During lunch recess, Shuuichi consorted with his team. He was visibly upset about the things that were said about him, feeling like he was stabbed multiple times in the heart. Whether it was strictly Shuuichi or strictly Kurama, this day sucked to them.

"Relax," Touma assured, "You're doing fine. Remember, we still have our trump card."

That gave Shuuichi an idea, "You're right. We do. Excuse me."

Back at University hospital, Kiyoni was just served her lunch. Salmon, miso soup, sliced tomatoes, two slices of tamagoyaki with sweet sauce, a small bowl of Lima beans, a bowl of brown rice, and a serving of strawberries (all heart healthy foods) was on the menu that day. It was a welcome distraction from the court proceedings with some iced green tea to wash it all down.

"That Natsume woman sounds like she should be set free," Shishi noticed, "Out of all the witnesses, she seemed to be the most...most…"

"Sorry," Juri finished.

"Yeah. That."

"I can't believe that Touya guy," Juri crossed her arms, "I thought he was a cutie too."

"Trust me, Juri," Kiyoni confessed, "Touya would've turned you down faster than you could blink. Once he finds out about you rubbing elbows with me, pssh, please."

"Those kids should be let go at least," Chiyoko opined, "They're children."

"I agree, grandma."

"I wonder who's next to talk," Shishi questioned.

"I don't know. I know Suu'chi and I will. Maybe Lady Mukuro and...that bastard, Yomi."

"What happened to him," Akio asked, "He looked...different."

"Suu'chi? He...transformed. Him and Kurama finally became one. Oh, yeah! We never did explain that to you all."

"Uh oh," Shishi took a seat, "Story time."

Juri joined him, "Story time!"

Kiyoni sighed after sipping her tea. Just before she told her story, she received a text from Shuuichi:

"Hello?"

"Hey you 😉"

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"What I've heard was BS"

"But I'm fine"

"I'm eating now"

"What's on the menu?"

Kiyoni sent a photo of what was left which was the salmon, beans, soup and strawberries:

"Ta-da? 😁"

"😋 "

"Looks good"

"How are you feeling?"

"Right now I'm...decompressing"

"Sort of"

"Sort of?"

"I'm a bit upset"

"Hurt"

"Why?"

"The things Touya said"

"He wasn't lying when he said we grew up together"

"We did so much 😭"

"Aww, Suu'chi"

"[three hugging emojis] "

"😚😚😚"

"It's going to be okay"

"Then again…"

"[raised eyebrow emoji]"

"I'm sorry"

"But for him to say those things about you…"

"Would you really consider him to be your friend?"

"I mean he judged me before even taking any time to get to know me"

"He didn't even want you to date me did he?"

"No"

"What you say is true"

"It just...hurts"

"Suu'chi I'm sorry this has happened to you"

"I really am"

"But as you tell me friends do come and go"

"Perhaps it's god removing the bad shit from your life"

"Using the court to do it"

"You're not going to go against that are you?"

"No"

"I'm not"

"Accept the things you cannot change"

"The strength to change the things that I can and the wisdom to know the difference."

"Thanks 😘"

"❤️❤️❤️"

An hour passed and court was back in session. The panel of judges called for the next witness. Called forth by Shinobu's team, a former member of the yokai association, Yomi, stepped forward and up to the podium. Despite the designer business suit he wore including a Burberry coat and matching scarf, he was handcuffed and escorted inside the courtroom much to the dismay of Shuuichi.

A lawyer next to him advised, "Now's not the time to lose your cool."

Shuuichi nodded in acknowledgement, adjusting his seating position to look confident and collected. Yomi did the same as he sat before the judges after he was sworn in.

"Please state your name," Enki requested.

"I am Yomi," he stated, "Memb-former member of the Correlation for Yokai Affairs, mayor of Gandara."

He hated saying the former part knowing how his replacement was sitting directly in front of him.

Daigo went first, "Sir Yomi, please describe your association to my client, Mister Sensui."

"Certainly. To be honest, I found it odd for a man of God, a human man of God to reach out to me given what I am. However, the letter that he sent me was what intrigued me."

