Chapter 3: Removing Redundancies

Endless Trauma

Phoenix slammed his fist on Kyoko's door with more force than he usually slammed desks in the courtroom. Normally, he would have been respectful and knocked quietly, but he wanted to make his mood known from the get-go. She had dropped the bombshell that Dahlia's twin sister was somehow related to the killing game, and now she was going to tell him what else she knew.

Kyoko opened the door within 5 seconds. Her face was, as usual, difficult to read. "I take it you're returning the book to me?" she asked.

Phoenix nodded firmly, holding it up. "And, I'm here to-"

"Did you read it?" Kyoko interrupted, her tone firm as she grabbed the book from him. "And if so, did you find anything interesting or new?"

Kyoko stared at him sternly. It was clear she didn't want him speaking aloud about the note she had left. She made a good point— it was very likely Monokuma had bugged the entire village.

He pursed his lips, then nodded. "I found something new, but I'm not sure what to make of it," he told her, speaking in vague terms she, but no one else, would understand.

"I'll see if I can help you understand tomorrow," Kyoko promised. "First, I need to see if I've missed anything."

Phoenix understood that what she was really saying was she was going to write him another note, but he didn't want to wait until tomorrow.

"If another murder happens, we won't have any time to waste," Phoenix insisted. "We should talk about it sooner."

"I've given you everything I know," Kyoko told him coolly. "This information may not even end up mattering."

"How did you even figure it out?" Phoenix asked, still attempting to speak vaguely, though he knew he was becoming more blatant.

"I spoke with them on the first day, and they revealed much more than I think they intended," Kyoko explained. Though Phoenix knew she was talking about Dahlia, Kyoko was not even using female pronouns to describe her in case Monokuma was listening.

"Can you explain any more?" Phoenix asked.

"I cannot," Kyoko said simply. "Once again, this may be nothing. It may have just been an excuse to torment them with something they care about. But my instincts tell me there's something more here. which is why I wanted to bring you into the know. I will let you know if I find anything. Just keep this information in the back of your mind."

Phoenix felt the urge to pester her for more information, but he had withheld his story from her in the last class trial, and he respected that she didn't want to reveal everything she knew just yet.

"Alright," he sighed, feeling disappointed but not surprised. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Kyoko nodded and returned to her room.

Phoenix spent far longer than he would have liked grappling with hypotheticals and questions he would never get to ask Dahlia. The mental storm caused by this information was the worst he had yet experienced in the village, but he eventually managed to coerce his body into a restless slumber.

The morning announcement rang and Phoenix jolted up. His mind felt alert, but his body felt exhausted. A part of him wanted to crawl back under his covers and go to sleep, but that wasn't an option.

Instead, he took a deep breath and forced himself to stand up. He went through the motions of his morning routine with little enthusiasm before walking slowly out of his door.

The morning sun felt like a spotlight on his eyes, but once they adjusted, he saw Apollo standing in front of him, a sealed envelope in his hand and an uncomfortable smile on his face.

"Morning, Mr. Wright!" Apollo began, his voice somehow a mix of loud and sheepish. "Listen, I'm here to apologize again about all I did. I hope you can forgive me."

"Um…" Phoenix was taken aback. "It's… It's alright, Apollo. Believe me, I understand how you felt."

"Thank you!" Apollo's smile became much more natural. "Um… I had this idea to have a get-together on the lake beach today. I'm only going to invite a few of us, so hopefully nothing bad will happen." He held out the envelope. "Details are in here, if you're interested."

Phoenix accepted the invitation graciously as Apollo walked to Maya's cabin and waited. Phoenix was happy to see him taking initiative and spending time with his friends— it was a much healthier method of healing.

He decided to pocket the envelope and open it in the privacy of his room so he wouldn't draw questions from those who weren't invited.

He walked into the kitchen— Chiaki, Klavier, and Kyoko had beat him to breakfast. Phoenix suspected Klavier was the only one of the three who had received an invitation. Additionally, Alter Ego was sitting on the countertop, seemingly observing the goings on of the kitchen.

"Good morning, Phoenix Wright, Ultimate Lawyer!" Alter Ego chirped as he stepped into range of the camera. It was still unnerving to hear a perfect duplicate of Chihiro's voice coming from a laptop, but Phoenix was able to greet the AI without his face displaying his discomfort. "Would you like me to recommend a breakfast recipe for you?"

