A/N: The focus of the trial is currently on the Ultimate Photographer. Something lurks behind her testimony, and the defense isn't sure what. But they have no choice but to find out. Enjoy, my readers!

September 18

Hope's Peak Academy Legal Department, Courtroom

10:40 A.M.

Witness Testimony

Mahiru on her own

"Okay, it's true that I was at the stairs by myself," Mahiru said, fiddling with her camera. "But it was only for a short while, before the other girls came back."

"I didn't have a reason to go up the stairs, so I stayed there the entire time. I didn't hear anyone moving around upstairs either, or I would have reported it."

Mahiru put her hands on her hips. "And that is it! Geez, there isn't a need to make a big deal out of nothing! I was only helping Mikan!"

End testimony

"Miss Koizumi, you realize that the defense is likely to press you on how there is no one to corroborate your testimony," Byakuya said. "How do you plan to answer that?"

"I know that they will do what's right in the end," Mahiru said. "So I trust them with my testimony."

"What does it mean to 'do the right thing' in a situation like this?" Tenko asked herself.

Peko picked up on this, and said, "That is not an easy question to answer. But that answer must be found, if we're to bring this case to a close."

"HOLD IT! You really spent half an hour just standing by the stairs, with no one else around? I imagine that must have been really boring," Tenko said.

"Yeah, it was. But I'd already plan to meet with everyone else, so it wasn't too bad," Mahiru said, smiling. "And Mikan got to have breakfast!"

That didn't really tell me anything new. "HOLD IT! I believe you said yesterday that you had the music room key because someone needed it. Wouldn't that be the reason to go upstairs to the music room?"

"Yeah, I did! It just wasn't time to meet up with the person that needed it, that's all," Mahiru explained.

"No, that's not right. You told us yesterday that an underclassman needed to enter the music room," Peko said. "If you already had the key at that time, this 'student' should have been with you as well."

"You m-make a good point, Peko. I guess I didn't remember the time I n-needed the key," Mahiru stammered. "I suppose I got the key a little later."

"We're making progress. Mahiru is having a hard time keeping her story straight," Peko said, laying a hand on her sword bag. "Now we need a stronger blow."

"Wait, what about Mahiru's story is problematic?" Tenko asked.

"We know that she used that music room key to lock Fuyuhiko in there. And her rationale for why she has it is currently shaky," Peko said. "For one, she hasn't named this 'underclassman' that she needed the key for."

"Then I should probably look into the rest of the testimony… HOLD IT! Are you sure you are telling us everything?"

"Yes, Tenko. You know from yesterday's testimony that we all kept an eye on each other," Mahiru said, rolling her eyes. "I don't see what else I could add to it."

Jin Kirigiri slammed his gavel on his bench. "The witness has made her stance clear."

"Naturally. Miss Koizumi is well known for being a forthcoming person," Byakuya said. "Which is why the defense is unable to break her testimony."

"..." I don't want to believe that Mahiru is lying. I want to believe that any errors in her testimonies could be innocent mistakes.

"Defense, do you have any to address about this testimony?"

But if Mahiru is lying, what is she lying about? Has there been anything that hasn't been explained yet?

"I do have one more question for you, Mahiru. Yesterday, we arrived at an important point," Tenko said. "That you seem to know where the murder took place before anyone else. How did you know that?"

"...!" Mahiru's camera slipped through her fingers, and she barely caught it. "I think you're confused, because I don't remember that being established."

At that moment, Peko unsheathed her wooden blade, and smacked the defense bench with it. "Then let me refresh your memory, as your classmate."

"Does no one have any respect for school property?!" Judge Kirigiri snapped.

Ignoring this, Peko continued, "During yesterday's testimony, Mikan testified that she went the wrong way, and you immediately corrected her, leading her to the music room. You knew the murder had happened in there."

"And we have Mikan with us," Tenko added, pointing behind herself to the nurse seated in the gallery. "So we can always ask her what happened."

"I'm pretty sure it happened like I said yesterday," Mikan said from the gallery. "Because at the time, I was thinking how kind it was that Mahiru had corrected me."

"Um, that…. It's not… aahhhhHHHH!" Mahiru screamed, her face going pale.

"Witness, what is the meaning of this? Have you been concealing something from me?" Byakuya asked, sounding outraged.

Mahiru clenched a fist to her heart. "And here I was hoping I wouldn't have to say it. But you're as sharp as a blade, Peko, and you're pretty observant too, Tenko."

The two girls didn't say anything, waiting for Mahiru to elaborate.