"Ladies and gentlemen. What I have here is the exact letter that my client has written to the witness. Exhibit D. What I will now do is hand over the letter, written in braille, for the witness to read aloud."

With a cleared throat, Yomi read:

Dear, Counselor Yomi,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to you in regards to a little situation I've encountered concerning a yokai the both of us have something in common with. First, let me introduce myself. I am Father Sensui Shinobu, leader of the Lighthouse Tokyo church in Tokyo. I haven't been at this position long but I've grown comfortable with it.

Now that that's out of the way, allow me to get right down to it. The yokai in question goes by the name of Kurama, someone, I'm told, you've had history with long ago. Within your community, he is believed to be dead. However, he has been revived, possessing the human body of one Minamino Shuuichi, a student and deacon of the church.

Recently, Shuuichi has come to know of his connection to your community and is beginning to embrace it more and more by the day. It also doesn't help that he has begun fraternizing with a succubus named Ikeda Kiyoni, whom I have my own history with.

I'll leave things there for now as I don't want to give too much away. If my message interests you, I am more than happy to speak on the subject.

Best wishes,

Father Sensui Shinobu

Shuuichi figuratively kicked himself in the ass again for opening up his mouth to Shinobu about Yomi.

"And how many more letters like that were exchanged between you and my client," Daigo asked.

"I can't say off-hand," Yomi replied while twiddling his thumbs, "What I do know is that Sensui was in need of my assistance. Kurama is and was a wild man. If Sensui had the determination to tame Kurama, who was I to stop him?"

I'm not the one to be tamed, you blind-as-a-bat bastard… Kurama thought, or have you forgotten that?

"So that's the man you had to leave home for," Akio questioned his daughter.

Kiyoni jolted, "Hm? Oh...yeah. That's him."

"Are you alright?"

"Just sleepy. Lunch plus this breathing tube plus this boring interrogation is…" Kiyoni yawned.

"Go ahead and rest. I'm sure the court wouldn't want to catch you falling asleep on camera."

Kiyoni yawned again, ready for that nap, "Thanks...dad."

Daigo had finished with his side of things. Touma stepped forward for his interview.

"Sir Yomi, could you please explain to the court what your position is, sorry, was with the Correlation for Yokai Affairs?"

"My position lies within the realms of social relations. It was my duty to ensure that yokai and humans find common ground in anything they set out to do."

"So if your responsibility was to maintain the proper balance between the two worlds, why didn't you step in after the first wave of murders had occurred?"

"Oh. Because I didn't find sufficient evidence to properly prosecute anyone at the time. Shinobu was quite thorough in covering his tracks. I wasn't the only one to blame, though. My colleagues, Mukuro and Raizen, were also at fault for not following through on their duties."

"What about the second wave or any others that followed?"

"Chief Sachi is my personal second-in-command. He actually did his job if I recall. Didn't you interrogate two children about an hour or so ago about that?"

"The letter you read for everyone here today, when did you receive it?"

"I believe it was some time after the New Year's holiday. Sensui's description of Kurama, specifically his traits, quickly gained my attention. Just the idea of Kurama's return from the grave piqued my interest."

"So how did the meeting between you and Kurama come about?"

Yomi thought about the question carefully, "Again, Shinobu needed my assistance. However, my interest in meeting with my old friend was far more important. His arrival upon my doorstep was more for my benefit than for Sensui."

"And why is that?"

"It gave me the opportunity to witness how far Kurama has come over the years. Also, there were some...old hatchets that needed to be buried."

"So your failed assassination attempt was for you and not Sensui?"

"Objection," Daigo shouted.

"Overruled," said the only female judge.

"Granted…" Yomi continued, "Kurama's death would have benefitted Sensui but it was his companion who changed all that."

"And why is that," Touma queried.

"In a way, she reminded me of how I would've done anything for Kurama back in the day. In her eyes, as well as mine, Kurama couldn't do no wrong. Even though it was by his hands that I no longer have my sight and granted, my misfortune is my fault, Kurama still couldn't do no wrong."

"No further questions."

