Ace Attorney: Path to Hope Chapter 1: Episode 1, Part 1, a phoenix wright: ace attorney fanfic

A/N: Hello, everyone. I am not new to writing fanfiction, in fact I have several accounts in which I write stories under various pennames. This will most likely be the only story I write under this penname though. I have gotten really invested into the "Ace Attorney" series over the years and I thought I would give a shot at writing my own story. It's not going to have that much to do with the actual series as I've set it several decades after the exploits of Phoenix Wright. I also have gotten a little tired with Capcom's incessant need to Americanize every bit of the series. I mean the names are one thing, and I don't really mind it that much because they make the names very funny and punny.

But it's another thing to say that the series takes place in America when there are clear aspects and cultural depictions that prove that is not physically possible. So one thing to keep in mind when reading this story, this will take place in Japan and I will be using Japanese names (but this is just for people who are actually Japanese, any foreigners will have foreign names). Also if you don't already know, names in Japan are read from surname to given name i.e. backwards. Sorry, this is just a preference. But to make it easier to shift if you've only played the games or watched the anime with the foreign names, I will give you the Japanese name equivalent before I begin each chapter that has mentions of cannon characters. Though mostly this story will follow the lives of my own characters, who will have some punny names if you're willing to do the work and translate them yourselves.

One last thing, this is going to be a large project as I am planning on making my own "Ace Attorney" universe and if this story is a success, maybe make some sequels down the line. So I am also looking for a co-author who would be interested in writing this story with me. This job will be perfect for anyone who likes making characters, mysteries, etc. I have this first episode pretty much all laid out but I will need a partner before I start the second one. Otherwise it's probably going to take forever to update. So if you are interested in being my co-author, please PM me.

I hope you guys like this, I put a lot of work into it. Please read and review.

Mentioned Characters:

Phoenix Wright/Naruhodou Ryuuichi

Winston Payne/Auchi Takefumi

Disclaimer: I do not own "Ace Attorney"/"Gyakuten Saiban".

Episode 1: A Turnabout Up In Smoke

Day 1, Trial, Part 1: Hanamura Kibou, Attorney at Law

March 25th, 20XX. 2:00. Raira Law School, Naruhodou Hall.

The world can be a very cruel place.

Everything was silent on the law school campus, not a single sound could be heard save for the incessant chirp and buzz of the nearby insects. A full moon shone its rays down upon one of the law school's oldest buildings, Naruhodou Hall. The building, despite being donated to the school a few decades ago appeared to be very well-maintained and sturdy. It looked like it could stand the test of time easily. And then suddenly a warm, orangeish glow began to envelop the building. And after a few moments that glow turned into a small blaze of flame, and then a few moments after that it evolved into a monstrous fire that engulfed the entire building. It appeared that it would be only minutes before it collapsed from the structural damage of the intense heat.

What's there one day, can just as easily be gone the next. Sometimes there's a warning, but most of the time, the deed is done without a single word.

A maniacal cackle could be heard in the distance. "Take that old man! I've shown you! You always said you would stay in that office until the day you died! Looks like you got your wish!" After a few more moments of boisterous laughter, the mysterious individual calmed down and began to speak to himself. "I'm sure I got rid of every single shred of evidence that I left behind. I double checked twice after all. But just to be safe, this fire will eliminate anything that I might have missed. But still, there's no guarantee that it will get rid of the biggest piece of evidence. The Professor's body."

A murder for instance. A murder is the perfect example of what I mean. Some are planned ahead of time by devious individuals who wish to do harm on others. And some aren't planned at all, and are simply done in the heat of the moment. But it's all the same for the victim's loved ones. Before the deed, they don't even think about life without that person in their lives. It doesn't register at all. They just expect to automatically see them again the next day and continue on with whatever they were doing beforehand. The thought that their loved one's life may be taken away before they see them again never crosses their mind.

Then the mysterious individual smiled manically. "It's a good thing that I already set up the perfect fall guy beforehand. Him, he'll definitely take the fall. The two of them got into a pretty heated argument earlier today after all. He'll get convicted and I'll get off scot free. That will show them, that will show the both of them. It's the perfect crime."

And it makes the realization when they find out their loved one has been murdered, all the more shocking and appalling. I know this from firsthand experience. And I didn't know it at that point in time, but that event would shape me into the man I am today, and forever change my destiny.

March 28, 20XX. 8:48. Courthouse, Defendant Waiting Lobby No. 4.

I turned the running water of the sink on, and then cupped a handful of water into my hands and splashed it on my face. I looked into the bathroom mirror and saw my reflection. It was no good, I still looked as sick as a dog. But at least I wasn't sweating bullets anymore. 'Ugh, my stomach is in knots,' I thought to myself. I dried my face and then took in a deep breath, and then a few moments later I exhaled. 'Calm down, just calm down,' I thought to myself. I did my breathing routine a few more times to calm myself down, and then I looked back into the mirror and forced my best smile. 'Remember, what Professor Tanaka always said. The best thing you can do for your client is to force yourself to smile. Be confident even when you're really not.' Then I chuckled when I remembered that annoyingly childish mantra the Professor would say from time to time. Playing pretend, is a lawyer's best friend.

A few moments later I looked into the mirror again and I noticed that I was no longer forcing myself to smile, I was actually smiling. 'You can do this, you can do this, Kibou,' I thought to myself. 'Now go talk to your client and make sure they're confident too.'

Before I left the defendant lobby's bathroom I did a last minute check of my appearance to see that I looked neat and presentable for court. My face looked pale and sickly but I could notice that some of its usual light pigment was coming back, my eyes looked very sleep-deprived from worry but they were still a vibrant caramel and were brimming with newfound confidence. And hopefully my black, broad framed glasses would cover up any absence of sleep. My black hair was slightly messy, but not much more than usual. My crescent-shaped ahoge was also present; hopefully my stubborn idiot hair wouldn't ring true of my actual character. I was wearing a neatly pressed two-piece, gray suit, with a blue dress shirt underneath, a black tie, and a pair of shiny black dress shoes. And of course my attorney badge was pinned to my lapel. I actually thought I looked pretty good, even if my heart was pounding with nervousness. Without thinking I struck a pose: the signature objection stance, which any lawyer had to be sure to know. Then I sweatdropped. "What the hell am I doing? I need to go talk to my client," I said to myself. I knelt down to the floor and collected my brown satchel, and then without wasting anymore time, I exited the bathroom.

Before you get anymore invested in this story, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hanamura Kibou. That's right, Kibou, it's my actual name. I swear, I'm not making it up. My parents were free-thinkers, so they thought an appropriate name for their firstborn son would be the Japanese word for hope. As you can imagine, I've been picked on since elementary school for this. But it's my name, and personally I love it…so there you go. But enough about that. I'm a defense attorney, and in case you couldn't tell it's my first official day on the job. In about ten minutes I'll be in the courtroom, defending a person accused of murder, and at this point I think my client was handling this pressure better than I was. But how could I not be freaking out? A person's life hangs in the balance, and my actions will dictate what happens to them. If I screw up, then their life is over. I don't think I've ever been this nervous in my twenty-six years on this planet.

"Hanamura-kun, glad to see you've returned to us," said a cheerful, old voice. I turned to see the owner of said voice. He was an aging man with silver eyes that were hidden behind a pair of crescent-shaped spectacles, and neatly combed gray hair which connected to a short gray beard on his pointy chin. He was slightly skinny and wore a two-piece, plaid, dark brown tweed suit, a white undershirt, a red bow-tie, and a pair of brown loafers. The old man chuckled boisterously and then said, "For a second there, I thought you might have tried to escape through the bathroom window."

I sweatdropped. "I wouldn't even think of doing that, Sir."

"Really now? There's no shame in admitting it, you know? I happened to try the same thing myself when I first represented a client in court," the old man replied.

"Really, Sir?!" I exclaimed.

"But of course, in fact I recall looking even worse than you do. Don't worry, lad. You're doing fine," the old man replied. "And would you knock it off with all that "Sir" nonsense? I may be retired from teaching now, but that doesn't mean I intend to give up the title that I earned."

"Right, sorry Professor," I apologized. This is my first official client, Professor Tanaka Shuichi. A former law professor at the local Raira Law School. He specialized in defense law and taught most of the defense attorneys who are big names in the industry today. He was also my former professor, as well as my educational advisor. It had been about two years since I last spoke with him, which was why I was really surprised when he called me out of the blue a few days ago and asked me to represent him in court. Even now, I really can't believe what's happened to him. The Professor is being accused of murdering a colleague and now it looks like he'll be forced to enjoy his retirement from behind bars. The Professor I knew was such a kind and caring individual who respected and had the upmost confidence in the law. There's no way he would ever even consider murder. It has to be a mistake. But still…I do have some reservations.

"Professor, I feel like I should've asked you this a lot sooner, but I guess I just thought that you had your reasons. But now I can't stop it from bugging me," I said.

"Yes, what is it, Hanamura-kun?" Professor Tanaka replied.

"This case looks like it's going to be tough, so I have to know. Why did you choose me to represent you? I just got my attorney badge a month ago and I haven't even stepped foot in a courtroom since then. Even at law school, my grades were average at best, and whenever we had a mock trial I would always lose. So knowing all that, why did you ask me to be your lawyer?" I asked.

