played, Kokichi Oma." He acknowledged, gaining a head tilt from the other man. "Your lies were pretty untraceable. If it hadn't been for that small slip-up, you would have gotten away with them."

"Oh, whatever do you mean?" The other man raised an eyebrow as a playful smirk appeared on his face. 'Is this Checkmate?' his purple eyes inquired.

'It is.' Hazel eyes stared the other man down as Makoto nodded. "According to both Detective Kirigiri and the defendant, there was a blood splatter that appeared near a plant at the end of the hallway during the tour." Purple eyes narrowed in understanding. Still, the lawyer proceeded to explain for the rest of the courtroom. "If the events happened as you have described, then there is no way for that splatter to have formed. Can you explain this discrepancy?"

To his surprise, Oma laughed. "Ah well, it was fun while it lasted." His purple eyes did not move away from the lawyer's hazel ones. Though no words passed between them, the shorter man's message was clear.

'Congratulations, you win the game.'

Makoto was unable to celebrate, too exhausted with the mental battle the two had engaged in. And though he had emerged victorious and Oma would tell the truth of his second visit to the Criminology Department, he couldn't help but feel that winning his game only made him lose his other battle against the court.

"Ah, does that mean you will finally tell us what you actually witnessed during your second visit?" Eustace inquired nervously.

"Oh that." The purple haired man put his left hand on his hip and raised his right one. With a disinterested look, he shrugged. "Yeah, it was all a lie."

The silence that enveloped the courtroom was suffocating.

"E-Excuse me?" Eustace's widened eyes stared at the witness in disbelief.

"Surprise!" The man laughed, reveling in the horror present in the prosecutor's brown eyes. "All of that stuff about going back was made up."

Makoto's hazel eyes widened and all he could do not to react verbally was stare at the witness in shock.

With the silence that encompassed the room, only one being was brave enough to break the silence.

"W-Witness, please explain yourself!" The Judge demanded.

"There is nothing to explain, Your Honor. I simply gave my testimony earlier on but no one believed me so I had to make stuff up." He pouted.

"So that whole thing was all a lie?!" Makoto gritted his teeth as he stared at the shorter man smiling innocently.

"But– That can't be...! During the investigation, you claimed to have slammed the door during the tour!"

"Ah, ah ah!" Oma wiggled his finger back and forth, a taunting smirk sitting on his lips. "I said I slammed the door yes. But you didn't even ask when I did that!"

Eustace spluttered, unable to form any words.

This gave the purple haired man the opening to keep pestering the man.

"I was joking earlier, you know? But seeing you in court really just solidified it for me." His head tilted downwards, his purple bangs creating shadows on his face that accentuated the whites of his eyes. With a slightly raspy voice, he cackled. "You truly are a useless prosecutor!"

Those who had not hid at the man's disturbing expression found themselves staring at the distraught prosecutor, pity and judgement in their eyes.

Unable to stand looking at the tears threatening to spill down brown eyes, Makoto forced himself to look Oma in the eyes and glare.

"That's enough, Mr. Oma." The purple eyes snapping onto him made his knees weaken but he refused to back down. "You were asked for your testimony, which you have graciously given already." He swallowed nervously as the shorter man's smile widened. "If you have no more information to give then... we thank you for your time."

The Judge must have been still hiding under his bench for he did not try to stop Makoto from dismissing the witness.

A few tense seconds passed before Oma's posture slackened. With a bright smile, he uttered a cheerful "Alright!" and turned towards the Courtroom's doors.

No one tried stopping him, leaving the man to face no repercussions for his lies stated during the trial.

As soon as the doors closed behind him, the atmosphere lightened slightly.

The first thing Makoto did was turn towards his rival, concern in his eyes and softness in his voice.

"... If you have any more evidence to present, you have the floor, Prosecutor Winner." Though he desperately wanted to ask if the other man was okay and offer his support, he knew now was not the time to do so. So instead, he hoped that by distracting him with the trial, the man would be able to move past the witness' comments.

What he hadn't expected was for the brunette's brown eyes to narrow with anger and guilt and for his lips to be bitten with such force they were close to drawing blood.

Something's wrong. Makoto stared at the prosecutor's gloved fists as they clenched the baton tightly in his hands.

"If it's evidence you want..." The brunette's hollow mutter barely reached the lawyer's ears. Eustace suddenly raised his head and glared at the audience, making those who stared at him with judgement to flinch back. "I will give it to you."

Before anyone could respond to his statement, the prosecutor straightened and turned towards the Judge, who had poked his head out from under his head after the doors slammed close behind Oma. The man's furious gaze moved to a spot above the bearded man.

"Your Honor, Oma was just one of the possible people who could have been in the building. There is another one, however..." Once he got the go-ahead from the Judge, he nodded and closed his eyes. With a dramatic wave of his baton, he declared. "The owner of this bag..."

At his signal, one of the bailiffs approached with the bag in question. It was a deep blue in color with random anime characters scattered around the surface. The bottom of it was slightly splattered with blood, and some more red drops could be seen on the zipper on top with the Steel Samurai keychain.

The sight of it itched something in Makoto's brain, as the familiarity of the bag called out to him... His realization came at the same time Tsumugi let out a shocked gasp.

With his baton pointed at the person in question, Eustace solemnly stated. "Loth Cuzin, the defense attorney's assistant.”

Chapter Text

Makoto let out another exhale as he stopped pacing in the Defendant Lobby.

After Eustace called for Tsumugi to take the stand, the Judge had called for a fifteen-minute recess in order to give them time to prepare for the second part of the trial. As the prosecutor had taken his assistant with him, the lawyer had been left alone with only his thoughts and an annoying phantom for company, who had been cackling at his bad luck for a few minutes now.

Taking out his Court Record, he skimmed through the evidence he had gathered. His brows furrowed the more he was unable to find a piece of evidence that could clear the confusion of this case.

Realizing that it was not going to give him the answers he seeked no matter how many times he checked it, he sighed. With a slump of his shoulders, the short man put his Court Record away.

Before he could resume his pacing, the door leading to the courtroom suddenly opened and his client approached.

Speaking of, didn't Byakuya say he was going to pay me double for her case–?

"Makoto?" The brunette approached slowly.

Said man blinked and attempted to smile though it looked more like a grimace. "Hey, Komaru. What's up?"

His sister stared back in silence, incredulous. "... 'What's up'?"

He flinched. Yeah, not my best opening line.

Thankfully, Komaru was nice enough to move on from the awkwardness in the room. "If it's any consolation, I don't think your assistant did it." Though it seemed she wasn't great at distracting from the serious situation they found themselves in as she had hoped.

Makoto sighed. "Thanks." His voice lowered as he analyzed his situation out loud. "I still don't know how this happened. How am I going to prove both of you innocent when I don't even know where to start...?"

"Do you need help with that?" The taller brunette suddenly exclaimed, interrupting her brother's muttering. "Maybe I can offer support by standing by your side as your assistant!" Excitement was shining in her eyes as she held the other's hands in hers.

The shorter man could only stare at his sister, speechless and with befuddlement shining in his eyes. Before he could say anything, however, a haughty voice caught the duo's attention from the opposite end of the room.

"That would certainly spice things up. And seems like a great opportunity for you two to get reacquainted."

Makoto sighed as he turned towards the newcomer who had appeared in the hallway.

"Byakuya... What are you doing here?" He frowned in confusion. Shouldn't he have been stopped by security?

"As much as I loathe to admit, Kirigiri's charitable offer has come with useful perks." He admitted though his glare screamed 'Tell her about this and you will face my wrath'.

❮How romantic~ He's abusing his position as the detective's assistant to visit his lost lover!❯ The intangible being squealed.

Taking one step to the left so he could distance himself from the phantom (and inadvertently making Komaru release her hold on his hands), Makoto turned towards his sister. Now that the CEO's presence had restored his ability to speak, he was ready to explain why he had to decline her offer to help.

"That's a horrible idea." He looked away from both her fallen expression and Byakuya's inquisitive icy stare. "For starters, I already have an assistant, she's–"

"Going to be on the witness stand so that means that the spot is open!" Komaru interrupted with a tentative smile and wringing her hands.

She's not wrong. Still, there was a reason he wasn't willing to give that spot to her specifically. Crossing his arms, he adopted what one would call a 'disappointed older brother' tone and remarked. "Remind me again for whose trial she is going to be testifying? It's one thing for one of the members of the defense team to take the stand, it's another for the defendant to join said defense team."

To her credit, the brunette appeared bashful though her stubbornness was not to be underestimated for she closed her fists and straightened up. Towering over her brother, Komaru pointed out. "That wasn't a 'no'."

Makoto sweatdropped. I didn't actually say the word but it was heavily implied!

"Besides, you owe me after lying about my boxes of confections. If you won't pay them back, the least you could do is let me on the Defense bench with you!" She added, hoping to appeal to her brother's sense of guilt to convince him, who shivered at the reminder. Ultimately though, he refused to back down.

"I wasn't the one who ate them! And I don't have to pay you back, I've been to those festivals before and I know for a fact that the food there is free!"

Before the two could continue bickering, an exasperated Byakuya cleared his throat. Once he gained the attention of the two Naegi siblings, he looked the elder in the eye.

"Need I remind you that you only have a few minutes before the trial resumes? If you are done arguing like children, I have some information that would be beneficial to know lest you get blindsided by another fool like Oma again."

Flinching at both the reminder of the last witness and his friend's chastising, Makoto muttered. "Right. Please go ahead."

With a pleased nod, the taller blonde crossed his arms. "Though I'm sure it will be explained in court, the bag was found on the outskirts of the Criminology Department. The blood on it belonged to the victim and there are traces of Loth Cuzin's fingerprints."

The lawyer closed his eyes and nodded along Byakuya's report. With that kind of evidence, it was no wonder Tsumugi was asked to testify.

Taking out the map the two had taken the prior day, Makoto unfolded it and asked his friend to point where exactly they had found the bag.

The taller man scoffed silently as he recognized the object he had seemingly lost the previous day but decided to oblige. Pointing to a patch of greenery by the entrance of the Criminology Department, he explained. "This area contains a few bushes and small trees. The bag was located in this spot under an old bench, haphazardly covered in leaves."

"Do you have a photo of the area?" Komaru chimed in, more than likely in an effort to prove how good of a lawyer's assistant she could be.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow but nodded. Reaching into his vest pocket, he grabbed the object the younger Naegi requested and showed it to both of them. Though the image was mainly green due to all the flora, there was a spot of faded brown on top of overgrown grass that must have been the bench the bag was hidden under.

"Oh that is hidden. How did you find it so quickly?" Makoto gave props to the investigators for finding the item in a timely manner.

Byakuya begged to differ. "The investigators assigned to help work harder when their pay is threatened. And despite their incompetence, they finally managed to find an important clue though it had taken longer than it should have." He huffed.

"They should have found it sooner." Komaru agreed, crossing her arms as well and imitating the CEO.

Makoto shook his head, a muttered "I thought you didn't like being called an assistant, why are you doing this?" leaving his lips as he sighed. "Thank you Kuya, is there anything else I should know about?"

The sudden silence made him frown in confusion. Had he said something wrong? Why was Byakuya blushing?

"I need to speak to Kirigiri." The taller man gritted out. "Stay here."

Without waiting for a response, the blonde in white turned around and briskly walked towards the door he had entered a few minutes prior.

"That was weird, right?" He turned towards Komaru who only stared at him with a dumbfounded expression.

"D-Did you not do that on purpose?" Upon seeing her brother blink in confusion, she groaned. "No matter how many years pass, you're still the same old oblivious guy, huh?"

Before he could question what the pouting brunette was referring to and possibly enter another pointless argument with her, an annoying blonde made her presence known by whistling in his ear.

❮Damn! You really have Mr. Stick-up-his-ass wrapped around your finger, huh? I kinda wanna see what your dear detective would look like of you tried that with her.❯

What are you talking about?!

"So... I know now's not a good time to ask but... you know what's happening tomorrow, right?" Komaru tentatively asked, hoping for a sign that though Makoto had tried to escape his old life, he had not completely left it behind. If he remembered the date, then her 'Find a way to handcuff her brother to stop him from escaping' Plan could come to fruition earlier than anticipated!

Unfortunately for the brunette, the elder Naegi had stopped paying attention to his sister and was in the middle of an argument with a being only he could see.

❮I'm just saying, Casanova, that you know who to go to if you ever feel lonely. I'm sure neither of them would mind keeping you 'company'.❯

I'm not lonely. I have Tsumugi at the apartment and Eustace likes to invite me to some classical concerts once in a while...

❮Oh come on, I'm not talking about that!❯ The phantom blew a raspberry. ❮I meant for whenever the sock isn't enough. If you actually want to feel the real embrace of a woman, or a man, or both, they are just a quick phone call away!❯

His expression turned mortified. You did not... I'm not...

"Makoto?" Komaru's soft whisper reached his ears but was not acknowledged.

❮It's completely normal, you know? But if you have a few suitors then it's better to just skip the middle sock and go straight to them. I mean come on, you already have pet names for them! You can just go 'Hey Kuya, I need you here in five.' and he would come running in a heartbeat. Actually, he would probably rent a helicopter to arrive faster knowing that guy.❯

I can't with you. His eyes closed as he shook his head.

❮Or if that's not what you're looking for at the moment, there's also that detective girlfriend of yours. She would probably arrive even faster than the other guy. Never underestimate the speed of a horny woman in heels.❯

"Did you forget?" Komaru frowned softly in disappointment.

Stop.

❮At that point just call Kamukura too. The more the merrier, right? And... you could also invite that dumb prosecutor as well and any other friends you may or may not have. Except the disappointment and your sister, that would be weird; but who's to say they can't be doing something else–?❯

"It's okay, you know? I–"

"For the love of... Can you be quiet for five seconds?" Makoto sighed loudly in frustration, his annoyance with the blonde too much for her words to have the desired effect of making him flustered.

To his surprise, the phantom listened, which made his shoulders slump in relief as he tuned into what his sister was saying, certain that he had heard her calling out to him a few moments ago.

Hazel eyes opened in confusion at the silence. Said sentiment turned to shock at the whispered "Sorry..." Komaru let out.

Not again. He really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut when talking to the annoying blonde. "I'm sorry, I didn't..." Knowing he had no way to explain that he was talking to a cackling non-existent being who had been haunting his broken mind for years without sounding insane, Makoto sighed. "You can talk, sorry."

Komaru eyed her older brother hesitantly for a few seconds before she nodded slowly. "Right... If you're sure..." When the shorter man nodded firmly, she continued with a slightly firmer tone. "I was saying that we should go out tomorrow to celebrate. Since we haven't seen each other in a while, I won't blame you for not having something prepared but... maybe we can treat you proving my innocence as my gift?"

Puzzled, the shorter man tilted his head. Gift?

“If you actually have a present already planned, though, then I'll take it!" The brunette continued, oblivious to the lost expression on her brother's face.

Makoto didn't get a chance to ask what she was talking about as Byakuya came back at that exact moment.

Upon seeing the tentative expression on the younger brunette and the slumped shoulders on her brother, the CEO raised an eyebrow but remained silent, not willing to investigate the sudden change in their moods.

At least he seemed to have recovered from his earlier outburst, as he strutted confidently towards the shorter lawyer.

Once he was close enough, he leaned over Makoto, making his cheeks gain a soft pink color at the proximity. The blush vanished quickly and his face promptly paled at the former heir's next words.

"The key to this case lies in the Killing Game." Byakuya muttered with narrowed eyes. "And whoever possesses knowledge of it."

Hazel eyes widened as an intangible blonde grinned next to their owner, the short man unable to form any words as the CEO continued.

"The likeness of the bloody clothes found is not a coincidence. Perhaps you should accompany Kirigiri later when she goes to visit your first witness."

Byakuya straightened up and took a step backwards, adjusting his tie as his expression closed off, not giving any inkling as to the information he had just dropped on the poor lawyer.

Speaking of, Makoto was staring at the other with a furrowed brow and an open mouth. His murky eyes closed as he tried to formulate any of the various questions floating in his mind.

The chance wouldn't come as the bailiff announced the end of recess and Byakuya shook his head. With a gentleness that one wouldn't expect from the taller man unless they knew him, he held Makoto's shoulder in that familiar way he had done back at the Criminology Department and pushed him towards his sister.

"If the most famous lawyer in Los Angeles can have his own client next to him on the Defense Bench, so can you. Now move along!"

Komaru looked between her reeling brother and her troubled friend with concern. Once Byakuya adjusted his glasses and nodded towards the doors to the courtroom, the brunette bit her lip and nodded.

She had no idea what the older man had told Makoto but she would appreciate his attempt to make him spend time with her. She sent him a shaky smile as she dragged her brother behind her.

Perhaps Byakuya wanted to get back at Makoto for his perceived slight from the day before or perhaps it was an early present from the former heir. Regardless of what prompted him to help her, she was going to take full advantage of it.

"Alright, follow my lead and don't start a fight, okay?" Makoto sighed as he stood with crossed arms behind the Defense Bench; Byakuya's insight was firmly kept in the back of his mind, ready to be examined later.

Komaru nodded rapidly at his side. "You got it!"

Despite the smile she gave him, the shorter lawyer was still apprehensive to have her at his side. Especially when her grin sharpened as she caught sight of Prosecutor Winner.

This should be fine, right? Maybe this can even work out. She can give a unique insight on whichever piece of evidence comes up.

❮If she doesn't get held in contempt of court. With how much she likes to start fights in the courtroom, it wouldn't surprise me if the useless prosecutor convinced the Judge to just pronounce her guilty.❯

She hasn't started any fights, I just said it as a precaution. Makoto rolled his eyes. And Eustace wouldn't do that. If he didn't stop Mrs. Balkey from arguing for her innocence during that disaster of a trial, I doubt he would do it with Komaru.

❮In normal circumstances, sure.❯ The blonde phantom sprawled on the bench. ❮But we both know these aren't normal circumstances. That guy's been acting weird and instead of pestering him until he caves like you normally would, you're spending your time fighting with your sister and ogling the detective and CEO.❯

I don't ogle them! His cheeks flushed slightly, unaware of the confused glance the brunette at his side sent him.

