September 9, 6305
3:40 PM
Courtroom Lobby of the Justice Attorneys’ Guild Hall
Echo: Nice job, Jorin.
Jorin: Yeah, thanks.
Echo: But this battle is far from over. I’m sure Prosecutor Brinks is speaking to the witness to testify away the contradiction. If you can’t definitely prove that Halo was in the room at the time of the murder, you lose.
Jorin: Gulp. Don’t worry. I, uh, hope I can.
Echo: ...
September 9, 6305
3:50 PM
Courtroom #5 of the Justice Attorneys’ Guild Hall
Judge Hahn: Court now reconvenes. What is the prosecution’s next action?
Brinks: We would like the witness to testify again, agreeing with the defense on the matter. Witness, testify to how you knew the murder took place inside the bathroom!
WITNESS TESTIMONY
How I Knew
Halo: In truth, I didn’t actually see the murder in the bathroom.
Halo: Instead, I saw the two arguing about something.
Halo: It turned violent, and the defendant over there slashed her!
Halo: He stabbed her again and again, until the stabs pushed her into the bathroom.
Halo: I knew she died in the bathroom because I heard the door shut.
Halo: I immediately left to get help.
END TESTIMONY
Echo: I bet you can find a contradiction in there somewhere.
Jorin: I don’t have a choice.
Judge Hahn: The defense may cross-examine the witness.
CROSS EXAMINATION
Halo: In truth, I didn’t actually see the murder in the bathroom.
Jorin: So you admit that what you said earlier was conjecture?
OBJECTION!
Brinks crosses his arms.
Brinks: He’s getting to his reasoning. Let him speak!
Echo: Jorin, be careful. That question was completely pointless.
Jorin: Sigh. Okay, Echo.
Halo: Instead, I saw the two arguing about something.
Jorin: Arguing?
Halo: Yes. Noblus was raising his voice before he attacked Miss Alkali.
Halo: It turned violent, and the defendant over there slashed her!
Jorin: So immediately after they argued, you saw the defendant pull out his sword and slash her?
Halo: Yes, I saw that quite clearly. I can’t be sure where he slashed her, however. I’m sure I saw it though.
Halo: He stabbed her again and again, until the stabs pushed her into the bathroom.
Jorin: So he stabbed her many times? And the force of the stabs pushed her?
Halo: Absolutely. It was possibly the most brutal thing I’ve ever seen.
Jorin: (Why did he add that in? Maybe I can find the truth from that.)
Halo: I knew she died in the bathroom because I heard the door shut.
Jorin: Just because the door shut doesn’t mean she died in the bathroom!
Halo: You’re right. I think it was because I heard that the stabbing noises were muffled, like they were behind a door.
Halo: I immediately left to get help.
Jorin: What do you mean by “immediately?”
Halo: I was frozen for a second or two by the events, but a few seconds after the bathroom door shut, I left.
Echo: Hear something fishy?
Jorin: I think so…
Jorin: (Let’s go over the evidence and see what we find…)
Halo: He stabbed her again and again, until the stabs pushed her into the bathroom.
OBJECTION!
Jorin points his finger at Halo.
Jorin: Are you sure you saw the defendant stab the victim into the bathroom?
Halo: Yes.
Jorin: That was an incredibly lame lie. I’m sorry, that’s impossible. The autopsy report clearly states that the only wounds she sustained were signs of electrocution and a slash to the throat. Yet, you claim she was stabbed!
Halo slams the witness stand.
OBJECTION!
Brinks crosses his arms.
Brinks: The murder weapon doesn’t have a very sharp tip. The stabs could have easily been unable to wound the victim!
OBJECTION!
Jorin: If the stabs were that weak, then the victim wouldn’t have allowed herself to get pushed into the bathroom!
OBJECTION!
Brinks: Why would he lie about that in the first place?
Jorin: Simple! He needed to explain the contradiction he made earlier, and describing it like this not only explained away the contradiction, but put my client in a worse light!
Brinks puts his hand on his forehead.
Brinks: Ugh…
The court erupts in conversation.
Judge Hahn slams his gavel.
Judge Hahn: Order! Order in the court! Witness. I think this is enough to prove your guilt.
Halo laughs.
Halo: Not so fast, judge. Mr. Defense Lawyer hasn’t proven anything yet.
Jorin: What do you mean?
Halo: First of all, the weapon belongs to Noblus, does it not?
OBJECTION!
Jorin: So what? Even if it is his, it doesn’t mean that he used it to murder the victim!
Halo: He still could have used it, of course!
OBJECTION!
Jorin: That’s mere conjecture! That in no way ties him to the crime. There is an equal chance for you to have stolen his sword!
OBJECTION!
Brinks crosses his arms.
