212 ace attorney 6 - who channelled who?

Dear Readers,

The judge asked me if I believed the accused's death would impact what we knew about the case. I said yes and I could explain everything now.

My first "Take that!" was Amara waiting to channel Dhurke when Maya got there, then forcibly driving him out of Maya's body. Amara said that was impossible, but Phoenix objected and said it was, with a Magatama of Parting! He was ready! One such thing was found in the tomb and I remember it from when Maya channelled the high priest!

I went on to explain that Maya collapsed from exhaustion and Amara tied her back onto the chair after dressing her up in her clothes. Then she must've channelled Dhurke after picking up the knife and smearing blood on his clothes. That's how she escaped.

Amara started sweating after I pointed this out. Phoenix said he found it a bit far-fetched himself. I wondered what was going through Dhurke's mind when this was happening.

Nahyuta then spoke up, saying the revolution was over and the other insurgents would soon wake from their shattered dreams. He was on the attack now and I had to keep it going.

I told Nahyuta that Dhurke was proven innocent now. Phoenix then said his followers couldn't be charged with abetting the accused, so the revolution wasn't over — it had just begun!

Nahyuta then objected saying Dhurke wasn't proved innocent and I only indicated its possibility. He said although Dhurke was now dead, what if it was Dhurke who killed Inga while being channelled by Maya? He also said I didn't have conclusive proof that Inga was killed at 2PM.

The fight continued. Amara said she'd give more testimony and Ga'ran demanded Nahyuta prosecute Dhurke so that his supporters would be found guilty under the DC Act. He obliged.

I wondered why Nahyuta was still doing this, as Ga'ran shouldn't have had him under her thumb anymore. Amara wasn't a hostage, so what was happening with him? Why was he still chained to Ga'ran?

Anyway, Amara went on to give more testimony.

211 ace attorney 6 - maya's promise to dhurke

Dear Readers,

Phoenix asked me if I was alright after learning that Dhurke was dead. I said I was fine in my trademark way. Nahyuta said my first name, probably for the first time since we were kids.

I asked Ema how sure she was that the body was there for several days. She said no autopsy had been carried out yet, but she could tell the body had been there for at least three days. She further revealed that the low temperature helped to stop it from decaying and that the chest area bore three gunshot wounds from a small calibre weapon. She believed this was the cause of death.

This meant that Dhurke was already dead by the time he came to visit me back in the States.

Nahyuta asked who was channelling him? I said it must've been someone who could get into and stay in the U.S. without arousing suspicion, while at the same time have a solid cover story so they wouldn't be seen as missing and that would be Maya. This was the secret that Maya promised Dhurke she wouldn't tell, but she didn't see any use in hiding it anymore when I asked her now. He made her promise this before he died.

Maya then said she had to tell me about Dhurke's final moments. I told her I was ready to hear. She said it was soon after she was kidnapped. She said he paid her a visit in the tomb. He was going to rescue her and figured she was there when he noticed the stamp-sucking scumbag Inga was being too quiet.

However, Inga appeared and shot Dhurke right there and then! It wasn't even off-camera! It showed Dhurke getting shot three times! Inga shot a fourth time and missed. Dhurke stood his ground and said a dragon couldn't be stopped by a peashooter like that! Inga then freaked out and fled the scene!

Dhurke sat against the sarcophagus, dying. Maya couldn't break free to help him and told him not to give up! He told her he wanted her to channel his spirit when he was gone and come see me in the U.S. one last time. Maya said this part with tears in her eyes. Wow...

Phoenix then figured it was Inga who hid Dhurke's body in the sarcophagus.

Maya told me not to stop now, that Dhurke would've wanted me to keep pressing on. I said I would.

210 ace attorney 6 - dhurke's big secret revealed

Dear Readers,

The cross-examination with Amara continued. On her statement regarding Inga as the sole victim, I raised an "Objection!", presenting Dhurke's mysterious bloodstains. Again, I was quiet in thought for a moment after I raised it. Oh boy... it was time to drop the bombshell...

I asked Amara if she knew and she said about what. I then said I was going to tell this court if she wasn't. I declared this case had a second victim, one of the two people found alive in the tomb after the minister's murder, except this person was already dead.