Thankfully, the blonde's sharp laugh was interrupted by the sound of the Judge's gavel being banged against his desk.

"Court will now reconvene for the trial of Komaru Naegi." The Judge stared at the place where the defendant once stood and then frowned in confusion once he found her next to her lawyer. "Mr. Plensait, I can't help but notice the defendant is at your side instead of the usual spot."

Makoto shrugged helplessly. "She was getting tired of sitting for a long period of time." He came up with a weak explanation. "I figured it would be alright to let her stretch her legs by letting her help with her own defense."

The old man nodded. "It is important to take care of one's health." The way he didn't press more on her new position made him believe that Byakuya was right; the Judge must have been used to a certain famous defense attorney's antics enough that the sight of a defendant not being on their designated place must not have been such a big issue in his mind. "Though that does remind me... wasn't your original assistant called to testify?"

"That is correct, Your Honor." Eustace answered for him, standing with his eyes closed as he moved his baton around. "In fact, if the defense has no objections, the prosecution would like to call said person to the stand."

"Bring it on!" Komaru exclaimed as she slammed the desk in front of her, startling the prosecutor and making him lose his grip on his baton.

She's really getting into this... Makoto sighed. "You're doing great just... tone it down, please?"

The brunette pouted though her attention was swiftly caught by the bluenette who proceeded to take the stand.

"Name and occupation, please." Eustace muttered, holding his recovered baton in his hands and avoiding everyone's gaze.

Tsumugi smiled softly. "Loth Cuzin, student at the Ultimate University for the Gifted and part-time assistant to ace attorney Hidan Plensait."

Makoto smiled at the compliment as Komaru narrowed her eyes in thought. On the other side of the room, Eustace nodded and exhaled.

"Do you know why you were called to testify?"

The bluenette hummed. "It was due to the bag supposedly belonging to me, right? That's what you said during recess."

"Right." The prosecutor's cheeks gained a red hue at the fact he forgot about that exchange. "R-Regardless, I would like to explain to the court why this piece of evidence is so important."

After getting the go-ahead from the Judge, the prosecutor motioned to a bailiff to bring the bag forward. Pointing to the bloodstains on the bottom, he explained.

"The blood belongs to the victim, there is no doubt about that. Furthermore, the witness' fingerprints were found on this item and there are multiple claims that the witness owns a limited edition bag exactly like this one."

"Claims from who?" Makoto questioned.

"People from her classes, mainly." The baton in Eustace's gloved hands was pointed at the apprehensive bluenette on the witness stand. "Though we did question her friend group and teachers. They can attest that Ms. Cuzin has been seen carrying that same bag multiple times."

"That is pretty incriminating." Komaru helpfully pointed out.

"Why was the bag not presented yesterday?" The lawyer ignored his sister's input and turned towards the prosecutor, who shrugged in response to his question.

"It was discovered pretty recently, right outside the Criminology Department. If this evidence had been found sooner then Ms. Cuzin would have been called to the stand earlier."

Right, Kyoko had just warned him about the prosecution's newest piece of evidence, which meant Tsumugi's involvement in the crime was just coming into question.

Speaking of, there was only one reason she would have been called to the stand after Oma.

"Am I correct in presuming you believe she was responsible for the door slam?" Once Eustace nodded, Makoto continued. "I'm sorry to say that it's not possible. She has an alibi–"

"Yeah! Take that!" Komaru shouted excitedly, interrupting the lawyer and making the prosecutor flinch before said man shook his head and asked his rival to explain.

"She was at the stage where the mock trial was going to take place." The shorter man shook his head at his sister's antics. "She could not have been at the Criminology Department during the time of the crime."

"Are you sure?" Eustace pressed. "Can you prove that fact with a hundred percent certainty?" At the shorter man's furrowed brow, he added. "Is her alibi completely solid?"

"W-Well..." The lawyer trailed off, uncertainty dripping from his words. With a certain inventor's outburst, he was unable to get her group's full alibis. And with the way everyone was occupied that day with the festival, it was entirely possible that one of them could have slipped away without anyone noticing.

At the lawyer's silence, the prosecutor motioned with his baton. "As you can see... Ms. Cuzin could have slipped away, messed with the crime scene... and then went back to her friends to procure an alibi."

The audience started muttering, agreeing with the prosecution's words.

Makoto grit his teeth and pointed out. "With that logic, any of her friends could have slipped away too then."

"That is true." Eustace nodded grimly then closed his eyes after a moment. "But the bag belonged to her."

And that was the crux of the problem. The bag the man had submitted as evidence could not have been from Tsumugi, of that Makoto was sure. He had no evidence for that belief but his gut screamed that the evidence was wrong somehow.

The bag, however, was a limited edition, as the prosecutor had pointed out earlier, so it made it hard to reproduce. And Makoto hadn't paid attention to the bluenette the last few days as he had been busy avoiding Kyoko and Byakuya and sleeping in his office.

But one look at the woman in the witness stand informed the lawyer of everything he needed to know. The look Tsumugi sent him clearly showed that the bag was somehow a fake and he had to work with her to prove that fact.

"Why don't we question the witness then?" He offered. "It is only fair that she gets the chance to explain herself."

It was a risky move, to show the prosecution what his next move was going to be; though the fact that he was facing against Eustace had him lowering his guard. For surely he will not deny Tsumugi the opportunity to defend herself and would let him cross-examine her, right?

The guilt that he felt as he doubted his friend dissipated at the relieved nod the other sent him. "If that will bring the truth of this case to light then go ahead." He answered carefully.

Makoto let out a sigh of relief that he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you." He whispered with a small smile. The other man's brown eyes softened at the sincerity in the lawyer's own hazel ones.

"Oh! Can I cross-examine her?" Komaru piped up at his side, looking up from her hand, where she was pretending to take notes though due to the lack of pen and paper, she seemed to be writing on her palm with her finger.

Makoto sighed. "Sorry, Ko. Not only is that my job but you're still the defendant." When he caught sight of her pout, he added. "But if you have a question you want to ask, let me know and I'll ask it for you, okay?"

He waited for the brunette to nod before turning towards the woman in the witness stand.

"Alright witness, can you tell the court what you were doing on the day of the festival?"

Tsumugi held her hands in front of herself and tilted her head, her gaze moving to her left as she recalled her actions from that day.

"I had arrived early on to make use of the equipment at the Arts Department. Later on, I headed to the stage where the mock trial was going to take place and Kokichi arrived with a tear on his cape." She held her cheek in her hand and sighed. "I had to spend the next few hours repairing it."

"So you stayed by the stage from that point onwards?" Eustace prodded. Once the bluenette nodded, he turned towards his rival. "Alright, Mr. Plensait, you may cross-examine the witness."

Makoto nodded sharply. "First things first, please tell the court when exactly you left towards the stage."

"Once 11 AM rolled around, I was kicked out of the Arts Department." Tsumugi sighed softly. "I headed directly to the stage after that. As soon as I arrived, however, Kokichi thrust his cape into my hand and ran away, shouting at me to fix it."

"You claimed that task took you a few hours. Am I correct in assuming you were still repairing it by the time the tour took place?" Eustace questioned.

The bluenette shrugged. "More than likely, yes."

"What was wrong with it?" Komaru suddenly asked at Makoto's side, tugging on her brother's shirt in order to gain his attention and prompt him to repeat her question.

The shorter man sent her a confused glance. "How is that important?"

An unknown emotion flickered through her green eyes as she stared at the taller woman. "How bad was the cape's condition for it to take hours to repair? Wasn't there anyone more capable available?"

"Like you could do any better." Makoto muttered then proceeded to stammer at the fierce glare sent his way. "I-I mean... Since when do you know anything about cosplaying? Or sewing for that matter?"

"I was stuck in an apartment for one and a half years with nothing to do other than bang the door and read fashion magazines." Was the deadpan response. "I had a phase where I tried to make my own clothes. It... didn't work out that well." Upon seeing the conflicted gaze on her brother's eyes, she turned away. "I'm just saying, if she's good enough at sewing to be in charge of that mock trial's costumes, it should have only taken her a few minutes to repair a tear on a cape."

That's a good point. Makoto turned towards the bluenette on the witness stand and asked. "Why did you take so long to repair the cape?"

The taller woman looked down. "All my sewing materials were left behind in the Arts Department. I didn't even have a needle to repair that tear." When an awestruck prosecutor asked her what she did, she answered with a small frown. "I had to use my nails and some loose thread from Kaede's sweater."

"That's... pretty impressive." Komaru muttered reluctantly.

Recognizing that there was no more important information to be gained from this line of questioning, Makoto decided to change the topic of conversation.

"If I remember correctly, during the investigation it was revealed that there was a whole group by that stage." He crossed eyes with the bluenette on the witness stand, who nodded imperceptibly once she realized where he was going with this new statement.

"That's right." Her hands went back to being held in front of her. "Me and my friends were gathered there, doing last minute preparations for the mock trial."

"How many people were there exactly?" The prosecutor closed his eyes and a soft frown appeared on his face.

"Well... apart from me, there was Kaede, Shuichi, Kokichi," At the purple haired man's name, Eustace flinched. "Maki, Kaito and Miu. That's seven of us."

"Which means she has an airtight alibi, right?" Komaru crossed her arms with a pensive frown.

"Not really." Makoto shook his head. "Oma already proved that no one was paying close attention. Everyone was busy that day and Tsumugi could have theoretically slipped away easily, slammed the door during your tour and gone back to her friends without anyone noticing her disappearance."

"I see..." The brunette pouted then frowned in confusion when her brother's words finished processing in her mind. "Wait, who is Tsu–?"

Before Komaru could finish her question, the prosecutor was already asking the witness to elaborate on what the bluenette's friend group was doing.

"Everyone was running around and I wasn't paying much attention." The woman on the witness stand admitted. "But from what I remember, Shuichi was going over the script one final time with Kaito, Maki was helping organize the evidence and Kaede helped here and there once she came back from playing with the band. Miu and Kokichi didn't like standing still but they didn't stay away too long when splitting from the group."

"What you are saying then is that none of them would have been the person we're looking for, the one who slammed the door during the tour of the Criminology Department." Eustace remarked slowly.

"I guess so." Tsumugi answered after a small pause.

"What are you implying?" Makoto narrowed his eyes, staring at the nervous brunette on the other side of the courtroom.

Eustace hesitated for a few seconds before shrugging. He then muttered. "I will explain later. In the meantime, feel free to continue with your cross-examination."

"Is he always like this?" Komaru asked at Makoto's side.

Said man looked at his rival with concern in his eyes, muttering a negative.

"Well... The sooner we finish cross-examining your former assistant, the faster you get to talk to your friend!" She smiled in encouragement.

The shorter man started nodding but frowned when he caught the specific way she referred to Tsumugi. "'Former' assistant?"

His sister smiled sheepishly. "If I do a good enough job then I was hoping to convince you to let me have this position permanently?"

Makoto buried his face in his hands. "You're here because Byakuya insisted." His cheeks reddened once the phantom remarked how he would do anything for the former heir just like he would do for him. "And this is a one-time thing, alright? As soon as you're found innocent, things are going back to how they were before."

His head snapped towards his sister upon hearing her sigh softly. "I don't think I want that, especially if it means I will lose you again."

His hazel eyes softened and he started to move his hand to hold her shoulder in support just like he used to do when they were younger but the Judge's impatient cough reminded him of their whereabouts. With a whispered "We'll talk about this later, okay?", he turned towards the courtroom and smiled. "Apologies, where were we?"

"You were about to cross-examine the witness' latest testimony." Eustace tapped his baton against his hand.

"Right." He turned towards the bluenette in the witness stand, who looked between him and his biological sister with a frown on her face. Her gaze landed on the shorter man once he opened his mouth. "What were you doing at the time the festival was canceled and you were informed of the murder?"

"I had just finished repairing the cape." Tsumugi answered, her frown softening at the minuscule nod from the lawyer. "It took me longer than I wanted but I did the best I could without any tools."

"Which is still pretty impressive." Eustace nodded as praise continued to fall from his lips.

Not wanting to interrupt the taller man but knowing he had to in order to continue the cross-examination, Makoto hummed.

"Out of curiosity, if Oma hadn't torn his cape, what would you have been doing?"

"I was planning on checking all the costumes for the trial." Her eyes glowed with excitement and her voice turned more lively once they started talking about her work. "The one for the lead detective seemed fine from the brief glimpses I caught of it when Shuichi paced near where I was working. I left the one for the culprit in Maki's care since she was the most responsible of the group. As for the ones for the witnesses..." She paused. "I don't know where they went, actually. Kaito ran away when I asked him about it after the murder."

"Wait, you didn't make the purple haired guy's costume?" Komaru blinked in confusion.

Repeating her statement, the answer Makoto got was the following. "He got his costume from somewhere else but he wanted some extra flair so I modified it slightly, adding the hat and cape." Tsumugi sighed and held her arm. "It's not as fun when you're not making the costume from scratch..."

"Your commitment to your craftsmanship is honorable, witness." The Judge nodded in approval, gaining a smile from the blue haired woman. "From what I hear, you have put a lot of effort into this event. It is a shame the festivity was cancelled due to the defendant's murderous actions."

Tsumugi's smile turned sheepish as she debated whether to thank the man for his acknowledgement of her hard work or remind him that the defendant's guilt had yet to be proven.

Komaru had no qualms about making her displeasure known, however. "Hey!" Her shout and slamming of her hands against her desk startled the Judge. "I didn't murder anyone so stop saying that I did!"

The lawyer's sigh of "Komaru..." was interrupted by the Judge clearing his throat.

"R-Right, my apologies." The old man cowered under a fiery green glare. "Please proceed with the trial."

Makoto looked at the bearded man with widened eyes. He was expecting the Judge to admonish his sister once again but it seemed that his latest statement had gained her ire and being glared at by that frustrated gaze was enough to let her outburst slip.

I'm not complaining but... He made the mistake of looking into his sister's eyes and shivered. Yeah, I don't blame the Judge for cowering.

He took a moment to compose himself. "If it's alright with you, I would like to go back to the bag." His suggestion caught the attention of the entire courtroom, except his sister who was still glaring at the Judge. "There are some things that need clarification."

"Like what?" Eustace tilted his head as he held his baton in his hands.

"You had previously stated that the witness' fingerprints and the victim's blood were found on said item. But you didn't specify where exactly."

"Did I not?" The brunette frowned. Once his rival shook his head, he continued. "Well, the blood was on the underside of the bag. Inspecting the crime scene, we were able to deduce it had been put on the ground, next to the victim, shortly after his stabbing."

The prosecutor took out the photo of the crime scene and motioned to a spot on the floor at the very edge of the picture. "Around this part, a blank space without blood was found. Taking into account the shape of the bag and comparing its bloodstains to the ones around the area, it was easy to deduce that this object was put in that specific spot."

Which means it's the same object that was hidden in that dusty cabinet by the entrance of the classroom. Hazel eyes widened in realization.

Still, Makoto could not believe that Tsumugi would have left her possessions in such a place, not even by mistake.

"And the fingerprints?" He held a hand to his chin as he analyzed the new found clues in his mind.

"They were found on the Steel Samurai keychain, which was part of the highly sought after batch made specifically for the stage show at the Cohdopian Embassy a few years ago." Eustace explained. "Due to its rarity, it makes it hard to argue against the notion that this object could belong to anyone but the witness."

Makoto stared at the other in awe. He didn't know the taller man had such knowledge of the Steel Samurai. At the corner of his eye, he saw Komaru's eyebrows rise in surprise.

Tsumugi, meanwhile, nodded in approval. "It did cost a lot to get. Though it was worth it."

Makoto could feel his wallet cry at the statement, almost as if he was relieving the day she won the auction for that thing.

"Well, seeing as this one will be stored in evidence, I could get you another one." The prosecutor offered. "Mr. Edgeworth knows the guy who played the Steel Samurai so he has connections."

"Oh, in that case I would like one as well, Mr. Winner." The Judge chimed in.

Though unfamiliar with the character, Komaru still seemed excited to get a piece of merchandise from a seemingly popular character. "And one for me please!"

The lawyer at her side sighed and shook his head. Wanting to shift the focus back to the trial before they got sidetracked, he spoke up.

"Back to the topic of the bag," Once sheepish brown eyes turned in his direction, he continued. "Were her fingerprints found anywhere else?" The prosecutor shook his head. "That means... though the keychain is more than likely hers, there is no proof that the bag is as well."

Eustace frowned in confusion. "The keychain is attached to the bag, however. How could the owner not be the same?"

What a great point. Unfortunately for Makoto, he had to figure out a way to prove otherwise. I know she has a bag like that and the keychain is definitely hers, it has that scratch from when I accidentally slipped on it. But I need to find a discrepancy and if I can't find it through words, maybe I need to look at the object in question.

"May I have a moment to examine the bag?" He requested.

Eustace hesitated for a few seconds, his gaze moving towards the audience before snapping back towards his rival. He gave a slow nod and gestured to one of the bailiffs with his baton. "Of course."

Once the object was placed in his newly-gloved hands, the lawyer wasted no time in examining it.

"So that's the Steel Samurai?" Komaru asked, her gaze focused on the keychain attached to the zipper.

"Yep. The protagonist of that old show 'The Steel Samurai: Warrior of Neo Olde Tokyo'. " He motioned along the grey figure with red pants. "Last I heard, there were plans of a spin-off starring his son, the Iron Infant. Though seeing as he is supposed to be a young adult in the new show, I wonder if they're finally going to change his name."

The brunette grimaced as she stared at the character. "He looks kinda... silly."

Panicked hazel eyes widened. "Don't let anyone hear you say that." He hissed in warning, his gaze moving towards the woman in the witness stand, whose head tilted slightly in their direction. "He is such a popular character that any slight against him will gain you the ire of its rabid fanbase."

Komaru followed his gaze and hesitated at the narrowed green gaze of the bluenette. "That's... Are people really crazy about him?"