The cold stare Shuuichi gave Yomi throughout the entire interview melted upon Yomi's last statement. He didn't know Yomi held Kurama in such regard.

"Ha," Shishi snorted, "First, Kiyoni kicks Kurama's ass. Then she saves him. You must've said or done something outrageous to get one of the yokai counselors to step down. ...Kiyoni?"

Akio placed a finger over his lips, "She's asleep."

"Oh," Shishi whispered, "Sorry."

"It's alright and you have a point. She gets that from her mother. She served in the American military and had always taught our children how to stand up for themselves. I guess some teachings stuck around."

"I know what you mean," Juri concurred, "When we all worked at Aphrodisia, Kiyoni was never afraid to speak her mind. The night she caught Shuuichi with one of our coworkers...woo."

Shishi remembered, "Oh, Aiko looked a mess when we saw her the next day or was it the next two days?"

"Haha. Yeah. Red, white, black, and blue? Haha!"

Akio smiled with pride while listening to Shishi and Juri sing their praises about his daughter. She may have been a succubus but it was nice to know that Kiyoni didn't completely forget where she came from.

Inside the courtroom, Enki engaged in some conversation with his fellow judges. It had been a long procedure and a long day. It was time to call it in.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. After deliberating with my fellow colleagues, we think it's best that we pause here for today. We have sufficient evidence and testimony to begin preliminary discussions and will continue with the rest of the trial at the same time of 09:00am, tomorrow morning. Court is adjourned."

Everyone rose to their feet and bowed as the judges did the same and departed. Afterwards, Shuuichi wanted to go somewhere and smoke himself out but he knew to report to the hospital as soon as possible.

And he did, only to be greeted by Akio and Chiyoko, "Fantastic. You're here."

"We wouldn't miss this," Chiyoko smiled, "My great-grandchildren are at stake."

"Excuse me? Great-grandchildren?"

Chiyoko whispered, "Can't make babies if you're locked up."

Shuuichi blushed, "Oh-ho. I see. Thanks for the...reminder."

Akio stepped forward, "Minamino."

Shuuichi bowed to him, "Mister Ikeda, sir."

"How are you feeling?"

"Nervous. Relieved but nervous. How is she?"

"She's fine. Been holding up well throughout the day."

"Has she moved at all?"

"Other than to use the restroom, no. Would you like to see her?"

"Of course. Oh! Before I forget, everyone, my lawyer wants to have a word with you all concerning the case."

"Why," Shishi asked.

"All of you are potential witnesses."

"Oh, yeah. That makes total sense. Juri and I were there when Aphrodisia burned down so…"

"Definitely," Juri agreed, "Count me in."

"He's waiting for you, all of you, in the lobby," Shuuichi directed.

"What are we waiting for," Shishi determined, "Let's go."

Shuuichi was left alone with Kiyoni once again. She was watching a YouTube video on her laptop when she noticed.

"Suu'chi…!"

"Hey, beautiful."

Kiyoni's heart rate increased slightly upon the sight of the fox, "Suu'chi."

"Hey," Shuuichi leaned in for a kiss, "How are you doing?"

"Better now that you're here. How are you?"

"Exhausted."

"I'm sure. I think I fell asleep twice during the preceding."

"I don't blame you. I almost did."

"You looked tense when Yomi came out."

"I was. Honestly, I was. I thought he was going to throw me under the bus but he didn't. Must've had a change of heart in the end."

"Humility will do that to a person."

Shuuichi held onto Kiyoni's hand while looking at her overall situation, "Are you sure you don't want Yukina to come and heal you? I'm sure she will."

"I actually thought about that and...as much as I've adored you being my caretaker, I'd be dumb as hell if I didn't ask her. This hospital room is nice and the food is fine but I don't want to be here longer than necessary. Suu'chi, I wanna go home. I wanna sleep in my own bed, eat my own food. Hell...I wanna walk at least! And…"

"And? What?"

The look in Kiyoni's eyes displayed sincerity with a hint of bashfulness, "Be with you. Be...free with you."

