Songs

Cross-Examination: Mood Matrix ~ Commence the Psychological Analysis! (Dual Destinies OST)

Means, Motive, and Opportunity: The Great Courtroom Lobby (Dai Gyakuten Saiban OST)

Figuring out the Murder Weapon: The Core (Dai Gyakuten Saiban OST)

Club Stolen: Giovanni's Theme (Pokemon ORAS Remix done by Giradialkia) [Jacob's Objection Theme]

Walter Hastings Testimony: Elegy of the Captured (Trials & Tribulations OST)

Cross-Examining Hastings: Simon Blackquill-Distorted Swordsmanship (Dual Destinies OST)

Cornering Hastings: Trainer Red Epic Remix (DJTheFishhead) [Jacob's Pursuit Theme]

Wright Anything Agency

June 14

12:00 P.M.

The doorbell rang at the agency.

"Boss, we have a visitor!" Athena called out.

"Yeah, I know! I'll get it!" He called out. Phoenix came out of the other room wearing something she, Apollo, and Trucy did not expect: casual clothing. They only ever saw him either in his trademark blue suit or the baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants he wore during his disbarment.

Phoenix had on gray and blue sneakers, tan shorts, a plain white t shirt, and a short sleeve blue plaid shirt over it. He opened the door, revealing Iris, who like him, was not wearing her usual legal outfit. Instead, she had on tan and white sandals, black leggings, and a lavender blouse. She smiled at him.

"Ready?"

"Of course." He stepped outside.

"You both have the day off?" Apollo asked.

"Yeah. I'll be back tomorrow. It's date night." He closed the door and walked down the steps with Iris.

"Date night?!" Apollo yelled. Athena and Trucy squealed with excitement.

"Is he actually dating her again?!" Athena asked.

"I don't know! I mean, he's been going out with her every so often, but he never specifically said the word 'date' before!" They were jumping up and down while Apollo just sighed.

Main Street

12:30 P.M.

"So how has work been?" Phoenix asked. He bought the two of them ice cream, and they were enjoying it on the way to Iris' house.

"Busy, actually. In these past few months, I've had to take on 5 different cases."

"And?"

"Every one of them won." she smirked.

"Heh. Well done."

"Thanks. Actually, I was officially hired by the Prosecutor's Office last week. So, that means that I'm working here now, instead of London."

"You're not going back?"

"Not in the next year, at least. I'm working cases here, for now. How about you? How are things with your two apprentices?"

"After the last case I took, Athena is doing better, knowing the truth about her mother. Apollo's...well, he's talking to us and everything, but he hasn't been wanting to work. He's in a tough spot, his best friend was the victim. I think he feels like he doesn't really have anyone to lean on. Despite the fact that we're trying to help him."

"What about Trucy?"

"As much as it might help him to know, I'm not entirely sure that it's the right time. It might make him even more distant."

"I understand. But I feel like he should know soon. In any case, are you ready to hear more about our families' fate?"

"Sure. Picking up where we left off?"

"Slightly later than that. It's been a few years now since Jacob's joined Ryuu…"

Naruhodou & Co. Law Offices

London, England

September 15, 1923

11 A.M.

Jacob sighed, leaning back in his chair. He had to take care of the office today since Ryuu and Susato were off dealing with their own case. Jacob was now a certified Defense Attorney, and like his mentor, he didn't wear a suit either. He wore a casual white shirt and a long black trench coat over it, along with dark gray pants. He then heard a knock at the door.

"Yes? Can I help you?" He opened it to find a man who looked like a magician and a young girl with him.

"The Naruhodou & Co. Law Offices, correct?"

"Yep. You saw the sign outside?"

"Yes. There's something I could use some help with."

"Come in then. Sit down." He opened the door and the two came in and took a seat in front of Jacob's desk. Jacob took his seat.

"So, what's your names?"

