Everyone looked at Phoenix in shock and surprise, that he still had something against the confession. Athena most of all.

"But Mr. Wright... Why? I killed her. I remember it now. Any counterargument now is pointless!"

"Objection!" Phoenix shook his head, brimming with confidence and faith. "Don't tell me you've forgotten one of the basic tenants of lawyering? Always believe in your client to the bitter end. Athena, you are not a murderer."

"Objection! Herr Wright, I know that Fraulein Cykes is your employee, but this is getting out of hand!"

Phoenix stood his ground, remembering what Pearl told him regarding the Black Psyche-Locks. "There's still a chance. Somewhere deep in Athena's heart...there might still be a memory that not even she knows about yet. It might be like looking for a grain of sand somewhere in the cosmos, but, still...! That memory might contain a new fact that could prove her innocence!"

The judge sighed and stared at Phoenix with a hardened look. "I hope for everyone's sake that you are not just bluffing, Mr. Wright. Now then, is there or is there not a problem with Ms. Cykes's confession?"

"Take that!"

His Honor reeled in shock at what Phoenix had present. "But that's the katana the defendant used to kill the victim!"

Wright slammed down his hands, eyes glinting. "I respectfully and vehemently disagree, Your Honor! Think back at what Ms. Cykes just said. If blood really did get to her fingers, then why is it that the katana's handle is void of any blood?!"

The gallery went into an uproar, seeing Phoenix's point. Klavier, however, disagreed with Phoenix's disagreement.

"Objection! Her memories COULD be a bit mixed, as she took mention of it being hazy."

"Objection! But she also said, "There's no question about it," - which means she remembers it quite clearly!"

Klavier played with his hair, mulling over every possibility he could think of. "If that's so, please explain to us, Herr Wright, why the evidence contradicts with the evidence?"

Wright smirked and stood straight. "It's because the weapon she used...wasn't the katana!"

Klavier banged his fist against the wall, smirking. "A different weapon? Well then, you wouldn't mind telling us what it exactly is, ja?"

"Of course he'd ask that...but there has to be something! Was there some other bladed weapon in the robotics lab that day? Maybe there's something in one of the crime scene photos..." Phoenix blinked, an answer coming to him. "Wait a minute! There IS something! There is a high probability that THAT was in the lab! I don't have that particular weapon here in evidence right now, but..I DO have a piece of evidence just like it!

Phoenix reached over into his Court Record and presented the Utility Knife.

"Take that!"

His Honor blinked, not believing what he was seeing. "B-But that's the murder weapon in the Clay Terran case!

Phoenix nodded, and elaborated. "Yes. This is the knife that took Mr. Terran's life. But there must have been a knife just like this at the scene seven years ago as well. Tool kits containing utility knives like this one are issued to Space Center employees. And a robotics lab, especially, would naturally have one of these around."

"Objection! Unfortunately, there was no other bladed weapons found in the lab, as according to the investigations report. And there is indeed a tool kit, but no blade was discovered. Here, a photo of the contents."

Klavier showed the court a picture of the tool box. And as he claimed, there was no knife.

"As you can see, there is no knife, ja?"

"Objection! Oh, I disagree. There WAS a knife in that tool kit. Notice the handle of each tool has a specific design on them. It's clear from the photo that a tool is missing, but if we arrange these tools into a specific order, then we might be able to tell what is missing."

The blond rock star conceded and banged his fist. "Achtung! Then show us, Herr Wright, what pattern will we see if we arrange these tools?"

Phoenix went for his Court Record and took out the "Robots with a Heart" book.

"Take that! It's supposed to resemble the GYAXA logo. It's on all of the Space Center's documents and pamphlets. As you're aware, GYAXA is the program that operates the Cosmos Space Center."

His Honor nodded, seeing the defense's point. With that, Wright continued.

"But with just the tools shown in this photo... the red "A" part of the logo is missing. And this is where the murder weapon from the Terran case comes into play. If we were to place the utility knife in the open slot... it would complete the GYAXA logo! This means that this was the weapon Ms. Cykes used!"

The gallery's cries erupted, making the judge bang his gavel.

"Order! Order in the court!"

"Ms. Cykes confessed to having a memory of "stabbing the victim." Admittedly, Ms. Cykes most likely did stab someone using the utility knife... However, the weapon used to kill Dr. Cykes was the katana. Therefore, the act of stabbing that Ms. Cykes remembers couldn't be that of Dr. Cykes!"

"Objection!"

Klavier started to play his air guitar yet again, slightly miffing Phoenix. The blond finished and slammed his fist against the bench.

"An excellent show of misdirection, Herr Wright. But I would like to propose something." He leaned forward, a smirk on his face."What is the knife WAS indeed the murder weapon and the katana was merely a decoy to stray us from the truth?"

"Objection! D-don't be ridiculous! That's impossible!"

Klavier shrugged and fiddled with a strand of his hair. "I'm merely deriving from your reached conclusion, Herr Wright. Besides, who else could Fraulein Cykes have stabbed? Recall Ponco's testimony; there were only two people in the lab at the time of the murder. It, unfortunately, matters not if the knife or the katana was used. One fact remains; Athena Cykes killed her own mother!"

Wright slumped down, losing his cool. "I-I don't believe it...! Why?! Why does this keep happening?! Every time I find a contradiction, it vanishes and the suspicions keeps coming back! It's almost as if... almost as if...!"

"It's right where it belongs?" Klavier finished. "Because it's all true, Herr Wright. Please, cease this fruitless struggle," Klavier banged his fist against the wall behind him, staring intensely right at Wright. "And accept the truth!"

"Ngh...! NGHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

Phoenix clutched his head, having broken down. The judge solemnly shook his head and looked down. "Mr. Wright, you've fought a good fight. I think you've done all you can do..."