"As do I. I'll call her," Shuuichi said, "Hello? Yukina? ...Yes, yes. I'm well. ...Yes, well, I can't say for certain what will happen to Touya and Natsume...We'll see how things go tomorrow. ...Anyway, the reason why I'm calling is to make a request. Do you think you could make your way over to the University of Tokyo hospital? ...No, no. It's not for me. I'm alright. It's for Kiyoni. ...You'll have to see for yourself. ...Thank you. We'll see you soon."

"Thank God for her. She's definitely going to get some wings."

"Indeed."

"Damn."

"What?"

"Now I have a craving for some buffalo and teriyaki chicken wings," Kiyoni gasped, "Buffalo chicken sushi…! Ooooooh!"

Shuuichi inhaled and reclined his head back to keep from laughing, "Asking to have her heart healed only to consume foods that may cause heartburn. Sometimes, your logic truly amazes me, Ikeda."

"You're just being sarcastic. I, on the other hand, was very serious. Don't knock it until you try it."

Shuuichi squeezed Kiyoni's hand and cherished it like it was a priceless piece of jewelry. He had some things to say but didn't know how to go about it.

"Suu'chi, what's wrong? You look…remorseful."

"...I'm…grateful, actually."

"For…?"

"You."

"What did I do?"

"...Everything. For…walking into my life."

"Don't say that. It's ultimately my fault that we're in this mess."

"No, it's not. It never was. Never was. This was all Shinobu's doing. Remember that. However, that's not what I meant."

"Then talk to me," Kiyoni urged as Shuuichi sat down on her bed, "Because you're starting to scare me."

"Remember all those things you said that night at the police station? Before you…had that heart attack?"

"Suu'chi, I was simply freaking out that night. I meant what I said though."

"I know. I want you to know…that I have some reactions to you as well. For starters, when we first met that Halloween, you want to know what caught my eye?"

"My body? I mean, my costume was fresh as hell."

"Well…sort of. No. What caught my eye was…your smile."

"My smile?"

"When you walked away, I noticed your smile. Granted, I've seen other women look at me like that but yours was different. Not only did it read of interest but…I don't know…maybe bashfulness? Would that be the right word?"

Kiyoni blushed…hard. The same way she did the day she first attended Lighthouse. That night in Shibuya was a bit on the awkward side from Kiyoni's end, like a "I-just-can't-believe-I-did-that" type of ordeal. Sure, Kiyoni turned on the charm like a succubus should but underneath, Shuuichi's swag was too appealing to ignore on the count of him being a church boy.

"Well…a succubus meeting a deacon…" she clarified, "would raise some eyebrows, right?"

"Yes but did it stop us? No. Kiyoni…there's not too many things I don't admire about you. From your smile to…your personality to…your confidence. That intrigues me the most. You went through so much both mentally and emotionally and yet you're willing to put on a brave face any chance you get. However, the times you broke down some of those walls, my heart jumped and for you to have me around, to trust me to witness that is…indescribable. Kiyoni, I can't tell you how honored I am to see this side of you because I am in love with this side of you, this vulnerability you have. You never have to put on a front for me. Don't you ever put on a front for me. A show? Yes, a show…a private show, yes but–"

No one knew why Kiyoni started laughing at that point but she did. She kept doing it until her chest felt uncomfortable and did so to replace the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"What," Shuuichi questioned, "Was it something I said?"

"Hehe, yes…and no. Suu'chi, no one has ever said the things you just said to me. Then again…I never gave them the chance if there was one."

"Then…why me?"

"Because I saw something in you that I never saw in anyone else. A true yearning for companionship, one that didn't require anyone taking their clothes off. The night of that private show was where it started. I said Morningstar was where I developed feelings for you but the night after confirmed it. Most, if not all, clients would come in for a quick, carnal fix but you…you just wanted someone to reach out to. I wanted the same and that's why I stuck around. Backgrounds aside, we both wanted the same thing. Especially now that both of us had dates with a hospital."

"We realized just how connected we truly are."

So much for Kiyoni holding back those tears, "...Yeah."

