(This is it guys! After this, just two more chapters! Ah! I'm going to miss everyone for a while! But, this is the chapter a lot of people were waiting for! You're going to enjoy this one! Enjoy!)
(Phoenix's POV)
With that, Miles, the professor, and I finally have everything we need to bring the truth to light!
"Hey! Boss!" Athena shouted as she ran in with my little daughter behind her.
"Trucy! You're ok!" I said in relief as I embraced her warmly.
"Yep! Sorry to worry about you, daddy. After this, we need to talk about something important" she said in a nervous yet brave tone.
It must be serious, but right now, we have to find the truth.
"Alright, after this, you can tell me. Right now, daddy and his friends need to defeat the bad guy. Don't leave Athena's side" I said with a grin as I patted her head.
"Kay, daddy!" Trucy said as she then rushed to Athena's side.
I turned my attention to Athena. She was holding a tape, notebook, and looked really serious. Though, Apollo, Katrielle, and Alfendi were not with her. Don't tell me they are in trouble.
"Don't worry, boss. They are just fine! Apollo and Kat are with Trucy's friends while Al stayed with Chihiro! I've got the evidence we need for this!" she said with pride as she gave it to me.
I examined it with Professor Layton and Miles. The three of us looked over it until we were ready. Miles waved to Klavier who stopped playing his music. Everyone turned their attention to us. Athena turned on Widget, so Apollo, Katrielle, Alfendi, and Chihiro could listen in. Kay rushed to us to give us each a microphone to use.
"Did you finally solve the case?" Kristoph asked surprised.
"I believe we have! Thanks to everyone's help, we were able to come to the conclusion of who the true killer is!" I said with pride.
"You have?" Kristoph asked surprised.
"Yes. Now, we need everyone to gather around us as we explain everything. Although this isn't a normal trial, this will be no different than us finding the truth" Miles answered seriously.
"Now, with that, let's begin!" Professor Layton said excitedly, "Would the prosecutor give us his opening statement?"
"I would be delighted too" Miles said with a smile, "The victim is Professor Constance Courte. She is a defense attorney at Themis Legal Academy. She was an outstanding professor who influenced every legal mind she taught. She was killed with a single shoot of a sniper"
So, that does match up.
"Right now, the suspect is that dear friend of yours, Larry Butz. He was the last person to see her alive. However, he claims he never killed her" Professor Layton said calmly, "Does the defense have any evidence to already contradict this statement?"
Already? Man, the professor sure doesn't waste any time. Lucky for him, I already do.
"Larry's alibi holds that he did see her last, he later left her at the table to get her a drink. He remarked that she appeared to be dazed" I answered as I heard Alfendi snicker from Widget.
"I believe Athena and I have already solved that issue, Mr. Wright" he said simply, "Athena can explain it since she is with you, right Athena?"
"Oh, can it, Al! Of course, I can explain it! Al and I came to the conclusion that Professor Courte was heading to the control room of the school. The Assassin attacked her, but he didn't kill her. There was a scene of a struggle at the control room" Athena informed us as Widget displayed the state of the room to us.
"That explains why she was in a daze when she sat with Larry" Miles said seriously, "She was probably rendered unconscious and then woke up across from a typical idiot"
"HEY!" Larry shouted at Miles angrily.
"Does the employee of the defense have any more evidence to prove this?" Junpier asked curiously.
"Yep! We got security videos of some of the fight thanks to Chihiro!" Athena said in delight as she tapped the screen to reveal the video to us.
It was a bit blurry and out of focus, but we could definitely tell that it was Professor Courte and the Assassin.
"The defense would also like to present the broken monocle we found at the scene of the crime" Athena said as she handed it to me.
What does this mean? Did this fall her attacker?
(Layton's POV)
I glanced at the broken monocle. Now, by using the simple tool of process of elimination, I came to reason that this person must either have a spare one or is currently blind. After all, being blind in one eye is going to cause some trouble for the person. There is also the puddle of ice cream we need to consider as well.
"If this helps, the ice cream matches the ice cream Prosecutor Nahyuta had" Maya said as she held Nahyuta's ice cream, "Do you think this will matter?"
I examined both ice cream flavors as I recalled Miss Hall's statement about not using ice cream for the desserts. If that is the case, then our culprit has something to do with ice cream.
"Where did you get this ice cream?" I asked her suspiciously.