"Is giving up really the only option...?! No! Snap out of it, Phoenix! What's the matter with you, giving in to doubt?! I can't look back! Forward is the only way to go!" Phoenix recomposed himself and slammed his hands to emphasize his defiance. "No, Your Honor, not yet! It isn't over yet!"

Klavier blinked in surprised, before slightly smiling and chuckled.

"I can't lose sight of what's important! I believe in Athena, and I'll always believe in her... to the very end! A defense lawyer never gives up on his client! I have to pick myself up and stand firm! Make that brain of yours work, Phoenix! If I don't see a way, I'll just have to go back and look for one! Time to rethink this case, thoroughly!"

Phoenix closed his eyes and went into deep thought to re-visualize the entire premise of the case.

"I concede the fact that Athena must have stabbed someone with the utility knife. This must've been what Ponco witnessed as Athena's "hug." But Prosecutor Blackquill didn't see the knife at the scene. This means that someone must've removed it from the lab before he arrived. Who could have taken the utility knife from the lab?"

- Metis Cykes

- Athena Cykes

- Someone else

A third person was at the scene

"If I trust in Athena, then I have to conclude there was a third person at the scene. But according to Ponco's testimony, Athena and her mother were the only two there. So then, how did this third person manage to escape Ponco's detection? I know! This person must've fooled Ponco's facial recognition feature by covering..."

- Ponco's face

- Their own face

- The victim's face

The person hid their face

"But wait a minute. Ponco has a heartbeat detection system, too. Even if they covered their own face, Ponco would've still detected their presence. But she wouldn't have been able to tell who they were... Wait, that's it! The culprit could have covered their face and posed as which person to avoid detection?"

- Simon Blackquill

- Ponco

- Metis Cykes

The person posed as the victim

"If the person posed as the victim... ...that would explain why Ponco thought only she and Athena were there. All they had to do was take advantage of Ponco's basic recognition features. The culprit used this in order to pose as the victim."

- A recording of her voice

- Her jacket

- Her katana

The victim's jacket

"The culprit could've posed as the victim by wearing her jacket with the ID tag on it! But that still leaves the heartbeat detection system. How did the culprit get around that? It wouldn't have worked if Ponco could detect the real Dr. Cykes's heartbeat, too. So does that mean that the real Dr. Cykes was already dead by that time? If that's the case, then who did Athena stab?"

- The victim

- Herself

-The real culprit

ATHENA STABBED THE REAL CULPRIT

"Th-That's it...! The person Athena stabbed wasn't Dr. Cykes. It was the person who murdered her, and then pretended to be her... The real culprit!"

Phoenix brought himself back to reality, something Klavier noticed.

"Looks like Herr Wright has rendered himself speechless with whatever he had thought of. Please give us your ruling, Herr Judge, so that we can finally move on to the hostages."

Before the judge could even respond, Phoenix immediately cut in.

"Objection! Klavier was right, I did render myself speechless. Only because I realized something so shocking, I had to take a minute to digest it. But now, I know for a fact that... Ms. Cykes is innocent."

Athena brought her hands up to her cheeks in shock. "But Ponco saw me! She witnessed the moment of the crime!"

Phoenix nodded. "Yes, Ponco did witness something. She saw the "hug"... In other words, the moment you used the utility knife. But the person you stabbed wasn't your mother."

"Wh-What are you saying, Mr. Wright?!"

The defense slammed down his hands and instilled himself with confidence. "The answer is simple. The person Ms. Cykes stabbed..." Phoenix thrust out his pointer finger, stating his conclusion with clear conviction. "was a third person, posing as Dr. Cykes!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" was the general response of everyone in the court.

Klavier composed himself and disagreed. "Objection! Have you already forgotten, Herr Wright?! Fraulein Ponco clearly said there was only two people in the lab, not three!"

"Objection!" Phoenix brought down his hands again, as his mind momentarily wandered to earlier, when Clonco mistook Apollo for Clay. "That was another case of mistaken identity cause by a jacket ID tag. All because Clonco couldn't read Apollo's facial features due to that eye patch. Like Prosecutor Gavin said, a mask could nullify the robot's facial recognition. And then... all the person would have to do is wear a jacket with the victim's ID tag to pose as her!"

"Objection! Have you forgotten about their heartbeat detection system?!"

Phoenix shook his head. "No, I haven't. Because I'm afraid that the time Ponco detected the two heartbeats, Dr. Cykes's had already stopped."

Klavier gritted his teeth in shock, slumping against the prosecutor's bench. "What?! Y-you mean...?!"

"That's right! The person Ms. Cykes stabbed... this third person posing as Dr. Cykes... is her mother's real killer!"

Klavier gripped the sides of his head, shaking it quite violently. In his perspective, he could hear the discord of music in his ears as he shouted. "IMPOSIBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Yet again, the gallery of the court went into uproar. As all this happened, Athena began to gain a look of realization. "A mask... The person I stabbed... was wearing a mask...?"

The judge didn't just banged his gavel, he practically slammed it down. "ORDER! ORDER I SAY...! Ms. Cykes? Did you say something?"

Athena began trembling, covering her ears as she started to feel pain. "A mask...? Yes... I remember a... Aaaaaaaaaaagh!"

"Athena...!" cried out Phoenix in worry. "Wh-What is it?!"

"I... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"

A green glow from Phoenix's pocket attracted everyone's attention. Before anything else could be said, the glow washed over everyone. In a matter of moments, the colors around Athena inverted, right before it become nothing but pitch black. Chains materialized and wrapped around Athena, the five Black Psyche-Locks slamming down on it. Everyone started to mutter in confusion at what they were seeing.

"I remember a man... with a mask! How could he...?! What did he do to my mother...?! Ungh... My head...! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"

Blackquill's eyes widened in concerned. He spun around and glared at Phoenix.