The pair embraced each other again savoring the intimate moment of silence with tears and kisses. Praise the powers above for this moment. It may have been rough a few times but the path to their relationship was truly an adventurous one. Just when the couple thought that staying chained to their respective worlds was to be their fate, each side proved why it wasn't. All that's next now is to walk away from the beaten path and onto a fresh, new one.

The next day brought promise and it all started with Yukina's visit to see Kiyoni. She would've been there the night before but visiting hours had ended so Kiyoni had to endure one more night in the hospital. Informed of what happened, Yukina proceeded to follow through with Shuuichi's request with no hesitation. Love is found within one's heart, Yukina believed, and one can't love with a broken heart. That rush of ice flowing through Kiyoni's chest cavity was welcomed and she felt better than ever. Upon receiving medical opinions from the original cardiologist, a radiologist, and her own hematologic father, Kiyoni was free to go. She gave Yukina the biggest and strongest hug she had ever given anyone and leaped into Shuuichi's arms for a loving embrace and smooch much to the delight of the press who stood outside the hospital doors.

"The only thing I care about is seeing Sensui Shinobu go down today," she said to reporters, "Then, and only then, will Shuuichi and I be free."

Led by Touma, the couple walked into the courthouse hand-in-hand this time, confident and ready to get the day started. Shuuichi went with a forest green business suit this time which brought out the colors of his eyes, hair, and tail. Being the outlier that she was, Kiyoni chose to go with a black and white checkerboard business suit set that came with a skirt that fell just above the knees, and a pair of solid black pumps. Shuuichi tried his best not to think wild thoughts while watching the way Kiyoni walked in heels. Today was a serious day.

Day two of the trial had begun like day one and the courtroom reached standing room only in terms of attendance. Kiyoni joined a delighted Mukuro in the audience section with Akio, Chiyoko, Juri, and Shishi behind her. Shuuichi rejoined his team and Shinobu was escorted by his own team. Once Shinobu locked eyes with Kiyoni, she greeted the former church father by pretending she was touching up her makeup using her middle finger as her compact mirror.

Someone's in a good mood, he assumed with a smirk.

Kiyoni peeked over at Shuuichi who sat in attention to what was going on around him. His studious nature intrigued Kiyoni. A man so focused like he was making plans B through whatever just to get ahead. Perhaps this was the "strategic planning" side of Kurama that he talked about, the forward thinker.

Ugh! Hathor, take the damn wheel, she proclaimed while gnawing on a fingernail, God, why is he so fucking sexy when he's like that? Dammit! It's like I just wanna...Mm! Ugh, screw Valentine's Day. I want him now. Right fucking now. Oh, to do that right in front of Shinobu's face… I bet he'd like that too. Yeah, you think I'm a whore? Watch me get fucked like one while your ass is hauled off to prison for life. It'll be the last, good thing you'll ever see. Better yet, you can watch us fuck ourselves silly while you die from lethal injection. Ooh, that'll be fun. Fuck, why the hell am I like this?!

"Kiyoni," Shuuichi called in a low tone.

"Hm? What? Yes?"

"Are you okay? Don't tell me you were spacing out again."

"Oh, me? No! No, I wasn't."

Shuuichi raised an eyebrow knowing that Kiyoni was lying.

"Okay...maybe I was...a little."

The bailiff announced, "All rise!"

All nine judges returned, refreshed and ready to go to a bowing audience. All were seated once everyone was properly greeted.

"Alright," Enki began, "Day two of the case of the board vs. Sensui Shinobu vs. Minamino Shuuichi. First, I'd like to say that yesterday was quite eventful and that on behalf of the board, we'd like to thank everyone who had come to testify. Without further delay, let's begin."

In the interest of fairness, Touma was allowed to be the first to call his witness starting with Shishi. He adjusted his designer red and black business attire, presented himself to the panel, was sworn in, and was poised as ever throughout the whole thing. He secretly regarded Shuuichi as competition in terms of looks so Shishi figured to one-up the fox. Shuuichi thought it was absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary but moved on.

