【Chengyu】Turnabout: Bloodline

Meeting Japan's youngest current attorney general in court is no longer a regular occurrence for Wright.But it was definitely a joy to meet his best friend—

Even when they're in the middle of a tit-for-tat debate, it's almost too late to start insulting each other under the pressure and frustration.This is almost reminiscent of the quarrel between Wang Nixi and Xinyin over the issue of "who should clean the toilet in the office".

"Disagreement!"

"What do you want to say, defense counsel?"

[No, Your Honor, I just wanted to say something casually and managed to attract the attention of the entire court and made myself look like an idiot—not the first time. 】

"There is an obvious and startling inconsistency in the testimony of the witnesses! Even if Ms. Hamers did witness the crime, she could not have seen the accused Mrs. Hansen hit with a sledgehammer in a left-handed, right-handed position. The victim, Mr. Hammers!"

"But I did see it!"

"I said you can't—"

"Disagreement!"

The interrupted Wright breathlessly turned his gaze to the Attorney General standing proudly behind the long table.Miles Edgeworth, his childhood friend and now formidable rival, was hunched over the table and staring—a look he could almost see from across the courtroom.He didn't mean to cast such a dark look at his friend, but just as he was getting ready for the climax of this amusing interrogation, he couldn't help cursing the guy's interruption in his mind.

"Can the defense stop pestering witnesses for its own dirty ends?"

"Unfortunately, I agree with Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth. Please get straight to the point, Attorney Wright!" the chief judge announced, and Wright's shoulders slumped.

"I was about to—" Wright mutters, before Maya elbows him.Stop complaining, think about what to do!She gestured with her eyes.

Here's another nostalgic detail—his sidekick is Maya Ayari.Of course, she has grown a lot taller, but her kind and pure heart has not changed in the slightest.Wright wonders, as he gets another elbow, if this is some kind of amazing luck.

"Mrs. Hansen can't lift a sledgehammer. Mrs. Hansen, allow me to prove it?"

The poor young woman in the dock shrank further into her seat upon hearing this.Sensing her defense attorney guiding the courtroom, she nodded briefly, allowing Wright to continue speaking.

"The defendant, Mrs. Hansen, was involved in a traffic accident when she was 5 years old. That accident took the life of her mother and...her left arm." Cheng Butang approached his client, And she subconsciously squeezed the sleeves of the sweater tightly into her fists.She visibly hesitated when the jury began to murmur, and the umpire had to bang the gavel on them to keep quiet.

"Wright Wright, you're persecuting the defendant. Normally, that should be my job." Edgeworth grinned a sarcastic smirk, but his eyes hidden behind the glasses betrayed the corners of his mouth, still spontaneity Gu complained about being nervous and tired.The defense lawyers did their best to focus on the case itself, rather than staring at the prosecution's thick black eye.After the trial, he had to confront Edgeworth about his sleep patterns.

"The defense just wanted to ask Mrs. Hansen to cooperate and remind her that I'm on her side?" Wright tilted his head slightly, pressing his hands tightly together in a pleading gesture.

Mrs. Hanson sighed stiffly.After a few seconds, she pulled the cuff up to her elbow, revealing a motionless, lifeless prosthetic.Wright secretly breathed a sigh of relief when a murmur of surprise erupted in the courtroom.

"Obviously, this is a non-moving prosthetic limb, which is useless for anything but filling the defendant's left sleeve!"

"What!?" The witness on the witness stand yelled, his forehead was already dripping with sweat, "Is she——?!"

When Wright turned and leaned over to talk with his defendant in a low voice, the entire courtroom revived as if awakened by a spring thunder, and erupted in rumbling noises.

"I need you to take off this prosthetic." He knew he was asking too much, in fact, his defendant had steadfastly refused to admit to him that it was a prosthetic from the start.But he needs this, and it's the last straw that destroys witnesses and testimonies.

"I—I can't do it!" Mrs. Hanson put her sleeves down and gripped the cuffs tightly.

"Come on, then you can hate me, scream at me, kick my balls, whatever, now all I need is your arm."

The Chief Prosecutor cleared his throat from the prosecutor's seat. At this second, Cheng Butang could only assume that Edgeworth couldn't wait to continue the cross-examination, and he didn't allow the slightest overstepping the rules.But when he sneaked a glance at the prosecutor's seat, he found that the man just brushed the dust off his neckline with his hand, and put his other hand quietly on the table.Don't be stressed, he told him with gestures, take your time.

Wright wasn't sure whether to thank him, or worry about his sanity.

He turned back to Mrs. Hansen.Her eyes were full of pleading, and he watched quietly as her hand, which was tightly gripping the wrist of her prosthetic limb, gradually relaxed, and finally left, slipping onto the sweater on her chest.Startled, Wright took off his suit jacket and used it to shield her from the view of the court audience.Only the chief referee and Yu Jian were still within her line of sight. The judge let out a hoarse sigh and turned his face away; Wipe the lenses of the glasses.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know your prosthetic was... so... long." Wright stammered, apologizing awkwardly, when he heard the belt buckle come loose and the prosthetic fell onto the bench He probably glanced back at the click—

Soon he turned his face to his shoulders, fixing his gaze on his deltoids, praying that she wouldn't accuse him of sexual harassment for catching him staring blankly at her bare upper body.

