A/N: The trial heats up, and this chapter is even longer than usual. But that's because this showdown against Mahiru requires a strong offensive from the defense. Enjoy, my readers!

September 18

Hope's Peak Academy Legal Department, Courtroom

11:20 A.M.

Witness Testimony

I am not the murderer

"There are many reasons why I can't be the murderer. I don't have the a motive, and I don't have access to the murder weapon."

Mahiru put her hands on her hips. "And even more than that, why would I be talking with Natsumi? She's a reserve course student, so she would normally be at that building."

"In other words, I'd have no way of knowing that Natsumi would be in the music room that day. I was only in that area by coincidence."

Now Mahiru looked at Tenko again. "I got wrapped up in this case protecting my classmates, and now I'm being suspected of murder. You know this isn't right!"

End Testimony

"STOP TALKING!" Byakuya glared at Mahiru. "What are you doing, directly talking with the defense?"

"Out of everyone here, I trust Tenko the most." Mahiru smiled. "She has always defended girls at times like these. When awful men are bullying us for no good reason."

"The witness is still testifying to the detriment of the defense," Judge Kirigiri said solemnly. "Because if this witness is not the culprit, we are once again left with only the defendant as the culprit."

Peko had a look that was hard to decipher. "You have a duty to perform, Chabashira. You aren't going to allow anything to get in that way of that, right?"

"I am going to clear these charges off of Fuyuhiko!" Tenko said quickly.

But to have to pursue Mahiru like this… is this really the only way?

The first statement seemed pretty self-explanatory- Tenko couldn't think of anything that would contradict it. The second statement, she had a question for Peko.

"We have Natsumi's notebook, that tells us she planned to meet with someone. But that's not the same as proving it was Mahiru, right?"

"You are correct. This is evidence that we shouldn't present until we are absolutely sure," Peko admitted. "If we present it incorrectly, the evidence loses its impact."

The cross-examination was starting to become frustrating, because there didn't seem to be anything to glean from the third statement. That left the final statement to press.

"HOLD IT! You've gone to real extremes to do this, though! You've obscured a lot of important information, including from me!" Tenko cried out. "If you really trust me, why didn't you tell me?"

"I told you as much as I could. Even now in court, I've cooperated to the best of my ability," Mahiru said. "I don't know what you want me to say."

Judge Kirigiri slammed his gavel on his bench. "That's enough. It's clear that we've reached the end of the cross-examination."

There's no contradictions at all! I'm genuinely stuck on where to go next!

"There is evidence that points to Mahiru as the culprit, but there is nothing conclusive," Peko said, sweat forming on her brow. "And I don't see any openings in testimony. There has to be one, and yet…"

"If there is nothing more from the defense, then I will move onto passing the verdict," Judge Kirigiri continued.

"No! We haven't figured out why this case is so weird!" Tenko exclaimed. "There's still so much that doesn't make sense!"

"Give it up, defense. You were always going to fail." Byakuya said smugly.

"As the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, I hereby find Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, the Ultimate Yakuza…"

"HOLD IT!"

The declaration stopped not just Kirigiri, but everyone in their thoughts, as they tried to figure out who had yelled that out of nowhere.

"Hello, I'm over here!"

"Ibuki! What are you doing at the witness stand?" Tenko asked.

"I've always wanted to do that!" Ibuki said cheerfully, waving her hand above her head. "Ibuki Mioda is here to save the day!"

"Get off the witness stand at once!" Byakuya yelled.

"But I'm a witness, and I've got testimony!" Ibuki said.

"I am ready to pass down a verdict. I doubt you'll have anything to say that will change my mind," Judge Kirigiri said, looking down at Ibuki.

"Not even if it concerns-" Ibuki spun her arms like a windmill, before pointing at Mahiru. "Pointing! Our star witness here?"

"Ibuki, for everyone's sake, I hope this isn't your idea of a prank," Peko said, looking distinctly faint.

"So, does everyone remember yesterday, when Mahiru took a picture of all of us at the stairs?" Ibuki asked.

"Yes, we remember. But Mioda, that picture didn't have anything related in it!" Tenko pointed out.

"That's because I wanted to take a picture of the crime scene, but Mahiru wouldn't let me!" Ibuki whined. "She told me that her camera roll was full!"

"So that you know of, Mahiru had only taken one photo, but her camera roll was already full? Peko asked curiously.

"Ugh, is that what this is about? I'm the Ultimate Photographer, of course I take a lot of photos," Mahiru said, rolling her eyes. "Ibuki, why did you even want a picture of the crime scene?"

"Because we did poke around a bit, after we found Natsumi's body," Ibuki explained. "Checking the two rooms on the side of the music rooms, to look for clues!"

"Are you done, Miss Mioda," Judge Kirigiri interrupted. "I was in the middle of delivering my verdict."