"I suggest you listen to her," Klavier called to Phoenix. "She provided me with an excellent way to prepare bircher muesli last night, and I am enjoying the fruits of my labor right now."

Phoenix nodded uncertainly. "In that case, sure— what recipe do you have in mind, Chih— Alter Ego?"

The image of Chihiro was replaced with a diagram showing what looked to be ingredient instructions of some kind. "My master has indicated you enjoy egg dishes. Displayed is a recipe for a 20-minute omelet recipe which should be to your satisfaction."

Phoenix analyzed the steps. He didn't consider himself to be a cook, but he felt he could probably follow this recipe well enough, especially with a computer to help him.

He spent the next several minutes following Alter Ego's instructions as more students filtered into the room. By the time he was done, he was the last person to sit down. Chiaki had already finished her meal and was playing on a portable console different from the one she had shown him yesterday.

It seemed mostly everyone else had satisfied themselves with something simpler to eat, but Phoenix felt a sense of pride at his omelet. It wasn't an award-winning breakfast by any means, but it was probably the best cooking he had ever done.

In a way, it felt like he was continuing Athena's legacy by making a dish that was more complicated than he was comfortable with. Maybe he could make it a routine to learn new recipes from Alter Ego. Using all his energy to focus on cooking had also helped him keep his mind off of the confusion of last night, and he welcomed more chances for that to happen.

He thanked the computer for its help and searched for an open seat. Nagito was by himself, but Phoenix was not going anywhere near him. He wanted to sit at Kyoko's table, but didn't want to draw suspicion to the two of them from Monokuma.

He ultimately ended up sitting across from Maya and next to Klavier— the not-German prosecutor presented him with a golf clap upon seeing his completed dish, and Phoenix had to push Maya's hand away as she tried to steal a bite with her fork.

"Come on, Nick! Don't be so stingy!" She griped.

"I worked hard on this!" Phoenix defended. "Ask Alter Ego to help you make one yourself!"

"Aw, but that takes too long!" Maya pouted.

After much back-and-forth, Phoenix finally caved and gave her a small section of his omelet in exchange for some of the remaining fruit on her plate. It was not a fair trade by any means, but at least she stopped pestering him.

"Wow, you should be a cook!" Maya exclaimed once she tasted the meager portion Phoenix had given her.

"I was just following instructions," Phoenix replied modestly, though he felt a sense of pride at the compliment.

He smiled to himself. Moments like these were a welcome joy compared to the constant uncertainty he usually felt in the village. His time here had made him appreciate something as simple as a short banter with Maya.

However, their lively conversation soon died down and he returned to his usual state. The note Kyoko had written, which had vacated his mind for a few glorious minutes, returned.

Phoenix bit his lip as he pondered what options he had. He hated the idea of just waiting for a murder to occur, but it was a rare day that Monokuma gave away more information than the investigation revealed. He always waited until the end of a class trial to unveil new places to investigate, but Phoenix felt like there had to be something they'd missed— all Monokuma had given them was one more chapter of The Tragedy and a photo of Dahlia's twin.

For now, he decided he'd dedicate his mental energy to thinking if there was anything they'd missed. In the meantime, he needed to see when Apollo wanted to meet at the lake.

Phoenix walked back to the yurts with Maya, neither of them speaking but enjoying each other's company nonetheless. When they eventually split off and Phoenix had closed the door behind him, he finally opened the envelope he received from Apollo and analyzed it.

It was a rather poorly done invitation— scrawled entirely in red ink with inconsistent lettering, but Phoenix found it somewhat endearing.

Dear Mr. Wright,

You are invited to the lake beach behind Fey Manor this afternoon at 3PM. I will be bringing various snacks including fruits and ice cream, but feel free to bring a dish of your own. I also will bring board and card games. See you there!

Sincerely,

Apollo Justice

Phoenix smiled. Little things such as this invitation or his back-and-forth with Maya had gone a long way to improving his mood. Maybe a beach party was just what he needed to clear his mind.

There were still several hours until 3PM, though. In the meantime, he decided he would have Alter Ego teach him more recipes so he would have something to bring to the party.

