"5c3N3 0n3!1"

Slow pan. The courtroom is hushed in anticipation. The entire gallery is so silent that one can clearly hear every drop of rain that splashes on the cold ground outside.

At once, the silence is broken by the slam of the courtroom door. The attorney barges in, panting, in the middle of this important case.

All others hardly stir. The only response from the prosecutor is a subdued mutter. "I don't understand," he is repeating, angst dripping from his words. "I don't understand."

The latecoming defense attorney understands even less. "What is it? What don't you understand?"

"This entire case, which I should have easily solved in your absence… It makes no sense at all."

The attorney sheepishly scratches the back of his head. "Oh, come on. A famous prosecutor like you, and our wise judge here– you've surely heard every story in the book."

"No," says the latter from atop his golden bench, stroking his silver beard. "Not even the wise judge has heard a story quite like this."

"Here in the courthouse garden," the former somberly explains, "a man has been murdered."

There is a brief beat.

"…I-is that so?" The attorney fails to convey the proper level of concern. "It's awful, but I mean, we've had murders inside the courthouse too."

"Of course, I've seen plenty of murders myself, but this… This is beyond any crime and any disaster." The prosecutor lowers his heavy head. "Worse than fire, famine, or earthquake."

The tension is palpable. What could possibly be as devastating as all that?

"Three days ago, the Steel Samurai himself… WAS ASSASSINATED!"

Gasps!

Dramatic close-ups on horrified reactions!

The prosecutor slams one hand on his desk to silence the riot.

"You there!" He thrusts his index finger toward a certain person seated along his side of the courtroom floor. "I'm calling you to the stand! Summarize the case thus far."

The person nods vigorously. "You've got it, pal. It's not like I have anywhere else to go. The rain doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon…"

-TESTIMONY-

It was three days ago, pal. I was on my way out from attendin' to business in this court.

Out in the garden grove, a bunch of strange-looking things were scattered around the area.

Like a trail of evidence, it led me right to the scene of a crime I never expected to see: the cold corpse of the old samurai!

When I saw the body… Naturally, I let out a yell and ran as fast as I could to go get the police!

"HOLD IT! …The police?" The prosecutor narrows steely eyes at his subordinate.

"I mean… to go get backup, pal. Heh-heh."

"Please elaborate," he instructs. "What sort of strange evidence did you see?"

"Sure thing. A detective's eye, you know, always noticin' stuff."

First, there was a long pink veil caught in the bushes.

A little closer to the body, there was some sort of talisman case with red lining.

Finally, next to the body, there was a cut-up piece of rope, pal.

(Interesting. I should jot this down in the court record.

…Wait, I almost forgot this isn't a real trial.)

The judge interrupts with a loud sigh. "And to think, Mr. Prosecutor, you and I had both caught a glimpse of this man, healthy and well, out in the grove mere hours before his death."

"That's right," the prosecutor responds. "I recognized him by his iconic mask, and armed with his iconic weapon, the Samurai Sword. He was escorting a woman in striking pink armor– but the woman had a veil, so we couldn't see her face."

"Uh, can we cut for a second?"

"CUT! …Wut U w4nT?"

"Well, if the samurai also had his face under a mask, I don't get that last statement. How could you be sure it was him, yet doubt the woman?"

"Duh, Nick. Everybody knows that the mask is part of the Steel Samurai's identity. It would only be weird if he didn't have it. On the other hand, at this point in canon the Pink Princess isn't well known outside of Little Olde Tokyo. Her outfit wouldn't be enough to give her away."

"Yeah, but–"

"OK! 4C710N!"

"But the samurai…" The prosecutor solemnly shakes his head. "I didn't expect that would be the last time I'd ever see him alive.

"Ah yes," the judge muses. "Even for such a brave warrior, life is as frail and fleeting as the morning dew."

The policeman scratches his chin. "Well, we actually found him toward the afternoon, pal."

The judge's eyes widen. "Are you suggesting that the morning don't?"

"So…" The defense attorney takes the chance to speak up. "Do we have a suspect or a murder weapon?"

"You bet, pal!" The answer is delivered with a hearty salute. "In fact, the person we caught is none other than the notorious criminal everyone's been buzzin' about! The new heir to the line of EVIL NINJAS that've long been terrorizin' the Steel Samurai's regime!"

Bursting through the door, a bailiff drags in the struggling prisoner– a feisty female ninja with raven-black hair. Her garish clothes drawing the attention of every eye in the gallery, she violently kicks the air.

"Lemme go!" The young ninja rips her arms free from the bailiff. "Lemme GO!"

"When we caught her, she was carryin' the sword you see here…" The policeman raises the relevant evidence from the stand in front of him. "None other than the legendary Samurai Sword!"

"I understand," says the prosecutor. "The day after the murder, she was found passed out by the side of the river, evidence in hand. Presumably, she was caught in the act of theft, and killed him to escape. Then, exhausted from the struggle, she fell asleep by the waters."

The suspect, who had been listening to the charges, begins to laugh hysterically.

"Come on!" she squawks. "There's nothing wrong with a little nap."

"You didn't say anything about the murder. To what part of the accusations do you object?"

"Listen, I'm a ninja with honor. The only thing I ever steal is the truth! Naturally, that means I have nothing to hide!"

(Who even is this? This character is awfully suspicious, down to the actress herself.)

"So then, motives aside, do you confess responsibility for the fate of our samurai?"

Her maniacal laughter rings out again. "…That's right! I did it!"

"What!?" The prosecutor is aghast. "With such insolence? How dare you!"

"Oh, the wind carried me into flight… but I struck with my own wing." She inhales deeply. "Here's exactly what happened…"