Brinks: Prove it, Cobalt.
Jorin sweats.
Jorin: Um...I can’t.
Brinks: Heh, just what I thought. Rookie.
Echo: Jorin! This isn’t over yet. You know the truth! There is still one chance left. Halo still has to testify to the stab contradiction!
Jorin: Your honour! The defense requests that the witness testifies once more to the stab contradiction!
Judge Hahn: Does the prosecution have any objections?
Brinks: No, your honour.
Judge Hahn: Very well. This will be the final testimony.
OBJECTION!
Echo whips out her Final Flourish and stabs the air.
Echo: Your honour, the defense thinks that if the truth should be found, any amount of testifying is necessary!
Judge Hahn: Miss Strike, you know very well that Jorin won’t prove anything if he can’t prove Halo’s guilt with this.
Echo: …
Jorin: So…
Echo: ...Looks like you don’t have a choice. This is your last chance to nail Halo.
Jorin: Crap. Thanks for trying, anyway.
Echo: ...
Judge Hahn: Witness, your testimony please.
WITNESS TESTIMONY
The Final Testimony
Halo: I must have mistaken the stabbing for something else, sorry.
Halo: He simply held the sword in his hand when he shoved and grabbed her, making it look like he stabbed her.
Halo: The bathroom door shut, and I heard Miss Alkali screaming.
Halo: I heard the shock function on the Shockburst Brandish, which was the moment of electrocution.
Halo: I then heard a sword slash, which must have been when her throat was cut.
Halo: I immediately left to get help after that.
END TESTIMONY
Echo: This is it, Jorin. Go and prove it!
Jorin: Welp.
Judge Hahn: Cobalt, your cross-examination please.
CROSS EXAMINATION
Halo: I must have mistaken the stabbing for something else, sorry.
Jorin: So you-
Echo: Don’t even.
Jorin: Okay, fine.
Halo: He simply held the sword in his hand when he shoved and grabbed her, making it look like he stabbed her.
Jorin: That’s ridiculous! How could you mistake something like that?
OBJECTION!
Brinks crosses his arms.
Brinks: He made a mistake. Can you prove that he didn’t?
Jorin: Uh…
Brinks: As I thought. Continue with your terrible cross-examination, Cobalt loser.
Halo: The bathroom door shut, and I heard Miss Alkali screaming.
Jorin: So after the bathroom door shut, you heard Miss Alkali screaming?
Halo: Yes. I know that a female was screaming, and I don’t know who else it could be than Miss Alkali.
Halo: I heard the shock function on the Shockburst Brandish, which was the moment of electrocution.
Jorin: Are you sure? Could you have heard the humming of a television, or a radio?
Halo: No, I’m sure I heard the moment of electrocution. I’ve heard Shockburst Brandishes being used before, so I’m sure. Also, I heard a scream the moment after the humming began.
Halo: I then heard a sword slash, which must have been when her throat was cut.
Jorin: Are you sure you heard the sword slash after she was electrocuted?
Halo: Yes, absolutely. Are you going to pull an objection and say I traveled through time, lawyer?
Jorin: No, of course not!
Halo: I immediately left to get help after that.
Jorin: So you left a few seconds after you heard the slash?
Halo: Yeah, I was frozen in place for a moment. Is that strange?
Echo: Jorin, think about what he’s just said. Can you prove his guilt? Because I can tell that he’s still lying.
Jorin: How?
Echo: I have my ways. Prove it, Jorin. Prove that he killed Alkali, and prove that your client, Mr. Noblus, is innocent! It is the truth, after all.
Jorin: (There must be evidence here somewhere, right?)
Jorin: Hm…
Halo: I heard the shock function on the Shockburst Brandish, which was the moment of electrocution.
OBJECTION!
Jorin points his finger at Halo.
Jorin: Are you sure you heard the humming of the Shockburst Brandish?
Halo: Absolutely. So what? Do you claim I made the humming noise with my mouth?
Jorin: Actually, I think that you heard the Shockburst Brandish. Your lies end here, Iodin Halo! Take a look at the murder weapon!
Halo: What about it?
Jorin: Its humming is soft, almost like a whisper. If the door was shut in the bathroom, there was no way the sound could reach you! The only place you could hear that humming noise would be inside the bathroom!
Halo slams the witness stand.
OBJECTION!
Brinks: That’s ridiculous!
OBJECTION!
Jorin: How so?
Brinks: This is...impossible! Why can’t I just...convict the defendant! Augh!
The courtroom erupts in conversation.
Judge Hahn slams his gavel.
Judge Hahn: Order! Order in the court! Witness! What do you have to say for yourself?
Halo grabs his helmet and randomly twists it until it’s backwards. Shaking like a rabid dog, he speaks.