"I'm Feliciano Gramarye. This is my daughter Gabriella."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jacob Hawthorne. I work here as an assistant to Mr. Naruhodou. So what did you need help with?"

"The thing is, my wife is being put on trial."

"For?"

"Murder."

"Of course." Jacob sighed.

"My wife, Rosalia, was with a friend the other night, visiting the Natural History Museum, when the curator was discovered dead. Since they were the ones closest to the scene, and also because they discovered it, they were considered prime suspects."

"I see. Do you have either an autopsy report or a case summary?"

"No, I'm afraid you'll need to get those from the police."

"It's fine. I'll be heading out to the Detention Center now if you want to come along."

"Already?"

"I have no other cases right now, so why not? Let's go."

Detention Center, Visitor's Room

12 PM

"Ms. Gramarye?" Jacob sat down across from Rosalia.

"Yes?"

"Your husband asked me to be your lawyer, and I said yes. So I'm here to ask what happened and find out a little more about you."

"Oh, thank you!"

"So what happened?"

"My friend and I went to the Museum of Natural History the other night. It was pretty quiet, and while we were there, we met the museum's curator, along with a security guard who was following him. We talked for a few minutes, and they seemed nice. Then we left and continued browsing the displays. Later on, when we were leaving, we came across the curator's body. Since my friend and I were the only ones around, we got blamed for the crime."

"That's it? That's why they arrested you?"

"Yes...It doesn't really make sense, does it?"

"No. Don't worry though, I'll take care of everything."

Museum of Natural History of London

1:30 PM

"Ah! Welcome to the Museum of Natural History! Can I help you with anything today?" the girl at the front desk asked.

"Yeah. Do you know anything about the murder that occurred here the other night?"

"Oh! That...I'm afraid that we're trying to keep that quiet, so if you could whisper?"

"Oh. Sure. Do you know anything about it though? I'm the defense attorney for the trial."

"Personally, I don't know anything. But the area that it occurred in is roped off to the rest of the visitors, and there are a few policemen keeping watch. I believe Detective Sherlock Holmes is there investigating as well."

"Oh great! I know Detective Holmes. Do you think you could show me where that area is?"

"Right over there, down the hall and to the left." Jacob walked down and came into a large circular room. The left half of the room was roped off, and there was a body outline behind one of the columns.

"Detective Holmes." Sherlock turned around.

"Ah, Mr. Hawthorne."

"You're on another case."

"Yes, I'm afraid I am."

"Shouldn't you be thinking about retiring soon?" he whispered. "I mean, you're 57…"

"As much as I'd like to start thinking about it soon, I'm not so sure the city would comply. I'm a world class detective, they want someone like me to live forever. Besides, it's somewhat of a personal agenda as well. I enjoy investigating these kinds of crimes because I want to discover the truth."

"But that's what I'm for." he smirked.

"Your job is to defend a client in court."

"And to discover the truth."

"But what if the truth was exactly what you didn't believe? That your client was guilty?"

"Then so be it. But the rule of the modern legal system is that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty."

"But the opposite could also be true: the defendant is guilty until proven innocent."

"And that's exactly where I come in. I win in both scenarios, because you can bet I won't let my client be sentenced."

"...You sure have a way with words, don't you, Mr. Hawthorne?"

"It's my job." he shrugged.

"Very well. The victim's name is George Fenske. He was killed by a blunt object to the head. Here's the autopsy report."

"He was struck five times...but the murder weapon is still unknown?"

"That's correct. The killer took it with them and didn't dispose of it in any garbage cans or dumpsters near here. They probably still have it."

"I see. Well that will certainly make this case harder."

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. Other than that, there were two witnesses. Jack Smith, the security guard that night, and a frequent donor to the museum: Walter Hastings."

"A donor was here?"

"Yes, apparently he was checking up on one of the exhibits that he donated a few weeks ago."

"Are they both in the city still?"

"Yes, both of them. They're supposed to be testifying in court tomorrow."

"Hmph. I suppose I won't be able to get much out of them today then, will I?"