The queen was silent. Nahyuta mocked me and encouraged me to share my theory on who the second victim was.

The screen went dark around me and new music started playing. Very heavy music. I had a lot of trouble believing it myself, but it was the only way I could go on if it was the truth. This was Dhurke's big secret, the one he couldn't tell me. I presented his portrait with a "Take that!", which made the screen flash. I thought back to him saying he was dying and he'd be betraying a certain someone if he told me the secret.

Nahyuta couldn't believe it. Phoenix couldn't believe it either! I said out loud that Dhurke was the other victim. Nahyuta objected and demanded an explanation! I said I didn't know when or why Dhurke was murdered, but the facts and evidence spoke for themselves and this was where they led me.

Nahyuta slammed his bench and said my explanation couldn't be the truth and that I daren't present evidence that it was. I told him I wished with all my heart that it wasn't true and that I was wrong... but I did have evidence. I asked for someone to go check the sarcophagus in the tomb as that would be the quickest way to find out.

The judge was anxious to search the sarcophagus at once. He asked Ga'ran if they could, since Amara was now found alive. She granted it and Nahyuta said Ema was still there. Amara didn't change her expression. She was silent...

Some time later, Ema came to court and took the stand. The judge asked for her report. She said she'd start with her findings. I thought to myself, please let me be wrong about this! I just wanted things to be back to where they were! I thought of Dhurke with his joyful laugh...

Ema was silent for a moment. She had a serious expression, then a sad one. She said a body had been found in the sarcophagus and it was several days old.

I started sweating and begged Ema to tell me it wasn't Dhurke. She said she had a photograph of the body and... with a sad expression she said she had positively identified it as... Dhurke Sahdmadhi. She showed the picture of his lifeless body in the sarcophagus.

I closed my eyes and slammed my face on the bench in anguish yelling "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" and just thought... why? Why did this have to happen? Nahyuta clutched his beads and said how could this be?

Ga'ran laughed, saying this was a joyous day, happy to see Dhurke's followers demoralised.

I wondered who or what was I even fighting for? What was I supposed to do now?

I thought back to Dhurke's words... A dragon never yields... I shouldn't have an expression like the one I was having right now... I may have to face a truth difficult to accept but he believed in me and knew I could handle the truth, no matter what it turned out to be...

Memories of Dhurke flashed in my memory, including when he saved me in the cave. Was that Amara channelling Dhurke all along?

It was a struggle but I came out of it. Dhurke left me with two things I had to do.

209 ace attorney 6 - something is wrong with amara

Dear Readers,

After Amara gave her testimony, she presented herself as all high and holy, in a similar manner to Nahyuta. It reached a new level when animals came up to her like she was a Disney Princess. Yuck! Hahaha! Birds and squirrel on her shoulder, the deer and most humorously, the tiger were all there looking at her in reverence.

The judge said I was allowed to question her, but not to point out conflicts, inconsistencies, or any other flaws in her testimony. Yeesh!

Still, because I was here, that meant something was wrong with her. She was the love of Dhurke's life after all, so what happened to her? I needed to find out...

During pressing, I asked her what was in the sarcophagus anyway. She said there was despair, sadness, hatred, and malice... which meant it was empty, but people were too scared of being cursed to check.

Then I pressed her on Dhurke, as he was her husband and helped her to escape. She said it was her duty to lend him an ear, but she still believed he was trying to kill her.

The judge brought down his gavel and said Amara's testimony was flawless. I admitted that a normal person wouldn't be able to escape the tomb, but since she wasn't normal, it got me thinking. I came up with an explanation and it was that she channelled someone.

The judge found it plausible and I asked what she thought. She went quiet for a moment before this terrifying flash of lightning struck down for a brief moment, scattering the animals and even making the judge hide underneath his bench!

Out of pure fear, the judge demanded I retract my statement or be executed! Amara stopped him and said Khura'inism also taught they must respond at all times with reasoned principle. Well it's the first freaking time I heard of this! I've come across little else but barbarism! Although, admittedly, we were able to use to the truth to get this far.

Amara countered my channel argument by saying she couldn't have because there would be two Ingas there, the dead one and her after she channelled him. I admitted this, but couldn't rule it out yet.

I then asked the question, what if there was another victim we hadn't identified yet?

