Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney
The High School Turnabout
By Derald Snyder
Trial, Day 2 (Part 2)
Court Record:
-Ghost Article
-Byleth's Sword
-Byleth's Planner
-Crime Scene Diagram
-Combat Knife
-Security Footage
-Ryoko's Mother's Affidavit
-Ryoko's Knife
-Kyoko Tachibana's Glasses
February 17, 10:26 AM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 1
"I wonder what's going to happen to Asakura-san..." Yuki said, looking depressed from what had just transpired.
"Most likely, she'll end up grounded by her parents," Koizumi theorized. "Also, once word of this reaches the student council, I have no doubt that the president will use his authority to strip Asakura-san of her position as class president. But considering what could have happened, she'll be getting off easy."
"Yes... I'm g-glad that Mr. Badd was able t-to sympathize with her..." Rei nodded in agreement.
"His daughters, huh..." Sothis mused. "For some reason, thinking about that fills me with melancholy. I wonder... did I have children of my own when I was alive?"
(You certainly don't look to be child-bearing age,) Rei thought to herself.
"Anyway, next up is the professor's testimony," Koizumi said. "While he may or may not be able to identify his attacker outright, hopefully he can at least definitively say that Nagato-san wasn't the attacker..."
"I sure hope so..." Yuki looked down.
"W-well, even if he d-doesn't know who stabbed him, I-I'm sure knows you well enough t-to understand th-that you would never d-do such a thing..." Rei pointed out. "D-don't worry, I'll t-try t-to get as much information as I c-can d-during my cross..."
"Arigato, Ryghts-san..." Yuki nodded. "I'll never be able to repay you for this..."
"Well, let's leave the water works for later, shall we?" Koizumi interjected. "This trial isn't over yet..."
"Right... let's see it through to the end," Rei concurred.
February 17, 10:55 AM
District Court
Courtroom No. 1
The judge banged his gavel. "Court is now back in session. Prosecutor Badd, is the witness ready to testify?"
"As ready as he can be, for someone in his condition," Mr. Badd muttered. "Bailiff, if you would please."
"Yes sir!" the NPC bailiff responded, opening the courtroom doors. The people in the gallery watched as Byleth appeared, sitting in a wheelchair pushed by Mori Sonou, with an IV drip attached to his upper right arm. Though he was still wearing his hospital gown, he had also donned dark slacks and black slip-on shoes. A closer look showed that his torso was bandaged beneath the gown. Some slight muttering was heard as Mori wheeled the professor up to the stand, locking the wheels before helping him stand, Byleth bracing his arms on the stand to remain upright.
"Please state your name and occupation for the record, witness," Badd requested.
"Byleth Eisner. I'm a professor at Garreg Mach Military Academy to the south. And I'm also working as a substitute history teacher at Lowee North High."
"Professor Eisner," the judge began, "with all due respect, are you sure you're capable of testifying in your condition?"
"Of course. If I let a stab wound stop me from doing the right thing, my old man would roll over in his grave," Byleth replied stoically.
(Wait, his father's dead? That's the first I've heard of that...) Rei pondered.
"He's still in pain, though. I can tell," Sothis spoke up. "Try to take it easy with him, okay? No point in agitating his wound..." Rei gave a silent nod of acknowledgement.
The judge then banged his gavel. "Very well, then. Please testify about what happened, from your own perspective."
"Yes, sir. I came to the school around ten to midnight. I had a key to the gate, but not the building itself, so I knocked until the guard let me in. I told him I needed to retrieve some papers that needed grading, and then proceeded to my classroom... but I bumped into someone on the way. before I knew it, I'd been stabbed below my ribcage. The last thing I remember before losing consciousness was hearing a woman's scream..."
"So do you know who it was that attacked you?" Mr. Badd pressed.
"I'm not sure... but I can say for certain that it was NOT Yuki Nagato," Byleth said firmly. "The person I bumped into had long, thick hair- quite unlike the defendant's." The gallery started murmuring in mild confusion.