"I know the Chief Prosecutor is." Makoto shrugged, moving his gaze back to the bag as he opened it to examine its contents. "And the witness herself is a huge fan. Please don't make either of them mad by insulting one of their favorite characters."

His sister whined in displeasure in the background, not that Makoto noticed as he stared at the pristine interior of the bag. The only traces of blood that can be found are at the bottom of the bag and the zipper but nowhere else.

"It is peculiar how the bag is bloodied but the keychain itself is not, don't you think, Mr. Winner?"

Said man startled, frowning as a pensive pout appeared on his face. "Is it?"

Makoto proceeded to explain his findings, emphasizing how the bag's zipper had drops of blood on it and yet the keychain attached to it was pristine. "Why do you think that is?" He asked his self-proclaimed rival.

"Well... Maybe the keychain was facing away from the body when it was placed near the victim." He shrugged. "I really don't see how that is peculiar enough to warrant your question, Mr. Plensait."

"That is not the only strange detail found in this keychain, however," Makoto shook his head with a sigh. "The placement of the fingerprints is weird too. They are only found on the keychain. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

The prosecutor pressed his lips together as he followed his rival's line of logic. Once he reached the same conclusion as Makoto, he shook his head and gripped his baton tightly in his hands. "You believe this keychain wasn't attached to the bag at the time of the murder."

"That is one theory, yes." The lawyer answered as he took his gloves off and put them on the desk in front of him, where Komaru proceeded to poke them as she mumbled something under her breath. "Another possible explanation is that the culprit of this case attempted to wipe any evidence of who this item belonged to and was only able to wipe the blood from the keychain before abandoning the object."

"Oh? So you have an explanation ready." Eustace pointed at the man on the other side of the room with his baton and a smirk on his face. "We can move on from this topic then."

"Ah... Not exactly." The prosecutor's expression fell. "That logic would be flawed as the culprit had enough time to move the bag to the outside of the building and would therefore be able to remove the keychain containing the fingerprints and dispose of it without any issues."

Eustace bit his lip. "Well... What if they didn't start with the keychain?" When asked to elaborate on his theory by the Judge, he cleared his throat and proclaimed. "Maybe the culprit had just finished wiping the bag of their fingerprints when they were about to do the same to the keychain and just... ran out of time?" By the way the man's voice turned high pitched at the end, it was safe to assume he was grasping at straws.

"Why not remove the keychain from the very beginning then if it was such a liability?" Makoto argued. "I would like to inform the court that the bag was left inside a dusty cabinet at the entrance of the classroom for a long time; the imprint found in its interior can attest to that. So we are meant to believe that the culprit, who you believe to be the witness, left it there for at least a few days and did not think to remove the one item that could lead to their identity being found?"

Eustace's ahoge uncurled, a soft "So you found that piece of evidence too." leaving his lips before he raised his voice as he pointed out. "Actually, the bag was not there for that long. Witnesses claim that at least two days prior, that cabinet had been empty." The prosecutor's posture relaxed at having found the upper hand in their argument. "There was no dust on the bag except on the bottom which clearly suggests it was meant to be a temporary hiding spot."

Unfortunately for the brunette, Makoto had found a flaw in his logic. "Which further proves my point that if the witness had prepared this bag for its use in the murder, she should have known better than to use her limited edition keychain and bag, which could easily be linked back to her."

The prosecutor flexed his baton anxiously. "Well... what if that was the only bag she had available?" He argued weakly.

Makoto tilted his head. "Why don't we ask the witness then?" He didn't wait for a response before turning towards Tsumugi and prodding. "How many bags do you own?"

"Way too many to count." The bluenette answered after a moment. "Not only do I need them for carrying materials around, different cosplays require different accessories. I rarely reuse props between cosplays, that would be like... using the Nickel Samurai's robes on the Pink Princess! That would be plain wrong!"

Shuddering at the image his mind conjured of the cabinet filled with the various accessories she had made for her cosplays throughout the years, Makoto tried to keep the haunted tone out of his voice as he turned back towards the brown haired man.

"As you can see, she could have easily used one of her many other bags instead. There is no advantage of any kind to use this specific bag during the murder."

The man processed his words before muttering. "Advantage, huh? Could there have been...?"

Right as Makoto was about to press the other man's statement, he felt pressure on his cheek. Startled, he turned towards his right, where Komaru was standing, a determined expression on her face and her finger frozen in the air where it had poked his cheek.

The two looked at each other with raised eyebrows before the elder Naegi slumped his shoulders. Not bothering to ask why she had chosen that method to gain his attention, he asked instead. "What is it?"

"I was wondering," She crossed her arms. "I get this bag is important and that it was present during the victim's stabbing but... what was its purpose?"

Bewildered, the shorter man asked his sister to repeat herself.

"Picture this," Komaru moved her hands around as she explained what was bothering her. "Your former assistant comes into the classroom, takes the bag out of whatever cabinet it had been in for the past few hours or however long it was, puts it by the victim's body and just... leaves with it? Why did she move it around in the first place? And why was it so important to keep it hidden after the murder?"

That is a good point. Still, there were some things he needed to correct her on. "You're not taking her job, Ko. And it hasn't been proven that she was the one who moved the bag around."

The taller woman had the decency to blush as she spluttered. "Well, not yet. And her fingerprints were on that thing! I know there's a whole issue with their placement but come on!"

She continued arguing for why she was clearly the superior assistant but her brother had stopped paying attention.

Why was the bag there? The purpose of the object had yet to be determined and there were no clues to be found on it.

But there were some elsewhere, weren't there?

"... Not only do I need them for carrying materials around, different cosplays require different accessories... "

That's it!

"Witness, you own a bag like this one, correct?" He asked the bluenette.

She hesitated for a second but nodded at the nod of encouragement the shorter man sent her. "I do... But that one isn't mine, I swear!"

Before the prosecutor could get a word in, Makoto continued his questioning.

"What do you use it for?"

The taller woman's gaze flickered towards the audience before she bit her lip. "I tend to put my cosplays in there, for easier transportation."

"Don't the clothes wrinkle?" Eustace frowned.

Tsumugi shook her head. "Not if you know how to pack them properly. And I don't keep them there for long. As soon as I'm able to, I take them out and check for any imperfections."

"Witness," The Judge's solemn input startled the brunette. "Please inform the court how exactly you avoid wrinkling your clothes. No matter how much I try, they always end up a mess. If I don't manage to pack them correctly on our next holiday, the missus said she was going to lock me out of our hotel room."

Tsumugi laughed nervously. "Of course, Your Honor. I can teach you at the end of the trial if you wish."

"I kinda wanna meet this woman." Komaru muttered. "She sounds terrifying."

She's just a tired wife who doesn't like messes. Makoto shook his head. Though I do feel bad for the Judge.

Speaking of, said man shook his head with a sigh. "Unfortunately, I need to attend another trial after this one but I will let you know the next time I'm free."

Right as Tsumugi agreed, Makoto interrupted their conversation.

"With all that taken care of, I would like to shift the focus back to the trial at hand. The defendant's innocence is at stake after all." At least both Tsumugi and the Judge seemed sheepish with their derailment of the trial. "The witness' earlier statement made me realize a very important fact." He looked everyone in the eye and proclaimed. "The reason why this bag was present during the crime has now come to light."

"Wait, you figured it out?!" Komaru's awed exclamation mixed with Eustace's own "It has? Hold on, do you mean that literally or...?"

"I guess it came to light when it was taken out of the cabinet in the classroom, so technically it was literally?" Makoto hummed before a glare from his sister made him stammer. "A-Anyway, as I was saying... The purpose of this bag was to transport the one piece of evidence that hasn't been relevant until now: The blood-stained clothes."

"Wait a moment!" The prosecutor slammed his hands against his desk. "That's a huge leap in logic! And besides, the interior of the bag was spotless. There's no way those clothes were in there!"

"What else was the bag used for then, Prosecutor Winner?" The shorter man shook his head. "If you know what other purpose it served then please tell the court."

Upon once again being put on the spot, Eustace stammered and bent his baton with a pout. "I don't... Stop doing that!" He whined.

"Sorry." Makoto sent the other man an apologetic smile. "But just humor me for a moment, alright?" He waited for the prosecutor to back down before continuing. "You mentioned the interior of the bag lacking blood, which would mean the clothes couldn't have been sorted in there. However," He raised his hand as he saw his sister about to point out how that latest statement contradicted his earlier theory. "That only applies if the clothes were stored there after the murder."

"... What are you getting at?" Eustace bent his baton with a frown.

"We already established the clothes were used by the defendant to stop the flow of blood from the victim. If the clothes were kept inside the bag prior to that incident, they would not have been bloody. Furthermore, it would explain where those clothes came from as I don't believe anyone stated knowing their origins."

The brunette on the Prosecution Bench nodded, a displeased grimace present on his face. "That sounds logical..." He admitted then proceeded to frown as he prompted. "Do you believe the killer hid the clothes in that bag then?"

Makoto opened his mouth but hesitated to answer. If he agreed with the other's claim, then there was a high likelihood that the suspicion cast on Tsumugi would shift from her simply slamming a door close to being the murderer herself. Though replying 'no' could make the prosecutor argue that all of this reasoning was pointless.

Thankfully, he didn't need to say anything. Once his sister noticed his hesitation, she wasted no time in interjecting.

"There can be an accomplice, you know? This level of planning would have been easier with at least two people involved. Jeez, why are you so insistent that whoever touched that bag is a murderer?"

Eustace flinched. "I-It was just a question!"

"Please don't imply that my assistant is an accomplice to the crime." Makoto muttered, ignoring the pout from his sister. "And by that, I mean Loth, not you."

"Hey!"

"Speaking of," He raised his voice, barely dodging the light-hearted punch Komaru threw at him. "You haven't presented the clothes as evidence, Mr. Winner."

Said man's expression suddenly closed off. He debated something in his mind before sighing and, with a nervous tone, stated. "That's correct. They were sent to the lab for analysis. I just got the report during recess."

A sense of dread filled Makoto's entire being as he prompted. "What does it say?"

The taller man's gaze switched rapidly between Makoto and Tsumugi before focusing on the baton in his hands. A soft mutter then proceeded to escape from his lips.

"Could you repeat that, Prosecutor Winner?" The Judge commanded.

Said man shook his head and raised his gaze. Looking his rival in the eyes, he did as ordered. "The witness made the clothes."

A gasp escaped from Tsumugi's lips, a mixture of horror and understanding passing through her eyes right before she closed them tightly.

At the same time, the murky eyes of the defense attorney widened in shock. "That's not– Why would you–?"

"Unfamiliar fingerprints were found on them. Once they were sent for examination, however, they found this." Eustace presented a photo of a close-up of one of the garments, a familiar custom clothing label with Tsumugi's signature stood out in the image despite how bloody it was. "I don't believe I need to explain further." He finished quietly.

"Hey! None of that 'I won't explain anything'!" Komaru protested, unaffected by the somber aura surrounding the other three people participating in the trial. "I'm out of the loop here! What evidence do you have that she made those clothes?"

Though he should have been annoyed, all Makoto could muster was a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. He didn't know whether she did that on purpose or if she was genuinely bad at reading the room but his sister's outburst made room for a moment of respite that was sorely needed.

Sadly, said moment could not last long for the Judge agreed with Komaru and asked the prosecutor and lawyer to explain.

With a grimace, the brunette turned away from the inquisitive stares and motioned towards the slightly taller bluenette on the witness stand. "The witness can explain."

Silence permeated the courtroom as said woman stood silent, indecipherable mutters escaping her lips as she kept shaking her head.

Knowing she would be unable to answer for the time being, Makoto sighed. "If I may, I would like to explain on her behalf." The Judge nodded, asking him to continue. "As stated beforehand, the witness is a cosplayer, the type that likes to make the costumes herself. Whenever she finishes a piece, she puts her own trademark on it," From the corner of his eye, he saw Komaru frown in understanding. "A clothing label that is the exact same to the one that was present on the bloodied clothes."

"Big Bro..." Komaru trailed off as she bit her lip.

He sent her a reassuring wave and a half-hearted smile before he turned towards the prosecutor. "I'm guessing the 'unfamiliar fingerprints' were identified as hers." He tilted his head in Tsumugi's direction.

Eustace hadn't looked away from his clenched fists though he knew who the lawyer was referring to. "They were Ms. Loth Cuzin's, yes." He confirmed.

Looking at her brother struggling to come up with a rebuttal, Komaru took a deep breath and leaned forward. "So she made the clothes, big deal." She ignored the confused frown on Makoto’s face as she put her hands on her hips. "It still doesn't mean she was the one who killed the guy."

"I never accused her of that!" The prosecutor shook his head rapidly.

"Then what's the problem?"

"She may not be the killer." Makoto spoke up at her side. "But what Mr. Winner is trying to prove is that the person who slammed the door during the tour was more involved with the crime than what we had previously believed." The next part came out softly. "And the more evidence that the prosecution presents, the more it seems that said person is the witness."

"Oh..." Komaru wrung her hands as she processed her brother's words.

Unwittingly, Byakuya's words suddenly appeared in his mind.

"The key to this case lies in the Killing Game... And whoever possesses knowledge of it."

Was that what he had tried to warn him about? That because Tsumugi knew about the Killing Game, she had actually been involved in the crime?

But... that couldn't be it. Byakuya didn't know where or when the two met, didn't know he found Tsumugi on the day he made the stupid mistake that ended with him having to leave his country a mere week later.

❮That is quite the conundrum you've found yourself in.❯ The annoying blonde made her presence known with a chuckle. She then proceeded to dig her nails on his shoulders. ❮Trust the disappointment that has stayed with you for almost a decade or the dashing CEO that wants to get to the bottom of this case.❯

Makoto flinched, moving a step to the left in the hopes of dislodging her nails and hoping Komaru wouldn't ask any questions about his behavior.

❮I mean, I don't know where the problem is. She knows about the Killing Game, she made the clothes, and the most important detail: no one else had access to that information. So it seems that to save your dear sister, you may have to throw a certain someone under the bus, hmm?❯

The phantom had a point, as much as the lawyer loathed to admit. Knowledge of the Tragedy had been heavily regulated from the moment Japan closed its borders. The only way anyone could know about the Killing Games was if they had been in the country during the lockdown and lived to tell the tale.

Though one would have had to wait until a few weeks prior for the country to open its borders, there were exceptions, of course; like his former upperclassmen, Tsumugi and himself. As far as Hajime knew, they were the only ones that had snuck out of the country before their recent opening of its borders.

He didn't let anything slip and he knew Hajime didn't either so that left... Did Tsumugi tell someone?

No. There was still one last possible exception. His eyes widened.

"The likeness of the bloody clothes found is not a coincidence. Perhaps you should accompany Kirigiri later when she goes to visit your first witness."

His first witness, the professor... Byakuya mentioned Dehan for a reason, so he had to be involved with this whole case somehow. Which, if he was reading things correctly, meant that Tsumugi didn't have to be the only one capable of interfering with the crime scene due to her knowledge of the Killing Game.

And as Makoto glared at intangible swirling blue eyes, he had to remind both the phantom and himself that after everything the two had been through, he trusted her. So as much as it seemed that Tsumugi had actually been involved in this murder, there was still a way to prove otherwise.

Slamming his hands against his desk, he addressed the startled prosecutor.

"Before we condemn the witness, Prosecutor Winner, I would like to give her another chance to exonerate herself."

Eustace grimaced as he tilted his head. "How?"

Relaxing his posture slightly at the lack of instant rejection, Makoto straightened up and motioned towards Tsumugi. "Is there anyone else you can think of that would own or have the means to acquire a limited edition bag like the one you possess and be capable of entering the Criminology Department prior to the crime?"

If I'm right then the Professor–

Though there was no verbal response, the bluenette's flinch and pressed lips spoke for themselves.

"W-Wait, there is someone?" Eustace bent his baton as he stared at the bluenette in shock.

A few more seconds of silence passed before Makoto pressed. "This information is really important, witness. For both your sake and the defendant, you need to speak up." He added a whispered "Please."

That last word seemed to get through to her, for Tsumugi exhaled and raised her head. A sad smile adorned her lips as she finally revealed. "That limited edition bag could only be bought at a convention a few years ago. I got tickets for me... and my friends." Various pairs of eyes widened in realization. "Some of us bought the bag that day."

"So you're saying that... one of your friends..." Komaru let out a shaky breath, unable to finish her sentence.

The lawyer at her side closed his eyes, his disappointment of his latest theory being proven wrong replaced by shock of the information the witness had just revealed. That's why you started acting weird when Eustace talked about the clothes; that's when you realized... He shook his head. You told me your friends helped in the costumes' designs and if these clothes are part of a costume plus the fact that they also own the same bag...

"Ah, I'm afraid there's a problem with that theory, Ms. Naegi." Eustace looked at the baton in his gloved hands, his expression serious as he heard her unspoken words. "May I remind you that earlier in the trial, the witness stated the following...?

"What you are saying then is that none of them would have been the person we're looking for, the one who slammed the door during the tour of the Criminology Department." Eustace remarked slowly.

"I guess so." Tsumugi answered after a small pause.

You yourself absolved your friends of guilt. And now you're claiming one of them... framed you?" He addressed the witness.

"That was before the revelation that the possible owner of this bag couldn’t have just been the witness." Makoto pointed out.

"That's pretty convenient, huh?" The taller brunette narrowed his eyes.

The lawyer shook his head. "I would call it an 'oversight'." The flinch from the prosecutor went ignored as the shorter man crossed his arms. "You claimed with one-hundred percent certainty that the bag belonged to the witness. But have you checked that these other people are cleared? Have they all shown their own limited edition bags?"

He felt bad for throwing the man under the bus. In normal circumstances, he would have let the whole situation slide; it wasn't Eustace's fault for not anticipating multiple existences of that limited edition bag nor predicting that one of Tsumugi's friends could have framed her.

But if Makoto wanted to save both Tsumugi and Komaru, he couldn't hold back from exposing the prosecutor's lack of scrutiny.

