"You what?" Chiaki gaped at the mechanic in shock.

"I'm... I'm going to plead guilty," Kazuichi repeated with a gulp.

"Why?!" Ibuki demanded.

"Are you an idiot?!" Hiyoko added, pointing an accusatory finger at Kauzichi. "You're being accused of killing someone who is still alive! There's no way you can be convicted!"

"Um... I'm pretty sure i-it's more complicated than that, Hiyoko-san..." Mikan muttered, pinching at her fingers.

"I gave a confession already," Kazuichi confessed, tearing up as he remembered the intimidating investigator and disbelief and wanting it all to end- "It's over. It hasn't even started, but it's over."

"I knew I should have kidnapped you two!" Chiaki screamed, stomping at the floor in frustration. Both Mikan and Hajime moved to calm her down, the pair patting her on the back and whispering soothing things into her ears.

"Chiaki, no!" Ibuki retorted. "Kidnapping won't solve any of your problems!"

Chiaki froze, looking at Ibuki blankly. Then, with the most judgemental, scathing stare she could give, Chiaki waved an arm at Hiyoko.

"...what?" Ibuki stared at the gamer in confusion.

"N-nothing!" Mikan stammered immediately. "It's nothing!"

"Yeah, Mikan's right!" Hiyoko nodded fervently. "Nanami's being weird and paranoid!"

"Do you really want to know?" Hajime raised an eyebrow at the musician.

"Hajime!" Hiyoko hissed, glaring at the man. "Don't even think about-"

"I mean, it's obvious that Hiyo-chan isn't a kidnapper or a kidnap-ee," Ibuki reasoned. "I'm pretty sure the police would be a lot more suspicious of a missing woman showing up to their interview. And the fact that there aren't any missing posters up for her! So no!" Ibuki made a giant 'X' with her forearms as she concluded with, "So I have no idea what Chi-chan's talking about!"

Hiyoko could only say a quiet, "Um," in response.

Thankfully, before someone could explain to Ibuki and an extremely confused Kazuichi, someone called out to them

"Excuse me, is Souda Kazuichi present?" A voice asked, prompting the group to turn around and face the newcomer.

A tall woman stepped towards them with a confident gait. She wore a bright red suit over a black dress shirt, a cool smile on her face. A pair of sunglasses sat on her nose, obscuring her eyes from view. Her short brown hair was tied into twin ponytails, one falling over each shoulder.

"E-er, yeah, that's me," Kazuichi mumbled, still absorbing the strange woman's appearance.

"Then I've got the right man," The crimson-clad woman smirked, before dramatically whipping off her sunglasses with one hand. The other hand reached out towards the mechanic, her hair flipping in ways unseen out of hair commercials. "Legal name, Odoroki-Garyu Miki. But you can call me..." She paused to wink at Kazuichi, a dazzling grin coming onto her face, "Your saviour."

Hajime froze, trying to process exactly what was going on. Chiaki was analyzing the woman suspiciously, trying to see if she would do anything weird. Mikan gaped at the newcomer, trying how the hell the newcomer had managed to make sparkles and flowers manifest in the air around her. Hiyoko wondered if she would get away with screaming and calling the guards, since a weird, possibly-dangerous, definitely-ugly person just walked up to them. Kazuichi had no idea what the fuck was going on. He just wanted to cry.

And Ibuki?

"You still do the flashy intros, Miki-chan?" Ibuki asked casually, completely shattering the atmosphere.

"G-gah!" The sunglasses flew into the air, the woman's face as red as her suit. She pouted at the rock star, her cool facade ruined by Ibuki's nonchalance. "Quit doing that! I was so close to actually looking cool that time!"

"You know her?" Hiyoko asked, turning towards Ibuki curiously.

"She was an old bandmate in middle school, at least until she decided to become a lawyer," Ibuki answered flippantly.

"It was my destiny, calling out for me!" The lawyer exclaimed defensively. "Being a defense attorney was in my blood!"

"Please don't tell me that she's your defense attorney..." Hajime muttered, more to himself than anything.

"Anyways!" Odoroki-Garyu Miki turned towards Kazuichi, slapping a confident smile on her face as she grabbed his hand in a one-sided handshake. "I'll be working to clear your name from now on! Please place your trust in me!"

Hajime swore under his breath.


Turnabout Robotics

"Souda Kazuichi, you are charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and fraud," The aged judge read the words formally, before looking up at the mechanic. "How do you plead?"

"N-not guilty!" The mechanic stammered, trembling in his place at the center podium. He tried to shrink away from the spotlight, from everyone's watching eyes, but that was pretty hard, considering that he was the center of attention.

He jumped at the sound of a fist slamming into wood, the prosecution giving him a glare that would haunt his nightmares and plague his eyes for the rest of his life.

It was almost comical, really. Miss Georgia Beryl was a petite woman, barely tall enough to reach up to the midpoint of Kazuichi's chest, and that was when she was on her tippy-toes. Bright blonde ringlets framed a youthful face. When her height and her cute face were combined with her frilly pink dress, she seemed more like a pissed-off middle school student than the intimidating demon Kazuichi saw.

Except for the part where her fist left cracks in the wood. And how colourful birds and monkeys and even an adult lion suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The animals stayed by Miss Beryl's side, only staring Kazuichi down with her.

The lion licked its lips, making Kazuichi gulp.

"Are you aware of what... consequences your choices will bring?" Miss Beryl asked quietly, her voice carrying many, many threatening undertones. Kazuichi paled, struggling to answer coherently.

"Of course he is!" Miki interjected, slamming her hands on her desk. "Souda Kazuichi is choosing to plead not guilty and that's that!"

"Nonsense!" Miss Beryl shrieked, attacking the wood with her fist once again. Her entourage of pets freaked out at the sound. The lion snarled, the monkeys screamed, the birds revealed their claws and swooped towards Kazuichi-

"That is enough, Miss Beryl!" The judge bellowed, pounding his gavel against his sound block, the noise ringing throughout the courtroom. His voice was firm and commanding. He was not about to let the trial dissolve into chaos and antics. "Get your pets under control this instant!"

Kazuichi whimpered from his hiding place behind the witness's bench. His entire body was trembling from the close brush with death.

Miss Beryl blinked, before reverting to a business-like posture. Her miniature circus act immediately fell silent, the flock of birds returning to perch on her somewhat-ruined desk. The lion curled up to go to sleep, the swarm of monkeys moving to brush its mane with their fingers. "Of course, Your Honour. I apologize for my misconduct."

"Good," The judge nodded. "Court is now is session for Souda Kazuichi."

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," Miss Beryl stated.

"The defense is ready to rock!" The crimson-clad woman declared, a confident (arrogant) smirk on her face.

"Not that you'll be rocking for long," The blonde prosecutor retorted, her grin becoming more amused. She slapped a hand onto her desk, a monkey popping up from behind her desk to give her the document she sought. "Your defendant has already given a confession of his guilt. There isn't much point in a trial, is there?"

"Bzt! Incorrect!" Miki made a giant 'X' with her arms, even though, inwardly, she was cooing over the appearance of her favourite animal. She loved monkeys! "You'll have to try harder than that, Miss Beryl!"

She took a deep breath, remembering her father's advice. Be cool, calm, and composed! And remember to wink! Her papa's mental voice chimed in to add, 'You only resort to improvising when things go off the rails'!

"There's no way my client's confession will be admissible in court after we watch this!" Miki presented the plastic case with pride obvious in her grin. Her dads would be so proud! "Behold, all eleven minutes of Souda Kazuichi's interrogation! AKA, false confessions in the making!"

"How did you get that?!" Miss Beryl demanded, glaring at Miki with a mix of rage and shock. "I thought that she got rid of-"

The blonde quickly cut herself off, slamming a fist onto her desk. "I hope that you remember that evidence obtained through illegal means is inadmissible in court, rookie."

"Hey, just because this is my first case doesn't mean that I'm an idiot!" Miki shot back immediately, before clearing her throat in an attempt to recover. "Everyday, the police station saves the footage of all interrogations, arrests, etcetera to their database, just in case. However, even if the video file is deleted, it's not quite gone! The space the file occupied is just marked to be saved over by new data!"

"What?!" Miss Beryl gasped in horror.

("They're getting awfully worked up over a video we haven't seen yet..." Hiyoko huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Hiyoko-chan, hush!" Ibuki reprimanded the blonde, chomping on fistfuls of popcorn.

"Ibuki-san, is that really appropriate?!" Mikan asked hurriedly.)