The moment I asked this question, I started to realise something... was Dhurke dead already?

208 ace attorney 6 - getting to know amara

Dear Readers,

Amara sighed when she revealed her identity, saying she was tired of masquerading as an old woman anyway. She twirled her forearms dramatically with lots of chanting in the background, reintroducing herself to the people of Khura'in. Everyone was floored! Nahyuta was so shocked he hit himself in the face with his beads and fell to the floor!

Ga'ran asked her to forgive her for not being able to keep her secret any longer. Amara said it was alright, saying that Dhurke was a blackguard who threatened her life and would be re-captured soon enough. She explained to the judge that she staged her death and abdicated the throne to her dear younger sister, Ga'ran because she thought Dhurke would make further attempts on her life.

The judge asked her to explain further. What about the tomb and the disguise? She asked Ga'ran to explain. Ga'ran said she wanted her to be close by and found this to be the best way to protect her, by her being in disguised in plain sight. Not even Dhurke knew, thinking she was held captive in a far off place. Amara said she liked living as a servant but now it was over, thanks to me.

I told Amara she should consider herself lucky if her servant life was the only thing that ended. I declared our move to indict her as Inga's real killer!

She laughed it off. She did seem regal and everything, but she also seemed incredibly haughty and I was surprised she suspected Dhurke of attempting to kill her. I told her she was just another suspect to me. She declared she would face my accusations with grace and benevolence. She sounded a lot like Nahyuta to be honest.

She said my accusation suffered a flaw. She addressed Nahyuta, who awkwardly addressed her as Her Mercifulness. She asked him who was present in the tomb when the murder was discovered. He followed her train of thought and copped it. Then he laid it out for me: if Amara channelled Inga and ran to the tomb, she would be trapped inside. However, she wasn't there when we all got there. Uh oh...

Ga'ran was satisfied. She told Nahyuta to assume the prosecution and clear his mother's good name. She told him to prosecute his father to save his mother!

She then stepped away to the sidelines and gave the judge back his role too.

Amara went on to testify officially as to why I was so wrong. Hmph.

207 ace attorney 6 - nayna's dramatic reveal!

Dear Readers,

Nayna finally showed up and took the stand. If you ask me, she'll probably be revealed later to be Queen Amara, but let's ride the story out and see when it takes us there... well, IF it takes us there.

The judge asked Nayna if she understood why she was called here today. She said she did and called me a horn-headed nincompoop, one of Princess Rayfa's favourite insults. She told me I was delightfully open-minded for suspecting her of killing Inga and channelling his spirit. I decided to take the compliment.

She went on to testify. The title of it, "I'm No Spirit Medium, Sonny" was pretty funny. She said she was feeling under the weather, so she decided to rest her weary bones. Then she reminded us that only members of the royal family could channel spirits.

At one point while pressing, I thought to myself why weren't things falling into place like I expected? I wasn't getting any new information but it was still fun!

The only place where I could think of making an "Objection!" was when she said Ga'ran was the only spirit medium left in the family and I used the photo of Amara and the baby. It was indeed a contradiction, but I didn't yet know what my assertion was in the larger context of the case. The judge asked for an explanation but I had to think things through in my head. There was the falsehood of Amara's death, and the circumstantial evidence pointing to Nayna channelling Inga.

I started sweating at the gravity of what this meant. I turned to Phoenix and told him he might think I've lost my mind with my next assertion. I then revealed the photograph to the court, drawing shocked reactions from Nahyuta and Ga'ran. She was not happy with this but I had to, for the sake of this trial's outcome. I told the story of the photograph, pointing out the dragon insignia on the book. I asserted that Amara was still alive! The judge and the gallery were shocked. I then said Amara was in the courtroom with us! At this, Nahyuta took out his beads and started chanting, trying to call me out as bluffing. I told him he'd be quaking in his boots once I revealed the truth to him too.

I said at last with a dramatic "Take that!", that Amara was in disguise as Nayna and everything pointed to her being Inga's killer!

Nahyuta slammed his fist on his bench in outrage, telling me I was being beyond blasphemous, beyond even what's found in the depths of hell! The judge was outraged too. Nayna herself was sweating and Ga'ran had a pained expression. I said she'd be able to confirm this if she tried to channel Amara. She then calmed and stated with confirmation that this was the truth. Everyone was deeply shocked.