Shishi discussed his first impression of Shuuichi, claiming him to be nothing more than a target for Kiyoni to take advantage of. The night of the holiday show at Yomiuri Land brought concern for his former comrade in carnality. Then Shishi explained the particulars surrounding sex demon culture. The night Shishi encountered Kurama when the latter raided Kabukicho, brought fear to Shishi's heart. Shishi already had an idea of what Kurama was about and wanted nothing to do with it. When he met up with Kurama again, his jaw dropped upon learning the connection between the fox, his human half, and Kiyoni and thought that Shinobu was absolutely insane for going so far. Then to learn about what Shinobu was doing to the city of Tokyo, including the fire that took down Aphrodisia, was even more frightening. Shishi no longer feared Kurama at that point. It was Shinobu to worry about. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

Kiyoni remembered and reprocessed everything Shishi said and she agreed. The night Shishi saw Kurama with her was one of the times she actually wanted to laugh but didn't. Looking back, it was hilarious to see Shishi react the way he did. Then again, that entire night was crazy.

Daigo stepped up to the plate from some cross-examination. He requested for Shishi to recall the night of the holiday show.

"You said you were concerned about the safety of your coworker," Daigo queried.

"Yes," Shishi replied.

"Because, as you've said, incubi and succubi can die if they fall in love, correct?"

"Yes."

"So, did you assume that your colleague was falling for Minamino then?"

"Yes, I did."

"And seeing as how Minamino was under the influence of my client, would you say that was his original intention?"

"Objection," Touma shouted.

"Overruled," Enki stated.

"I wouldn't know," Shishi admitted, "I didn't know what church Minamino belonged to so I never made the connection between him and your client. I didn't think of Minamino that much at all. Miss Ikeda was my main concern."

"Have the two of you dated?"

Touma shouted again, "Objection!"

"Withdrawn. No further questions."

Shishi returned to his seat feeling like he just went through the ringer.

"You two owe me big time," he pointed to both Shuuichi and Kiyoni.

Juri was up next. She took the stand as peppy as she could be in her Barbie pink and black dress suit.

Touma greeted her with a smile, "Miss Takehito Juri. Is that correct?"

"Yes," she said.

"Former employee of the exotic dance club, Aphrodisia?"

"Yes, sir."

"And what did you do there?"

"I mainly served as a cocktail waitress and was a pole dancer at times."

"Did you like your job?"

"For the most part, yes. The pay kinda sucked and the boss was worse but I liked it."

"Mhmm. Now, tell me, the court, your thoughts on my client."

Juri looked over at Shuuichi and told her story. She was the one who encouraged Kiyoni to move in on Shuuichi that Halloween night in Shibuya and was the one who informed Kiyoni about the bet that was made by everyone in Aphrodisia. Right off the bat, Juri assumed Shuuichi was a virgin and was correct in her assumptions the more Kiyoni talked about him. While everyone talked about Shuuichi like he was a joke, Juri saw the potential in him. That became apparent when Shuuichi started visiting Aphrodisia more often, requesting for Kiyoni to be his only hostess. Juri adored the dynamic between Shuuichi and Kiyoni despite their differences. A hopeless romantic, herself, Juri was one of the few, if not, the only one who was behind the pairing. Knowing the stakes, even Juri wished she could find love with someone.

Then came the night Kurama came around and changed everything. Like Shishi, Juri also knew of Kurama's reputation and wanted no part of it. When Kurama stated that he was on the hunt for Kiyoni, she felt like a side character in a love triangle soap opera. First, there was Shuuichi who Kiyoni wanted but then, there was Kurama who wanted Kiyoni but then, Shuuichi wanted Kiyoni then Kiyoni wanted them both, then both Kurama and Shuuichi were the same person who still wanted Kiyoni… It was too much. Too much drama to take in.

Juri told the story behind the fire in Kabukicho, claiming that three people were the ones responsible for it. They were all there to preach the word of God which disrupted the entire vibe of the club. The moment Juri saw her boss get burned to a crisp was traumatic, one she still has nightmares from. When the trio announced who they were looking for, Juri was scared for Kiyoni. Why would they want her? Juri, somewhat, knew of Shuuichi's ties to Lighthouse Tokyo but didn't really give it much thought. She thought Shuuichi was too cool for that place anyway. When she first met Shinobu, he seemed rather emotionless yet judgmental and that was her only opinion of him.