Professor Tanaka made a small smile. "I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. It is quite an odd thing to do, isn't it? I know some very good attorneys who could get me off the hook of this insanity blindfolded. Why with my knowledge, I think I could even represent myself and get a favorable verdict. But still my first call was to you, a student who barely passed my class with a C."

"In all fairness, your class was one of the most difficult ones at the school, Professor," I replied in my defense.

Professor Tanaka chuckled again. "I suppose it was. Anyway, if you really need a reason for my decision, I guess you could just say I made it because I was curious. It's been almost two years since you graduated, so I was curious as to how much you had improved since then. And to find out if you were truly ready to become a defense attorney."

I was shocked. "Eh?! That's it?! You were just curious?! This is your life you're playing with, you know?!" Realizing how rude my outburst was, I quickly apologized. "Sorry, Professor. I spoke out of turn."

Professor Tanaka chuckled again. "No, no it's quite alright. I realize my motives are a tad ridiculous. But if you must know, I do believe in you, Hanamura-kun. You have what it takes to be a brilliant defense attorney, I've known it since the day I first met you. You have more heart than any student I've ever known, and that's probably the greatest strength that you can have in this game. That's why I'm not worried about today's trial at all. I know you'll defend me with all you have."

"Wow, really?" I was surprised by the sudden compliment. Then I smiled and nodded. "Okay then, let's go and get you that not guilty verdict."

Professor Tanaka beamed. "That's more like it, now I hope you put on a good show for the two of us in there," he replied.

"Yeah, I will." Then I stopped. "Wait a second, did you just say "two"?" I replied. "And come to think of it, when I first came out of the bathroom earlier you said "you've returned to us". Who else is here?"

"Oh you don't know? Doesn't this charming young lady belong to you?" Professor Tanaka asked. Then he sidestepped to reveal a teenage girl sitting on a sofa behind him.

"Nii-chan! Hi!" the teenage girl exclaimed and waved at me. She had short black hair which ended in a triangular cut just before her neck, chocolate brown-colored eyes, and porcelain skin. She was wearing a plain yellow sundress that was tied with a green ribbon, a pair of brown sandals, and a sunflower shaped barrette in her hair. I knew this girl very well. This was my little sister of fifteen years, Hanamura Hinata.

I immediately ran over to Hinata with contempt written on my face. "Hinata, what are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be in school?!"

Hinata gave me a perplexed look. "Nii-chan, you realize we're still on break, right? I don't start the new year until April 1st. Did you seriously forget?"

I was so embarrassed. "Oh? Is that the case? I was wondering why you weren't going out in the morning with your uniform on. Looks like I've been a little a fuzzy with dates recently."

"So that's why you haven't been spending any time with me lately? You thought I was busy with school?" Hinata replied before giggling. "That's so like you, Nii-chan. You're such a scatterbrain."

"But that doesn't explain what you're doing here," I replied, trying to retain some respect. "This isn't a place for kids."

"I'm not a kid," Hinata huffed out and then folded her arms in defiance.

"By law, if you are under eighteen then you are still a kid," I replied.

She huffed again. "So this is how you treat your adorable little sister, who came all the way down here to support you on your first day as a real lawyer? Nice, really nice."

"Wait, that's why you're here? Why didn't you just say you wanted to come? I would have considered letting you tag along otherwise," I replied.

"I wanted to surprise you. For the past few days you've seemed really stressed out about this trial, so I thought that having a familiar, cheerful face watching over you in the gallery might cheer you up," she replied in a thoughtful tone.

"Aww, you," I replied before pulling Hinata into a hug. "You're the best little sister, a dopey older brother like me could ever ask for."

Hinata smiled and hugged me back. "It's good that you understand that." Then she pulled away from me and looked me straight in the eye. "Good luck, I know you're going to win. Give them hell."

"Hey language, missy," I replied in a strict tone. "But thanks."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed. Then she reached behind her back and pulled out a newspaper. "You didn't get to read the paper this morning like you usually do so I figured you'd want it. Here, you can read it during a recess." Then she handed me the newspaper.

Today's Paper added to Court Record.

"Thanks, I'll be sure to read this when I get the chance," I replied.

"You're welcome. And just so you know, there's an article on the back that you might find interesting. It concerns the school where your client was working at, actually," she explained.

"Huh, really?" I replied.

"Excuse me, Sir!" someone shouted in my direction. I turned and saw that it was the court bailiff. "The trial is about to commence, you and your client should hurry on inside!"

"Yes, yes, we're coming," I replied in a panicked tone.

"Remember, I'll be watching. I've got your back," Hinata said to me.

Professor Tanaka chuckled again. "Such a thoughtful young lady. Well then, Hanamura-kun, shall we?"

"After you, Professor," I replied and motioned him to walk ahead of me. The court bailiff opened the courtroom door and allowed Professor Tanaka and I to go inside. 'This is it, my first official trial as a defense attorney. Here goes nothing.'

March 28, 20XX. 9:00. Courthouse, Courtroom No. 4.

The courtroom was very lavish in nature, a large gallery of seats encircled the trial grounds and a large crystal chandelier hung overhead. The trial grounds housed five pieces of furniture; there was a large podium which looked like it could house a number of people, this was where witnesses would give their testimony, directly opposite that was a large desk that stood high above all else, this was where the Judge presiding over the trial would sit, on either side of the Judge's desk there were two smaller desks that faced directly across from one another, this was where the prosecutors and defense attorneys would sit, and last but not least there was a small enclosure that was big enough for one person to sit at that was guarded by court officers, this was where the defendant i.e. my client would sit for the remainder of the trial. As Professor Tanaka and I entered the courtroom we were immediately overwhelmed by the sea of faces that inhabited the gallery seating. It appeared that this trial had gathered quite a bit of media attention, as there were a lot of people who came to see the trial's turn out. My stomach was already in knots again as I saw the stares and heard the whispers that the gallery was giving me. "Remember, take deep breaths, Hanamura-kun," said Professor Tanaka, giving me some last minute encouraging advice.

"…" I nodded in silence and then made my way over to the lone empty desk in the trial grounds.

Then I carefully took out all the papers and documents that I had in my satchel and laid them out on the desk, trying my best to look professional and not seem as nervous as I was. But judging by the smug look the prosecutor of the trial was giving me, I doubt it was really working. He was a short man with a large unruly black pompadour haircut that sort of reminded me of a Banchou punch perm, his eyes were hidden behind a pair of mirrored shades, and he had a mischievous grin on his face. He wore an all black suit complete with a white dress shirt, a black tie, and a pair of black dress shoes. I could see my nervous face reflected in the lenses of his sunglasses. I felt like he was seeing right through me. I looked away from him and looked up to the Judge presiding over the trial who was currently sitting at his desk, gavel in hand. He was an elderly man with sharp gray eyes, a bald head, and a long white beard. He wore a black Judge's robe which draped entirely over his body. He appeared to be much more friendly than the prosecutor, he was giving me a warm and welcoming look. I smiled at him in reply. Then I looked over to the defendant's pen and saw Professor Tanaka. It was truly remarkable; he still didn't look worried at all. 'Where does all that confidence of his come from?' I asked myself.

For a few moments, there was a series of whispers and murmurs coming from the gallery above. But soon, the Judge banged his gavel down upon his desk and the courtroom was silent. "Court is now in session for the trial of Professor Tanaka Shuichi," the Judge proclaimed. He looked down at the Professor. "I must say before we begin that I was dreadfully surprised to see your name as the defendant of this case, Professor. Why I still remember your many years of service in my courtrooms. You were such a brilliant defense attorney; it's really troubling that this has happened to you."

"I appreciate your concern, Your Honor," Professor Tanaka replied. "But I hope our prior relationship won't cause you to lean towards a favorable verdict for me. I expect you to be impartial."

The Judge nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way. The truth will out, one way or another. I have faith in you."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Professor Tanaka replied.

"Is the Prosecution ready?" the Judge asked.

"The Prosecution is indeed ready, Your Honor," the prosecutor replied.

"And the Defense?" the Judge asked.

"The De-Defense is ready as well, Y-Your Honor," I replied as loud as I could.

"Mr. Hanamura, this is your first trial, correct?" the Judge asked me.

"Y-Yes, it is, Your Honor," I replied in a nervous tone. "I...I started a bit later than most law students."

The prosecutor chuckled. "Such a pity, your first trial and you're already up against such a formidable foe. It's Hanamura Kibou, right? Though contrary to what you may think, hope is not on your side today. Your loss was apparent the very moment you came face to face with me, Auchi Masataka," the prosecutor, named Auchi replied.

"Auchi? Wait, that name sounds familiar," I replied.

"Ah, I see you know your history," Auchi replied. "Yes, my family has been invested in the legal system for centuries. My grandfather, Auchi Takefumi, even went toe-to-toe with the great Naruhodou Ryuuichi on numerous occasions."

"Oh yeah, you're a descendant of the prosecutor clan that's famous for losing, right?" I replied.

Auchi seemed unnerved by that comment. "Insolent little…" Then he just smirked and chuckled again. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have my family's curse of bad luck."

"I wouldn't say that it was bad luck. I studied all of Naruhodou Ryuuichi's prior trials when I was in law school and it seemed like each time he went up against your grandfather it was always a complete and utter victory," I replied.