"You can try, but I doubt it."

"Alright then. By the way, what's the time of death?"

"8 PM."

"Great. Thanks. I'll be heading out now." He left and went to question the security guard in the office at the museum.

Security Guard's Office

2:00 PM

"Mr. Smith?" Jacob knocked on the door.

"Ah, come in."

"Mr. Smith, my name is Jacob Hawthorne. I'm the Defense Attorney on the case for the murder that happened here."

"Ah, welcome Mr. Hawthorne. Enjoying the museum so far?"

"Yes sir. I came here all the time when I was younger. Unfortunately, I've been somewhat preoccupied lately, what with studying under my mentor for the new job."

"Yes, I heard about that. You're working under the legendary Ryuunosuke Naruhodou, right?"

"That's right. I used to be only a newspaper publisher. But after I met him, I convinced him to take me on as an apprentice."

"That's wonderful. It must be exciting, proving your clients innocent."

"It's also nerve-wracking."

"I'm sure." he laughed. "Now then, I assume you wanted to know about the murder?"

"Yes. Any information you have will help."

"I don't believe that your clients did it."

"You don't?" That was a surprise. Someone was on his side for once.

"No. Who arrests two suspects simply because of the fact that they were nearby to the scene of the crime? This legal system needs to be changed."

"Hm...So what were you doing when the murder happened?"

"I was the one assigned to show our donor around."

"Yes, about that. Detective Holmes said that he was here to 'check up' on an exhibit?"

"Yes, it sounds rather strange, doesn't it? But he's a very important man, and takes his position rather seriously."

"Important man? What's his position?"

"He serves as an advisor to our Prime Minister."

"Truly? I don't think I'll be able to question him today then."

"No, probably not. He probably won't let you into his house."

"In any case, is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"No, I'm afraid that's all I know."

"Thank you then. I'll see you in court tomorrow."

High Court of Justice, King's Bench Division, Courtroom #2

16 September 1923

11 AM

"Mr. Hawthorne, welcome." the Judge said.

"Thank you, Your Honor." he acknowledged, walking up to his stand.

'Come to think of it, I never did ask Mr. Holmes who the Prosecutor was for this case.'

"Mr. von Karma, welcome to you as well."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Ludwig walked up to the Prosecutor's Bench.

'That guy...he's Prosecutor van Zieks' student, right? He was there during my trial.'

"Prosecutor von Karma, would you like to give an opening statement?"

"Of course, Your Honor. Three nights ago, the defendant was with a friend, visiting the Museum of Natural History. While they were there, the museum's curator was murdered. When the body was discovered, the defendant was nearby, and was presumed to be the only one who could have committed the crime."

"Objection! You can't charge the defendant with murder simply because they were near the scene of the crime!"

"Objection! You can't object during an opening statement!" Ludwig countered.

"Order! Mr. Hawthorne! Please refrain from objecting until the prosecutor is finished making his opening statement!"

"Y-Yes, Your Honor."

"It's alright, Your Honor. I was finished anyways. I would like to call the first witness, Security Guard Jack Smith."

X

"Mr. Smith, please testify to the court about what you were doing on the night of the crime."

"Mr. Smith, what's that red stain on your club?" Jacob asked.

"Oh, this? They were painting the walls in one of the hallways. On my way to the restroom, a small amount got on my club when I brushed past it."

"...I see. Continue."

Witness Testimony

"The Other Night, Mr. Hastings visited the museum."

"I was asked to show him to the area where one of his donations would be put on display."

"Once we got there, I left to go to the bathroom."

"When I returned, Mr. Hastings was still there, waiting for me."

"On our way out, we saw the body and the two girls nearby."

"I had no choice but to name them the prime suspects."

"Mr. Hawthorne, you may begin your Cross-Examination."

"Very well. This is pretty straightforward. Mr. Smith, from what I can tell, you have almost nothing to do with this case, if what you just said is the truth. May I ask how long you were in the bathroom for?"