Now I had the chance! I addressed Nayna as Amara and told her to please drop the act and tell us what really happened!

What followed was a dramatic transformation sequence. Nayna spread out her long sleeved arms and twirled around, forming a spinning cocoon before transforming dramatically into Amara! Hooray! The story took us there! 

206 ace attorney 6 - maya and apollo meet for the first time!

Dear Readers,

We called Maya to the stand, who was still a little sleepy from being taken out of bed, but she was in good spirits! Phoenix apologised for summoning her like this. I apologised too, saying it was my idea.

It was here that Maya and I finally made acquaintance with each other! It was a nice friendly meeting in strange circumstances!

Then we got down to business. She asked why she was here and didn't know anything until now, including Dhurke's arrest. The judge told her we alleged that she was being forced to co-operate with the killer and she got angry at me. I apologised to her straight away, telling her we were just trying to make sense of things.

She went on to testify and... nothing. She said she definitely didn't channel Inga. However, Phoenix noticed she was being very secretive about something. It was time for me to press for details.

She said she was able to demand and get burgers and a TV from Inga! Wow! She was also shocked at some of the crazier things we came up with, like Nayna dressing up as Dhurke. Generally, she was a delight to interact with and it was great to see her and Apollo meet and talk to each other at long last!

It came down to asking her what she was being secretive about? She said she made a promise to Dhurke she wouldn't say.

Ga'ran then put her foot down, saying it was time to end our "fiction". The judge asked is if there was any proof that Inga was channelled. I said you bet there is!

The judge and Maya were surprised. Phoenix knew I was bluffing but I knew that there had to be something to prove the truth. We came up with the idea of Inga's clothes and brought up the button we found in the tomb. I argued that Maya used Inga's clothes as cover while going from his room to the tomb, where she burned them when she no longer needed them! Maya was genuinely surprised and poor Phoenix was sweating!

Ga'ran objected and asked Maya if she knew Inga's full true name. She said it was Inga Karkhuul Khura'in. Ga'ran said there was much more than that and it was Inga Karkhuul Haw'kohd Dis'nahm Bi'ahni Lawga Ormo Pohmpus Da'nit Ar'edi Iz Khura'in III, which made me laugh for quite a bit! That extra bit pronounced like "How could this name be any longer or more pompous than it already is" and it was funny to read!

Maya conceded she couldn't have known this since it wasn't public knowledge and therefore she couldn't have channelled Inga since that was needed.

Our reasoning was sound but we may have had the wrong assumption. We set aside who had the ability to channel and asked ourselves who went into Inga's private quarters. There was only one that made sense, and it was Nayna. Also, channelling him was the only way his footprints could have been made!

None of this was deniable now! I called for Nayna to take the stand!

The weird thing was, Ga'ran allowed for it and revealed that Nayna was waiting in the lobby. I thought she was supposed to be missing? Ga'ran said she came back from hiding out of concern for Rayfa. Phoenix said he believed there was more to this than meets the eye...

205 ace attorney 6 - dhurke escapes!

Dear Readers,

Phoenix and I caught up with Athena in the accused lobby, glad that we were able to make it this far. It was some close shaves alright with all those death threats from Queen Ga'ran! I asked Phoenix if Maya was well enough to testify and he said she slept all day yesterday out of exhaustion and that was it, so she should be fine. That's good!

Princess Rayfa approached us. Phoenix praised her for standing up to her mother and she thanked us for giving her the courage and belief. She offered a present like a cow or a shoulder massage! I said nah it was alright!

Just then the bailiff ran up to us, demanding to know where Dhurke was. I said that was a good question, realising he wasn't here. Datz then showed up sweating, saying he blew it. I asked what was going on and the bailiff said Datz tried to escape with Dhurke! The bailiff started sweating when he said they caught Datz but Dhurke was nowhere to be found! Datz said they both tried to escape together, but he lost track of Dhurke!

I asked if Dhurke was on the lam now? The game spelled this as "lamb", which was pretty funny! Datz said Dhurke told him he had to go save Amara before it was too late. I felt disappointed in Dhurke but Datz told me to lighten up and that Dhurke would be back as soon as he freed Amara. 