That comment seemed to make Auchi even more unnerved. "Ugh, damn brat," he cursed under his breath. Then his usual cool composure returned and he just smirked again. "No matter, like I said I'm nothing like my family. Since I became a prosecutor I've been through over a hundred different trials, and I've gotten a guilty verdict in every single one."

"You what?!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"It's true," the Judge added. "In the eight years that Mr. Auchi has been a prosecutor he has never once lost a trial. I'm afraid that it is not an over exaggeration to say that you may have drawn a bad hand for your first case, Mr. Hanamura." Then the Judge looked down at the Professor again. "Professor Tanaka, are you sure you do not wish to request a change of counsel? I really do not want to have to be the one who sends you to prison. Perhaps, your outcome would be more favorable if you pick a more seasoned attorney."

"Hey, I'm right here, you know?" I replied. It was like they weren't even acknowledging me.

"No need, I have complete faith in Hanamura-kun," Professor Tanaka replied. "Of all the pupils I've ever had, he's the one who I feel I can trust no matter what the outcome. You'll see, he'll overturn this hopeless situation and break that smug prosecutor's winning streak."

"P-Professor!" I exclaimed. 'He's putting all his faith into me. I can't…no, I won't let him down no matter what,' I thought to myself.

"Ha, that's a choice you will live to regret, Professor," Auchi replied. "The case I have against you is airtight, multiple witnesses as well as damning evidence. There's no way your rookie attorney can win."

I growled. "I'm getting really tired of you looking down on me. If you want a fight, then I say bring it on!"

"Yeah, you show them Nii-chan!" I heard a familiar voice shout from the gallery.

The Judge banged his gavel down upon his desk and the courtroom went silent again. "Order in the court!"

'Ugh, Hinata, don't get me in anymore hot water. Please,' I begged her in my sub-conscious.

"Well then Mr. Hanamura, would you kindly allow me to test you and see if you're capable of a proper defense?" the Judge asked. "I want to see the Professor go free just as badly as you do, after all. It would set my mind at ease knowing that he's placed his trust in the right person."

"Not at all, Your Honor. I'm ready for anything," I replied in a confident tone.

"Very well, first thing's first. Could you please tell us the name of the victim in this case?" the Judge asked.

"Right, the victim…that would be…" I was at a loss for words. 'Crap. My mind is a blank,' I thought to myself. Then I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. 'Calm down, calm down. You can do this; you know the answer. Remember, you wrote it down in your court record,' I reminded myself. Then I opened my eyes and referred to my profile folder. I then came across the victim's profile and read it aloud to the court. "The victim in this case is Professor Takumi Shigeo, a prominent professor at Raira Law School. He was a former prosecutor who retired a few decades ago in favor of a teaching position to mold young prosecutors' minds, much like the defendant did for defense attorneys." I also took note of Professor Takumi's appearance. He was a portly man with gray hair and sideburns, and beady little brown eyes. He sort of reminded me of a toad to be honest. In his profile picture he was wearing a white dress shirt, a green bowtie, a pair of black pants that were held by a pair of green suspenders, and a pair of brown loafers.

"Very good, and tell me, what is the date of the reported incident?" the Judge asked.

I picked up another paper that told me the details about the crime scene. "That was early in the morning on March 25th. In addition to the murder, the building where the crime took place, Naruhodou Hall, was engulfed in flames and burned to the ground. It was only after that the charred remains of Professor Takumi were found."

"Excellent, now could you tell me the exact cause of death of the victim?" the Judge asked.

"I can, Your Honor. I have the autopsy report right here…" I searched through the papers on my desk for a few moments but I couldn't find the autopsy report. I nervously chuckled and rubbed the back of my head. "Actually, Your Honor, it looks like I've misplaced the autopsy report I was given."

Auchi chuckled mischievously. "Not off to a good start are you, rookie?" Then he sighed. "Here, I just so happen to have an extra copy of the autopsy report with me. Take it," Auchi replied before chucking the autopsy report at me. I struggled with catching it.

"Thanks," I replied in an embarrassed tone. Then I read the autopsy report.

Victim: 巧繁男 (Takumi Shigeo)

Estimated Time of Death: Around 2:00

Cause of Death: Smoke inhalation. Autopsy results show that he had an increased blood alcohol level, meaning that he was inebriated. The victim was most likely unconscious at the time of death because of this. It should also be noted that due to the extensive damage the fire caused to the victim's body it was impossible to find a specific time of death. The fire was started around 2:00 and since the cause of death is smoke inhalation it's a logical leap to say that the victim died around that time as well.

"The cause of death is smoke inhalation, most likely caused by the fire, Your Honor," I explained.

Autopsy Report added to Court Record

"Alright then, Mr. Hanamura. I believe you are fit to stand as the defense attorney for these proceedings. Mr. Auchi, you may now give your opening statement of the crime at hand," the Judge replied.

"Thank you, Your Honor," Auchi replied. "The crime we have here is actually very simple, a bitter dispute between colleagues and long-time rivals. The defendant, Professor Tanaka Shuichi, and the victim, Professor Takumi Shigeo, were well-known giants in the courtroom decades ago. Anyone who's previously studied law would know about their legendary rivalry. To this date, the number of times they both won a case against each other is tied. And around the same time they both retired from law and took up a teaching position at Raira Law School, each teaching classes in their respective field. On March 24th, the day before the murder was committed, the victim and the defendant were seen having a heated argument that escalated very quickly into physical violence. This was seen by multiple witnesses. So it is the Prosecution's belief that the defendant later decided to kill the victim out of spite and put an end to their rivalry once and for all."

"Hmm, this is a very difficult thing to hear. I knew both the defendant and the victim personally, it's hard to believe that either one of them would ever resort to murder to settle a conflict," the Judge replied.

"But that's exactly what happened, Your Honor. The Prosecution dames to prove it. Now I would like to call my first witness to the stand. And believe you me, Your Honor, when you hear what all my witnesses have to say you yourself will be convinced of your old friend's guilt," Auchi declared.

'Professor Tanaka had a fight with Professor Takumi the night before the murder? This is the first I'm hearing of this. And what's more there are multiple witnesses? This isn't going to be easy,' I thought to myself and inwardly sighed. Then I put on a confident face. 'But I can't just give up now, I've got to stick it out to the end. I know the Professor is innocent, and he's counting on me to prove it.'

The Judge seemed to be skeptical. "Hmm, is that so? Very well then, please bring out your first witness, Mr. Auchi." The Judge then banged his gavel, and about a minute later the first witness was brought to the stand. It was a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties, just a tad bit younger than me. He had long, neatly combed blonde hair that cascaded down to his shoulders; he also had a pointy nose and bright blue eyes. He wore a dark blue blazer over a black dress shirt, a pair of dark gray pants, a pair of black dress shoes, and a crimson colored ascot. In addition, he also had a unique silver shield pin on his blazer's lapel, and he wore a pair of gold cufflinks that were shaped like dollar signs. "Would the witness please state his name and occupation for the court?"

"Certainly, Your Honor," the witness replied as he flicked a loose strand of his hair behind his right shoulder. "Ranyou Genkin, is the name. Perhaps, you've heard of my family?"

"Oh, if I'm not mistaken, isn't your family one of the major controllers in Japan's financial industry?" the Judge replied.

"That is correct, but unlike the rest of my family I'm not going to simply work at one of our many companies, I'm going to be a key player in their control. I'm a law student, currently studying to be a defense attorney. As a matter of fact, the defendant of this case, was my former advisor and I was one of his teaching assistants," Genkin replied. Then he pulled a wad of money out of the left inside pocket of his blazer and started fanning himself with it. "I plan to be our empire's in-house attorney, and make sure that no meddling swindlers or collection agencies get to us."

Profiles Updated: 乱用現金 (Ranyou Genkin)

'We get it, you're a rich kid. Could you be any more obvious about it?' I thought to myself as I sweatdropped. To say that Genkin was flashy would be an understatement, it was almost as if the air around him seemed to elude superiority.

"Ranyou-san was one of the witnesses to the prior altercation between the defendant and the victim," Auchi explained. "He will help explain the motive of the crime."

The Judge nodded in understanding. "Very well, witness, you may proceed with your testimony."

"With pleasure, Your Honor," Genkin replied.

WITNESS TESTIMONY

What Happened the Day Before the Murder

Statement 1: "It was March 24th, I believe. Just a few days before the new semester was about to begin. Professor Tanaka was retiring and he asked me to come in and help him move his things out of his old office," Genkin explained.

Statement 2: "There were quite a lot of things that the Professor had gathered over the years, so it took us most of the day to finish. Then after that I went to have a late lunch, and I promised I'd bring something back for the Professor as well."

Statement 3: "After that, I took about an hour and a half for lunch. And when I returned the first thing I noticed was an intense argument between Professor Tanaka and Professor Takumi. They were causing quite the commotion."

Statement 4: "I arrived late, so I didn't exactly get the details of what the argument was about. But it must have been over something very important as the two of them would not let up no matter how much the Dean begged them to stop."

Statement 5: "It ended with Professor Takumi taking a swing at Professor Tanaka, who dodged it and then administered a punch of his own. After that Professor Takumi calmed down and went back to his office."

Statement 6: "Then I gave Professor Tanaka his lunch and asked him what their argument was about exactly. But instead, of giving me a straight answer he just said that it was about an old case of theirs from back when they still practiced law and that I shouldn't worry about it."

Statement 7: "And after that I went home, and I didn't hear about the murder or the fire until the next morning. I still can't believe that Professor Tanaka would do something like that."