"Explain yourself, Wright-dono! What sort of devilry is happening to Athena?!"

Phoenix remained silent as Athena continued to scream in pain, causing everyone to murmur in concern, the judge most of all. "Ms. Cykes! Are you alright...?!

"N-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Wright's eyes widened, noticing how the locks began to vibrate quite violently. "The Black Psyche-Locks... They're breaking!"

And in a quick flourish, all five locks shattered. The chains withdrew and the background returned back to normal. Athena panted, as the pain receded.

"It's all coming back to me... Everything that happened the day my mother was murdered..."

Blackquill's expression softened. "Athena...do you truly remember everything? Don't rush yourself, just tell us what you can."

"I was... drawing a picture. When I was done, I went to show it to my mom. I opened the door... and then...! Ugh... Nghaaah..."

Phoenix quickly went to her comfort, as she gave her some reassuring words. "It's all right. We're right here. You're safe, Athena."

Athena composed herself and continued. "She... was on the floor, by the workbench... with the katana sticking out of her... There was a handkerchief over her face... but I knew it was her by her clothes. And... there was a man there!"

"A-A man?!" shouted out the judge in shock.

"Silence! Hush, Your Baldness! Go on, Athena."

"He tried to attack me. In a panic, I grabbed the knife that was there and... Nngh... He dodged at first, so I only got his clothes, but I tried again!"

"And this time, you got him, didn't you?" asked Phoenix.

Athena nodded in confirmation. "I did. I remember it clearly now. The knife went into the back of his hand. Then he kicked me, and I passed out."

Utility Knife updated in the Court Record.

Athena hugged herself, still remembering the traumatic sight. "When I came to, my mom wasn't moving. I had to do something... I had to fix her, I thought... So I asked Ponco to move her to the operating table."

Phoenix went back to what she said earlier, finally fully understanding it. "So that's why she said that... Your Honor, as you can see, the defendant has just given us critical new testimony. A man was there before Ms. Cykes arrived! A man who covered the victim's face... and put on the victim's jacket! This man is the real culprit!

"Ms. Cykes, do you have any idea who this man was?"

Athena thought it over, before unfortunately shaking her head negatively. "...No, I'm afraid I don't."

Phoenix decided to go over something else. "A few moments ago, Ms. Cykes mentioned a mask. Athena, can you tell us anything else about that?"

The ginger perked up, even if slightly. "Yes...! The mask... It was my mom's Japanese theater mask! I think it was the one hanging on the wall of the lab!"

Klavier took a look at the Crime Scene Photo and spotted said mask. "Ah, it's this very mask, ja?"

Athena nodded. "It was kind of spooky, that mask. My mom used to tell me... that a Noh mask even has the power to turn an ordinary human being into a phantom."

At the mention of that word, Phoenix, Klavier and Blackquill felt their blood run cold for a moment. "A ph-phantom...?"

"Hmm... It would seem...that a new suspect has emerged. And that means all suspicion against Ms. Cykes has-"

"Hold it!"

Aura went up to the stands, Clonco still having a menacing look on his display. "You see? This is precisely why I can't trust the court system. Athena Cykes is the murderer! I won't accept any other verdict!"

Phoenix flinched, hearing her. "Ms. Blackquill! Th-This is not good..."

"A new suspect? Where's the proof this person ever existed? Who says it wasn't all just a dream in the little princess's groggy little head?"

"Objection!" All heads turned to face Klavier, who was chuckling. "Oh, but there is, Fraulein Blackquill. According to the investigation report, the police didn't manage to fully review the video due to time constraints." He leaned in further, a grin on his face. "So it's very much possible that this third person could've been caught leaving the scene!"

Klavier thrust out his arm in excitement. "Achtung! Let's rewind the footage by an hour and see if it can bring us something fruitful!"

The judge shakily nodded, not expecting Klavier to help out the defense. "V-Very well, then! Let's take a look!"

The video began to play, everyone's eyes peeled directly at it. As it went to the two-hour mark, Phoenix quickly shouted for someone to pause it.

"There! Please stop it right there!"

Klavier banged his fist against the wall, satisfied with himself. "As I suspected. Fraulein Cykes, is this the one who claimed your mother's life?"

Athena's eyes widened. She nodded fervently. "That's him! I'm sure of it! He...He's wearing my mother's jacket! T-There! Can you see the slash I made with the utility knife? And I'm sure it's under that jacket somewhere!"

"S-So then... everything Ms. Cykes said..."

"Exactly. It proves that Ms. Cykes's memory was correct! Dr. Cykes's killer arrived at the robotics lab before 2 PM. He killed her and hid her face with a handkerchief. Then, he disguised himself with Dr. Cykes's jacket and mask that were there in the lab."

Athena then placed in her own input. "The culprit probably knew beforehand that Ponco charged up at 2 PM every day. So he waited for Ponco to come to the lab for her regular recharge."

Phoenix nodded and continued. "By leaving Dr. Cykes's jacket on, the culprit tricked Ponco into thinking he was Dr. Cykes. Thereby, making it look like she was alive up to that point in time. All to disguise the real time of death!"

"I-It can't be!"

Everyone faced Klavier, who was gritting his teeth in complete annoyance. In fact, he also looked quite grim. Phoenix could feel the despair starting to form inside his pit.

"I-Is something the matter, Prosecutor Gavin?"

"Ach! T-the jacket itself... it's a huge contradiction! If the culprit DID leave with the jacket on... but then how is it possible that the jacket was found back at the crime scene?!"

Phoenix flinched, but was quick to compose himself. "It's possible that the killer returned back to the crime scene at a later time and planted it there. Contradiction resolved!"

"Objection! Except that it would have been impossible. The only people who came to the robotics lab after the killer were... Prosecutor Blackquill, and the people who reported the body. And they claimed that the jacket was there when they arrived. So! When do you propose this mysterious man of yours had the chance to return the jacket?!"