"HOLD IT! But we've just received new testimony!" Tenko quickly said. "We need to hear it!"

I have absolutely no clue what it will do for me, but I have no other options!

"Do you really think that testimony about a camera will help you?" Byakuya had an amused smile on his face. "Go on then, entertain me. I will crush every last speck of fight out of you."

"Prosecutor Togami, I am prepared to rule on this case. I see no further-"

Byakuya shook his head. "Don't make me repeat myself. My job here is not done until I have proved the defendant's guilt, beyond a shadow of a doubt."

"Then, you want me to talk about my camera? I don't get it…" Mahiru said slowly.

Judge Kirigiri's eyes darted between the equally determined defense and prosecution. "It appears that this trial is not being allowed to end until you do. So testify for us one more time."

"I still don't understand why I'm doing this, but if I absolutely have to, I will."

Witness Testimony

About my camera

"I take a lot of photos throughout the day, so my camera roll fills quite easily."

Mahiru held up her camera. "The day of the crime was no different. I only had one more exposure left, so I took a picture of my friends."

"Ibuki is right, we did look around a bit. Just to make sure that no one was hiding, or had hidden anything outside of the crime scene."

Mahiru sighed. "But there was nothing of the kind, in either of the rooms we checked. That's why I thought the crime could only have happened in the music room."

End Testimony

"Miss Mioda, if you have nothing further to say, then please leave the witness stand at once." Judge Kirigiri said firmly.

"My work here is done! I leave the rest to the very pretty, very capable ladies at the defense bench!" Ibuki exclaimed, winking. She went back to the gallery behind Tenko.

"...Yesterday, when investigating with Harukawa, I talked with Ibuki, and she was really conflicted about saying anything that would hurt Mahiru. Yet, Ibuki is helping us right now, despite those feelings," Peko said, looking touched. "She really is on our side."

"Yeah, Ibuki is a reliable friend when it comes down to it!" Tenko exclaimed. "Which is exactly why we can't let her help go to waste!"

The headmaster is ready to end this trial at any time. I can't let that happen!

"HOLD IT! What exactly were you expecting to find when you looked around?" Tenko asked.

"I'm not sure. I guess it was too naive to expect the real killer to be in another room," Mahiru said. "Or for the murder weapon to turn up. It still hasn't turned up after all this time, right?"

"You have suggested that it could be the defendant's knuckle dusters," Byakuya said. "So perhaps it will turn up if we inspect their possessions."

"If it couldn't be found after he was arrested, then he didn't have a weapon on him!" Tenko exclaimed.

"We should drop this, for now. It seems we are going in circles," Peko said. "And we don't have time for that."

"Okay, moving on!" To Mahiru, Tenko asked, "Then did you girls look in different rooms?"

"More or less. Before I went to go get help, I made sure to look in both rooms, and even inspected the floors closely," Mahiru said. "But there was nothing at all."

"Defense, before you are allowed to continue, show the court why it should matter," Byakuya cut in. "Show us evidence!"

During yesterday's investigation, I took a brief nap, and Pekoyama investigated with Maki. So there's information only Pekoyama knows!

"I would like for my co-counsel to take up the explanation from here!" Tenko declared.

Peko picked up on Tenko's message, and cleared her throat. "During the investigation yesterday, I inspected the classrooms near the music room as well, with Miss Harukawa. In one of the classrooms, I did find something- a water stain on the floor."

"Huh, you don't say. That's certainly weird, but I don't see the problem," Mahiru said. Yet, she was now clutching her fingers on her camera. "Someone probably spilled their water on the floor."

"I have my theory on how it happened. This classroom has an empty stand on it," Peko explained. "Whatever was on that stand, it fell to the floor and broke."

"STOP TALKING!" Byakuya glared at Peko, his fist clenched. "What is the point of this rambling? Something that happened in another room can't be related to the crime!"

"That remains to be seen, as we continue the cross-examination," Peko said simply.

I'm up next, then! "HOLD IT! Just to be safe, can you show me all the photos that you've developed?" Tenko asked.

"I suppose I could, but I don't think you'd find anything," Mahiru said, looking in her camera's viewfinder. "I developed all the photos I took that day, and didn't see anything."

A jolt ran through Tenko. This testimony! It clearly conflicts with the facts! But that would mean…

Cold sweat ran down Tenko's face. I've come this far, and yet… I don't want to know what this means. It would be better if I don't know, right? I should believe in Mahiru, and leave this testimony as it is.

Tenko felt as if she were watching her body move without her own input. Her mouth opened, and slowly said, "The defense has… no further…"

"DON'T FALTER!"

Peko's words caused a shudder to run through Tenko, and she turned to face the swordswoman. "Pekoyama, I didn't know you had that kind of volume in you!"