The bailiff then demanded we let them know if Dhurke contacted us and that the trial would resume now! Without Dhurke! Phoenix said all we could do now is see where the next testimony led.

Back in the courtroom, the judge asked Ga'ran what we'd do now with proceedings, since Dhurke was missing and legally he had to be here. With a new set of fingernails, she scrawled in her law book that an enemy of the crown may be tried in absentia. Yikes.

204 ace attorney 6 - inga's prosopagnosia addressed

Dear Readers,

Now that the Datz in the details had been established, it was time to look at the Insights again to see if anything else was contradictory.

It took me ages to find the next discrepancy that popped up! In the end I looked at Ahlbi's statement again, which detailed the event happened at 2PM. Therefore I had to match Princess Rayfa's 3PM statement with the explosion sensation and make an objection on this hour gap, presenting Ahlbi's statement when asked for it. 

When I proved that Inga's death happened at 2PM, Ga'ran was so furious at being mistaken she broke her fingernails!

The judge asked me to explain Dhurke's clear figure and I said it was clear except for the face! Also, Dhurke was still with us at 2PM!

Rayfa then said 2PM was when Ga'ran was performing a channelling rite and Nahyuta said the palace guards were reassigned to guard the channelling chamber. This raised the possibility of the real killer going into Amara's Tomb unseen. This led to us suggesting the real killer dressed up as Dhurke.

Nahyuta objected to this though and said it was just happenstance. This got us thinking that the killer knew their face wouldn't appear in the Séance vision. Phoenix sussed that prosopagnosia could be at play and we were experiencing that through Inga's eyes. I finally had a chance to explain this to the court with Inga's notepad!

Rayfa was on board with this! She finally knew now why her father wouldn't recognise her when she changed her hairstyle!

I asked Ga'ran if she knew about her husband's condition and she said she didn't see a need to keep it from public knowledge now. 

Rayfa herself said when people had disorders like this, their final memories seemed strange at times and there was precedence for this.

So now we knew that the killer had knowledge of the Divination Séance and Inga's affliction.

I asked Ga'ran who knew about her husband's condition. She said it was a small number of servants and her. She asked if we were going to insinuate it was her and I said no. Besides, she was doing channelling at 2PM. I asked if Nayna knew about it. She said she did, as Nayna was the head servant. I said that made her a suspect, since she knew about the Séance as well!

Ga'ran then objected and smirked, bringing up the fact that Rayfa saw him at 2:30! This cut us back to square one!

Or did it? Our deductions explained everything perfectly except for this one thing. How could it be possible that Inga could be seen at 2:30 if he was killed at 2?

I thought about it for a moment and when I came up with an explanation, I had a big eureka moment! I said he was being channelled!

After Nahyuta helped to rule Ga'ran out by presenting her schedule, I came up with a theory that Maya was being forced to channel Inga after he was murdered. I requested that Maya come to the stand!

Ga'ran allowed it so she could rub it in my face later and the judge called for a recess until Maya could become ready.

203 ace attorney 6 - datz upsetting the insights!

Dear Readers,

It was time to find something contradictory in Princess Rayfa's Insights of her father's murder, but it wasn't easy. I wasn't sure where to begin.

I did find the strangest thing to be how she identified the man's voice to be Dhurke's, because Inga didn't seem to be alarmed at all when he heard it. He just kept looking at the picture of the founder. I said it must've belonged to a third party.

Ga'ran objected again to the third party theory but I had something to prove the possibility that this was someone else's voice. I took out the crime scene photo and pointed out the mobile phone. I said I believed Inga was talking to a man on the phone.

Ga'ran accepted the possibility and Rayfa updated her Insight to make a man's voice become a subordinate's voice.

Something else happened! The Séance then revealed a lion's roar and a dog's bark! What the heck! How were these not in the Séance before!? 

Anyway this revealed that the call was taken in the bazaar. That was Shah'do's bark and the warbaa'd's roar. Of course, this also means that the explosion and laughter were from Datz setting off firecrackers and laughing at reactions!

I just had to find the correct path to get to this point. Eventually I was able to proceed by matching the lion's roar with the statement about the subordinate in the palace.