Speaking of, said man gained tears at the corner of his eyes as he stuttered. "Th-That's...!"

"In that case, we know what must be done." Komaru slammed her hands on the desk and turned towards the Judge. With a determined expression, she exclaimed. "Your Honor, the Defense requests more time to investigate!"

Makoto looked at his sister with shocked confusion. He was going to request more investigation time but he had wanted to know if Komaru was alright waiting in a cell for one more day. He had promised to find her innocence that same day, after all.

As if sensing her brother's gaze, Komaru turned her gaze towards him and smiled. "Don't worry about me, Big Bro. My freedom can wait but her acquittal can't."

Makoto's own gaze softened as he reciprocated the smile. I'm sorry. I keep forgetting how strong you are...

The tender moment between siblings was ruined by the younger's next words. "Though if you could convince them to feed me something other than slop I would really appreciate it." She wrung her hands sheepishly.

Makoto made a mental note to talk to Byakuya and Kyoko to see if they could help with that. Before he could tell his sister his plan, however, a hesitant statement originating from the other side of the room caught their attention.

"I guess... We still haven't found the murderer." Eustace ignored the surprised looks directed at him from the duo in the Defense Bench as he squared his shoulders and turned towards Judge. "The prosecution humbly requests to extend the trial one more day. Once the killer is found, the truth of Loth Cuzin's involvement in the crime will come to light."

The Judge made an intrigued noise as he pondered on the request. Though with the way that both Prosecution and Defense teams asked for more time, it was hard to believe he would refuse.

Sure enough, a few seconds passed before the bearded man nodded and raised his gavel. "By request of both Defense and Prosecution, the trial will be extended for one more day. Tomorrow, the case will come to an end with a hopefully satisfactory resolution." He paused in order to wait if Eustace or Makoto retracted their earlier pleas before proceeding once he heard no objections. "Court is adjourned."

The gavel came down and the second day of the trial came to an end.

Chapter Text

"... So if it's not too much trouble, perhaps you could check it out?"

Kyoko hummed, moving a hand towards her chin as she passed through the yellow tape isolating the Criminology Department from the rest of the area. The shorter man and the buff woman behind her scrambled to catch up to her.

Once Makoto was back at her side, the detective wasted no time in responding to his earlier plea. "I'll see what I can do. Did she wish for any type of food in particular?"

The lawyer shook his head. "Anything that isn't slop. She wasn't too picky about that."

The detective nodded. "Very well then. I will take care of it."

"Thank you." The shorter man smiled in relief, content with the fact he managed to resolve Komaru's food situation. Too absorbed in his thoughts, he didn't notice the way purple eyes focused intensely on his smile, nor in the faint light pink that adorned their owner's cheeks the longer she kept her gaze on him.

Instead, all Makoto could think about was how thankful he was for Kyoko's help. Now, the only things left in his mental checklist were the following:

Find out what was wrong with Eustace. Accompany Kyoko during Professor Dehan's interrogation. Meet up with Byakuya and Tsumugi to meet with her friends and find out which of them was involved in the murder.

And there's also the gift Komaru mentioned back at the Defendant Lobby. I don't know what she meant but I will ask her next time I see her.

Regardless, there was nothing he could do about half his checklist so he focused on the other half he could do. Turning towards Kyoko, he cleared his throat.

"Thank you again for letting me tag along."

"It is no problem." The detective played with one of the ribbons in her hair as the group ascended the stairs. "You were cordially invited, after all. I'm glad you accepted my invitation, and that Togami was helpful enough to pass it along."

Makoto's smile widened even as a nervous laugh escaped his lips. "Don't let him hear you say that."

"He won't mind." Was the amused response. "On the contrary, I believe he will agree wholeheartedly. He kept complaining that he was 'delegated to a lesser job' and wasn't allowed to accompany us."

The two entered an amicable silence that was occasionally interrupted by the sound of their footsteps. Right as they reached the correct floor, Byakuya's words from back in the Defense Lobby came to the forefront of Makoto's mind.

"So... for how long have you been suspicious of the professor?" He inquired.

For a moment, it seemed like the detective would stay silent but then she answered after mulling something in her mind.

"When we first met, he mentioned something peculiar.

"It's a shame. I was hoping to discuss your work during the Games, Ms. Kirigiri."

I don't believe I need to explain why his words were concerning."

Makoto shook his head, letting his taller friend know he understood where her concerns came from.

Kyoko arrived in the country around three weeks ago; as far as the world should have been aware, she should have been an ambassador and nothing more. So how did Dehan recognize her? Why did he mention the Game?

And now that they were on the topic, how were they going to get Dehan to tell them what he knows?

"Should we work out the kinks?" He saw the phantom's smile sharpen as her eyebrows raised. Trying to keep the exasperation out of his voice, he quickly amended. "Of the plan! O-Of what we're going to ask the professor..."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow but let his weird behavior slide.

"If that would calm your nerves." She didn't give Makoto the time to argue that he was not nervous at all before continuing. "We are here to confirm how knowledgeable the professor is about the Game; I have an idea on how to achieve that. Though if you wish to question his involvement with the crime that took place, feel free to do so. Preferably before his punishment is discussed."

A conflicted expression flashed through the shorter man's face though it was gone in a split second. Swatting the smug phantom at his side, he asked after a moment of hesitation. "... Punishment?"

The detective paused her stride, making her two companions stop as well. Quickly glancing at the bodyguard trailing them to make sure she was an acceptable distance away, the detective lowered her voice and explained.

"The Tragedy is a sore topic back in the country. Any recordings from that era are highly illegal and possession of that knowledge is strictly regulated. Your own existence has even been put into question by the younger generations despite our best efforts."

"Oh. That makes sense." The short lawyer muttered, ignoring the concerned gaze Kyoko sent him. Feeling she was about to question him, Makoto headed towards the end of the hallway, where he knew the faculty members' offices were located.

There was a slight pause before he heard the other's heeled boots heading in his direction.

❮Aww, is someone sad that he lost his fame?❯ A high-pitched voice cooed in the short man's ear. ❮At least people still know your name. Don't forget I know what you and your posse did to make sure my existence was completely erased.❯

"Shut up." He muttered, biting his lip once Kyoko reached his side. I don't care about that.

❮Right. One of the reasons you ran away was because of your fear of the spotlight.❯ She clicked her tongue. ❮You should have taken my offer when you had the chance. We could have taken care of all your silly little worries together.❯

I don't want to live in infamy, thanks. He answered tiredly, having had this specific conversation with the phantom one too many times, before schooling his features. He was pretty sure Kyoko glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

Both women stayed silent, thankfully. Though that may have been due to the fact that they had stopped in front of a door with a plaque that read 'T. Oak. T. Dehan'.

Kyoko turned around and ordered the bodyguard trailing her to keep guard at the end of the hallway. The woman was about to argue but the detective's harsh gaze silenced any complaints she may have voiced. With a nod, she turned around and left the two alone.

The man's hazel eyes turned towards his taller friend, confusion shining in them. Kyoko sighed, moving her hand so it rested on the shorter man's shoulder and leaning over him, explained. "It's better if we enter alone. I have a feeling this witness will be more cooperative the less people there are in the room."

She removed her hand from the flustered Makoto's face and, with a self-satisfied smirk, knocked on the door.

Said smirk was promptly hidden behind a stoic mask as Professor Dehan's voice wafted through. A righteous "Come in!" reached their ears right before the woman in purple opened the door and entered the room.

"Ah, Detective Kirigiri! To what do I owe the pleasure?" The pleasant smile on the professor's face wavered as he caught sight of the shorter man with a slightly flushed face closing the door behind her.

Before either man could speak up, Kyoko stepped in front of Makoto and crossed her arms. "Professor, I believe we have unfinished business. A conversation we were meant to have on the day of the festival."

The older man's eyes shined with understanding. "Ah yes. Of course." He cleared his throat and motioned to the seats in front of his desk with a tilt of his head. "Take a seat."

Makoto was about to follow her when the black haired man with gray edges cleared his throat.

"Must he also be a part of the conversation?"

Taking note of the disdain on the man's voice, Kyoko paused right as she took a hold of the chair and raised an eyebrow. "Yes." Though the response was simple, all the occupants in the room heard the clear 'You talk to both of us or neither.'

The professor grimaced, annoyance flashing through his eyes before he acquiesced. He waited for a hesitant Makoto to join his friend in the empty seat in front of his desk before he raised his hand. "I believe an apology is in order."

The lawyer blinked, confused. His head tilted slightly and an uncertain "Uhh... Apology?" escaped his lips as he stared at the older man.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Dehan raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Makoto let out a nervous laugh. "You want me to apologize?" When the other man's orange eyes narrowed slightly, he moved his hand to scratch his cheek. "I... What for, if I may ask?"

Dehan huffed, rolling his eyes as he leaned in, his previously raised hand now tapping on the desk. "Have you already forgotten your actions during the trial? The humiliation you attempted to cast on me?" He shook his head. "It seems all the talk of your impressive memory was nothing more than hearsay."

From the corner of his eye, the shorter man noticed Kyoko was about to speak up, thinly concealed frustration shining in her gaze. Not wanting to continue derailing the conversation and in hopes of getting on the older man's good graces, Makoto sighed and smiled apologetically.

"Right. I was out of line." The detective stayed silent though there was a subtle frown marring her features. "Despite what my attitude during the trial conveyed, I am genuinely thankful for your cooperation. If there is something I may do to gain your forgiveness, please let me know."

The professor relaxed back in his chair, his smirk widening as he heard the shorter man's words. He then gave a pleased nod. "Splendid. I will collect your debt when the time is due." Makoto had a bad feeling in his gut that only worsened with the professor's next words. "Why, Mr. Attorney, you are rather lucky that I am quite benevolent."

I don't like how he said that...

Kyoko took advantage of Makoto's silent hesitation to clear her throat, gaining the attention of the older man infront of her. "My time here is limited. If we could turn back to the topic at hand, it would be appreciated. Otherwise, I'm afraid I will have to take my leave."

"Ah yes, my apologies." Dehan was quick to attempt to placate the detective. "You came here to discuss the Games, did you not?" He didn't wait for a response before motioning to the shorter man at her side with a dismissive hand wave. "If the riff-raff would be so inclined as to avoid deviating the conversation..."

I didn't say anything!

"What exactly did you wish to discuss back then?" Kyoko asked, moving her body so she was slightly shielding Makoto.

Dehan didn't seem to notice the annoyance in her tone; or, if he did, he ignored it. "My only desire was to express my admiration. For without you, the other curs would have surely perished during the final confrontation."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. Wanting the other man to confirm whether he was actually referring to the Killing Game, she went for a relatively ambiguous response. "What led you to that conclusion?"

The man's orange eyes darted between the two friends before resting on the lavender haired woman. "If I may be frank, Detective Kirigiri," He sighed, mock exhaustion in his tone. "We should avoid circumventing the elephant in the room. I am indeed talking about the Killing Game that took place almost a decade ago."

Hazel and purple eyes widened slightly, their owners trying to hide the shock of the professor's abrupt statement. Kyoko recovered quickly, crossing her arms as Makoto took his time to recuperate.

"Had I implied otherwise?"

"No, no." The older man shook his head. "I just wanted to make sure your companion knew where the conversation was heading."

Makoto remained silent, not willing to rise to the bait. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a gloved fist clench slightly.

"Unlike what you may believe, he is quite the capable individual; you would do best to remember that."

"Of course." Dehan waved his hand dismissively. "In any case, I do not mean to waste your time. You have come for a pleasant discussion of your work, have you not?"

"I believe that was the intention, yes." The detective answered stoically, carefully masking her exasperation at the other man's inability to progress the conversation.

"Indeed it is! Though where are my manners? Before we start, is there anything you wish to inquire about?"

Kyoko took her chance. Straightening up, she hummed. "How did you come across my ‘work’?"

Makoto noticed how much she despised referring to such a traumatizing experience like the Killing Game as simply 'work'. Though it seemed she had no choice; the professor seemed like the type of person who would care more about the spectacle of the event than the well-being of the people involved.

"Ah yes, it is only natural you were curious." The older man smirked, his aura of self-importance broadening with the wave of his hand. "I have connections, Ms. Kirigiri, those which have let me be knowledgeable about your stellar performance during the Killing Game."

"By word of mouth, I presume?"

"I'm afraid you do not presume correctly." Dehan shook his head. "I have seen your work firsthand via a tape I possess, which contains the entirety of Class 78's Killing Game."

Kyoko stayed silent as she analyzed the situation. Makoto bit his lip, wanting to aid in the questioning but knowing Dehan would close off if he was reminded of his presence.

"The reason you withheld from using a digital copy is for security reasons."

"That is correct." The professor confirmed. When the woman asked to see the tape in question, he sighed. "My apologies, Detective. I cannot comply with your request. Surely you agree that it is best not to reveal the tape's location, especially with... unwanted company in the vicinity."

Though the professor did not look away from the detective, all the occupants in the room knew who he was referring to when he said 'unwanted company'.

Kyoko raised one of her hands to hold one of the ribbons in her hair. "You imply that I would bring an untrustworthy person with me during such a serious discussion."

Dehan flinched. "My apologies, I was not suggesting that at all."

The detective tilted her head slightly and through narrowed eyes requested to move onto the topic of the Game, which the older man happily obliged to, leaving his animosity towards the third occupant in the room to the side for the moment.

"First and foremost, I wish to inquire how the lack of memories affected your participation. You had a higher disadvantage than the rest of your peers."

That's oddly personal and highly insensitive!

Makoto tried to look Kyoko in the eyes to show his support if she did not wish to discuss such a topic. Though she did not glance at him, she shook her head slightly, letting him know that she did not mind the intrusive question.

"Everyone lost their memories." She answered stoically as she uncrossed her arms.

"Ah. I was referring more to the fact that more of your memories were taken compared to the other..." He waved his hand around as he tried to come up with the correct word before landing on "participants. Your very identity was compromised."

What followed was a series of invasive questions on the professor's part that Kyoko answered with professionalism. The group must have spent at least an hour in that room, with the topic moving from Kyoko's personal experience to the Game in general.

"I was curious about the social impact of the Game. How did the masses react to it?"

Kyoko blinked. "I believe I am the wrong person to ask." She stated calmly.

The professor hummed and apologized for his inquiry after realizing that the participants had no access to the outside world and her answer would not be accurate. Stuck on the discoveries of what such an impact had in the country at the time, he failed to see how his insensitive questions were negatively affecting the duo on the other side of his desk.

Though he would have had a hard time noticing Kyoko's discomfort for she was good at hiding her emotions from those who did not know her.

Makoto stared at his friend with concern in his eyes and tentatively reached out. His hand made contact with her gloved fist, which recoiled for a split second before relaxing and accepting the silent request for hand-holding.

Relaxing her posture by a smidge, the detective glanced at the shorter man at her side from the corner of her eye and tilted her head in gratitude. She spent a few seconds staring at his nervous smile before turning back to the professor and taking control of the conversation.

"There's no time left. I may grant you one last question before the conversation concludes." Though the startled man tried to convince her to stay longer, Kyoko refused. "I can only grant one more question." She reiterated.

Dehan grimaced in displeasure but acquiesced. He proceeded to cross his arms atop his desk and nodded. "Very well. In that case, I only wish to know, do you bear any resentment towards your fellow former classmates?"

That's a weird question to ask. Makoto frowned.

The lavender haired woman raised an eyebrow. "I do not."

The professor hummed. "Are you being sincere, Detective?" When Kyoko didn't respond, he elaborated. "Suspicion was constantly cast on you, despite the fact you were working towards liberating your fellow classmates the entire time. The rapid advancement of your investigation caused the mastermind herself to feel threatened and turn her ire towards you." Recognizing he was starting to blabber, he sighed and waved his hand. "What I am trying to imply is the following. You put your own life at risk and your former classmates never apologized, did they?"

Did we not? Makoto bit his lip and glanced away. When he puts it like that, Kyoko really went through a lot, huh?

Warmth left Makoto's hand as Kyoko crossed her arms and straightened up. "Need I remind you, professor, that life continued past the ending of the tape? You claim with certainty that the relationship between the survivors became strained but you were not there to witness it. Assumptions like these only hinder proper discussions." She leaned forward. "Everyone suffered greatly during that time; to put my experience above others is inequitable and could only be done by a self-centered individual. Do you believe me to be selfish, professor?"

Dehan shook his head rapidly. "Of course not! I didn't mean to imply such a thing–"

"Then what were you implying?" Kyoko's firm voice cut through the man's stammering.

The older man leaned back in his chair as he took his time to formulate a response that would not offend the woman he was conversing with.

"Your investigation put a target on your back." He spoke slowly. "The mastermind attempted to kill you for it and in the end," He straightened up and stared the detective in the eyes. "You care not that someone else took credit for your work?"

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "Whatever do you mean?"

Dehan huffed, an irritated expression on his face. "That pest, what was his name? Neagi? Declared himself the Ultimate Hope and usurped the title that should have been rightfully yours."

Makoto was about to correct the man and remind him that Kyoko was the one who gave him said title when the annoyed detective at his side suddenly stood up.

"Makoto Naegi is the Symbol of Hope back in Japan. Keep in mind you are talking about an important and renowned figure of the country I am an ambassador of. His determination and unwavering belief in others resonated with the population during the harsh years of the Tragedy. Not to mention, he was regarded as the one who put an end to said Tragedy, the eradicator of Despair," Her voice then lowered. "And my best friend." She whispered the last part so only Makoto could hear.

Before the shorter man could feel regret for the sorrow he managed to catch in his friend's voice, Dehan cleared his throat.

"It was not my intention to insult your country, Detective. I apologize if it came out as such." He waited for a moment before gingerly standing up as well. With an insincere sympathetic tone, he remarked. "My earlier question still stands, however. Did you not bear resentment for him taking the spot that should have been yours?"