"...Tenko Chabashira. In the few days that I've known you, I've gained an idea of the kind of person that you are," Peko said. "Which is why I had to stop you, before you betrayed yourself."

Tenko didn't say anything, but the question on her face was clear.

"You see the problem with Mahiru's account, and a part of you wants to turn your back on it," Peko continued. "And that can be understood. But if you run from this, then you will never be able to forgive yourself."

The sharp words sliced through Tenko's previous denial. "I know. I know that full well, Pekoyama! But having to go against one of my closest friends… it's burning me up inside!"

"Then I will lend you some of my strength, Tenko. Mahiru is my classmate, so this battle is no easier for me," Peko said, placing a hand on the hilt of her sword. "But a fight that is tough for one person is easier for a team."

A team… we're a team. It's because of her help that I've come this far.

"Defense, you were in the middle of saying something. Care to finish your sentence?" Byakuya asked.

This is not a trial I'm going to be able to finish alone. But with Pekoyama's strength, I can-!

"OBJECTION!" Tenko slammed her foot against her bench. "Mahiru, your testimony has a major flaw in it!"

Mahiru jumped out of her skin. "Don't scare me like that, Tenko! People might take that seriously!"

"You told me that you developed all your photos. Well, yesterday, me and Peko visited your Ultimate Lab," Tenko said. "I looked over the photos you developed. You made a point to write the dates and times you took them on the back."

"Yeah, because every photo makes for a special moment," Mahiru said, fiddling with her camera. "But what's your point?"

"Among your developed photos, I saw that there was a skip in the numbering," Tenko explained. "And this was in a group taken on the day of the crime."

"Which could only mean one thing." Peko pinned Mahiru in a glare. "You removed one of the photos you took on the day of the crime!"

"Eek!" Mahiru almost dropped her camera, and fumbled with it several times before catching it.

"So the witness took a photo away. Unless you can prove it was related, then this point means nothing," Byakuya said. "It could show anything."

"You aren't going to see that photo anyways," Mahiru said. "It was a dud, so I tossed it out. I'm still human, so I'm not going to take a perfect picture every time."

"As long as the evidence in question is lost, I suppose we must drop this topic," Judge Kirigiri said.

Can it really be as simple as "the photo was discarded"? If I'm not mistaken, I have that with me right now.

"The defense has something to show the court," Peko suddenly said. "So don't discard the topic just yet."

Thank you for the save! "Mahiru, I spotted something that tells a different story."

For a moment, Tenko hesitated, because this evidence wasn't one she was comfortable presenting. But if there's no other way to prove my point… "TAKE THAT! Look at this photograph!"

"Ahhh! That embarrassing picture!" Mikan cried out from the witness stand.

"Miss Chabashira, why do you have that in your possession?" Judge Kirigiri asked, raising an eyebrow at Tenko.

The picture, of course, was the one of Mikan showing off her panties. "This was given to me by Mahiru, because she took this photo."

"Can we cease this completely asinine display and get back to the real trial!" Byakuya yelled in frustration.

"This is an important point!" Tenko insisted. "Mahiru just said that she threw away a photo because it was a dud. So why didn't she toss out this one as soon as she developed it?"

Mahiru abruptly looked down at her camera, even as her face became covered with sweat. "I gave it to you because I wanted that picture gone, Tenko."

"That's not what she's saying. If you unconsciously developed that photo of Mikan, then that would point to you developing all of them that you take," Peko said. "Which means whatever missing picture you took on the day of the crime, you know where it is."

"You might have gotten rid of that picture, but you still seem to be nervous about it being brought up at all." Tenko considered Mahiru's behavior up until now. "You didn't let Ibuki touch your camera on the day of the crime, right? Is it because there is something you didn't want her to see?"

Mahiru shuddered, and fiddled with her camera more, indicating that Tenko had hit the mark. She knew the truth now. "It's on your camera roll right now, isn't it? If it is, you have to show that photo this instant!"

"NNNOOOOO!" Mahiru screamed, dropping her camera again. She tried to catch it, but this time the camera slipped through her fingers, after which it hit the witness stand and took a picture of Mahiru.

Peko didn't take any chances- she went over to Mahiru, and took the camera from her. "May I inspect this for evidence?"

"Only if you immediately present any evidence you find," Byakuya said, watching Peko carefully. Peko looked through the camera roll on the digital display, and her eyes widened. "This photograph was taken at around 11:35 a.m., so shortly after the murder was discovered."

Peko showed it to the court- it was a picture of a flower vase broken on the floor, surrounded by a puddle of water.

This caused a spark in Tenko's brain. "There was a water stain on the floor of the classroom next to the music room, right? Is this photo of what caused that stain? This flower vase falling on the floor?"