When I objected to Rayfa's interpretation, Phoenix advised me that though Rayfa puts on a brave face, she feels more than she lets on. I rephrased my assertion to point out the inconsistency of the lion's roar. I pointed out that this came from a creature hanging out in the bazaar.

She asked if the location was important and I said it was, as it also pointed out the source of the explosion that was heard. She asked me to provide the true source of the sound and I presented Ahlbi's statement with a "Take that!", pointing out the account of Shah'do being startled by the firecracker. This made everyone realise that Datz was the one who laughed. Phoenix said someone should really put a leash on that guy!

Datz laughed from the gallery, telling us we can thank him later! The judge gave out to him. Haha!

Rayfa ended up revising her Insights due to Datz messing her up. At one point, Ga'ran wanted to hammer the point home about the gun being fired but I challenged her on when it was fired. It gave us that little extra bit of time.

202 ace attorney 6 - what inga saw, and couldn't see

Dear Readers,

Our only hope at this stage was to attain evidence from Princess Rayfa's Séance, even though it would show her father's death. She was ready this time and went on to perform the Dance of Devotion, probably for the last time.

This time it worked! The Séance became clear for all of us to see!

However, it was vague and disturbing. It showed Inga in the tomb with wine. He walked for a bit before he experienced pain. His eyes closed a few times and at one stage he saw Dhurke standing above him. He pointed his gun at Dhurke and it went dark again. Nothing was clear, not even Dhurke's face. In fact, he didn't even have a face! Even with the surrounding sensation labels it was very hard to see what was going on at a glance.

Everyone in the courtroom was stunned, especially at the figure of Dhurke, which had no face!

The judge wondered if the Holy Mother himself possessed Dhurke and slew Inga for planning a coup. His guess was as good as anyone's and it got the gallery excited.

Phoenix turned to me and said we took a left turn into the twilight zone! I shared something I observed, which was the laughter. Who did it belong to and why were they laughing?

Ga'ran herself smiled in delight. She said our theory about Inga being stabbed in his private quarters was now disproved, since the Séance showed pain. She then reinforced her main assertion and we really felt that backfire.

On top of that, Rayfa went on to deliver her Insight! The grape juice again made me laugh. She said other stuff like the voice belonging to Dhurke and the attacker being the one who let out the laugh.

Phoenix, being experienced at this, advised me to try and poke holes in Rayfa's Insights.

I'm glad she was able to do it this time, but she didn't have the full story. I don't blame her either as it was very vague. I do have a theory on why Dhurke was seen to be faceless and it explains why Inga kept descriptive notes of people: he must have had prosopagnosia or something like that. Just like in the game 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors! I just have to play this game out to the point where this is addressed now.

201 ace attorney 6 - our plea for a séance!

Dear Readers,

Ga'ran was not at all impressed with our theory of Inga being stabbed in the back at his private residence, then running toward the tomb before dying. She used her "Such insolence!" yell and got Nahyuta to throw his beads at my head!

Nahyuta put the squeeze on me for not having the common sense to acknowledge how painful a knife in one's back would be. Phoenix said that would normally be true and gave me a nudge towards the court record. I said Inga didn't feel any pain and presented the painkiller shots with a "Take that!", explaining that his medicine would make any pain he had there disappear!

Princess Rayfa was blown away by this. The last time she saw her father, he had a knife sticking out of his back and she didn't notice because of his cape!

I wanted to call Nayna to the stand but Ga'ran objected. She offered me a deal like the one Phoenix got with Ahlbi to abandon the case and go home. Her power was that much. I said I wouldn't kowtow and Phoenix had no objections either! Rayfa asked why and I said I believed Dhurke was innocent, that's why!

Rayfa asked me if I wasn't scared and I said the thought of the death penalty under the DC Act made me weak in the knees, but I had a duty and I couldn't abandon it.

This made Rayfa thoughtful. I wonder if she'll be inspired to do her duty?

Ga'ran asked us if we had new evidence to indicate a different suspect and I said the evidence didn't exist, but we still had to carry out a Séance. I strongly encouraged, with Rayfa's help, to carry one out to help us get more information, as difficult as it would be for her to see her father's death.