"Do not attempt to speak of my feelings, professor." Kyoko's tone seemed to have gone back to stoic though it bore a hint of warning that the older man finally noticed if the wary expression on his face was anything to go off of. "Makoto Naegi earned his title after his actions during the Killing Game. Had it not been for him and his Hope during the final trial, the Game would have claimed more lives." Her posture relaxed as she added. "It is disappointing you did not pick up on that during your watching of the tape.”

The professor flinched as he turned away and stared out the window located behind his chair. There was a tense silence that lasted a few seconds before the man spoke up. "Pardon my curiosity, Ms. Kirigiri. I couldn't help but notice that you have referred to the man in a past tense. Is he mayhaps... gone?"

Makoto looked at Kyoko with worry. She had gotten so worked up in his defense that she had accidentally slipped up. It was impressive, however, that Dehan had noticed such a detail.

Despite his undesirable personality, the man is rather sharp.

"I believe that is none of your concern." Kyoko answered carefully.

In the window's reflection, Dehan could be seen narrowing his eyes as he raised his hand and waved it dismissively. "I had found it peculiar," He spoke as if he had an attentive audience that waited with bated breath for his every word and not a tired duo that wished for nothing more than this conversation to end. "One would think the 'Ultimate Hope' himself would have been one of the ambassadors coming to discuss the opening of Japan's borders. At the time I had attributed his absence to his cowardice and inability to be a proper leader but now I wonder..." He trailed off as Kyoko's narrowed gaze met his own through the window reflection.

"I believe I must thank you, professor." Hazel eyes widened as Makoto stared at Kyoko with confusion. Said woman put a gloved hand on his shoulder with the clear message that she had everything under control. "I had completely forgotten the second reason I bothered to come here."

Dehan frowned as he turned around. Upon seeing the dangerous glint in the detective's purple eyes, he opened his mouth to inquire about her latest statement. Before he could, however, Kyoko raised a hand and started playing with one of the ribbons in her hair and calmly stated. "You are under arrest for the smuggling of contraband."

"Wh-What? Kyoko–" The lawyer’s words were silenced as the taller woman squeezed his shoulder.

Dehan blinked in shock, his mouth open wide as he stared at the detective, hoping she would reveal she was joking around or had been mistaken somehow. When she remained silent, he spluttered. "C-Contraband?"

The woman in purple closed her eyes. "The Killing Game tape you claim to be in possession of. It is highly illegal to carry items from the Tragedy without explicit permission to do so."

"Th-That's–"

"Are you going to claim I misheard? In that case, I must remind you that I brought a witness with me today who heard you boast that you own a highly illegal Killing Game tape and have watched it at least once. Not to mention, your refusal to hand it over to one of the ambassadors of the country it originates from."

The professor's frown deepened as he looked between the two people in front of him. He pressed his lips as he tried to come up with a way to get out of the precarious situation.

Finally understanding Kyoko's approach, Makoto cleared his throat. "Giving the tape back would probably be in the professor's best interest, wouldn't it?"

The taller woman nodded at his words though she kept her piercing gaze on the older man infront of her.

"I'm... afraid I cannot do that." Said man stated through gritted teeth.

"That's a shame." The detective turned towards her shorter friend and remarked. "In that case, we will have to arrange a transport to leave as soon as possible; a lot of security will have to be called so no escape attempts can be made by the professor." She sighed in mock exasperation. "The press will be a nightmare to manage."

Makoto caught onto what Kyoko was attempting and nodded. "The first person arrested after Japan opens its borders is due to smuggling contraband. It hasn't even been a month and already there will be someone tried for that. I can already see the headlines."

Panicked orange eyes glanced rapidly between the two as their owner started sweating. "You wouldn't–"

"You are committing a crime, Terrance Oak Theo Dehan." The man flinched at the cold uncaring tone the detective used to utter his full name. "As an ambassador to my country, I must perform my duty. Surely you understand."

A tense suffocating silence enveloped the room. Hazel and purple eyes stared intensely at the trembling professor, waiting with bated breath for his next move.

A few seconds that felt like minutes later, Dehan let out a heavy exhale. "I am unable to return the tape because I do not have it." When prompted by the detective, he added. "It was stolen sometime after the murder. I kept it secure in the safe to your right." He motioned towards said safe. "But when I came to my office this morning, it was gone."

Displeased with the turn of events, Kyoko furrowed her brows as she figured out the next step to take. Taking the opportunity, Makoto cleared his throat and inquired.

"Where did you get it from?"

The older man did not wish to respond but a warning glance from the detective made him sigh. "It was left behind after one of the mock trial rehearsals. As it was not school property and my students know the rules, I confiscated it. Later on, curiosity got the better of me and I watched it." He turned towards Kyoko. "When I saw the summary of the airport murder, I recognized Ms. Kirigiri and wished to discuss the tape with her. Though imagine my surprise when I spotted you at our humble Festival."

Something the man said jumped out at Makoto.

He recognized her from the airport murder. I wonder... Did the killer do the same? Just as Dehan recognized Kyoko, the killer recognized Mr. Peaks? We haven't found a motive from the murderer after all. Could this be why...?

"Thank you for your cooperation." Kyoko crossed her arms. "My companion and I will be taking our leave then."

She turned around and attempted to head towards the door when Dehan's desperate "Wait a moment!" halted her attempt.

The woman in purple turned around and was about to question his outburst but found the man staring at Makoto with furrowed brows.

"You are not just a plain defense attorney, are you?" Before either of them could speak, Dehan took a step towards the shorter man. "I understand now. The ease in which you worked in tandem, the protectiveness in your body language, the way you spoke of each other's names..." His gaze suddenly narrowed as he uttered scathingly. "You are the so-called 'Ultimate Hope' aren't you?"

Makoto's eyes widened as he took a step backwards. "I-I don't..."

"There is no use concealing it. I have detected the truth." He pressed his lips tightly as he stared at the shorter man, analyzing his appearance and possibly comparing it to the image in his mind from the Killing Game.

Hazel eyes looked around the room as their owner tried to come up with a way to dissuade the professor from the line of thinking he was currently in. In his panic, he made the mistake of looking at Kyoko with a pleading gaze, unintentionally confirming Dehan's hypothesis.

"It has become clear why you were kept out of the spotlight. You became a follower of that vixen after all." Dehan hissed as he took a step back, trying to distance himself from the man he held disdain for. "Had it not been for the Detective's silence confirming your identity, I would not have believed it. Though now it is undeniable, you have her influence all over you." He spat.

Makoto shook his head and waved his hands frantically. "N-No, you've got it all wrong–"

His distraught comment was cut short by the door to the office opening abruptly, revealing Kyoko's bodyguard leading a group of officers into the room.

"Terrance Oak Theo Dehan, you are under arrest for possession of contraband."

The professor's grimace twisted into an ugly snarl, his desperate gaze moving around the people gathered in the spacious room before landing on the man he seemed to despise the most. His mouth opened and Makoto was ready to beg the other man not to mention any of the topics that had been discussed privately when suddenly–

"I advise you to remain silent lest your words be used against you during your trial." Kyoko's sharp statement kept the two men quiet.

Orange eyes turned towards the detective, their owner's expression passing through multiple emotions before ending in resignation.

Dehan gave a firm nod as he took a step towards the waiting officers. No more words were exchanged as the arriving people left with one extra person. The bodyguard waited for Kyoko's permission before leaving the room as well.

It was over in a matter of seconds and the duo of lawyer and detective were left to stand in silence in the cold room.

The silence didn't last long for one of them as an amused phantom put her hands on her hips and drawled. ❮Well that just happened.❯

"... You can say that again." The short man muttered, dazed.

"What was that?" Kyoko asked, quickly turning towards him from her place examining Dehan's desk.

Startled, Makoto realized that he had answered his companion out loud. I really need to stop doing that. He mentally sighed. "Nothing!" He exclaimed as an intangible Cheshire grin appeared under narrowed blue eyes.

Purple eyes shined with concern but before their owner could question the shorter man, he quickly asked. "When did you organize his arrest?"

Kyoko frowned slightly at the change of topic but still answered. "Once he confirmed the origins of the tape." She took out her phone from a hidden pocket in her skirt and motioned towards it. "I had Ms. Akai on stand-by." I'm guessing that's the bodyguard. "Though the officers were provided by Togami."

Makoto nodded, a distracted praise falling from his lips as he looked at the door with a frown.

"I must investigate the room for any clues of the owner of the tape. Would you like to accompany me?"

The lawyer blinked and was about to agree when he suddenly remembered his job was not over. "I'm sorry but I won't be able to." His nervous smile faltered at seeing the disappointment in his friend's gaze. "I really appreciate your help, Kyoko, but I need to meet up with Byakuya and the witnesses before it's too late. I will be taking my leave now."

Makoto turned around and headed to the door. Though he wasn't lying about why he was leaving, it wasn't the full truth. Apart from having to investigate Tsumugi's friends in order to find which of them tried to frame her, he was also tired.

The amount of times he slipped and kept responding to a certain annoying blonde out loud was starting to really concern him. If he wasn't careful, he could accidentally blurt out something he shouldn't.

❮Like you haven’t already.❯ The unwelcome input from the phantom reached his ears as she blew a raspberry. ❮Or do you mean to tell me you actually meant to shush your sister twice?❯

There was a slight pause of hesitation where Makoto was careful not to react before Kyoko spoke up. "Wait."

The shorter lawyer paused as he closed his eyes. He let out a deep breath before he smiled and turned slightly in her direction. "Yes?"

The detective stood silent for a few more seconds before she steeled herself, spurred by a conversation she had had with her blonde friend and colleague earlier that morning. "After the case is resolved and your sister is set free. Please don't leave again."

Makoto's heart sank as he bit his lip in order not to react to her words. Does she really think...?

❮Well have you ever expressed otherwise? The only reason you are talking to her is to save your sister.❯ Thankfully, before he could open his mouth to protest, the blonde continued. ❮If anything, I'm surprised you can't see how much your insistence to make things go back to how they were is hurting them.❯

As much as he hated it, he had to admit his annoying companion had a point. Besides, he distinctly remembered Hajime bringing his desire to run away when they met a few days ago.

And though what he had told the talented man was the truth, that the thought had crossed his mind but was quickly dismissed, it seemed it hadn't vanished completely if the way the detective was looking at him was any indication.

"What do you mean?" He asked as he swallowed nervously, turning around to look at her purple eyes and then turning his gaze away at the intensity shining in them.

Kyoko took the fact he was still standing in place as a sign that she could continue her pleas. Straightening up, she remarked with a firm tone. "Let us help. Whatever it was that made you leave... We can handle it. Just put your trust in us."

Makoto closed his eyes as he recognized that he was about to enter a verbal argument with one of the sharpest people he knew. To say he would have to tread carefully would be an understatement. "And what makes you think that I can trust you with that information?" He asked tentatively, testing her.

The lavender haired detective didn't rise to the bait as she ignored his input and continued. "It was enough to scare you. But after everything we've been through, you must know that we can take care of it. Together."

He hummed in order to drown out the whispers from the intangible blonde at his side. "And who is this 'we'?"

Without blinking, Kyoko answered. "Komaru, Togami and I."

He laughed softly; opening his eyes, he stared at his taller friend and inquired. "And the others?"

Though there was no change in her expression, Makoto saw the way her shoulders tensed slightly and she took a second longer to answer as purple eyes narrowed in thought. "If you wish for their help, they will be available."

❮Oh. She's hiding something.~❯

Makoto agreed mentally. Kyoko was keeping a secret on something pertaining to his other friends. If they were in a dangerous situation then she would have surely said something and wouldn't be acting as calm as she was right now. Unless she wished to spare his feelings until Komaru was found innocent. But then his sister would have spoken up; she wasn't really good at keeping secrets, after all. What could the others possibly–?

His eyes widened slightly as he realized what she was hiding. They're coming too.

With his slip up, the detective acknowledged that the lawyer had figured out what Hina, Hiro and Touko were up to. Though she still had the advantage in the fact that the other had no idea when the three of them would be arriving in the country.

Still, she did her best to placate him. "If you do not wish to see them you do not have to." Softening her voice, she continued. "We are willing to let all the conflicts between us go. Just say the word and we will help."

A part of him really wanted to take her up on her offer but another part, one that fed on his fears and lies, was unwilling to let her get too close. Still, if she knows what happened back then... "Tell me then. What you know. And I'll see if I can tell you the rest."

It wasn't meant to come out as such but Kyoko still took it as a challenge, one she had to accept in order to help the man she cared for with whatever was still hurting him.

Both hazel and purple eyes narrowed in tandem as they analyzed the other's movements. The lawyer's eyes clouded with apprehension while the detective's shone with her determination.

"You went back to that place; we found some of your belongings in there. Whatever you found scared you, possibly hurt you as well, in a way that our digital acquaintance couldn't detect."

She spoke carefully, making sure that even if someone were to be eavesdropping, they would be unable to understand her words. Meanwhile, Makoto deciphered what she meant and he was...

Not surprised at how much she knew, actually. He never tried to hide his tracks after his last visit to that place, as Kyoko put it. A lot had been going on that he had been unable to even think straight for a whole week afterwards.

❮And that's where I came in! Some spice to your boring life.❯

Unconsciously, he rubbed the scar on the back of his hand, the phantom pain of shattered glass coming back to haunt him with the blonde's words. His action didn't go unnoticed by the detective in purple whose eyes narrowed as her mind slowly put the pieces together.

Before she could disclose her thoughts, the shorter man sighed. "And that's all?"

She gave a sharp nod in response. If Makoto didn't know Kyoko better, he would have sighed in relief, comforted by the knowledge that his friends were unaware of what happened after said visit. But he knew her; maybe not the new changes she went through the past eight years but Kyoko was a detective at heart and he knew how detectives worked.

Whatever else she knew, she kept close to herself, unwilling to share information that she perceived to be too important to give away just like nothing.

❮You truly are made for each other. How do you expect her to give up her information when you yourself have offered nothing in return?❯ Sharp nails dug into the lawyer's shoulders.

His fists clenched as he did his best not to flinch in pain. "Then what was it, Detective? What was the thing that 'scared me enough to leave'? Answer the question and I'll tell you everything." He grit his teeth as one of the phantom's arms snaked around his neck.

His expression remained on a grimace though internally he allowed himself to relax. His secrets would remain covered for a while longer as Kyoko would be unable to answer his latest question. For she knew a lot of things but what he found back in that school was something she could never predict. Makoto didn't hide his tracks, sure, but that didn't mean that someone else couldn't have done so.

The lavender haired woman was at a crossroads. She could try to answer, revealing that she knew more than she was willing to share. Or keep quiet as a way to buy herself more time until the others arrived to corner him.

A tense silence enveloped the two as the taller woman analyzed her situation and the shorter man waited with bated breath.

Finally, Makoto got her answer the moment Kyoko closed her eyes and crossed her arms.

Part of him wanted to reach out and apologize or even promise they could talk about the topic later but a certain blonde's unyielding hold kept him in place, away from his friend. So with a firm "Well then. Have a good day, Detective Kirigiri", he managed to turn around and left the room.

Said woman did not try to stop him, knowing this was a battle she wasn't meant to win. Her frown remained on her face as she recognized the trap the other man had unknowingly set and she had fallen in; for no matter what her answer was, Makoto would refuse to accept her help, pushing him closer to that intrusive idea of running away once again.

Kyoko's eyes opened and she looked out the window, her impassive mask back in place as she took her phone out and sighed. "Alter Ego, call Hina."

As the door closed behind him, Makoto let out a relieved exhale. A smile slightly too sharp that showed all the conflicting emotions he was feeling at the moment and reminiscent of the one the despairful blonde was currently sporting was on his own face as he also took out his phone to make a call.

Chapter Text

As soon as he stepped out of the building, Tsumugi started fretting over him.

Makoto ignored her questions and instead kept staring at his phone. His talented friend's advice resonated in his mind as he mulled his words in his mind.

❮Easier said than done, huh? You attempt to ignore me and it won't end well for you.~❯

He hummed in response, his energy sapped after the stressful last few minutes.

The sudden appearance of a hand with blue painted nails on top of the screen startled him out of his thoughts. He followed the arm it was connected to and found Tsumugi staring at him with a slight frown.

Before he could try to figure out the reason for her frown, she whispered. "Harem Member #2 incoming."

The shorter man blinked in confusion as the bluenette took a step backwards. He followed her gaze and met the icy blue eyes of the man slowly approaching.

As soon as Byakuya was within hearing range, he stopped and proceeded to raise an eyebrow. "Is everything alright?"

Makoto bit his lower lip but straightened up. He swallowed back the tired sigh that threatened to escape from his lips and nodded. "Yeah..." When he noticed the CEO frown in concern, the lawyer cleared his throat and, after putting his phone back in his pocket, reiterated with a firmer tone. "Everything is fine. Where are the witnesses?"

The taller man seemed displeased with his answer but realized that the other man would not answer truthfully if he were to press him. So with a grimace, he turned around and gritted out. "Follow me."

Tsumugi looked between the two men and tilted her head at the shorter man, an inaudible question in her gaze.

Makoto sent her a shaky smile before he followed the retreating man, the bluenette following behind him. Byakuya was not slowing down so the two had time to catch up before the taller blonde realized his companions were far behind.

"How are you?" The lawyer looked at the taller woman walking at his side, repeating the question he had asked her beforehand.

"I'm alright." Was the soft response. Tsumugi held her arm and looked away. "I've come to terms with... the whole thing."

Makoto hesitated, wanting to comfort her but knowing there was nothing more he could say that they hadn't discussed right after the trial had ended. Besides, the information Dehan had shared coupled with Byakuya's words all but confirmed one of her friends had knowledge of the Killing Game, which complicated the whole situation even more as there was a high chance they were the owner of the tape that had gone missing.

I understand now why Eustace dislikes international scandals.

Deciding to let the bluenette gather her thoughts before they met with her friends, Makoto turned his gaze back towards the blonde guiding them and found him waiting impatiently further down the road. It seemed he had finally noticed he had been walking alone for a while and was now standing with his arms crossed right under a tree.