"Any computer forensics analyst would know that," Miki said smugly, crossing her arms over her flat chest. "That's why it was so easy to get this footage and put it on this CD!"

"That footage was obtained legally, right?" Miss Beryl inquired skeptically.

"Of course!" Miki nodded, unwilling to admit that she only got the data since one of the detectives was dating her aunt. (Thanks, Aunt Harumi!) Her mind flitted between options, before settling on the one she felt was right.

What was she talking about? Why would you even have to ask? It was her dramatically witty one-liner, of course!

"Open your eyes and feast your heart on the truth of what happened!" Miki proclaimed with a flourish.

("...she got it backwards," Ibuki muttered to herself dejectedly.

"I-I still think it sounds good!" Mikan stammered, trying to defend the defence attorney's honour.

"If by 'good', you mean 'so lame it hurts to listen to this'," Hiyoko grinned derisively, rolling her eyes.

"Hiyo-chan," Ibuki said halfheartedly, before sighing and slumping her head. "Okay, I can't even argue with you over that one.")


Eleven minutes of crying, screaming, and sobbing later, the CD was removed from the DVD player.

"See to it that the investigator who conducted this interview be detained after the trial," The judge commanded. He sighed before continuing with a solemn voice. "The court sees Souda Kazuichi's confession as a result of police brutality and is thereby seen as invalid. We apologize for the miscarriage of justice, defendant."

"N-no problem..." Kazuichi muttered from his spot in the defendant's chair.

"The correct response is 'I humbly accept your apologies, Your Honour, though it is wasted on someone as lowly and pathetic as I'-"

"That is enough, Prosecutor Beryl," The judge interrupted with an exasperated sigh. He seemed like a tired grandfather scolding an overly-enthusiastic granddaughter. "Please, continue with the proceedings while refraining from disparaging the defendant."

"Of course, Your Honour," Miss Beryl nodded, snapping back into her business persona. "The prosecution believes that the accused and his accomplices, Fujisaki Chihiro and an unknown individual, infected the victim, Nanami Chiaki, with a rare disease known as necrotizing fasciitis. She succumbed to her disease April 22nd, ten years ago. After her death, the accused and Fujisaki Chihiro used their talents as the Super High School Level Mechanic and the Super High School Level Programmer to create a robotic version of the victim to cover up their crime."

"...that... that theory is so darn ridiculous...!" Miki hissed under her breath. "How did you even come up with something so needlessly convoluted...?!"

"There is evidence behind it, of course," Miss Beryl stated, snapping her fingers. A bird carrying a manila envelope in its talons flew towards the crimson-clad defense attorney, dropping the evidence onto the defense's bench. Unfortunately, the envelope overshot a bit, papers spilling onto the floor. Miki scrambled to pick up the contents of the envelope while Miss Beryl went on.

"A series of blueprints made by the accused, all depicting a robotic girl bearing a startling resemblance to the victim. The measurements match the victim's proportions exactly. All of the legal records claiming that Nanami Chiaki is dead, along with records that show an individual named 'Nanami Chiaki' working and paying bills after her legal death. A recorded interview with all of Nanami Chiaki's classmates, save for the victim herself and the accused, of course. Each one claimed that she continued to attend class after an extended hospital stay."

("Everyone...?" Mikan mumbled to herself, a bit confused. "But what about...?")

(That's a huge list...!) Miki gaped at the prosecutor in shock. (But, there's got to be a contradiction I can exploit somewhere-)

"And, last but not least, a witness's sincere testimony," Miss Beryl grinned, unknowingly cutting off Miki's inner monologue. The blonde gave a small curtsy, before dramatically gesturing to the courtroom's doors. "Please welcome... our dear guest!"

(In the seat next to Hajime, a pair of pink eyes widened with horror at the sight.)

A short, stocky, mid-aged man shuffled up to the witness's stand. His light-brown hair was combed neatly, not a single hair falling over his wrinkled face. A small golden chain looped around his neck, dipping underneath his dress shirt. Over his dark grey dress shirt, he wore a black suit. Soft pink eyes looked ahead blankly, his lips pulled into a small frown.

"Witness, your name and occupation, if you please," Miss Beryl asked politely.

"I am a graphic designer at a video game company," The witness said slowly, trying to keep his voice calm and steady. "And my name is Nanami Yuichiro."

(T-the victim's grandfather?!) Miki thought, before mentally slapping herself. (No, don't think that! You can't be rude to the victim's grandpappy!)

Nanami Yuichiro turned his stony stare towards Miki, making the defense attorney flinch. Did that man have psychic powers?!

"'The victim...?'" Mr Yuichiro repeated softly, before he exploded. "How dare you!? Her name was Chiaki! My beautiful, darling baby girl! Don't you dare refer to her like some footnote on a legal document, you-you-" Mr Yuichiro seethed, though the tears in his eyes were obviously visible, even from half a courtroom away. "You walking, talking, blatant disregard for the rules and conventions of fashion!"

"A red suit is the Odoroki traditional garment!" Miki exclaimed defensively. "Going without it would be like stripping a teddy bear from a child and unleashing zombies in Europe! A crime that breaks all laws of compassion and human nature! Who cares if it's ugly!? I don't-!"

"The defense will refrain from rambling at length about their questionable fashion choices!" The judge declared, slamming his gavel into his soundblock.

"Er, sorry..." Miki muttered dejectedly, her passion bleeding away.

Miss Beryl snickered a bit, before returning to her air of cold professionalism.

"Nanami Yuichiro, will you please testify about the events of ten years ago? Specifically, your daughter's funeral," Miss Beryl requested courtly.

"Of course," Mr Yuichiro nodded, an angry, no- determined fire coming into his eyes. "Anything to bring my dear heroine's killer to justice."


Cross-Examination!


"I remember it as clearly as the water in a fairy fountain..." Mr Yuichiro started off wistfully.

"Hold it!" Miki interjected, pointing a finger at the witness. "What does that even mean?!"

"A fairy fountain," Mr Yuichiro repeated, his voice immediately becoming detached and cold. "A key feature of the 'Linked Mythos' series. It allows you to summon fairy companions that fight by your side with spears made of magic and sparkles."

(...seriously?) Miki stared at the witness skeptically. (It sounds more like a bad doll line than a game feature...)

"The fairy fountains are renowned for their perfectly clear water," Mr Yuichiro explained, before sighing mournfully. "But, in reality, it's just that the game developers were lazy and made the water completely transparent..."

("WHAT?!" Ibuki shrieked in disbelief, almost dropping her popcorn. Her hands couldn't do anything but hold the popcorn, not since Chiaki's dad showed up.

"How the hell did you not notice?" Hiyoko huffed in exasperation, reaching for Ibuki's popcorn. If Ibuki wasn't eating it, she would. "No pool of water is that still!"

"You play those games, Hiyoko-san?" Mikan asked carefully.

"W-wha- no! O-of course not!" Hiyoko stammered in a furious denial. "Who would ever play those lame games!?"

"She's totally a fangirl," Ibuki nodded to herself with a grin.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!")

"She always loved marching around with an army of bloodthirsty fairies behind her..." Mr Yuichiro muttered to himself.

"Please continue with your testimony, sir," Miss Beryl requested formally.

"Of course," Mr Yuichiro nodded.

(I can't just press him nonstop...) Miki hummed, trying to think of a proper solution. (I'll do my best to find any contradictions in his words.)

"After months of bad news, after learning that her condition was worsening every single day... we heard of her death in May," Mr Yuichiro reported mournfully.

"Witness, can you please specify the date?" Miki asked.

"Mid-May," Mr Yuichiro said simply. His eyes darkened as he went on with his testimony. He seemed to crumble in on himself, cracks beginning to form in his calm demeanor as he brought up the painful memories. "We... we buried her body... She was so, so discoloured, I almost couldn't recognize her... but, I-we knew it was her...!" He hugged himself, trying to calm himself down. "It was my darling little heroine...! She must have suffered so much from it... She must have felt so much pain..."

Mr Yuichiro slammed a trembling fist into the witness's podium, tears running down his face. "That's why...! That's why, no matter what, I can't forgive that murderer!"

"That's wrong!"

All eyes in the courtroom turned towards the loud voice.

A woman in a blue hoodie stood up in the gallery, moving towards the railing. Her antenna-haired companion tried to stop her, to pull her back, but she dodged his lungesa, leaping on top of the railing.

Before someone could stop her, the woman jumped down, falling behind the defense's desk. She landed on her feet, completely unharmed as she stood up straight.

"Souda Kazuichi can't be a murderer!" The woman declared. She slapped a hand to her chest, projecting her voice to the entire courtroom. "He can't be a murderer, because I'm still alive!"