Ga'ran objected, saying we would waste time if Rayfa collapsed again. We argued that the Séance was essential anyway.

However, Ga'ran yelled "Such insolence!" again, and opened her law book, scratching in it with her fingernail. She immediately declared the Séance to be optional!

Phoenix and I sweated at her ability to just... rewrite the law with a flourish of her hand!

Rayfa then spoke up, saying she was ready! Ga'ran disagreed with her and there was some over and back between them before Ga'ran called her own daughter worthless!

I objected to this and said there was no reason to condemn Rayfa before she's even made the attempt at a Séance. Ga'ran thought for a moment before accepting, but then she made us take a deal to be executed on the spot if Rayfa failed again!

As evil as this was, I opted to call on Rayfa. I told her she wasn't worthless and far from it! I told her if she said she could do it, I believed in her! I told her I had faith in her courage after she collapsed last time.

Rayfa then acknowledged her failings in her recent Insights and Phoenix objected, saying he never would have proven his clients' innocence without her Séances, telling her they provided vital leads to finding the truth. He told her not to take stock in what her mother was saying.

Ga'ran attempted to discourage her again, but Rayfa told her mother no! And made a heartfelt commitment to the Hall of Justice. She said with voiced dialogue that she was prepared to face her father's death!

200 ace attorney 6 - what rayfa saw from her veranda

Dear Readers,

Queen Ga'ran ordered Princess Rayfa to be dragged out of first aid to give testimony. The poor girl looked really depressed. She spoke, asking Nahyuta if he knew about Amara and her... not specifying what it was. He asked her where she heard it and she said her mother told her. Ga'ran said she told her the truth since she cared about it so much and as a mother she had to discipline her. Nahyuta told Rayfa not to let it trouble her as it had no bearing on the case. Phoenix and I wondered what it was.

Ga'ran told Rayfa to testify on what she witnessed to refute our argument about Inga dying before Dhurke entered the tomb. She was willing. She said she was at her private residence when she saw her father go toward the tomb, but didn't see anyone else go in there.

I pressed her a bit and she said she saw her father was pale when he left his residence and she heard a shriek before he came out. Hmm... I didn't press her much further on this for now.

At one point the Plumed Punisher came up and Ga'ran said she banned it in case people were disappointed when they saw the real Rayfa! OUCH! That was cruel!

I went back to the topic of seeing her father pale-faced and decided to press softly, being nice and suggesting a picnic! She threw it in my face. Phoenix encouraged me to be more aggressive with people like her so I decided to press harshly. It did affect her and Phoenix did sweatily admit that I struck a nerve, but I got an extra detail, that she had been gazing since about 2, but her father was the only one she saw.

With this I was finally able to jump in with an "Objection!", using Ahlbi's statement! She slipped up and eventually had to admit she saw Shah'do stealing Nayna's hat. I asked her why she didn't say so and she said her mother told her not to. I turned to Ga'ran and she said she told Rayfa to withhold that point, as it had no relevance to the case.

I objected to this and she barked back with another "Such insolence!", telling me to prove it was relevant. I asked Rayfa what she did when she saw what was going on and she revealed that she went downstairs to go outside and help Nayna, proving that she did take her eyes off the courtyard! When she got there, Nayna was gone and she never saw her again after that.

I knew she was hiding something so I asked her where Nayna disappeared to. With this I was raising the possibility that Nayna had something to do with the murder.

Ga'ran objected and pointed out the footprints when Shah'do spilled the water, arguing that Nayna went to Inga's residence and not the tomb. 

Phoenix asked Rayfa what time Nayna was attacked by Shah'do. She said 2:15. Inga raced out after screaming at 2:30, which suggested to us that he was attacked by Nayna, which would make Inga's quarters the real scene of the crime!

Ga'ran objected to this new assertion we made, asking us if the body was moved to the tomb and I said the possibility didn't exist.

I then argued Inga was attacked in his private quarters by Nayna, but then died in the tomb. I brought up the autopsy report, which never said his death was instantaneous, so I argued that Inga ran screaming to the tomb after being stabbed in the back.

However, Ga'ran was having none of this...