Halo: Heh, heh, heh. Mr. Lawyer, do you honestly think that alone will prove my guilt? There is still one thing left for you to do.
Jorin: What is that?
Halo: Prove that I had the Shockburst Brandish in my possession, and that I used it! I may have heard the Shockburst Brandish from wherever, but you can’t prove that I actually used the sword!
Jorin: I...I…
Echo: What’s wrong, Jorin?
Jorin: I think I’ve come just short, Echo. I’m sorry.
Echo: No, you can’t give up. You know the truth. I’m sure you have the evidence! Just look for it! What will finally, absolutely prove that Halo had the murder weapon?
Jorin: Very well…
Halo: Yes, Mr. Lawyer?
THE SPIRAL KNIGHTS BATTLE THEME PLAYS
Jorin: I have the one piece of evidence I need to prove your guilt!
Halo: Ha! Give me a break. You’ve got nothing!
OBJECTION!
Brinks: That’s right. I call your bluff, Cobalt!
Judge Hahn: I hope you aren’t bluffing. Mr. Cobalt, what is the final piece of evidence that will prove Halo’s guilt?
Jorin: (I’ve got to think about the events that transpired. How did he get the Shockburst Brandish from Noblus?)
Jorin: (I think I know it!)
TAKE THAT!
Jorin: Everyone, take a look at the surveillance camera footage! I’m sure that if we examined the video, we should see Halo sneaking out of the defendant’s room, Shockburst Brandish in hand!
Halo sweats.
Halo: No! That’s impossible! No! Why should we?
Jorin: (I’ve got him now!)
Jorin: If it’s impossible, then I don’t see why not. Halo, we both know very well what we’ll find in the video!
Jorin points at Halo one last time.
Jorin: Iodin Halo! You are the killer!
Halo spins his helmet some more, with each second the spinning becoming more frantic. Halo shakes so much that his armour begins to fall off until he’s left in his clothes. Tired, Halo falls unconscious.
Later in the courtroom…
Judge Hahn: So, what is the condition of Mr. Halo?
Brinks is sweating profusely.
Brinks: He has...been arrested.
Judge Hahn: What about the video?
Brinks: I think we all know what we found. The defense’s claims are correct.
Judge Hahn: Defendant.
Noblus: Yes, your honour?
Judge Hahn: It is very obvious at this point, but formality requires me to hand down my verdict. The court finds Krypton Noblus…
NOT
GUILTY.
Jorin: (It turned out that Mr. Halo got into an argument with Miss Alkali earlier that day. He became enraged and stole the Shockburst Brandish from my client to try to blame the murder on him. He used the cover of a coffee delivery to murder Miss Alkali.)
September 9, 6305
5:00 PM
Courtroom Lobby of the Justice Attorneys’ Guild Hall
Echo: Great job, Jorin!
Jorin: Yeah…Thanks for being with me today. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Echo: Thank your own skills, you were amazing out there.
Jorin: Not even close to you! You’re good enough to be my mentor, even though we’re the same age.
Jorin slouches.
Echo cocks her head.
Echo: What’s wrong? You got your “not guilty” verdict.
Jorin: It’s just...why did you act like that earlier?
Echo: You mean…
Jorin: Yes, you are right! I will save my client, Echo.
Echo: ...
Jorin: What’s wrong, Echo? Did I say something wrong?
Echo: Hmph. Just get started with your cross-examination.
Echo: That?
Jorin: Yeah.
Echo: It’s just, we’re very different people, Jorin, in all aspects other than our jobs.
Jorin: What do you mean?
Echo: You seem to fight to save your client. I fight for the truth, and I stand by it no matter what it is. Of course, both of us will end up at the truth, but it’s for a different reason.
Jorin: So?
Echo: Jorin. One day you will realize that being a lawyer...It can be a very hard job. One day, being a lawyer to save someone will be the hardest thing you will ever do, and you will realize why the truth is more important than saving the innocent and damning the evil.
Jorin: I’m sorry, what do you mean?
Echo: You seemed to be in the courtroom just to save your client, even though you weren’t sure about his innocence. Of course, a defense lawyer must fight until the very end. However, you didn’t even seem to consider the possibility of his guilt. Even if you don’t understand what I’m saying now, you will one day.
With that, Echo turns around to leave.
Jorin: By the way, Echo, I never asked you something.
Echo: What is it?
Jorin: Why do you try so hard to be good at what you do?
Echo: …
Jorin: I think I already know the answer, now that I think about it. Is it about fifteen years ago, when we were in grade school?
Echo: …
Jorin: I thought so. I didn’t think you would hold onto that for so long…
Echo: Whatever. See you, Jorin.
Jorin: Bye.
END OF TRIAL 1: TURNABOUT BEGINNINGS