Even Phoenix himself was surprised with how enjoyable he found cooking. With the help of Chihiro's program, he had created a small feast before it was even lunchtime. Most of the dishes were from across Europe and Japan, as they seemed to be favorites among the students in the village. Alter Ego was patient and willing to repeat instructions several times until he understood it. He had no idea how Chihiro had taught the computer so many recipes, but he wasn't complaining.

He put most of the meals in the fridge to preserve them until it was time, but there was one dish he wanted the whole village to share for lunch.

Phoenix knew he couldn't compare to Athena's cooking, but he had made chicken alfredo because of her. When she had made it, it served as an excellent way of lifting everyone's spirits and reminding him of the good that still existed in the world. Maybe his recreation of it wouldn't do that, but it was still something he could take pride in.

Peko was the first to arrive, and Phoenix could tell she recognized why he had made this meal. She graciously accepted a plate, but did not begin eating until Apollo arrived and sat next to her a few minutes later.

Chihiro and Maya were next, and Maya took two plates of pasta for herself, against Phoenix's protests. Eventually, everyone made their way into the kitchen and enjoyed the meal prepared by Phoenix and Alter Ego. Even Nagito seemed willing to behave normally as the group ate.

Athena, wherever you are, I hope you're proud.

Lunchtime came and went, and Phoenix returned to his yurt to think things over one more time before preparing for Apollo's party.

What had they learned from the investigation? Monokuma was expanding the village fence, and they would find out why after 2 more trials. Additionally, Monokuma had been to Hazakurain to steal a bunch of artifacts sacred to the Fey clan. Hazakurain was also apparently where Dahlia's twin lived. Surely that had to be more than a coincidence.

Also, there was a locked cavern somewhere near the edge of the village, and Monokuma was, for some reason, darkening the warehouse.

None of it came together in his mind. There was no one theory that perfectly solved everything. One again, he found himself wishing he had the analytical prowess of Kyoko and Nagito.

Phoenix groaned. He had genuinely believed he could put his investigative skills to use and help his friends escape. But who was he kidding? He only ever pulled through in the last possible moment. It was what he was known for, and it was what had earned him his 'Ultimate' title. In this case, though, a sudden turnabout at the last second wasn't enough to save his friends.

But he would still try.

This afternoon, he would make sure no murders occurred. Although Phoenix trusted Apollo's judgment on who would be invited, there was still always the possibility of someone falling for Monokuma's motive. A party was a good place to do so.

Phoenix stood up and brushed himself off. He marched purposefully towards the beach. He didn't know who would be invited, but he would make sure no weapons were hidden there.

As he began his search, he pushed away thoughts of what had happened the last time he tried to protect everyone at a party.

A scan of the beach, lake, and grass around the beach only led to him getting sand all over his outfit and in his shoes, not that Phoenix had exactly expected anything else. In truth, this search was just to make himself feel better.

It was now 2:15PM, but he didn't want to sit and wait for time to pass. Instead, he decided to begin setting up the food he prepared on the beach. He knew there were a few folding tables and chairs in the storage room of Fey Manor, meaning it would be a short walk to bring them out.

Plus, him setting it up himself meant he knew there wouldn't be anything smuggled in.

It took a while, but he was able to set up the tables on a patch of grass near the beach. He then brought as many chairs as he could find and set them along the beach. Finally, he brought all his prepared food out and set it up along the tables. After all that, it was still only 2:40.

He groaned. Without anything to put his mind to, he was getting antsy. Leaving his mind to think idly was not what he needed, but at this point, there was nothing to distract him.

Instead, he brought a chair over to the beach. He unfolded it, pushed it into the sand, sat down, and looked out over the lake. He and Dahlia had had their first and only "date" here. It hadn't even been 2 weeks since they had been brought to Kurain Village in the first place, but it felt like he had been here his whole life.

How had this happened? He was supposed to be at Hope's Peak with the students here, learning more and becoming the best lawyer he could be. Instead, he was in a village where his fellow students murdered one another and were then condemned to death. Through adversity, he had created close bonds with several of the students, but he had no doubt those bonds would have formed naturally in the years he spent at Hope's Peak.

Phoenix realized a tear threatened to escape his eye. He brushed it aside and willed himself to stay calm.

