27 February 2001 7:26 PM

Yuumei University Engineering Campus

What am I going to do now…..

It was supposedly going to be spring soon. Onebou Yuuko walked along the promenade towards a direction as the sun was setting.

“I’m begging you to not say such a foolish thing! If you want to research something as ridiculous as a Time Machine, then do it somewhere where I can’t see it!”

“Is that so? I understand. Thank you for all the care that you have given me!”

Responding to the harsh words with a similar tone, she ran out of the research lab after having a huge fight with her professor and just walked around without any aim.

Yuuko let out a sigh as she thought about her bleak future.

Since the past, she had been thought as someone who was good at studying, but after her second year in university, she finally realized that she had no talent. She had the capability to help out in research belonging to other people but she lacked the important and necessary inspiration needed to progress with new research by herself. Not to mention it was something as vague as developing a Time Machine.

It’s probably best if I just remained in this field, helping someone else with their research. But still….no matter what, it can’t be helped that I have something that I want to do. No matter what method I have to resort to, I must make a Time Machine. I can’t even see how I’m going to get started, but it feels like I’ll be lying to myself if I did things that I did not want to do.

Because Yuuko had handed in her thesis, it should be possible for her to complete her course, but when it came to continuing her research in Yuumei University, it was impossible. She could search for research labs in other universities, if not, work in the research department of certain companies……but if word got out that she wanted to research on Time Machines, that would all go up in smoke.

While walking on her own, she suddenly recalled the memories she had till now.

“Onebou-san has a good head on her shoulders.”

“I see, it’ll be great if a Time Machine really got built.”

“Bring back souvenirs if you do make it to the Twenty Second Century.”

Building a Time Machine was a childhood dream of hers. When Yuuko spoke of that dream passionately to the people around her, they replied with such encouraging words and vague smiles on their face. She just thought for the longest time that they were merely confused by this difficult to understand topic, but perhaps they only saw Yuuko as a person with an eccentric mind.

If so, then what had her life been so far? No, a Time Machine was something that humans would be able to make someday, it was just that she had been born far too early…

While those gloomy thoughts went through her mind as she walked, just as she approached the end of the promenade, a man suddenly tumbled before Yuuko. The sudden situation made Yuuko freeze.

Somehow or other, her head could move and she looked around her surroundings, but it seemed like she was the only person who was wandering around aimlessly in the campus on this harsh winter night.

Eventually, the man seemed to notice Yuuko and with a frail smile and voice, he spoke to her.

“You, you. Perfect timing. What month and day is it today?”

While thinking that she had lost the chance to flee, Yuuko replied about the date.

“Eh, it’s the twenty seventh of February.”

“The year?”

“Tw, 2001.”

Upon hearing this answer, the man’s eyes widened with a terrifying expression and then while running his fingers through his disheveled hair, he started to laugh.

“Ha ha ha…it’s a great success!”

While thinking that the man was unlikely to attack her while he was still laughing, Yuuko observed the man’s appearance.

He seemed to be in his thirties or forties… even under his clothes, his pot belly gave him an appearance that stood out so he might be even older than that. The man was holding onto an attaché case and a bag and if she looked carefully, he looked injured. He was likely in some kind of  predicament.

“This is my wealth. I was fortunate enough to grab them just when the time travel happened. Those scoundrels must have thought that the money couldn’t possibly be taken from under their noses. Those bastards are probably full of regret now. Wa ha ha ha.”

“What do you mean by scoundrels?”

“Bastards who are jealous of me and want to take everything that I have. I was dangerously close to getting killed, but I successfully escaped using the Time Machine by the skin of my teeth. But if I’m not around, those people would probably snatch my position. If so, those bastards would get my research data. I want to return to year 2016 to prevent that from happening. Alas, it’s not possible to do this by myself.

Isn’t this…exactly the windfall she was waiting for?

Yuuko suppressed the loud beating in her chest and offered her help.

“Um, would I be able to help? I’m from the university.”

“No, it would probably work out if you’re a graduate from Yuumei University….Is your own research study going well?”

“About that…Actually when I said that I wanted to research on Time Machines, I got into an argument with my Professor.”

Yuuko spoke about her ideas on really wanting to seriously research about Time Machines.

“Wa ha ha ha ha, goodness me.”

After Kouta gave a huge laugh, his expression quickly became serious.

“My apologies. It’s not that I’m laughing at you. I’m laughing at your incapable professor.”

“Eh.”

 “I also faced a torrent of heartless words myself. Normal people just don’t get it after all. Inventing things is just like trekking down the wilderness with no road and there’s no guarantee that they would definitely make it to their destination…even so, there’s no need for them to be laughed at by the meek.”

There were times when one would get hurt by someone whom they had known for many years and there were times when one would get saved by the words of someone they only just met.

To be able to encounter someone who held the same dreams as herself, someone who was met with harsh stares just like herself…it must be fate. It was alright for her to entrust her dream to this person who shared the same pain….

Yuuko was deeply moved.

“Please allow me to assist you.”

“Gladly. You are already my comrade.”

This was the happiest she had ever been in the twenty four years she had been alive.

“Since that’s decided, let’s rent a place somewhere. It’s not something of this era, but for now, we need a lab.

And with that, the cogs of Yuuko’s dream finally started to move.

01 October 2001 4:10 PM

Lab Kitamita Workshop

I have to do my best….just a bit more.

Yuuko watched over that project with a gulp.

“Phew. This will do….”

After fastening the last bolt of the equipment, Kouta put down his spanner and wiped off his sweat.

“It has been more than six months since I met you but finally, it’s done.”

Yuuko clapped her hands together with force. As they had been working from dusk to dawn since the day before, their mood had become excited.

“Professor, congratulations!”

“Ehem, it’s all thanks to your assistance, Onebou-kun. You really did a lot in this half a year.”

Yuuko was chased out of the university in March, but she became an assistant and devoted herself to the lab, procuring parts and paying utility bills on Kouta’s behalf as well as helping out in various matters. However, she led far more fulfilling days doing these than having to do experiments she did not want to do in the university.

“Um, are you going to return to the future?”

In these six months, Yuuko, who only been merely helping out with small matters did not have the opportunity to learn the theoretical aspect of the Time Machine. Yuuko still wanted to study under Kouta’s wing.

Perhaps he guessed that Yuuko was worried, so Kouta reminded her gently.

“Calm down. It’s not as though things would become naught today or tomorrow. There are still things I have to do. Besides, I’ll let you experience time travel as a reward.”

“I’m grateful for that!”

“However, before that, I have to go fix the state of matters in the future. Once that job is done, I will definitely come back to this era….though I say that, there shouldn’t be a need for you to wait for long. From your point of view, after I leave for the future, it will probably only take a few hours at best for me to return.”

But Professor, even though it will only be a short while before you return but to me, it will probably feel like waiting for an eternity….the theory of relativity really was strange.

Yuuko remembered something that she always wanted to ask Kouta.

“Um, Professor, why are you researching this?”

 For the past six months, he had evaded that question which she had asked indirectly but now, it was about time he told her about it.

“I don’t think I should let you know that much about the future but….well, let’s just say that the man who attacked me killed my wife…”

“That….”

She knew that some person attacked him but she never would have thought that his wife had her life snatched away.

“Yeah, that guy’s a cruel person. For the sake of his own goals, he has no qualms about trampling upon others. I was also attacked but only my life was spared.”

“Then what in the world do you plan to do?”

“I  was able to fly from the 3rd October 2016, 9.00 P.M to the 27th February 2001, 7.00 P.M…in other words, if things stay the way they are, the me after 3^rd October 2016, 9.00 P.M. does not exist. Therefore, I plan to return to my original timeline. When that time comes, the coordinates would be fixed so that I can appear right behind that man. I’m planning to hit him with one shot and while he is staggered, tie him up and hand him over to the police. It’s no longer possible to get my wife back but perhaps she will forgive me with this….

“Is it not possible to save your wife?”

“My wife was killed in 2012. At that time, I thought it was just an unfortunate accident, but I realised it was his work a long time later. However, if I altered an incident that happened four years ago, I do not know what kind of effects it will have to the present me. It’s a pity but I have no choice but to give that up.”

“How could this be….”

That was content that was difficult to believe.

“Shall I talk a bit about my childhood days? Until I was ten years old, I was that kind of youth who had no dreams. My peers longed to be sports athletes or heroes but for someone like me with no aptitude in sports, I believed it was completely impossible and gave up.”

“Did something happen when you were ten?”

“The future me appeared before my eyes. He taught me what I should do….no, what I have done. “You invented a Time machine”.”

“Is that…really true?”

Kouta gave Yuuko an unexpected gaze and then smiled in a strained manner.

“I don’t particularly mind if you don’t believe me. Furthermore, that man did not tell me his name, but once I was past twenty, I realised I was looking more like that man. That’s why I interpreted that incident as a message from the future me. Perhaps he wanted to warn me that if I did extra things to change the past, the best future will disappear.”

“….Even so, I’m envious. Because “I” did not come to “me” so I’m sure it’ll be impossible to invent anything.”

They were words from her heart. If she had such an experience herself when she was a child, surely she would be able to live with a much stronger will than she had now.

“Don’t feel so down about it. The future you will surely only have reasonable words to say. Well, that’s just my story. In any  case, that was the first time I had a goal in my life. Then I thought that I will seriously make a Time Machine. I was always studying throughout my days in middle school, high school and university….I was not able to make any friends but every day  was fulfilling.

“Ah, speaking of which….”

Yuuko thought of something suddenly when she heard the words just now.

“What’s wrong, Onebou-kun?”

“No… just that a few days back, I feel like I saw a young person who looked a lot like you around the university, Professor.”

Kouta stared daggers at Yuuko.

“I have a theory…perhaps the one you saw was me when I was younger.”

“Um, If I see them again, would it be good if I called them?”

“No!”

Kouta who was usually gentle suddenly let out a loud voice and this surprised Yuuko greatly. Was it really that taboo to do so?

“Why?”

“If you did….you, if someone who knows the future me spoke to the past me, it may cause some undesirable effects.”

“It’s alright. I decided not to say anything negative to them.”

“Wrong, that is the problem. In my situation, the result that was told to me from the future me was that “I built a time machine”. However it is impossible for the Time Machine to be completed if nothing is done. On the contrary, if I decide to give up, then it is sure that it will be uncompleted. I should have told you how tough it would be to think about it now. It’s such a mirage like dream.”

Yuuko felt like she was being wrapped in smoke.

Then at that time, the phone rang. Yuuko frantically went to pick up the receiver.

“Hi, this is Lab Kitamita.”

Once those words left her mouth, a cold voice, like that of a chill answered her, coming out of the speaker of the receiver.

 “I would like to meet Kitamita-san who is there with you….Will you convey that to him?”

01 October 2001 8:30 PM

Lab Kitamita Workshop

I wonder who was the person who requested to meet with the professor….

Around six o’ clock, Yuuko was thinking about that issue but when she realised it, she had fallen asleep at her desk. Because she had continuously pulled all-nighters, her sleep cycle had become a bit strange. When she looked at the clock, it was past eight o’clock, so she decided that she should just go back home to sleep.

However, at the instant she stood up from her seat, she got the answer to the question she was asking herself earlier. When she thought about it properly, she should have found it even more suspicious that there was a person asking to meet Kouta who was supposed to be from the future. For that to be possible, it could only be someone from the future, who lived in the same time period as Kouta.

“Kouta!”

Suddenly, a shout from the neighbouring workshop reached Yuuko’s ears and she came back to her senses.

By the way, the phone call that came in the evening, because she passed the receiver immediately to the professor, she did not know the details on when they were meeting….could it have been tonight?

The shouting continued and from the direction of the wall, she could hear the sounds of people having a violent scuffle. It would be fine if it was just the Professor throwing a tantrum and being violent during the visit, but if that was the case then he should not be shouting his own name. Something must have happened.

Yuuko opened the door of the control room and peered into the corridor. She spotted the door that led to the outside being slightly ajar. Could it be that the invader got into a scuffle with Kouta inside the workshop?

While she was looking to see what was happening, the ear-piercing sound of something falling and shattering could be heard. There was a high chance that the conflict that was happening inside had developed into a brawl.

Leaving things as they were and stealthily going home was a possibility. However, Yuuko’s conscience did not allow her to abandon her benefactor.

Yuuko stepped out of the control room, clenched the mop that was left standing in the corridor and peeped through the glass of the door, watching the situation in the workshop. Kouta and an unknown man were glaring at each other. Somehow, it looks like they were in a stalemate.

The mysterious man had his back at her so she could not tell what he looks like or how old he was. However, at one glance, there was a somewhat large knife visibly sticking out of his back pocket. Yuuko could see the man shift his hand behind him, as though reaching out for the knife. She resolved herself without a moment of hesitation. Gripping onto the mop handle forcefully, she pressed her body against the door, pushed it open and rushed through.

“Professor!”

That man looked at Yuuko with a startled expression but he immediately grabbed her with his bare hands.

“Let go.”

The man held onto Yuuko’s right arm and left shoulder tightly. The parts that could move were all pressed down so she was not able to fight back with her mop.

“Onebou-kun!”

“Worry about yourself!”

The man yelled and threw Yuuko with all his strength. Then Yuuko’s back hit the struck the wall and as she winced on the cold concrete, she lost consciousness.

02 October 2001 6:33 AM

Lab Kitamita Workshop

Yuuko woke up the sound of a knocking sound coming from somewhere.

Eh, when did I fall asleep in the workshop….

When she looked at her watch, it was already six thirty in the morning. She had no memory of sleeping but she might have suddenly collapsed from pulling all-nighters in the previous days.

Even so, somehow or another, her body and head ached. Her body hurt as though she had fallen asleep curled up on the hard floor. And her head hurt like….but why?

Suddenly she looked at where the sound was coming from and she saw a group of fierce looking men desperately knocking on the glass of the door. Somehow it seems like they were trying to tell her to open the door. Feeling sorry for those pleading expressions, Yuuko endured her pain and stood up, planning to open the door.

She turned the thumb turn lock and unlocked the door. However, she soon noticed that the chain lock was also latched on and she removed that as well. And like that, Yuuko opened the door and announced to the men who were outside.

“Alright, I opened it.”

But the men did not utter any thanks and they pushed her aside, streaming into the workshop. Yuuko stood still in shock and then she heard a voice from behind her saying “He’s dead!”

Eh, dead….who?

She did not even have time to think when one of the men handcuffed her.

“Onebou Yuuko, you are arrested under the suspicion of murder.”

When she turned her head, she saw Kouta, now a speechless corpse, collapsed on the ground with a knife stuck in his flank.

Right, at that time, I was attacked….Then, this person is a cop?

Yuuko, who had realised what was going on, lost consciousness once more.

09 October 2001 11:00 AM

Detention Centre

Mitsurugi Shin made an appeal to Yuuko as he looked at her seated behind the glass.

“I’m a person who will stand on your side. Can I ask you to place your trust in me?”

However, the woman did not nod her head.

Shin was thirty five years old this year, a veteran attorney who had the reputation for doing honest work. No matter what kind of difficult case was thrown at him, investigating repeatedly in a persistent matter and finding breakthroughs was Shin’s way of doing things, but for that to even happen, first, the cooperation from his client was of utmost necessity.

“I don’t really want to put it in such a way but you are currently in a very desperate situation.”

He had more or less heard of the general sequence of events during Yuuko’s arrest from the person herself and other lawyers.

The incident happened on the first of October, after eight in the evening. Yuuko, who had been working in Lab Kitamita, noticed that her superior, Kitamita Kouta was attacked by someone so she armed herself with a mop that had been left standing in the corridor and rushed into the workshop to help Kouta…

However, that was when the woman’s memories got interrupted. The next morning, the police found the place where she had fainted, together with Kouta’s body. Furthermore, it was a closed room with the door locked by key from the inside and a chain lock latched on….

The police immediately arrested her and she had been here since. The prosecution had gathered up evidence and were about to prosecute her.

In the beginning, it was another attorney who took up the case, however the severity of the situation and Yuuko’s uncooperative attitude made them give up and they passed the baton over to Shin. It was inevitable that this was going to be a tough trial for the defense side, so no one would blame them for tossing the task to another defense attorney. Therefore, Shin decided to take the case on. It was justice that motivated him, not how much profit or loss he would make from this case.

To be honest, Shin had no idea whether Yuuko was the criminal or not. However, there was no doubt that she was the type of client who needed help. It was also against Shin’s principle to draw back just because she was the criminal. Whether she was guilty or not, he still had to extend his hand first. And he would not let go until the end.

“Onebou-san, you were discovered in a closed room that was locked from the inside together with the body. Do you understand how dire your situation is?”

“That’s one way to put it……”

Was it because of the shock of losing her benefactor that she was talking as though this was happening to someone else. Somehow all her gestures seemed callous.

“I will defend you to the best of my ability. To do that, I want information from you. It doesn’t matter how trivial it seems.”

Shin delivered his thoughts in a frank manner.

“It would be possible to claim that the victim “somehow chased the culprit out and locked the door from the inside to prevent him from coming in again”. That’s one of the court tactics. However, a claim which is a lie is fragile and would be easily turned over by a trivial fact. As much as possible, I would like to fight with truthful words….”

“Actually I don’t even have memory of what the culprit looks like in the first place.”

“It’s alright. I will look for information like that myself. Now, please talk to me. Anything at all.”

Shin prompted and Yuuko looked like she had something to say.

“But will you believe me? It’s embarrassing to say but I’m worried you will laugh if I tell you the truth.”

Shin smiled at Yuuko who was getting worried.

“I am a defense attorney. I will always listen to my clients with a serious attitude.”

“If that’s the case….”

Yuuko straightened her posture and stared at Shin’s eyes.

“If what Professer Kitamita said is true…then the culprit probably does not exist in this era.”

“What do you mean?”

“Somehow….the Professor is someone who comes from fifteen years in the future!”

First of all, Yuuko’s words could be described with one word. Ridiculous.

Yuuko was hired by this person known as Kitamita Kouta, who had fled from the year 2016 and the two of them spent more than half a year together, fixing a Time Machine. For the time being, she was paid for it but she helped out pretty often in that suspicious job,

Without knowing about what Shin was thinking about, Yuuko continued to talk.

“I think that the culprit is the same person who attacked the professor in the future. Because he failed in his murder attempt so he tracked the professor down all the way to the past to carry out his deed. And now that’s done, the culprit has already returned to his own time period. The cops can’t do anything to follow him.”

In place of letting out a sigh, Shin inhaled deeply instead. He could understand what he was listening to but he could not feel that Yuuko was just fooling around at all. On the contrary, she was serious about it. If the person herself did not have the intention to lie then she should be able to testify about the validation of each and every one of the things she had spoken about and the truth could come to light.

“I have gotten the gist of the situation. However, please do not worry. It is not my job to prosecute the real culprit but to prove that you are not the culprit. If the real criminal has fled out of our reach, it’s premature to immediately point the guilt at you. Right, it doesn’t matter if their destination is the future.”

“….You’re, going to help me?”

Shin shook his head slightly. He did not want to cause Yuuko’s anxiety to increase but at the same time, he did not want to raise her expectations too much.

“You still do not understand. A trial does not guarantee that innocent people will be rescued.”

It was a pity, but a so-called trial was where the attorneys and prosecutors go up against each other seriously. Even if you were on the side of the truth, if you were unskilled, there was only loss waiting for you….it was cruel but that was the reality.

Even so, Shin did not plan to lose, no matter who was standing on the prosecution stand.

“Nevertheless, before the final judgement is passed, I swear to do everything in my power to help you.”

12 October 2001 12:00 PM

Mitsurugi Law Firm

However, Shin’s investigation suddenly hit a snag.

“….I see. I understand. Thank you for your continued cooperation.”

Shin emphasized over the phone to the other party then placed the receiver back with a grim expression.

Despite trying all possible measures for three full days, he could not find information about this person called Kitamita Kouta. As a matter of fact, since Yuuko referred to the victim as Kitamita Kouta, so for convenience, he did the same.

“Hmm….We’re in a bit of a pickle.”

For the time being, he had asked a reliable source to help him dig for more information, but with how things were going, it seemed unlikely that he would be able to obtain the results he wanted. Although there was still time to the beginning of the trial, it was terrible that this was how the first step was going. Shin did not want to suspect his client, but as long as he could not find anything about the man who formed the basis of Yuuko’s story, he could not even build a defense.

He had to consider other approaches……

Shin ruminated about Yuuko’s words. Kouta who came fifteen years from the future had in his possession a broken time machine and large amounts of cash. Then this cash became the funds for the Lab Kitamita that they built up….And because that occurred more than half a year ago, likely, the lab was not built from scratch. In other words, it was reasonable to think that the lab was rented. Therefore, there should be an original owner whom the building, which had become the scene of a crime, belonged to. He would start from there first.

Shin made a call to a property agency which belonged to a childhood friend of his and quickly found who the owner to that building which contained the lab was. There was nothing much about it. The lab – the scene of the incident – was part of a site that had a temple called Dandan temple and the owner was the abbot who lived there.

Dandan temple was currently being scrutinized by the prosecution as well so he was familiar with the place. He knew his way there.

Just when he thought that, a good idea flashed across his mind.

Right, the prosecutor’s office. He could ask the prosecution for some information if he there were things he did not understand.

Shin put on a felt hat that he fancied upon his head and decided to head for the Prosecutor’s office first.

12 October 2001 Sometime

Prosecutor’s Office

“This is Mitsurugi Shin from Mitsurugi Law Firm. I would like to speak to the prosecutor who’s assigned to the murder case of Kitamita Kouta….”

Shin made his request at the reception and asked them to pass the message to the assigned prosecutor. If the timing was inconvenient for the other party, he planned to come again another time but it seemed like the prosecutor was in his office. After asking the reception for directions, Shin headed for the direction of the offices.

What good fortune. His problem will likely be resolved, unexpectedly but smoothly.

“Excuse me.”

The instant he opened the door to the office, his mood that was elevated slightly took an immediate plunge.

Glaring at him from behind an elegant desk was the worst opponent that Shin knew about.

“And I was wondering who it was. It’s just you, Defense Attorney Mitsurugi.”

The stocky man who ran his hands through his stunning silver hair was known as Karuma Gou. He was also known as the man who was undefeated for twenty five years.

“Prosecutor Karuma, could it be you are the assigned….”

Shin understood the real reason why no one was willing to take on the job as Yuuko’s defense attorney. No one would want to stand in court when they can envision their defeat from the start. Because of that, the defense attorneys were repelled from any court that Gou stood in.

However, at the same time, Shin held doubts in the legends of Gou being undefeated. No matter which famous defense attorney or famous prosecutor, they lost when it was the time for them to lose. The statistics of being undefeated for twenty five years was clearly strange.

“Even so, I am surprised. Isn’t it strange that you did not turn me away at the door?”