"Give you."

Cheng Butang was finally able to look at Mrs. Hansen normally.Without the padding of the prosthetics, the fabric of her sweater sags in those empty spaces, exposing the curves of her bra straps and breasts.He did not know what to say, but swallowed it all, and threw his coat over the shoulders of his accused, trying to restore as much of the decency he had robbed her of her as possible.

"Thank you. Please believe that I will prove your innocence." Cheng Butang took the prosthesis and nodded firmly.

"If I didn't trust you, you wouldn't have come this far."

That's right.

The prosthetic has joints at the shoulder, elbow and wrist, and the fingers are fixed in a handshake-like position.Wright thought as he walked, there was no way the handle of that sledgehammer could fit into the space between its thumb and other fingers.

"Disagreement!" Yujian made a sudden attack, making Butang almost breathless. "Prosthetics are also capable of bearing loads! Your previous assumption that 'can only fill her sleeves' is not valid! If you want to show proof, Wright, you should at least give proof!"

The defense lawyer stared intently at the prosecutor opposite.From his voice, Wright could sense that this was a chance for Edgeworth.He was leading him to raise the evidence in his hand to crush the prosecution's own claims.

Edgeworth has completely changed since the arrest and death of his teacher Karmaho for murdering his father.His goal is no longer to convict the accused at any cost, but to expose the lies and find the truth.He works hard to make sure that no innocent person is ever wronged again for his mistakes.Only in this way can he sleep peacefully at night, instead of being tortured and entangled endlessly by the undead in his dreams. 】

[This is the end of the dark age of law. 】

【However, what does Yujian mean by "proof"?Am I missing something? 】

Wright stared at the tight lines around Edgeworth's eyes for another moment.Immediately, a subtle gesture by the Chief Prosecutor on his sleeve caught his attention.He crossed his arms and made a circular motion with his delicate index finger on his forearm, as if writing something on the fabric with his manicured nails.

He lowered his head, already having an answer in his mind.

【Yes! 】

"Mr. Judge!" Wright turned to the bearded old man sitting on the high platform. "The murder weapon in this case was a very big and heavy sledgehammer, wasn't it?" Photos of the weapon appeared on the screens on both sides of the courtroom.

"Exactly. I have a very similar hammer on my ranch for fence repairs."

[It's unbelievable that you own a ranch, Mr. Judge.But I don't think I'll ever meet a more docile, or even whipped, judge in my life.Ha - I'll have to talk to Maya about this later. 】

"The total weight of the hammer is clearly marked on the handle, which is 21 pounds, which is about 10 kilograms. We all know now that the defendant has a fake arm, which I just proved."

He looked up at the judge, and the referee signaled him to continue his performance as before.

"I will now show the words printed on this prosthetic leg on the screen," Wright said, holding the prosthetic leg up to the evidence camera, turning it until the line of small raised words was clearly visible, "Even if the defendant manages to put the big The handle of the hammer got stuck between her fingers, which still doesn't make sense."

"Then what are you talking about?" the "witness" on the witness stand suddenly exclaimed, nervously twisting her gray hair with her fingers, "So what if it's a prosthesis? It doesn't prove that she can't put the hammer handle in it." Into false hands—that's what you said yourself!"

"Ms. Hamers, your testimony was a lie from the start, and I'm going to prove it." Wright turned back to the defense bench, pointing at the plastic prosthesis in his arms. "The text on this prosthetic leg clearly reads:

【Maximum load-bearing weight: 5kg】

This means that even if she manages to lift the sledgehammer, she will inevitably attach more than 5kg to the prosthetic when she swings it, causing it to snap at the elbow joint!At no point in your testimony did you say that she struck with her right hand - almost impossible for someone her size! "

"But—but!"

"You just made it clear that she struck with the hammer left-handed, didn't you, Ms. Hammers?" He couldn't help adding sarcasm by using her name. *

* (Ms. Hammers' surname Hammers is a homonym for hammer hammer)

"Are you saying a woman can't lift a sledgehammer, you stupid prick?!"

[Oh, here we go, making complaints about his hairstyle.Even linked to sexism. 】

"I'll let you know, you little bastard, our whole family knows how to use a hammer better than you dodgy lawyer! I used to be the champion of our village - I don't need a hammer, I can bring you to the ground with my bare hands !"

[I can object to her, but I prefer to let her dig a deeper grave for herself. 】

While she continued to rave about Wright, Wright's hair, his fashion sense, and his age of not yet 40, he just silently returned Mrs. Henson's prosthetic.She thanked him gently.With Wright's coat still draped over her, she began to put the prosthetic back on.Meanwhile, most of the audience's attention is drawn to the maddened witness.