"Only 3 minutes."

"And how long does it take to get from there back to the hallway where Mr. Hastings was?"

"2."

"Because you were in the bathroom, that means that the murder occurred in the 5 minutes that you weren't there. I don't believe that this murder was spur of the moment. There's one simple fact that supports this."

"What are you getting at?" Ludwig asked.

"If Mr. Hastings had attacked the curator on impulse, he most likely would have fled the scene out of fear of being caught, especially with such a small timeframe. The fact that he returned to where he was previously means that he thought of this in advance. It's premeditated."

"Objection! You're still assuming that Mr. Hastings was the real culprit! What about Ms. Gramarye, or Mr. Smith?!"

"Objection! The possibility of Ms. Gramarye committing the murder is a very small percentage, Mr. von Karma. The only reason that she's under suspicion is because that she happened to be the nearest to the scene of the crime. Besides, why would she murder the curator when she was just there on a visit? And why would Mr. Smith kill his own boss?!"

"Disgruntled worker? Isn't that what happened in your case 4 years ago?"

"What would he be disgruntled about? Enlighten me."

"Well, Security Guards are not paid very much. Perhaps it was a problem regarding his salary?"

"How much are you paid?" Jacob asked, turning to Jack.

"20 cents an hour." he smirked confidently. [A/N: In 1938, FDR set the first minimum wage at 25 cents/hour. Jack would get paid a lot for his profession, meaning he's either a good security guard, or works at a high-class establishment. Probably both in this case.]

"You still want to debate the salary issue?" Jacob closed his eyes.

"Damn…" Ludwig began sweating, obviously losing his first argument against the attorney.

"A murder relies on Means, Motive, and Opportunity."

"I'm sorry...Means, Motive, and...Opportunity? What does that mean?" the Judge asked.

"Every crime has a means: how they committed the crime; a Motive: why they committed the crime; and an Opportunity: when were they able to commit the crime? Currently, we only know one of these: the Opportunity. The murder had to occur in those five minutes that Mr. Smith was gone. And while we know that the curator was killed by a blunt object, we still don't have the exact weapon yet. In addition, we also don't know why the killer committed the crime."

"So we need to find those out before the end of the trial?" Ludwig asked.

"That's right. Now, let's think about it. First of all, let's think of who's involved in this murder. We have the victim, George Fenske, our Museum Curator. We have our suspect, Rosalia Gramarye. We have the Security Guard active that night, Jack Smith. And we also have Walter Hastings, our Donor. Let's first focus on Opportunity, which is what we know. If we think of every possibility, we can't rule anyone out."

"And why's that?" the Judge asked.

"I can explain. I think I've caught on to what Mr. Hawthorne's breaking down. If we assume that the murder did indeed take place in those five minutes, then everyone's a suspect. Mr. Fenske could have committed suicide, Mr. Smith could have lied about going to the restroom, Ms. Gramarye could have killed him like she's accused of, or Mr. Hastings could have killed him like Mr. Hawthorne has already explained."

"That's right. But when we look at the facts, we can see that we can rule someone out already: Ms. Gramarye. She was searched on the way into the museum, so she wouldn't be able to carry anything lethal on her."

"Ah!" The Judge, Ludwig, and everyone on the Jury finally realized their mistake.

"Now that the suspect is out of the question, let's get to who really killed Mr. Fenske. Since we already focused on Opportunity, let's move on to Motive. If Mr. Fenske did indeed commit suicide, he had some sort of self motive. If Mr. Hastings killed him, he also had a yet unknown motive. Now for Mr. Smith. He had no personal motive against Mr. Fenske, considering that he liked his job, and was well compensated for it. That rules him out as well. That means that it has to be either Mr. Fenske who killed himself, or Mr. Hastings who did it. Lastly, we move on to the Means. One is the Museum Curator, and the other is a frequent donor and honored guest. As such, they don't have to go through normal security procedures when they go there. They would have access to a weapon."