Shin bluntly expressed what he really thought and Gou showed an arrogant smile. Even though the latter was seated, it was clear he was looking down on Shin who was standing.

“A Karuma must be perfect. Sometimes I will extend a helping hand to the pitiful defense attorneys. You aren’t making any decent progress in the investigation anyway, right?”

And that was a bull’s eye. He had already hit a stumbling block from the start when searching for information about Kitamita Kouta….In addition, as far as Shin was aware of, Gou was proud to the point it could be considered abnormal. So he shall try to humbly accept this one offer.

“That’s great. Actually there is something that I would like to ask you no matter what.”

“I see, go ahead.”

Shin held out the poisoned chalice quietly to Gou who was in a good mood.

“The victim, this Mister Kitamita Kouta…Can you tell me his real name?”

In that instant, it was obvious that Gou’s attitude became prickly.

“….That’s not possible.”

“Why is that?”

“Even a defense attorney would be able to find that out on his own. It’s irrelevant. I am disappointed in you. Get out of my sight.”

But this was not something a person who said “I will extend a helping hand” should say. What a clear contradiction. Perhaps it would not do well for him to tell Shin about that.

Shin saw this as an opportunity and turned it around to make an attack.

“Should you really be prosecuting this case? At the very least, shouldn’t it only be done after the victim’s name is known?”

“…..”

With a look of displeasure written all over his face, Gou kept silent.

Now, Gregory had stepped on the fact that the prosecution side could not get ahold of Kitamita Kouta’s name. Even Shin was not able to do so despite trying all means for three days, so he was sure it was impossible through legal means.

Shin pushed on further, chasing that point.

“I only been able to get hold of the point that Mister Kitamita Kouta’s name is a pseudonym so if we run into the situation where the victim of this case is not called Kitamita Kouta, wouldn’t the defense side raise the suspicion that there is a problem with the indictment in the first place?”

Once Shin declared as such, Gou made a face as though he chewed on a bitter bug.

“…Hmm, indeed we have yet to make clear what the victim’s actual name is.”

As expected, the prosecution was unable to get ahold of that fact too. Of course, Shin was of no part of the investigation, but being able to see part of it on the prosecution side was a huge advantage to him.

“However, what is the problem? Just knowing that who the culprit is and knowing that they killed someone means there is no reason to stop the prosecuting process, correct? It is not my fault that the victim’s name is not known before that. It’s the incompetence of those cops.”

Shin was stunned by Gou’s speech. No matter how many times he himself would be reincarnated, he would never show such a level of haughtiness.

 “Then, why not postpone the prosecution for a bit longer?”

Shin said words in an attempt to give himself a bit more time for investigation, however, Gou became enraged.

“Are you asking me to set the absolute worst precedent?! If some rule that one cannot prosecute unless the victim’s identity is known spreads, then the end result would be sneaky murderers tearing away the identification items from corpses. If that happens, how many days and months do you think will be wasted on one trial….”

“You don’t have to exaggerate that much…”

“What am I exaggerating? I know from my twenty five years as a prosecutor that criminals will pull all kinds of stunts to delay their guilty verdict, even by a minute or even a second? That Onebou Yuuko is just rambling and babbling and mumbling and bungling her way through her answers, I’m sure she’s planning something!  Each minute and second is down the drain and because of that, proving the guilt of the other criminals were delayed as well….Because of this, the security of this nation is declining!”

Surely there was no doubt that this man really felt as such.

“In the first place, one second for me is not the same as one second for the average person. So why do I have to match the pace of the likes of the commoners and sinners?”

Chosen humans were given more rights than non-chosen humans but at the same time, they were burdened with a befitting level of obligations…Shin could understand this train of thought. However, somehow in Gou’s situation, he believed that because he was the chosen human, he could get away with anything. It was not uncommon that there were people like that but it was a problem when that person was a prosecutor who convicted the accused.

“In the first place, it is already displeasing to be forced into the same limitations as those other common prosecutors. Those people need numerous months for one trial but I can bring about a guilty verdict in a few days. No, if I wanted to, I could even bring about a guilty verdict to ten, even twenty people! Hmph, there needs to be a change to legal policies as soon as possible. I should raise my concerns directly to the Chief Prosecutor, no, the Minister of Justice….”

To reduce trials to cycles of a few days was madness. No, it definitely could not be allowed.

“My apologies, Prosecutor Karuma, but I have an objection.”

“What?”

“Without a doubt, the number of people who are as valuable as you, Prosecutor Karuma, in this world are of only a handful.”

“Hm, what is this. You understand very well, don’t you?”

“However, a prosecutor has responsibility for the life of the suspect. Whether the suspect is judged to be guilty or not guilty will have an immerse impact on their lives. Therefore, don’t you think we should at least have the courtesy to face the suspect after spending a befitting amount of time? Not to mention, it’s outrageous to treat the accused like they are just points.”

Shin peered at Gou and it was clear that the latter was furious that his pride was wounded.

“You dare lecture me on courtesy, you insolent man!”

Shin knew this was going to happen but he still had to say what was on his mind.

“I will overlook this if you apologise this instant, Attorney Mitsurugi. I’ll forgive you for trying to seek the death penalty. It’s foolish to show sympathy to clients who are not deserving of an acquittal and damage your career, isn’t it?”

“You insulted my client. I’m the one who would like an apology for my client.”

Gou clenched his fists that were gloved in white but eventually his fingers made a jarring sound and he returned to his usual arrogant expression.

“I intended to be gentler during this trial but I changed my mind. I am going to give my utmost against my opponent.”

“….Not all defense attorneys challenge you with the resolve to lose.”

After saying that, Shin left Gou’s office.

Shin went to buy a cup of black tea at the Prosecutor’s office lobby and rested for a bit.

Although this was bound to happen, Karuma Gou became serious. Well, whether he was serious or not, at the very least, it was some kind of solace that this strict opponent was not changing his ways.

But not everything was a minus. If the prosecution had not grasped the identity of the victim, he might be able to pull the carpet from under their feet from there.

To manage that, the next place he should go was to hear what the owner of the building of the lab has to say.

12 October 2001 1:45PM

Dandan Temple grounds

One of the monks, after listening to Shin’s words, slowly put the palms of his hands together.

“It’s a real shame about what happened to Kitamita-Han…”

This man’s name was Ureshino Jouhou. The middle-aged man was an abbot at Dandan temple and he spoke with a gentle Kansai accent. He quickly came out to welcome Shin.

“Ya don’t see such generous fellas around these days. Sigh, I wonder if I’ll get another tenant…”

Rather than mourning over Kitamita’s death, Shin could see that Jouhou was more upset over the loss of a tenant.

“Speaking of which, abbot, Kitamita’s Kouta’s name might be fake.”

“Huh,  ‘that so.”

However, Jouhou’s reaction was extremely mild.

“Um, it doesn’t seem to matter much, does it?”

“Nah, it’s not that it doesn’t mattah, I just don’t poke my nose into others’ business if they’re payin’. Furthermore, that Kitamita-han just went and paid a years’ worth of rent at one go. Well, it’s an unspoken rule to not ask such customers about their business like an idiot. I’m real sorry but I know nothin’ about Kitamita-han.”

Jouhou was not a suspicious priest but it seems like he did not possess a strong sense of ethics.

This might work out for Shin’s investigation and as expected…

“Um, would it be alright if I took a look at the scene of the crime?”

“I don’t mind.”

Shin had planned to reject any requests for a bribe but he could easily overlook that now. He questioned Jouhou who let out such an anti-climatic answer.

“Are you sure?”

“….Yeah, but not right now.”

Shin prepared himself again. As expected, this guy has some kind of condition, doesn’t he.

“Why?”

“Don’t make such a terrifying expression. It’s not like I’m ‘specially tellin’ ya to not go. On the contrary, I’m tryin’ to be kind here.”

“Hah?”

“Actually the prosecutor told da cops to seal off the scene till the trial. And two coppers have been hanging around ‘round the clock. It’s troubling even for me. Why do they have to patrol around my temple and glare at me for?”

So it was the work of Prosecutor Karuma….

“However if there is a legitimate reason, it should be allowed to let the defense attorney investigate…”

“No, you’re acting like you were born y’sterday. That prosecutor went outta his way to call me to say to not tell the attorney in charge anything. For real.”

It was not known how much Jouhou exaggerated his statements but not giving the attorneys a chance to investigate the scene of the crime were extremely oppressive words. It was probably of this that Gou was able to keep his stance of being undefeated.

However Shin noticed that a smile holding a deeper meaning appeared on Jouhou’s face.

“But don’t ya worry ‘bout it. You’re all proper and stuff and I like that about you.”

“Is it alright?”

Shin was troubled. He welcomed any conversation that progressed smoothly but there was hardly any reason to like someone one met for the first time.

“Ah, I just wondered if you were different from that hateful prosecutor. Plus, when I remember that bossy attitude, I get so ticked off.

For a monk, Jouhou sure showed a venomous expression. However, Shin was, on the contrary, impressed that Gou was able to be hated so much by someone he met for the first time.

“My gut feeling tells me that the security on the inside should loosen up soon. When dat time comes, I’ll give you a ring, Mitsurugi-sensei.”

“….Thank you for your cooperation.”

Shin left Dandan Temple feeling a bit confused.

12 October 2001 6:02 PM

Mitsurugi Law Firm

Shin glared at the information with a grimace plastered on his face in the office by himself.

So, what is going on?

After speaking with Jouhou, he was still unable to get a hold of Kitamita Kouta’s true identity and he could not think of any other way to approach this.

If one had to give a realistic explanation as to why Kitamita Kouta could not be found, it was that the victim had told Yuuko a fabricated version of his life events. However, on the other hand, it was difficult to say it was complete nonsense. During the court trials, Shin had seen numerous lies spun by humans but most of them were based on something. After understanding the direction of the lie, one could probably grasp the truth behind it.

Suppose for a moment that Kitamita Kouta was really a human who came from fifteen years in the future. If so, then it would not be strange if he was living a normal life now. According to the autopsy report, the victim was likely in his thirties so if he lived in this nation now, he would be fifteen to twenty four years old. If he picked out people with the surname Kitamita or the first name Kouta from within this group, he might be able to find the man, but it looked like it will take an overwhelmingly long time.

By the time Shin noticed the time, the hands on his clock had already crossed six o’ clock.

Should he just call it a day? He could think about it once he returned home. Wait, before that, he had to buy bento first….

After leaving the office, Shin went to buy two sets of bento at the bento shop, then with those in hand, he went straight back home.

Once Shin removed his shoes, his son, Reiji came out to welcome him.

“Otou-san, welcome back.”

The Mitsurugi household consisted only of the father and son, so no matter how busy Shin was, he tried to spend time with Reiji as much as he could.

“Ah, I’m back. You must be hungry, right? We’re having Tonkatsu Bento tonight.”

“Great. I’ll warm them up immediately.”

Reiji took the bentos and put them in the microwave. Shin loosened his necktie while talking to Reiji who was peering at the revolving bentos.

“Did you have fun in school?”

“Yep. I went to play with my friends after school today as well.”

Shin listened to that answer with a slight smile. A short while ago, he was worried if Reiji, precocious to the point of picking up the Six Codes, would fit in in school.

(T/N: Six Codes – refers to the six main legal codes that make up the main body of law in Japan, South Korea, and the Republic of China.)

“They’re warm now. Hurry and eat, Otou-san.”

“Sure.”

While the two were silently eating their bento, Shin suddenly asked Reiji about that.

“Hey, Reiji. Do you believe in Time Machines?”

“Otou-san, why are you asking that out of the blue? Did something happen?”

“No, I just want to know what you think….”

“Alright, firstly given that we are unable to eliminate the problem of time paradoxes if we travel into the past, I would say that it’s impossible. It may be possible to travel into the future but that would have to be a one way trip. Furthermore, we don’t even know if this can be realised by modern science, right?”

“You’re….amazing…”

Shin had always know that Reiji was an avid reader but this was far beyond that of an elementary schooler. If he was sent to an American school, the boy would be skipping grades and might even be a university student by this time.

“But…”

“….but?”

Reiji hesitated for a while and then said something unexpected.

“But I think it would be great if I had one. If so, I want to meet the Samurais from the past.”

As Shin felt those words in his heart, he was a little bit more at ease. There were still times when his son was still a child.

“So, Otou-san, what is it about a time machine?”

A slightly awkward question was asked back.

“It’s nothing, it’s just that the case that I’m handling ran into a bit of a problem. It’s not that I particularly believe in the existence of a time machine, I also think it would be great if I had one. However, bad people are thinking the same “it would be great having one”. You should be careful about stories that sound too good to be true. No, it’s of poor taste to talk about work during meals. Forget about what I said.”

The conversation was cut and then started eating again. Shin could not taste his Tonkatsu. It was because he was thinking about the problem of determining the identity of Kitamita Kouta subconsciously.

He just wanted to avoid going into the first round of trials without knowing the identity of the victim…

While he was thinking that, Shin turned his head to Reiji’s direction and saw that Reiji was staring hard at him.

“What is it, Reiji, is there something on my face?”

“You’re thinking about work again. There are creases on your forehead.”

“Oops.”

Shin placed a finger on his brow and stretched out the creases. Reiji, who was sitting opposite Shin stopped moving his cutlery and asked a question.

“What exactly are you troubled about?”

“Hm? Um….”

Reiji was able to come up with a proper answer when asked about time machines. Perhaps he would also be able to come up with a good idea about the Kitamita Kouta case.

“There was this man in his thirties who bragged about coming from fifteen years in the future. I wanted to find out if such a person really exists so I looked into the name registry but in the end, there was no such person. How would you search for this person?”

Rather than wanting to know the correct answer, Shin was more eager to see his son’s logical thinking process, but Reiji gave an answer that was out of his expectations.

“…It’s just what I think but I wonder if they changed their surname after marriage?”

“Hmmm, I wonder. It’s not really typical for a man to change their surname after marriage…”

Just as those words left his mouth, Shin realised another possibility.

He had forgotten about mukoyoshi. Moreover in these cases, the other party would be some family with a long history who were well-known and wealthy. Because the family itself did not have a son to carry on the family name so they would request for one from the outside through the form of an adopted son-in-law.

(T/N: Literally adopted son in law. Refers to adult men who are adopted into a Japanese family as the daughter’s husband and takes the family surname.)

“That’s it. That’s it!”

Shin finished the remainder of his bento in one go and prepared to go out again. He had to ask his usual reliable sources of information for guidance.

“Sorry, Reiji. Go to sleep first today.”

Leaving behind Reiji who had a flabbergasted expression, Shin dashed out of the house.

15 October 2001 11:40 AM

Kitamita Yukichi Mansion

Shin was speaking face-to-face with a lone elderly man.

Certainly, If we’re talking about Komori Kouta then yes, he is arranged to be adopted into my family as my son-in-law.”

Kitamita Yukichi was a man in his sixties with a head full of white hair but he was still full of vitality and it seems like he might even live to a hundred.

The Kitamita Kouta from the future whom Shin was looking for somehow seemed to be still Komori Kouta at this time.

“So, what business does a defense attorney have with me? Did our Kouta do something?”

Since that incident at dinner, Shin had been searching for influential families with the Kitamita name and after a few missed swings, he visited Yukichi who lived in the neighbouring city. Even so, it was an honest stroke of luck that he was able to reach the correct answer in two and a half days.

“Actually, two weeks ago, a possibility that the victim of a murder case could be Kouta-san arose. Of course, there might be some sort of mistake so I paid a visit to confirm this.”

“Ga ha, Ga ha ha ha, Ga ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…. Keh, cough cough!”

Yukichi let out a roaring laughter and then started to cough, making Shin frantic.

“Are you alright?”

“Don’t worry. Perhaps my life went a little too smoothly so it’s not easy to stop once I start laughing.”

While patting his own chest, Yukichi readjusted his breathing. Those words were not fabrications as this house was a fine mansion. One can hardly find people who live in such a place, even among successful celebrities.

“So then…right, about Kouta. He was having breakfast with us this morning.”

“So, Kouta-san is still alive?”

“Of course. We haven’t officially announced the engagement, but eventually he will hold the ceremony with my daughter and enter the Kitamita family.”

In other words, it was certain that it was only a matter of time before a person by the name Kitamita Kouta appears on the registry. The victim had to know that fact before he can give out his name as Kitamita Kouta. Was the victim really a Time Traveller. If not, then….

“Excuse me, Kitamita-san, I am going to ask you something strange from here on, so I implore that you listen if you have no idea what is going on.”

“Hoh, what is it?”

“Is Kouta-san doing research about Time Machines?”

Upon hearing Shin’s words, Yukichi’s eyes grew wide suddenly. Then he approached Shin in a forceful manner and grabbed both his shoulders hard.

“Where did you hear that from?”

While under the immense pressure exuded from Yukichi, Shin was just barely able to reply.

“The vi, victim, Kitamita-san said, while he was alive, that “The results from researching Time Machines led me to come here fifteen years from the future”. That was what my client said. What about it?”

“Uumuu…”

Yukichi grumbled as he drew his hands back from Shin’s shoulders. Then, he started to survey his surroundings even though this was his own home before he spoke.

“I request that what I say next be kept within these walls…is that alright?”

“I have an oath of confidentiality.”

After hearing Shin say that, Yukichi started to speak, at ease.

“I too, am already sixty. As expected, I can feel the ailing of my energy and physical strength. Of course, I can still do whatever I have been doing in my forties and fifties with no problems but I do not think that will continue indefinitely. The group is growing bigger under me so I can’t think of handing it over to the next generation.”

Shin had seen many kinds of work patterns among different people and Yukichi was the typical One man company president type. Because he had worked the share of ten people by himself since he was young so after being successful, he looked down on people who could not work just like he had.

“It might be impolite of me to say this but one will eventually retire so preparations for that time must be made…”

“Yes, that’s right.”

After that was said, Shin had thought the other party would get mad at him but for some reason, Yukichi was smiling in delight.

“That is why I decided to do something about it before it’s too late. Actually, I have been headhunting for young researchers since years ago with money. They are competing against each other to do research to my benefit.”

“That’s…certainly fascinating.”

“Well, it’s the hobby of the wealthy. However, if everything was that smooth, it wouldn’t be this much work. There continues to be research that is unlikely to come to fruition or meaningless research every year. In the end, what is left is an apparatus for cold sleep and a Time Machine.”

(T/N: Cold sleep – some of the readers might know it as cryogenic sleep where a person is put into suspended animation at extremely low temperatures)

Time Machine! Finally they have arrived at that key word.

However, contrary to being delighted at the progress of the investigation, Shin had mixed feelings. He does not know the prospect of how practical they would be, but it was not the thinking of a normal person to rely on cold sleep or time machines to extend their life. Somehow it feels like this man reached the conclusion that “I am the one who should live a long life”. The arrogance of a successful person. In a way, he was the same type of person as Prosecutor Karuma.

But Shin did not breathe a word about what he was thinking and continued to ask.

“So Kouta-san really did research on time machines?”

“No, he was researching about Cold Sleep apparatus. Moreover, it’s just a prototype. Do you understand what this means? When I fall ill, I just have to enter the cold sleep apparatus and wait for medical technology to progress while I’m within it. “

Hmm, whichever method belonged to the world of science fiction. If it was so easy to get in the way of progressing one’s lifespan that sooner or later, the society would run into trouble.

“Does that mean the Time Machine method was a failure?”

“Calling it a failure is a bit….According to Kouta, it would take ten-odd years for it to be completed. Well, I guess I could take a look at it if I’m still alive then, so I’m proud to say that it is in no way an expensive purchase.”

Shin was surprised that Yukichi did not doubt the completion of the time machine. Furthermore, the crazy keyword ‘Time Machine’ came out of a mouth other than Yuuko’s. Shin himself was sceptical about the feasibility of a time machine but if there were multiple people who believed in it then there was a large chance that there would be contention. In fact, it does not matter whether it was feasible or not.

Yuuko had said that a research that did not go well in 2001 was made successful by a fake Kitamita Kouta who came from 2016. What meaning that held could not be understood by Shin, who was a layperson in this field.

Even so, Shin knew what he should do next.

“By the way, would I be able to meet up with Kouta-san?”

15 October 2001 12:50 PM

Dounan Tennis Club

The instant the tennis ball bounced on its own, that man leapt with a grin on his face. Just like a hawk lying in wait for its prey.

“And with this….Game set!”

After asking Yukichi about Kouta’s whereabouts, Shin went over to a Tennis court and that was when Komori Kouta decisively claimed victory with a superb smash.

When one talked about researchers, there is an unhealthy image of them being cooped up in their research labs all day long.  But this Komori Kouta had a well-built muscular physique which looked like it was often tanned. Most people would frankly believe it if Kouta was introduced as an athlete.

Shin spoke to Kouta who was in the midst of wiping his sweat while seated on the benches near the court.

“Excuse me, I’m from Mitsurugi Law Firms….”

Kouta used his hand to stop the self-introduction mid-way.

“Ah, Mitsurugi Shin-san, am I right? I got a call from my father-in-law.”

Shin handed over his name card with a nod.

“In any case, that was an amazing smash. I wouldn’t be able to do that.”

“It’s not much, I’ve been practicing, that’s all.”

Those words were half admiration and half flattery but Kouta seemed to be in a very good mood. Shin felt that response and decided to cajole the latter a bit more.

“Pardon me for saying this, Kouta-san, but you’re not exactly the image of a researcher, so to speak. In a good way.”

“Research is a long, long road. In other words, it’s not just the brain but it’s important for the body to be healthy too. Therefore, it’s foolish to let your body become worse just because you hate exercise. After all, that’s the talk of second and third rates.”

As expected when the other party finished saying that, based on the facial features, bone structure and physique, the Kouta in front of Shin looks nothing like the victim –the man claiming to be Kitamita Kouta even if he looked fifteen years younger. Even so, he had to ask for now.

“Excuse me for asking but how old are you this year?”

“I’m already thirty two.”

“You look young. You could pass for a man in his early twenties.”

In actual fact, that was how Kouta’s appearance looked like to Shin.

Kouta grinned, his white teeth peeking out.

“Oh my, I’m pleased to hear that. This is the results of my daily efforts and my research showing up.”

Just as Shin was about to press further about the meaning of those words, a seemingly adult female called out to Kouta.

“Kouta-san, I’m back with the water….”

While saying that, she held out the PET bottle she had in her hand and passed it to Kouta.

“Ah, Erika. Mitsurugi-san, you may already know but this is my lover, Erika.”

“I’m Kitamita Erika.”

Erika introduced herself as such and bowed her head. Shin also introduced himself and passed her his name card.

“You sure took your own sweet time. It’s meaningless if I don’t rehydrate myself right after the match.”

Kouta snatched the bottle over and gulped it down energetically.

“Sorry. The nearest vending machine was completely out….”