The judge banged his gavel to silence the crowd, before stating, "Well, if this testimony stands, it completely destroys the prosecution's case, I would believe."
"IF it stands up to scrutiny, Your Honor," Badd asserted.
"Indeed. The defense will proceed with their cross-examination."
"Yes, Your Honor," Rei nodded, before turning to Koizumi. "And you had better be willing to spill the beans once I expose this fool's obfuscation, worm."
"Ah-ha..." Koizumi began sweating a little.
"Yes, it's time for you to expose what this fool has really been up to," Sothis nodded. "And yes, I mean you, Byleth." The professor briefly glanced in her direction, clearly having heard her.
"Professor Eisner," Rei began, "before we get into whether your recollection of your attacker was accurate, there's something else we have to discuss."
"And that is?"
"The fact that you lied to Bobby DeBeats that night. You weren't there to retrieve papers to grade, worm. I found your planner locked in your desk drawer," she pulled out the planner in question, "and on the date of the attack, you wrote in a meeting at midnight, and noted, 'very important'. Care to explain?"
"...I see," Byleth responded, showing no hint of surprise. "Well, let me ask you this, Rei Ryghts: Why do you think I was meeting with somebody at North High in the dead of night? Surely an ace attorney like yourself can draw some inferences..."
"This is his way of testing you," Sothis whispered into the lawyer's ear. "He wants to be certain that he can trust you to unravel this mystery in his place..."
"...All right," Rei nodded. "I don't usually ponder out loud like this, but let's review the facts..."
(Music- 'Revisualization'- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney- Dual Destinies)
"On the surface, it seems just like the prosecution says: a dispute between a teacher and student that got out of hand. But other than the time of the attack, there's one very large wrinkle that can't be dismissed: the involvement of the Lowee Guild."
"Now Prosecutor Badd says that Koizumi simply was paranoid and called in Agent Mori Sonou in a panic to take over the investigation. But that doesn't really jibe with Koizumi's personality... So why would the Guild get involved, then? The answer is simple, if you think about it: Professor Eisner is actually helping the Guild work a case!"
"This also explains why Byleth came all the way from Garreg Mach Military Academy to take a substitute teaching position at Lowee North High- it was actually an undercover operation. The person he intended to meet with that night was likely an informant that he'd managed to contact. The school was chosen because it was familiar territory, and in the dead of night so as not to involve the other staff or the students."
"But this so-called informant never had any intention of helping Byleth- instead they tried to kill him. They were only prevented from finishing the job when they heard someone approaching- most likely Yuki Nagato, forcing them to flee. Indeed, Nagato being in the wrong place at the wrong time might have actually saved the professor's life..."
"Something I will be forever grateful for," Sothis spoke up. "Don't tell Nagato that, though. The poor girl will probably have a heart attack or something."
"...Anyway," Rei ignored the ghost, "We can safely assume this fake informant has a direct connection to the person or persons you're seeking, which is why they agreed to meet you in a dark place where they wouldn't be recognized."
(music fades out)
"So, what do you think of my hypothesis, professor?" Rei faced Byleth once more.
In response, Byleth nodded, giving a tiny smile. "Very good, Miss Ryghts. You get a passing grade. Indeed, it is as you say... I was helping the Guild work a case in an undercover op. And Agent Koizumi was my liaison with the Guild proper while I was at North High."
"This wasn't our original plan," Koizumi spoke up, "But when our history teacher took ill, I realized it as a golden opportunity. So I spoke with the school administration, and managed to secure Byleth as a substitute teacher after some negotiation. One condition they insisted on was that nobody else in the school got involved with our case... which, unfortunately, seems to have failed miserably." He shot a sympathetic look at Yuki.
"Might I ask, exactly, what case it is you're working?" the judge queried. "While I understand the Guild's penchant for secrecy, it surely wouldn't hurt to share some details at this point..."
"I'll answer that, Your Honor," Byleth interjected. "We're investigating a shady group that's directly involved with the murder of my father, Jeralt Reus Eisner."