"So they would be able to conceal a gun?"

"Yes. But if we remember what the Autopsy Report said, the murder was carried out with a blunt weapon. So, they wouldn't have pulled it off with a gun or a knife. It would have to be something more like a club. Something like that." Jacob pointed to Jack's Police Club.

"I thought you just said I was innocent!" Jack's jaw dropped, shouting angrily.

"I did. But your weapon may not be. May I see it?"

"Huh? Oh, sure." He took it off his belt, and handed it to Jacob.

"If you all remember, I took notice of this red stain almost immediately, at the start of the trial."

"Yes, and Mr. Smith said that it was most likely the red paint that they were using to paint the hallway to the restrooms. This matches up with his testimony quite well."

"That's correct. But I don't think it's paint. I think it's blood. Mr. Fenske's, to be exact."

"But then that means that Mr. Smith would be the one who committed the crime!" the Judge exclaimed.

"No, it wouldn't!" Jacob said, exasperated. How much explaining could it possibly take to get them on board? He thought that his point was pretty obvious.

"I'm getting at the fact that the murderer stole his club and used it as a murder weapon!"

"!" Everyone stepped back, shocked.

"What, that didn't occur to you? My own trial wasn't that different. John Heminger was the one who hired the assassin, but he wasn't the one who actually committed the murder."

"Wait a minute...then that means…" Ludwig growled.

"That's right." Jacob opened his eyes. "That if the murder weapon was stolen, that means that Mr. Fenske wouldn't be able to commit suicide."

"Objection! He could have gotten one from the Security Guard Office!" Ludwig smiled once again.

"Objection! It's highly unlikely. I visited the museum yesterday and went to the Security Guard Office from the scene of the crime. It takes 5 minutes just to get there, and then 5 more minutes to get back."

"Objection! What if he ran there?"

"What?"

"Let's assume that he ran there, making it take half the time. That's 2 ½ minutes to get to the office, and another 2 ½ to get back to where the murder occurred. There's your five minutes."

"That's not right either." Jack said.

"What?!" Ludwig yelled.

"And why not?" Jacob asked.

"To get to the office from the scene of the crime, he'd have to pass through the hallway that Mr. Hastings and myself were in."

"The murder occurred in the 5 minutes that you weren't there. And it takes 3 minutes to walk back to where you were. That's 8."

"The hallway we were in is a halfway point from the scene to the office. And we left as soon as I got back."

"So then it would take 2.5 to get there from the scene."

"All these calculations are making my head hurt." the Judge said plainly.

"Mine too, Your Honor. I promise it will be over shortly." Jacob replied. "So then, let's put everything together. Mr. Smith left for the bathroom. It takes 3 minutes to get there, and he was in for 2. That's 5 minutes. And then another 3 to get back to where he was. That's 8 minutes total. Mr. Smith and Mr. Hastings left for the scene as soon as he got back, which took 2.5 minutes. That's 10 ½ minutes total. The murder occurred in the first five minutes, when Mr. Smith went to the bathroom. In those five minutes, Mr. Fenske would get to the office, and then spend the next five minutes going back to the scene. But if that was the case, then Mr. Hastings would have crossed paths with him on his way back. If Mr. Hastings wasn't the one that killed him, he probably would have taken note of the club he was holding, and wondered why he took it from the office. It's hard to conceal as well, being pretty large."

"Hehe…"

"Something you want to mention, Prosecutor von Karma?"

"Don't you remember what I said before? What if he ran? He ran to the office and back, 5 minutes. And then if Mr. Hastings ran after him, that's 2.5 minutes, and then another 2.5 back to where he was. That leaves half a minute left."

"That wouldn't work, like I said before. Remember that it only took Mr. Smith 8 minutes to get to the bathroom and back. And what you're proposing would have this whole thing take 10. When Mr. Smith returned, he clearly stated that Mr. Hastings had not left his spot. Therefore, your theory is implausible."