Somehow Erika was nothing like her father but the type of woman who would act based on how the other party was feeling. According to Shin’s rule of thumb, it was typically the son-in-laws who were expected to be in the weaker position so she was a rare type.

“I apologise for showing you something so unsightly. May I know what brings you here?”
“Can you tell me about your research in more detail, Komori-san?”

“I would prefer to reject that notion from the viewpoint of keeping the project confidential but that’s like a slap to father-in-law’s face.”

Kouta shrugged his shoulders and started his explanation.

“If I had to put my research in a way that is easy to understand, it’s anti-aging….In other words, a research about not letting people age. In general, antiaging means halting the process of the deterioration of the body as it ages as far as possible. A human’s cells have a fixed life span so it is not easy to return to being young. But I plan to turn that over on its head….I want to go against the cycle of life and leave my name behind in the history of man, no the history of biology. That’s my goal.”

Shin seemed to understand why Yukichi chose Kouta to be Erika’s partner. He had the looks and the brains, he was affable and full of energy. No matter how one searched, such a person did not come about easily.

But Shin felt that whether such an all-rounder such as Kouta would be a good husband was another topic altogether.

“At this point in time, we have yet to be able to achieve the rejuvenation of cells but when it came to stopping cells from aging, I’m proud to say I’ve reached a good place.”

“And that would be the cold sleep apparatus?”

“Yeah, originally, cold sleep apparatus can be seen pretty often overseas but mine is different from those sham products. Freezing such that cells don’t get damaged, there are no adverse effects…Trials on humans have yet to be completed and I haven’t applied for a patent either but if it becomes practical to use, this will change the course of human history.”

An amazing self-confidence that could not be understood. Nevertheless, since the investor Yukichi acknowledges it then it is as effective as it will ever be.

“Oops, because you’re such a good listener, Mitsurugi-san, I have said too much. Please forgive me for not being able to say more from here on. I also have my own considerations from various perspectives.”

“Thank you very much…”

Shin’s instincts tell him that there was still something that Kouta knew, but he did not know how to ask about that effectively. It would be troubling to let Kouta play dumb to the end when this was a rare opportunity.

Time to change his single attack pattern and do this like they were in court.

“Speaking of which, I heard that only a few people are aware of your engagement to each other, is that true?”

For a split second, an expression of not understanding the intention of the question appeared on Kouta’s face but he quickly affirmed it.

“Yeah. Well, the engagement itself had been completed more than half a year ago but there are various things we have to settle….Ahh, but I’ll make a grand announcement of the engagement soon. Do you want to attend as well, Mitsurugi-san?”

“Sure, if I don’t have any clients at that time…”

Shin glossed over the question in a vague manner, following social etiquette.

And with this, the state of not playing dumb has finally arrived. All that was left was to show his cards.

“Actually, I took up a job to defend a suspect for a murder case that happened two weeks ago but the victim of the case introduced himself as “Kitamita Kouta”.”

The reaction of the two to Shin’s revelation were a stark contrast to each other. Erika gaped and quickly covered her mouth.

On the other hand, there was not much change to Kouta’s expression.

“That’s not an interesting joke at all. It’s like someone is out to spite me.”

“What a pity, but that’s the fact. But please turn your thinking around. Someone who knows about your engagement and on top of that, someone who is not too fond of you. Does anyone come to mind?”
“Kouta-san, don’t tell me it’s….”

“Keep your mouth shut!”

Kouta yelled at Erika. It seemed like the two of them did know something after all.

“By the way, do either of you happen to recognise this face?”

Shin held out the photo that he borrowed from Yuuko of the victim when he was alive towards the two. Once he did so, Erika covered her face while Kouta glared at the photo with any annoyed expression.

“I know him well. He’s a man by the name of Aoyagi Kyousuke. I see, so he’s dead….”

Shin felt like he had finally stepped onto the victim’s shadow. Of course, there were still things that he still had to investigate, but it was a huge deal that he finally found where he could start.

On the other hand, it was fair to say that the victim had lied to Yuuko. Therefore, from this point on, he had to sort out which were facts and which were lies.

“What kind of relationship did you have with Aoyagi-san?”

“You’re already aware of the story of my father gathering researchers for his own sake since six years ago, right? I became acquainted with that guy’s face for the first time then. Obviously, since the content of our research was different, generally I didn’t closely associate myself with him but, well, he is one of my competitors. He’s supposed to be the same age as me but he looks old and his belly is protruding…. He’s a man who is opposite from me in every way.”

Certainly, until he heard what Kouta said, he would never have believed that the victim was thirty two years old.

“Even so, Aoyagi-san managed to remain till the end.”

This time, Kouta glared at Erika. However Shin was on the verge of understanding why Kyousuke managed to stay till the end.

“Could it be that Aoyagi-san’s research was about Time Machines?”

“That’s right.”

Kouta replied with an expression as though he swallowed a bug.

“However, he managed to remain all the way through because that crazy thing amused my father-in-law so he was kept around on a whim.”

“But he was serious about it……”

“Ridiculous. He’s just a mere research idiot.”

Kouta’s voice overshadowed Erika’s words. Shin caught on to the words that Kouta had spat out.

“Meaning?”

“Those people who say that technology is advancing rapidly are those who have not seen the actual field. Usually, research progresses as slowly as sticking thin pieces of paper together. What we managed to do yesterday is something we should improve on today….Those who ignore such cycles in research, those who wanted to reach some dubious goals from the start are not researchers. Not to mention, they just want to show off their impossible research to get money. They’re no different from con artists.”

“But didn’t Aoyagi-san’s research manage to progress well….”

“Shut it!”

In the end, Kouta let out an angry yell at Erika.

“You, when did you become so bold, huh? You better not order me around after we get married.”

“Sorry…”

“You better get that in your head, you hear me?”

After saying that, Kouta grabbed the sports bag that was next to him.

“…I’ll be taking my leave, Mitsurugi-san, I am done. I have work to do.”

“Alright. Thank you very much.”

While feeling that there was something dark about Kouta who was leaving, Shin watched the former’s retreating back.

15 October 2001 3:30 PM

Detention Centre

“Onebou-san, there’s something that I have to tell you.”

Once the meeting time started, Shin skipped the greetings and the small talk and went straight to the main topic.

“Firstly, the person known as Kitamita Kouta does not exist.”

Yuuko’s face became stiff. She was already unable to force herself to smile.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly as how I said it. He is not a person who exists on the registry.”

“That’s because the Professor is a person from the future….”

It was strange to say that someone did not exist on the registry just because he came from the future, but since it would make things complicated, Shin just told her the conclusion of his investigation.

“However I was successful in pinning down the real identity of the person who was killed. He is a researcher who goes by the name Aoyagi Kyousuke.

“How could that be….But the Professor is a time traveller, isn’t he?”

“It’s a shame but I yet to find evidence to support his claims.”

Shin shook his head with large movements.

“I also made a trip to Yuumei University. It seems like you’re famous there in your own way.”

Yuuko who had, despite her lack of confidence, declared her intensions to invent a time machine and became infamous within the campus.

“Have you thought that it could be possible that Kyousuke-san, who heard rumours about you, approached you under the guise of making a time machine to deceive you?”

“There must be some kind of mistake? Why are you saying such cruel things? The Professor is not that kind of person!”

She was not in the mood to listen to others….Rather Yuuko was making an expression that she did not want to listen anymore. It seems like another push is needed to bring her back to reality.

 “I’m going to investigate the personal history of this person known as Aoyagi Kyousuke after this. As such, if there are any unusual points that need to be amended, please point them out. There’s a possibility that there is another person who just looks similar to him.”

Shin was not going to trample on his clients beliefs in order to win. On the other hand, he does not plan to bend backward to accommodate her either so he made it very clear what his beliefs were.

“Of course, it doesn’t matter if you want to deny my investigation findings. However I will show you want the facts are until I can accept your explanations.”

The moment Shin spoke to her with a sincere attitude, Yuuko’s mouth hung open, taken aback.

“…O, okay.”

Well then, I shall return to my investigation. Though there is still plenty of time till the trial, this isn’t the moment to fool around.”

Shin straightened his felt hat and left the meeting room. His head was full of the strange reaction that Yuuko was having earlier.

That was surely the expression of one being attacked while unguarded. Perhaps she was like that because she was prepared to retaliate after being scolded by Shin without a chance to explain herself, but the sudden humbleness troubled her.

However that series of changes in emotions showed that Yuuko was actually rational during the meeting. There was a chance that her loss of composure was also within her calculations.

Yuuko was probably still hiding something. There was still something she could not say to her assigned attorney. Unless he revealed that, the chances of victory was slim.

While thinking about that, Shin hastily left the detention centre.

22 October 2001 4:50 PM

Someplace

It had been a week since confirming that the fake Kitamita Kouta’s real name was Aoyagi Kyousuke. During that time, Shin was constantly tracing Kyousuke’s path.

The elementary school, middle school, high school and university Kyousuke studied in….for a start, he tried to contact the man’s classmates whenever he chanced upon any person who claimed to have a close relationship with Kyousuke. But interestingly, everyone he asked all unanimously said “Ah, that time machine guy.” It seemed like making a Time Machine had been his dream and wish since a long time ago. Therefore, no matter what Kyousuke spoke about, it will definitely turn into a conversation about Time Machines. No matter which period of time it was, Kyousuke was the same in terms of being distanced from dumbfounded people who tried speaking with him. Because he was a braggart, so people kept their distance from him or did he brag in order for people to stay away from him, whichever came first was not known.

Nevertheless, it seemed like when Kyousuke had been topping the nation in terms of maths and physics since he was in middle school. He probably studied fervently in order to develop a Time Machine. The instant that thought crossed Shin’s mind, the profile of Aoyagi Kyousuke begin to blur. A brag is a brag because it could not be done. On the other hand, Kyousuke was taking too much action to make his brag a reality.

Shin had to come into contact with someone who understood Kyousuke better so this time he should try contacting the man’s relatives.  Both his parents had passed away and he had so few relatives that they can be counted on both hands. His older brother and his sister-in-law, his cousins and their families…But his reputation, no matter who he heard it from, was wretched.

Since Kyousuke was a child, he only spoke of a fantasy-like research, once in a while he would say “I heard it from my future self” and about never attempting to ask about what the future was like and saying that he went to university and yet he was doing a job that he did not understand….But looking at it another way, Kyousuke was truly passionate about making a Time Machine.

Kyousuke lied to Yuuko about coming from the future but there probably was a reason for that. No….after thinking about it carefully, despite the differences in the brain they were born with, Kyousuke and Yuuko’s circumstances were similar. Above anything else, it was difficult for normal humans to continue carrying the childhood dream of developing a Time Machine. Perhaps Kyousuke approached Yuuko because he felt some kind of sympathy for her?

According to my common sense, a Time Machine was impossible with the current scientific ability that we have. However, he was probably able to see things that the rest of us normal humans could not.

In the evening of the twenty second, while thinking as such, Shin headed for the nearby apartments near Yuumei University that catered to students. There was still one more relative that he had not heard from who lived in that vicinity. That was the only son of Kyousuke’s older brother and sister-in-law – Aoyagi Taiki. He was a third year student majoring in economics in Yuumei University.

Shin arrived at the apartment that Taiki lived at and he waited at the entrance for the latter to return. He had roughly heard from Taiki’s parents about his schedule in the university as well as his part time job. If he did not make a detour then he should be back soon. After listening to what Taiki had to say, he planned to proceed with the next step of the investigation.

Fifteen minutes later, a lone youth walked over while carrying bags of shopping. Shin was convinced that the youth was Taiki as he looked like Kyousuke in the photo that he had, should Kyousuke be about ten years younger in appearance.

“Are you Aoyagi Taiki?”

“That’s right….”

“Let me introduce myself.”

While holding out his name card, Shin explained what he was here for.

“Actually I am interested in Time machines….If it’s alright with you, can you tell me more about Aoyagi Kyousuke-shi?”

Taiki easily let Shin, whom he had met for the first time into his room. He was also in a good mood for some reason.

“Please make yourself comfortable. I only have juice and tea here so which one would you like?”

“I’m good, thank you.”

While facing Taiki across the low tea table, Shin quickly went to the main topic in question.

“Taiki-san, do you know what Kyousuke-shi has been doing all this while?”

“Of course. I’m the closest to him among all my relatives. But I was unable to contact him in the past half a year. I wonder if Oji-san is doing okay?”

Even so, Taiki sure was talking a lot. The way things were going, it might be better to keep quiet about Kyousuke’s death for the time being. If possible, he wanted to observe Taiki’s reaction the instant he told him what happened.

Of course, if he had no conscience, he could just lie. However, since this case was so irregular, he had no extra energy to be his usual gentlemanly self.

“I heard that Kyousuke-shi’s research has progressed quite a bit, do you know about that?”

It was not a lie. However, he did intentionally omit the part about the dispute with Kouta.

“Ah, not really, I’m a liberal arts person so I know nothing about my Oji-san’s major. I’m his number one fan so I just listen more enthusiastically than anyone else. In any case, my Oji-san’s a genius.”

“What made you so engrossed with what he said?”

“I kinda made a promise not to really talk about this but Oji-san’s predictions always come true. Because he can see into the future.”

Shin had a bad feeling about those predictions.

“Can you tell me a bit more? What do you mean by predictions….”

“Exactly as I said. It started when I was in third year of middle school. Because I was feeling anxious about my tests so Oji-san told me a bit about the future. That would be this.”

 Taiki said as such and took out a notebook from his bag.

“It’s completely filled up but this is the only notebook I still bring around. Look.”

The page that Taiki showed had the following words written in cursive.

1996 Enters Eito High School

1999 Enters Yuumei University Economics Department

2003 Enters Yuuki Shouji

(T/N: Fictional Commercial Company)

2008 Gets selected to be a member of a huge project

2013 The project is successful. Embarks in another project but as a leader this time.

2018 Promoted to Section Chief

2024 Promoted to Department Director

It seems like this was the prediction of Taiki’s future in terms of years.

“It has all been accurate so far. Actually there’s still more in the next page.”

“It’s fine…”

Shin lifted his hand to stop Taiki who was showing a sparking gaze. It was difficult to look any more at Taiki who had thoroughly believed in Kyousuke’s predictions.

“Oh, really? It gets really amazing after this though.”

Shin saw the look of disappointment peeking out from Taiki’s eyes and casually followed up in the conversation.

“It would be troubling if my knowledge of your future led to negative effects, Taiki-san.”

Taiki’s face lit up immediately.

“Ah, you’re right too. Thank you for your consideration.”

Controlling the other party’s feelings with his words was not something Shin was good at, but it was another issue if he was using words of consideration. After all, it felt better to use court tactics in an actual trial than out of trial.

“However, this Yuuki Shouji is one of the top rate commercial companies and I heard that the entrance test is relatively challenging.”

However, when Shin was in the midst of saying that, Taiki’s expression darkened as though a switched had been flipped off within him.

“Excuse me, Taiki-san?”

Without acknowledging Shin addressing him, he suddenly picked up the phone receiver that was next to him and started dialing somewhere.

“Ah, Okaa-san? Yeah, I just wanted to hear your voice for a bit…”

Taiki spoke with a soft voice that could barely be heard if one didn’t perk their ears up and after grumbling till he could not anymore, replaced the receiver and looked back at Shin with a refreshed expression.

“Ah, sorry, I have the tendency to get depressed over trivial things….But I’ll recover once I call someone. I will be looking for a job soon so I’m a bit nervous. As for Yuuki Shouji, since Oji-san gave his stamp of approval, I decided to give it a shot.”

Shin was taken aback. He understood that the phone call was a form of mental control that Taiki used on himself but Shin never thought that this would be something that one would show to a complete stranger. Well, that was probably just a phenomenon that came as a huge shock to Shin himself….he should be a bit more careful with what he said from now on.

“Let’s see….Ah right, we were talking about Oji-san. He’s really an amazing person so I hate it that my other relatives aren’t aware of that. Well, I also have instances when my relatives make me depressed, it’s not like I dare to enlighten them about it. In the end, my uncle and I are just the same kind of people.”

Shin remembered a strange connection about the predictions. Taiki, who should be twenty one years old this year, was fifteen when Kyousuke told him about those predictions but at the same time. That should be when Kyousuke started to do research for Yukichi.

Was it possible to make such predictions when no actual Time Machine?

“But, Taiki-san, wasn’t that the time when Kyousuke-Shin started doing his research on Time Machines? Did the progress of his research already go well during that period?”

When Shin as as such, Taiki slowly shook his head.

“This is also confidential, but Oji-san already had a rough idea of what his own future was like.”

“And what do you mean by that?”

“Exactly like how I said it. When Oji-san was a child, the future him appeared and gave him the message “You will invent a Time Machine in the future”. During that time, he heard part of his future and such. As well as my – his nephew’s – future!”

Taiki spoke, his words brimming with confidence but all Shin heard was him blowing his own trumpet.

The wonder of how much Taiki truly believed in these predictions suddenly crossed Shin’s mind.

Was now the right time to lay out the truth?

After clearing his throat, Shin decided to tell Taiki the news about Kyousuke’s death.

“Truth to be told, I have some unfortunate news. Kyousuke-shi was attacked but someone earlier this month and had passed away.”

Taiki heard the news and for an instant, he stared at a point on the ceiling for a while with an absentminded expression but eventually he came back to his senses and muttered softly.

“….lies.”

“It’s true.”

“Oji-san is able to see far far far into the future. If he could do that, he should not be dead!”

Taiki yelled before picking up the phone receiver again and dialing a number to somewhere. From that reaction, Shin was sure that Taiki did not know about Kyousuke’s death.

“Otou-san? Yeah, I’m really down right now….Yes, why didn’t you tell me that Oji-san had died? In the first place, Oji-san is….”

The grumbling this time was more bitter and furthermore, it did not look like it would end soon. Shin could not find words to converse with Taiki and so, he excused himself and left the room.

Actually, it was not as though there was no explanation as to why Kyousuke was able to be spot on about Taiki’s future.

In the first place, there are only two prophecies that had been correct at this point of time. That being, the entrance into Eito High School and Yuumei University. It was true that these two schools were not easy to get in but if one knew what Taiki’s academic ability was like, then he would have a fairly good guess of whether it was possible to get in. He probably just brought up the possibility that Taiki could enter these schools based on his academic ability. That was the same for his other predictions. Aside from getting a job at Yuuki Shoji, there was hardly any point saying one would get promoted to a section chief or department manager unless he could make a set prediction on which division Taiki would belong to. If the guesswork of a prophecy was generalised then the chance of it being correct was higher. That was all there was to it.

Then, the important thing was that at this present time, Taiki was the only one among Kyousuke’s relatives who believed in him. It was easy to give someone the impression that his predictions were accurate. For example, he told ten people predictions that were lies but it came true for one or two of them. They were just foolish words but to the person whose had predictions about them come true, the predictor must look like a god to them. Conversely, Kyousuke being hated by his relatives with much detest could be explained if one thought of it as a continuous grudge against Kyousuke’s delight in make those predictions.

Nevertheless, if one interpreted the situation in a good light, the predictions made for Taiki were probably made out of kindness. 

Just talking to Taiki for a bit made him sure that the young man did not have a strong mind. Most likely he was quite insecure throughout his pubescent years. So in order to make Taiki more secure, Kyousuke probably wrote those predictions down with the intention of saying “Now you know your future. Your future is so bright. So work hard.” No matter how ostracized he was among his relatives, he still wanted to give his precious nephew a push in the back. Shin now had no idea if Kyousuke was just a mere researcher or an evil con man. Shin’s intuition told him that his understanding of this case will completely change based on how he interpreted Kyousuke’s character but he was unable to be sure of what this vital person is like. Perhaps he still did not have enough information.

At that time, he got a call from Jouhou saying that he could investigate the scene so Shin headed for that direction before returning to his office.

22 October 2001 5:44 PM

Dandan Temple grounds

Shin knocked on the gate when he reached Dandan temple and Jouhou poked his head out from the inside.

“Thank you for going out of the way to help me.”

“Haha, the buncha them left secretly. Well, no matter how much that prosecutor barks orders at them, the cops don’t have that time in the world to patrol for 24 hours.”

Jouhou laughed as he ushered Shin into the temple grounds. That strange delight shown by Jouhou was probably because he was happy that he could take his revenge on Gou.

“Look, Mitsurugi-sensei. It’s that boxy place.”

The scene was a small building made of concrete. It seems to be fairly old as seen from its obvious cracks and stains. Shin walked around it and saw that it had no windows or the like. The entrance-slash-exit seemed to just be an iron gate with peeling paint.

“This is a somewhat creepy looking building.”

“This was something that was done up a long time ago when there were an increasing number of folks at my temple but as our fame grew worse, it emptied out. Now that I think about it, I have no idea why I made such a strange box.”

As he spoke, Jouhou unlocked the iron gate.

“Here ya go.”

When the iron gate was opened, the first thing that could be seen were three doors lined up. The center was a large room while there were two smaller rooms on the left and right and it seemed they were all connected by a corridor.

“Well, because it looked so much like a prison so when I rented it out, I painted the walls white so it would look brighter. And the door in the inner part even had glass installed so that it would be more open.”

“Is this really a place of residence?”

“You ask that too huh? There’s electricity and a working phone line but there’s no loo. Anyway, there’s a communal toilet and bath in the temple so it’s fine. Actually, Kitamita-han did stay here. See, the small room in the left side is where he made his quarters.”

“Then the room on the right?”

“Dat’s the control room used by the young Miss. Then the one in the middle is the crime scene, in other words, the workshop.”

“Jouhou-san, were you around the moment when Onebou-san was arrested?”

Jouhou, who was asked that question, nodded his head vaguely.

“It was jus’ a coincidence dat I was there. At first, I was told that the workshop was not open so I went to take a look. Then I could see that it was bolted with a chain lock from the inside. After sayin’ dat it was no good to look for the key at this point, the cops desperately knocked on the door to wake the young miss who was collapsed on the ground. Actually, we couldn’t even tell if the young miss was alive from the outside. In the end, we had to get the young miss who had woken up to get us out of the bind and open the door. Well, I have no idea if the young miss would have opened the door if she knew she was going to get arrested…”

Without a doubt, the crime scene being a locked room would be a point for contention during the trial. The prosecution would argue that Yuuko was the only one who could lock the door so she must be the culprit.

First, he had to confirm if the door truly could not be opened from the outside.

Shin peered at the glass that was inlaid into the door and he could feel Jouhou smiling next to him.

“Is there something strange?”

“No, actually this glass is ‘pecially made. You would know if ya looked at it. It doesn’t break easily.”

“You mean this is tempered glass?”

“Put plainly, yes. If ya took a concrete brick and hit it, it’ll probably crack but it doesn’t shatter that easily. Look, over here.”