"What?!" Miki gaped at the woman at her side, before noticing something. The woman had soft pink eyes and light brown hair, just like-

"C-Chiaki?!" Mr Yuichiro stammered, immediately moving towards the woman. He barely got a step away from the witness's stand before Miss Beryl's voice rang out.

"Stay back!" The blonde commanded. "Stay away from that woman! She might be dangerous! An unknown assailant or something like that!"

"My name is Nanami Chiaki!" The woman exclaimed, balling her hands into fists at her sides. Only Miki could see how her fingers were trembling.

"Is... is it really you...?" Her father asked hesitantly, his eyes filling with tears once again.

"I'm..." Chiaki gulped down her nervousness, forcing herself to nod. "Yeah. It's me."

"Miss Nanami Chiaki!" The judge slammed his gavel down onto the soundblock, trying to look stern and imposing. "There will be no leaping down from the gallery! Bailiff, go to check her for any injuries!"

"I'm fine!" Chiaki screamed. "I'm not hurt at all!"

(Things have definitely gone off the rails...) Miki realized, before slapping an excited grin on her face. (That means that it's time to start bluffing and pressing as I please!)


"Witness, your name and occupation, if you please," Miss Beryl huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nanami Chiaki," The pink-eyed woman said curtly. "I work as a nurse at the Towa Prefecture Hospital."

"They allow robots to work at the hospital...?" Miss Beryl stared at Chiaki curiously. "Strange."

"Objection!" Miki snapped, before pointing dramatically at the prosecutor. There was a suave (in her mind) grin on her face as she spoke. "Who ever said the witness was a robot? Got sci-fi on the brain or something?"

("Uuuuuuuurgh, that was awful," Hiyoko groaned, smacking a hand to her forehead.

"That burn scores a 'below glacial' level on the temperature readings," Ibuki said simply.

"Cold enough to give you frostbite in seconds!" Hiyoko declared, turning to grin mischievously at Ibuki.

Ibuki paused, before suddenly understanding. A bright smile stretched across her face as she joined in.

"Cold enough to freeze the very air around her!" Ibuki added.

"Colder than Pluto in an ice age!"

"Why do you two like making fun of the defense attorney so much...?" Mikan asked, looking at the pair strangely.

"It's fun!" Ibuki exclaimed.

"You should try it, Mikan," Hiyoko offered. "It's hilarious."

"Um... no thanks..." Mikan mumbled quietly.)

"Objection!" Miss Beryl yelled in return. Her hand sliced through the air in front of her like a blade to punctuate her words. She rested her hand on her hip as a smug smirk came onto her face. Her face practically screamed 'You messed up, and I will make sure you know it.' "Did you forget? In the gift I oh-so-generously gave you, there were a set of blueprints. All of which depicted a robotic girl who resembles the victim to a frightening degree."

"Urk...!" Miki flinched, realizing that she did forget that fact.

Miss Beryl slapped her palm down on her already-ruined desk, smiling dangerously. "Well, defense? Is it not possible that the one standing before us is that replica?"

"Well, isn't it also possible that she's the real deal?!" Miki shot back, her voice more than a little desperate.

"I am the real deal!" Chiaki huffed, puffing out her cheeks as she glared.

"Prove it!" Miss Beryl challenged, before turning to the judge. "The prosecution requests that Nanami Yuichiro be summoned again to verify her testimony!"

"Of course, Miss Beryl," The judge nodded. "Bailiff! Please bring Nanami Yuichiro to the courtroom immediately!"


Cross-Examination


"My name is Nanami Chiaki," The woman on the stand repeated once again. "I was the Super High School Level Gamer in high school. Class 77-B."

"There was one genre that you could never get right," Mr. Yuichiro stated, staring at the woman on the witness stand warily. "Which was it?"

"Dating sims," The witness answered immediately.

Mr Yuichiro nodded.

"That information may have been gleaned from whatever gaming videos the victim created before her death," Miss Beryl offered as an explanation.

"Shush you," Miki rolled her eyes.

"What-?!"

"Witness, please continue with your testimony," The judge requested, cutting off the blonde prosecutor before she could threaten Miki. The woman in the blue hoodie nodded.

"Towards the end of my first year, I got sick. Well..." The pink-eyed woman sighed. "It was more serious than that. Necrotizing fasciitis. My skin peeled off and became-"

"Do we really need the description?!" Miki screamed without thinking. After a short pause, she cleared her throat, trying to recover. "Er, sorry. Please continue."

"Well... I was dying. And Mikan and Kazuichi saved me," The witness said simply.

"'Mikan'...?" Miss Beryl repeated, staring at the woman strangely. "Who is that, exactly?"

"One of my classmates. Tsumiki Mikan, the Super High School Level Nurse."

"I-I see..." Miss Beryl nodded. "Please continue then, witness."

Miki could feel her eyes being drawn towards the prosecutor, the miniature twitches of Miss Beryl's lips as obvious as the difference between hope and despair, love and apathy, day and night to the defense attorney. Miss Beryl was tense, clenching her teeth together behind a mask of business-like calmness. For what reasons, Miki couldn't guess, so she set the idea aside to focus on the witness's testimony.

"There wasn't much hope for me..." The woman sighed, her pink eyes downcast. "I was diagnosed way too late. Normally, the regular cure would be amputation, but... the disease had already spread to my chest. Since you can't just cut off my chest, I thought I was bound to die..."

"But then the school had a crazy idea," She smiled, gratitude and pride and joy obvious in her voice. "I was classmates with the SHSL Mechanic and the SHSL Neurologist, plus the fact that there was a SHSL Programmer in the first-year class. They thought that, if anyone could make a miracle prosthetic for me, it would be those three."

"So those blueprints were..." Miki trailed off, eyes widening as she realized the answer. "Your body was too badly affected by the disease, so the three of them made a robot body for you!"

"Correct," The witness said with a tiny, almost amused grin on her face.

"Then that means that Souda Kazuichi is innocent!" Miki concluded, beaming triumphantly.

"...if this is the genuine Nanami Chiaki speaking," Miss Beryl added, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't forget the fact that you haven't proved her reliability yet."

All eyes in the courtroom turned towards Mr Nanami Yuichiro. The man stood from his seat, staring at the witness carefully.

"What's your favourite game of all time?" Mr Yuichiro inquired.

"The 'Harpist of Space and Lore', seventh game in the 'Linked Mythos' series, released on my fifth birthday. The game is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year," The woman spouted off the incredibly detailed trivia as easily as she would say her own name. Mr Yuichiro still didn't look convinced.

"Why was it your favourite?"

"Because Mom was the one who made the bosses. She made them fun to fight and colourful and memorable," She smiled, her hand resting on her chest, right over her heart. "My favourite boss was Gorala, the giant ice storm bird that terrorized the forest."

"How would you defeat Gorola?" Mr Yuichiro asked, sounding like an interrogator asking for bits of information that didn't make it onto her resume.

It was like he flipped a switch in her head. Almost immediately, the woman's pink eyes brightened with delight, her joy palpable in her voice. The woman leaned forward, using the witness's stand to support herself as she rambled on excitedly.

"You can use the magic shield given to you by the twin witch guardians of the desert in order to absorb Gorola's ice blasts and shoot them back, but you could also destroy the roof in order to shorten the distance that Gorola could fly. This makes it easier for you to strike it with your sword and arrows, but on the downside, you have less space to dodge the ice blasts. If you wanted to face Gorola before dispelling the spirits possessing the twin witch guardians, you could always just use the old-fashioned way, aka sword and arrows, but then there's a high chance of running out of arrows before you can actually do any real damage. I recommend using the harp song 'Serenade of Stillness' to petrify Gorola for a bit if you have bad aim. There-"

She cut herself off when something slipped out of her pocket, clattering to the floor. The witness snatched it up quickly, cradling the object to her chest protectively. A thin silver chain hung around her wrist, lopping back to the object in her hand.

"Show me that!" Mr Yuichiro shouted suddenly, his hand flying up towards his neck.

Silently, the witness pinched the chain, letting the charm dangle from the necklace. Mr Yuichiro's eyes widened at the sight of an 8-bit heart, painted in shades of red and pink. On top was an elaborate logo painted in golden ink, depicting a phoenix rising from a pile of ashes, wings spread wide. On the fiery bird's back was a feminine figure holding a harp over her head.

The necklace completely identical to the one hanging around Nanami Yuichiro's neck.

"We all had one," Mr Yuichiro muttered quietly.