"Grrrr…"

"Your Honor, this trial is beginning to get too complicated for me. I say we wrap this up and bring Mr. Hastings forward as a witness."

"Very well. Bailiff, please get the witness."

X

"Mr. Hastings, Mr. Hawthorne has implicated you as the murderer in this case."

"Has he now?" he shot an angry glare towards Jacob.

"Would you be willing to testify about the events that took place the night of the incident?"

"Of course. I'll tell you all that I know."

Witness Testimony

"Mr. Fenske called me earlier that day, and asked that I come to the museum that night."

"It was in regard to one of my exhibits that I had donated previously."

"I arrived at the museum at the designated time, and the security guards welcomed me with open arms."

"Mr. Smith, one of them, was assigned to escort me to the exhibit in question while Mr. Fenske was finishing some work for the night."

"We arrived at the exhibit before Mr. Smith said that he needed to go to the restroom."

"He left and came back a few minutes later, before we went to meet with Mr. Fenske."

"But he was dead when we found him. Ms. Gramarye was nearby, and she was named the prime suspect."

"Mr. Hawthorne, did that testimony clear up some misunderstandings?" the Judge asked.

"Not right away, but it definitely helped me think of a few questions."

"Very well then. Your Cross-Examination."

"Mr. Hastings, one of your statements in particular may have turned against you. I had previously suggested to the court that because you were an honored guest of the museum, that you did not have to go through normal security. Am I correct in assuming that?"

"You are not."

"I thought so-...I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

"I did have to go through a security pat down, like any normal person. The only ones exempt from it are museum staff."

"Damn it…" Jacob bit his lip.

"Hmph." Ludwig crossed his arms and smiled confidently.

"Well then, I'll move on to some other questions. You mentioned that Ms. Gramarye was closeby to the crime."

"Yes, that's the whole foundation of this trial."

"Did you know who she was before now?"

"No. I was informed of her name from the police. They let me know that there would be a trial and asked if I'd be willing to testify."

"I see…"

'Damn it, there goes my second hope on this case. I hope the last one will lead somewhere.'

"I have one more question. You said that you were called to the museum because of one of your previous exhibits. Can you go into more detail about that?"

"Yes. One of my previous exhibits had not been getting as much attention as some of the other ones, and so Mr. Fenske intended to take it down and replace it with a new one instead."

'Bingo.' Jacob grinned. He could hear Walter's voice falter a bit when he said "not as much attention."

"Mr. Hawthorne, your eyes are red." Ludwig pointed out.

"Huh? Are they?"

'It seems that he possesses the same ability that his mentor does.' Ludwig thought to himself.

"You don't smoke, do you, Mr. Hawthorne?" the Judge asked.

"No. Don't worry about my eye color, I can deal with that after. Now then, you just told me all that I needed Mr. Hastings. Your voice grew slightly more aggressive when you said that your exhibit wasn't doing so well. After all, isn't it a business failure on your part when something you donated to the museum has to be taken down?"

He gritted his teeth.

"You can't hide anything from me, Mr. Hastings. My eyes see everything." A trail of red energy came from his eyes and a gust of wind blew through the courtroom.

"The Means, Motive, and Opportunity are all falling into place now. You were called to the museum where you found out from Jack that Mr. Fenske, a long time friend of yours, wanted to replace one of your donations, causing you to lose a lot of money. At the same time, he wasn't around, which gave you a better opportunity to commit the crime. Jack said he needed to use the restroom, and as you knew from visiting frequently, you were aware that the hallway was being painted a dark red, a similar color to blood. Jack let down his guard, and you could steal his club and use it as the weapon. He'd be none the wiser, and he would assume it was wet paint when he inspected his club. So when he left, you quickly and subtly stole his club and as soon as he was out of sight, you hurried down to the main corridor, a halfway point between the curator's office and your location. You ran into George Fenske, and proceeded to strike him in the head five times, killing him. You then presumably wiped the club off with a cloth of some kind so that the weapon wouldn't leave a trail of blood as you returned to the exhibit. You concealed the club until Mr. Smith returned a few minutes later, and once again, put it back in his belt when he wasn't looking. You then went on your way to see Mr. Fenske before Ms. Gramarye screamed, alerting the other guards to the crime. But no one would suspect you, would they?" he pointed at Walter, gritting his teeth angrily while his eyes glowed brighter than ever.