At the place where Jouhou was pointing at was a clouded portion. It appears to be a crack.

“Perhaps the culprit knocked on this part several times during the night of the crime, not knowing it was tempered glass? This ain’t here before.”

Shin made sure that the crack was indeed caused from the outside. It seemed like what Jouhou said was correct.

“Is it possible to remove this glass panel?”

“Haha, you sure have bold thoughts.”

Jouhou laughed jovially and his body swayed but he quickly put on a stern expression.

“It’s impossible though. The glass was laid in so it’s as snug as a rug.”

“In other words, you mean that it is not possible for a locked room to be created from the outside.”

This door opened inwards, meaning that the hinges were located inside the room as well. Removing the hinges from the outside to render keys and the bolt lock useless was not a feasible method. And the door’s construction was far too simple to have suspicions that there was some trick to it.

“Let me investigate the room as well.”

“Sure.”

Once Shin entered the room, he could see that it was a space of about twelve tatami mats* and the workbench, the desk and large covered pieces of equipment were lined up next to each other. On the desk was a phone. Its receiver was not in place. Perhaps Kyousuke, who was stabbed, did not have any energy left to put it back.

(T/N: 200 sq ft or 18.6 sq m)

“When I came in ‘ere together with the cops, Kitamita-han was lying on the ground face up next to the receiver.”

“Did he have any obvious injuries?”

“It seems like he got stabbed in the left side. The knife was still stuck in there when I saw him.”

“He probably didn’t pull it out because he knew that if he did, he would bleed pretty badly.”

In the event that one got a deep stab with a knife, pulling out the knife recklessly would lead to massive hemorrhaging and then death but if the knife was left in, it would act as a stopper of sorts and suppress the bleeding. Of course, even if that was the case, intervention was still necessary in the long run.

“Well, if ‘twas a fight that ended up as a threat to his life then maybe he didn’t feel any pain when he got stabbed. You know, stories of people getting freaky strong during a scene of a fire.”

“Surely the adrenaline must have numbed his pain, huh?”

As Shin thought back to what Yuuko had said to him, he started to think about what could have happened in this room that night.

According to Yuuko, she noticed noises coming from the neighbouring room and then she went to peep into the workshop only to see the culprit already in a scuffle with Kyousuke. Yuuko went in to assist but the tables were turned on her immediately but she did not get stabbed.

It was purely speculation but perhaps Kyousuke managed a critical strike on the culprit as the culprit hit Yuuko. As he was being chased, the culprit managed to lash out and stab Kyousuke in the flank. However, Kyousuke, who did not pay attention to his own stab wound, successfully shoved the culprit out of the room.

“Though I have no clue how long it’ll take for a fellah to die after getting stabbed, I thin Kitamita-han knew that if no intervention was done, he would be done for.”

When Shin was told that, he realised a certain something.

“Speaking of which, why didn’t the victim call for an ambulance?”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. It’s not as though the phone line was cut….I wonder if he was too weak to dial 119?”

If he called an ambulance, there was a sufficient chance that he could be saved.

“Or did something happen such that he could not call?”

“Hm?”

“Such as the suspect who got chased out still being outside?”

Jouhou pointed at the direction of the door’s glass and smiled.
“Right! With an “Open up! Open up!”, they hit the glass with loud pounding and he might not have been able to call an ambulance.”

Because the suspect who was driven out could still be sure of what was going on inside the room from the outside, if Kyousuke was already close to drawing his final breaths, they could just leave. However, if the suspect was relentless banging on the glass, then it could mean that Kyousuke was still breathing properly.

“It is possible that he was afraid that the suspect would know which hospital he got transported to.”

“Since the suspect won’t be able to get in no matter what they did, Kitamita-han could only hold his breath and wait to be able to leave. No, wait, can’t he call 110?”

“True. There is no reason why he can only contact the hospital or the police.”

Shin tried to come up with an hypotheses.

“Perhaps the victim did not think that requesting for protection from the police was the best strategy. For example, he has some kind of dark past and feared the police arresting him…”

Did he have some kind of trouble in his old place or was it something else…It seems like it would be good to look into that.

“But ya know…this is what we call a life threatening situation, no? Dialing 110 or 119 are seriously for emergency situations and a last resort. I mean, you can’t do a thing if you’re dead, right?”

It was just like Jouhou said. From the situation, it was almost as though Kyousuke let his life slip away without doing anything.

Hold on a minute. What if something more important than his life happened within the room.

With that thought in mind, Shin removed the cover from what seemed to be a piece of equipment. What was hidden within it was a large capsule. There was enough space within it for one person but no one could tell what it was for by looking at it.

“This is?”

“I have not the foggiest what was inside. I never set foot in here since signing the contract.”

Kyousuke neither dialed 110 or 119 because he thought once he was no longer in this room, the device would be seized from him? If that was the case, then this was likely the Time Machine.

Shin shook his head when he thought to that point.

No, this was just a mere hypothesis. It could not be helped since he had no evidence yet. He should just put the matter of this equipment aside for the moment and focus on building up his defense case.

Firstly, it seems like it would be better to assert that the victim himself locked the door to protect himself and created the locked room. However just this alone would be a rather half-hearted claim, he would probably would not be able to win unless he combined it with a strong piece of evidence.

“Oh?”

Shin noticed something that had fallen onto the floor in the corner of the room and picked it up. It seemed to be a photo.

The subjects on the photo were Kyousuke and Erika. It was just a shot of the two standing next to each other but both Kyousuke and Erika were smiling in delight. Because he was bothered by it, Shin went to check the back as well and the words “At the beach with my beloved Erika” scribbled on it.

“Oh, Kitamita-han managed to woo this pleasant lass huh?”

Jouhou said those words without a hint of malice but Shin just held complicated feelings within his heart.

Most likely Kyousue had feelings for Erika. Perhaps he dreamed of completing his research and getting married to Erika. But that did not come true. Kyousuke may have felt that he was robbed of his research and his beloved one. So he did something major and fled…Perhaps Shin could think about it that way.

Well, was it like this in the first place.

“Jouhou-san, you have been a big help.”

“No no, don’t mind, don’t mind. It would be great if you took dat prosecutor down a peg or two. I don’t really want to think that it was that miss who did it either…Ah, do you want to take a look at the other rooms?”

“Yes, please.”

The first room they entered was the control room used by Yuuko but there were no large objects in sight. With just a single simple desk and chair, it appeared to be more of a break room. Well, there was not even a radio or music player so it seems highly likely that one would be able to hear any fights that broke out next door.

“There does not seem to be anything in particular that could be a clue. Shall we head to the victim’s room to take a look.”

“Sure. Well, not that it’s enjoyable in any way to look at a man’s room…”

With such a preface, the room that was shown was too bare to be termed as a living space. There was a pipe bed and a small amount of storage as well as notes that piled up into a mountain. It was like the isolation cell of a prison.

“In any case, he did say it was just for sleeping in so I said sure….But as expected, this doesn’t seem like a place for sleep.”

“Was it really necessary to live such a simple life?”

“Well, once he woke up, he wanted to do his research and once he was done with his research , he wanted to sleep. That’s what he told me and I thought, this guy’s a real research idiot.”

If that were true, then Kyousuke was essentially far from being a fraudster….

Shin glances around the room and he noticed that on the wall next to the bed, was a scrap of note paper that was taped onto it.

“This is….”

Its subject was “Personal History” and the details of Kyousuke’s life was written on it. Even things that happened after the year 2001. Among them was the single line “2016 The Time Machine is completed” and this brought chills to his mind.

23 October 2001 8:55 AM

Misturugi Law Firm

Shin went to work at his agency in the morning and saw an unexpected individual standing in front of the door.

“You are…”

It was Kitamita Erika. Then Shin remembered that he also handed her his name card.

“I apologise for coming over without making an appointment. Do you have some time to spare?”

“It’s alright…Do you have a request to make?”

“No. I just wanted to talk about Aoyagi-san from my point of view. Um, whatever Kouta-san had said is far too one sided. For Shin, who wanted to clarify the kind of person Kyousuke was, this was an opportunity he was grateful for.

“Thank you for going out of your way to do this…Please take a seat over there.”

Shin ushered Erika to the sofa that was meant for guests and then went to brew a pot of high grade black tea. He wanted to settle down and talk to her as much as he could.

“Aoyagi-san is really a good person. Especially when it comes to the topic of time machines, he becomes like a child. Even though I don’t really understand the principles behind it, I have fun when I listen to him…”

Erika took a sip of the black tea and started to talk about Kyousuke.

“I can only say that he was dead serious about his research, when he woke up, he would work until he couldn’t move and after getting his necessary sleep, he would start all that again and he was consistent about it. Well, I did think he shouldn’t just be eating fast food so he could finish his meals as soon as possible. He looked pretty sharp six years ago but then his belly starting protruding…”

“A stark contrast with Komori-san.”

“That person dedicated a certain time in a day to research and would work without fail regardless of whether he was feeling good or ill at that time only. Of course, he had time dedicated to exercise and personal time. He said “if you decided on a rhythm and keep at it, you can see the best results in the long run”. Now that I think about it, he does walk the talk. However, for Kouta-san, research is just a means for gaining success. This is something related to myself but thanks to Kouta-san devoting himself to research, he got himself an investor and a spouse.”

“What did you feel about the relationship between those two?”

“When the research started, it didn’t seem like they were interested in each other. Aoyagi-san had his hands full with his own research, while somehow to Kouta-san, it looked to him that Aoyagi-san was an opponent who would drop out anytime. However as the number of dropouts increased, Aoyagi-san became an existence that could not be ignored.”

Aoyagi had set research as his life’s purpose but Kouta just saw it as one of the methods to fast track to a comfortable life. They might have become best friends if they met under different circumstances but unfortunately, they were rivals fighting for that single chair in musical chairs.

“I am also an amateur when it comes to research so I am unable to say anything from Kouta-san’s perspective but at the very least, I think that Aoyagi-san is pure when it comes to research.

A clumsy but dedicated genius researcher…That was the impression that Shin got from Erika’s words.

“Though it’s incredibly rude of me to inquire in such a way but is the marriage with Komori-san of your own obligation?”

“….yes.”

Seeing how difficult it was for Erika to answer, Shin offered his upfront apologies.

“I apologise…for prying into your affairs.”

“I understand that it’s something you want to ask. Given how much I’m praising Aoyagi-san, why is it that I did not choose him?”

“I see.”

“It’s true that I can’t say that Kouta-san is a good person but I feel secure when I’m with him.

“However, the eyes of an outsider like me, I can’t say that what I saw at the tennis court was a pleasant sight, right?”

“In a way, I’m used to getting that sort of treatment because my Father is like that too. What can I say…I can’t be considered a strong person so I’m attracted to strong people like Kouta-san. On that point, Aoyagi-san is far too kind….”

“…Somehow I understand.”

He might be a good person but he was not reliable as a spouse.

“However, Aoyagi-changed when he was told to halt his research just this winter.”

“What happened exactly?”

“It seems like his Time Machine was only a prototype. However the necessary mathematical calculations needed to make it operational was not completed, so that was the reason for discontinuing the research. At the same time, the prototype for Kouta-san’s cold sleep apparatus was completed ……”

Shin understood that Kouta-san had won the match in the first place, it did not feel like it could be called an equal match. Research about a Time Machine could be said to be far more difficult.

“So if we put it in another way, if the calculations were complete, the Time Machine would be complete?”

“Yes, of course, I don’t know how much faith I can have in it just because Aoyagi-san declared that it can be done but I think Aoyagi-san himself was convinced it could work. But to reach an end for such a vast amount of calculations, I don’t think it’s possible for normal human hands to complete it in their lifetime.”

“What a shame to hear that…but did Aoyagi-san give up?”

Erika shook her head.

“No, actually there was a way to solve it. He just has to let a computer handle it. Of course, we are not talking about those that we use at home. There was a special arrangement with a computer expert. We call it a DKK.”

“DKK…That sounds rather cool. By the way, what does that mean?”

“….DaiKeisanki”

(T/N: literally translates to large computer)

Shin gave a forced smile within his heart. What a straightforward naming sense.

“So just like what its named, it’s a large device?”

“Yes. It’s as big as one room in our second lab. Actually far too much budget was spent on this computer and the plans to renovate the lab building went up into smoke. That’s why the doors to the lab are still wooden….”

Shin did not know how much funds were poured into the manufacturing of the DKK but there was something extremely odd about what she said. Why should this trigger Kouta’s, the rival’s, interest?

“Even with such a large computer, it was estimated that it would take another fifteen years for the calculations to be complete. Even now, the DKK is still doing its calculations in the research centre.”

“Fifteen years…Ah, speaking of which, Yukichi-san seemed to have mentioned something to that effect.”

The pieces are coming together bit by bit. The initial despair he felt when taking Yuuko’s defense seemed to be a fabrication now.

“However, fifteen years is truly a long time, isn’t it?”

“Yes. That’s why Kouta-san suggested to splitting the calculations over several computers.”

Shin desperately scoured through his mind but he was unable to find any concepts that were related to this. Feeling awkward, Shin asked the following.

“…Could you explain in a way that even I can understand?”

“No problem. Somehow, even I could understand. To put it simply, if several computers were put together to run the calculations, the processing speed would increase and it would be possible to complete these calculations more quickly. For example, if another DKK was available, the calculation speed would double…then this can be done in seven and a half years.”

“I see, so if there was another two of them, the processing speed would triple and the calculations can be completed in five years.”

“Exactly.”

I see, now I get it.

“But as expected, it should be difficult to obtain multiple DKKs, correct?”

“That’s correct. However, Kouta proposed another way to do this distributed computing.”

“Meaning?”

“If the DKK was not available, it would be possible to distribute the calculations amongst several regular computers meant to be used at home. One or two computers may not do much but several hundred, several thousand…If there were tens of thousands of them calculating in tandem, it can be done quickly.”

“Quantity over quality, huh. However, isn’t it a monumental task to gather so many computers?”

“That’s why internet lines are used. There are numerous computers out there in the world that are switched on but not used. The equations can be passed to these computers that are in standby mode and then receive the results.”

“I see…there are still plenty of things that I do not know about.”

Though inferior to Kyousuke in terms of passion towards research, Kouta was not a shabby researcher at all.

“However, Aoyagi-san violently opposed the idea. The more terminals that were involved in the calculations, the higher the risk of the contents getting stolen. That’s what he said.”

“That’s a reasonable assertion to make. It’s a Time Machine after all.”

“Of course, the contents of the formulae used are encrypted and let’s say for arguments sake, someone managed to analyse fragments of the calculation’s results, the average layperson should not be able to understand it. Even so, Aoyagi-san was adamant that he did not want to put humanity in a pinch just because his research gets misused…”

Kyousuke’s strong opposition to the use of distributed calculations gave rise to two hypothesis within Shin’s mind.

One hypothesis was that the research about a Time Machine was all a lie and the completion of the calculations would cause trouble. Kyousuke was a conman and he thought of squeezing as much research funds as he could by prolonging the research. Kouta’s proposition to use parallel computing was perhaps a ploy to reveal Kyousuke’s true colours.

The other hypothesis was the situation where Kyousuke truly believed that he could complete a time machine. Shin could understand if Kyousuke was just wary about his earth-shattering research results getting leaked when distributed computing was done over the internet.

“It seemed like the conflict in opinions was the final push. Father decided to halt the research and gave money to Aoyagi-san in exchange for purchasing the leftover research results.”

“That…should be no small sum, am I correct?”

“Yes. I think it should be enough for him to carry out another research and live out the rest of his life.”

Shin recalled what Yuuko had told him. When Kyousuke appeared before Yuuko, he was carrying large amounts of cash. Most likely that was the money from the payment he received from Yukichi.

Even so, it seemed like Kyousuke did a terrible job to the very end. Regardless of the opposing views received, he should have been able to propose an alternative that would convince Yukichi and Kouta. Actually, was Kouta-san, who came up with the idea of distributed computing actually a capable person…?

“Was Aoyagi-san departure from this project an amicable one?”

Upon hearing Shin’s question, Erika’s expression darkened.

“Everyone thought it was amicable. Until Aoyagi-san left the research institution.”

“What did Aoyagi-san do?”

“During late February this year, he did two troubling things. First, Aoyagi-san put a lock on the DKK, after that he went up another level and even erased the calculations and data done by other computers.”

“In other words, no matter what happens, it is going to take another fifteen years for the calculations to be completed?”

Erika nodded in affirmation.

“To make matters worse, even data about Kouta-san’s cold sleep apparatus was erased…There is a high chance that Aoyagi-san took the data with him.”

Without thinking, Shin was at a loss for words. This was not a simple story of someone messing around. It was also a real criminal act.

“…Was there a problem with the security?”

“In the first place, no one thought that Aoyagi-san would do such a thing….”

From another point of view, it can be said that it took more than five years to sneak into the Kitamita family pockets. It was not a short time but that was just how much a scam artist was willing to take to get millions worth of returns.

“Were the losses reported to the police?”

“No. Because the DKK had a lock so nothing should be stolen from it so the police did not take up the case. As for the data regarding the cold sleep apparatus, even my father is unaware about what happened.”

“Why is that?”

“Kouta-san said my father absolutely cannot know. If my father knew the truth, our engagement will fall through and Kouta-san will lose everything.”

“How…”

“If there’s any silver lining to speak of, then it’s that Kouta-san probably still has knowledge about the Know-How of all this in his head? Some portion of the research can be redone but it is not necessary to do it immediately so he glossed over it. Because of this, Kouta-san has lost sleep just to continue his research.”

Now Shin understood the feelings that Kouta harboured. Results that came about from years of his own research have been stolen but the Time Machine research that was also supposed to end up becoming his also ended up in nothing. It was not as if there was no reason for Kouta to harshly insult Kyousuke then.

This was possibly Kyousuke’s motive for murder then. With that thought in mind, Shin asked Erika.

“Did Komori-san do anything then?”

 “He employed some people to find Aoyagi-san’s whereabouts. Of course, within the limits of not letting my father find out. It took a bit of time but in the end, we were able to find him.”

“What happened exactly?”

“To assemble the Cold Sleep Apparatus, some special parts were required. Kouta-san believed that since the data was stolen, it was guaranteed someone would attempt to build the apparatus. Last month, we received news that a woman was trying to buy those parts….we managed to get the vendors to delay the transaction.”

Upon hearing those words, Shin recalled the capsule shaped apparatus at the crime scene. Perhaps that was the item in question.

“ I see. Then you tailed her.”

“Yes….However, at that time, the detective was unable to make it to the store immediately and since I happened to be in the area, I went to follow her.”

There was no doubt that the person who went to buy the parts was Yuuko. Shin held out Yuuko’s photo in front of Erika.

“Is this the woman you the followed?”

“Yes. Who is she?”

“Onebou Yuuko-san. She is my client.”

Since Yuuko was the target, the shadowing should not have been a difficult task. In the first place, she had no clue about what Kyouske did so she was not wary about what was happening.

But the words he heard from Erika next was not something he had expected.

“It was really a lot of trouble following her. For some reason, she turned her head frequently and since I thought it would be unnatural to hide my face, I did not dare to do anything. I mean it’s not like I knew who Onebou-san was. She left in a hurry when our eyes met….In any case, the best I could do was confirm that she entered Dan Dan temple.”

“I see….”

Shin desperately arranged the information that he gathered.

It was not particularly strange that Yuuko would recognise Erika’s face. There was a photo of Erika and Kyousuke together in the workshop so she might have interpreted Erika to be Kyousuke’s dead wife. Even so, there should be no necessity to flee.

This was probably something that Yuuko was still hiding but Shin did not know why she was still holding her words back at this point of time.

For the time being, Shin urged Erika to carry on with her conversation.

“Did you do anything after that?”

When Shin asked that, Erika tensed up.

“What do you mean?”

“Actually I went to the scene of the crime a short while back and there was a capsule that seemed to be able to fit a person inside over there. I believe that might be the Cold Sleep apparatus. Isn’t it terrible that the data has gotten stolen?”

“I just went over to see Aoyagi-san in the lab…”

Erika confessed easily.

“When was that?”

“On the day the incident occurred.”

Shin leaned forward instinctively. He did not think it would be such a perfect situation where Erika would confess her crimes here and now but he would definitely receive some new information.

“When I visited that lab, Aoyagi-san was already bleeding from the abdomen…But he was still alive.”

“What time was that?”

“I think…it was past ten at night. The glass was a bit dirty but it did not hinder me from being able to see Aoyagi-san. I could see Onebou-san on the ground at that time too.”

That was about two hours after the attack. Kyousuke-san was alive for that long after all.

“Did you call out to Aoyagi-san?”

“Of course I did. I called out to him several times in an attempt to help. But…”

“What happened?”

“Aoyagi-san did not unlock the door.”

“Could it be that Aoyagi-san had lost his vision and could not see you?”

At the very least, Shin himself would definitely not open the door if he had given up on escaping and had the feeling that the criminal would return.

“No, he could see.”

“May I ask what’s the basis for that?”

“Right after that, I left and called the lab phone from a payphone nearby. Once I did, Aoyagi-san picked up the call.”

Shin recalled the scene of the crime. The receiver was off. It seemed like he misunderstood when he thought it came off during the brawl.

“What did Aoyagi-san say?”

“Once he comprehended that I am Kitamita Erika, he said “I was waiting for help. But what a pity, you’re not it. I’m alright so I want you to go home”….”

What a strange thing to say. At that time, it was hard to believe that Kyousuke had assistance from someone other than Yuuko.

“Could it be possible that he was trying to protect you and did not want you to get wrapped up in the case?”

“I do not know. But he was bleeding from the abdomen, wasn’t he? At such a critical moment, he chose to give up on being saved…Isn’t that impossible?”

And that was even more impossible for a scammer who only thought of his own benefits.

“That is true. Unless there is a really good reason, this should be impossible.”

The mystery why Kyousuke did not dial 110 of 119 deepened. However Shin did receive a new fact that Kyousuke was waiting for someone to help him. Shin would have liked to get into contact with this person but at this point of time, it was just wishful thinking.

Just as Shin thought as such, Erika made an expression like she had to say something.

“Um, I think I should get going soon…”

“Ah, thank you very much for going out of your way to come here.”

By the time he noticed, they had talked for quite a while. Erika had the came here with the intention of just talking about Kyousuke but it seemed like she had been saddled with a bunch of feelings that she needed to get off her chest such that she spoke even more than just that. It would be better to think that she would keep her guard up thereafter, making it difficult to pull information out of her.

“Ah, Erika-san. May I ask you one last question?”

“What is it?”

“On the night when the incident happened, did you go to the scene of the crime knowing that something was going to happen?”

For a moment, Erika’s gaze shifted but she immediately looked at Shin’s eyes and spoke.

“….No.”

At that instant, Shin could deduce that Erika was covering for someone. If not, then she should have been able to report the case by dialing 110….