END OF TESTIMONY

"Hmm, I see, so the two professors got into a dispute over an old case of theirs' which led to a physical confrontation," the Judge replied.

"In a nutshell, Your Honor," Auchi replied. "And it's clear that this dispute was the trigger for the events that happened later on. Professor Tanaka clearly killed Professor Takumi over their disagreement," Auchi explained.

"OBJECTION!" I shouted at the top of my lungs and slammed my hands down on my desk. "That's nothing more than a theory. Do you have any actual proof that this is what happened?"

"Oh I have proof alright, but I'm not going to show my hand this early in the game," Auchi replied smugly. Then he pulled a red comb out from his jacket pocket and proceeded to comb back his pompadour. The massive bundle of hair seemed to almost bounce back with each motion.

"Very well then, Mr. Hanamura, you may now proceed with your cross-examination of the witness," the Judge replied.

'Right, next is the cross-examination. I have to pick apart the witness's testimony to find out new information, or until I find a contradiction. Just from the sound of it so far though, it didn't seem like there were any flaws in that testimony. But I'll never know if I don't try,' I thought to myself.

CROSS-EXAMINATION

What Happened the Day Before the Murder

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "Was that the only reason that he asked you to come to his office that day?"

"Yeah, that was the only reason. He was officially retiring, so it's not like he had to prepare for a new class next semester," Genkin replied. "Which meant that I had to find a new teacher to be my advisor and a new TA job."

"So you just came to the building that day to help him move out of his office?" I asked.

"Yes, like I said before. He asked me if I could help him, but he was really nice about it and said that I shouldn't bother if I was too busy. But I decided to come and help anyway because that's just the kind of guy I am," Genkin replied as he flashed a twinkling smile.

'Not really all that humble though, are you?' I thought to myself as I sweatdropped.

"The witness will continue with his testimony," the Judge replied.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "And when exactly did you finish helping the Professor move?"

"Umm, it's kind of hard to say. But I think it was around 15:00 if I'm not mistaken," Genkin replied.

"And you went to lunch right after that?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's right," Genkin replied.

"And where did you go to for lunch exactly?" I asked.

"Umm, is that really important?" Genkin replied as he cocked his head.

"Yes, how is that relevant at all?" Auchi asked.

"I would like to know that as well," the Judge added.

"Oh umm…" I chuckled in an embarrassed tone and rubbed the back of my head. "I can't really think of any reason as to why it would be so important. Sorry, I guess I just got kind of carried away with the questions."

Genkin scoffed. "Are you sure you're a real lawyer?" Then he produced a wad of money from his blazer and started fanning himself with it once again. "But I don't mind answering if it's that important. I wasn't really in the mood for high-priced cuisine so I just had something simple down at the campus dining hall."

"Well, thanks for answering, I guess," I replied in an annoyed tone.

"Can we move on now?" Genkin asked.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "You took about an hour and a half for lunch, so it's safe to assume it was around 16:30 when you returned, right?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right. Although I can't say for sure, I don't wear a watch," Genkin replied. "Anyway, when I returned to Naruhodou Hall I saw Professor Tanaka and Professor Takumi duking it out."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "The Dean was present for this fight as well?"

Genkin nodded. "Yeah, that's right. The Dean, myself, Professor Takumi's TA, and this IT girl were present for it. The Dean was the only one of us who was brave enough to get involved and stop them though."

"I assume that all of them have been questioned as well?" I asked Auchi.

"What do you take me for? An idiot? Of course I had the police question all of them, and they're also all witnesses for my case," Auchi replied in a smug tone.

I shivered at that remark. 'Three more witnesses plus some damning evidence?! Great, just great!' I inwardly exclaimed.

"Please continue with your testimony, witness," the Judge ordered.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "Did you see Professor Takumi at all after the fight?"

"Nope, he went back to his office and his TA followed shortly after that," Genkin replied.

"So as far as you know, he was still in his office up until his murder?" I asked.

"As far as I know, yeah. But isn't that already a given?" Genkin replied.

"I guess, yeah," I replied in an embarrassed tone.

Genkin chuckled again and fanned himself with a wad of money again. "You ask really pointless questions; you know that?"

I growled. 'Smug little prick,' I thought to myself.

"So anyways…" Genkin continued with his testimony.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "Are you sure he didn't give you any other specifics? What this case was about exactly?" I asked.

Genkin raised his hands in the air with an expression that said "beats me", and shook his head in reply. "Nope, nothing like that. It was pretty clear that he didn't want to talk about it, so I just left the matter alone and didn't think anything of it," Genkin replied.

'Ugh, this is sounding worse and worse for the Professor by the minute,' I thought to myself.

Statement 7: "And after that I went home, and I didn't hear about the murder or the fire until the next morning. I still can't believe that Professor Tanaka would do something like that."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "How do you know he's guilty for sure? No verdict's been passed down yet."

"Well, I mean there aren't any other suspects, right? And no other clear motives either? Usually in that case, that means that the sole suspect is the killer. I don't want to believe that it's true, but I don't think I have any choice in the matter," Genkin replied.

"It's a logical argument, don't fault him for that," Auchi added.

'Even his TA thinks he's guilty? Not good, this is not good,' I thought to myself.

END OF CROSS-EXAMINATION

The Judge banged his gavel down upon his desk. "I think that's enough; this witness is hereby excused."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Genkin replied. Then he threw me one last smug look before stepping down from the stand.

'Dammit, the cross-examination's over and I didn't learn anything even remotely helpful,' I thought to myself. Then I took in a deep breath. 'Okay just stay calm, you'll get something out of the next one for sure. You just have to have hope.'

"We have a clear outline of the events at hand. But in order to learn more about this fight, we'll need to hear about it from someone else," the Judge explained.

"I couldn't agree more, Your Honor," Auchi replied smugly. "And it just so happens I have three more witnesses who were all present at the very start of the fight between the defendant and the victim. They can shed more light on Professor Tanaka's motive for murder."

The Judge nodded. "Very well, bailiff please show these next three witnesses into the courtroom." The Judge banged his gavel down upon his desk again, and the court bailiff left to go collect Auchi's other witnesses. A few minutes later, three new witnesses were all at the stand together. And they looked quite odd all bunched together. The person on the far right was a tall man with a bald head that was so shiny I swear I could see my face in it; he also had lightly tanned skin and intimidating gray eyes. He wore a brown suit with a white dress shirt underneath, a red tie, and a pair of black loafers. He had a very angry scowl on his face, clearly he was pissed off about something. To his left there appeared to be a large stack of books that stretched high up into the ceiling; I then saw that there was a person who was carrying the books and cowering behind the stack. He was a scrawny young man with a brown bowl-shaped haircut, he had pasty skin and a pair of green eyes that were hidden behind a pair of oversized brown, rectangular glasses. He wore an oversized light blue cardigan sweater, which had sleeves that draped over his hands, a pair of green cargo pants, and a pair of black and white sneakers. And to his left there was a young girl with pale skin and unruly short, black hair, which was also dyed orange in certain areas and partially covered by a black flattop hat with skull shaped pin, pinned to it; she also had these haunting violet eyes which were circled by eye black, and she was wearing black lipstick as well. She wore a blue jean vest with the sleeves ripped off, over a long sleeve, black and white striped shirt, a dark blue denim skirt, long violet knee socks, and a pair of black boots. She was currently texting on a red smartphone and appeared to be paying no attention whatsoever to what was going on in court.

'Quite an odd group of witnesses he has there,' I thought to myself as I sweatdropped.

"Now then, witnesses. Please state your names and occupations for the court, starting with you…the fellow with the same hairstyle as me," the Judge pointed his gavel at the bald man.

'Hairstyle? You're just bald, aren't you?' I thought to myself.

"Very well, my name is Kyoukun Katsuhiro, Your Honor. I'm the Dean of Raira Law School, as well as a former prosecutor," the man named Kyoukun replied.

"Kyoukun Katsuhiro, I thought that was you. My it's been so long since I've last heard your name but I must say you don't look like you've aged a day," the Judge replied.

"Thank you, Your Honor. I try to maintain my body to a high moral standard as well as my code of ethics. Discipline is the key to anything, that's the foundation that Raira Law School has come to embrace under my tutelage. I won't stand for anyone who dares make a mockery of my school by committing acts of evil on its hallowed grounds." He turned his attention to Professor Tanaka. "Tanaka not only did you murder a fellow colleague, you burned one of our school's oldest and most cherished buildings to the ground like it was nothing." He banged his fist down upon the podium. "I swear even if you somehow manage to squeeze out of this trial unscathed, you will not go unpunished by me!"

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "This witness is acting hostile towards my client, Your Honor," I said.

The Judge nodded. "Indeed, the witness will stop being so confrontational."

"Ugh, my apologies, I let my anger get the best of me for a second there," Kyoukun replied.

Professor Tanaka chuckled. "After all these years, you still have that nasty temper of yours, Katsu," he said.

"Don't you dare act so familiar with me, you murderous fiend!" Kyoukun exclaimed. Then he sighed. "Again, sorry Your Honor."

"Now then, young man. Would you kindly introduce yourself to the court?" the Judge asked the young man carrying the large stack of books.