The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over.

He couldn't remember who told him that advice— it was probably Mia, but regardless, he felt it held true. There were still reasons to keep moving forward.

He pulled out his student handbook. It was 2:54. He expected Apollo would be arriving soon to prepare the location.

Right on cue, Apollo's loud voice called out to him: "Mr. Wright? Did you set all this up?"

Phoenix turned around and saw Apollo carrying a large bowl. Next to him, Peko effortlessly carried an enormous blue cooler in one hand while balancing a stack of board games on her hip with the other hand.

"Yeah, I did," Phoenix admitted honestly. "I was tired of waiting, so I decided to make some food and set up the area."

" Some food?" Apollo repeated. "This is a full-on feast! There's only going to be six of us here, you know! And we just had lunch that you made three hours ago!"

Phoenix shrugged. "That's alright. I made it because I wanted to. Plus, it'll keep."

Apollo shrugged in return. "Well, at least we know we'll have plenty to eat."

Phoenix saw the door of the outer wall of Fey Manor open as Peko set her items down on the tables, and Klavier walked through. His guitar case was slung over his shoulder; he removed it and set it on the edge of one of the folding tables.

"Guten tag, Herr Wright," Klavier greeted. "I'm happy to see you here."

Phoenix smiled. "Hello, Klavier."

"Apollo, who else have you invited?" Klavier inquired. "I would like to prepare a song accordingly."

"Not counting you three," Apollo gestured to Klavier, Peko, and Phoenix, "all that's left are Ema and Leon."

"An interesting collection," Klavier observed. "Did you not desire a get-together with all of us?"

Apollo stared blankly at Klavier. "Historically, those haven't gone well here," he reminded the rockstar.

Klavier smiled awkwardly and fiddled with his hair drill. "Ja, I suppose you're right."

"Most board games don't allow for more than 6 players," Peko observed, her reasoning being much simpler than Apollo's.

Phoenix analyzed the selection she had brought. Clue, Yahtzee, and other familiar games were stacked on top of each other. Two decks of cards rested atop the pile. It was the same collection they had used at the first party— maybe that's all there was. He would make sure to check the games for any kinds of weaponry before they played them, but with only 6 of them there, he felt more confident that nothing would occur.

"Wow, now this is my kind of party!" A voice exclaimed. Phoenix looked up and saw Leon striding forward. He carried a small stack of plates with napkins and sets of utensils delicately balanced on top.

"I suggest we begin eating while we wait for Fräulein Skye," Klavier rubbed his hands together. "I would not want Herr Wright's hard work to go to waste."

"Alright!" Leon whooped, pumping his fist.

Phoenix smiled. This was exactly what he needed.

Much to Apollo's disappointment, even after they had arranged themselves in a circle of chairs on the beach and cleaned their plates (excluding Leon, who kept going back for more), one seat was still empty— Ema did not show up.

"I guess she's still angry at me," Apollo concluded sadly and averted his gaze. Phoenix almost thought he saw tears in his eyes. "But I understand."

Phoenix suppressed the unease he felt rising within him.

"We can still enjoy this gathering, Young Master," Peko told him. Phoenix saw the corners of her lips strain upwards, but fail to turn into a smile. It seemed she was trying her best to reassure him.

"You're right," Apollo agreed. "So, should we play a game?"

"Perhaps we could hear some of Klavier's songs, as Leon is yet to finish eating," Peko requested, politely giving Leon an excuse not to rush and Klavier a chance to play his songs.

Apollo shrugged and looked expectantly at Klavier.

Klavier smiled and cracked his knuckles. "It would be my pleasure," he crooned.

Phoenix analyzed Apollo's face as Klavier walked over to his case and brought it back to their small group. He seemed to have recovered quite quickly, but Phoenix wasn't totally convinced he wasn't still hiding his deep pain. He was putting on a brave face and making amends, which was honorable, but there were moments when the mask had slipped, like when Ema failed to show up.

Apollo caught Phoenix staring and smiled in response. Phoenix nodded and looked to Klavier, who had removed his guitar and was plucking a few of the strings.

"Hmm…" Klavier mumbled aloud. He peered into his guitar case and poked around the inside.

"Is something wrong?" Phoenix inquired.