After Erika left, Shin corrected the profile he had of Kyousuke.

There was a saying to do whatever it took to achieve your goal and that was exactly what Kyousuke did after his research was halted. He cut the ties he had with the Kitamitas in exchange for money then absconded without handing his Time Machine research to Kouta showing that he had every intention to complete the research with his own hands. Of course, it might be a scheme in order to conceal the fact that his research was unrealistic but if that were the case, it was unlikely he would sought out someone in the same position as him and even borrow a lab to continue his research. If Kyousuke was just a scam artist, he would have called it quits once he got the severance pay.

However, he was also unable to just conclude that Kyousuke was just purely a researcher. He took away the data for Kouta’s cold sleep apparatus. Even if he saw it as getting back at his rival, then he could achieve his goal simply by locking access to the DKK. No matter how Shin thought about it, Kyousuke’s actions were an overkill. According to what Erika had said, it seemed like there was a possibility of the cold sleep apparatus being able to achieve practical use so if Kyousuke wanted to, it was possible for him to make a fortune out of it. It did not seem like a fraudster who had revealed his true colours reaping his rewards?

It was almost like this one person had two different personalities. Though he could roughly trace out what Kyousuke was doing after he absconded, not being able to make sense of his series of actions was truly unpleasant.

As expected, Shin had to check in with the person who spent more than half a year together with Kyousuke…

23 October 2001 10:00 AM

Detention Centre

“On the day of the incident, was this the suspicious person whom you saw?”

“Le, let me see. I remember this person. Probably….who is he?”

Just as Shin had figured, the one who attacked Kyousuke was Kouta. He was convinced when he witnessed Erika’s attitude before she left but finally, he had objective testimony.

“He’s called Komori Kouta and also Kousuke-san’s rival. Furthermore, in the not so far future, this man is arranged to marry into the Kitamita family and take on the name Kitamita Kouta.”

“But why would the Professor take on such a name?”

“I do not know for sure at this point of time….but right now I would like to tell you the worst possible deduction that can be used against you.”

When Shin said that, Yuuko straightened her back, readying herself for what was to come.

“What’s the worst?”

“Let’s say that from the start, Kousuke-san made you his assistant for the purpose of making you his scapegoat.”

Yuuko was clearly at a loss for words. Taking the silence as an opportunity, Shin explained his deduction.

“Since he had the gall to call himself Kitamita Kouta, he should know that there would be a time he would be found out by the real Kouta-san. However that Kouta-san was beaten in his own game so if he could pin the blame on you, he could just live the latter part of his life comfortably…what do you think?”

“Please don’t say such things! The professor isn’t that kind of person!”

Her tone was furious. If Shin continued, he would be forced to be removed from taking her as a client. Shin decided to hold back and changed the topic.

“That was why I put it out first that this was the worst deduction. Please do not misunderstand but I have absolutely no intention on making you destroy the impression you have of the professor. It’s just that I’m afraid that you would subconsciously end up warping any testimony that has to do with him.”

Yuuko was silent. Shin did not know if she was silent because she was self-aware of what was happening or she was thinking on how to rebut him. But this was a good chance for him to get to the main topic.

“I understand your feelings. In truth, Kyousuke-san may not be just a simple bad guy.”

“What do you mean?”

She took the bait!

“Kouta-san’s fiancée is someone known as Kitamita-Rika. She and Kyousuke-san are acquainted with each other. Actually, after the culprit fled, Erika-san did visit the scene of the crime. At that time, she said she saw you, unconscious as well as Kyousuke, who was still breathing.”

“No way.”

“Not only did Erika try to help Kyousuke-san, she desperately called out to him from the outside to unlock the door. The first time was direct, the second time was via the phone. However, though it’s hard to believe, Kyousuke-san firmly refused Erika-san’s help.”

“I can’t believe this….it was his last chance to get rescued.”

Shin had thought that Yuuko might know something but it seems like this was out of her expectations as well. However, if that was the case then she might listen to his next deduction.

“It’s not as though there is no explanation for this…Please listen to one possible explanation.”

After seeing Yuuko nod, Shin started to speak.

“Erika-san is Kouta-san’s, the man who attacked Kyousuke-san, fiancée. Even if Erika-san was purely concerned about Kyousuke’s life, to Kyousuke-san, the two of them might be communicating with each other so he could not forgive Erika-san. If he opened the door, the end result might be Kouta-san sneaking in from somewhere and then deal him the final blow. Kyousuke-san might be wary about that.”

“Even so…it’s idiotic to just send away the chance of help.”

“I agree. However if Kyousuke-san was trying to avoid the worst-case scenario, there are some aspects that can be made sensible. Onebou-san, do you know what the worst-case scenario to Kyousuke-san is?”

“That….wouldn’t that be losing his life at that place? But now that’s a reality.”

“Is that truly the case? I do not believe that the worst-case scenario for Kyousuke-san is his own demise. It might be you getting killed. In any case, you have caught a look at the culprit’s face. If Erika-san was in cahoots with Kouta-san, there is a chance you’ll be silenced on the spot.”

“Ah, ahhh….”

“That’s why he decided not to open the door.”

This was purely Shin’s speculation. However, at this point of time, he could not think of any other explanation that made sense.”

“….The professor protected me?”

“Possibly. But the result of that was you ending up being driven into a tight spot….”

Yuuko made a complex expression as though she was not sure if she should cry or smile and looked at Shin’s face.

“I apologise for saying things that might have caused a confusion. All the things that I have said now are all baseless, mere guesses. On the contrary, I can’t say that Kyousuke-san can be definitively placed in the good person category, the truth is that he might have soiled his hands with criminal deeds. However, if Kyousuke-san did not keep the door closed for the sake of protecting you…. Isn’t this a clear message of “I will help you no matter what happens to me”? That action might be his last act of kindness.”

The dead cannot speak….Shin was well aware that he was interpreting Kyousuke’s death in a manner that was beneficial to their situation. Even so Shin wanted the woman to be able to face the trials without feelings of being deceived.

“Therefore, Onebou-san, going as far as lying in order to protect Kyousuke-san’s reputation would go against his dying wish. Please understand, if only that.”

“I understand. From now on, I will only lay out the bare truth.”

It had almost been half a month since he accepted her as a client and Shin felt confident after finally being able to get those words out of Yuuko’s mouth. But Shin knew that Gou was not an opponent who could be overcome by mere confidence. He was not confident that he could make this man who had a history of being undefeated suffer his first loss.

Therefore…Shin needed to uncover this woman’s lies.

“So, Onebou-san, please tell me what lies you have told me.”

Yuuko’s expression became stiff. But this time, she was not angry, she was afraid. The premonition of her lies being exposed terrified her and Shin stared at her with sadness.

23 October 2001 10:12 AM

Detention Centre

“Lies….meaning?”

Shin silently held out a photo of Erika towards Yuuko, who looked troubled.

“Do you know anything about this woman?”

Upon being asked that question, Yuuko showed an awkward expression.

“Th, that’s the professor’s deceased wife, right?”

This person might actually be terrible at lying.

Shin ran through Yuuko’s words in his head while getting to the main point.

“Actually I heard some things from this woman. Your eyes met with hers in the middle of the streets and then you fled. Why did you flee?”

“Well…because I thought I should not meet anyone who had to do with the professor. It might affect the future….”

“But you had no idea what’s to come, do you? In other words, both of you only met by chance, was there really any particular need to escape so hurriedly?”

“Well….”

“You knew that she was Kitamita Erika-san. You also knew that she was someone who absolutely cannot find out about the lab’s location. That was why you ran…am I wrong? And based on that, you already known by that time that Kyousuke-san was not Kitamita Kouta.”

Shin had the feeling that he had reached a conclusion. That feeling of his could not be mistaken and finally Yuuko let out a deep sigh as though she had surrendered.

“Yes. It just as you say, Mitsurugi-san.”

Shin spoke kindly to Yuuko who was brooding over matters.

“I am not accusing you of lying. It’s just simply my wish to bring to light the matters that are hidden within this case. If that’s not done, we will not be able to win the opponent in this trial.”

“…I really believed it in the beginning.”

Yuuko slowly started to reveal her secrets.

“But I realised some minor inconsistencies in the professor’s words….So I investigated a bit during my breaks.”

“So you found out who he was?”

“It was about two months ago. Of course, I didn’t say a word to the professor.”

That was definitely not a short period of time, sufficient for someone who knew the truth to seriously consider what to do next.

“No matter what the circumstances were, Kyousuke-san did lie to you. Why did you not even criticise him and continue to be his assistant?”

“Mitsurugi-san, did you read the professor’s notes?”

“Yes….”

Shin did not understand even ten percent of what was written in it but he understood the extraordinary amount of passion put into the development of the time machine.

“Such a thing….could not have been written by someone who was just purely thinking about fooling others. He was writing that for himself. It’s not possible to come from someone whose heart did not believe in the development of a Time Machine.”

It was just as Yuuko said, somehow, Kyousuke seriously thought that he would become a developer for the time machine. That was why he put his all into it, being willing to do anything….The principle behind Kyousuke’s actions could be explained by that but the cause and result was completely reversed.

“Of course, I was also helping out with the thought that it would be great if the Time Machine was really completed. But he didn’t teach me how to operate so I had no method of confirming if that machine could really be completed….”

In other words, Yuuko helped Kyousuke with the expectation that he was worthy enough for her to entrust her dreams to him.

“I apologise if this offends you in any way but did you not feel fearful after discovering Kyousuke-san’s true colours?”

“If I had to be honest, I was scared.”

An unexpected reply. Shin had thought that Yuuko was surely spellbound by Kyousuke.

“But more than that, I felt sorry for him. In order to pursue his dreams, he lost his place in the world, not being able to go along with the rest. Then he started to lie to himself to bury those lonely feelings and there was no turning back. I’ll probably end up like the professor if I had not met him.

Yuuko saw her own shadow in Kyousuke. Therefore, she continued to associate with him instead of ending their relationship.

“Is there anyone other than me who can believe such a person……”

Tears streamed down Yuuko’s cheeks. It seemed like uttering the truth she had kept tightly locked within her heart had made her efforts to rein in her emotions futile.

“Onebou-san, if had to be honest, I do not know how trustworthy Kyousuke-san is. However, I believe in the Kyousuke-san whom you believe in. Let’s win this trial.”

Once he said that, a smile gradually appeared on Yuuko’s face.

“Yes!”

With that reply, she wiped her tears with the back of her hand but suddenly let out a small yelp.

“Ouch!”

“What’s wrong?”

When asked, Yuuko looked at her fingers, feeling awkward. Once she did, she immediately realised they were rough.

“It’s embarrassing but the air here is really dry so my skin cracked.”

The tears that came out of her own body was salty so they pierced her skin without mercy. One could imagine that the pain was uncomfortable.

Shin left his seat and said the following to Yuuko.

“There’s still some time left for visiting hours. Can you wait for me for a bit?”

“Mitsurugi-san?”

After leaving the visitation room, Shin hurriedly went to a store. Fortunately stores within the precinct of the police station tend to be empty even during the day. An elderly female staff sat at the register, unoccupied.

Shin asked the woman a question in a casual tone.”

“Excuse me, do you sell hand creams here?”

“If you’re asking about hand creams, then the one that went on the shelves just last week is good. I RE-CO-ME-ND the Ball Nine S cream, a new product from Ball Night Company. In any case, they have a newly developed ingredient that will give you silky soft skin. I bought one for myself to try and it healed up those cracks on my skin beautifully. I apply it on my face every night before I sleep. Thanks to that, I’m became a pretty gal with baby soft skin. Well, I’m still a pretty gal even if I don’t do anything.”

“O, okay. I would like to get one.”

Shin felt that this woman would prattle on forever if he did not buy it so he bought it in the end. It should be alright, maybe? Well, considering that it was on the shop shelves, it was likely not toxic.

On the way to the visitation room, Shin encountered a different station employee and told them his intentions of handing the item over to Yuuko. “It’s alright since the seal is intact and you bought it from the shop” was the reply he got. Thanks to that, he was able to return to Yuuko was a feeling of triumph.

“Onebou-san, it’s nothing much but if it’s alright with you, please use this.”

“Th….thank you very much, Mitsurugi-san! I will use it carefully.”

Yuuko’s gratitude was excessive. She was making Shin feel awkward by getting so delighted over a mere tube of hand cream.

He did not think that the distance between them would shorten over such a thing but perhaps it was alright to help this woman who was put in a situation she never wanted to be in.

16 November 2001 9:00 AM

District Court

“Court is now in session for the trial of Onebou Yuuko.”

The judge with a bald head and impressive beard announced the opening of the court with a tone befitting of his dignity.

“Then, Prosecutor Karuma, please make your opening statements.”

“On the night of October first, the accused, Onebou Yuuko, murdered Aoyagi Kyousuke, who refers to himself as Kitamita Kouta, at a workshop under the name Lab Kitamita. The  scene of the crime was a closed room and this felony could not be committed by anyone other than the accused….I shall demonstrate the fastest establishment of evidence that supports this accusation.”

“Please ask the first witness to come up to the witness stand.”

Gou shot a terrible glare at the judge who had said those words with a casual tone.

“The first? There is no doubt they are the last!”

“My, my apologies.”

Shin was slightly stunned. He had thought that the judge had far more years in life compared to Gou but what in the world was this power dynamic?

But then again, Shin did not know the Judge’s age in the first place.

No, that should not matter in the first place. Right now, he had to focus on the trial.

“The prosecution will summon the Detective Tameda who oversaw the investigation of this case. Enter!”

“I am Detective Tameda Jun!”

He looked to be in his late thirties. He had cauliflower ears, perhaps the fault of practicing Judo quite a bit. Well, things look good since this man looked to be a veteran detective.

“”Detective Tameda, it would be helpful if you could tone down your volume by a few notches.”

“Yes, understood!”

Jun started to speak, not seeming to have listened to the Judge’s request.

“At 6.30 AM on the second of October, we went to the scene of the crime, Over there, we found the victim, already dead with a knife pierced into his left flank and next to him was the defendant, collapsed on the ground. There was no doubt that the scene of the crime was a closed room so we determined that no one other than the defendant could commit the crime. Therefore we arrested her on the spot….The case was a surprisingly easy victory.*”
(T/N: Tameda says Dai Kin Boshi (大金星) which can mean a surprise victory)

Jun’s testimony was terribly succinct. Almost as though all the extra information had been shaved off.

“”What do you think, Your Honour? Any testimony other than this is useless. There is no need for further deliberation.”

“True. It seems as though there is no room to question Detective Tameda’s testimony.”

“A record in Japan. No, it’s not a dream to say that this achievement will go down in the Guinness book of world records. Your Honour. Deliver your verdict!”

“Prosecutor Karuma, I understand your eagerness but we mustn’t skip over the defense’s questioning. Formalities are formalities after all.”

“Hm. Very well. This testimony is airtight and the prosecution’s victory is set in stone.”

Airtight…definitely not.

Shin confirmed the next strategy to throw out.

“In other words, the prosecution is asserting that the testimony just now is rock solid? The victim and the defendant were together in the locked room therefore it was reasonable to arrest her.”

“A skillful summary but do not expect any compliments from me. You are obviously just trying to buy time.”

“Then the Defense will prove that Onebou-san is not the perpetrator.”

The logic was there. All he had to do was pry the case open.

“Then let me ask. Detective Tameda, when you reached the scene of the crime, was Onebou-san covered in blood splatter?”

“No, about that…”

“Objection!”

Gou’s voice roared throughout the courtroom like a thunderclap.

“The time of death of the victim was estimated to be between 11pm of the first day till 1am of the following day. And the crime scene was locked by both key and chain bolt. In other words, it was possible that the accused had time to cover up. If she had to, she could have returned home to change her clothes. Therefore, she was not covered in blood, don’t hinder the trial with such trivialities!”

“The defense is not hindering the trial. We would just like to ask about the basis for the arrest.”

Going for broke for this trial, Shin had read as much of Gou’s previous court records as he could. It was back breaking work but he had reaped a great reward of having a chance of triumphing over Gou.

In the case of normal trials, the defense and prosecution would have shared some points about the case to a certain extent and points of conflicts would be settled naturally. However, in Gou’s case, he had completely used his authority as the prosecutor to keep information strictly confidential and on the day of the trial, he would confuse the defense with new facts. In the end, without resolving the points of conflict, the defense would lose….that was Gou’s pattern for victory.

Therefore, he had to wreck Gou’s usual pace. It was important not to let them fight in comfort. However, Gou also had that tendency to appeal to the judge that the defense was committing slander when issues inconvenient to the prosecution was pointed out. If the appeal went through, then even the defense lawyer would be forced to evict the courtroom…So what would be a forgivable miss in a normal courtroom would be fatal in this case.

To be as sensitive as an angel but as bold as a devil…huh. It was easy to say but it was surely a difficult feat.

“Hmm…Prosecutor Karuma does have a point. I think it’s equally weak to base the argument that she is not the perpetrator just because she’s not covered in blood. What do you think, attorney Mitsurugi?”

“Ah, what I said just now wasn’t information to definitively claim a non-guilty verdict. It’s a supplement to guide us to the answer so to speak.”

Concealing information obtained during investigation was a common tactic that Gou did but this time Shin had heard about what happened during the arrest from Dandanji’s Jouhou. Therefore, it can be understood that the information that Jun let slip would be disadvantageous to the prosecution.

“Speaking of which, Detective Tameda. In your testimony earlier, you used the term “surprisingly easy victory to describe the performance which caught my attention. Is there any particular achievement during the arrest that you would like to elaborate upon?”

“Ye, no, about that…”
“Detective! Only speak the truth.”

Jun shrank upon hearing Gou shout.

It sounded like the prosecutor was only cautioning the man but the true intention behind it was probably “You must not say anything unnecessary”. Surely this was a breakthrough.

“6.30 A.M in the morning is not a usual period of time to be at work. Why did you head to the scene of the crime at that time?”

“Well…”

Gou was metaphorically speaking, a lion in the savannah, living like a king in paradise where everyone besides himself was prey.

“Could it be that…you received a report at that time?”

That was why Shin had to remind the prosecutor of the fear of being hunted.

“…..”

Jun was at a loss for words when Shin’s question hit him and his mouth could only flap. As expected, the judge urged for a reply with a slightly irritated look on his face.

“Excuse me, Detective Tameda, please answer Attorney Mitsurugi’s question.”

“Ah, ye, yes…”

While taking note of Gou, Jun replied.

“Actually during the early hours of dawn, we got an anonymous tipoff. “Someone was murdered in Lab Kitamita” was what they said. Then my team and I leapt out of our beds and rushed to the scene of the crime.”

“In other words, your team did not do a thorough investigation and arrested the defendant based on circumstantial evidence after rushing to the scene.”

“Putting it that way…well, you might be right after all?”

Jun who was on the witness stand scrunched up his body.

“Let me explain. The scene of the crime is a closed room and within it is someone alive and someone dead. In this situation, there two possible explanations that make sense. Either the person who was alive killed the dead person or the two people were injured by a third party and one of them lost their lives… the possibility of the latter option didn’t even cross your mind at all?”

“We, well…I mean,  it’s like that, I guess?”

“And why is that?”

“Because the person who called said “I saw a woman kill a man with a knife”…. That’s all.”

The instant Jun said that, the courtroom stirred. Despite that, Shin felt like he could clearly hear Gou clicking his tongue.

A break!

Shin was able to get Jun to admit that the arrest was made by a warped preconceived notion. Of course, that was not the only gain he got….

Gou looked at his pocket watch and let out a deep sigh.

“Looks like I have to give up on that Guinness World Record.”

It seems like he was more disappointed at not being able to break a new record rather than Shin breaking his claim.

“Your Honour, the Defense believes that the anonymous reporter that Detective Tameda mentioned just now is the real culprit of this case.”

From this point on, there was one person whom Shin suspected. This person had an urgent motive and it was not impossible for this person to carry out the deed. Therefore, he was not going to let the chance to drag that person into the court room slip through his fingers.

—He was going to expose the real culprit’s—-Kitamita Kouta’s deeds.

“Why is that?”

“”Someone was murdered in Lab Kitamita” “I saw a woman kill a man with a knife”…this is information that only the criminal would know, in other words, they had disclosed their secret.”

This was a lie. Strictly speaking, Erika who went to the scene of the crime at ten at night on the day of the crime was also in the position to know all this. However, Shin chose to keep what Erika said to him within his heart. Because she had refused to testify to the case.

“No matter how bad Kouta-san can be….I can’t do something like pushing my fiancé away.”

Shin could only respect the intentions of the person who said something like that. Besides, if Kouta knew that disadvantageous information about him was leaked out, someday, he might deal with Erika the same way he did with Kyousuke…that was what he felt.

“What kind of conceited nonsense is this man prattling on about…Your Honour, it’s not worth listening to this man’s words. He doesn’t have any evidence.”

“You’re right, I do not have the evidence to substantiate this. But I’m sure the police do.”

When two different things clashed with each other, marks would definitely be left behind….This was called Locard’s exchange principle. Therefore, the forensics team would keep the scene intact, carefully searching for any traces of intruders.

Well then, if Kouta was the real culprit, then he would have come into contact with Kyousuke and Yuuko. Even if Kouta managed to eliminate evidence of coming into contact with the two of them, if the scene of the crime was preserved appropriately, they will definitely find traces of him visiting Lab Kitamita.

“Such as shoeprints. Since it was okay to wear shoes into the scene, if there was a visitor, their shoes must definitely contact the floor. There must be some kind of mark left. By the way, Onebou-san, before this incident happened, were there any outsiders who visited the place?”

“No, in that half a year, only the Professor and I entered the place.”

“So if we could match all the shoes owned by the victim and Onebou-san one by one, it would probably be clear which ones belong to the culp…”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Suddenly, Gou’s tongue clicking rang out. That came out rather suddenly so Shin fell silent mid-sentence without thinking.

“In other words, this is the assertion that the Defense is making at this point of time? Because something is wrong with the sequence of events leading up to the arrest so the defendant is not guilty and because the reporter is the real criminal so there must have been traces of their intrusion.”

“…That is correct.”

“Ku ku ku…naïve, how naïve. Why must I take care of the Defense’s carelessness? You should have made preparations for such things before the trial. Even elementary schoolers who forgot their homework make slightly better excuses.”

He was stunned. The prosecutor pretended not to know that he had made used of his authority and sealed off the scene of the crime.

“It’s unfair that only the prosecution had access to the results of the police investigation.”

“I feel that Attorney Misturugi’s request is extremely reasonable…what do you think, Prosecutor Karuma?”

“Even you are naïve, Your Honour. The Defense are the type who will do anything to extend the trial. If I had to concern ourselves with each and every little thing, it is only my time that is lost…That is the only thing I have no patience with! At this point of time, there is no need for me to comply with this disclosure.”