"Oh, in the kitchen to the ballroom. I wanted something sweet and the ice cream vendor!" Maya exclaimed excitedly.
"Miss Hall, you stated that ice cream was not on your desserts, right?" I asked her as I turned to her and Defense Shields.
"That is correct. I never put ice cream on the list. I don't know who brought ice cream" she confessed.
"Agent Lang, please bring in the ice cream vendor for questioning while my wife and I examine the ice creams to see if they do truly match!" I shouted seriously as took Prosecutor Nahyuta's ice cream and marched towards the ice cream puddle with a footprint.
"Are you sure about this, Hershel?" Claire asked surprised, "This seems extreme, even for you"
"I know, but if it is true that these ice cream flavors are the same and link back to the vendor, then that means the vendor is the true culprit behind this case" I answered seriously as I went to work with Miss Skye.
Using her testing equipment, the ice cream Prosecutor Nahyuta had and the one on the floor did indeed match!
(Miles's POV)
"Professors did it match?" I asked gently as Agent Lang finally returned with the suspect.
"Yes. These ice creams do match each other. It is reasonable to suspect that the ice cream vendor is behind this" Professor Layton answered me.
Everything is falling perfectly into place.
"He's here! Though, he doesn't look like a killer if you ask me" Agent Lang said as he presented the ice cream vendor to us.
Well, he is not wrong. He looks like a simple ice cream vendor with black and white hair as well as a new monocle. I examined his outfit for a moment and noticed a similar shell on his coat pocket. I knew it was him, the Assassin from the First Dark Age of Law.
"Please give us your name and occupation" I asked him seriously as I tried to remain calm.
"I am Shelly De Killer. A humble ice cream vendor" he answered in a pleasant manner.
Even his name sounds like a killer. Well, don't get ahead of yourself, Miles. You have to link him to the crime.
"Mr. Killer, where you were when Professor Courte was killed?" I asked him seriously.
"I was tending to the ice cream. After all, ice cream is my life" he answered simply.
"Are you sure about that?" I asked him seriously.
Before I could ask another question, Prosecutor Blackquill stepped forward.
"Hold on, there is something not right about this" he said, "I may not know a lot about ice cream, but my friends do. They've taught me a few things about it. You left one of your containers open. Why is that?"
"To serve ice cream, of course" he answered simply.
"But the ice cream was melting away. Why?" Forensic Skye asked curiously, "Is there a reason for this?"
Prosecutor Nahyuta and Maya rushed back to the kitchen as they took the ice cream container to find the container in question.
"It was beginning to freeze over, but I think he was trying to hide something" Prosecutor Nahyuta said as he presented it to me.
Phoenix opened it and tried to dig through it and found a shoe...
"I never thought I would see this in a container" Phoenix confessed as Professor Layton looked at the shoe.
He examined it and discovered that it was a match to the print in the puddle.
"So, this matches perfectly with the one in the puddle" the professor informed us.
"Then, that must mean this monocle belongs to him!" Phoenix shouted in realization, "You probably noticed it yourself, Miles, but that monocle is new"
"I'm glad you caught on. Now, we need to find the murder weapon" I said seriously.
"I believe my son can help with that" Professor Layton said seriously, "Are you two ready to bring this trial to an end?"
Phoenix and I nodded as we stood together.
(3rd's POV)
Everyone was quiet as the three of them faced Shelly.
"We have video of you with Professor Courte in the control room. You fought with her there and then knocked her unconscious due to the mark on her face to prove this theory. From there, you took her here. She later awoke and went after you" Professor Layton reiterated to him.
"Then, you attacked her with a single shot of a sniper since there was no sign of a struggle at the table. You were able to kill her with ease and thanks to your involvement in the control room, you were able to lock us all in her and pin the crime on our friend, Larry" Miles continued seriously, "There was no blood on the table either. She didn't perish there, but on the floor nearby"
Shelly was holding his composure, but he knew he would get away with it.
"There is just one more piece of evidence to link you to the crime" Phoenix said as he faced him, "The broken monocle. Athena found it in the control room. Unlike your shoe, you probably assumed it shattered on the ground. That wasn't the case. It just cracked"
Shelly shook his head as he tried to shake off this feeling of being caught.
"Ah, but you haven't found the murder weapon. How do you know it was a sniper if you don't have it?" Shelly asked eerily quiet.