"Wh-what?!" Rei recoiled. "Y-your father was murdered?!" The gallery started chattering at this...
"Order! Order!" the judge banged his gavel repeatedly.
"Jeralt Reus... I've heard that name before," Mr. Badd mused. "But I can't put my finger on it..."
"You might remember him as Jeralt the Blade-Breaker," Byleth supplied. "In his prime, he was said to be one of the greatest warriors in Lowee, a living legend. It was said that when ASIC launched an assault on Garreg Mach Academy to destroy the adjacent monastery and undermine faith in the CPU, it was Jeralt's efforts that single-handedly turned the tide of the battle."
"Ah yes, that does ring a bell, now that you mention it," Badd nodded.
"So how was he murdered?" Rei inquired curiously.
"In an act of cowardice," Byleth's expression turned stony. "Father and I were guarding the venue for a local festival, when we were ambushed by unknown assailants, along with some robots. After fighting them off, Father was approached by a Garreg Mach student- but she was an assassin in disguise, who literally stabbed him in the back. By the time I got to him, it was too late... he died in my arms. It was the first time in my life I ever shed tears..." A single tear ran down the man's cheek, which he promptly wiped away.
"So what happened after that?" the judge asked.
"Well, after he was buried, the knights tried to investigate, but came up empty. Out of desperation, I reached out to the Guild, and they agreed to help me. It turns out the assassin was a member of an underground terrorist organization they were trying to track down... thanks to them, I was able to find and eventually corner the assassin. But when I tried to interrogate her about why she killed Father, she was shot dead by a sniper's bullet..."
"So who is this organization you're investigating?" Rei turned to Koizumi.
"They're a group of fanatics who worship the Deity of Sin, Arfoire," Koizumi responded. "They don't seem to have a formal name, but we in the Guild have given them the tentative designation of 'those who slither in the dark'. They have access to ancient technology, and are masters of disguise. Although, they can't perfectly emulate the personalities of those they imitate, which helps us see through them on occasion. While we've foiled a number of their plots, we've so far failed to deliver a KO, so to speak."
"But... wasn't the Deity of Sin destroyed permanently thanks to the efforts of our CPUs?" the judge pointed out.
"That may be true, however, these fanatics are convinced that the Deity of Sin will arise again in a different incarnation someday," Koizumi countered. "And you know how religious fanatics are..."
"Well then, how did you contact this 'informant'?" Mr. Badd asked Byleth.
"Well, once I got settled into my teaching position here, the Guild and I sent a message into the city's criminal underworld. The message went like this: 'You may have broken the Blade Breaker, but the Ashen Demon will pursue you into the bowels of hell!' The message included my contact information- phone number and e-mail address. Eventually, I was contacted via e-mail by somebody professing to have information on those who slither in the dark... they proved themselves by reciting details of Father's murder that were never released to the public."
"But you never met them personally until that night?" Rei pressed.
"No... all I know is their handle: SkyInterface0201 nepmail-dot-com. As you said, I insisted at meeting at the school due to being familiar territory... but they were the ones who insisted on the late night meeting time, which I agreed to. I don't know how they got into the school without being caught by the guard, though..."
"So what exactly happened when you met them?" the judge inquired.
"When I met her, she recited the password I gave her the night before- 'Sitri', my mother's name. And then asked for payment... my sword... and my heart. And that's when I was stabbed."
"Your sword? You mean the the one made of human bones?" Rei grunted, nonplussed. "But why?"
"I don't know," the professor shook his head. "I have a few ideas, but nothing to back them up..." He glanced in Sothis' direction.
"What, you think they know about me somehow?" the ghost replied. "That's a pretty far stretch, if you ask me..."
"So where's the sword now?" Rei asked.
"It was taken into evidence after the victim was admitted at the hospital," Mr. Badd spoke up. "It should still be in the evidence locker now..."
"Well, let's make sure it stays there for the time being," Koizumi asserted.