"A family of heroes," The pink-eyed woman added with a small smile.

"The legendary trio..." Mr Yuichiro nodded, a wistful smile appearing on his face. He raised his voice, addressing the court with his verdict. "This is, without a doubt, my daughter."

"Ha! In your face, Miss Beryl!" Miki laughed, before suddenly freezing. A sheepish smile appeared on her face as she tried to recover. "Er. Sorry."

"Why are you so arrogant?" The blonde asked with a sigh. "All you've proven is that it's possible that the accused knew the victim well enough to make a convincing imitation of her, in appearance and in personality."

"Convincing enough to fool her own father?!" Miki shot back. "Un-freaking-likely! I doubt that even your best friend would be able to pull off something like that!"

"Those charms were specially made for the team creating the 'Harpist of Space and Lore'," Mr Yuichiro added. "There aren't many in existence."

"Grk...!" The prosecutor sneered, before slamming a fist into her desk, nearly destroying the poor thing with her inhuman strength. The impact startled the birds resting on the desk, the flock moving to rest on Miss Beryl's shoulders instead. Miss Beryl glared at the defense attorney, trying to regain some ground. "W-well, isn't it possible for the accused to have bought a replica or something?!"

Mr Yuichiro shook his head. "The sentimental value far outweighs the amount of money you would get for it. No one in our team would ever give up their necklace."

"Then how would your child be considered part of the team?!" Miss Beryl retorted. "She would be five or even younger at the time! How would she be considered a designer?!"

Mr Yuichiro smiled as he reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it carefully, like he was afraid of tearing the sheet.

It was a lined paper torn straight from a notebook. Childish crayon depicted a crimson-clad princess fighting off an eight-eyed spider with a sword. An army of bright blue spheres fought with her, holding pure white spears... despite the fact that they didn't have ams.

"This is what inspired the game in the first place," Mr Yuichiro declared with pride in his voice. "My daughter was the inspiration behind a world-famous game. She isn't just part of the team, she was our leader."

"Dad..." Chiaki muttered quietly, tears coming to her eyes. Her fingers wrapped around the charm in her hand, holding it close to her heart.

"She's as real as real can get," Miki proclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. There was a confident grin on her face as she addressed the prosecution. "Or are you going to say that this father-daughter bond is a complete fake?"

"Urgh, well... Even if she is the real Nanami Chiaki... There's still a chance that her testimony is unreliable, isn't there?!" Miss Beryl screamed in desperation.

"Then prove it, Miss Beryl!" Miki challenged. "How could she be unreliable if she's the genuine article?"

"Well... AIs are generally loyal to their creators, aren't they?" Miss Beryl offered, her composure returning. "It's possible that Nanami Chiaki has some artificial loyalty to the accused and his accomplice implanted in her!"

"That's a theory ripped straight out of a bad sci-fi novel, Miss Beryl!" Miki slammed a hand on her desk.

"Then show me the evidence saying it's not possible!" Miss Beryl shot back. "Definite, solid proof!"

"...er," Miki paused, going through her evidence folder once again. Then again.

It was on her third attempt that she realized... nothing in her dossier actually disproved the prosecution's theory.

(Crap! What am I supposed to do-!)

Her eyes widened as an idea came to mind.

"The defendant!" Miki said suddenly, clapping her hands together. "Or Fujisaki Chihiro, whichever one! Just call them to the stand and get them to testify about their prosthetic!"

"No," Miss Beryl snarled, glaring at the defense attorney. "There's no way their testimonies would be admissible! They'll just lie to save their own pathetic hides!"

"Argh, fine!" Miki pouted, before pausing thoughtfully. (The other people involved in the situation were... what was his name again?) "Something about a neurologist! What's-his-name! Something-something brains and surgeries!"

"You're suddenly spouting more nonsense than usual," Miss Beryl quipped with an amused grin.

"You mean... Matsuda Yasuke? The SHSL Neurologist?" Chiaki offered.

"Yeah!" Miki nodded with a huge, dorky grin. "That guy!"

"Er... he's sort of... dead," Chiaki mumbled.

"What," Miki said flatly, her smile falling away in an instant. In lieu of the bright smile was confusion and bafflement, and nothing but confusion and bafflement.

"The victim of the world's most explosive and literal breakup," Chiaki added under her breath.

"Um... then... the other one! The nurse!" Miki floundered, trying to recover quickly. "Her name was... Oranges?"

"Mikan," Chiaki corrected. "Tsumiki Mikan."

"We. Are. Not. Calling. Her," Miss Beryl growled through gritted teeth.

("U-um, I-I'm already... I'm already here...!" Mikan squeaked. No one heard her but the pair next to her.

"Mikan?" Ibuki turned towards her, poking her in the side. "Need some help?"

Mikan nodded gratefully, before-)

"SHE'S RIGHT HERE!" A deafeningly loud shriek emerged from the gallery, bringing the argument to a standstill. A pair of women stood, one with brightly-dyed hair, the other with short brown locks. The woman with brightly-dyed hair gestured to her companion, who trembled in the spotlight.

In the chaos, one would be forgiven for letting their mind focus on the strange duo. But Miki couldn't help but notice how Miss Beryl twitched at the arrival of the new witness...

Oh well. It was time to prove Souda Kazuichi and Fujisaki Chihiro innocent!


"Witness," Miss Beryl said stiffly, giving the timid brunnette a stony glare. "Name. Occupation. Now."

"U-um, right!" The woman yelped, clasping her hands to her chest in an attempt to steel herself for a great and monumental task: raising her voice when the entire room was watching her carefully.

She took a deep breath, thinking of white dragons on black eyepatches and the smell of gunpowder and sugar. Then she thought of bright blue and pink and white hair dye, sunset orange kimonos, pink cat-themed backpacks, bright-red eyes, cameras, and a green tie. There might have been strangers watching... but her friends were there too! They were cheering her on, so she could do it!

The thought calmed her down a bit, letting her project her voice to the audience.

"My name is Tsumiki Mikan. I work as a nurse at the Towa Prefecture Hospital," Mikan smiled as she said the words, bringing a flush to Miki's cheeks.

"U-uh, asking for... court-related reasons..." Miki mumbled quietly. "But... your phone numb-ARGH!"

The last bit was because of the fact that a bird flew at her, hovering by her face to peck at her forehead.

"This is a court of law, not a dating service!" Miss Beryl reprimanded the defense attorney. "Do that on your own time!"

(It was worth a shot...) Miki sighed in disappointment. She let out another sigh when the bird returned to Miss Beryl, though that time, it was of relief.

"Testify about your experience with the defendant and her robot body," Miss Beryl ordered.

"Of course!" Mikan nodded, keeping her bright smile on her face as she thought up ways to cover up the fact that she wasn't involved in the surgery that gave Chiaki her new body. Hell, she didn't even know about the robot body a few months ago.

A rule that has been repeated numerous times is that Tsumiki Mikan couldn't lie. At all.

For the most part, that phrase rang true. However...

If it were for someone she loved, Tsumiki Mikan would be capable of anything. Be it superhuman strength, desire to kill, or the skills of manipulation and deception, she could summon courage and rage and strength from her very soul should the need arise.

And for the sake of saving someone important to Chiaki, she would lie and bluff as much as she needed to.


Cross-Examination!


"I was the nurse taking care of Chiaki-san when she was hospitalized. Souda-san was in charge of building prosthetic limbs for her, but..." She sighed, frowning mournfully. "The disease was progressing too quickly. He had to keep remaking his designs to try to keep up."

(So that's why...) Miki hummed to herself as she went over the sheets of blueprints. She could almost see the progression of the disease through them. The victim's feet were the first things to go, so the first blueprint was of her feet. Then it spread to her knees, then her hips, and the mechanic began struggling to find ways to replace the damaged tissue while leaving internal organs intact. Then he began to plan out how to create functional versions of her organs, mapping out how to connect the replacements to her brain and nerves.

"Did the victim show any strange behaviour after her surgery?" Miss Beryl asked gruffly.

Mikan paused, pretending to think. It didn't count as strange if Chiaki had always been quiet and anti-social, right?

With that thought in mind, Mikan shook her head.

"What about her relationship with the defendant? Did that change at all?" Miki pressed the nurse, hoping for more information.

"They did become closer..." Mikan admitted.

"How would you describe their relationship?" Miki inquired. "Did the defendant show control over her?"

"Uh... they... um..." Mikan hesitated. She couldn't outright say yes, but... "They kind of... she sort of started calling him her dad..."

Both Miki and Miss Beryl made a weird face at that, grimacing at the thought.