Even then, Phoenix didn't flinch. "The only time that the culprit could've returned the jacket was when the body was found."

Klavier's eyes widened, realizing what Wright was saying. "Herr Wright...you realize what you're implying, ja?"

"I do. Most people, when they come across a murder, focus their attention on the body. The culprit could have taken advantage of that split second to plant the jacket. In other words, the true culprit of this case, the man known as "the phantom"... was one of the first people to discover the body!"

Everyone uproared once again, and the judge responded in kind. Klavier crossed his arms in a rare motion and looked in deep thought.

"The body was reportedly found by a trio, who were there to collect the space probe's capsule in preparation for the HAT-1 Launch. One of them had a special bag to transport said capsule in."

"You mean the shock resistant bag?"

Klavier nodded. "Ja. If the jacket was in that bag, then it could've been returned to the crime scene with no one noticing. I'll be sure to send you a report on those three."

Phoenix blinked in shock at what Klavier was saying. "Wait...are you-?"

"We should also go over facial recognition database for Fraulein Ponco. If the culprit felt the need to hide their face, then it could only mean this face has been registered previously." Klavier banged his against the bench, a smile on his face."I'm glad that Fraulein Cykes was never truly the killer. I concede, Herr Wright."

"I can't believe it! It's over! I won! I proved that both Athena and Prosecutor Blackquill are innocent!"

Klavier smirked and looked at Aura. "What say you, Fraulein Blackquill? Ready to end this trial?"

Aura remained motionless as she spoke. "The little princess who was truly beloved by Metis, and who repaid that love with death- All these years, hating Athena was the only thing that's kept me going... But what do I do now? Can anybody tell me? How am I supposed to go on?!"

"That's easy." said Klavier. "Find something that you can channel that passion with, and let it transform you into something different. Something new."

Aura stood, a bit baffled at Klavier's advice. She looked down for a bit, before nodding at Klavier. Simon then took the stand, much to everyone's confusion.

"If the trial isn't over yet, there is something I've wanted to say, if any of you will lend me an ear. I have in my possession, a lead on who Metis's murderer is.

"Y-You do?!" asked Phoenix, very much surprised.

Blackquill looked at the spiky-haired attorney and spoke. "Wright-dono, you asked me about the identity of "the phantom of seven years past.""

"Th-That's right. The phantom... The person Blackquill has been looking for, for all of these years."

Simon the continued on. "Seven years ago, somebody hatched a plan to sabotage the HAT-1 rocket."

Klavier nodded, remembering that certain incident. "Ah, the spy, ja?"

"Indeed. But he was no ordinary spy." resumed Blackquill. "We knew naught about him - his background, appearance... We came to refer to him as "the phantom." At the time, I was working with the police to hunt him down. And then one day, a miracle occurred, and I obtained a lead on him."

The judge chuckled, looking quite entertained. "Oh, how exciting! What was the lead?"

Blackquill smirked, almost smugly. "A recording of the phantom's voice. But the quality was too poor for proper analysis. Yet, I had hope. Aura's co-worker was a scientist who could analyze human emotions, and so I asked her to evaluate the recording using analytical psychology."

Phoenix strummed his chin, realizing who Blackquill was referring to. "And that scientist was... Dr. Cykes!"

The Twisted Samurai nodded. "Yes. A spy's greatest fear is to have his true identity discovered. In addition to HAT-1, Dr. Cykes's results and the recording were surely among his targets. But his search of the Space Center bore no fruit, so he must have started to panic."

His Honor blinked, looking quite bewildered. "He couldn't find them? But where could they have been?!"

Yet again, Blackquill smirked quite smugly. He dug in to his coat and pulled a out a clipboard with some documents on it. "Hmph. Who is to say?"

"Wow, I bet he's never let that thing out of sight in all those years."

Klavier quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "How did you manage to smuggle those in prison?"

His question was answered by a familiar shrill cry. Taka flew down from the improvised sunroof and fluttered right on the judge's head.

"Oh, I have my ways. What's more, my partner is especially talented at that sort of thing. I worked to lure the phantom in by spreading rumors throughout the underworld. I was even granted permission to prosecute cases to attract the phantom's attention. "Just TRY to retrieve your identity, you bloody butcher!" became my taunt."

Phoenix was now curious on what the documents contained. "And what about the results Dr. Cykes drew up for you? Was there any useful information?"

Blackquill put his fingers to his mouth and whistled, commanding Taka to him. The hawk took hold of the profile in his beak. Blackquill nodded right at Phoenix's direction and Taka delivered it.

"Here. You can see for yourself. But take good care of it. It's all I have left of my mentor."

Phoenix could feel the threatening tone at the last part and involuntarily gulped. He shakily nodded. "I-I will... I'd better hold onto this real tight..."

Phantom's Psych Profile added to the Court Record.

Psychological Profile (Classified)
Emotional output of this voice extremely weak compared to typical voices. Subject deemed to have unique psychological makeup with almost no emotional fluctuation.

"No emotional fluctuation, huh?"

Blackquill nodded in agreement. "Indeed. A spy who experiences no emotions - not sadness, nor anger... and naturally, no fear. He is the very definition of a phantom: a monster with no heart. Don't you see?" Blackquill slammed his hand upon the stand, his anger pouring out. "This CREATURE is the rot that helped destroy our lives, and set what ails us all into motion!"

Klavier grunted and closed his eyes in deep thought. "Yes. This "phantom." Quite a fitting name for the one who helped brought darkness to this world."

The judged hummed, assessing the information he gathered. "Well then. It seems a faint image of this man has started to take shape. Based on what we have learned, I'd like all of you to conduct further investigation. This is not a normal trial, but I do want to follow protocol. If I may, I'd like to hand down my verdicts and bring these proceedings to an end."