Klavier scanned the surrounding area. "I seem to be missing my capo. While not impossible to play without one, I would be greatly hindered. Would you excuse me as I retrace my steps?"

"Allow me to assist," Peko offered, standing up in sync with Klavier.

"Why don't we all help?" Phoenix proposed.

Leon set aside his plate, which was piled high with pasta, and stood up.

"It is alright," Peko placated. "Please enjoy the festivities." Leon sat down and continued eating, which prompted Peko to glance at the table full of dishes and utensils.

"On second thought—" she addressed Phoenix— "would you mind returning some of your empty dishes to the kitchen? It may make cleaning later tonight easier."

Phoenix nodded and walked over to the table.

"Let me help!" Apollo insisted, accompanying Phoenix. "You already set basically all of this up, it's only fair that I help you."

Phoenix shrugged as he scooped two large bowls into his hand and began walking back to the manor, Apollo following close behind. He heard the footsteps of Klavier and Peko behind him slow as they no doubt scoured the ground for Klavier's device.

The walk to the kitchen was quiet. Apollo caught up to Phoenix and walked in step with him, but his eyes were focused dead ahead. Both of them seemed aware of the unspoken tension, but did not want to address it.

They placed their flatware and silverware in the industrial sink. Alter Ego greeted them cheerily as they walked by, and Phoenix smiled back. Apollo flinched slightly at hearing Chihiro's voice speak, no doubt recalling when the voices of Athena and Nahyuta spoke to him from the same laptop.

They passed Maya in the Winding Way, who greeted them cheerily. Additionally, Peko and Klavier had made it to the foyer of the manor. It seemed they still had yet to be successful in finding what Klavier needed. Phoenix wondered if it would be best to just begin playing a board game instead.

The pair continued their silent walk back to the beach. Phoenix hoped that, with Leon's help, they could ignite a conversation of some kind.

As they turned the corner around the manor and the lake came into view, Phoenix immediately realized something was off, though he couldn't see what, exactly. However, as they grew closer, it became apparent what the problem was.

A body lay on the white sand of the beach, staining the surrounding area with blood that poured out of their neck. Phoenix heard Apollo's hoarse gasp as they looked at the corpse of the friend they had left behind.

Leon was dead.

Phoenix sprinted over to Leon. His mind went into overdrive as he felt for a pulse on Leon's neck. His fingers immediately became sticky with fresh blood, but he hardly noticed. After a few moments of feeling for a heartbeat, he came back with nothing. He looked back desperately at Apollo, who stood frozen.

What had he been thinking?! He should have had Leon join them. He was supposed to ensure no murders happened at the party, and yet he had broken the most basic, elementary rule of keeping people safe— don't leave anyone alone.

"HELP!" Phoenix screamed louder than he ever had before, hoping someone in the manor would hear. "IT'S LEON! HE'S-"

Ding-dong, dong-ding. The body discovery announcement interrupted him. "A body has been discovered!" Monokuma's voice blared. "After a certain amount of time, the class trial will begin!"

Phoenix choked back tears. The announcement officially confirmed that Leon was dead— he had failed yet another friend. But… something was off. A chill ran down his spine as he realized the problem.

Body discovery announcements require three people to find the body. Currently, only Phoenix and Apollo were at Leon's corpse. And that meant…

Someone else in the village had been killed. And he had a horrible feeling that he knew who it was.

Phoenix heard hurried footsteps and the rustling of grass as someone approached the beach. He turned and saw Maya sprinting up behind Apollo, her face full of terror. Phoenix couldn't help but feel a small rush of relief as he confirmed Maya was still alive. She dodged past the tables full of food and her eyes shifted to the dead body next to Phoenix. She rushed past Apollo and weaved through the chairs that had been set up to see who it was.

Once she had crossed onto the sand, a second body discovery announcement played, officially confirming Leon's death. Maya brought a trembling hand to her mouth and whimpered.

"Maya." Phoenix steeled himself as he looked up to meet her horrified gaze. He forced his lips to move and ask the question he dreaded hearing the response to: "Who else is dead?"

He saw her jaw clench, and Phoenix braced himself for the answer he already knew was coming.

She took a breath, her eyes watering as she responded in a shaky voice:

"Ema."