"I... see..." Miki huffed awkwardly.

("Ew, ew, ew! I so didn't need to know that!" Hiyoko screamed, clutching at her ears.

"Are you okay?" Ibuki stared at the blonde in concern.

"Oh, of course I'm just fine hearing about that lovely bit of information," Hiyoko rolled her eyes, her voice not at all sarcastic. "I just loooove hearing incredibly disgusting things about their lives, no big deal."

"How's it disgusting?" Ibuki asked, confused.

"You seriously don't know," Hiyoko asked flatly.

"I mean, it's kinda weird to call a friend a dad, but it's fine, right?" Ibuki mumbled, trying to cover up the fact that she actually didn't know.

"You're completely hopeless," Hiyoko declared.

"Hey! I'm not! Just tell me!" Ibuki whined.

"No!" Hiyoko shot back. "I'm not going to traumatize you like that! Just shut up and enjoy your stupidity!"

"Enlighten me! Show me the awful truth of the world!"

"Hell no! There's a reason why it's called awful truth!")

"Moving on," Miss Beryl pointedly ignored the elephant in the room.

"Um... a quick question..." Mikan pinched at her fingers.

"No," Miss Beryl snapped immediately.

"Don't be rude!" Miki glared at the prosecutor, before turning to Mikan. She tried to put a friendly smile on her face for the nurse. "Sorry about her jerkassery. What did you want to ask?"

"U-um... if it's already been established that the robotic body was made t-to save Chiaki-san's life, w-why is the trial still going...?" Mikan asked hesitantly, carefully watching Miss Beryl for a reaction. "It can't be murder if it's for her health..."

"It hasn't been proven that that was the purpose behind the robotic body," Miss Beryl countered. "There are too many gaps in our knowledge of the case. Your testimony is supposed to fill those gaps."

"Oh..." Mikan paused, thinking. She had to fill in a part of the picture she had never seen before. But she didn't have do it perfectly, she just had to do it well enough that the attorneys and judge couldn't see any flaws in it. Yes, she could do it-

"If you're done, you can leave," Miss Beryl snarled, making Mikan yelp.

("I'm going to fucking kill her, I'm going to fucking kill her...!" Hiyoko grumbled under her breath.

"I'll help you hide the body, I'll help you hide the body...!" Ibuki added in the same tone of voice.)

"What's with you?!" Miki demanded furiously, slamming a fist onto her desk. Thankfully, she didn't leave any cracks in the wood. "You were so polite to Mr Nanami and Nanami Chiaki! Why the hell are you so hostile to the cutie-pie?!"

"I am not hostile to the witness! Stop asking!" Miss Beryl screamed in denial, startling her miniature circus act away. The lion let out a tired yawn/roar. The birds moved to sit on the railings of the gallery, while the monkeys hurriedly began petting the lion to try to coax it back to sleep.

"Miss Beryl!" The judge smacked his gavel onto his soundblock. The loud sound demanded everyone's attention. Miss Beryl paled when he fixed her with a stern stare. "Tell us the truth."

"T-the truth?! I'm being truthful! I'm not lying!" Miss Beryl shrieked desperately.

"It's fine!" Mikan declared, covering for the blonde prosecutor. "I can handle it!" Her mind scrambled for a subject change, before landing on the issue that bothered her so much earlier. "I wasn't interviewed about Chiaki-san... but I can assure you! Her leave from school was entirely because of medical reasons!"

"You weren't interviewed...?" Miki's eyes widened, before turning to Miss Beryl with a suspicious stare. "Miss Beryl! What's with this sloppy investigation!? Aren't you the 'Sharp-Eyed Prosecutor'?! What happened to your legendary attention to details!?"

"It's-it's not... no, it's...!" Miss Beryl bit her lip, her eyes widening with horror. Sweat rolled down her pale face before she cracked. "No, i-it's-it's... it's not my fault!" Fat tears began to roll down her cheeks as she sobbed.

The judge pounded his gavel onto his soundblock, calling for the attention of the court. "Recess! We will have a forty-five-minute re-!"

His frantic orders were cut off by Miss Beryl finding her voice once again.

"T-they... they came into the police station when I was visiting..." Miss Beryl whimpered quietly, hugging herself in an attempt to shield herself. The action didn't stop her body from trembling. "The day Nanami Chiaki reappeared... A b-blonde woman and a-a woman with piercing red eyes... b-both covered in blood... They said... they said they were part of the Kuzuryuu f-family, and that we-we would be killled i-if we investigated T-T-Tsumiki Mikan or the Nanami Chiaki d-disappearance case..."

Mikan's eyes widened with recognition at the descriptions. Pekoyama and Fuyuhiko's scary sister! The prosecutor was scared of them...!

'If the prosecutor is scared of the Kuzuryuu family...' Mikan paused, trying to figure out the best and most efficient way to reach her goal. 'Then she would probably be really grateful to someone who got them to stop threatening her. Maybe grateful enough to drop a case for that person...'

With a small, determined grin on her face, Mikan reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone.

The nurse was completely oblivious to the fact that, in the prosecutor's paranoia, her grin looked more like a sinister smirk.

"Hello, Fuyuhiko?" Mikan smiled when she heard her boyfriend's voice in response. "I need you to come to the courtroom-"

"No!" Miss Beryl screamed. The flock of birds panicked, one of them flying towards Mikan with claws extended. Mikan let out a cry of pain when sharp talons swiped at her hand, dropping her phone to the floor.

"Order, order!" The judge declared, hammering away at the soundblock nonstop. "We will have order and calm in the court!"

"You... you h-have connections t-to the Yakuza...!" Miss Beryl stammered frantically, pointing a finger at the woman at the witness stand. She was shaking horribly, almost about to fall over in her fear. "C-calling someone t-t-to kill us...!"

"No!" Mikan retorted immediately, gingerly holding her bleeding hand. She switched to a pleading tone of voice, trying to reason with the prosecutor. "I swear, that wasn't what I was doing!"

"The court orders a recess for the witness to get that wound treated," The judge ordered, trying to regain his control over the panicked courtroom. "Court is adjourned!"


"Mikan, Mikan, what the hell's going on?!" Fuyuhiko demanded hurriedly, his unease obvious. His anxiety only grew with every second that the call remained silent, before he shut off his phone, gritting his teeth together as he stood.

"You're leaving the game?" Natsumi looked up at him, almost bored as she passed one of the Go pieces from one hand to the other. She grinned in amusement, sneaking a glance at the completely-black dominated board. "Don't tell me you're chickening out because you're losing."

"I'm leaving," Fuyuhiko said simply, refusing to get mad at the taunting. Natsumi's eyes widened, freezing in place.

Fuyuhiko always got mad and determined to win every time she made fun of him. If he wasn't mad, then that meant... he was either broken or dead serious about something.

"I'm coming with you then," Natsumi pushed herself up, slapping a bright grin on her face. "It's my duty as your little sister to make sure you don't end up dead in an alleyway, after all!"

Fuyuhiko rolled his eye, before silently dragging Natsumi towards the door. He didn't even bother to change out of his pyjamas. Natsumi didn't really question it. She didn't really have any room to judge, since she killed in cosplay before.


(The cute girl turned out to be a Yakuza...) Miki mentally slapped herself. (Focus on the case, dammit!)

"Court is now in session," The judge declared. His voice became a bit gentler when he addressed the nurse. "Witness, will your hand be alright? Do you require additional care?"

"No, t-this is fine!" Mikan grinned, holding up her hands. Both of her hands were wrapped in bandages, though only her right hand was bloodied. Therefore, the asymmetrical aspect of her appearance was still present. Hooray!

"P-please don't k-k-kill us..." Miss Beryl begged, her voice cracking and crumbling in her desperation. "I swear... I d-didn't mean for you to g-get hurt...!"

"You're n-not going to die!" Mikan stammered back, flailing her hands about in a panicked attempt to calm the prosecutor down. It probably did more harm than good though. "I swear, I'm not going to let you d-die!"

"Please d-don't kill m-my family either!"

"No one is going to die!" Mikan proclaimed. "I swear on my life and my duty as a nurse!"

Mikan had no idea that she accidentally set up a death flag for the weak, fragile hope she offered to the blonde prosecutor. Actually... she was more of an unwitting instigator of doom than anything else, given that she was indirectly responsible for what happened just seconds after her promise.

"I SWEAR TO FUCKING HELL IF ANY OF YOU FUCKING BASTARDS LAID A GODDAMN HAND ON HER, I'LL MAUL YOU SO BADLY, YOU'LL FUCKING BEG FOR DEATH!"

("This... this isn't going to end well..." Hajime muttered under his breath.)

"Fuyuhiko...!?" Mikan gasped in shock, right before the doors slammed open. Two security guards scrambled to get away from the doors, trembling.

A pervasive noise attacked the ears of everyone in the room. The sound was impossible to shut out, impossible to ignore. It forced visions of bloodshed and hatred into your mind, unsettling, disturbing images that terrorized all.

The courtroom's fear only intensified when a demonic figure shrouded in darkness and bloodlust stepped over the threshold.

It was like staring at the manifestation of the shadow of the world, all of humanity's rage and wrath and fury condensed into one vessel. The menacing creature seemed to drain the colour and life out of the air around him. A chill settled over the room, maybe even the entire building, at the sight of the monstrous beast. The people of the court froze in terror as his eye swept over them, the fiery crimson glow striking the fear of death into their hearts.

And then he spotted the nurse at the witness stand. The whispers of death and carnage immediately fell silent. The gallery gasped in horror and anticipation when the monster rushed towards her, a pair of hands reaching out for her-

"Oh god, Mikan, are you okay?!" He demanded frantically, holding her left hand in his. He checked her arm for injuries, before belatedly realizing that the bandage on Mikan's left arm was for concealing her scars.

Suddenly, all of the fear and panic in the gallery's hearts disappeared, and they saw Fuyuhiko for what he was; a tiny blond guy in pinstriped pyjamas.

"Fuyuhiko, I'm fine!" Mikan declared quickly, trying to console the Yakuza heir. "It's not important right now!"

"'Not important'?! I thought you were dead or kidnapped or-" Fuyuhiko cut himself off as he spotted Mikan's bloodied hand, his hands curling up into fists. "Mikan. Who did that to you?" His voice was slow and deliberate. Fuyuhiko was trying to restrain his anger until he knew exactly who to take it out on.

"Fuyuhiko, Fuyuhiko, please calm down!" Mikan pleaded.

"I'll calm down when I'm standing on that bastard's grave-!"

Fuyuhiko's eye widened as Mikan wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close.

"I'm fine now, okay?" Mikan said reassuringly. "You don't have to get mad."

"I'm not mad..." Fuyuhiko grumbled in denial.

"If you say so," Mikan giggled in return.

"Don't scare me like that ever again, got it?" Fuyuhiko huffed, his arms coming up to hug Mikan back. "I was worried about you."

"Of course," Mikan promised, a bright smile on her face.

(What a touching mother-son relationship...!) Miki wiped away a tear at the tender scene.

("They need to get a fucking room," Hiyoko scowled.

"But they're so cute!" Ibuki squealed, grinning excitedly. "They're making my heart beat so fast, you could use me as a two-twenty metronome!"

"What the hell does that even mean?!")


"So, the prosecutor is supposed to ask you for your name and profession and then you talk about whatever they ask you to..." Mikan explained, moving to stand next to Fuyuhiko at the witness stand.

"Man, what a pain..." Fuyuhiko groaned, rolling his eye. "Whatever. Let's get this over with. Where's the damn prosecutor?"

"She's right over there," Mikan pointed to the-

-completely empty desk?

She blinked, trying to see if she was hallucinating. Nope, still gone. No sign of blonde ringlets anywhere. Even her animals seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

Miki slammed a hand on her desk. "Miss Beryl!"

"N-n-n-n-no one's h-h-h-here...!" A shaking voice came from under the desk.

"Miss Beryl, do your damn job!" Miki ordered, glaring at the prosecutor's bench.

"T-there is n-no Miss Beryl... s-she has suddenly b-b-been wiped from existence..."

"Argh, fine, I'll do it myself!" Miki huffed, turning to the witness stand. She paused, realizing something. "Wait, are you actually allowed to testify together? I mean, I know some kids get anxious if they're separated from their parents, but-"

"Are you fucking messing with me?!" Fuyuhiko demanded, all but snarling at the defense attorney. Mikan had to wrap her arms around his shoulders to keep him from charging at the lawyer.

"Fuyuhiko, you can't kill anyone!" Mikan screamed, pulling him towards her, AKA away from the crimson-clad brunette. "Please, calm down!"

"Perhaps it's for the best if the two stay together..." The judge sighed to himself upon seeing the scene. "And if the defense refrained from saying anything to aggravate the witness."

"H-hey, it was a valid question!" Miki shot back defensively.

"Fuyuhiko, please calm down," Mikan begged softly.

"Argh, fine!" Fuyuhiko sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. Even when he relaxed into Mikan's hold, he was pretty much pouting, still mad at the attorney. "You're lucky I love you."

"Yeah, I am," Mikan smiled.

"G-gah!" Fuyuhiko flinched away, his face bright red. "You weren't supposed to actually fucking agree with me!"

("I honestly can't tell if they're a couple or if they're just being weird..." Hiyoko grumbled under her breath.

"Somehow, I feel like the answer will be B no matter what," Ibuki added. "The only difference is if it's a mix of A and B or just B.")

(Okay. I can't deny it anymore. They're definitely a couple.) Miki concluded, sighing in disappointment. The universe couldn't just let her have the fantasy of meeting a cute single mother for even an hour, couldn't it? "Your name and occupation, please."

"Huh-" The pair jumped, having forgotten that they didn't actually have a room to themselves. Fuyuhiko turned his attention to the lawyer. There wasn't a scowl on his face, not at all. "Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko. Heir to the Kuzuryuu family."

(I-I was making fun of a Yakuza heir?!) Miki paled in horror, before making a mental connection. The Yakuza family that threatened Miss Beryl was the Kuzuryuu family, right?

A frightened yelp came from underneath the prosecutor's bench, confirming Miki's suspicions.

"Um, Fuyuhiko..." Mikan whispered into the blond's ear. "Please promise that you won't kill anyone."

She got a bit distracted, fine, she admitted that, but she was determined to see her mission through!

"I don't have a reason to kill anyone," Fuyuhiko huffed, rolling his eye. Mikan grinned excitedly, right as Fuyuhiko added, "Except the bastard who hurt you. That asshole's skull is going to be hanging off a hook soon."

A shrill shriek came from underneath the prosecutor's bench, right before a loud THUMP.

Miss Beryl's pale and unconscious body was fished out from the prosecutor's banged-up desk. Court was adjourned, again.


After a lot of begging and bribery and kisses, Fuyuhiko finally gave in, promising to not kill the person who hurt Mikan. Just in case, she made sure that he agreed to refrain from physical and emotional harm too. She trusted her boyfriend, but he was crafty! If anyone could find a loophole in her words, it would be him!

(Okay, maybe, just maybe Mikan just wanted an excuse to give him more kisses. Maybe.)

For the sake of safety, she insisted on staying with him in the waiting room. She sat right next to him on the bench, her arms wrapped around his chest. Mikan's head rested on his shoulder and Fuyuhiko placed an arm over her shoulders in return. It was really comfortable.

But... y'know. It was just so she could hold him back in case someone got him mad. It wasn't an excuse to be near him or anything. It wasn't like he calmed her down or made her really happy just by doing that. Mikan was just being careful. Obviously. That was totally the reason.

It wasn't because he was really cuddly, or how he let her play with his fingers, or how he tried so hard to seem unaffected even when Mikan could see the blush on his cheeks and how adorable he was. That definitely wasn't the reason she wanted to hug him at all!

Alright, Mikan couldn't deny it forever. Yes, she loved hugging Fuyuhiko. Yes, she loved holding his hands and playing with his fingers. Yes, she loved how adorable he was when he tried to pretend he wasn't embarrassed. And yes, she loved the way he fit perfectly in her arms.

But first and foremost, Mikan had a mission. Her goal was to get Souda and Fujisaki a 'Not Guilty' verdict, no matter what. And Fuyuhiko was the perfect person to help her do that! Not only was he cuddly and cute, he was resourceful, insightful, and quick on both his literal and metaphorical feet! Fuyuhiko was the perfect partner, in crime and in love!

"Mikan, your internal monologue is getting too damn mushy," Fuyuhiko grumbled, even though he was bright red. His voice was quiet, so that Mikan was the only one in the crowded waiting room who heard his voice.

"Ah, sorry," Mikan said quickly, trying to find a way to turn off her thoughts.

(She couldn't just not think about him, okay?! Fuyuhiko was soft and he smelled like candy and when he was with her, Mikan couldn't stop smiling!)

Her eyes looked around the waiting room, hoping to find something interesting enough to distract her from embarrassing thoughts.