Aura humphed and turned away. "Whatever. Do what you want."

"You'll hear no objections from me, Herr Judge."

"It's over...it's finally over!" thought Phoenix in joy.

"Very well. In that case... Prosecutor Blackquill, could you please take the stand?"

Simon did as was told, his face now blank. The judge then gave his ruling.

"As a result of this trial, your innocence has been proven. The verdict handed down seven years ago is hereby overturned."

Blackquill grunted and looked to the side. "I suppose I'll board the ferry some other time." With that he stepped off.

"And now, the defendant of the current trial, Ms. Athena Cykes."

Athena went to the stand, looking happy. "Y-Yes, Your Honor! Mr. Wright... Thank you! Thank you for everything!"

Phoenix looked at his employee and smiled. "Athena... You're more than welcome."

"If everyone is ready, I will now give my verdict."

The judge raised his gavel, prepared to finally end the trial.

"Objection!"

Everyone blinked in surprise, seeing who shouted.

"Y-You...!"

There stood Apollo Justice, arms crossed and a deep frown accompanying him. Phoenix looked quite shocked at his other's employees sudden appearance, as was Klavier and Blackquill.

"A-Apollo!"

"Herr Forehead!"

"Tsk. What is the meaning of this, Justice-dono?!"

Apollo smiled and looked at the defense and prosecution. "Congratulations, Mr. Wright and Prosecutor Gavin. You uncovered the truth from seven years ago, and you saved Prosecutor Blackquill. However..." Apollo clenched his hands and narrowed his eye. "I can't allow this trial to end just yet!"

The judge banged his gavel and glared at the red-schemed attorney. "Mr. Justice! Please explain yourself!"

Apollo nodded and did so. "It's very simple. There isn't much to explain. The defendant, Ms. Athena Cykes, might not be innocent."

Phoenix mentally reeled in shock and slammed down his hands to compose himself. "What are you talking about?! The case from seven years ago has been settled!"

Apollo titled his head, a slightly smug smirk on his lips. "I'm not talking about that case. I'm talking about the present case. It's still not clear who killed Clay Terran."

Athena looked down, sad that her friend/co-worker was accusing her of murdering his best friend. "But, Apollo... Why would you...?"

The horned-head attorney refused to look at Athena in the eye and opted to reply. "...Ms. Cykes, please listen quietly to what I have to say." He looked right at the judge and made a request. "Your Honor, please allow me a little of the court's time."

"But... this is a trial for the case from seven years ago."

Apollo spared Aura a glance and pleaded his cause to her. "Ms. Blackquill... I'd like to ask a favor of you. Just as you lost someone close to you, I lost someone close to me, too. I'm sure you want to know the real truth of what happened as much as I do."

Aura considered the boy's words before responding. "Apollo... Hee hee. Well now you got me curious! Alright, show us what you got. Judge, I give my permission. Continue with the trial!"

His Honor seemed uncomfortable, but had no choice. He relented. "V-Very well. Is that all right with you, Prosecutor Gavin?"

Klavier seemed QUITE annoyed. He breathed in and sighed, composing himself. "The prosecution has no objections. Let's get this over with, ja?"

"Looks like I'm not the only one who doesn't like this."

The judge nodded. "Very well, your opening statement, Prosecutor Gavin."

"Achtung! Let's review the case of the murder of Mr. Clay Terran, ja. It was made clear in the previous trial that Herr Starbuck was not his killer. Meaning, the true culprit was someone else. On that day, this culprit waited for the astronauts in Boarding Lounge 1. When the two escaped out of the Space Museum...the killer attacked Herr Terran with the same type of knife that was used seven years ago. The murderer then escaped into the Space Museum. Next, Director Yuri Cosmos switched the launch pads. After that, the culprit exited the Space Museum and escaped via Boarding Lounge 2. Therefore, this trial must make clear who Herr Terran's true killer was... We need to find out who escaped through the Space Museum that day."

"Thank you, Prosecutor Gavin. Mr. Wright, is the defense ready?"

"Yes, Your Honor. I'd better rearrange my evidence..."

Relevant evidence swapped in to the Court Record.

The judge banged his gavel and nodded, "Now then, Mr. Justice. Your testimony, if you please."

Witness Testimony

- Apollo Justice's Accusation -

I suspected Ms. Cykes of the murder of Clay Terran.
My growing suspicions were confirmed when this incriminating evidence presented itself.
In addition, she's the only one who could have utilized the launch pad switch to escape.
That is why I wish to indict Ms. Cykes on the charge of murder!

The crowd began to murmur loudly, with the judge bringing back the silence. "Order! Order in the court! Mr. Justice, you realize you are charging your own co-worker with murder, don't you?!"

Apollo nodded seriously. "Yes, Your Honor, because that is the conclusion my investigation has led me to."

"Objection!" Everyone faced Klavier, who was chuckling for some odd reason. He stopped himself and looked up, sneering at Apollo. "I suspected as much. You ARE like your mentor, Justice."

Ignoring the fact that Klavier didn't call him by his usual nickname, Apollo nodded. "Of course. Mr. Wright's been a great teach-"

"Objection!" Klavier slammed his fist behind him, glaring at Apollo. "It's an insult to Herr Wright if you think I'm comparing him to you. No. I was comparing you to someone else. Someone's who currently imprisoned."

Apollo flinched and reeled back, realizing who Klavier was comparing him to.

"That's right. After all, he was your first mentor. He was the one who taught you what you know and was the one who showed you the ropes." Once again, Klavier banged his fist and his glared intensified. "That's right, I'm comparing you to Kristoph!"

Blackquill, who was standing near-by, grunted and voiced out his opinion.