"Y-Yes," the young man replied in a meek tone while he struggled with keeping the tower of books in hands balanced. "I-I'm Mugai Na-Naoki, Y-Your Honor," he stuttered. "I'm a st-student at Rai-Raira Law School, and I wa-was also Professor Ta-Takumi's teaching assistant. I'm stu-studying to become a prosecutor, but I-I'm kind of shy around new pe-people so forgive me if I'm quiet."

"I see, and why do you have such a large stack of books with you, lad?" the Judge replied.

"Oh, I usually like to re-read when I f-feel anxious about an-anything. Plus, th-these hide my face so I won't f-feel so nervous if no one is l-looking directly at me," Naoki replied.

'You're nervous around new people and have such a meek voice, yet you want to be a prosecutor? That seems very contradictory,' I thought to myself as I sweatdropped.

"Very well, we'll try not to be too hard on you," the Judge replied.

"Th-Thank you, Your H-Honor," Naoki replied.

"Alright, now how about you, Miss?" the Judge addressed the girl on her smartphone.

"…" the girl didn't respond and just kept typing on her phone.

"Ex-Excuse me, Miss?" the Judge tried to get the girl's attention again.

"…" again there was no reply.

"Umm, Miss?" the Judge tried again.

"…" and again the girl ignored him.

Eventually Auchi got fed up with the girl's unwillingness to respond. "Hey you, answer the Judge when he's talking to you!"

"Shut up, Shady Guy," the girl finally said without looking up from her phone.

"Wh-What?! Shady Guy?!" Auchi exclaimed.

"In her defense you do look kind of shady," I replied with a chuckle.

"Ugh!" Auchi exclaimed.

"Now young lady, you should know I don't really allow the use of cellular phones in court. They tend to be rather distracting," said the Judge.

"…" the girl paid him no heed and continued texting on her phone.

The Judge sighed in exasperation. "Miss, please could you put that infernal device down for one minute and answer my questions?"

The girl sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes. Then she begrudgingly put her smartphone away. "Fine, what do you want? I was busy giving a client updates on a problem they were having."

"Well first of all could you please tell us your name and occupation?" the Judge asked.

The girl scoffed and shook her head. "It's Tomoko, Kurosaki Tomoko," she replied. "I'm a…" she paused before she continued, "…IT girl."

"IT? I can't say I'm particularly familiar with that acronym," the Judge replied. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't they those people who work on computer machines and what not?"

Tomoko giggled. "It's just computers, Gramps," she replied. "And yeah, that's basically what I do. IT stands for Information Technology. Anytime someone has a problem with their computer or any electronic device for that matter they call me to fix it. And I'm really good at what I do."

"I see, and might I ask another question?" the Judge replied.

"Shoot," Tomoko replied.

"Why exactly are you dressed like that? It isn't my place to question the fashion of today's youth but your getup seems a tad unusual, no?" the Judge asked.

"It's sort of a cultural thing, Your Honor. Some kids just like wearing black and looking like freaks. What do you call it? Goth? Emo?" Auchi replied.

Tomoko seemed to be upset by that comment. "Hey Shady Guy! Take that back! There's nothing culture-based about my look at all! I like this style so it's my style, and there's nothing more to it! Got it?!"

Auchi seemed to be afraid of Tomoko. He started sweating bullets and shaking in fear. "Y-Y-Yes," he replied in a meek tone.

I quietly snickered. 'You tell him girl,' I thought to myself.

Profiles Updated: 教訓勝浩 (Kyoukun Katsuhiro), 直樹尚希 (Mugai Naoki), 黒崎知子 (Kurosaki Tomoko)

"Very well then. Mr. Kyoukun, Mr. Mugai, Ms. Kurosaki? It's come to this court's attention that all three of you were present at Naruhodou Hall on March 24th along with Mr. Ranyou Genkin, as well as Professors Tanaka and Takumi, is that correct?" the Judge asked

"Yes, Your Honor," Kyoukun replied.

"Y-Yes," Naoki replied.

Tomoko pulled out a stick of gum and then began to chew on it. She blew a bubble and then popped it before simply replying, "What of it?"

"Am I correct in understanding that the two professors got into a disagreement with one another? A disagreement that escalated to physical violence?" the Judge replied.

"That is correct," Kyoukun replied.

"I-It was sc-scary," Naoki replied.

Tomoko blew another bubble and then popped it again before simply replying, "I recall something like that happening, yeah."

"Alright then, could you please provide testimony as to what you were doing at Naruhodou Hall that day as well as tell us more about this disagreement between the two professors?" the Judge asked.

"Of course, Your Honor," Kyoukun replied.

"O-Okay, I-I'll try," Naoki replied.

Tomoko blew another bubble and then popped it again before simply replying, "Whatever."

'Three people giving testimony at once? I've heard that multiple people testifying was an actual thing but I didn't expect to see it happen so soon,' I thought to myself. 'I'll have to bring my A game and listen three times as hard.'

WITNESS TESTIMONY

The Professors' Fight

Statement 1: "On the day of March 24th, I had stopped by Naruhodou Hall at around 15:00 to say goodbye to my once good friend, Professor Tanaka Shuichi. I had heard that he was planning to officially move out of his office that day so I wanted to give him my best and wish him good luck with his retirement," Kyoukun explained.

Statement 2: "That s-same day, I arrived at Na-Naruhodou Hall ar-around noon," Naoki replied. "Pr-Professor Takumi had called me and as-asked if I could meet hi-him at his office that d-day because he wa-wanted to di-discuss something wi-with me," he explained.

Statement 3: "That day I received a call from the Dean over there. He had apparently heard about my work and asked me if I could come resolve a problem that he was having at his fancy schmancy law school," Tomoko explained. "According to him, the problem originated at Naruhodou Hall so that's why I was there. I think I arrived there around 13:00 if I'm not mistaken."

Statement 4: "I can verify this; I did indeed hire her to resolve a problem with the school's computer network. Lately there have been some issues that can't be overlooked, and I was informed that the problem first arose at Naruhodou Hall. So I sent the girl out there first and then a few hours later I came by as well," Kyoukun explained.

Statement 5: "Af-After our talk I stayed around Naruhodou H-Hall a little while longer to help Pr-Professor Takumi with ge-getting prepared for the new se-semester. Then at ar-around 16:00, something hap-happened and the Pr-Professor suddenly became pan-panicked. He we-went to go find Pr-Professor Ta-Tanaka and talk to him about so-something, but he didn't tell me ab-about what. He t-told me not to f-follow him, but I was cu-curious so I did an-anyway," Naoki explained.

Statement 6: "I had met up with Professor Tanaka and the two of us began to chat and reminisce about old times. I truly would miss his company. Shortly thereafter, Professor Takumi appeared and immediately he started shouting at Professor Tanaka. I believe it was something about an old case the two of them had worked on years ago. Soon they both started shouting at each other and the commotion drew Mugai-san and Kurosaki-san to our location," Kyoukun explained.

Statement 7: "The two of them were really getting into it too. I didn't know old geezers like that could get so hot-blooded," Tomoko added. "Then I saw that a guy with a sort of rich kid vibe appeared and he started watching the fight with the rest of us."

Statement 8: "D-Dean Kyoukun tried to br-break up the fight but nei-neither of the pr-professors would stand down. Then Pr-Professor Takumi threw a p-punch and mi-missed and then Pr-Professor Tanaka th-threw one back and co-connected. D-Defeated, Pr-Professor Takumi we-went back to his office and I f-followed. No-Nothing else ha-happened until I went h-home at around 20:00, af-after that…well y-you know the rest," Naoki explained.

END OF TESTIMONY

"Hmm, I see. It appears it went just like Mr. Ranyou said," the Judge replied.

"Four witnesses verify that the defendant was involved in an intense argument with the victim several hours before the murder took place," Auchi explained. "Clearly this is definitive proof that the defendant had a motive to commit murder."

"Professor Tanaka, what do you make of all of this? Is it true what the witnesses say?" the Judge asked. "I remind you, you are under oath."

Professor Tanaka nodded. "I cannot lie, it's all true. I let my temper get the better of me and took a swing at Takumi. The old bastard was a stubborn fool; he couldn't let the past stay buried where it belonged. He came to me and claimed that he had just found out something ground-breaking and that we had to reopen a case that he and I tried decades ago."

"What was this case about if I may ask?" the Judge replied.

The Professor shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Honor. I can't tell you that. That case got so much attention over the years, that a permanent gag order was placed on it. Everyone who was involved in it is required by law to never speak of it in public. That's why I insisted that Takumi drop it, but he refused. Like I said, he was as stubborn as a bull." He chuckled. "Or bullfrog I guess, would be more appropriate in his case, considering his appearance."

"This is hardly the time for jokes, defendant," Auchi replied with a smug smirk. "You've just admitted under oath that you had a physical altercation with the victim over this blacklisted trial case. Which gives you a motive to kill the victim, whether it was to keep him from delving back into this case or conceal any secrets you might've been keeping about the case from him, it doesn't really matter. The fact remains is that it's a strong motive one way or the other."

Professor Tanaka scoffed. "Bah, that's ridiculous. I wouldn't dare kill anyone, especially not over some silly case buried in the past."

"You had no problem punching the victim over the matter of this case, if he really made you mad it's not that much of a jump to say you would have no problem killing him over it," Auchi theorized as he combed his hair back again.

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "The Prosecution is jumping to conclusions again, Your Honor. All that's been proven so far is that my client had a fight with the victim. They've given no clear evidence yet that he had anything to do with the actual crime."