Byakuya made a haughty remark but Makoto's attention was caught by a large leaf that had fallen from the tree in question and followed its path which ended on top of the blonde's hair.

The sight should have made the taller man seem ridiculous but Makoto couldn't help but feel it gave him a softer presence, one that his scowl wasn't able to break, somehow.

An intrusive thought suddenly entered his mind. Kyoko knew what happened back then, or at least half of it. Does Byakuya know too? Who else...?

Tsumugi hitting his arm made him startle, his musings interrupted with the next words of the man he had been analyzing.

"Get a move on. The sooner we finish this, the faster I am able to attend to a certain professor's arrest."

The bluenette frowned in confusion but she was unable to question the man's statement as the taller blonde rounded the corner and a high pitched exclamation reached their ears.

"Goldilocks!"

The reactions to Oma's childish voice varied greatly. Byakuya closed his fists, a twitch in his left eye showing his displeasure with the shorter man's presence. Tsumugi flinched, holding one of her arms as she turned her gaze downwards, trying to hide the turbulent thoughts in her head. And Makoto smiled nervously, preparing himself for the questioning they were about to perform.

"And Mr. Plensait as well! How is everyone's favorite knight doing?"

The 'knight' in question shuddered when his gaze made contact with starry purple eyes. He really didn't want to have another battle of wits with the purple haired man; once had been enough.

"I'm alright, thank you." He replied politely.

Luckily, the shorter man's gaze slipped off him and focused on the woman at his side. "I was wondering where you were. I thought for sure you had gotten arrested."

Before Tsumugi could respond, Oma was hit in the back of his head by a certain astronaut, making him cry out in pain and slip off the stack of boxes he had been sitting on.

"Watch it, you little–!" Momota growled right before his own ear was pinched by Akamatsu as she admonished him for being rude.

"So... what brings you here?" The blonde musician let the taller man go after a few seconds and held her hands with an innocent smile as she turned towards the newcomers.

"More like, 'why were we called back here'?" Oma smiled slyly, holding a finger to his lips and rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.

Makoto swallowed thickly though he was saved from answering by Byakuya stepping in front of him and proclaiming. "There has been some important progress in the investigation. As such, it has become imperative to revisit your alibis."

The lawyer stared at the taller man's back in contemplation. Byakuya hadn't mentioned the possible involvement of one of these people in the murder that took place. We're keeping that information a secret for now then. He concluded.

Oma demanded to know why exactly he was called back when he had already had his alibi cross-examined in court but went ignored.

"Who would like to go first?" The tall CEO asked, condescending superiority coating his words.

Tsumugi's friends looked between each other, none of them wanting to speak up. It was a few seconds later when Harukawa sighed, wanting to get the conversation over with. "As stated beforehand, Kaito and I helped set up various booths all morning. We stayed with the mock trial group from 10 AM onward, however."

"And what was your contribution to that group?" Byakuya asked with crossed arms.

The brunette narrowed her eyes but still responded. "I helped carry various props around and organize those that were going to be used as evidence. Later on, I was tasked with the safe-keeping of one of the outfits that was going to be used by the culprit."

Makoto nodded along with her words. From the various snippets of conversations he remembered, that seemed to check out with what Tsumugi and the brunette herself had claimed beforehand.

"And the rest of you?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow as he waited for the rest of the gathered people to respond.

Akamatsu looked around but realized no one else was willing to speak up so she took matters into her own hands. "I mentioned it before but one of the guys in the band playing on stage broke their arm that morning so I had to step in to play in their stead." When asked what the instrument she played was, her smile brightened. "It was the keyboard. Not as satisfying as a good ol' piano but close enough."

"Kaede here is the best pianist you'll ever meet, Ultimate level if you were to ask me." Momota put his arm around the blonde's shoulders and laughed.

A hissed "Kaito!" from Saihara made him blink in astonishment. The shorter man then took a hold of the man's astronaut jacket and yanked him backwards.

Byakuya and Makoto shared a glance of bewilderment. Ultimately though, they decided to ignore the altercation as they still needed to confirm everyone's alibis.

"Once you finished you went back to the mock trial group, correct?" The taller CEO asked.

"After visiting some booths, yeah. From there I focused on helping everyone with whatever they needed." Akamatsu responded with a smile.

"More like, ordered us around." Oma rolled his eyes from atop the stack of boxes he had climbed again while no one was paying him any mind.

"What was that?" The pianist turned towards the shorter man, who just huffed and crossed his arms.

"You are soooo bossy." Oma rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out. This prompted the blonde to walk towards his pile of boxes and start a childish argument with the shorter man while she attempted to climb the boxes to get to him.

Byakuya sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose though Makoto didn't know why. Those two kinda reminded him of him and Komaru...

Before either man could say anything, Momota turned towards the duo and stepped forward. "Right. It's my turn then." He looked down and held the back of his wrist against his chin. He didn't wait for a response before continuing. "I was with Maki-roll earlier in the day. Had a call to attend at around 11:30 but after that I stuck with this lot." He pointed at his gathered friend group with his thumb.

"And what exactly did you do during that time?" Makoto prompted.

The man closed his eyes in thought. "I helped Shuichi go over the script and we spent a good while discussing some stuff for the trial. When I came back from my call, I had to... uhh... check on everyone so... that's what I did!"

The lawyer frowned at the hesitation in the other man's voice. "So you can confirm everyone was accounted for at that time?"

"That's right!" Momota closed one of his eyes and gave a thumbs up. "From the moment I came back, everyone important was still there." At the affronted gasp from Oma and the raspberry Iruma blew, he reiterated. "I said important."

"Only Iruma and Oma left after noon then?" Makoto held a hand to his chin in thought.

The taller man nodded. "Correct." His brows then furrowed as he muttered. "No, wait. Now that I think about it," Momota closed his eyes and tilted his head downwards. One of his arms rested on his hip and the other scratched the back of his head. "Shuichi, you said you had to tend to something around that time, didn't you?"

Saihara startled and raised his right arm slightly. He kept it in that position as he answered. "I did. Though I went to the bathroom first."

"Ha!" Iruma's sharp laugh made everyone jump and Byakuya recoil in disgust as spit flew out of her mouth. "Are you sure that's all you did in there?"

"H-Hey! What are you implying?" Saihara raised his hands and waved them around in a panic.

"Wait, Miu, you're not saying that–?"

Akamatsu was cut off by the blonde inventor who pointed accusingly at the man with a cap. "How did you end up wearing your gloves backwards then? You sure you weren't jackin' it?"

Saihara's face turned red. "I-I just washed my hands! I didn't do... whatever you're implying!" He waved his arms angrily.

From atop his throne of boxes, Oma nodded rapidly and glared at Iruma. "Maybe washing your hands after going to the bathroom is something you should learn to do as well, you hag!"

Akamatsu, who had been nervously admonishing Iruma for her words, turned quickly towards the shorter purple haired man and shouted. "Kokichi!"

"I mean, I hate to agree with the gremlin but he's not wrong..." Momota trailed off when an unimpressed Harukawa shook her head in disappointment.

Byakuya's face was quite red and there were veins popping out of his forehead so Makoto decided he had to put a halt to the conversation lest he got too frustrated and end the questioning right then and there.

"Moving on..." He turned towards the Criminology student. "Where did you go after that?"

The taller man sighed. "Shortly after I stepped out of the bathroom, Miu found me and dragged me back to the others."

The woman laughed unapologetically. "C'mon Pooichi, you got a front row seat to these beasts." She stuck her chest out. "It was a better experience than whatever lame-ass thing you had going on."

The man whispered an objection though his words went ignored as Akamatsu stepped forward. "Let's calm down, okay? Why don't you say what you were doing Miu?" She asked, hoping to move the conversation away from Saihara's trip to the bathroom.

Iruma became flustered. She started playing with her hair as she stammered. "Umm... well... T-that's none of your business, flat-chest!"

Poor Byakuya had had enough. He stepped forward and glared at the rowdy inventor. "Failure to cooperate is equal to obstruction of law. Speak, now. Unless you wish to have another meeting with Detective Kirigiri."

His words made Iruma cower. Various apologies escaped from her lips as she avoided the taller man’s intense gaze and whimpered.

Makoto looked between the two blondes in surprise. What happened yesterday after he dragged her out of the classroom? Why is Iruma so scared to see Kyoko?

❮I'm quite intrigued as well.❯ The intangible blonde pondered over the lawyer's shoulder. ❮Why don't you misbehave too? See what sort of 'punishment' your dear detective gives you?❯ She winked.

Makoto shivered in disgust at the insinuation coating her words but stopped himself from glaring at her. He was about to ask her why she would say such a thing but realized there would be no point in doing so. She wasn't real after all, just a hallucination created to torment him.

Despite the hostility in the air, Momota remained unaffected as he moved his left hand under his chin and rubbed the back of his wrist against his chin.

"Jeez, Miu. Just tell the man. We all know you were at Idabashi's booth."

Tsumugi blinked and spoke up for the first time since they met with her friends. "How do you know that?"

The astronaut shrugged then proceeded to grin and hold his fists together. "He brought his newest project in, the robot. While walking back from my call, I saw Miu drooling as she walked somewhere. Wasn't hard to put two and two together."

The bluenette nodded in thought and muttered. "If she was drooling then she definitely went to see K1-B0. Otherwise she would have just blushed."

Iruma protested in the background but all Makoto could do was sweatdrop. They sure are quite a colorful bunch, huh?

Apparently fed up with the turn in the conversation, Harukawa leaned against a nearby tree and sighed. "Is there anything else you need? Or is this interrogation concluded?"

Makoto turned towards Byakuya with a questioning glance. The blonde finished pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation and put his glasses back on then sent him a familiar look, one that read 'go ahead if you have anything to say'. Giving a grateful nod back, the lawyer turned towards the rest of the group.

"Do you mind if I question you more about your actions during the festival? Individually?"

Suspicion shone in Harukawa's red eyes. She looked ready to object but the sudden appearance of Momota's arm around her shoulders startled her enough to turn her refusal to an exclamation. "Do you wanna die?!"

The purple haired man just smiled through the pain and held one arm to his gut where the brunette had punched him. He then raised his other arm and gave the lawyer a thumbs up. "Go ahead!"

"What for?" Iruma groaned as she rolled her eyes. It seemed she had recovered from whatever intense moment she had shared with Byakuya and was back to calling him nicknames. "The twink over there already asked us about our alibis!"

Speaking of, Byakuya frowned, though not at the word the inventor used to describe him but at her dismissal of the lawyer's wishes.

"Shut up, you ugly bitch!" Oma growled, causing Iruma to whimper. "The knight wants one-on-one action with everyone, why are you complaining?"

To Makoto's concern, the whimper turned into a moan. "Please don't call it that." He sighed. "I just need to confirm some things with everyone."

"W-Well, if you wanted to be a part of 'Miu's hot-as-shit harem', you just had to say it!" The blonde inventor's sudden burst of confidence disappeared with the icy glare Byakuya sent her. "I-I guess I can also join yours..."

"Not you too..." Oma groaned. "Jeez, how many suitors does one person need?" He drawled before addressing the bluenette at Makoto's side. "What, are you part of his 'harem' too?"

Tsumugi frowned softly as she held her left arm. "A love triangle is appealing enough. Introducing a love square would just complicate things to an unreasonable level."

"Yeah, I don't get it." The shorter man rolled his eyes. "Shumai is clearly better."

Saihara made a noise of surprise that the purple haired man ignored.

"Moving on... Akamatsu, a word?" Makoto asked the pianist that was patting the startled Criminology student in the back.

"Sure!" She smiled and, after giving one last reassuring pat, left her friend's side and followed Makoto a few ways away.

As soon as they were far enough away, the lawyer turned around and was ready to ask what Akamatsu was doing at the time of the murder when he caught sight of a tiptoeing man following them.

"Mr. Oma? What are you doing here?" He asked with a tilt of his head.

The shorter man smiled. "I figured that since everyone got to hear my alibi during court, it's only fair that I get to listen to theirs."

"But we didn't attend the trial." Akamatsu bemoaned.

Oma simply shrugged. "Your loss."

Makoto didn't have the energy to try to get the other man to turn around so with a resigned nod, he let him stay. Once Oma was situated in a nearby bench, he turned towards the blonde woman in front of him.

"If I remember correctly, you had been busy earlier in the day helping a band during their performance, correct?"

"That's right!" The blonde with musical note earrings nodded her head enthusiastically. "Their poor keyboard player broke their arm right before they were going to perform and needed a replacement last minute so I decided to help them out."

"That's very nice of you." Makoto complimented, earning a cheerful "Thanks!" from the blonde pianist.

The lawyer then held a hand to his chin and wondered out loud. "Out of curiosity, what was your role during the trial?"

The blonde woman raised her fists as she stated proudly. "I was in charge of Sound Design." Her brows furrowed as she proceeded to put her hands on her hips and close her eyes in thought. "I also had a second 'job', I guess. I was a stand-in for the defense attorney; just in case the guy who played that role didn't show up."

"And he didn't!" Oma pointed out from the back of the bench he was now precariously dangling from. "Good thing you were there, Kayayday. Otherwise, I would have been stuck arguing with thin air."

The sudden statement from the purple haired man reminded Makoto of something he had said beforehand.

"What exactly was your job when you were together in that group? Oma mentioned you 'bossed them around'?"

Akamatsu ignored the "I sure did!" from said man and crossed her arms. "Let's see... Maki and I organized the evidence that was going to be used, then I tried to get some string for Loth so she could repair Kokichi's cape." She tilted her head as she tried to remember what else she did that day. "When I failed, I gave her some from my vest and from there I just acted as the Lead Manager!"

Her smile tightened as Oma muttered. "See what I mean? We didn't need one but she just had to step in, didn't she?"

Makoto sighed and intervened before the shorter man could rile the pianist up. Quickly changing the topic, he commented on a certain item he noticed she had been carrying. "I can't help but notice you're carrying a backpack." He tilted his head in an attempt to seem slightly curious.

"I sure am!" Akamatsu smiled as she took the backpack off her shoulders and showed it to the lawyer in front of her. The design was rather simple, white with pink accents that complimented her pink attire.

"It looks well-used." Makoto noticed. "Were you carrying this backpack the day of the festival?"

"Yep! You never know when you need to carry stuff around. Also, it's the only one I own, so... no choice there." The blonde woman smiled sheepishly as she passed her hands through the various trinkets on it.

From the corner of his eye, Makoto noticed Oma nodding along the pianist's words. The shorter man then turned towards the lawyer and gave him a thumbs up.

Is he telling me she's being truthful? He didn't know what possessed the shorter man to help him but Makoto wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I rather have him as an ally than an enemy... again. He shuddered, thinking about their little confrontation during the trial.

"Was it needed that day?" He asked as the shorter purple haired man nodded in satisfaction.

"It was." Akamatsu nodded. "I used it to transport some of the props around. But they all ended up with pink strings on them since it also had my emergency change of clothes for if I was needed as the defense attorney. So I took some time to clean them."

And with that last statement, Makoto decided it was time to move on to the next person. If what Akamatsu was saying was true, which judging by the smirk Oma was sending him seemed to imply, she couldn't have sneaked items into or out of the crime scene without leaving evidence of her presence behind.

Plus, he was planning on confirming her alibi with the next person he called over. So with a smile, he thanked the pianist and asked her to call one of her friends for questioning.

"Nice job!" Oma complimented once they were alone. "One down, four to go!" He giggled.

It wasn't long before a certain brunette with red eyes approached the duo. "You called?" Harukawa stood straight as she looked the lawyer up and down with a narrowed gaze.

Makoto smiled nervously but remained friendly. "I just have a few questions to ask. I promise this'll be quick."

The woman frowned slightly but nodded. "What do you want to know?"

The shorter man closed his eyes for a moment. If the victim arrived after 10:30 in the morning and Harukawa joined the mock trial group at 10 AM, there's no point in asking her about that period of time before she met with her friends. I can skip straight to confirming Akamatsu's alibi.

"Akamatsu said you two were helping move things around. Can you confirm that?"

"That's right." Harukawa proceeded to repeat what the blonde pianist had said beforehand, which led him to believe the blonde had been truthful about her alibi.

❮That or they are in cahoots.❯ The phantom, who had been silent for a while, spoke up and soured Makoto's mood. ❮There is still the possibility of an accomplice, isn't there?❯

Makoto waved his hand around in a shooing motion as he sighed softly. Her words unfortunately stuck at the back of his mind as he became wary of such a possibility. "Did you stay together from that moment forward?"

"Some of us did." Harukawa answered, playing with one of her long twintails.

"Do you remember who?" The woman's red eyes flashed with a mix of worry and frustration at the lawyer's question.

"Why do you wish to know?" She whispered threateningly as Oma taunted in the background. "Oh~ You made her angry.~"

Makoto held his hands up in the universal sign of surrender. "As Mr. Togami stated beforehand, there has been some advancements in the investigation and we need to know where everyone was in between the start of the festival and the discovery of the murder." He answered honestly though obviously omitting some important tidbits of information.

Harukawa's eyes narrowed as she mulled his words in her mind.

"Kaede and I stayed by the stage until the murder announcement, everyone else came and went. Though I'm pretty sure Loth stayed as well, I remember seeing her hiding behind the prosecution's podium as she fiddled with a piece of clothing."

Makoto's eyes widened slightly. It seemed Harukawa's testimony could have been useful in confirming Tsumugi's alibi. I wish she had been called to the stand or at least interrogated properly. The man mourned. Tsumugi could have been exonerated earlier.

At least her statement helped in quelling that suspicion in his mind. If the two women had been working together, there would have been no reason for the brunette to mention Tsumugi's whereabouts. The culprit had attempted to frame her, after all, by using her limited edition bag and had no reason to vouch for the bluenette.

With less suspicion in his mind, he decided to change the topic of conversation. "If I remember correctly, you were tasked with guarding one of the costumes for the trial, correct?"

The brunette agreed. "The one for the culprit, yes."

"Who was going to wear that?" Makoto inquired, curious.