"Kristoph Gavin. He's been called an equivalent to Simon Keyes, only much more insane and unreasonable. If that's the case, and you were his understudy, then I've severely underestimated you, Apollo. I suspected Wright-dono to be doing his career for fame and fortune, but perhaps it is YOU who has such a mindset!"

The words from Blackquill were laced with venomous poison.

Apollo looked down, quite shaken up by what the two prosecutors said. He looked to his right, refusing to look at them. "Mr. Wright, your cross-examination, please."

Phoenix stared at his other employee, concern written all over his face. "Ignoring the insults Klavier and Blackquill just hurled at Apollo, just what did he find to make him think like this?!"

Cross-Examination

- Apollo Justice's Accusation -

I suspected Ms. Cykes of the murder of Clay Terran.

"Hold it! What first made you suspicious of Ms. Cykes?"

Apollo crossed his arms. "It all started when Ms. Cykes and I were investigating the crime scene. When she saw the weapon that killed Mr. Terran...my bracelet reacted. She said she'd never seen the knife before, but my bracelet told me otherwise. And then, every time after that... my bracelet would react when she talked about the case."

The horned-hair attorney looked down, his face unseen. "I didn't know what to do or think. I couldn't even sleep. In that condition, I knew I wouldn't be any good in court. So I decided to wear an eye patch, so I wouldn't be able to perceive any of her tells."

Phoenix stared at him, connecting his explanation with his recent behavior. "So that's why Apollo was acting so strangely... But the reason Ms. Cykes unconsciously reacted to the knife is because she stabbed her mother's murderer with one identical to it seven years ago."

Apparently, Apollo disagreed.

"Objection! But that knife was also the murder weapon that was used to kill Clay Terran. My bracelet could've also reacted to her because she knew she was his killer, too."

"Ungh... I guess he has a point... We have no evidence to disprove either."

"But my bracelet wasn't the only reason I became suspicious of her..."

My growing suspicions were confirmed when this incriminating evidence presented itself

"Hold it! That's the lighter found in the Space Museum with her fingerprints on it, right? But even if it seems decisive, there must be other facts we don't know about it yet!" argued Phoenix.

Apollo titled his head, a smirk on his face. "If that's so, go ahead and prove it, then! Look, honestly, I don't want to believe it's true, either...! But... But Ms. Cykes was the only one who was in the Space Museum at the time of the murder."

Phoenix slammed his hands down, looking at Apollo. "But, Mr. Justice! Ms. Cykes had absolutely no motive to kill Mr. Terran!"

"Objection! Seven years ago, Ms. Cykes lived at the Cosmos Space Center. It wouldn't be strange if she had some kind of connection to him. Besides, people sometimes kill for motives we can't even imagine. I know you've seen plenty of cases like that in your own career, Mr. Wright."

"Damn it, Apollo. How could you actually suspect Athena?"

In addition, she's the only one who could have utilized the launch pad switch to escape.

"Hold it! Isn't it possible that somebody else used that same escape route?"

Apollo shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Wright."

"Why not?"

Apollo took in a breath and sighed. "Recall there is a security camera in Boarding Lounge 1 aimed at the launch pad door. It's the camera that captured Mr. Terran and Mr. Starbuck. But there's also another security camera in Boarding Lounge 2. It recorded Mr. Terran's killer, or rather, Ms. Cykes coming out of the Space Museum."

"A camera in Boarding Lounge 2? First I've heard of it, but it makes sense... Athena said she had snuck into the Space Museum the night before the incident... and then was overcome and passed out until around noon the next day. That must've been when the camera captured her. And that's what made Apollo suspect her even more..." Wright strummed his chin and asked his employee a question. "And I suppose no one else was recorded leaving?"

"That's right, Mr. Wright. And because of this evidence..."

That is why I wish to indict Ms. Cykes on the charge of murder!

"Hold it! Believing in your client to the end is a basic principle of good defense. Shouldn't you extend that same principle to your own co-worker?"

The red-schemed attorney looked to his side, a frown on his face. "You're probably right. Maybe I'm not even fit to be a lawyer... However..." Apollo slammed his fists down, his eye widening in passionate anger. "I don't care. This case is special to me! Clay was my friend...! And that's why I just have to know the truth...!"

"Apollo suspected his trusted co-worker of killing his friend. To dispel his doubts, he investigated on his own, but that only led to more doubts. Apollo must've been really struggling with this... Well, Apollo may have doubts, but... I'll say it again. Athena Cykes isn't the murderer."

Apollo smirked at this and looked at Wright with an almost smug-like look. "Then I have only one thing to say. "Evidence is everything in court." Well, Mr. Wright? Think you have the concrete proof to knock down my arguments?"

"Hmm... Your arguments have been very clear, Mr. Justice. And your facts appear to be indisputable." voiced in the judge.

"Well, Mr. Wright? What do you think of MY theory?"

Phoenix was rendered speechless, prompting Apollo to continue.

"It looks like not even you can deny it. Ms. Cykes was the only one who used the only possible escape route."

Klavier sighed and tentatively nodded in agreement. "As much I loathe to admit it, Justice is right. There is no other suspect but Fraulein Cykes."

Apollo looked at his boss, a glint of hope in his eye, "Unless... you think there was an alternative escape route...? Is that what you think, Mr. Wright?"

"Is that what you think, Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix stood straight and placed on his mask of bluffing confidence. "Yes. Of course, there must've been. Just don't ask me what..."

Apollo's only visible eye widened, recognizing what it was. "You're just bluffing again, aren't you?"

"Me? Bluff? No way!...He knows me too well.

Apollo smiled, clearly relieved. "...It's fine, Mr. Wright... Even a bluff would suit me just fine... As long as you can..." Apollo clenched his fists tightly and brought it down on the stand. "clear up this doubt inside me!"

"...Wait! So is that what this is all about?" shouted Phoenix.