199 ace attorney 6 - ga'ran's power of prejudice

Dear Readers,

Phoenix and I had to get the discussion going on the possibility of a third party in the tomb, so I had a look at the evidence. I remembered the mysterious bloodstain, which didn't belong to Inga and on the subject of there being no third party, I raised an "Objection!"

When I presented the bloodstain and stated that neither Dhurke nor Maya had been injured, and that the bloodstain had been wiped up, the question became who wiped up the blood and why? I said it must've been the real killer, but Ga'ran challenged me on this, asking where could they have been hiding since the place was searched.

I pointed to the sarcophagus on the diagram, which was where the cursor appeared at the centre of the diagram! I asserted no one would think of searching the sarcophagus for fear of being cursed. When I requested a DNA test of the bloodstains, Ga'ran yelled a new voiced phrase, "Such insolence!", which took me by surprise!

Ga'ran swished her big fan at me, causing a big breeze and said she could still order my beheading at any moment! All I wanted was a DNA test! She then swished her hand and the royal guard appeared with a DNA test done already, confirming that the blood belonged to Dhurke! I was shocked and wondered how!? Phoenix then said Dhurke may have coughed the blood up, which made me think of his illness... I thought about it for a moment. There was a lot of blood and I wondered if he wiped it up to hide his failing health? Was it really that bad?

He then admitted it was his!

Ga'ran then asked me about the argument I just made about the bloodstain leading to the real killer. With a lot of sweatiness I confirmed it... I fell right into her trap. Phoenix admitted she got us good. Her royal guard clapped.

She said only she and her husband could open the sarcophagus with a key. She then went on to make an example of Dhurke in front of his supporters, telling them he broke his promise of a bloodless revolution. Then she assumed the role of judge, calling herself the embodiment of law and immediately said Dhurke was guilty!

I objected, standing up for my right to rebut! She gave me a single chance, calling herself compassionate.

Phoenix told me to keep it going, even if I had to bluff. He helped by telling me to focus on the timing of Inga's murder, like what if it was untrue that he was killed after Dhurke entered the tomb. What if that assumption was wrong?

I brought up the subject of the time of the murder and asked what if Inga was killed before Dhurke entered the tomb? This could account for the possibility of a third party. Dhurke himself then said he lost consciousness the moment he entered the tomb, and even if he didn't, he wouldn't have had a clear line of sight to Inga's body from the entrance.

The judge was on board with this and fortunately, Ga'ran was too, saying she would play along with whatever I had "knocking around in that tiny mind" of mine.

I wasn't happy with how she treated us, but I was glad to be able to go on.

198 ace attorney 6 - dhurke testifies and defies

Dear Readers,

Dhurke was summoned to testify. Ga'ran said she'd give him a chance to plead his case, which seemed uncharacteristically fair of her. However, if he wasn't convincing, we would all immediately be found guilty!

Dhurke smiled, saying it was Ga'ran's court with Ga'ran's rules as usual. He explained what he said to me, that he got dizzy and had no recollection of anything after that until he stood there with a bloody knife in his hand and Inga's dead body lying before him. That was it.

Ga'ran mentioned his fingerprints and how no one could've interfered since he was immediately caught. The judge said that certainly looked like it pointed the finger at Dhurke. Dhurke laughed, saying as a lawyer he'd have to agree! He did say he didn't think he killed Inga though, as it would go against everything he believed in. Phoenix turned to me and said this was exactly what Ga'ran wanted, to have Dhurke plead his case without being able to explain what happened. He told me we needed to turn his non-explanation into an explanation and fast.

I pressed Dhurke on his dizziness and wondered to myself if it was because of his illness. I asked him if it happened to him before and he said it didn't. Ga'ran said he must've been trying to seek a lesser sentence. He objected, saying he was merely stating his innocence and had no intention of offering excuses. He called her "Your Malevolence" and called her baseless speculation foolish! He called her a deceitful witch as well! She threatened to take his head right here in the hall and he laughed, saying it would speed things along. As impressed as I was, I asked him to make an objection through me!

I pressed him on the knife appearing in his hand and the discussion of a third party came up. Ga'ran summoned her royal guard and they loudly recalled their barricade and thorough search of the tomb, eliminating that possibility. She asked Dhurke if he believed there was a third party and he said the chances were probably nonexistent.

I continued pressing and we talked about making what seemed non existent, existent. