Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney
The High School Turnabout
By Derald Snyder
Investigation, Day 2 (Part 2)
Court Record:
-Ghost Article
-Byleth's Sword
-Byleth's Planner
February 15
Lowee North High School
Teacher's Lounge
"Th-the Beginning...? O-of what...?" Rei asked the ghost girl, utterly perplexed.
"...That's a good question. I don't really know myself," Sothis admitted, resting her head on her fist. "My memories of life are a bit... fuzzy. But I could tell you about all the adventures Byleth and I have had together. Those I remember clearly."
"S-so how long have you b-been... um, haunting him?" Rei stammered.
"Ever since he procured that sword," Sothis replied. "You were right about what you deduced yesterday- that sword was likely forged from my own spine after death."
"Ewww!" Rei did a full-body cringe. "A-and you're okay with him using it?!"
"Well, it's not like I'm using it anymore," Sothis gave a wry smile. "It's not as if I can return to life, you know."
"R-right..." Rei took a breath to calm herself. "J-just t-to be c-clear... you have no intentions of any harm against Miss Nagato or any other student here?"
"Of course not," Sothis sighed in mild exasperation. "I mean, sure, I've pulled a few pranks here and there, but only out of boredom. Listening to Byleth lecture the students can get quite monotonous at times... and before you ask, yes, I've done much the same thing at Garreg Mach. You should hear the rumors from that place."
"I-I'll pass," Rei shook her head. "Um, so... d-did you witness the attack on Professor Eisner?"
"Of course I did," Sothis scoffed. "But that doesn't mean I'll tell you anything about it."
"What?! Why not?!"
"Because I'm not a viable witness," Sothis pointed out. "Do have any idea how stupid you would look if you told the judge, 'Oh, the ghost told me this and that'? You'd be laughed out of the courtroom!"
(Ugh, that's a good point...) Rei ducked her head in mild embarrassment. "B-but, couldn't you at least point me in the right direction?"
"...Well, I can say this: That Yuki Nagato is NOT the perpetrator," Sothis began. "She came upon the body right after the attacker fled, and the security guard arrived soon after."
"And neither of them saw the attacker?"
"No, they fled in a different direction from either of them. And seeing as that intersection only goes three ways..."
(So once I know what direction Nagato and the guard came from, I'll know which way the culprit fled,) Rei deduced. "All right, I'll be sure to ask Miss Nagato about that when I talk to her next... b-but we p-probably won't be able t-to talk to th-the security guard until t-trial tomorrow."
"Well, I suppose I can also tell you that the weapon used was a mass-produced combat knife," Sothis said. "You'll find that out at the trial anyway..."
"Right..." Rei nodded. "A-anyway, I should get back to Kyon and Koizumi now..."
"Well, I'm going to be sticking close to you," Sothis asserted. "For some reason, my existence feels more... stable when I'm around you. Might have to do with the fact that you're a CPU... how did that happen, by the way?"
"I-it's a long story," Rei shook her head as they left the lounge. "I'll tell you later..."
February 15
Lowee North High School
Byleth's Classroom
When Rei and Sothis returned, they saw that Tsuruya had joined the duo. "Hey theres! Find any clues at the lounge?" the greenette greeted.
"N-not really," the lawyer shook her head. "I d-didn't think I would, but you should always search every nook and c-cranny..."
"Yeah, we didn't find much, either," Kyon shrugged. "I looked through Nagato-san's desk, but nothing to back up her story that she went there to try and conquer her fear of ghosts..."
"She likely made that choice on a whim," Sothis spoke up. "I'll bet she regrets ever doing that now..."
"Right," Rei grunted, being careful not to glance in the ghost's direction. "Even if we bring up the planner in court, that Mr. Badd will just say that Nagato was the one Byleth meant to meet with..."
"He could say that," Koizumi agreed. "However, keep in mind that Professor Eisner has not yet passed on. If he were to regain consciousness, we could ask him ourselves."
"Yeah, he's the only one who'd know for sure," Kyon said. "But I doubt he's gonna wake up before tomorrow..."
"So what's the plans, then?" Tsuruya asked concernedly.
"W-well, what I usually d-do in th-this instance is t-try to induce enough d-doubt in the j-judge's mind t-to convince him to d-delay handing down his verdict for a d-day... That usually b-buys enough t-time to figure out what actually happened."
"I see," Koizumi nodded. "So if we delay the verdict for a day, perhaps the professor will regain consciousness before the next day... but that's a very large 'if'."
"Well, if Mori-san is as unbiased as you say, then whatever evidence she brings out at the trial tomorrow won't necessarily sink us..." Kyon postulated. "Wait, I just got an idea. Tsuruya-san, is Asakura-san here today?"
"Yeps! She's probably hanging out at the Literature Club, if she's not heres," Tsuruya mused.
"All right, let's go see if she's there..." Rei said.
February 15
Lowee North High School
Literature Club
Sure enough, when the group arrived, Ryoko Asakura was sitting at the main table, with a depressed look on her face... "Oh!" she gasped as she noticed the others' presence, quickly pushing her chair back and standing straight. "Ryghts-san, everyone! Did... did you find anything to help Nagato-san?!"
"Nothing d-definitive..." Rei shook her head. "All we found out was that the p-professor was meeting with somebody at the t-time of the attack..."
Kyon then stepped forward. "Asakura-san, this is important. Did Nagato say anything about heading to the school late at night?"
"No..." Ryoko shook her head. "If she was going to tell somebody, it would have been you, John-kun..."
"So it probablys was on a whim she did thats, then," Tsuruya pondered. "But without evidence that Mr. Badd'll just say she chose not to tell anyones she was meeting with the professors, nyoro... argh, this mega sucks! We all KNOW Nagato-chi is innocents, but we can't do anythings about its!"
"I know how you feel, Tsuruya-san, believe me," Ryoko sighed. "Even I'm powerless, even though I'm class president..."
"Now, now, let's not sink into despair here," Koizumi spoke up. "After all, the situation may be grim, but it's not hopeless... Nagato-san has one of the best, if not the best lawyer in all of Lowee on her side, after all. And if nothing else, we can at least show up and sit in the gallery at the trial tomorrow, to give Nagato-san emotional support."
"...Yeah! That's a good ideas!" Tsuruya immediately regained some of her bubbly demeanor. "Then that's what we'll do, nyoro~!"
"I was planning to show up for Nagato-san's sake, anyway," John Smith concurred.
"Okay then," Rei nodded. "J-just, don't all c-come c-crowding into the defense's lobby t-tomorrow, all right?"
"It'll probably just be me and Koizumi that show up there, tomorrow, then," Kyon agreed. "In the meantime, Asakura-san, could you go to the other students in our class and see if they could write messages of support for Nagato-san?"
"Yes, I can do that!" Ryoko clapped her hands once and smiled. "I'll get on that right away! Excuse me..." Bowing politely, she promptly power-walked out of the room.
"Well, I have to say these students are a pretty tight-knit group," Sothis' voice spoke up. "Back at Garreg Mach, the student body is divided into three houses, and they're all somewhat antagonistic to each other with varying degrees... This is a refreshing change of pace."
"Yes, I'm glad everyone here gets along," Rei said, drawing smiles from the students. (Even so, despite all the support, this is still going to be a tough trial... I just hope I can figure out what's really going on, before it's too late for Yuki!)
*To be continued...*