The user of the Chords of Steel looked down in shame and explained himself. "I... I want to believe in Athena. I really do. But what is faith without doubt? That's why... I need to question her guilt! So that once the truth finally comes out, I can really, fully trust her!"

"So that you can... really trust me?" repeated Athena.

Blackquill smirked and stared at Apollo. "It seems I've you done you a great wrong, Justice-dono."

Klavier nodded in agreement. "Achtung! Herr Forehead's showing what trials are truly about." He pocketed his hands and masked his features. "We prosecutors question every detail in search for the culprit."

Phoenix nodded and continued. "While we lawyers believe in and defend our clients to the end."

The judge smiled and added in, "When both sides go all-out against each other, that's when we discover the truth."

"Precisely, Herr Judge! And when the battle is over, we will understand the true meaning of trust. That is exactly what trials are about, ja Herr Forehead?

Apollo smiled and nodded. "Yes. I couldn't ignore the seed of doubt that was growing inside me. So I decided I needed to face it head-on! No matter what the truth is that's waiting ahead, I won't be afraid!"

Wright couldn't help but smile and nod. " Mr. Justice... I vow to dispel every last bit of doubt in your heart!"

"Good!" Apollo slammed his fists on the stand, his eye holding a bit of desperation and hope. "Because I want to believe in Ms. Cykes again!"

"You're really hoping there WAS an alternative route, aren't you, Apollo? But if I use the process of elimination, there really aren't that many possibilities." Phoenix strummed his chin, trying to figure out the answer. "Director Cosmos was at the southern exit...leaving only the Control Room and the corridor to the Space Museum. Then there's Boarding Lounge 1. No way anyone would've went there. Although it doesn't really explaining where those leaves came from...wait, is it possible?"

Apollo noticed Phoenix's eyes widen a bit, and slammed down his hands on the witness stand. "Mr. Wright! D-Did you figure out how the real culprit could've escaped?!"

Wright nodded and spoke up. "Launch Pad 1 and the Space Museum were switched after the bombing, meaning... the Space Museum corridor was moving along the rail at the time. Which is exactly when an alternative escape route opened up for our culprit!"

"A-Are you kidding me?!" shouted Apollo.

Klavier banged his hand behind him, seeing the intensity in Wright's eyes. "You look very serious, Herr Wright. Achtung! Show us, where could the culprit have escaped to, besides Boarding Lounge 2?"

Phoenix pulled up the GYAXA brochure and pointed...right outside the Space Center.

"Take that! We found something odd while investigating the Museum corridor this afternoon. Namely, a few dead leaves on the floor. Considering where dead leaves come from... they point us to exactly where the culprit escaped to."

Apollo nodded, seeing those as well. "Yes, I remember seeing some leaves myself..." He flinched, realizing what Wright was trying ton convey. "Aaaaah! Do you mean...?!"

To his further surprise, Phoenix nodded. "Yup. While the Space Museum was in motion, just beyond that corridor's safety door... was an alternative place that the culprit could use to escape. In other words, the culprit's real escape route was... the area outside the Space Center!"

This earned him an appropriate reaction from Klavier, Blackquill, and Apollo.

"You're-!"

"Bloody-!"

"INSAAAAAAAAAAAANE!"

The gallery went into uproar, Apollo shook himself out and raised an objection.

"Objection! Do you know how impossible that would be?! That corridor is level with the third floor! Even if the culprit tried to leap to the outside wall of the Space Center building... they would fall to their death!"

"Objection! Ordinarily, yes. But after the bombing incident, the culprit could make use of a certain item."

Blackquill was most intrigued and asked the veteran attorney what it was. "Interesting, Wright-dono. What exactly is this item?"

Wright nodded and presented an image of the Emergency Ladder. "Take that!"

Blackquill flinched in surprise, having forgotten about it. "An emergency ladder?!"

"There was an emergency ladder in the fourth-floor robotics lab. And it was used that day after the explosions to help evacuate people. Ms. Blackquill herself used that ladder to escape down to ground level. Recall that the launch pads were switched after the ladder was lowered. The corridor would have passed by the ladder while the pads were being switched. And that's when the culprit literally sprang into action! And leapt onto the ladder!"

Apollo's eye widened in surprised. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! Wh-Who could have imagined...?!"

Yet again, the court went into uproar, forcing the Judge to rapidly bang his gavel. "Order! Order in the court!" He blinked. "Well! An alternative escape route seems to have emerged!"

"Which means someone other than Ms. Cykes could have been the culprit, right?!"

"Objection!" disagreed Klavier. "As much I would've preferred not to speak, but I must." The blond brought up some document as he spoke. "According to the information I have, the distance between the Museum Corridor and the main building during movement is... a full twenty feet."

Phoenix slumped down, not believing what he was hearing. "T-Twenty feet? You're pulling my leg, right?"

Klavier shook his head and continue. "Plus, the corridor is three floors from the ground, or roughly around fifty feet. What's more, the culprit would be leaping towards...an unstable ladder. We humans feel fear in situations like that, ja? It's a basic instinct. An average person would've hesitated, or even freeze in fear before jumping."

Wright clicked his tongue, seeing Klavier's point. "Crud. That's a good point. Not even the criminals I've faced back then have the guts to do something like that. They'd have to be someone with no fear, like a stuntman, to do that... Wait a minute! I've got it! There IS someone who could do it!" Wright slammed his hands down and stared at Klavier. "I can prove that there's someone who could've used the alternate escape route!"

The rockstar prosecutor chuckled and titled his head. "Oh really?"

Phoenix nodded and pulled out the documents he just received from Blackquill. "Take that!"

Apollo, who's seeing the document just now, looked confused. "What's that, Mr. Wright?"

"This is a certain person's very interesting psych profile. "The subject... doesn't experience feelings like normal people do." In other words, this person doesn't feel happiness, sadness, or fear."