"That was going to be me." She exhaled deeply and proceeded to fiddle with her hair as an embarrassed expression appeared on her face.

Something about her body language reminded Makoto of Kyoko. Knowing how the detective got when flustered, he decided not to risk somehow making Harukawa angry and make her shut off by asking for more details.

Instead, he pointed out. "Speaking of, you said 'outfits' earlier, implying there were more than one. Do you remember how many there were?"

"She didn't tell you?" Harukawa narrowed her eyes as she moved her gaze to the group they had stepped away from and focused on a certain bluenette. Once Makoto shook his head, she opened her mouth to respond to his earlier question but didn't get the opportunity to do so, as Oma suddenly piped in.

"Oh, I know this one!"

The shorter man ignored the red eyed glare that the startled Harukawa sent him.

"What is it, Mr. Oma?" Makoto sighed as he motioned for the purple haired man to lower his hand as he waited for permission to speak like he was in a classroom.

"There were two for the witnesses, one for the culprit and one for the detective. Then there was mine for the super cool prosecutor!" He exclaimed with stars in his eyes.

"Wait, I thought your outfit was made by someone else." The lawyer tilted his head in confusion.

"Eh, I had one of my henchmen make it for me." Was the dismissive answer. Makoto had no chance to question what the other man meant by 'henchmen' before Oma continued. "But I still told Plain Princess to make me a hat and cape." He shrugged. "What kind of evil Supreme Leader would I be if I didn't support the local businesses?"

With that last statement, Makoto decided he didn't have the mental energy to figure out what the shorter man was saying. He sighed and smiled at the brown haired woman, recognizing that both her and Akamatsu didn't seem to have any involvement in the crime that took place. "Thank you, Ms. Harukawa. I appreciate your cooperation."

The taller woman nodded and turned around, heading towards her friends as she ignored Oma shouting at her retreating figure.

"Bye Maki! Thanks for your help!" The shorter man snickered as he yelled. "Tell your dumb mutt of a crush to get over here!"

In a split second, the brunette had somehow teleported back and was holding Oma by the scruff of his neck. "What did you say?" She hissed. "Do you wanna die?"

Makoto ignored the pink that adorned her face and focused on more important matters. Like the fact she looked ready to choke the shorter man. "Ms. Harukawa, please let him go." He gingerly approached the duo but kept a safe distance away, the distant memory of an enraged Biker Gang Leader turning his ire towards him and knocking him out fresh in his mind.

The woman's red eyes darkened but, after a few tense seconds, dropped Oma to the ground and walked away.

Despite the pain in his expression and the way he rubbed at his tailbone, the man still laughed. "Did you see her face? She tooootally likes him."

Makoto sighed and approached the fallen man now that there was no active threat in the area. "Please be more mindful of your words, otherwise I'll send you back to the group."

"Nooooo…" Oma whined as soon as he stood back up. "I promise I'll be good, see?" He mimicked closing his lips with a zipper and throwing the key away though Makoto noticed the swipe of hand he made that represented he actually kept the imaginary key.

He didn’t plan on calling him out but it’s not like he could have as their attention was caught by Momota's sudden exclamation.

"So! You wanna know what I did prior to meeting with everyone?" The tall purple haired man wasted no time in asking as soon as he was within hearing range. He proceeded to raise his arms and hold his fists together with a grin.

"Not really." Makoto answered sheepishly as he left Oma's side and approached the astronaut. "I want to focus more on what you did when you were with the group."

Momota's body tensed slightly. "Alright. Well, I helped carry stuff around, look through some notes… I provided help to anyone who needed assistance from the Luminary of the Stars!"

Makoto ignored Oma rolling his eyes and decided to get straight to the point. "Then you left for that call, correct?" He waited for the other man to agree before continuing. "After that you went back with the others. Can I ask what you did then?"

The taller man blinked rapidly before shrugging. "Just continued to do the same thing. I talked with everyone and made sure everything was in order for the trial."

Figuring it was a good enough segue, the lawyer drawled. "Speaking of, Harukawa said she was tasked with looking after the outfit for the culprit."

"That checks out. Maki-roll's really trustworthy so it's no wonder Loth asked her for help." The man smiled and gave a thumbs up. Did he not know that outfit was Harukawa's?

Makoto decided that wasn't important enough to question. He narrowed his eyes in preparation for the man's reaction to his following words. "She also told me you were in charge of the costumes for the witnesses."

It seems the scrutiny wasn't needed as Momota's eyes widened and his face paled. "M-Maki said that?"

The lawyer shook his head. "No, Loth did. Curiously enough, however, those costumes went missing after the murder."

"H-Hold on! They aren't missing!" The astronaut attempted to protest but the unimpressed look from the shorter man made him deflate. "I-I mean... She asked about them after the murder. That's what you're referring to, right?"

"That's right." Makoto confirmed his assumption. "Why didn't you give them back then?" He tilted his head as a soft frown adorned his face.

Momota closed his eyes and looked downwards. He brought a hand up towards the back of his head and started scratching his hair as sweat dropped from his forehead. "I swear it wasn't... I mean..." The man sighed in frustration. He grimaced and opened his eyes to stare at the shorter lawyer in front of him. "I'll tell you what happened but you can't tell Loth, alright?" He fidgeted nervously.

Makoto bit his lower lip in concern. Why was Momota looking so worried? "I won't tell her. Please tell me what happened."

The astronaut deflated as he sighed. "I may have... lost the outfits she made."

"You what?" Makoto breathed out, horrified. There were no words to describe how horrifying it was to lose one of Tsumugi's cosplay pieces.

"I know!" Momota hissed as he looked over his shoulder, presumably looking at the bluenette to verify she hadn't heard them somehow.

So scared imagining the reaction she was going to have when she found out, the duo forgot there was another person in the vicinity.

"Oohhh~ Kaito's in trouble~" Oma sang as he cupped his mouth. "I am soooo telling."

Purple eyes widened as their owner's face paled. "Don't you dare–"

The shorter man tilted his head downwards, a large shadow covered the top half of his face as he did another one of his terrifying faces. "What are you going to do, Kaito? How are you going to stop me from letting our resident plain weirdo know what you did?"

The taller man rubbed his chin with the back of his wrist nervously. "Tch. You conniving little... Fine. Name your price."

Makoto wanted to intervene in the blackmail that was taking place in front of him but the idea of Tsumugi's reaction kept him in place. The bluenette rarely got angry, she was just a calm individual by nature, but on the rare occasion that she did...

He shook his head to rid himself of the memories. He had made the mistake once of stepping on her limited edition Steel Samurai keychain and had paid the price dearly. Makoto didn't want a repeat of that incident, thank you very much.

As soon as the lawyer ended his ruminations, he caught the end of the conversation between the two people in front of him.

"Tell Mr. Plensait what the costumes looked like.”

Chapter Text

Makoto blinked in confusion at Oma's words. Why is he requesting that? What is he trying to show me?

"S-Seriously? That's your price?" Momota looked at Oma weirdly.

The shorter man smiled with closed eyes. "Well, you could also help me convince Shuichi to become my second in command." The astronaut scrunched up his nose at that suggestion. "Or... There's this huge order of Panta that the university ordered for the vending machines; it sounds like a good prize for a heist, don't you think?"

"I'm not helping you do something illegal!" Momota shook his head with a growl. "I'll do the first one." He turned towards the shorter lawyer, rolling his eyes at Oma's mocking “That's a good boy!” and opened his mouth to explain.

"So... There were two different costumes. They were going to be used by the same person: one of our friends, his name is Rantaro. Things happened and he agreed to fill in for the roles of the witnesses at the last minute. The guy was super busy so he was going to arrive shortly before the trial started. In the meantime, I was holding onto the costumes."

Both lawyer and astronaut ignored the "I'm pretty sure he also got lost" from Oma.

"He was going to wear both costumes?" Makoto questioned. "Why?"

Momota groaned. "The people who were going to wear them backed out at the last minute so we had to scramble to find replacements. Since the guy has an impressive memory and we had no more time, Shuichi and I spent a bit of time rewriting the script so the witnesses were twins and Rantaro could show up twice in the witness stand without the audience getting confused."

The lawyer nodded thoughtfully. That's great quick thinking. "And what did the costumes look like?"

The astronaut hesitated for a second and locked eyes with the purple haired man sporting a sly smirk and narrowed gaze. Momota shivered as he answered reluctantly. "There were two sets. The first one was this combo of blazer and black jeans with a white shirt; we wanted to give the witness this feel of... casual professionalism, you know?"

"I... Is that a thing?" Makoto gritted out at the familiarity of the clothes he was describing.

The astronaut shrugged. "Probably. I don't know, Kaede seemed to think so."

"And the other costume? Come on, Kaito, we don't have time to waste here." Oma blew a raspberry.

"I'm getting to that." The man grumbled. "Stupid gremlin." He cleared his throat and raised his voice. With a smile, he stated. "The other one was this sports getup with a red shirt, black shorts and this cool-looking green hoodie with red details."

Makoto closed his eyes as he processed the information. "It had an image of a red gas mask on the back of the hood, right?"

Momota nodded rapidly. "Yeah! It looked cool, didn't it?" His smile slipped off as he tilted his head slightly and looked at the lawyer in confusion. "Wait, how did you know that–?"

"Good job, Kaito! It seems you can teach an old dumb mutt new tricks." Oma laughed as the astronaut's face turned red with frustration. The taller man’s focus shifted towards the Sociology student, his narrowed lilac gaze and clenched fists clearly showing he was two seconds away from punching him. Before he could act on his violent impulse, Oma waved his hand and chastised him. "You're hogging the line, I'm sure Mr. Knight would like to talk to everyone else so just tell him how you failed miserably at your job."

The taller man grunted and turned away from the shorter man in white. "Whatever." Knowing that the gremlin was right in that he had spent too much time with this questioning, he stated. "When I finished my call and noticed that the clothes weren't in the bag, I tried to leave to look for them. It's why I paid close attention to everyone, I had to make sure none of them asked me why I tried to leave." He sighed.

"How did you not notice them missing beforehand?" Makoto asked slowly, doing his trusty strategy of untangling the new information he gained for later.

The astronaut sighed. "They were in this weird-looking bag that we bought at one of Loth's conventions. She entrusted me with them a few days ago but I never opened the bag because I assumed the costumes were in there. But since Shuichi wasn't around and Rantaro was bound to arrive soon, I decided to check on them and realized the bag was empty, so..."

"How was it empty?" Makoto muttered in confusion. "You finished your call at around noon, right? At that point it should have been..."

Momota didn't have a chance to answer the lawyer because Oma tutted from his new place on a bench's backrest. "Silly Kaito, did you accidentally bring the wrong bag on the day of the festival?"

"I'm not an idiot!" The taller man retorted, much to the purple haired man's amusement. "Seriously, I only ever touched that bag! Mine is kept at the bottom of my closet, there's no way I would have confused the two!"

"Then what about when Plain Princess gave you the bag a few days ago? Did you take the wrong one home?"

Momota rolled his eyes. "Nice try, you little menace. If I had taken the wrong one then surely one of you guys would have spoken up."

Hazel eyes widened as Makoto took a step closer to the taller man. "H-Hold on a minute. What do you mean by that?"

Oma decided to respond in the other man's stead. He inspected his nails with one hand and waved his other one dismissively. "Oh yeah, that day we all brought our limited edition anime bags. Kayayday wanted to take a group photo or something, so, since Plain Princess was bringing her ugly bag, Kayayday convinced everyone to bring their own. I've never seen Kaito look dumber!"

Momota and Oma's consecutive argument went ignored by the lawyer as he processed the Sociology student's words. The picture was becoming clearer and he didn't like what it was revealing.

"Thank you for your honesty, Mr. Momota." He stated distractedly. "Can you please call Mr. Saihara? I have a few questions to ask him."

The taller man glared at his friend for a few more seconds before he turned to the lawyer and nodded. "Sure. Though just to be clear, you are not going to tell..."

The man trailed off but Makoto knew what he was going to say. He gave the other man a strained smile and promised. "I won't tell her anything." But Tsumugi already knows they were used in the crime. It won’t be long before she finds out he lost the rest of the pieces of the costumes. And when that time comes… She will not be happy.

Momota's shoulders relaxed as he thanked the man. He gave one last warning glare directed at his shorter purple haired friend before he went back to the group.

Makoto put his head in his hands and sighed when Oma turned his attention towards him and started teasing him for the way in which he needed to step in to help him gather the astronaut's testimony.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before the shorter man cut himself off as he caught sight of a certain Criminology student approaching the duo.

"Shumai! Over here!" He grinned as he waved his arm in an exaggerated manner.

The taller man adjusted his cap and, once he was close enough, muttered nervously. "K-Keep it down, Kokichi. Let the people investigate in peace."

"What people?" Oma rolled his eyes, ignoring the various investigators working in the background. "Jeez, Shuichi. There's no one around. And even if they were, they would totally ignore us. My super secret special Supreme Leader powers can make us invisible, you know?"

"You're still on that?" Saihara sighed then turned towards the lawyer that had requested his presence. "So, uhh... What did you need me for, Mr...?"

Makoto shook his head and lowered his hands then laughed nervously. "Right, thank you for coming." He moved his hand to greet the other man, dismissing the other's hesitation as nerves and smiling when they performed a handshake.

"Hey, no fair! Why does only Shuichi get a handshake with the super cool knight?" Oma whined as he approached the duo.

Saihara looked bewildered at that revelation but Makoto's focus was on the shorter purple haired man. "Did you want one as well?" He offered, raising his hand slightly.

Oma blew a raspberry. "Uh, no! We're not on that level yet. Take me to dinner first and then I'll consider hand holding."

Makoto froze as he tried to comprehend the purple haired man's words. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply as the phantom teased him for being a 'harem protagonist'.

As soon as he recovered, he tuned into the conversation between the two other people and caught the end of Saihara's reprimand and the beginning of Oma's childish retort.

"Right. Let's not waste any time." He clapped, silencing the duo and making two pairs of eyes turn towards him. "Mr. Saihara, as you may know, Mr. Oma here was called in as a witness during the trial." He waited for the taller man to nod before continuing. "During his cross-examination, he said some peculiar things that I want you to elaborate on..."

"It turns out I brought the wrong poison so I had to go back and get the correct one! Shuichi was considerate enough that he tried to stop me from going back but I have to work hard if I want to steal his heart, so I went anyway!"

"Anyway, as I was saying, dear Shuichi noticed my mistake too late. He said he was just going to redo the script so I didn't have to go back but I went anyway."

"... The poor guy was too exhausted from running around, he couldn't have caught me if he tried! […] And he also had that call to attend to anyway."

As soon as Makoto finished recounting the Sociology student’s testimony, Saihara's eyes widened. "You said what?!" The dark haired man sharply turned towards Oma, who only smiled at him innocently.

When questioned what really happened, the Criminology student shook his head. "I... He laughed and said that it was my problem now. Then he went to bother Kirumi again."

So the part about Oma leaving the group for the second time was real. He just didn't go back to the Criminology Department. If that was the true sequence of events, however, there was a small detail that the lawyer wanted clarification on.

"Oma mentioned a call that you had to attend to. Was that part also real or made up?"

The two ignored the purple haired man in question spluttering in the background, crying at how 'no one ever believed him'.

Saihara fiddled with his cap and turned his gaze to the side as he let out a shuddering breath. "B-Both? The call was earlier in the day, it was just my... uncle. He's a detective and he's been asking me to join his Agency for a while..."

Taking note of the man's defensive posture, Makoto figured it was a sensitive topic. "So that second time, there was no call?" He asked instead.

The taller man shook his head. "I just needed to clear my head a bit. I looked through some booths for a while before heading to the bathroom. After that, I was planning on visiting some of my other friends at other booths. But then Miu found me and... well..."

The shorter man nodded in thought. "Just to confirm, at what time did those events take place?"

Saihara hesitated for a second before responding. "The call was around... 11 in the morning, if I had to guess. As for the other thing... half past noon?"

Makoto nodded thoughtfully as he took out the map of the campus he had been holding onto. "Where did Iruma find you exactly?"

The Criminology student blinked as he tried to figure out where the lawyer had procured the map from but ultimately decided it was not worth asking. Instead, he stepped closer to the shorter man and looked at the map, flustered. Once he found what he was looking for, he pointed to a shape that Makoto guessed was meant to represent a building.

"This is the Sociology Department. It's a bit far from the main road but if you get to the Criminology Department, there's a slightly hidden path that connects the two." He traced a line between the two squares that were meant to represent the Departments, which were surrounded by green. "Not many people know about it, but..."

"That's a bit far, were there no other restrooms available nearby?" Makoto frowned as he noticed the distance between the stage where the mock trial was going to take place and the building Saihara visited.

The man shrugged as he fiddled with his cap and the embarrassed blush on his cheeks darkened. "I just walked around for a while, lost in thought. I didn't notice where I was going."

"I see..." Makoto muttered before sighing softly. Deciding that he had a good enough picture of what happened the second time Oma split from the group and Saihara's actions during that day, the lawyer thanked the Criminology student and turned his gaze towards the rest of the group in the distance.

His forlorn sigh caught Oma's attention. "I don't blame you, I don't like dealing with that pervert either."

Makoto shook his head. "I don't mind talking to Iruma but..." Memories of the last time he tried to interrogate the inventor entered his mind. Should I ask Byakuya to accompany me? So he can keep her in line? The lawyer mused on the idea for a few moments before dismissing it. The last time, he lost his temper. And with Oma also here... it's better if he stays with the rest of the group.

"Alright, I guess I'll go get Miu then." Saihara muttered then turned around and headed towards his friend, fiddling with his cap the entire way back.

"We have a few seconds until she arrives." Oma scrunched up his nose and clicked his tongue as he held his arms behind his head. "Prepare yourself." He said in a sing-song voice though Makoto noticed his tone was off, it seemed almost... disgusted?

He didn’t have enough time to figure out what was wrong with the shorter man as the loud recognizable voice of one Miu Iruma reached his ears. "So, save the best for last, huh?" Makoto exhaled through his nose as he did his best not to react to her presence. "Not gonna lie, I was kinda disappointed you didn't want to 'meet' with me first. It feels like I'm getting the sloppy remains of the others!"