"OBJECTION!" Auchi shouted right back at me. Then he mischievously chuckled, "Oh I have evidence alright, damning evidence. I said as much before, didn't I?" He gathered up some things from his desk and then said, "I would now like to present two pieces of evidence to the court." The first thing he showed was a photograph that had a time stamp on it, which meant it must have been a still from some security footage. "For security reasons, each building at the Raira Law School campus is equipped with state of the art surveillance equipment. Though it is true that most of the footage was destroyed due to the fire, our forensic technicians managed to retrieve a few stray bits of the surveillance recordings. One of the recordings they managed to save was a recording of Professor Takumi's personal office," Auchi explained. "This still is from that same recording."

The photo was in black and white, since it was taken from a video recording, but the surveillance equipment used to record it was indeed state of the art, so the image was very clear and sharp. I got a good look at the photo and saw that it was indeed Professor Takumi's office. Professor Takumi himself was in the photo; he was sitting in his chair and lying down at his desk. He appeared to be sleeping. Next to him there was an open bottle of alcohol which appeared to be nearly all gone. I also took note of a portable stove placed on a nearby cabinet. The time stamp on the still read: 22:33:46. Which meant that this still was from roughly 22:30 on March 24th.

"As you can see in the photo, Professor Takumi appears to be in a deep sleep. We have theorized that he was not only asleep, he was in fact inebriated. Due to his increased blood alcohol level found at his autopsy, it is clear that this was the case. The victim most likely died while still asleep, there was smoke in his lungs but not so much as it would be if he was panicking while he was trapped in the fire," Auchi explained.

"So he didn't even know that he was going to die in a fire? Well I suppose there's some small comfort in knowing that he didn't suffer at least," the Judge replied.

"I'd also like to draw your attention to the time stamp of the image still, it's roughly three and a half hours before the estimated time of death. This time stamp has not been altered in anyway, so it is clear that he was very much still alive before the fire started. The fire department has also found the point of ignition of the fire to be in the victim's own office," Auchi explained.

My eyes widened. "What?!"

The Judge seemed surprised as well. "Good lord!"

"Which goes with the theory that the victim died shortly after the fire started, his office was the first room to fill with smoke after all," Auchi explained. Then he grabbed something else off of his desk, it was a plastic bag that seemed to hold a book of matches in it. "This matchbook was found at the scene of the crime. It was used to start the fire and the defendant's prints are all over it."

My mouth was agape at this point. "What?! No way!"

Professor Tanaka also looked very shocked by this. For the first time all day he began to sweat bullets, "Th-That's impossible," he simply said.

Loud murmurs and whispers filled the courtroom and the Judge banged his gavel down upon his desk to quiet everyone. "Order! Order! I will have order!" When things quieted down again the Judge addressed Auchi again. "Mr. Auchi, these are very serious allegations. Are you quite sure that this matchbook belongs to Professor Tanaka?"

Auchi nodded. "The forensics lab confirms it, Your Honor. All the prints on this matchbook belong to the defendant alone. The Prosecution theorizes that the defendant found the victim passed out in his office and sought to make sure that he would not uncover any more about this secret case of theirs. He then used a match from this matchbook to set a fire which would kill the victim and eliminate any trace of his being there. He most likely used some kind of accelerant to fuel the fire, like the leftover alcohol in this bottle for instance."

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "These are just theories; they hold no water! I could just as easily say that the matchbook was planted at the scene after the fact by some third party!"

"That is true," the Judge agreed with me. "How do we know for sure that the matchbook wasn't simply planted? It looks a little unscathed to have been found at the scene of an arson."

"See, it's plausible!" I exclaimed.

"OBJECTION!" Auchi shouted back at me. "This matchbook was definitely at the scene of the crime during the murder," Auchi replied "I ask you to turn your attention to the surveillance camera still once again." Auchi picked up the photo again and showed it to us. "Please note the book of matches next to the portable stove and you'll find some striking similarities." I did as I was instructed, and saw a horrific sight. It was the same matchbook, the box design was the same and everything.

"No!" I exclaimed in horror.

"The fire department also found that the portable stove next to the matchbook had been plugged in and turned on prior to the fire. It should also be noted that this portable stove runs on gas so after setting the fire, the killer most likely used the gas from the stove to help the fire spread quickly. In addition, the investigators discovered that this matchbox was stuffed inside the leftover bottle of alcohol," Auchi explained.

"So what does that mean?" I replied.

Auchi chuckled. "Don't you know anything about fire? There are quite a few materials that won't burn when they are confronted by extreme heat, and glass is one of them. Evidently the killer didn't know that and assumed that the bottle would be destroyed in the fire, considering that it contained alcohol in it I could see how he would assume that since it might simply cause the bottle to implode, but it seems that fate was not on his side. The bottle survived the fire and the matchbook along with it. This is without a doubt the murder weapon, and the defendant's prints are all over it. Ergo, he's the killer. I rest my case."

Photo from Before the Murder added to the Court Record

Matchbook added to the Court Record

The shock was so great that it felt like I had just been shot with a loaded gun. I collapsed onto my desk and shouted at the top of my lungs. "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" The murmurs and whispers filled the court room again and this time I could hear what they were saying.

That's quite decisive evidence. I think it's safe to assume he did it.

I thought he was guilty, but I had some doubts. But that matchbook proves it.

It could have only been him.

What else is left to deliberate? He clearly did it. They should just hand down the verdict already.

I hung my head in shame. 'This is horrible! Everyone thinks the Professor is guilty. Auchi wasn't lying, that evidence he had really was damning. Even I'm starting to have my doubts now. Could it really be true? Could Professor Tanaka really be guilty?' I asked myself.

"This looks really troubling, doesn't it?" a familiar voice asked me.

"Huh?" I looked up and saw that Professor Tanaka was now on my right. He had left the defendant's pen and come to my side. "Pr-Professor?! What are you doing over here?!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, defendant! You can't be over there! By leaving the defendant's pen it's like you're trying to escape!" Auchi shouted.

"What is the meaning of this, Professor?!" the Judge exclaimed.

"I apologize, Your Honor, but I would like to ask the court if I may please sit here with my lawyer," Professor Tanaka replied.

"What's this? Are you saying you would like to defend yourself now?" the Judge asked.

"This is outrageous! You can't simply change counsel right in the middle of a trial!" Auchi asked.

"Don't get snippy, Auchi-san," Professor Tanaka replied. "I don't intend to represent myself. I'm still quite pleased with having Hanamura-kun as my attorney. But this is still his first trial so I just thought he could benefit from a little guidance. He is allowed to have co-counsel is he not?"

"Well, I suppose that is true," the Judge replied. "So are you saying you wish to be Mr. Hanamura's co-counsel for this trial, Professor?"

Professor Tanaka nodded. "Yes, Your Honor, if it would please the court. Rest assured, Hanamura-kun will do all the work, I'm just a guiding figure."

"Professor?" I replied. I didn't know what exactly he was up to, but it meant the world to me that he would come to my rescue like that. Even when he was the one on trial here.

"OBJECTION!" Auchi shouted. "That's ridiculous, the defendant cannot assist in his own trial."

"OBJECTION!" Professor Tanaka shouted. "Now you're just making things up Auchi-san. By law I'm allowed to defend myself if I so please, so why shouldn't I be allowed to assist my attorney? Admit it, you're just afraid that the two of us together might be a little too much for you to take on."

Auchi began to sweat bullets. "That's…That's…"

The Judge banged his gavel down upon on his desk. "I've heard enough, Professor, I shall allow you to assist Mr. Hanamura for the remainder of the trial."

"No, that's not fair," Auchi replied in defeat.

"Now then, Mr. Hanamura," the Judge addressed me. "Do you still wish to proceed with the cross-examination?"

"Umm, y-yes of course, Your Honor," I said hesitantly. Then I turned to Professor Tanaka and whispered, "Professor, why exactly did you come over here?"

"You looked like you needed help, and two heads are better than one after all so I was happy to assist. Never be afraid to ask for help if you need it, Hanamura-kun. Attorneys can't do everything; you know?" he replied with a smile. "I have faith in you, Hanamura-kun. Just like your name implies, you have hope. And an attorney can never have too much hope. You can do this; I know you can."

I returned his smile. "Professor, thank you. I promise, I'll get you out of this jam. I believe you are innocent and so I'm going to prove it." I started thinking to myself. 'I can't give up now. There are still some things that don't make sense here, I can feel it. I'll find the truth no matter what, and in the meantime I should probably make note of a few other things in the Prosecution's theory. That way I can shove those contradictions back in Auchi's smug face when I find them.'

Mysterious Case from the Past added to the Court Record

Bottle of Alcohol added to the Court Record

Portable Stove added to the Court Record

Then I turned to face the Judge. "Your Honor, the Defense will now begin the cross-examination," I said with a newfound conviction.

The Judge nodded. "Very well, let the cross-examination begin," he replied and then banged his gavel down upon his desk.

CROSS-EXAMINATION

The Professors' Fight

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "From your statement it sounds like you and my client were really good friends. But now it seems like you can barely stand to look at him. Do you truly believe he's guilty?"

"Without a shadow of a doubt!" Kyoukun shouted as he slammed his fist down on the podium. "Not only did he kill Professor Takumi but he also burned down a landmark building for Raira that was donated to us by the great Naruhodou Ryuuichi himself when the school was first founded. Such a person is as guilty as sin."