The Gumshoe detective in the hallway suddenly caught his eye, the burly officer looking like a tiger out of a herd of ordinary people around him.He blinked those puppy eyes and gave an asymmetrical smile with a jolt of his broad shoulders, showing how confident he was in Wright's defense.No one would have imagined that this little old woman who claimed to have "witnessed" the crime would suddenly become such a... a shrew.

He could literally see the prosecution's charges crumbling like yellow leaves in autumn.

"Cheng Butang," Maya secretly tugged at his sleeve behind the desk.

"I know! We've got a winning ticket!" Wright tried to control his expression, but he couldn't help but smile smugly, and he even wanted to dance in just his underwear because his instincts were once again overwhelmed. The proof is so accurate.

"No, Cheng Butang, look at Yu Jian."

He shut his mouth, and the witnesses continued to breathe, but the entire court fell into a shocking silence.He looked at the prosecutor's seat opposite the courtroom, Yu Jian leaned against his long table, his eyes were closed tightly, and his silver bangs were dangling in front of his obviously abnormal face.Wright felt as if his heart had been tugged suddenly. If it was just losing in court, this would not be Edgeworth's normal reaction, because what he pursued had changed many years ago.This was not what he remembered Edgeworth was supposed to do.

【The truth will be revealed soon, isn't this what Yu Jian wants to see?His accusations may already be flimsy, but together they debunk the witness' lies, isn't that what he wants?So why make that look?Am I missing something again? 】

"Chengbutang, he doesn't look very good." Maya gently tugged on his clothes again, and turned her head slightly so that she could look directly at his face.Cheng Butang swallowed.No wonder he didn't object further, he looked really miserable.

"Ask for an adjournment, Wright!" the young psychic urged.

[Yes, this is a good idea.The outcome of any one trial is not worth trading Edgeworth's safety for. 】

"That's when I swung my sledgehammer and smashed his little paper head! How dare he challenge me that I'm too old for a hammer! I proved it to him, didn't I, I Show him the real power behind my name—”

"Master Judge!" Cheng Butang suddenly called out to the judge, "I request a temporary adjournment!"

What was even more disturbing was that Edgeworth didn't even look up at this sudden request for an adjournment.He was still bent over, and the only movement he made was to let go of the hand that was pressing on his head.Wright could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and standing so close to Maya, she must have been able to hear it in the deathly silence.

"Hmm..." The referee blinked in surprise, "Lawyer Wright, the witness is just—"

"Please." Cheng Butang clasped his hands together and begged.

"Attorney Wright, your request for an adjournment has been denied. Listen to what the witness just said. She just confessed to the crime your defendant is being tried for!"

"Does she have it?" Wright blinked.

"Wright Wright!"

Cheng Butang heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground from across the court.He jumped up, and for a moment he thought it was Mrs. Hanson who had knocked off the prosthetic she was carefully trying to put back on.

At the same time, Gumshoe deftly jumped over all obstacles and rushed to the prosecutor's seat.When he followed the line of sight of the criminal policeman, an indescribable fear appeared on his face——

Edgeworth wasn't there.

Another heated discussion erupted in the courtroom.Wright shot through the space between the defense and the prosecution like an arrow from a string, and found Edgeworth slumped on the floor behind the table.Without thinking, he took out his mobile phone and handed it to Maya to call an ambulance.He didn't want his attention to be split in two: his childhood best friend passed out in front of him while the operator told him to keep the fuck calm.

Meanwhile, Gumshoe was trying to wake Edgeworth with a soft, intimate voice, and a pat on his pale cheek.Realizing he was talking to himself, Wright started taking off the jacket of his expensive suit to keep him from overheating.

"I don't even feel..." Wright heard Gumshoe murmur.

"What does it feel like?" he asked, running his fingers into Edgeworth's carotid fossa.Pulse is steady but weak. 【It's not time to go crazy yet—but I think I'm almost there! 】

"Earthquake! I didn't even feel it!" On the other side, the criminal police must have been terrified.

"What earthquake?" The thought came to Butang's mind.Was he so preoccupied with presenting the evidence that he didn't feel like an earthquake in the courtroom?No - it's impossible.Earthquake alarms are installed throughout the courthouse building, and they will be triggered if the government issues an earthquake warning, or if an earthquake just hits the site.

"It must be an earthquake, buddy! Inspector Edgeworth doesn't pass out for no reason!" Gumshoe couldn't help pulling Edgeworth onto his lap, wrapping his thick arms around him like a child hugging him. Like his teddy bear.Seeing Gumshoe, who was as lost as a dog that lost its owner, he felt anxious inside, but he didn't know how to help.

"It's not your fault, Gumshoe. I don't think there was an earthquake, I think he's really sick." He tried his best to reassure the hulking officer, but for the moment all consolation seemed to be playing the piano.

"The ambulance will be here soon." Maya came back from the call and sat kneeling beside Cheng Butang, looking at the scene in front of her, her eyes were soon blurred with tears. "Oh, Gumshoe," she whispered to herself.In the small space behind the prosecution's desk, so close, Wright barely heard the words.

TBC