"The truth is, I was telling the truth earlier, when I said I happened to have the music key with me for other reasons," Mahiru said. "So after Mikan left, I went up the stairs to the music room. And what I saw there was…"

Witness Testimony

An unexpected sight

"From the looks of it, the murder had just happened, because it seemed like Fuyuhiko was in the middle of cleaning up the aquarium glass."

"I was shocked to see it, of course, but he is also my classmate." Mahiru squeezed her eyes shut. "So I actually unlocked the music room, to let him out."

"After that, I went downstairs, to see what Fuyuhiko would do next." Mahiru shook her head. "He didn't come back downstairs, that's for sure."

"But I guess he must have taken the time to leave the music room, dispose of the murder weapon, and go back for further cleanup."

Mahiru put a finger on her chin. "I guess you know what happened after that. The rest of the girls showed up, and he was caught."

End Testimony

"You fucking bitch! That didn't happen! You must be pulling that out of your ass!" Fuyuhiko yelled.

"Defendant, you've been warned about your outbursts before," Judge Kirigri said, standing up. "If you do not cease, you will be forcibly detained and declared guilty on the spot."

"She's making up lies about me and I can't respond? How is that fair?" Fuyuhiko asked incredulously.

"Young Master, please. If there are lies to be found here, they will be exposed," Peko said in an urgent tone. "But we are the ones that will fight this battle for you."

"I know, Peko. I know that! But it is getting at my nerves, having to sit here and listen to this," Fuyuhiko said.

"Believe me, I know how hard it is to learn patience," Tenko said. "But you have to at least try!"

"I am not in the mood for more lectures…" Fuyuhiko fell into a sullen silence.

"Miss Koizumi, why did you not mention this sooner?" Byakuya asked, still offended.

"Honestly, because I've been really conflicted this entire time," Mahiru said, still looking troubled. "I didn't want to sell out one of my classmates. But the defense wants to know the truth."

"So you're shifting this onto us," Peko said, her expression impassive. "That you have no choice but to do this."

This is a completely different testimony from what we've had before. So I need to make sure to not let anything slip away!

With a much longer testimony, Tenko had to be more careful about where she pressed. The first statement did catch her attention. "HOLD IT! Then you're claiming that Kuzuryu broke the aquarium?"

"It's certainly possible. It might have happened during the fight," Mahiru answered. "And that's how aquarium water got on Natsumi's head."

"That finally explains that mystery," Judge Kirigri said. "So there doesn't seem a need to continue the trial."

"I've only started the cross examination!" Tenko exclaimed indignantly. I know this trial is rigged, but can you at least pretend it's not?

"Mahiru seems to have an explanation ready for every part of her testimony," Peko observed. "Press carefully."

"HOLD IT! You're saying that you let Kuzuryu out of the music room. But then you locked him inside later? That seems really weird!" Tenko pointed out.

"When I went upstairs the second time, with the other girls, the authorities were alerted," Mahiru said. "And well, he'd spotted me this time, unlike the first time. I needed him to stay in the music room, so we could sort all this out."

"STOP TALKING!" Byakuya tutted at Mahiru. "And yet you had not issue with letting a murder suspect walk free only a half hour prior."

"That's not quite it. I was hoping that Fuyuhiko would walk out of the music room on his own, and explain himself," Mahiru said, clenching her fist again. "But he didn't. That's when I started to consider the idea that he might have been responsible."

"It is clear that this has been hard on you," Judge Kirigiri said sympathetically. "Perhaps I should halt the cross-examination, to keep the defense from badgering you more."

"I still have more questions!" Tenko quickly said.

"I will allow one more question. But I am having doubts about the defense's abilities."

I am going to ask if after the trial, I'm allowed to punch the headmaster in the face. Now, where would be the best place to ask questions?

"HOLD IT! Before you found the music room the first time, did you see or hear anything strange?" Tenko asked.

"I don't think so. I was only headed to the music room by coincidence, so if I had noticed something wrong, I would have immediately gotten help."

"That is the last question, defense," Judge Kirigiri said sternly. "Now, did you notice anything wrong with the witness's testimony?"

When Mahiru was on the second floor by herself, before everyone else, she didn't notice anything wrong.

"It would be best if you compare this with the information you already have." Peko advised.

If I think about it that way… there was a point that was argued repeatedly in the previous trial. That point would mean-!

Judge Kirigiri shook his head. "As I thought, the defense has nothing. I move to end-"

"OBJECTION! There is evidence that conflicts that with Mahiru's testimony!" Tenko exclaimed.

Mahiru crossed her arms. "You appear to be holding a piece of paper."