"But you don't have any definitive proof that it was my client who committed this "sin", right?" I asked, trying to get a rise out of Kyoukun.

He looked a little unnerved. "W-Well, no. I don't have any proof that it was him, per se. But…" Then he slammed his fist down on the podium again. "I just know it was him! And to think that I was once friends with this monster! It's almost too much to bear!"

I sweatdropped. 'Geez, this guy is stubborn.'

Professor Tanaka began to whisper in my ear. "You'll have to excuse Katsu, he's not himself when he's angry."

I took in a deep breath and then I continued to press him. "Okay, let me ask a different question then. What were you doing before you came to Naruhodou Hall?"

"Nothing much really, I had a meeting earlier in the day with Kurosaki-san. I had contacted her prior to our first meeting and had informed her about some problems we've been having at Raira recently. That day she came to the school for the first time to see what she could do to help, and then I pointed her in the direction of Naruhodou Hall," Kyoukun explained.

'Hmm, it feels like he's being intentionally vague for some reason,' I thought to myself.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "What did Professor Takumi want to discuss with you exactly?" I asked Naoki.

"Umm, w-well I…I-I'm not so s-sure that I should say," Naoki replied.

"You don't think you should say?" I replied. "You're testifying; you have to tell us the truth."

"Mr. Hanamura is correct, please answer all his questions honestly, Mr. Mugai," the Judge replied.

"W-Well okay," Naoki replied with hesitation. "H-He ca-called me in b-because he had some con-concerns about la-last year's fi-final ex-exams."

"The final exams?" I repeated in confusion.

Naoki nodded. "Sc-School en-ended a li-little over a m-month a-ago. An-And the last th-thing we d-did was take o-our finals. Pr-Professor Ta-Takumi th-thought that some of the st-students in his cl-class cheated on h-his final."

"Cheated?" I replied.

"Yes, I've heard that too," Professor Tanaka replied. "Recently there's been some complaints from other professors as well. Apparently they suspected many of their students of cheating in their classes too."

"That's just a blatant lie!" Kyoukun shouted as he slammed his fist down on the podium again. "There is no cheating going on at Raira! The students know better than to do something so cowardly! The professors were just concerned about this because more students than usual passed their courses with higher grades than usual! And Takumi wasn't an exception to this! He was just reading into things that weren't there!"

"An-Anyway, Pro-Professor Takumi wa-wanted to me to m-make sure that th-this co-coming year, no o-one would e-even think of ch-cheating in his cl-class. An-And then we discussed t-teaching strategies un-until late i-in the af-afternoon," Naoki replied.

'Hmm, Professor Takumi suspected that some of his students were cheating in his class?' I thought to myself.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "Can you tell us more about this problem that Dean Kyoukun wanted you to resolve?"

Tomoko blew another bubble and then popped it before answering my question. "Basically the terminals and computers in Naruhodou Hall hold most of the data for the campus. There's even a small server farm there. According to the Dean, an error there can corrupt every computer on the campus."

"And what was this error exactly?" I replied.

"Some files in the internal server were corrupted and were making the network slow," Tomoko replied. "There's not really that much to tell now though, since the server farm went up in smoke along with the rest of the building."

'Hmm, kind of a convenient excuse,' I thought to myself.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "I'm curious, how did you find out that this problem came from Naruhodou Hall?"

"If you must know, Professor Takumi was the person who told me," Kyoukun replied. "He was one of the people at the school who were in charge of maintaining the computer network. Even though he was a law professor, he was surprisingly well versed in those kinds of things. Recently, he had noticed something odd going on at the server farm, and he asked me to find someone to look into it. And that's when I heard about Kurosaki-san, so I contacted her immediately to see if she could help."

'Something about all of this sounds fishy. It's like Dean Kyoukun and the IT girl are intentionally leaving out something important,' I thought to myself.

"What are you thinking, Hanamura-kun?" Professor Tanaka asked me.

"I think that two of these witnesses are intentionally hiding something, but I don't know how to get them to admit what it is. Every time I ask for specifics they make it intentionally vague," I replied.

"Well first thing's first, get them to testify on the subject you're concerned about. And if they try to lie or be vague with their answers again, show them some evidence that will get them talking," Professor Tanaka replied.

"Okay, thanks Professor. I'll try that," I replied. "Your Honor, I would like Dean Kyoukun to add information about the computer problems at Naruhodou Hall to the current testimony," I said to the Judge.

"Well, alright then. Though I'm not sure what will come of it, all of this computer talk goes right over my head to be honest," the Jude replied. Then he banged his gavel down upon his desk. "Mr. Kyoukun, please amend your current testimony to add details about these problems."

"Yes, Your Honor," Kyoukun replied.

Statement 5: "I don't know about the specifics of these problems, per se, but Professor Takumi seemed concerned about them so I figured it would be best to let someone well versed in these kinds of things come and take a look," Kyoukun explained.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "What was Professor Takumi so concerned about? Stop being so vague."

"Sorry, I honestly don't know. If only Professor Takumi was still alive. He could probably explain the problem better than I could." then Kyoukun slammed his fist down on the podium again. "But he can't because that fiend sitting beside you murdered him!"

'You're clearly avoiding my questions, and I'm going to prove it,' I thought to myself as I glared at Kyoukun.

Statement 6: "Af-After our talk I stayed around Naruhodou H-Hall a little while longer to help Pr-Professor Takumi with ge-getting prepared for the new se-semester. Then at ar-around 16:00, something hap-happened and the Pr-Professor suddenly became pan-panicked. He we-went to go find Pr-Professor Ta-Tanaka and talk to him about so-something, but he didn't tell me ab-about what. He t-told me not to f-follow him, but I was cu-curious so I did an-anyway," Naoki explained.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "Something happened? What was this "something" that happened? You're being vague again, Mugai-san."

Naoki fumbled with his stack of books. "Oh, s-sorry. I d-don't mean to be va-vague. The Pr-Professor received a call on his off-office telephone. He se-seemed unnerved ab-about it at first b-because whoever called in-interrupted our dis-discussion but soon he got this really en-engrossed look on his face. He en-ended up talking to this p-person for ten min-minutes. He t-turned his b-back to me and then whi-whispered though the tel-telephone, so I couldn't pick up m-much of his con-conversation at all. But by the end of the c-call, he had this r-really scared look on his f-face. And that's wh-when he im-immediately ru-rushed off to find Pr-Professor Ta-Tanaka."

'Hmm, so Professor Takumi received a phone call that frightened him? That call must have had something to do with this mysterious case that he and Professor Tanaka worked on together,' I thought to myself.

Mysterious Case from the Past Updated

"…" Professor Tanaka was eerily silent. I saw that he had a troubled look on his face.

Statement 7: "I had met up with Professor Tanaka and the two of us began to chat and reminisce about old times. I truly would miss his company. Shortly thereafter, Professor Takumi appeared and immediately he started shouting at Professor Tanaka. I believe it was something about an old case the two of them had worked on years ago. Soon they both started shouting at each other and the commotion drew Mugai-san and Kurosaki-san to our location," Kyoukun explained.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "Were you talking about anything particular during your time with Professor Tanaka?" I asked Kyoukun.

Kyoukun shook his head. "Not particularly, no. Just old memories, really. I had been a prosecutor for almost as long as Tanaka and Takumi, and I became the Dean of Raira only a few years ago. So the three of us had quite a bit in common. When I first became a prosecutor, I actually looked up to the two of them as role models. I was saddened to see Tanaka go."

'He looks like he really cares about the Professor,' I thought.

Then Kyoukun slammed his fist down on the podium again. "But that was before I found out he was a pyro-maniacal, murderous fiend!" he shouted.

I sweatdropped. 'And there's his unbridled fury, right on cue,' I thought to myself.

Statement 8: "The two of them were really getting into it too. I didn't know old geezers like that could get so hot-blooded," Tomoko added. "Then I saw that a guy with a sort of rich kid vibe appeared and he started watching the fight with the rest of us."

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "This guy with the "rich kid vibe", you are referring to the other witness in this case, Ranyou Genkin, correct?"

"Yeah, that's the prick. I know all about his family, all their shady back alley deals and Yakuza connections. If I didn't know any better I'd say he's the killer," Tomoko replied.

"OBJECTION!" Auchi shouted. "I won't allow any defamation as to the credibility of my witness just because of some slanderous rumors, Hanamura-san," he said to me.

I sweatdropped. 'Your other witness was the one who said it, not me.' Then I stared at Tomoko. 'But come to think of it, how does she know about those rumors involving the Ranyou clan? Aren't those investigations currently ongoing and top-secret?'

"What are you looking at?" Tomoko asked me.

"N-Nothing," I replied and looked away.

"Creep," she simply said before lowering her hat over her eyes.

Statement 9: "D-Dean Kyoukun tried to br-break up the fight but nei-neither of the pr-professors would stand down. Then Pr-Professor Takumi threw a p-punch and mi-missed and then Pr-Professor Tanaka th-threw one back and co-connected. D-Defeated, Pr-Professor Takumi we-went back to his office and I f-followed. No-Nothing else ha-happened until I went h-home at around 20:00, af-after that…well y-you know the rest," Naoki explained.

Press.

"HOLD IT!" I shouted. "What did you and Professor Takumi do after you both went back to his office?" I asked.