“”And why is that?”

“It is a simple matter, Your Honour. If we follow the Defense’ assertion, it will probably mean that there is something wrong with Detective Tameda’s judgement. However the prosecution will prove in the end that his judgement is right and if the defense cannot deny it then the trial will end without this disclosure…understand?”

“True…there is no need to take care of unnecessary procedures.”

Without thinking, Shin’s fist struck the table.

In any case, Shin never expected the trial to go smoothly, regardless, Gou’s methods were despicable.

Gou would not submit what was disadvantageous to him, instead, he would calmly crush them into pieces. And if the defense tried to request for submission of evidence, the request would end up being outright rejected.

Therefore he had to aim at what Prosecutor Karuma had overlooked. Even if there was a miniscule chance of that happening, he had no choice but to push forward.

“So then, Prosecutor Karuma, is there any proof that the defendant committed the crime?”

“Of course. The defendant’s fingerprints were lifted from the murder weapon, the knife that is. Detective, this is the opportunity to take back your honour. Explain in my steed.”

“Ye, yes sir.”

Jun responded with a wary pose.

“Your Honour, the evidence.”

“Accepted.”

What Jun presented was a blood covered knife and a photo of what looks to be taken during a fingerprinting session. The knife hand which had been coated with aluminum powder showed plenty of fingerprints and among them, five were circled in red.

“Please look at the parts in red. From the end of the knife to where the blade connects, the thumb, index finger, middle finger… It is confirmed that these all match the fingerprints of the five fingers on the defendant’s right hand. The defendant held the knife on her own violation and thrust it deeply into the victim’s abdomen.

“Hoh….”

Shin pretended to be impressed and pondered.

This was a strong piece of evidence that will provide another pillar to support Gou’s legend of being undefeated. Many defense lawyers who had patted their own chests to stave off the rush felt when deliberately withheld evidence was shown had been buried. In other words, it was great if the defense got overwhelmed by the hidden investigative reports, even if that did not happen, this trump card of evidence will become the defense’s coup de grace….a strategy with two stages. If Shin had not investigated Gou’s battle tactics beforehand, this fight would probably have ended here.

“Gou started to question the defendant.

“Defendant, what is your relationship with the victim.”

“I’m the professor’s assistant.”

“Elaborate.”

“I procure items and do administrative work on the Professor’s behalf because he was immersed in the research work in the lab….It’s regrettable that I could not help him out much in his research.”

“I see. So the apparatus that was left at the crime scene has been completed?”

“Yes.”

With that reply, Shin lowered his face without thinking. Yuuko had completely replied just as how Gou had intended.

“However, we had not tried operating it so I do not know if it’s appropriate to say that it has been completed.”

“That does not matter. What’s important is that with the apparatus’s completion, the contract between you two had ended. The blood rushed to your head upon hearing from the victim that you were dismissed. That was why you hid a knife on your person and killed him with it.

“That knife is not mine.”

–It was good that he had prepared signals in these kinds of cases.

“Your Honour, I would like to confirm something about these fingerprints with the prosecution.”

As Shin said that, he casually sent a glance over to Yuuko. Once he did, she blinked twice in response.

Blink once to agree, blink twice to deny and three times if you do not understand. This time it was “deny”, meaning Yuuko had no idea how her fingerprints got on the knife. Shin could deduce that some kind of method was used to get her fingerprints on the handle.

“No problem. Here you go.”

“Thank you very much. Detective Tameda, the fingerprints left on the knife include others on top of the defendants. Were you able to match all of them?”

“Nin, ninety-nine percent of them were matched! A large portion of the fingerprints belonged to the victim.”

“Oh? Meaning there are also fingerprints that cannot be accounted for?”

“We, well that’s…”

Shin pictured how the crime could have played out.

Even if the victim had arranged to meet with the culprit, he would probably not welcome anyone who was dressed in a full-face mask and gloves. When visiting, it was customary to expose one’s face and remove their gloves. And according to Yuuko, the culprit was barehanded when he grabbed her.

It would have been better to pull the knife that had been brought as an ace up his sleeve but some accident made him miss his chance to retrieve the weapon.

…It was probably something like that. In that case, there was enough reason to believe that fingerprints may be left on the handle.

“What foolishness. All that has nothing to do with this case.”

Gou’s intimidating roar filled the courtroom.

“Defendant, why are your fingerprints on the knife? Explain.”

“I…I do not know.”

Gou laughed cynically at a distressed Yuuko.

“Look, do you all see? It’s not as though you can’t explain it. You stabbed the victim with your own two hands.”

“That’s not what happened! I did not kill the professor!”

Whatever the case, it seems like they could not proceed unless they proved that Yuuko’s fingerprints are unrelated to this murder.

“Objection! It is strange that the print from the index finger is near the end of the knife.

Shin took out a fountain pen from his inner pocket and removed its cap. Then he held the pen with its tip pointed upwards.

“Please imagine that this is the knife, the pen tip will represent the blade. If the knife was stabbed this way, then the index finder would be near the front of the pen and the pinky would be at the end.

The judge nodded in understanding then Shin reversed the grip he had on the fountain pen.

“However, if we held the knife according got the position of the fingerprints then it would be like this… If we follow the prosecution’s evidence then Onebou-san was holding the knife in a reverse grip.”

In fact, the way a knife is held is often a point of contention in such trials. For example, if the defendant has chosen to hold the knife in a way to deal more lethal damage, the offense would be heavier and vice versa.

“Hmph, how trivial. There are plenty of cases where a knife was held in reverse to deal damage.”

“That is when the intention is to slash someone. However this time, the victim was stabbed. If the knife was held in reverse, it’s impossible for the stab would to be like this.”

“She’ll be able to do it if she went round him, correct? She could sneak up behind him and then while holding the knife as such, trust the knife down…what a smart method of assassination.”

“If so, how do you plan to explain the signs of a fight at the scene of the crime? If she managed to sneak up behind him and stabbed to kill, the fight would not have happened. On the contrary, if the assassination should fail and the fight did occur, Onebou-san, with her size, would probably have been no match against the victim.”

“What a noisy man, making noise about every single thing. I just explained that there are cases like this.”

“That’s what you did say but you also have to consider that she might have held the grip in reverse to pull it out!”

Suddenly, Jun cut in.

“According to the autopsy report, “the victim was able to live for relatively long time after the stabbing was because the knife plugged the stab wound”. Consequently, if the knife was pulled out, the victim will meet his end. Although what really happened was that the contractions of the muscles and the coagulation of the blood held the knife so tightly in place that it would be impossible to pull out with a woman’s power.”

Perhaps Jun was trying to earn brownie points. Gou stared at Jun with a grim expression.

“Detective Tameda, in other words, you mean to say that Onebou-san, while holding murderous intents, wanted to pull the knife out?”

“I see…did I say something strange, Your Honour?”

Jun seems to be delighted when the person asking the questions was not Gou….

“So who in the world stabbed the victim?”

“Of course, it’s the defendant.”

“If it was Onebou-san who stabbed the victim, what could be the reason for putting in unnecessary effort to pull the knife out? After being dealt a deep stab wound, shouldn’t the victim’s fate almost certainly be sealed?”

“Well…”

“Regardless of whether Onebou-san had any murderous intent or not, she did try to pull the knife out so someone else must have done the stabbing instead….That is what you are trying to assert!”

“Ah, Ahghaghagha….”

Jun was slurring like a drunk. Seems like developing an argument logically was not his strong point.

“Onebou-san said she was knocked out by the culprit. According to her testimony, she didn’t wake up until it was done, so perhaps she woke up in between without realizing it and attempted to pull the knife out after witnessing Kyousuke-san’s miserable state.”

The degree of words that came out of his mouth was the best he could do. But, even so, Jun’s slip of the tongue should have only made the Judge’s impression of him less objectionable.

It was pitiful but this was still a job so just let it go this time.

“Detective. That’s enough. Look forward to your next performance assessment.”

“Hiiiii, please let me off. I have a wife and kids to feed.”

As Jun let out a pitiful cry, he left the court room. Shin watched a silent Gou and brought a point to the judge’s attention.

“Your Honour, there is supposed to be some prints among those found on the knife, the murder weapon which neither belonged to the accused or the victim. Please order the police to match those prints.

The Judge’s eyes widened at the sudden request.

“Attorney Mitsurugi, do you have an idea who the owner of those prints could be?”

“Yes.”

“Please pay attention to what you are about to say. You are accusing someone else for the sake of your client.”

“I understand the weight of this responsibility.”

“Objection!”
Gou cut in.

“Your Honour, you have no need to lend your ears to this man. He is just grasping at straws any way. If the investigation is reopened based on his words, it is just a waste of taxpayers’ money!”

“It’s a bit troubling if taxpayers’ money is wasted. I do symphatise with the defense but I will not acknowledge another investigation if it’s akin to sprinkling water on a desert.”

“What…”

“Don’t just tell me who is suspicious, at the very least, show me evidence that is acceptable, is that alright with you?”

Shin did not think that he was heading in the wrong direction. In fact, he got a response that could not get even better than this. How could he just let it end here? But he needed updated evidence….?

No, he did have it. It was fine as long as he skillfully used the evidence that he had on hand. Yes, he had to turn his thinking around.

“Then with this, the trial seems to be over…”

“Wait!”

Shin forcefully overwhelmed the Judge’s words.

“What is it, Attorney Misturugi? You’re not going to call on a new witness at this point of time, are you?

“No, I’ll be done after I check Onebou-san’s records.”

“What?”

Gou’s voice of displeasure could be heard but he did not follow up after that. Perhaps Gou could not tell what Shin was trying to do.

Finally, he had likely gotten half a step ahead of Prosecutor Von Karma.

“So then, Attorney Mitsurugi, what do you mean by having to check her records?”

“According to Onebou-san’s interrogation right after her arrest, she answered that she got wrapped up in the incident because she heard a voice shouting Kouta and she ran straight towards the scene. But if I think about it carefully, it’s strange.”

“Hmm? In what way is it….”

“Earlier, Onebou-san had said that her job mainly involves negotiating with outside parties. To put it in another way, the victim hardly steps out of the lab. In other words, there should be hardly anyone who knows the victim who called himself Kitamita Kouta other than Onebou-san and the landlord, Ureshino-san…Now then, who was the one who called the victim “Kouta”? On the contrary, I think it’s more natural for someone to be shouting “Kitamita” even if someone dropped his name somewhere…”

“So the defendant heard someone shout the name “Kouta”…could the testimony possibly be fake?”

With a distressed look, Yuuko continued to shake her head.

“Um, Umm…”

“If an attorney could dig up their clients own perjury then I would be out of business! There is no need for further deliberation.”

Shin spoke with a gentle tone to a distressed Yuuko.

“Onebou-san, we’ll be fine. At that point of time, you just had a belief fixed in your head. Misinterpretation of the facts is not perjury. You just have to flip your ideas over just a bit.”

“But….I’m not exactly sure what I’m mistaken about.”

“The voice that you heard…did it really belong to the visitor?”

Once Shin asked that, Yuuko’s expression froze as though she had been struck by lightning.

“Excuse me, Onebou-san?”

“Now that you mention it…yes. That was the Professor’s voice!”

“Objection! Is there such a convenient way to turn over your testimony? It’s false.”

“Objection! Your Honour, Onebou-san did not know the victim’s true name till after the point she was arrested…Therefore, when she heard a man’s voice shouting “Kouta”, she mistaken that it belonged to the visitor. It is not strange at all.”

“The defense’s assertion does appear to be acceptable but…since the victim yelled the name Kouta, doesn’t that reverse everything that has been said?”

“No, there can only be one person who the victim would call “Kouta”.”

“And who would that be?”

“Komori Kouta. He is a researcher and has a rivalry with the victim. Furthermore, Komori-san is marrying into the family of Kitamita Yukichi who is his sponsor so it was planned to take on the name of Kitamita Kouta….

And the victim even took on the name Kitamita Kouta as his fake name, proving that there is some kind of grudge between the two of them.”

After delivering such powerful words, Shin felt a sense of ease within his heart.

For a while, the judge seemed to be pondering something and finally he nodded while looking at Shin.
“I see…the deduction raised by the defense is reasonable. I acknowledge the defense’s assertion. Let us comb through the traces left behind at the crime scene and resume this trial another day.”

Upon hearing the Judge’s words, Gou gripped onto his pocket watch as though he was going to smash it but quickly calmed down and tucked his pocket watch away.

“Enough. And I was aiming for a domestic record too….But it is now lost because of the trifling nonsense presented by this defense attorney.”

“Yes, if prosecutor Karuma hadn’t been obsessed with his record, I would have lost, huh?” Words that sounded like a challenge flew out of Shin’s mouth, probably because he was motivated after weathering through the storm. On the contrary, Gou’s tone was frighteningly cold.

“….As expected, I’ll have to reflect a little. The next time, I will take my time to deal with you. Surely you don’t plan to flee in terror?”

“Of course not. I will fight you till the end.”

“I’m relieved to hear that. You’re in for a large serving of humiliation. You will be defeated in such an unsightly manner that you will never stand at the defense table again.”

Cold sweat formed on Shin’s back.

If possible, he wanted to grab hold of victory while Gou was still complacent but somehow he made him take this trial seriously instead.

Although the situation was looking up, the next trial was going to be a grim one.

Even so, Shin grinned.

“I look forward to it, Prosecutor Karuma.”

21 November 2001 11:20 AM

Detention Centre

This day, Shin had gone to the interview room to meet Yuuko for the sake of preparing for the next trial.

“Mitsurugi-san, the next trial would be on the seventh of the following month right? There’s so much empty time in between.”

“It’s like that so we have time to prepare carefully. Well, though compared to the past, the amount of days we have is shorter.”

Shin felt that compared to the time he had just became a lawyer, he was considerably busier. It just meant that the world had become a dangerous place but if the number of crimes continued to increase, it will be inevitable that the trial would have to be completed in a few days after the arrest.

Well, not that he felt that such days would really become reality.

“By the way…Is Komori-san really the culprit?”

“He’s as close as he possibly could to to being guilty. I’m just yet to be able to gather enough evidence to accuse him of such.”

Rather than that, he had evidence that Erika was protecting Kouta.

“But the Time Machine in the lab was completely untouched, wasn’t it? I was certain that Komori-san went over to take the Time Machine away.”

Time Machine…Right, did she mean that large capsule shaped apparatus? He did not think that it was possible that it was a real Time Machine but what kind of function could it possibly have….No, right now, that hardly mattered. What was important was that Kouta saw value in that object.

“No, there was no need for Kouta-san to take it back himself. Just yesterday, I heard that Komori-san had rights to that device so he just had to apply to get it returned. If we had lost this court case, the facts would be confirmed after and most likely the application would get approved.”

“If Komori-san were the culprit, it would be convenient for him for me to be found guilty….”

Suddenly Shin realised that Kouta had another motive.

DKK…that large calculator that was required to continue the necessary formulas for Time Travel. However, because Kyousuke put a lock on it before he absconded, making it impossible for the calculation speed to increase such that it was confirmed that it would take fifteen years to finish the calculations. So, Kouta, who had taken over the Time Machine research, would want to undo the lock and finish the calculations earlier.

Perhaps Kouta was able to unlock the DKK during the course of the crime? No…If he had successfully removed the lock then Erika’s story should have been different. On the other hand, if he needed the password to unlock the DKK, Shin could only assume that Kouta killed Kyousuke after hearing the password from him.

Hmmm. This was quite odd. He probably overlooked something.

Shin would like to have a talk with Erika again but since she had refused to testify, it seemed like she would not say anything that would put Kouta at a disadvantage in front of Shin.

“I am grateful to you, Mitsurugi-san. If not for you, I will surely be found guilty.”

Complex feelings rose within Shin when Yuuko said such words to him. The previous time, he managed to skillfully pull through the trial but the next time may not be the same result.

“You can thank me when the not guilty verdict is out.”

“I see…But I have to thank you for other things as well. Look.”

Yuuko showed Shin her hands, turning them over multiple times. Those painful cracks were gone and her fingers and nails were glossy and sparkling.

“My dry hands are cured.”

“Please let me know when you run out of hand cream. I’ll go get some more. Or rather…”

“What is it?”

“Let’s finish the trial before it runs out. Of course, victoriously.”

When Shin spoke to that point, a certain unease welled up from his mind.

“Speaking of which, do you happen to know when your prints might have gotten on that knife?”

Yuuko shook her head.

“About that…I do not have any memory of touching any knife that night. Of course, because I was unconscious until the morning, there is a possibility that the culprit made me touch it during that period of time.”

“However, that would be rather peculiar. The culprit was chased out of the scene after he stabbed Kyousuke-san in the abdomen. It would be impossible for your fingerprints to be put on the knife if that were the case.”

“True. If not, then the only possibility is that I was sleep walking and subconsciously touched the knife.”

Though Shin did not dare to mention it, there was also the possibility that Kyousuke, on the brink of death, pressed Yuuko’s prints on the knife as she lay unconscious. However, if one thought about it calmly, they would know it was not possible either. Both of Kyousuke’s hands were covered in blood because he was pressing against his wound. If he did do there then there should be blood left on Yuuko when he touched her. However, there was not a drop of blood on the woman.

“Your fingerprints appeared on a murder weapon that you did not touch, as though you were made to touch it after you got arrested. Did you peel an apple while you were in the detention centre?”

Shin thought it was a pathetic joke even from him. The murder weapon was a large knife that could not be used to peel an apple. In the first place, the defendant would not be allowed to use a knife. There was a possibility that they might kill themselves or run away.

Even so, Yuuko grinned. Shin have never thought that she would open her heart to this extent when he met her. He had not won the trial yet but he did feel slightly rewarded.

“Ah…Ahhhh!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I just remembered something. No, it might be my imagination….”

“It’s doesn’t matter. Please speak.”

With a confident nod, Yuuko started to speak.

“I don’t have any memory of that knife but I feel like I’ve seen the handle somewhere before. It looks a lot like the awl sold at a shop I frequent to get components.

An awl…A tool with a sharp edge that was used to pierce holes into books. It could somewhat be lethal but since it had no blade, it does not seem to have anything to do with the case.

“Have you actually used it?”

“Yes, I borrowed it to make holes in documents….”

Instantly, an idea flashed through Shin’s mind.

“Could it be?! The real culprit took the handle from that awl and attached it to the knife. All for the sake of pinning the crime on you….”

If the culprit understood that Yuuko was the one with Kyousuke then it was not strange to pick her as the first candidate to pin the crime on.

“And most likely Komori-san is also a regular at the shop where you frequent to buy parts. He heard that you go over to borrow their awl and then made up some kind of reason to borrow it…No, since there is a possibility that it’ll be traced, he might have replaced it with a similar looking awl.”

However, even as Yuuko listened to Shin’s deduction, she still had a long face.

“But I’m not confident that it’s really that awl….”

“Well then, Onebou-san, how do you use an awl?”

“Like this…ah.”

Yuuko made a gesture of holding an awl in a reverse grip while piercing her documents and let out a sound.

“That’s right, you hold it with a reverse grip. That’s why the knife’s handle has the prints of a hand in a reversed grip. This was a mistake by the culprit.”

Without a reagent, Kouta was unable to check with his own eyes the direction of the prints so he overlooked it. Considering how careful he was, this shabby move caused the water to leak from his skilful hands.

“If the position of the prints was reversed, then a guilty verdict would have been out.”

Perhaps Gou had realised that the fingerprints were in a strange position but since the opponent was Shin, he felt that it was sufficient. Or rather, he planned to finish the trial before the evidence could be presented.

He was looked down upon an awful lot. No, it would be easier if he was looked down on.

“Would everyone be able to accept that the knife’s handle was from an awl….”

“No, at this point of time, it would be difficult. Rather, it is hard to believe that Komori-san would admit to the deed easily.”

It was a given that Gou was a strong opponent and Kouta-san was not going to be someone they can deal with ordinary methods either.

“First, I’m going to find out what Kouta-san’s alibi is. Since he went as far as bringing along a knife with Onebou-san’s fingerprints, he would not show up at the scene of the crime without a plan.”

7 December 2001 3:00 PM

District Court

“Let me go through the conclusion of the previous trial first.”

Gou spoke bluntly once the second public trial begun.

“In the earlier trial, the Defense asserted that there were traces that an individual by the name Komori Kouta visited the scene of the crime. The details are…Detective! Explain in my steed.”

“It’ll be my pleasure!”

Jun stood at the witness stand with an amazing energy and immediately started to explain.

“Alright, firstly, about the fingerprints on the knife that our office could not match earlier, we managed to match it with Komori-shi. We also managed to confirm that the hairs left at the scene of the crime belonged to Komori-shi. Also, this is another piece of evidence that was not brought out the other day…Your Honour, it’s this.”

Jun showed an evidence bag which contained something flat and blue which looked pliable. One could not tell what it was at a glance what it was, but it was no doubt something that would inconvenience the prosecution if they revealed it.

“What is that?”

 “It’s clay that have been trodden on. It’s polymer clay that people use for hobbies, sold at Home Centres. There’s about 200 grams of it here and it costs around 1000 yen.”

“Haha, it’s sort of expensive for clay.”

“But my daughter uses this to make flower cases. It’s the dry season now so if you leave it in your room, it’ll cure in about a day.”

I see, so after molding it to a shape that one likes and lets it dry properly, it would become a three dimensional object.

“Not only do the prints left in the clay match those shoes that we confiscated from Komori-shi, we also lifted Komori-shi’s fingerprints from the clay.”

Shin felt both elation and exhaustion. Though he was glad that evidence to help them track them the real culprit had turned up, on the other hand, even in the face of such blatant evidence, he was disappointed that the prosecution had chosen to accuse Yuuko in such a composed manner.

However, Gou made a request.

“Your Honour, would it be alright if the prosecution summoned Komori Kouta?”

Gou, who was said to go through all means to get the accused a guilty verdict was summoning a new candidate suspect, what wind was blowing?

“There is sufficient evidence to summon him, I allow it.”

“Fu fu, actually I have already given him a heads up about it. Enter!”

Kouta entered the courtroom straight away. However, the man standing upon the witness stand looked utterly displeased.

“Time is money-……I’m losing profits even while I’m standing here. Hurry up and let me go home.”

“Komori Kouta, there were artefacts left behind in Kitamita Lab that showed signs you have visited the place. What explanation do you have for this?”

The usual person, upon facing Gou in court, would cower and become suddenly quiet and meek but this Kouta looked so indifferent that it was refreshing to look at his face.

“Explanation… I just merely failed to mention it but actually, I went to visit Lab Kitamita the day before the incident. It was pretty late at night so it just something that occurred after Miss Assistant went home.”

Yuuko made a sharp expression.

“The Professor never mentioned…And there was no sign or traces that we had a visitor.”

“How swiftly did these two have conflicting points of view…exactly which is the correct account?”