"It's sworn testimony from Ibuki! Yesterday, everyone talked about how the moment of the murder was heard by everyone by the sound of something breaking," Tenko said. "And that made everyone go upstairs."

Byakuya scoffed. "At least you remember that much. But what does that have to do with the testimony at hand?"

"Mahiru testifies that she was headed upstairs for an unrelated purpose, and she happened upon the murder. But she also says that the murder 'just happened'. If that's the case-" Tenko karate-chopped her bench. "Why did she not hear anything breaking?!"

Mahiru shuddered. "But, the shattering noise you're talking about happened after, so I don't see the problem!"

"That's because the noise that Ibuki heard was some kind of earthenware breaking," Peko explained. "As such, it couldn't have been from the crime scene."

"You should have heard the aquarium breaking, Mahiru! But you never mentioned anything like this," Tenko said urgently. "Please explain it to me!"

"Oh! I guess the murder happened even earlier than I thought," Mahiru said. "I hadn't realized it at the time, but thanks for clearing that up!"

"No, even that doesn't hold up. Before you arrived, Mikan had been waiting at the stairs," Peko explained. "She should have heard anything that happened."

"Should have I heard something? If I knew, I would have paid closer attention!" Mikan whimpered.

"STOP TALKING!"

Byakuya shook his head in the slowest, most patronizing manner possible. "It seems that the defense has no idea of what they are doing."

"What are you talking about? I've presented evidence and everything!" Tenko exclaimed indignantly.

"Yet, it's clear that you don't understand what you've been presenting," Byakuya said. "Because your current scenario fails to explain one thing- when exactly did the murder happen?"

Tenko found herself coming to a screeching halt, because she found she couldn't quite answer that question. "That the murder didn't happen when the prosecution said it did should be enough to cast doubt on their case, right?"

"Don't be stupid. The witness testimony testified that the defendant was in that music room," Byakuya pointed out. "And was still in there a full half hour later."

This is bad! I can't think of a way to get around this. When exactly did the murder happen?

"...Mahiru sent Mikan away. And half an hour later, Mahiru led her and two other girls to the music room, to find a murder scene," Peko said. "If we're to believe that Mahiru wanted to protect Fuyuhiko, her actions are strange, to say the least."

"Because she knew about the murder ahead of time!" Tenko exclaimed. "So if anything, she should have directed the other girls away from the crime scene."

"The defense will please get to the point," Judge Kirigiri said in an annoyed tone. "Because they have still not answered the prosecution's question."

"My answer is that the murder did happen when Mahiru went to the second floor the first time. And that is because-" Peko hit her wooden blade against the bench. "Mahiru is in fact the true murderer."

"Peko, you're… you're… accusing me?!" Mahiru exclaimed, clenching her fists indignantly.

"What evidence do you have of this nonsense?" Byakuya asked.

"It would explain the oddities surrounding her actions. Such as the strange amount of control she's had over this case," Peko said, not relenting for a second. "She's been making sure that the other witnesses say what she wants them to say."

"No, you've got it all wrong! I didn't want anyone to get in trouble!" Mahiru yelled. "So we all agreed to be each other's alibis!"

"Pekoyama, you can't be serious? Mahiru can't be the murderer!" Tenko cried out. "She has no motive to kill Natsumi, for one!"

"Are you sure about that, Chabashira? One could argue that Mahiru has the most motive," Peko pointed out. "Natsumi has tormented her for a long time."

That's true. I even considered the idea. But… it just can't be true! I can't see Mahiru as a murderer!

"Natsumi might have been awful sometimes, but she could have still turned herself around! I wanted to believe that she could!" Mahiru insisted. "There'd be no reason for me to kill her!"

"STOP TALKING!" Byakuya slammed his palm against his bench. "The possibility has been raised. So your course of action is clear, witness. You must prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that the defense is delusional, and that you did witness the defendant at the crime scene."

Suddenly, Mahiru looked Tenko straight in the eyes. "You aren't taking this seriously, Tenko. You know me better than that. I'm sure that I can rely on you to bring Peko back to her senses."

"...!" Of course I consider Mahiru one of my closest friends. To plot such a cruel murder… it's just not like her.

"It appears that the witness must testify again," Judge Kirigiri said. "Tell us why you can't be the killer."

The killer isn't Mahiru. I will continue to believe this. So in the next testimony, I must find the real killer, and exonerate both her and Kuzuryu!

To be continued

A/N: Going into round 3 of cross-examining Mahiru! She is filled with determination, which raises the question: What drives this fire in her? Tenko pursues this crucial answer. See you next time! Please review.