"N-Nothing much r-really," Naoki replied. "He f-felt de-depressed so he asked me to f-fetch him a bo-bottle of…some st-strong li-liquor he got fr-from the We-West…from his pr-private st-stash and po-pour him a dr-drink. He as-asked me to jo-join him b-but I'm not m-much of a dr-drinker so I just s-sat and ta-talked to him wh-while he dr-drank away his tr-troubles," Naoki replied.

"Some strong liquor he got from the West?" the Judge repeated Naoki's words in confusion.

"Li-Like I said, Y-Your Honor. I'm not much of a dr-drinker so I can't r-remember the exact n-name of it," Naoki replied.

"Your Honor, if it would please the court I can explain. The residue found on the inside of the bottle determined that the bottle once contained a strong liquor from the North American island territory Bermuda, called Bacardi 151. It's roughly 75.5% pure alcohol," Auchi explained.

"Good Lord!" the Judge exclaimed. "No wonder the victim was passed out."

"In addition, the bottle of Bacardi 151 contains a fire arrestor trap that prevents any flame from getting in. This explains how the bottle did not break in the fire, even when it contained alcohol. Thus the matchbook found inside would be safe from destruction. Further proving, that the matchbook and bottle were in the fire," Auchi explained.

I growled. 'Leave it to him to use my cross-examination to better his case. But who knows, this new detail about the bottle may come in handy later on,' I thought to myself.

Bottle of Alcohol Updated

"Well any thoughts, Hanamura-kun?" Professor Tanaka asked.

"I think that Dean Kyoukun and that IT girl are hiding something but I can't figure out what," I replied.

"Well then it's times like these that you need to buckle down and think. Check over every piece of evidence you have very carefully and I'm sure you'll find something to help you prove your claim. Katsu is a lot like Takumi was, he's as stubborn as can be. You're going to have to be smart if you want to trip him up," Professor Tanaka replied.

"Alright Professor, I'll give it a shot," I replied. Then I looked carefully over each piece of evidence I had. 'Okay, think. Think. What can get the two of them to talk? There's got to be something in here I can use.' Then finally I came across the newspaper that Hinata had given me before. 'Wait a second.'

I recalled Hinata's words to me before the trial began:

"Thanks, I'll be sure to read this when I get the chance," I replied.

"You're welcome. And just so you know, there's an article on the back that you might find interesting. It concerns the school where your client was working at, actually," she explained.

"Huh, really?" I replied.

Without hesitation, I flipped the newspaper over and examined the back of it. Then I came across the article that Hinata mentioned. My eyes immediately went wide. 'This is it! This is the evidence I need!'

Professor Tanaka chuckled. "It looks like you're on to something. Well then, don't hold back. Let them have it."

"…" I nodded and then prepared myself for the battle that was about to come.

Present. Today's Paper.

"OBJECTION!" I shouted. "Dean Kyoukun, since the very beginning you have been intentionally vague about the reasons behind Kurosaki-san's presence at Naruhodou Hall on the day before the incident. The same can be said for Kurosaki-san, but I believe that she is only doing so because she's acting on your orders to conceal the truth. But I have some bad news for you, the truth has already gotten out. I know what's been going on at Raira Law School recently," I said with an added smirk.

Kyoukun's eyes went wide and he immediately started sweating bullets. Then he pulled out a red handkerchief and began to wipe the sweat off his brow. I couldn't help but mentally compare the sound made from him wiping his head to that of someone buffing a marble floor. "I…I don't know what you're talking about. Raira has been facing some minor network errors so our computers' speed has gone down, that's all."

"Are you sure that's all it is? Are you sure all this fuss isn't about something more severe? Say Raira's cyber security?" I replied.

"Wh-What's this all about?" Auchi replied.

"Indeed, Mr. Hanamura, why this sudden line of questioning?" the Judge asked.

"It's simple, Your Honor. You see, Dean Kyoukun has been concealing a fact that I consider to be truly vital to the current case," I replied.

"Th-That's preposterous. I w-wouldn't dare hide anything in a c-court of law. You for-forget boy, I'm a for-former prosecutor myself," Kyoukun replied in a nervous tone.

"Yes, I know. Which is why I find it rather curious that you would try and deliberately conceal the fact that Raira has been hacked from this court!" I exclaimed and made the classic defense attorney objection stance.

Immediately Kyoukun panicked and started shaking nervously. He gripped the podium tightly, so tightly that it creaked in reply. "Nooooooo!" he exclaimed in defiance.

END OF CROSS-EXAMINATION

Immediately the court was filled with murmurs and whispers. The Judge banged his gavel down on his desk. "Order! Order in the court!" When there was silence again, he looked at me. "Mr. Hanamura, what is the meaning of this? If I'm not mistaken, "hacked" is a term that refers to a situation when a person's computer privacy has been invaded, correct?"

I nodded. "That's right, Your Honor. I would like to submit this newspaper into evidence," I said as I handed the judge the newspaper. "Now I would like to call the court's attention to an article on the back of the paper, an article which concerns Raira Law School."

The Judge's eyes widened when he found the article in question. "Wh-What's this?! Prominent Law School's Grading System Hacked," the Judge read the headline of the article.

"That's right, according to the article. About a week ago, Raira was hacked unbeknownst to the school officials. Apparently, the person who committed the hack, the hacker, managed to hack into the school's grading system and change several students' grades in various classes. And it turns out that this wasn't the first time the school has been hacked. It's been going on for quite a while now. But so far nothing as aggressive as this has been done yet. The Defense asserts that Dean Kyoukun knowingly concealed this investigation from the court to save face. Raira is held as one of the most prominent law schools in all of Japan, and if it is revealed that they have been hacked multiple times they will look completely unsecure in the eyes of the public. Who knows how much damage these claims could cause?"

"Mr. Kyoukun, what do you have to say in response to the Defense's allegations?" the Judge asked Kyoukun.

"Umm…well…I…" Kyoukun stuttered.

"It's true," Tomoko replied instead.

"Kurosaki-san!" Kyoukun exclaimed.

"Why should we stay silent? The truth's already out there, what does it matter if a few more people hear it?" Tomoko replied.

"…" Kyoukun was silent. Then he sighed and began to explain himself. "Yes, it's true. I tried to conceal the fact that Raira was hacked and I asked Kurosaki-san to do the same. You see, I didn't hire her to fix our breach in security, I hired her to find the hacker so we can bring him up on charges immediately," he explained.

"Wh-What? Wh-What's going on here?" Auchi replied in confusion.

"I figured something was up, you're not an IT girl, are you, Kurosaki-san?" I asked Tomoko.

Tomoko shook her head. "Nope, sorry for lying. But the Dean asked me to conceal my true identity as he was afraid it would expose the true reasons behind my employment. I'm a private investigator, one who has some experience with solving cyber-crimes."

"Y-You're a detective?!" Auchi exclaimed in disbelief.

"P.I.," Tomoko clarified. "I'm no stinking detective, I answer to no one but myself. I act under the upmost secrecy and discretion, and my clients are…numerous and eccentric…to say the least. I'm good at what I do, which is basically anything the client needs. My job for Raira was simple, find the hacker by any means necessary."

"That wouldn't include anything illegal now would it?" the Judge asked.

"Not anything concerning Raira's case, no. At least not before I suffered a setback. According to the Dean, that old guy Takumi thought that the hacker was someone who had to be frequenting Naruhodou Hall," Tomoko explained. "But since it burned down to the ground all the evidence against this individual has been reduced to ash and charred debris."

"Excuse me, but what does any of this have to do with the case at hand?! Are you all forgetting that this is a murder trial to determine who killed Professor Takumi Shigeo?!" Auchi exclaimed.

"Actually, I think it has everything to do with the murder of Professor Takumi," I replied. "Your Honor, the Defense would like to assert that this hacking incident may be a new motive for murdering the victim. In which case, a new suspect is introduced. One who most certainly could not be my client, the hacker themself!" I exclaimed.

"Wh-What?!" Auchi exclaimed.

"What?!" the Judge exclaimed.

"Now that we know about this new information, we cannot deny the possibility that this has something to do with Professor Takumi's murder. As we have learned from Dean Kyoukun, Professor Takumi was one of the people in charge of maintaining the school's computer network. If he had discovered that Raira had been hacked and was working on uncovering who that hacker was, it is not that far-fetched to say that the hacker, out of desperation to hide their identity, killed the Professor and burned down Naruhodou Hall, which contained the server farm that Kurosaki-san believed could aid in finding them. A new motive and a new suspect, a verdict cannot be ruled until we discuss these things in further detail," I proclaimed. Then for a few minutes the courtroom was filled with a buzz of whispers and murmurs filled the courtroom, and they would not die down no matter how much the Judge banged his gavel down upon his desk.

It felt like the tide had truly began to change in my favor, but I knew that it wouldn't be that easy. This was only my first turnabout and the road ahead was most likely filled with hardship after hardship. But still this proved that I did have what it took to be a defense attorney. At that moment I vowed to myself, I would save Professor Tanaka, no matter what. This was only the beginning of my story.

To Be Continued…

A/N: And that's the first part out of the way. I hope you all thought I did a good job laying out the ground work for the mystery and setting up the story for the characters (recurring and ancillary). Again, if you are interested in becoming my co-author, please PM. Otherwise, I'll talk to you all next time.