However Kouta barked.

“Between a murderer and myself, who do you think is more trustworthy? Whatever, since there’s no evidence, this is just a futile discussion.”

“Firstly, let’s hear your account from the start to the end.”

The judge urged and Kouta spoke again.

“I told him to let bygones be bygones and I told him my intentions of wanting him to return. In all honestly and I say this without exaggeration, I thought that he was an eccentric but I valued his talent for research. Of course, I told him he didn’t need to give me a reply straight away so I parted ways with him thereafter….it’s a pity that things turned out this way.”

—Liar.

“Komori-san, why haven’t you mentioned any of this when I first met you at the tennis court?”

When Shin lashed out at Kouta, he shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated manner.

“Of course. I wouldn’t want to garner unnecessary suspicion. I really did have a feud with Aoyagi…but it’s not as bad as what you’ll hear from an outsider.”

“However, we detected your fingerprints on the knife?”

“Ah, that’s one of mine, when Aoyagi left our side, he took it with him as compensation. Well, I treated it as a farewell gift so I forgot about it….To think I’ll see it again under such tragic circumstances.”

Shin was deeply astonished when Kouta repeated his explanations fluently, following his statements with a sorrowful expression. After that made up story, something coherent would come up.

“Hm. If that’s the case, then the fingerprints do not have anything to do with this case.”

Gou had concluded that Kouta’s words were the truth, but it was strange. Yuuko had seen the invader pull the knife out and then leapt into the scene in a hurry. If that was the case, the knife had not always been in the lab. There was no way Gou would not have figured that out.

There was no mistake, the two of them had a strategic meeting.

Once that thought came to mind, Shin felt irritated.

Prosecutor Von Karma clearly understood that there was a more sinister side to the man and yet went to have a meeting with him. He may even be aware that the man was the real culprit. If that was the case, would it not be better to retract the indictment against Onebou-san and press charges against the man instead? Did his pride not allow this? Was carrying the title of being undefeated really of that great of an importance?

“There was also clay found at the workshop. I had no idea what it was for but I had touched it by mistake. And then Aoyagi called me so I dropped it by surprise and stepped on it. I apologised to Aoyagi there and then but I didn’t think it would be left there and not cleaned up.”

Shin immediately looked over at Yuuko without a moment’s delay and the latter responded with two blinks. Deny….That was to say that there was no clay in the workshop then there should be more appropriate use for it…to bring it to the scene of the crime to make a weapon on the spot would take far too much time.

Replicate…perhaps it was used to replicate the key to the lab. By pressing the key against the clay to get the key’s shape. After that just pour something like melted metal or resin into it and the key would be completed.

However Shin dismissed that possibility immediately. This time, Kouta was the one who made an appointment to meet Kyousuke but considering their past grudge, Kyousuke should not have lowered his guard during this one to one meeting. In other words, it should be impossible for Kouta to get an opportunity to find the key and replicate it.

Then how about killing first before leisurely replicating the key? No, that was out of the question too. Sooner or later, Jouhou, who was near the scene might notice something abnormal and raise a report.  Even if Kouta managed to replicate the key, he would not be able to freely enter the premises.

It was not the key. Then what could be his goal?

As though to cover up what Shin was thinking, Kouta dished out what he had to say.

“This Defense Attorney-san here is suspecting me of murder but killing that guy is not good for me. In addition to that, I can’t get rid of the lock that guy put on our computer and that’s troubling me a lot. At the very least, unlock that thing before kicking the bucket. ”

He used a vague term “Computer” but he should be referring to the DKK. This topic did bother him the other day but it was true that if Kouta wanted the lock to be removed, it cannot be done with Kyousuke dead.

Wait. Just now, Kouta did not say “At least tell us the password before you kick the bucket.” Perhaps this lock had to be removed by Kyousuke himself.

Right, a fingerprint recognition system!

It was possible that what Kouta wanted was Kyousuke’s fingerprints. If he took fingerprints using polymer clay, it was possible to duplicate it. Plus, it would not matter if Kyousuke became a mute corpse. This was why Kouta brought polymer clay to the scene.

Shin ran a simulation of the incident that had occurred in his mind.

Firstly, on the night of the incident, Yuuko got knocked out by Kouta who then pulled his knife out and stabbed Kyousuke in the abdomen. Seeing that Kyousuke no longer moved, Kouta let down his guard and prepared the clay for taking fingerprints. However, Kyousuke was still conscious and then fought back and the other man was driven out from the scene. And the items left inside were the knife and the clay….

It was still a hypothesis, but this was enough for Shin to fight.

Shin breathed in deeply and then let out a loud declaration.

“Objection!”

First, he had to speak to Jun.

“Earlier, Detective Tameda presented a piece of evidence, that is, the polymer clay. It’s floppy, isn’t it?”

“Hah? It’s been put in the evidence bag so it can’t dry. The exterior is stiff but there is still moisture on the inside.”

After saying that, Jun took out the evidence bag again and showed that the clay had not solidified.

“In other words, when it was retrieved from the scene, it had not hardened?”

“That’s right. What about it?”

It seems that Jun had yet to realise what Shin’s intentions was. Therefore Shin decided to assist.

“There is a clear contradiction here. Because this clay should dry if it had been placed out for about a day…That’s what you told us, wasn’t it, Detective Tameda?”

Jun was greatly taken aback by this hint. Shin turned towards Kouta and pressed him.

“Komori-san, if this clay was really touched and left there the day before the crime, then it should have completedly hardened. Could it be that you actually touched this piece on clay on the night of the crime itself?”

He did not ask : ”Did you bring this to the scene?”. However, he would continue attacking steadily, carving in each blow.

“Well…I mean…”

Kouta’s face was getting redder as one looked on but after a few seconds, it returned to its original colour. And then with a calm demeanour, Kouta said something outrageous.

“Haa, it can’t be helped. Actually I have an alibi on the night of the crime, so it couldn’t have been me who touched the clay.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Shin had no idea what the basis for Kouta’s confidence was, so he felt some unease.

“According to that Assistant-san over there, Aoyagi was attacked by someone after eight at night. Unfortunately, at that time, I have an alibi. Actually on the night of the crime, I was attending the anniversary party held by KonaCulture*. In my father-in-law’s place.”

(T/N: KonaCulture is actually BlueCorp, the company Redd White was CEO at.)

—What. Is that so?

As a matter of fact, Shin had checked up on this company as well. KonaCulture was supposedly a company that dealt with information but this company had an unclear track record, perhaps due to its short history of establishment. But no matter how shady of a company KonaCulture may have been, the fact was, Kouta went to a party held by them.

“May I request that you elaborate about the party?”

“The party started at 6.45 PM. I heard that it would be held till 9.30 PM…I was there at 8.30 PM so it would be impossible for me to commit the crime.”

“However, the scene of the crime and the location of the party is about forty kilometres at most, if you had a car or a bike, the trip would only take about forty minutes. My apologies but I do not think you can call this a decisive alibi, am I correct?”

Shin had determined that it was still possible for Kouta to carry out the crime as long as he found a chance to leave the location. Shin gathered this information with the help of an acquaintance.

First, he understood if Kouta travelled by motorbike while keeping under the legal limit of sixty kilometres per hour, the time taken to travel from the party location to the scene of the crime would take around forty minutes. Of course, if he rode faster, then it was possible to shorten the time but there was a high chance that he would go over the speed limit and be stopped by the police. If he got stuck on the way there, Kouta could just postpone the plans, but if he got caught on the way back, then his alibi would be broken. Kouta, who had a good head on his shoulders, would not do something like that.

By a rough estimation, it would take eighty minutes for the round trip and if one considered that the crime itself took twenty minutes, then it would be a total of a hundred minutes. It sounded a bit unreasonable but perhaps he could take it as ninety minutes. That was enough time to show up at the beginning and end of the party. 

“Hmm, if you put it that way, it is indeed a weak alibi….”

Contrary to those words, Kouta did not look weak at all. It would be good if he showed what else he had to hide.”

“Is there anyone who can testify to your alibi?”

“Testify huh….I said earlier that I attended the party in my father-in-law’s steed, I hardly know anyone there. Oh dear, if I knew it would have turned out like this, I should have brought Erika with me.”

Interesting. Was he not aware that Erika went to the scene of the crime?

“However, this is just a coincidence but…I have evidence to prove my alibi.”

–Finally.

If Kouta was the real criminal, Shin had assumed that the man would create an alibi in one way or another. It was difficult to predict what it would be like, but if he shook it around, it was sure to come to light. Shin had challenged this trial with that in mind.

No matter how tough this alibi was, he would expose those lies.

“Acknowledged. Please present it.”

“I understand. It’s this.”

What Kouta presented was three photographs. In all three of the photos, Kouta was together with a girl who did not look old enough to enter kindergarten. The girl was all dolled up in a dress and around her neck hung a large analogue clock with no words on it.

“Can you see the clock in front of her chest? There are no numbers so it might be a bit hard to read.”

The hands of the clock on the three photos were seven o’clock, eight o’clock and ten minutes past nine. It was hard to believe but this established Kouta’s alibi.

“Hoh, this…this is a somewhat strange photo to be taking with someone.”

“It was the first time this child been to a party, but for some reason she’s different from other kids…So I couldn’t take my eyes off her. So I made a request to her mother who was with her to let me take a photo with her.”

She certainly looked like an intelligent child, but still that was hardly any reason to have a photo with her. There must be some other reason.

While thinking about that, Shin peered at the judge and Gou, the two of them made an expression like they realised something. However, putting the presiding judge aside, it was surprising to see Gou make such an expression.

“Oya, but this child is…”

“Yes. That’s my daughter.”

Without thinking, Shin stared at Gou as though he was trying to bore holes in his face. How in the world did such an adorable girl be born from Gou’s genes?

“Now that you mention it, that’s Mei-chan, isn’t it? I’ve greeted her several times in the courthouse.”

Shin remembered after hearing the Judge’s words. Two years ago, Gou’s daughter was born and that daughter gained the reputation of being a genius…Because it had nothing to do with the trial, that piece of information had been forgotten until now.

“But why is Prosectuor Karuma’s daughter at KonaCulture’s party?”

“A mere coincidence. I was obligated to show up at the party with my family but I had other matters so I could not attend and they suddenly decided to go without me. It was a party held by an unknown company but the food was good so my wife and Mei were satisfied.”

“What a peculiar fate…However, with this, Komori-san’s alibi has been successfully established. Oh my, inscrutable are the ways of heaven. Don’t you think so? Defense Attorney Mitsurugi?”

Shin’s deduction was knocked over by a mere three photos. But they must have overlooked something in this convenient evidence.

“I disagree, Judge. There is a possibility that these photos were composited. Komori-san, do you have the negatives to these photos?”

When a camera shutter was clicked, images will be burnt onto the negatives through the lens. Photographs were developed from there but even if one could do additional work to the photos, it was not possible to tamper with the negatives.

Therefore, photographic evidence were usually submitted together with the negatives.

“Sorry but I lost the negatives. They might turn up if you searched my house but I can’t present them right now.”

Kouta had said as such in a nonchalant manner but Shin was able to smell a lie.

Did he lose them out of carelessness or was he unable to present them because it would be disadvantageous. Whatever it was, there was something sinister about this.

“Well, losing negatives is a fairly common occurrence and in the first place, it is difficult to have strict compliance about photographic evidence…”

The judge was sympathetic towards the prosecution. He had to object from here on but at the same time, he needed to take a reasonable level of risk.

Was it time to attack? But if it was the photo that had been carefully prepared to serve as an alibi, it might be difficult to expose it at this time. What should I do?

Suddenly Shin stole a glance at Kouta. For some reason, he was restlessly peering at Gou. Shin could see that he was anxious. Why would he be if he had the upper hand?

He had to flip his thinking around. Shin was bothered that Gou wanted to conclude the trial as soon as possible. Also, from that reaction, he could assume that Kouta had no idea that the girl in the photo was Gou’s daughter.

Could this be a situation that was unwelcome for them?

It was clear that the two were taking a stance that it did not matter if Kouta’s testimony was false as long as it meant that Gou was able to convict Yuuko. And on the other hand, it seemed that Kouta, who had some darkness within him, had not revealed all his cards to Gou. That was why he presented the photos he had taken with Gou’s daughter.

The fact that this was a strong alibi does not change but this was a good chance since the prosecuting side were out of pace with each other.

Shin strongly raised his objections to the judge.

“No, we can’t say that the photos alone are enough for proving an alibi. If the negatives are missing than we need to use another way to confirm the alibi. Therefore the defense would like to request that we question Mei-san.”

“Mei is only two years old! What nonsense are you spouting?!”

The prosecution would never acknowledge a questioning that could give the defense even a little bit of an advantage. Not to mention, Mei was the prosecutor’s own daughter, so he will never let her take the witness stand no matter what.

However that was only if Gou was your usual prosecutor. The Karumas strive for perfection….

If other words, the Karumas will never allow for imperfection.

“This has nothing to do with age. Even the reputation of your daughter’s genius has reached to ears of myself, a defense attorney, Prosecutor Karuma….And if one has the ability to recognise, remember and express what one has experienced, even an animal’s testimony can be acknowledged.”

Gou had an abnormally huge sense of pride. Therefore he would be unable to ignore any declaration that would wound his pride. All the more so when it came to his beloved daughter.

“Umumumumu….you. Are you making a fool out of my Mei?!”

Shin felt a small reaction towards Gou’s outburst.

If Gou really wanted to win the trial, he could simply end things by saying “You overestimate her. Mei is only two years old”. To be unable to say that was just how Karuma Gou was as a person.

“Since you are reacting like that, then please let Mei-san take the witness stand.”

“Very well. But it’s hardly my business if you regret it!”

“Witness, please introduce yourself.”

The young girl standing on the witness stand nodded upon hearing the Judge’s words and with a slightly nervous look on her face, she spoke clearly.

“Karuma Mei. I am two years old.”

People who were listening at the sidelines clapped in unison. A two year old toddler making such a bright declaration, surely one can approve of her being made out to be a genius girl.

Mei was wearing a monotone attire and a clock with a long and a short hand hung around her neck.

“Oh my, how adorable. However, even if you are Prosecutor Karuma’s daughter, we won’t be lenient towards you. Before we go into the testimony, let me just confirm something. Mei-chan, who is the person standing over there?”

The judge asked Mei as he pointed at Gou.

“Papa.”

Once Mei gave the reply, the people listening started to clap again. Gou had his arms crossed and did not budge an inch but he had put some force in his arms as though considering to unfold them. He probably doted on Mei so much that it would not do him any harm just to look at her. To think that the Demon Prosecutor had such a human side to him, Shin thought to himself in astonishment.

 If that was the case….if he had a human heart, why can’t he share a part of it with the defendant……

“Well then, Mei-Chan, how about the person over there?”

This time the judge pointed at Kouta.

“Kouta.”

“Ah, very good. You remembered me.”

Kouta’s composure collapsed. However, to Shin, it looked more like he was putting on a shabby act.

“Seems like she has no problem recognising the people she knows. Now then…Oh right. We also need to confirm that she is able to recall people she has met for the first time without mistakes. Defense Attorney Mitsurugi, may I request that you introduce yourself to Mei-chan for a bit?”

Shin nodded and turned to face Mei.

“I am Mitsurugi Shin.”

“Shin?”

“That’s right, how clever.”

“What are you?”

“An attorney.”

However just as those words left Shin’s mouth, a wary expression arose on Mei’s face.

“Attorneys are enemies.”

Seems like the Karuma family did not cut corners when it comes to education, even for a two year old. She might be on the way to becoming a prosecutor. If Reiji became a Defense Attorney in the future, he might be a good opponent for her.

However, this little exercise proved that Mei was suitable to stand on the witness stand.

“As expected of Prosecutor Karuma’s daughter, what an intelligent child—Ah, I forgot to mention. I am the presiding judge.”

“Jud?”

“Judge.”

“Jud.”

“….Because you’re being cute so I’ll just say you have no problems with your expressive abilities.”

“Hmph. Isn’t that enough?  Shall we get a move on and start the questioning?”

Perhaps Gou was not dissatisfied that Mei was praised. Shin noticed that the prosecutor’s aura had weakened a little.

In the short time leading up to the questioning, Shin put together the direction he would be taking.

If he trusted Yuuko, Kouta would have been at the scene of the crime at 8 PM on the night of the crime. In other words, this second photo which confirmed Kouta’s alibi at 8 PM must have some kind of trick.

Looking at the second photo carefully, Shin noticed that the hem of the dress pictured in it was greenish. On the contrary, the hem of the dress in the first and third photos were unchanged.

Could this be a sign that the photos were processed or the result of some special way of taking the photo…At any rate, there was value in confirming this.

Shin decided to ask Mei about this first.

“Mei-san, it’s about this second photo, was this photo really taken at eight at night?”

“Fu-eh….”

Mei was clearly cowering. With that reaction, Shin finally remembered that he was questioning a two year old.

“Bastard, no matter how clever Mei is, there is a limit. Ridiculous!”

“The defense is just exercising our rights….”

Though Shin had replied Gou, Gou did have a point.

“In the first place, you have no right to speak to Mei!”

The judge tried to humour Gou who was getting riled up.

“Calm down, the both of you…from what I can tell, there is no problem with Mei-chan’s intelligence. However, the way the question was asked was not ideal. How about limiting the questions to ones that can be answered with a “yes” or “no”? Of course, you have to use simpler words.”

“In that case, there should be no problem. I authorise the questioning.”

“Um, Prosecutor Karuma, it’s my role to authorise questionings…never mind. Defense Attorney Misturugi, please carry on.”

Shin composed himself and started the questioning once more.

The dress changing colours and Kouta not handing over the negatives bothered Shin but if he thought about it carefully, would it not be easier to adjust the time on the clock rather than alter the photographs? He should confirm that point first.

“During the party, did you pass that clock over to Kouta?”

“Un.”

Just now, he was able to pull out the words he wanted to hear the most.

“Komori-san, why did you borrow that clock from Mei-san?”

“Uh, well, Noppella Vo is a rare overseas brand. And it was the first time I saw someone walking around with such an item so…”

It was a brand that Shin had not heard of but if that was real, it was a reasonable reason. But it also sounded like an excuse he prepared beforehand.

(T/N: Noppella Vo comes from the youkai Noppera-bo which means faceless ghost)

“It is within the realm of possibility….could you have held onto the watch in order to adjust the time before the photo was taken?”

Kouta’s eyebrow twitched a little.

Shin probably hit the mark. Now to reach out at one go….

“Objection!”

Gou interrupted.

“Let me explain on Mei’s behalf. The design for Noppela Vo’s clocks are simple but it is an item where the time will never go wrong. Even if you dropped it from the rood of a building, the time will keep on ticking without any change. It is a clock which had been hanging on the wall of my house for a long time but at Mei’s request, I got my subordinates to change it to a pocket watch. Fu fu, how troubling that my child is just like me.”

(T/N: In case there’s any of you out there who got confused…Manfred Von Karma has a pocket watch)

No, isn’t that too big to be a pocket watch for a child.

“And to top it all off, I don’t have to be worried about her swallowing something of that size by accident!”

Shin was dismayed by the supplementation that seemed to read his mind.

“I understand how the watch works but there’s no proof that Komori-san did not fiddle with the clock.”

“Did you not hear what I just said, Defense Attorney Mistsurugi? The time will not go wrong, so there is no need to adjust it. There is no plausibility of a chance that the watch needs to be adjusted!”

“Well…”

Without thinking, Shin directed his gaze at Mei’s clock and the girl flipped the clock over and thrust it towards him. Other than a chain being connected to a ring on the clock, there was nothing else.

“By the way, this does not use batteries either. If necessary, we will just send it back to the watch maker to get it disassembled.”

Why did you get that kind of clock? Is the seller even actually legitimate. Shin could not understand the need for such an item.

“Speaking of which, there was a trial where a Noppela Vo watch was the decisive factor for an alibi. Since then, there was a trend for every household to have one.”

That’s the first I heard of such a thing!

Shin felt some shock that even the judge knew of such an unusual watch.

“Well then, what do you think? It’s about time that you admit your loss. Children who sleep are children who grow…It is necessary for Mei to take her afternoon nap.”

“Yes, it is truly cruel for Mei-chan to stay on the witness stand. Defense Attorney Mitsrugi, I do not think it is necessary to interrogate her any further but what do you think?”

Even with the judge offering him a chance like this, Shin could not think of a good counter argument.

Is this it? Even though it took so much trouble to fish for information…

However Shin noticed an extremely simple contradiction.

“Well then, witness, thank you very much…”

“Wait!”

Shin shouted like his throat was going to cave in. Even he himself did not know where such a voice came from. Mei started at him, wide-eyed.

“What is it, Defense Attorney Mitsurugi? Why did you shout all of a sudden?”

“There is something important that I haven’t asked yet.”

“What a lousy bluff. Your Honour, I don’t care if you judge this as contempt of court.”

“This is not a bluff. It’s just that I noticed a contradiction in those three photos. And I would like to clarify that point with the witness no matter what.”

“If it’s a point I can accept, I will allow the interrogation to continue…But what is this contradiction?”

“Firstly, it is about the photo taken at 8pm, the hem of the dress that Mei-san wears is greenish.”

“Now that you mentioned it….That’s a pretty large green discolouration. Prosecutor Karuma, can you explain this?”

“…According to my wife, she took her eyes off Mei for a moment and she got melon soda onto herself. And it was fairly difficult to get the stains off.”

Shin had not thought that it would be melon soda. However he confirmed that the photo had not been tampered with.

“I see. Well, it sounds like something a young child would get themselves into so it can’t be helped. But what is it about this stain, Defense Attorney Mitsurugi?”

“It’s obvious when you compare this photo with the one taken at 9pm…For some reason, the stain vanished.”

“……You’re right. Perhaps some kind of magical stain remover was used.”

Shin shook his head strongly.

“No, Prosecutor Karuma’s statement has made it clear that it was not possible for the stains to be removed in an hour. Therefore the defense needs to peruse this contradiction.”

“Wha….that statement just now was my private business. Don’t add it to the witness testimony on your own.”

The pursuit of this unexpected cloud of suspicion caused Gou to be flustered.

“Incorrect, Prosecutor Karuma. The statement you made just now was splendidly produced from the flow of the trial. You have to take responsibility for it.”

“Unununu…”

When the judge affirmed the sound reasoning, Gou could only grumble.

As expected, Prosecutor Karuma was not at his best state. For now, Shin could only push forward.

“Your Honour, we probably do not have to think too hard about this.”

Shin turned towards Mei and slowly asked her.

“Mei-san, how many times did Kouta-san take photos?”

“Three.”

Mei answered as she stuck up three fingers.

“Then…how many times did he talk to you, Mei-san?”

“Two.”

This time she made a forceful “V” sign.