"You...bastard...GRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAAAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" He shook violently, while foaming at the mouth.

"I win." Jacob said, closing his eyes.

X

"Your Honor, Mr. Hastings has...confessed to the crime." Ludwig said, looking off to the side, clearly disappointed that he lost this case to his rival.

"Well done, Mr. Hawthorne. You have quite the deductive mind, don't you?"

"It's part of the job." he shrugged.

"In any case, there's no longer any doubt whatsoever. Rosalia Gramarye, you are found innocent of all charges against you!" he slammed his gavel down while everyone cheered and started talking in a celebratory manner.

"Come on, Ms. Gramarye. Let's get you back to your husband." He offered her his arm, which she gladly took and walked with him out into the lobby.

X

"Thank you so much, Mr. Hawthorne." Both Rosalia and Feliciano said, bowing to him in respect.

"Don't mention it, it's what I do."

"We'll be back tomorrow to pay you."

"Thanks. Oh, Ryuu. You're back." Ryuu and Susato opened the door just then and came walking in.

"Hey. How'd the case go?"

"Won. Easy."

"I expected nothing less from you."

"Oh, that's right. You had red eyes in court. What was that about?" Rosalia asked.

"You can perceive as well?" Ryuu asked in surprise. They decided to refer to the ability as perceiving.

"I guess so. I didn't really feel any different, just that my senses were heightened."

"Then I suppose it's something that anyone could achieve, if they worked hard enough at it. After all, you had no prior law training before I hired you, but now you can perform the same ability four years later, while I've been defending clients for 23 years now, and only just unlocked the ability four years ago."

"Perhaps. How did your case go?"

"Won. Easy."

"I'd expect nothing less from you." The scene replayed itself as everyone laughed. The Gramaryes said goodbye before leaving the agency.

Hawthorne Mansion

4:30 P.M.

"And that was his first case. Jacob would go on to train Gabriella Gramarye, the daughter, how to perceive. She would then teach her future son, Magnifi, and it remained in the family, through Thalassa, and onto Apollo and Trucy. It would also remain in the Hawthorne line, which explains why my brother can use it. It may take me longer to obtain it, due to being sheltered for most of my life. Not to mention I didn't have any spiritual power, so I couldn't use Magatama. But after studying, my mental capacity and physical limits have improved, so I'm on the right track." Iris explained, swirling a glass of wine around, the two sitting next to each other on the leather couch in the den.

"So that's why...So then, considering everything, the ability to perceive didn't start with Magnifi, it started with my ancestor."

"That's right. Ryunosuke never did pass the ability down to his children, but following his logic, anyone who attunes their senses to a high level should be able to. Considering everything you've been through your life, and that you're a direct descendant, you shouldn't be far away from getting it yourself, should you choose to do so."

"Hmm...I don't know if I want to. As much as I don't want to see my clients convicted, I do like a challenge in court. And I think I'd get the best one yet going against your brother, much greater than Edgeworth, as tough as he is."

"Heehee. You haven't changed a bit. I figured you'd answer like that." She laid her head against him as they continued to sit in silence, and in love, for the next few hours.

End.

I don't think I'm going to give Phoenix the ability to perceive in his final trial against Ethan. But like I said, anyone could have access to it, it's just easier for some to achieve considering their lineage and experiences. Let me know what your thoughts are. Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, I've been focusing on Empress of Alvarez a lot, and dealing with some stuff up at school. I do plan to get back into this, though. It's not as if it's cancelled.