"See, this is why I got rid of the photo," Mahiru said, taking her camera back. "It doesn't show anything."

"If it was nothing, you wouldn't have taken it in the first place." Peko closed her eyes, deep in thought. "The question is, why did you feel the need to hide this?"

"Come to think of it, Ibuki mentioned earlier that she heard the sound of earthenware breaking," Tenko said. "Is it that she heard this flower vase break?"

"Wait a moment. That noise is what brought everyone upstairs, to discover the body," Peko said. "But if it was really that flower vase, it can't have been a coincidence that it broke at that time. The classroom was empty before the girls inspected it."

"Who would benefit from breaking a vase?" Byakuya asked.

"I would think the real killer. I mean, because of this, we all thought the murder happened later than it did," Tenko said, thinking out loud. "And Kuzuryu was caught with the body in the process."

"I finally understand. Earlier, I suspected Mahiru as the killer, because the evidence and testimony seemed to point to her," Peko said. "But that is what Mahiru wanted us to think. Even now, she is desperately trying to cover for someone."

"It was established earlier that this witness initially covered for the defendant," Byakuya said dryly.

"No. I don't think Mahiru ever had the intention to protect Fuyuhiko," Peko said, eyeing the photographer. "There is someone else. A person that she will do anything to keep out of this trial."

"There isn't such a person! No one else is involved in this!" Mahiru shouted desperately.

"Then you are changing your earlier claim, and indicating this person as the true murderer. However-!" Byakuya hit his bench, glaring sharply. "I won't allow anymore baseless accusations. Either prove this other person as the real killer, or accept a guilty verdict!"

"I agree with the prosecution. This trial is dragging on," Judge Kirigiri said sternly. "If you insist on summoning someone new to court, it better be for good cause."

"There's no point in letting them do it in the first place. Because there is no other suspect!" Mahiru insisted.

Ugh, of course they would put such an unreasonable condition for this! I have to think carefully- given everything I've observed in this case, over the last few days, who is the most likely person to be the killer?

"This is it. Once you drag this person to the witness stand, the true fight of this trial begins," Peko said. "So steel your resolve, and declare their name."

"Don't do it, Tenko!" Mahiru cried out. "Please! I'll recant all my testimony if you want! If I do that, then Fuyuhiko can walk free!"

Do you really mean that?" Tenko asked, surprised at how abruptly the photographer had brought it up.

"Witness, you can't decide to end the trial on a whim!" Byakuya shouted.

"Fuyuhiko is being tried here. So if there is no testimony against him, then he's not guilty," Mahiru said, crossing her arms defiantly. "And this trial can end."

"This is highly irregular. And yet, the witness is not wrong." Judge Kirigiri looked over at Tenko. "You are the defense. It would be in your best interest to get a Not Guilty verdict."

That is what I've been working towards the entire time. If I take this verdict, then it would work out for everyone. Fuyuhiko goes free, I no longer have to be involved with the Yakuza, and Mahiru…

Mahiru smiled at Tenko. "This doesn't have to continue for any longer."

Peko didn't say anything, evidently leaving the decision entirely in Tenko's hands.

What is it that I should do? What would be for the best? Then, in Tenko's mind, she saw a series of images. The photo of Natsumi's body, followed by seeing the pain in Fuyuhiko's eyes when talking about her. Next Tenko saw the other photo, of Natsumi posing with Peko, before she saw Peko with tears rolling down her face.

Then, Tenko saw Natsumi Kuzuryu standing before her, golden eyes piercing into her.

Judge Kirigiri raised his gavel. "We are waiting for your decision, Miss Chabashira."

Tenko found herself saying the first words that came to mind. "I am here to prove Kuzuryu's innocence! Yet, I cannot say that I've accomplished this. We must solve Natsumi's murder, before a verdict can be passed! Therefore…"

Tenko kicked her bench. "I hereby accuse Adzumi Sato of the murder of Natsumi Kuzuryu!"

The culprit, that Tenko could tell, fit three descriptions: they had to be near the crime scene that day, with motive to kill Natsumi, as well as be someone that Mahiru would protect, over anyone else. The only person to fit the bill was Adzumi.

Something seemed to break in Mahiru's expression, as she faced Tenko with tears in her eyes. "...How could you?"

Judge Kirigiri shook his head. "So be it. I will hereby announce a twenty minute break, to allow for the prosecution to prepare the new witness."

"To throw away the chance for a Not Guilty verdict. You are a special kind of fool," Byakuya said, his voice dripping with contempt. "I will make you regret your decision."

There's no turning back. Just as Peko said, the true battle of this trial is still ahead of me!

To be continued

A/N: This ends the first half of this second trial day! Now, I do have to warn everyone: It will likely be a while until I have the second half of the trial ready. So please wait for the end of this case, just a little longer. See you next time! Please review.