"As if I'm letting you get away with that!" Al shouted from Widget, "Thanks to my father and his friends, they were able to buy us enough time. Chihiro was able to access all the deleted security videos and found it! The sniper is in your ridiculous pink coat! Grab him!"
Detective Gumshoes and Agent Lang rushed to Shelly and restrained just as the sniper fell out! However, Shelly easily tossed Detective Gumshoes over his shoulder and onto Agent Lang. He picked up the sniper and aimed it right at Phoenix Wright!
"Daddy!" Trucy exclaimed as Kay held the little girl back.
Everyone froze as Phoenix raised his hands up.
"I wonder, do your friends and family really cherish you that much, Mr. Wright? I must confess, no one, not even your fallen mentor, has ever found me out. I pursue flawless executions. Yet, you, the prosecutor, and professor were able to finally discover me. Though, you fell a little short. You left me with my weapon. So, let's have another test" he said in delight, "If you all truly care for Defense Attorney Phoenix Wright prove it right here and now!"
No one moved. The room was deathly silent until Makoto rushed towards his boss as Miles rushed to Phoenix's right side and Professor Layton to his left.
"Of course, we care about Mr. Wright! He's done nothing but fight for the truth and others!" Makoto shouted as bravely as he could, "None of us will ever give on him!"
Miles held Phoenix's right hand as Layton and his wife stood right behind them.
"Phoenix Wright is a man who is willing to defend others he cares about. He loves us dearly, and in turn, we love him back" Miles declared, "We won't let you take him that easily"
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Miles. Phoenix Wright is a good partner to work with. He has helped my family and me countless times already. I won't lose a good friend that easily"
"Yeah! He's my daddy! He's the best daddy in the whole world! He never lies either!" Trucy exclaimed as she broke free from Kay's hold and went to hug her dad.
"Yep! Nick did learn from my big sister, so he is a great attorney. However, he never gives up. That's something no one has on him!" Maya shouted with pride as Blackquill grinned.
"Mr. Wright is really the best boss! He let me work for him and use my ability to help out others! There's no way I'm leaving him that easily!" Athena shouted as flashed a peace sign.
"Mr. Wright helped my big sister out too. Thanks to him, Lana is safe and finally away from the First Dark Age of Law. I am honored to work with him" Ema stated seriously as Nahyuta smiled in agreement.
"Hey! It is thanks to Mr. Wright that I am able to be an attorney and fight with everything I have! I am able to help my friends too! There's no way I'm letting Mr. Wright fall like this!" Apollo shouted with his Chords of Steel through Widget as Eve and Kat winced at how loud he was.
Suddenly, a miracle occurred. Around Phoenix, everyone was cheering and shouting their belief in him. The cheers soon turned into a melody which began to hurt Shelly! Klavier and Sebastian could hear their voices and words as tiny spheres of light slowly began to rise from the ground. Without even thinking, the two of them grab a guitar and baton. To the tune of the chorus of belief, they played along to it to strengthen it! The both of them were able to turn the chorus into a powerful melody as they began to sing "Lu Li La".
"Shelly De Killer, your crimes have finally been revealed. You can't hide anymore!" Professor Layton shouted as he pointed at him.
"The truth is finally here. You have nowhere to run! Show yourself to everyone!" Miles shouted as he pointed at him.
"Everyone here is a witness and seen it with their own eyes that you are the killer! Now, the pursuit has caught you! It is time for you to confess!" Phoenix shouted as he pointed at him.
"Argh!" Shelly exclaimed as he dropped his sniper and covered his ears.
He couldn't take it anymore. The melody was too powerful and their belief in their friend was too strong. He let out a scream as he surrendered to them.
"I CONFESS! I DID IT! I KILLED HER!" he shouted over their voices as loud as he could.
Everyone's cheers and melody soon faded away as Klavier and Sebastian wondered what that powerful, soothing melody was. As for Maya, she gasped as she saw those same figures again. A Galarian detective standing behind Professor Layton, a Galarian noble behind Miles, and a Nihon couple behind Phoenix. The four of them were cheering together until they vanished from Maya's site. She blinked a couple of times as she wondered who they were, but she smiled. She felt their happiness for their descendants for coming together and defeating the true culprit.
"Detective Gumshoes, Agent Lang, please arrest him" Miles said as the two of them held Shelly up.
"Wait" Phoenix said as he faced Shelly, "I just need to know something. Is there a reason for this? You placed your calling cards at the scene of crimes for the past two years. Why?"