“Are you sure?”

“Two!”

Perhaps to show her dissatisfaction about being questioned further, Mei replied again with a pout on her face.

Shin snuck a glance at Kouta and it seemed like his complexion had turned rather pale.

“What is the meaning of this? There’s some slight inconsistency.”

“However I do not believe that the witness is lying.”

“Of course! Mei can’t possibly be mistaken.”

“I feel the same way. It’s rare that we share the same opinion, Prosecutor Karuma.”

“Hm…”

After confirming that Gou had nothing else to add on, Shin started his explanation.

“Mei-san’s clock is a simple one without a dial so other than the angle between the long and short hand, there is no other way to determine the time. And with that in mind…If the clock was slanted during the time of the photo taking, there is a possibility that the time would be read wrong. Like this.”

Shin tilted the photo.

“Objection! Look at the photo carefully. In any case, no one was touching the clock in the photo. What a nonsensical claim to make to say that the clock is tilted. There is no value in discussing the Defense’s assertions.”

“Oh? So if I had a way to tilt the clock without touching it, you would have no complaints?”

Shin managed to get Gou’s commitment.

“Defense Attorney Mitsurugi, is there really such a method?”

“Yes. If I could borrow that clock, I will replicate what happened then right now.”

Sensing Shin’s intentions, Mei hugged the clock abruptly and turned away.

The judge spoke to Mei with a gentle tone.

“Mei-chan, pardon me but may Defense Attorney Mitsurugi borrow that?”

“….Alright, Jud.”

Shin received the clock from Mei and examined its back. Other than the ring that allowed it to connect to a chain, it was smooth with no other attachments. Shin let the clock hang from its chain but its centre of gravity did not shift and the two hands on the face of the clock were in the same position as Shin’s wrist watch.

“Right now, with the clock hanging off this single chain, it shows the correct time.”

“My subordinates had straightened the chain’s connection to the ring multiple times. Thanks to that, it has never been tilted. I will not allow some half-baked product to be on Mei.”

“Thank you very much, Prosecutor Karuma. Therefore, I shall use this trick.”

Shin borrowed a roll of double sided tape from a court usher who was nearby and attached a 500 yen coin to the back of the clock. And once he did so…

“The clock is titled! What in the world is happening?”

The judge was highly interested.

“I just attached a 500 yen coin at the five o’ clock position. Although this clock does not have a face.”

Because the centre of gravity does not lean towards any direction, even a slight weight would cause this round clock to easily tilt.

“The place where the weight is attached will be at the bottom. For example, if the coin was attached to the five o’ clock position, I can create an illusion that the time was moved forward by an hour. On the flip side, if I attached the coin to the eight o’clock position, it is possible to make it seem as though the time is two hours behind. Well, due to the centre of gravity of this clock, the limit would be two hours before or after. However that was enough. First, a photo just had to be taken at seven o’clock then at that time, borrow the clock from Mei-san, attach a weight to the four o’clock position. Once you do so, the clock would rotate 60 degrees without fail…at a glance, it looks like it’s pointing at the time 9:10. At this point of time, another photo is taken and the alibi is complete.”

“Now that I look at this…the angle between the hands at seven o’clock and 9:10 us the same! 150 degrees!”

Yes, it was simple once one just paid attention to it.

“Afterwards, the weight just had to be removed and there would be no more evidence left. And this is the trick that Komori-san used.”

Kouta was biting on his lip as though he was worried whether his cover was blown.

This was just Shin’s speculation but Kouta must have prepared an alibi when he went to the party venue. However when he saw Mei with a Noppela Vo clock hanging around her neck, he thought up of another possible way to create an alibi…

What was unfortunate for Kouta was that Mei was the daughter of the presiding prosecutor, Gou. Furthermore the girl’s ability to testify was acknowledged in court. The key to this alibi would be for a toddler to possess a Noppela Vo clock and not have the ability to testify in court.

“Oya, Defense Attorney Mitsurugi. The method you spoke of just now only explains the first and third photo. When and why was the second photo taken?”

“That has a simple explanation. Most likely, Komori-san only intended to use the seven o’clock and 9:10 photos to assert his alibi. As you are already aware, the estimated time of death can vary a wide range. However, Komori-san encountered Onebou-san at the scene of the crime at 8 o’clock. He managed to knock her out with some difficulty but as the scene of the crime became a closed room, he could not silence her….In the situation where Onebou-san was found to be innocent and protected by the police, her statements would be treated with much importance. And once the victim’s identity was made clear, it would only be matter of time before Komori-san would appear in the course of the investigation. Well, thanks to some anonymous report, the situation did not end up as such.”

The last statement was directed at Kouta.

“Komori-san had needed an alibi for during the time of the crime. Therefore, in one way or another, after he returned to the party, he called out to Mei-san once more to hurriedly create an alibi, that being, he was at the party at eight o’clock. Considering the angle between the hour and minute hand, the photo was probably taken at 9:05. I would like to say that it was careless of him to not have noticed the stain on Mei’s dress but that only shows that he was at his wit’s end.”

“The photo which we thought to be the second photo was actually the third photo…Ah, that’s why Mei-chan said she was called twice.”

Upon hearing the Judge’s words, Mei nodded in a pleased manner.

“Of course he was unable to produce the negatives. The negatives would have clearly revealed the sequence in which the photos were taken.”

“U, gugugu…”

There was no sign that Kouta was going to assert another alibi. He could have created alibi in various ways but surely it would contradict with the last photo that was taken with Mei. As expected, he must not produce another alibi with the same mouth that created a contradiction.

“But…if double sided tape was used to secure the weight, wouldn’t Mei-chan get suspicious?”

The judge was still unconvinced but Shin already had an answer prepared.

“Double-sided tape was not used. Isn’t there something better?”

“Dear me!”

“The polymer clay. It just has to be pressed firmly against the back of the clock and it will stick. An eraser sized lump that can be stuffed in the pocket would suffice as a weight. In this case, we already proven that Komori-san was in possession of it.”

Shin had intended to half bluff his way through since he was not sure if all the components were present but it seemed to have an effect on Kouta. His face went pale and then turned red. It was clear that he was losing his cool.

“Wrong….Wrong wrong wrong….I’m not going to let it end like this.”

Shin coldly spoke to Kouta who was tousling his own hair.

“If you are not holding onto any guilt then stand proudly. Or is there an issue…”

“Objection!”

It was Gou who interrupted Shin’s statement.

“What the defense did was overturn the witness’s alibi. All that amounts to is perjury and is not something to be deliberated upon in this courtroom.”

“Why is that? At this moment, Komori-san is the leading candidate to being the real culprit.”

However, Shin’s words only made a complacent smile appear on Gou’s face.

What. Don’t tell me there was something else?

“Your Honour, is it alright to ask Mei to step down from the witness stand before I present the next piece of evidence?”

Mei gave a small yawn. It looks like she was sleepy.

“Sur, sure…I believe we do not have to question her any further. Well then, Mei-chan, I bid you goodbye.”

“Bye bye, Jud. Bye bye, Papa.”

Mei, who had descended from the witness stand, waved at the Judge and Gou. However, at the end, she turned to Shin and just said the following.

“Shin, I don’t like you.”

It was not a sin for Mei to be frank but that did hurt Shin’s feelings a little. In any case, he had terrible compatibility with the Karuma family.

“Well then…this came out form the crime scene. I was planning the right time to take it out.”

After confirming that Mei had left, Gou took out a bottle that contained a sedative.

“Defendant, does this look familiar to you?”

“Yes, those are the professor’s sleeping pills. I think he uses them when there are times he has trouble sleeping.”

“Then have you touched this bottle before?”

“No…It’s the professor’s personal belongings, I have no reason to touch it….”

“Hoh? Everyone, did you carve those words into your mind?”

After Gou scrutinised the courtroom, he sternly declared.

“But we found the defendant’s fingerprints on this bottle. Not only on the outside of it but also the inside. Are you still planning to gloss over it?”

“That….”

“Even if you deny it, the evidence speaks for itself. First you suggested to commit double suicide that night. Both of you are outcasts, inventing a time machine is merely a dream after all. And thus  the both of you chose to die, unable to escape the clutches of reality of this world. Locking yourselves in a room where no one can interfere, the two of you consumed the sleeping pills. However, the defendant became worried that she will be the only one who died while the victim lived. So with a knife that she secretly brought in, she stabbed the victim in the abdomen…Since there was no resistance from the other party, it is not difficult for there not to be any blood spray.”

“I never did such a thing!”

Ignoring Yuuko’s protests, Gou continued his explanation.

“After that the defendant fell asleep but her suicide attempt was unsuccessful as she did not consume sufficient sleeping pills….Upon realising that she would be tried for murder, she decided to play the fool.”

There was no way to accept such a claim—!

“Objection! Who reported such a thing?”

“It’s an attempt at burglary at best since the reporter chose to remain anonymous. In the first place, who made the report has no bearing to the case.”

“The autopsy report did not record anything about the sleeping pills being detected in the victim’s body, did it?”

“Perhaps the appointed investigator didn’t check. However there is no body around anymore even if we did want to check…this is nothing but a pointless argument.”

“Isn’t it far too abrupt to make such a claim at this point of time?”

“That was why I was waiting for the right timing. How can I speak about foolish infatuations of the heart in front of Mei?! Isn’t that bad for her education?”

“Well, that can’t be helped. I too would like for Mei-Chan to be raised only seeing the lovely things in life.”

The judge has completely assumed himself in a grandfatherly position towards Mei.

Even so, another piece of evidence came out at a timing that could not be even better. There was no doubt that this evidence was fabricated.  However, Shin had no means to prove that it was fabricated at the moment.

“The situation at the scene of the crime also proves my hypothesis. According to the autopsy report, the victim was alive for a while after being stabbed in the abdomen with a knife. In spite of that, the victim did not call for help. Why? Even when there was a phone at the scene.”

That was a question that came out while Shin spoke to Erika. However, Shin still did not have an answer that could tie that situation up properly.

“However, if you take into account that the victim had sleeping pills then the situation makes sense. If he was unconscious while being stabbed with the knife, even if he was still alive, he was in no state to call for help.”

Shin hung onto each of Gou’s words desperately even if he had to endure an indescribable sense of irritability.

That deduction was easily turned over by Erika’s statement on what happened on the night of the crime. However that would mean Erika had to courageously indict Kouta. If Kouta was not able to be found guilty with absolute certainty, then Erika’s life would be in danger next….With that thought in mind, Shin decided he could not summon Erika to the witness stand carelessly.

“Hmm…It is rather sudden for the sleeping pills to be presented at this time, but it does explain why the victim was unable to call for help.”

The Judge was somewhat sceptical about Gou’s reasoning but had to admit there was a degree of persuasiveness to it.

“If the defense does not have a valid counter argument then the trial has been exhausted and we will move on to the verdict. Is that alright with you?”

With the way things were heading, Shin started to turn the cogwheels in his brain desperately.

Is there nothing I can use? The possibility of overturning Prosecutor Karuma’s deduction and giving an explanation the judge could accept…

In actual fact, although the evidence presented by Gou this time was strong, his deduction was not something that could be classified as smart. Perhaps Gou also felt cornered. Shin just might be able to pull something off.

“Well….”

No, the answer was there, wasn’t it. Why had he not thought about it earlier.

Shin quietly put forward his statement.

“Your Honour, the defense has prepared the counter argument.”

7 December 2001 4:10 PM

District Court

What….ridiculous, how can such a counter argument exist!

“…That is all from the defense.”

The judge watch Shin, who had finished presenting his counter argument, with a look of acknowledgement.

“Hmm….the story presented by the Prosecution does have a certain degree of persuasiveness given the existence of the sleeping pills, however I would like another one or two points that could corroborate with that. On the other hand, the Defense did not have any physical evidence but the counter argument presented just now had some degree that I could agree with.

Gou listened to the judge’s words in disbelief. What was the point of such a verbal objection? Evidence was everything in court.….

“Well, let’s wrap things up for today and continue the trial on another day. The next hearing would be three weeks away due to other trials but that should be enough time for both parties to carry out sufficient investigations. Court is adjourned.”

The judge declared as such and people started to leave the courtroom. However, Gou remained still, his arms still crossed.

It is impossible that I’m having a tough fight!

While thinking that, Gou looked over at the defense’s bench and met Shin’s eyes. However, Shin just glanced at Gou who had an expression of ridicule or contempt. After that, he left the place.

Gou could not imagine that he would lose to such a Defense attorney. But there was a chance. He had already thrown out his trump card, if he pulled the same stunt again, it would be hard for him to maintain his dominance of the courtroom.

People from the Karuma family were perfect….defeat was absolutely unforgivable. He had to find a method to win.

Gou left the courtroom to plan his next move.

28 December 2001 9:10 AM

District Court

This was a peculiar scene.

The judge, the Defense attorney, the prosecution and so on were all present yet when the court session was open, not one of them spoke a word.

The reason was obvious. The defendant was not in that courtroom.

“…Isn’t this enough already?”

After the judge confirmed the time, he slowly shook his head.

“Well…Please wait a bit longer.”

“Attorney Mitsurugi, please give up already.”

“But….”

“I don’t expect the defendant to show up.”

Gou’s cutting remark made Shin fall silent.

In the early hours of the morning, a gunshot suddenly rang out throughout the detention centre. When the staff on duty went to check each solitary cell, only the one that Yuuko was in was an empty shell.

The door to the cell was locked and on top of that there was a single gun that was just fired left in there. From the clues present, one could only imagine that Yuuko had fired the gun and then disappeared.

In any case, it was a fact that Yuuko had disappeared from the detention centre.

“We have waited long enough. Let us dismiss. It’s a pity that this could not end with the Prosecution’s victory…”

“Then this case will be put on hold until the defendant shows themselves….”

“Objection!”

Shin could not hold back any longer and yelled.

“There is a possibility that the defendant could have been caught up on some case. Please give me a time extension until I know if it was her own will to flee.”

“Objection! Don’t attempt such a futile task. There is no need to go so far for someone whose return is doubtful. She even fired a gun, you know? She has crossed a line that shouldn’t be crossed.”

Gou presented a new piece of evidence again…the gun.

“Can I have a look at that gun for a while?”

“Go ahead. Look at it all you want until you’re satisfied.”

Gou was more flexible compared to all the earlier trials, as though he was sure of his own victory.

“I took it straight from the scene so there are still bullets inside. Even if the situation looks bad for you, do not shoot me by mistake, understand?”

Shin took the gun carefully, taking care not to apply any pressure on the trigger and started to investigate the item.

Apparently, it was an actual gun. One would probably not stand a chance if they got shot by this.

But how in the world did Yuuko get her hands on this?

It was pointless. Even if he was sure it was a strange piece of evidence, he would not be able to find other evidence to support it.

Out of the blue, Shin recalled the sweet fragrance of the Ball Nine S cream.

I wonder why…I feel like I will never see Onebou-san again.

“Perhaps the defendant travelled to the future in a Time Machine?”

Once those words left Gou’s mouth, something came to Shin’s mind.

“Prosecutor Karuma….what in the world are you talking about?”

However, Gou’s shoulders only shook as he laughed silently.

“Kukuku, don’t speculate…you should have a sense of shame. If you also call yourself someone who practices law, you should let the evidence speak for themselves.”

“Defense Attorney Mitsurugi, it’s a pity but this time, there is not much that can be done. If we consider the circumstances, it will probably be appropriate to assume that Onebou-san left on her own will. Until she returns, this case will be put on hiatus.”

After putting up such a good fight so far, Shin never expected that such an end would be waiting for him. Was it a mistake to go up against the undefeated Prosecutor after all?

He had chosen this career out of his love for justice. What kind of defence attorney would he be if he does not condemn wrongdoings?

…I won’t be satisfied unless I catch Prosecutor Karuma off guard

“Well, it’s fine if you want to give yourself a pat on the back for facing off against me until this point. Even if the defendant shows herself in court, the result will probably remain unchanged.”

Is there nothing at all? Something that Prosecutor Karuma has overlooked….No, there is one.. Ball Nine S….

“Then, court is adjourned….”

“Hold it!”

Shin had to yell out.

“Attorney Mitsurugi, I can understand your feelings, but if you continue on, I’ll have no choice but to hold you contempt in court.”

“I do not agree with putting the trial on hiatus but I can accept it. However I am not able to overlook the prosecution’s misdeeds.”

Just as Shin uttered those words, the frown upon Gou’s brows deepened.

There was no turning back after this.

“The prosecution’s misdeeds?”

“I would like to request that the bottle of sleeping pills that the Prosecution presented in the previous trial be examined again. If we do that, I think it will become clear that the methods of investigation was unfair.”

“You don’t know when to give up. You are aware that even if the evidence is examined again, the fingerprints aren’t going to disappear?”

With a triumphant expression, Gou took out the bottle of sleeping pills.

“It doesn’t matter. As long as you don’t go as far as smashing the bottle or that will prove your misdeeds.”

Gou’s index fingers tapped on his own two arms as though he could not calm down. It was understandable that he was irritated.

“What an obvious motive. It would serve as a good excuse if you lost because of some strange piece of evidence. But I’m not so good natured to keep quiet when you are dragging my name through the mud. What will you do if nothing comes out of it.

“I’ll stake my attorney’s badge on it.”

“Interesting!”

Gou laughed joyfully and handed the bottle of sleeping pills to the court baliff. However, the judge just watched that expression emotionlessly.

“Attorney Mitsurugi, no matter the circumstances….”

“No, I will never forgive myself if I do not do this.

“If you would go as far as to say that….I understand. I approve of the re-investigation.”

“Thank you very much.”

Then Shin conveyed his intentions to the Court Baliff who was nearby.

One hour later, with the Judge’s approval, the results of the re-examination were delivered.

“The examination is completed. Um, what Attorney Mitsurugi requested for was not an investigation of the fingerprints but an analysis of the components that the fingerprints contain.”

“Hm? There shouldn’t be anything other than oils from the skin and perspiration.”

Gou still had not understood Shin’s motives. However, Shin wanted to make use of the Court Baliffs without giving Gou any time to think.

“Other than oil from skin and perspiration, there is also urea, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, glycerin and silkolin detected…Attorney Mitsurugi, what is the does this mean?”

(T/N: I translated スベスベール which is the made up newly developed ingredient that gives smooth skin to silkolin)

“Urea and hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C inside glycerin. In addition, silkolin….all these are ingredients that make up this handcream called Ball Nine S. Before the trials started, I bought the Ball Nine S cream from a shop for Onebou-san as her hands were terribly cracked and gave it to her. Then this Ball Nine S is unwavering evidence of the prosecution’s misdeed….Prosecutor Karuma must have used some kind of method to make Onebou-san touch this evidence.”

“Hah, how is this decisive? How many handcreams are being distributed in this world. The ingredients that have been detected are common in these products, aren’t they? Or are you saying that you can prove that the defendant did not apply any handcream even once before the case happened?”

Gou had an expression that said that it was impossible. In actual fact, that was true. It was much more difficult to prove that something was not done rather than something was done.

“I cannot prove that.”

Shin’s words made Gou bare his teeth and laugh.

“Moron. Stop wasting our time. Well, this is the end of your life as a Defense Attorney.”

However, Shin did not think as such. Because at this point of time, such a proof was unnecessary.

“Is that so? Actually one of the ingredients I listed earlier, silkolin, had just been developed so it’s only formulated in Ball Nine S.”

“So what? If it can be bought at the detention centre, it can be bought somewhere else.”

“What a pity, but Ball Nine S is a new production that only came out in mid-october. If we turn our thinking around, it would mean that this product was not being circulated during the time the case occurred, which was the first of October….if this was not being sold when the case happened, then this should not be detected on evidence found at the crime scene.”

“What?”

A colour of dismay appeared on Gou’s face.

“If not for this bottle, an acquittal would have been given on that day. But due to a piece of evidence that should not have existed, the trial was delayed and one woman was deprived of her chance for freedom….The case is probably put on hiatus for now but please do not forget this fact.”

“U, uguooooo….”

Gou made a noise that was neither a wail or a roar. Shin might be the first to witness the ugly side of this Prosecutor who went undefeated for twenty five years. Even so, Shin’s mood did not lighten.

“It may be necessary to investigate how much of this was done intentionally by the prosecution. Prosecutor Karuma, can you explain where this item came from?”

“…Apparently there was some flaw during the field investigation. I will follow up with a report on when I find out the cause of the problem.”

Even at this point in time, he was still not going to admit his wrongdoing? Surely, he would use every means to make it look like there was an unintentional failure of the investigation. However, Shin had no intention of backing down. No matter what kind of investigative results turn up, he will definitely turn over proof of the prosecution’s misdeeds.

As the judge stared at the court proceedings with wide eyes, a court baliff whispered something in his ear.

“Oh, Prosecutor Karuma. It seems like the Chief Prosecutor is urgently summoning you about another trial.”

“….I see. Then there’s no point for me to remain here.”

Gou who looked to be holding back something made the judge say the following.

“For now, it seems like this case has come to an unpleasant end but I believe that someday, the truth will come to light. Court is adjourned.”

Gou listened to the Judge’s words quietly but on the other hand, he shot a glare with a hateful expression at Shin.

28 December 2001 11:55 AM

District Court

It was pure luck that Ball Nine S was detected on the bottle of sleeping pills. However, if he had firm faith in his client, he should have been able to point it out in the previous court proceedings. And if so, he would have been able to get the acquittal earlier and Yuuko would not have vanished. And on top of that, the man known as Komori Kouta was a free man.

This is all my responsibility.,. I was too slow in noticing Prosecutor Karuma’s dastardly schemes and now I am unable to help Onebou-san.

Shin blamed himself then he heard a worried voice coming from below.

“Otou-san, what’s wrong?”

It was Reiji. As it was the winter break, he came over to the district court to play.

“Nothing, nothing is wrong.”

“But you look even more stern than usual…did something happen in the trial just now?”

Now that he thought about it, Shin was glad that Reiji did not attend the trial. He did not want Reiji to hate this country’s judicial system at the moment.

“I’ll tell you more about it over lunch. It’s alright to get something you like today.”

“Really? Hm, what should we get?”

Shin looked sideways at Reiji who was getting restless and he became deep in thought once more.

When would I meet Onebou-san again? Assuming she would not be found before the statute of limitation expires, it would be another fifteen years….At that time, perhaps Reiji would also have become a Defense Attorney. At least, until then, I would like to remain as a Defense Attorney as well…

Suddenly, Reiji pointed in a certain direction.

“Otou-san, hurry. That person seems to be waiting for us.”

When Shin looked, he saw the Court Baliff who was in the court with him in the earlier trial, keeping the elevator door open for them. Shin would be fine if they used the stairs but he could not bear to ignore this small act of courtesy.

“Ah…let’s go.”

Shin responded as such and together with Reiji, he got on the elevator.