Ibuki and Hiyoko were bickering again on the other end of the room. The crimson-clad attorney was discussing something with Souda. The rest of the crowd was made up of the members of the gallery that Mikan didn't know. She let her eyes wander from person to person, before she spotted Hajime... holding a familiar blue sweater.

Mikan's eyes widened as she hurriedly scanned the crowd for the pink-eyed gamer, but to no avail.

"I think Chiaki-san might be naked again," Mikan whispered to the one-eyed man next to her.

"What the- again?!" Fuyuhiko groaned in exasperation.


"They've got to be here somewhere..." Chiaki muttered to herself as she rummaged through the hotel room.

She was working on a time limit. Chiaki had to work without being caught, since... well, she was kind of breaking a couple laws in her pursuit of justice. First was the fact that she was technically trespassing (though Chiaki was sure that if she took the time to ask, Mikan, Saionji, and Ibuki would be fine with it). Then there was her technical theft (she would probably be fine with it. Probably)... and the fact that she was completely nude.

Add her sort-of law-breaking vigilantism to the fact that she had no idea when the prosecutor would wake up and when the trial would resume again...

Well, Chiaki had always been good at stealth games. She could probably find her target and get back to the courtroom in less than five minutes.

If she could actually fucking find her target.

Chiaki pouted as she turned away from the suitcases, trying to think. Where would she put it...?

Her mind made the connection so suddenly that Chiaki nearly fell over from the power of logic. Of course!

She whirled around, all but jumping at the area underneath the neatly-made bed, fishing out several colourful notebooks.

"Diary, daydream journal, to-do list, explicit daydream journal..." Chiaki read the names off the covers, discarding each of those notebooks. Her eyes brightened with joy and delight when they came upon a green, spiral-bound notebook. "Here it is...!"

Chiaki hurriedly tucked the book under her arm, not bothering to clean up before heading towards the window. Wings emerged from her back as she leaped out the broken window.

She was going to save Kazuichi and Chihiro. Chiaki had to do at least that much for the people who had saved her life. She owed her friends that much. And she intended to repay her debt.


Hajime rushed over to her the moment she landed, hurriedly tossing her clothes at her.

"Court started already!" Hajime hissed. "They're in the middle of questioning Mikan and Fuyuhiko again!"

"Then let's go!" Chiaki declared with a determined gleam in her eyes-

"Put your clothes on first!" Hajime ordered, though the effect was ruined a bit by the way he couldn't look at her and the pink in his cheeks.

"Oh, right," Chiaki nodded. She handed the notebook to Hajime as she grabbed her clothes off the ground, hastily pulling them on.

"Did you steal this?" Hajime asked, staring at the green cover blankly.

"I'm sure that she would let me borrow it for a good cause."

"Chiaki, this is illegal-" Hajime was cut off by Chiaki snatching the journal out of his hands, dashing towards the entrance.

Hajime froze, staring at the empty space in shock, before glaring at the door as he began running.

"NANAMI CHIAKI, GET THE HELL BACK HERE!"


"Do you remember when the surgery took place, sweetheart?" The crimson-clad attorney asked, her voice sugary sweet.

Mikan hesitated, trying to find a proper date in her heart. She... guessed it would be around... March-ish...? Maybe?

"Sweetheart'?!" Fuyuhiko glared at the defense attorney, curling his hands into fists. "Are you fucking hitting on her?!"

Mikan was practically giggling as she held Fuyuhiko back from smacking Miki into a wall. He noticed that she was struggling and helped her out with a distraction! Fuyuhiko was really amazing!

(No, Fuyuhiko was just really possessive. But Mikan would probably think that was amazing too.)

"E-er... no...?" Miki offered lamely.

"There are crimes I can't forgive, and then there's being a creep towards Mikan," Fuyuhiko seethed. He tried his best to look intimidating and threatening, but... his girlfriend had her arms wrapped around his chest, a huge, dorky grin on her face as she rested her chin on top of his head. Fuyuhiko just looked... well, more than a little bit silly.

"Right..." Miki nodded, trying to keep the awkward, forced grin off her face. She failed. M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-Y. "Well, er, do you remember, Cuti- Um, Tsumiki!"

"No, I'm sorry..." Mikan mumbled under her breath.

"It's been ten years since then," Fuyuhiko stated. "Of course she wouldn't remember."

(That would be a lot more convincing if it weren't the fifth time the two of you used that excuse...) Miki paused, a possibility coming to mind. What if... what if Mikan wasn't there that day?

Before the defense attorney could put her theory into words, the courtroom's doors slammed open. Again.

"Hold it!"

Chiaki stepped through the doorway, brandishing a pale green notebook like a sword.

Mikan froze, her eyes widening at the sight. Her arms fell to her side, her hands curling into fists.

"I've got evidence proving Kazuichi's innocence!" Chiaki declared, waving the journal about in the air.

Mikan could feel her throat closing up, her legs locking into place. It felt like she was buried in a cave, watching a monitor showing the scene in front of her; cold invaded her body, turning her stomach into ice. She struggled to breathe properly, instead hissing in air and letting out little puffs of air at random. Mikan couldn't do anything to stop the scene, not when her voice was dying in her throat and her body was as heavy as lead and-

"Mikan?" Fuyuhiko asked warily, staring at her in concern. "You okay?"

Mikan shook her head slightly, shutting her eyes to keep tears from spilling out. Fuyuhiko was with her.

The words looped around in Mikan's skull, slowly releasing the tension from Mikan's body. Not enough to let her move freely, but just enough to let her speak.

"That... that's mine..." Mikan exhaled, her voice almost silent. "That's mine..."

"Nanami Chiaki, you will present this evidence to the court immediately!" The judge ordered.

Chiaki nodded, her hands moving to open the notebook...

"No...!" Mikan paled, her voice raising to a hysterical shriek. "No! You can't! That's mine! Don't touch it! You can't read it! Give it back!"

Mikan couldn't let her read it. She had to get her notebook back. She had to, she had to, she had to, she had to, she had to she hadto shehadto she had to shehad to she hadto shhehadtoshehadtoshehadtoshehadtoshehadtosh

"Mikan...!?" Chiaki gasped in shock, nearly dropping the book.

"Give it back!" Mikan echoed, her voice cracking under the weight of desperation and panic. Mikan needed her notebook. She needed it so badly that she had trouble putting it into words. Teary eyes stared at Chiaki as Mikan's voice became pleading. "Please...! I need it! Give it back!"

"I..." Chiaki hesitated, conflict obvious on her face. She... she had to save Kazuichi and Chihiro... but that would mean making Mikan upset...

It was obvious which choice was right, wasn't it? Kazuichi and Chihiro's freedom and safety versus Mikan's feelings... it was so one-sided that Chiaki didn't know why she was even thinking about it. She took a deep breath, muttering an apology to Mikan under her breath and-

"How many fucking times does she have to repeat it?!" Fuyuhiko snarled, glaring at the pink-eyed gamer. "Give her the damn notebook already!"

"I'm so sorry," Chiaki mumbled.

"Nanami Chiaki!" The judge called out, fixing Chiaki with a stern scowl. "The court will not recognize stolen evidence! Return that to its proper owner immediately!"

"It's always a bad move to make a cute girl cry," Miki huffed. Miss Beryl nodded in agreement from the prosecutor's bench.

With a guilty sigh, Chiaki moved to the witness's stand, handing the notebook to Mikan. Mikan immediately snatched it out of the other woman's hands, inspecting it for any damage.

Her pale green notebook had been with her for many years, that much was obvious from the fact that the faded and scratched areas of the cover and the yellowed pages. But any rips and tears were carefully held together with clear tape. The front and back covers had the most tape, to the point where the back cover wasn't even attached to the spiral backing, it was just taped to the back of the last page. On the front cover was an illegible scrawl, written in faded pink marker. Just below that, in much neater script and black pen, were the words 'Medical Journal'.

Mikan hugged the journal to her chest, taking deep breaths and letting out sighs of relief. It was safe. She was okay, it was okay. No one read it. It was okay.

Fuyuhiko rubbed circles into Mikan's back, alternating between growling threats at Chiaki and whispering reassuring words to Mikan.

"Mikan..." Chiaki sighed once again, unable to even look the other woman in the eye. "I probably have no right to ask this... but that journal is the key to proving Kazuichi and Chihiro's innocence," Chiaki's voice cracked, her words becoming more of a desperate plea than a simple request. "You... You're the only one who can do it. You're the only one who can save them. Please-"

"Go back to your damn seat," Fuyuhiko scowled, glaring at Chiaki. Chiaki flinched away at his words, before turning her eyes towards Mikan.