Daigo wondered, "So the night of the fire, did you see my client at all?"

"No," Juri answered, "We all escaped using the emergency exit door. We didn't bother going out front."

"So you never made the connection between the fire and my client?"

"No. I don't know much about your client so no."

"Did you ever think that it was the work of Minamino who planned the fire?"

"No. Those people came looking for him, that's why. Why would they do that if he was the one who sent them?"

"Perhaps to throw you off, make him look innocent. Were you ever informed of Minamino's whereabouts?"

"No. I assumed that wherever he was, he was with Miss Ikeda. She sent me a text around the time of the fire but never told me where they were."

"So you never thought that all of this was the work of Minamino? I mean, Kurama did have a reputation for planning things far in advance."

"Objection! Taunting the witness," Touma exclaimed.

"Sustained," Enki declared, "Stick to the subject in hand, Daigo."

"I'll withdraw my last statement," Daigo relented, "No further questions."

"Thank you, Miss Takehito," Enki allowed, "You may be seated."

Nervously, Juri sat back down and fanned herself with her tail, "I hope I never get to do that ever again."

Both Shuuichi and Kiyoni mouthed an apology to Juri, "Sorry."

That Daigo character is a real pain, Shuuichi confirmed, However, he's doing exactly what Shinobu hired him to do. He may have gotten under the skin of Shishi and Juri but he will not do so with me.

It was Daigo's turn to call his witness. Another familiar face, Kiyoni, Shishi, and Juri were surprised to see him. The man stood at about six feet, three inches tall, was a bodybuilder, and of African descent. His biggest claim to fame, he was a former bouncer for Aphrodisia. Yes, he was Bakken and he was heated about one of the subjects in question as he sat before the panel in nothing but a sweatsuit as if he was about to hit the gym later.

"Is it me or did Bakken get bigger," Shishi noticed.

"What the hell has he been doing all this time," Kiyoni whispered.

"Eating nothing but iron, I assume. He's huge!"

"Yeah, I've heard of him," Bakken admitted in reference to Shuuichi, "At first, I thought he was just a scrawny, little thing, too virginal to even look at the place. But when he started asking for one of the girls, I laughed my butt off. Any of those girls in Aphrodisia would've bitten off more than his head if you catch my drift and he claimed to be a church boy? The man's a joke!"

"So what about the night you met Kurama," Daigo asked.

Bakken's smile turned to fear and anger, "Him? Man…I thought it was BS the way he attacked me."

"And how did he attack you?"

"Gave me a bouquet of flowers to hold onto. Then a leaf stabbed me in the stomach. The stomach! I mean, look at this," Bakken lifted up his shirt for all to see, "How in the world could a leaf cut through all this well-cut meat?"

He had a noticeable scar on the right side of his abdomen of his ripped body. Kurama smirked from that. Good times, good times.

"I had to sit in the hospital for two weeks just for my body to heal! That man," Bakken pointed, "That man right there is the one who did it! You can wipe that smile off your face before I knock it off of you!"

Before anyone could do anything, officers stepped in to ease the situation.

"I'm good, I'm good," Bakken insisted.

"So you haven't been able to get over that, have you," Daigo interrogated.

"No way! Until this day, I wonder how I nearly died from a leaf. Ridiculous!"

"Then what happened afterwards?"

"I was fired from my job. Couldn't work for a while so I started hitting the gym more. Now I work as a professional and competitive bodybuilder."

"And how did that come about?"

"That man right there," Bakken acknowledged Shinobu with a nod, "He hooked me up with one of the top sponsors in Asia. Been smooth sailing ever since."

"Thank you, Bakken. No further questions."

Kiyoni whispered to Shuuichi, "Eh, Suu'chi? When did that thing with Bakken go down?"

Shuuichi quietly answered, "The night after Club Morningstar."

"Oh, yeah. Say less."

Touma was asked if he wanted to have a go with Bakken but Touma declined seeing as how Bakken was an out-of-the-blue witness. Because of that, court was adjourned for lunch recess.