"Hehe. You caught on, Phoenix Wright. It is true. I did place those cards there. I was testing you, your partner, your employees, and your friends. I maybe your toughest opponent now, but I won't be for long. I wanted to make sure I could leave the safety of the law in your hands. I was right to do so" Shelly confessed, "I'm done. I'll confess to ever killing I have ever committed here and in the First Dark Age of Law. Take me away. I've been checkmated"
With that, the Turnabout of New Truth brought the final member in the Dark Age of Law to end. Everyone was cheering and celebrating together as Phoenix finally let himself catch his breath. He didn't think he could do this, but he was grateful to have his friends and partner by his side. Chihiro unlocked the doors and allowed people to leave their school. Apollo, Kat, and Al reunited with their friends and family.
(Phoenix's POV)
Hope's Peak Academy, Ballroom Balcony
November 6th, 12:00 AM
Wow! That was something. I really didn't think I could pull it off, but I'm just grateful I did with my partner and friends. I looked at all of them celebrating together until my daughter rushed towards me with her two friends behind her.
"So, you're Mr. Phoenix Wright, the defense attorney" Eve stated as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Uh, yeah? Trucy, who are they and how do you know them?" I asked her calmly.
Trucy stepped away from me as she sighed.
"Daddy, I'm a real magician" she confessed.
I was surprised, but I let her explain everything before asking any questions.
"Those stones I have are from my family. We are the only ones who can use it" Trucy explained to me as she disappeared and reappeared before me.
Huh. You know, that should've been obvious, but I guess I wasn't able to pick up on that.
"Alright, that makes sense" I said to her gently, "Now, what about you two? Are you going to take my daughter away from me?"
"We were sent to find Trucy and take her back to the realm of Vana, our home" Espella answered.
"However, it is Trucy's choice in the end" Eve confessed, "So, Trucy, where do you want to go?"
Oh. Wow. They are right though. This is Trucy's choice in the end. I don't want to influence her decision at all.
"I want to stay with my daddy" she said simply as she hugged me.
Espella clapped in delight as Eve nodded her head. She then took out a black cat charm and kneeled before Trucy.
"Alright, but if you need anything, Trucy, use this. I'll come and get you in no time" Eve reassured her with a bright smile.
Trucy took the charm and grinned. She nodded her head as Espella grinned.
"Please keep Trucy's homeland a secret along with the realms, Mr. Wright. It was a pleasure to meet you, but Eve and I will have to return home now" Espella said with a grin.
"She's right. Well, we will see soon, Wrights. Goodbye" Eve said as the two witches left their world and returned to Vana together.
I hugged Trucy as Miles and Kay rushed towards us.
"Is everything alright? If I am interrupting anything, we can go" Miles said as Trucy grinned at them.
"No! You're fine, Uncle Miles! I'll hang out with Kay!" Trucy exclaimed as she rushed to Kay, pulled Kay after her, and ran out of the balcony.
I simply laughed at them as I stood up to face Miles.
"So, how are you?" I asked him with a smile, "That was some trial!"
"Indeed, but I do hope you don't plan to keep putting your life in danger all the time" Miles said with a shake of his head.
"Don't worry. I won't. I just had to do something about this case. Whether that is reckless or courageous, I did it! Though, I didn't expect the sniper to be in his outfit!" I joked as Miles sighed.
"You have a point. Thanks to your courage, I feel it too" Miles said as he got down on one knee before me, "Phoenix Wright, ever since you have returned in my life, my life has changed for the better. I have wonderful friends, an amazing daughter, and the best job I could ever want. You helped me find closure on the case that has been haunting my life for years. After all of that, I knew I didn't want you out of my life. After this, I know for a fact that I can't imagine you without my life. Phoenix Wright will you marry me?"
The ring was a silver band with a blue sapphire on it. Miles was blushing and clearly flustered as I felt happy, fresh tears fall from my face.
"Oh, my gods, yes!" I shouted as hugged Miles and gave him a kiss.
Miles sighed in relief as he carefully put the ring on my finger. Then, we heard a loud cheer coming from our daughters and friends as they rushed over to us to congratulate us and our union. I never let go of Miles's hands as Trucy and Kay rushed to hug us. I'm just so happy! I have the best job, the best friends, the best employees, and now, I have the best family. I cannot wait to marry Miles Edgeworth and have our families together! I love my life!