Apollo crossed his arms, looking quite shocked. "Doesn't... feel... fear?"

Klavier caught on to Phoenix's intention and slumped down onto the prosecutor's bench. "Herr Wright! Y-You mean-?!"

"Without the constraint of fear... he could easily do what an ordinary person wouldn't dare! Just as you or I could do a broad jump on the ground without the slightest fear... this "subject" could make a twenty-foot leap, fifty feet up in the air. He could choose this extreme way of escaping without hesitation!"

The red-garbed attorney pressed his finger to his forehead in thought. "So you're saying that to a person without fear... the alternative route would be quicker and eliminate the chance that they'd be spotted? That's definitely pretty extreme, Mr. Wright!"

His Honor seemed to be also in thought, his eyes closed. "But was there such a person at the scene?"

Phoenix nodded. "Yes, the phantom, that mysterious, shadowy figure who keeps popping up..."

The Judge reeled back in shock, opening his eyes. "Oh dear!"

In the sidelines, Blackquill was growling in anger. "The phantom... again...?!"

"I knew the phantom was there behind the scenes of the Space Center bombing. But I wasn't sure if he was connected to the murder of Clay Terran as well. However, now it's all clear! The phantom is the one who not only bombed the Space Center, but also killed Mr. Terran!"

Klavier and Apollo both reacted at the same time, shouting in sync.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

Once more, the gallery went into an uproar, the judge banging his gavel. "Order in the court! Order, I say! M-Mr. Wright, please continue!"

Phoenix obliged and resumed. "There were just too many similarities between this case and the one from seven years ago. "But why?" you may ask. It can only be because both incidents are the work of the same phantom!"

Apollo banged his fists onto the stand, looking angry. "So then, this "phantom"... is the one who killed Clay...?! But who IS he?!"

"This phantom has been haunting this case, pulling the strings in the background... Who could this unidentified, international spy be?"

"Herr Wright! This escape route must've been apart of the phantom's plan all along. And tricking Herr Cosmos into switching the launch pads as well! The bombs were supposed to make the stairs and elevators unusable. That's why he gave out a warning in advance!"

Phoenix nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think you're right. But it doesn't explain this one last thing." His mind wandering to what Aura had told him. "The robotics lab wasn't the only room with an emergency ladder. But he couldn't have made that leap unless he was certain which one it would be."

Apollo pressed his finger against his forehead, thinking. "So, you mean... the phantom was someone who knew that particular ladder was going to be used?"

"That's right." replied Wright.

Even the judge was in deep thought. "Hmm... Who could it be?"

Wright strummed his chin, trying to think of an answer, until his mind wandered back to what Aura said again. "Wait a minute..."

"So I lowered my emergency ladder like the detective leading the evacuation told me to."

Phoenix flinched back in realization, finally figuring out the phantom's identity. "Y-You've gotta be kidding me!"

Klavier looked in concerned and banged down his fist on to the bench. "Herr Wright! Did you figure out? Do you know who the phantom is?!"

Phoenix stood straight, composing himself. "Yes...I do."

Apollo stood still on the stand, the anticipation killing him. "Wh-Who is it?! Who killed Clay?!"

Phoenix crossed his arms and began his explanation. "After the explosions, a member of the staff crossed paths with a certain detective. As for the detective who was leading the evacuation from the fourth floor... he had a very specific objective in mind. His objective was to secure his own escape route! This is a detective you all know. He's even the lead detective on the current case... He appears to be a very emotional man, but his psych profile says he is without emotion. Take that!"

Everyone gasped in shock as Fullbright's profile was displayed. Blackquill too, was shocked. "What?! Wright-dono, are you saying...?!"

"Y-You mean the phantom is...?!" stuttered Apollo.

His Honor was the one to finish it. "D-Detective Bobby Fulbright?!"

Phoenix nodded. "Exactly. We were all taken in by his fake persona. Detective Fulbright's real identity is the phantom!"

The entire room went ballistic, not believing that the justice detective was the cruel phantom. The demanded silence back as he his banged his gavel. "Order! Order in the court...! Mr. Wright! How could this be?"

Phoenix decided to indulge. "That's easy, Your Honor. Detective Fulbright was leading the fourth floor evacuation effort. Our first clue is that he made no attempt to have any other ladder put to use. The ladder in the robotics lab is the only one he ordered to be lowered. The second is that he directed everybody to the basement shelter via this ladder."

"Of course!" shouted Klavier. "It was all part of his plan to ensure his escape route!"

Wright continued. "After Detective Fulbright saw to it that the ladder was lowered from the robotics lab... he went to the lounge, where he killed Clay Terran, and escaped into the Space Museum. The Museum started moving, slowly, so he waited for the right time, got a running start... And just as the corridor was passing the ladder... he leaped onto it!"

Simon bowed his head in shock, not believing what he had just heard. "I... cannot believe it. Fool Bright. He did all that?"

Even Apollo was shook. "Was it really him...? I mean, all this time, I thought..."

Athena piped in, looking sad as well. "So his concern for Simon... was also just one big act?"

Apollo shook himself out of it and converted his shock into rage. "THAT monster killed Clay?! He-! He had me completely fooled! Come to think of it, he's the one who brought that bloodstained lighter to court, too! The scumbag even made me turn on Athena! Damn it! How the hell did I fall for all that?!"

Klavier nodded in agreement, shaking his fist in annoyance. "To think... he had managed to worm his way into the police force!"

Finally, everyone was agreeing with his assumption. Phoenix thrust out his signature pointer finger and shouted with complete confidence.

"Your Honor, the defense demands to question Detective Bobby Fullbright!"

His Honor nodded in agreement and banged his gavel. "Hmm... Yes, I agree that we need to hear from him right away. The court will take a short recess, and then Detective Fulbright will take the stand!"