The young lawyer sighed internally and smiled politely. "I don't know what you mean by 'sloppy remains'. I just asked your friends some questions and sent them on their way."

"That's it? Really?" Iruma groaned. "And here I was thinking you were doing a jerk off session." She blew a raspberry and crossed her arms. "Whatever, loser. If that lame shit was all you were doing, let's get this over with.”

Makoto hesitated for a second as he ignored her words and debated what he was going to ask her first. In the meantime, it seemed Oma was already fed up with the blonde's attitude as he rolled his eyes and exclaimed. "Ugh, shut up, you pig! I was having such a lovely time hanging out with Mr. Knight here and you just had to ruin it."

"What did you just say, you little shit?" The blonde woman held a hand to her hip and another across her throat as she glared at the shorter man.

"You heard me!" He stuck his tongue out and stepped forward. His face darkened as he uttered threateningly. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you, got it? Shuichi had to be dismissed in order for you to get here and my mood has soured significantly. You will cooperate with the lawyer or else." The purple haired man’s serious tone of voice startled Iruma and made her cower.

Makoto looked at the duo with concern. What's with the sudden change in attitude? Oma was acting normal a few moments ago and now... Did Saihara's departure really affect him that much?

That couldn't be it, could it? The man could have left at any point he wanted but he decided to stick around and help Makoto who, despite his better judgement, felt thankful for his assistance and concerned at his unusual attitude.

Good thing Komaru isn't here. He reflected. She is already jealous about Tsumugi helping me. She might get jealous of Oma's assistance as well.

"Ms. Iruma," He spoke up, trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere by acting as a mediator. Again. "Perhaps you can answer a few questions so you can go back to your friends?"

The blonde took a step away from the shorter man with a threatening aura and nodded, relief filling her features before they were masked behind fake confidence. "Y-Yeah, that sounds good, shrimp. What do you wanna know?" She tried to smirk but it came out as more of a grimace as she trembled under an intense purple glare.

Makoto let Oma be for the moment, trusting that he would calm down the more Iruma cooperated. "First of all, you were caught going to visit this 'K1-B0'. Can you elaborate on that?"

The taller woman's nervous posture suddenly straightened as she proceeded to tell the lawyer all about the robot she had taken an interest in. And though Makoto had been genuinely curious at first, the enthusiasm the woman had infected him with died little by little the more she rambled and the conversation turned towards less than desirable topics.

And by undesirable, he meant sexual in nature, sadly. There was so much his brain could take when two blondes, one real and one hallucination, kept cackling in his ears.

"... I thought it would be a good upgrade." Iruma shrugged as she finished her spiel. She then proceeded to glare at a random spot in the distance with frustration. "But that lame Dickabashi just told me that my ideas are stupid. Can you believe that guy?"

"I'm sure he didn't mean to insult your... innovative concept." Makoto answered neutrally. When he noticed Iruma about to retort, he added hastily. "Why don't you make your own robot, then? Instead of trying to convince Idabashi, just create the robot you want and add all those features you told me about."

The sharp grin the blonde sent him made Makoto both happy that he was able to provide the validation she was seeking and scared at what he may have unleashed on the world.

❮I'm sure whatever robot she'll be working on can be tweaked to spread Despair. A machine with that many secret compartments has so much potential! Think of how many knives you could hide in it!❯

That's not the true purpose for the thing she's planning to make. Makoto's smile tightened as he waved his hand dismissively in the phantom's direction. He debated whether to add a 'fortunately' to that statement but he didn't want to dwell on Iruma's robotic plans any longer than he had to.

"You know what? That's not a bad idea, tweedle-dork!" She ignored the deflated look the lawyer sent her upon hearing his new nickname. "Ugh, I really wish I could claim you as my assistant but that detective would find out and I don't wanna deal with her again."

Hazel eyes blinked in confusion as their owner tilted his head. Makoto didn't have a chance to question what Kyoko had told Iruma as Oma seemed to recover from his weird attitude shift.

"That's all good and well." He drawled, unconcerned at how he butchered that saying. "But you went to see Kiibo and bumped into Shuichi, didn't you?"

That's right. Makoto held a hand to his chin as he recognized what Oma had inadvertently reminded him of. "What were you doing all the way over at the Sociology Department?"

"Can't a lady have some private time once in a while?" Iruma answered nervously. When neither of her companions deigned to give her an interesting response she could make fun of, she groaned and amended. "Fine! I was just curious what new upgrades Kiibo got since the last time I saw him but Idabashit apparently hired some security to guard him and those losers chased me away. It took me around an hour to lose them in that secret path by that stupid department. There, that's the story, happy?"

"Finally." Oma whispered as Makoto nodded. "Thank you for telling us."

The woman with goggles rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Is that it? Or can I go back to doing more important shit?"

"You're Miu. You literally have nothing to do with your life." The Sociology student crossed his arms and stuck up his nose, unaware or simply uncaring of how rude his comment was. "Stop pretending you actually have things to do."

"Excuse you!" Iruma glared at the shorter man and leaned forward. "Unlike the waste of space in front of me, my very being is actually important to society. Just you wait, I will make the greatest invention of all one day and be recognized by the whole fucking world!"

"Knowing you it will just be some lame sexual thing." The purple haired man answered, bored. He turned away from the annoyed blonde and addressed the lawyer that had been scratching his head in confusion at their exchange. "Can we go now? That's all we needed from this bitch, right?"

"H-Hey, you don't get to dismiss me like that! I am Miu fucking Iruma, you gremlin!"

Makoto now understood why Byakuya seemed to get a headache earlier. Dealing with this duo was exhausting. Regardless, he had reached the end of his questioning and wanted to end the investigation.

"Is there something you need, Ms. Iruma?" He asked tiredly.

"Uh, duh! Some fucking respect would be nice!" The inventor pointed at the lawyer's chest with one hand and held a fist to her own with her other hand. When Makoto asked her to elaborate, she looked away with a frown. "Tch. You could at least thank me properly for the help I just gave you!" She cackled, pointing towards the ground.

Makoto followed where she was pointing and sighed internally. She's one of those people, huh? Thankfully, he had no dignity to begin with and plenty of experience dealing with people like her thanks to Syo and various witnesses over the years.

Oma's insulting nicknames directed at the inventor reached his ears, prompting the lawyer to act lest the shorter man start another fight and waste their time.

He looked at the ground apprehensively and braced himself before kneeling. He ignored the flabbergasted looks the younger people sent him and bowed his head. "Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Iruma." Makoto maintained the pose for a few more seconds before lifting his head once again.

"Y-You actually..." Iruma blushed as she fiddled with her hair. "I-I mean… D-Don't mention it!" She exclaimed, flustered, not used to people actually complying with her wild wishes.

Makoto was about to suggest the trio go back to the group to declare the end of his investigation when his bad luck suddenly reared its ugly head.

Byakuya and Tsumugi had been heading in his direction, presumably to ask him how his interrogation had been going, when the CEO suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the scene they had come across.

In the split second before he spoke, Makoto realized the picture he would be presented with and paled. A flustered Iruma next to a kneeling Makoto and an amused Oma in the background, what a sight.

He sent a mental apology the inventor's way, for he didn't know how Byakuya was going to react but judging by the red that had crept on his face, he knew a target had just been put on Iruma's back.

"Are you done?" The taller blonde spat, making the lawyer wince.

"Y-Yeah, all good!" Makoto quickly stood up and stepped away from the blonde inventor and raised his hands. "We were just about to head back."

Byakuya huffed as he stepped forward. He grabbed Makoto's wrist and dragged him back to the group of Tsumugi's friends mingling around the stack of boxes Oma had been sitting on earlier in the day. "Let's go then."

The duo passed a confused Tsumugi, who sent the shorter man a reassuring smile and a shrug that read 'You're on your own' before she turned back to her friends and started asking Iruma some questions.

The conversation that the rest of the group was in the middle of halted. They watched curiously as the lawyer they had spoken to individually was dragged back by the blonde who had left a few moments prior.

Akamatsu was ready to question the shift in attitude from the duo. Before she could, however, they were saved from the awkwardness that conversation would have entailed by Oma, who loudly announced his presence.

"Shumai, I'm back!"

The Criminology student muttered "Great..." right before the group's attention was caught by another person in their friend group arriving ostentatiously.

"What's up, virgins? Missed me?" Iruma cackled, no longer flustered and back to her usual boisterous personality though noticeably avoiding eye contact with the lawyer and CEO.

"You were gone for literally two minutes." Momota sighed, his mutter too low for the inventor to hear.

Byakuya leaned over Makoto as he tightened his grip on the shorter man’s wrist, making him shiver at the proximity. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Hazel eyes closed as their owner turned away and analyzed the information he was given by Tsumugi's friend group. He bit his lower lip and nodded. "Yeah, I did. Thank you for letting me tag along."

To his relief, Byakuya stepped away with a nod then turned to the gathered group and cleared his throat.

"On behalf of the investigation team, I thank you for the valuable information you have provided. The prosecutor in charge will be here shortly to dismiss you."

The lawyer ignored Iruma's disgruntled "Ugh, another one?! They better be hot!" and smiled at the group. He dismissed Byakuya's growl and the inventor's subsequent shriek and bowed his head.

"We must take our leave now, thank you all for your help."

Makoto received various friendly dismissals in return. Right as he turned towards Tsumugi to ask her if she wanted to go over the information they had gathered, hoping she didn't just stand around while Makoto was conversing with her friends, a high pitched voice called for their attention.

"Ah, before you guys go!" Oma suddenly spoke out, silencing the idle chatter and making every person in the area look in his direction. "I would like a final word with Mr. Knight if it's not too much trouble." He smirked, holding a finger over his lips.

Makoto hesitated and shared glances with an intrigued Tsumugi and an irritable Byakuya before asking. "What for?"

"Well, you never got to ask me about my alibi, I'm sure you are reeeaaally curious to know what I was doing the day of the festival." The Sociology student answered with a thumbs up and a cheeky smile.

"You already gave your testimony in court, though." Tsumugi frowned softly as she repeated the words her shorter friend had uttered earlier on, causing Oma to roll his eyes.

"Duh. I know that." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "Still, there are some things you guys didn't get to hear! And since it seems this is the last time I will get to hang out with Mr. Plensait, I figured I'll give him a parting gift and help him out in his investigation. Aren't I so nice?"

"Yeah right." Iruma snorted and muttered under her breath.

Makoto scratched his cheek as he considered Oma's words. The man had been extremely uncooperative during the trial, refusing to answer questions and lying every time he was able to get away with it. If Byakuya were in his shoes, he would surely decline the other man's wish and leave the premises with no qualms.

On the other hand, he had been nothing but helpful during the questioning, letting him know when his friends were being truthful and convincing Momota and Iruma to expand on their testimonies. If Kyoko were here then she would surely agree that gaining as much information as possible from the other man, even if it were miniscule or another lie, was more beneficial than simply dismissing him.

The lawyer pondered what his next course of action was going to be for a few moments before making his decision. He nodded and smiled. "Alright, but please make it quick."

"Of course, of course." The shorter man headed towards the lawyer but seemed to trip over thin air. As he started to fall, he thrust out his hand and grabbed a hold of one of the boxes in the pile he had previously climbed and accidentally knocked it over.

"Oops! Silly me." Oma laughed as soon as he righted himself. "Shumai, can you pick that up please?" He smiled and sent Saihara a thumbs-up.

"Why me?" The Criminology student sighed as he bent down to collect the items that fell from said box. "And stop calling me that!"

The purple haired man's sudden declaration of love was drowned out by Iruma's sharp laugh. "You really asked noodle-arms here to pick that up? Look at him! The perv's struggling!"

"I'm not a pervert!" The man with a cap cried out, his face turning red. Though whether that was due to embarrassment or the fact that he was actually having a hard time picking up the contents of the box was anyone's guess.

"Don't worry, Shuichi. As my sidekick, you can ask for help any time!" Momota approached the shorter man, helping him pick up the various props scattered around the grass.

"Your physical strength may be lacking but you are strong in other ways." Akamatsu giggled as she helped the duo.

Saihara's face turned a darker shade of red at his friends' comments.

"Thank you, Shuichi! You are so helpful!" Oma smiled, ignoring the "Hey, we helped too!" from Momota as he turned around and grabbed Makoto by the arm.

"Anyway, Mr. Knight. Let's have that talk!"

The lawyer chuckled nervously as he let himself get led away from the group, sending a parting wave at his friend and assistant, who huffed at his gesture and sent one back, respectively.

Oma led them to a familiar spot, one Makoto recognized from the photo Byakuya had shown during the trial recess. The purple haired man let go of his arm and ducked under the yellow tape surrounding the bench where the limited edition bag had been discovered. He then sat down on it and swung his legs in the air with a smile.

"So that was fun!" He laughed.

"The... questioning?" Makoto asked hesitantly with a tilt of his head.

"Yup!" Oma closed his eyes and tilted his head backwards. "I hadn't enjoyed myself so much in a while. We should do that again!"

The lawyer let out a nervous chuckle as he raised his hand to scratch his cheek. "If it's not too much trouble, perhaps we can discuss the information you were going to give me? I'm sorry but I really can't spend too much time here."

The shorter purple haired man nodded and waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, about that, I got nothing. That was a lie."

Hazel eyes widened as their owner froze for a few seconds. Did I fall for that again? He lamented as the phantom started teasing him. "In that case, I should probably go back, I need to prepare for tomorrow's trial." He muttered dejectedly.

Right as he turned around, Makoto's wrist was unexpectedly grabbed by the younger man. The lawyer rapidly turned around and was about to question him but didn't get the chance to.

Oma smiled as he released his wrist, his purple eyes shined with an unknown emotion as he slowly leaned back once again. "Hey, this place seems familiar, doesn't it?"

The taller man frowned as he looked around. "It's... the same as every other green area we've been in, Mr. Oma. I really should–"

The purple haired man sighed disappointedly. "Silly knight, I'm not talking about the surroundings, I'm talking about the location."

Makoto bit his lower lip as he surveyed the area. He knew he should have stopped catering to the man's whim and left but his friendly nature and the intrigue of what the conversation could possibly lead to kept him in place.

"I'll give you a hint. Why don't you take out your map? The one you showed Shumai?"

The lawyer did as told after a second of hesitation; he had claimed to trust Oma earlier so the least he could do is prove it, even if it was just to himself. Once he had the map in his hands, he displayed it on the bench the other man was sitting on.

The Sociology student smirked as he scooted over to make space and stared at Makoto, hoping he would understand where this game of theirs led.

Said man moved his gaze between his surroundings and the map, trying to pinpoint where exactly they were. He was about to start walking around to see if there were any landmarks when he suddenly realized.

Back at the Defendant Lobby, Byakuya had shown him the picture of the bench Oma was sitting on at the request of Komaru. Prior to that, however, he was asked to point out where in the map the bag was found.

Locating the area in the map, he confirmed it was the same place he was standing on. However, it wasn't the only time someone had pointed out this specific location.

"Saihara mentioned a slightly hidden path that connected the Criminology and the Sociology Department." He muttered in revelation.

"That's correct!" Oma thrust his hands upwards in celebration. "You got it!"

Makoto stepped back from the bench and held the map in his hands. Now knowing what to look for, he paid close attention to the greenery surrounding them and, sure enough, there it was. A stone path overrun by greenery, barely noticeable and easily ignored unless you knew what to look for.

He hesitated as he folded the map and pocketed it once again. "If the bag was found here and this connects to the Sociology Department then... those testimonies..."

An exhausted sigh left Oma's lips, interrupting the lawyer's musings. Makoto turned towards the shorter man and froze at the serious expression he now sported. "You get it now, right? You know who it is."

Makoto blinked as he processed the man's sudden change in attitude. "Excuse me?"

Oma hummed. He turned his head away as he picked at the plants surrounding the bench he was sitting on. "The one who framed Plain Princess. You've figured it out."

The lawyer stood silent. Do I? He held a hand to his chin and closed his eyes in contemplation. Oma seemed to believe that the information he had gathered was enough to find who had tried to frame Tsumugi. He replayed each testimony in his mind and focused on trying to find any slip up, any hint that could blow the lid off of this case. Finally, after a few moments, he nodded as he arrived at the conclusion that "Yes. I think I have."

He opened his hazel eyes and stared at the shorter man, willing to cooperate with Oma as the other man did with him. He liked to believe the shorter man had helped him in order to expose the truth, regardless of his feelings on the person Makoto believed to be involved in the crime.

"Good." The shorter man nodded, his voice still sporting that serious tone as he looked at the lawyer unblinkingly. "I've helped you as much as I could. The rest is up to you, Defense Attorney."

Makoto straightened up, keeping his calculating gaze on the Sociology student. "Why did you help me in the first place?"

Oma broke eye contact and proceeded to fiddle with the straps in his white jacket. "I didn't do it for you. Or Loth. Or anyone really. But... this person... they're involved in something more dangerous than anyone has realized. I don't..." He struggled to put his thoughts into words though he eventually settled on "I can't abandon them like that. They need help but I can't be the one offering it."

Makoto frowned in concern as he looked at the uncharacteristically serious man. If what he was saying was true, then…

Suddenly, the purple haired man barked out a laugh and wiped the tears falling from the corners of his eyes. "Oh my god, you really believed me there? You're so stupid, Mr. Knight!"

The shorter man held a hand to his lips and smirked but Makoto still saw the seriousness in his purple gaze and realized he had just experienced Oma being completely truthful for the first time.

You care about them. About your friends. He noted; his respect for the shorter man rising as he turned away from him and to the group they left behind. They were farther away than before but Makoto still managed to see the smiles on their faces as they joked around and, for the first time since he met the man, he felt like he understood Kokichi Oma.

"I will bring the truth of this case to light." He promised, meeting the amused gaze of the shorter man's mask with his own determined one. "And I will help your friend get the help they need, I promise.”