"Yes, well, Detective Brightman has been keeping a close eye on the evidence to begin with," Badd said with a nod. "I'm sure that sword is safe."
"We'll be sending an agent down there to be sure," Koizumi added.
"One more thing, professor," Rei leaned forward slightly, "Is there anything else you can recall about your attacker's appearance? Anything at all?"
"Hmm..." Byleth closed his eyes, trying to recall. "Like I said, they had long thick hair, and I'm fairly sure it was a woman, given their voice and the fact they wore a skirt. Oh, and they were wearing glasses, now that I think about it..."
"Would they happen to look like... these glasses?" Rei pulled out a photo of Tachibana's glasses, which was handed to the bailiff and brought to the witness stand."
"...Yes, these do seem like the glasses my attacker was wearing," Byleth recognized.
"HOLD IT!" Badd objected. "Whose glasses are those, anyway?"
"They belong to a student from nearby Kyououen High School," Koizumi answered in Rei's place. "And on the day of the attack, they were borrowed by her fellow student who was dating a member of Nagato's class..."
"Her name is Kuyou Suou," Rei continued, "and her actions during the day of the attack were a little bit suspect..." She then described that Taniguchi had told them about that day.
"Wait, Taniguchi?!" Byleth interrupted. "I didn't know he had a girlfriend. I thought he was one of those horny teenage boys who wouldn't be able to hold on to a date..."
"With all due respect, professor, I think that was the point," Rei said with her hands on her hips. "The defense proposes that Kuyou Suou was using Taniguchi as a patsy to learn about the professor and the school to plan out her attack..."
"OBJECTION!" Mr. Badd bellowed. "Do you have even a scrap of evidence to prove this?!"
"Admittedly, it's mostly circumstantial at this point," Koizumi conceded. "But she does fit the description that the professor gave. And I highly doubt he would lie to cover for his attacker, especially given how personal this case is for him..."
"I quite agree," the judge nodded. "At this point, I believe I'm ready to hand down my verdict..."
"HOLD IT!" a shout suddenly came from the witness stand. "Y-Your Honor, might I ask you hold off on that for the moment?"
"What?! Professor...?!" Yuki gasped in disbelief.
"...With all due respect, witness, why the delay?" the judge looked at Byleth critically.
Panting a little, Byleth replied, "Well, when those who slither in the dark hear about the 'not guilty' verdict, they'll realize their plans have failed, and disappear back into the shadows. But if... if we delay the verdict... they might just stick around to see what happens next." Making a show of slamming his hands on the stand, he exclaimed, "This might just be our opportunity to take them down! Aghhh...!" He doubled over in pain, Mori quickly grabbing him and reseating him in his wheelchair. "I'm, I'm all right..."
"I don't think so," Mori said sternly. "I think it's time you went back to the hospital."
"Still, the professor's proposal has merit," Koizumi nodded. "Of course, I understand the trial can only be extended one more day, so I will immediately contact Kuyou's friend once we're done here, to see if I can arrange a meeting with the woman herself. She doesn't know that I'm a Guild agent, after all..."
"...I see. Very well, I will grant the witness's request," the judge sighed.
"I suppose the prosecution has no objection," Badd sighed.
"One more thing," Byleth grunted, gesturing to Mori to turn his wheelchair so he could face Yuki. "Miss Yuki Nagato... I apologize from the bottom of my heart for what you've suffered. It was never my intention for you to get caught up in any of this. I am truly sorry."
"P-professor..." Yuki sniffled, tears running down her cheeks. "Thank you... Y-you're not the heartless slave driver I thought you were..."
"All right, that's enough," Mori said with a curt nod. "Let's go..." She promptly turned and wheeled Byleth out of the courtroom.
"So then, as we just said, I hereby grant a one-day extension to this trial, the final one allowed. We will reconvene tomorrow at 10 AM. This court is adjourned!" The judge banged his gavel with finality.
*Byleth's Testimony has been added to the Court Record.*
*To be continued...*