"I... I," Mikan gulped, wiping her face with the back of her hand. She took a deep breath to steady herself before looking up at Chiaki. "Okay."

"Mikan?" Fuyuhiko turned his gaze towards Mikan, his eye full of concern. "Are you sure?"

Mikan nodded, sniffling a bit before a standing up, her posture tall and firm. She beamed at Fuyuhiko with a smile brighter and warmer than a bonfire. "It's a nurse's duty to save people, isn't it?"

Fuyuhiko paused, before returning her smile with a fond grin. "Always the dutiful nurse, huh?"

"Please, present the evidence whenever you feel you are ready, witness," The judge offered, though, inwardly, he was sighing wistfully. Ah, the joys of young love...

"R-right," Mikan gulped, steeling herself. With a deep breath, she flipped the book open to the first page-

And froze at the sight of pink crayon, messy, childish writing and doodles covering the page.

'mom and dad got sik 2day. dad says its a cute vyrale naeso-sumthin. mom says thats just a sooper fansee name for a cold.'

Mikan couldn't stop herself from reading the words. Her mind relived times long gone, when they were all so happy together, when her family was whole and nothing was painful, and she couldn't stop herself from tearing up at the memories.

'dad's spesial cure for a cold! 1 warm food! 2 lots of luv! 3 medisin!'

Mikan remembered staying up until the late hours of the night, listening to her dad talk about illnesses and fatal diseases, ones that were cured before it was too late thanks to the power of medicine. She thought of him as a hero, eradicating the monstrous, untouchable viruses with his scientific remedies. Her mom would laugh and say that they were a couple of heroic lovers; Mom dealt with the people with bad inside them, and Dad dealt with the bad inside people. And Mikan would be whatever kind of hero she wanted, whether she wanted to be a pharmacist like her dad or a police officer like her mom or like anyone else. They used to be so happy-

Mikan paused at the feeling of a warm hand holding hers. She looked up from the old notebook full of memories and childhood dreams, staring blankly at the one-eyed man standing next to her. Fuyuhiko shut his eye, even turning his head away so he didn't accidentally get a peek at whatever was upsetting Mikan so much.

He... Fuyuhiko was with her. He was right next to her.

Mikan's eyes went to the gallery, going from one unknown face to another, until her eyes found Ibuki and Hiyoko. Ibuki gave her a thumbs-up when their eyes met, while Hiyoko smiled at her. Her gaze kept moving, coming upon a lightning-haired brunette and a pink-eyed gamer. Hajime smiled at her encouragingly, while Chiaki nodded in approval, in a signal to keep going.

Mikan took in a deep breath, giving Fuyuhiko's hand a squeeze before beginning to flip through the journal again. She skipped over pages of material, barely noticing how the crayon switched to pencil and how the words became less of a child's story and more like notes for a lecture, signs and symptoms listed down dutifully in the margins. The entries in the journal had matured, just as she had. But Mikan didn't really have time to dwell on childhood memories, painful or not. Her friends were supporting her, her friends were depending on her, and she intended on seeing her mission through.

There was a bright smile on her face when she found the right page. Mikan gave Fuyuhiko's hand one last squeeze as she cleared her throat, projecting her voice to the entire room.

"'Nanami-san fell ill. Her skin is feverish and swollen. Her feet It looks similar to a bruise, though, no bruise can stay for an entire month... She also suffers from numerous vomiting fits, up to five times a day. I've never seen a disease like this. Souda-san has been trying his best to make prosthetic limbs for her, but he's overworking himself. He refuses to sleep until he finishes. I had to give him sedatives disguised as a sports drink to get him to rest.'"

The court came to a pause, the audience stopping to process her words.

"Well? If he really were trying to kill her, why the hell would he try so hard to save her?" Miki asked with a smug grin. "Can you really say that the defendant is guilty after that, Miss Beryl?"

Before Miss Beryl could respond, Mikan jumped into the conversation.

"There's more, too," Mikan added, before curiously flipping ahead in the notebook. She came to a stop around forty pages after, a finger hovering over the last mention of Chiaki's name. "About... six months' worth, I think?"

"That won't be necessary," The judge proclaimed, ready to deliver his verdict. "This court finds the defendant, Souda Kazuichi, and his fellow suspect, Fujisaki Chihiro..."

Not Guilty


"In-cred-i-ble!" Ibuki cheered, wrapping an arm around the mechanic's shoulders. "Howzit feel to be acquitted by a total babe?! Was it exciting?! Was it heart-pounding!?"

"Y-yes, and yes..." Kazuichi mumbled, still recovering from the entire ordeal.

"We knew you were not capable of murder!" Kiyotaka declared, clapping a hand on Chihiro's back. He was careful not to hurt the smaller man, even though, thanks to Sakura and Mondo's exercise regimes, Chihiro was probably capable of bench-pressing him. Must have been a force of habit.

"How about ramen tonight? My treat," Mondo offered with a grin.

"That sounds great!" Chihiro declared, smiling brightly.

(My work here is done...!) Miki beamed to herself, satisfied with her work. (Man, it feels great to see them so happy and carefree!)

She was practically skipping away from the waiting room, a cheery song on the tip of her tongue-

"What the fucking hell were you fucking thinking?!" Hiyoko snarled, pointing an accusatory finger at Chiaki. "There are lines you never cross, and making Mikan cry is one of them!"

"Do you fucking want to be dismantled and sold to the highest bidder?" Fuyuhiko growled, cracking his knuckles.

"U-um...!" Chiaki stepped back, distress obvious on her face.

"It's fine!" Mikan shrieked, trying to defend the gamer. "After all, it ended well, right? A happy ending for everyone!"

"It can't be a good ending if this bitch doesn't get her divine retribution!" The pair of blonds screamed in unison.

Miki decided to turn around, a complete 180. Wouldn't want to, um, disturb their... privacy... sorta...

"Gramps...! I can't believe I lost when you were watching...!" Miss Beryl's voice wailed from around the corner, a far cry from her (mostly) professional demeanor in court.

Miki poked her head around the corner, spotting-

Miss Beryl being comforted by the judge?

"Isn't that a conflict of interest?!" Miki found herself screaming before she could stop herself.

She only realized her mistake when the pair turned towards her, a stern stare on both of their faces.

"It's rude to eavesdrop," Miss Beryl snapped, glaring at the defense attorney coldly.

"I cannot believe how little faith you have in me," The judge huffed, almost pouting. "I have always passed down fair verdicts, even in your fathers' time! I see no reason for that to change if my granddaughter is the one prosecuting!"

Miki froze, trying to process the new information. If he had presided over her fathers' cases... then he would be a judge since-

"You're over a hundred years old?!" Miki gaped at the old man in shock.

The aged judge refused to answer. Miki supposed that was probably for the best, even with the burning curiosity inside of her.


Bonus

"Miss Medicine, are you fucking in here?!" Natsumi called out as she kicked the door open.

The occupants of the courtroom stared at her blankly, which Natsumi took as a 'no'.

"Fuck, where the hell could she be...?" Natsumi grumbled as she walked away, almost sulking in the face of her fifth failure.

She pushed the doors of another courtroom open, almost expecting it to be another disappointment-

Instead, Natsumi saw Miss Medicine hugging her brother, the taller nurse resting her chin on Fuyuhiko's head. Even from afar, Natsumi could see the joy obvious on Miss Medicine's face.

"...I think I'll leave them to their... whatever the hell this is..." Natsumi mumbled to herself as she turned away. Maybe she could visit the ice cream parlor or something while she was waiting for Fuyuhiko...!


Wowzers. What a long chapter. I don't know why it's so long.

Some fun facts since I've been working on this for way too long!

-Miss Beryl was originally supposed to be a lot more like Regina Berry. She was going to be cute and sweet... until I realized how hilarious the idea of Regina pulling off some of Franziska's animations would be.

-Mr. Nanami was going to be Mrs. Nanami at first. But then I realized that only Mahiru, Fuyuhiko, and Natsumi have fathers who are confirmed to be alive. And two of those three are siblings. Compare that to the dead dad club of Hiyoko, Ibuki, Peko, and Mikan (honorary member)... well, we needed more dads. None of Mr. Nanami's lines have been changed.

-Don't worry, Chiaki's mom is still alive.

-It was very, very hard to find a name for the defense attorney. I wanted to name her after musical instruments... but then it turns out that piano in Japanese is just 'piano'. That kept happening with a lot of instruments. The same thing kept happening with Spanish.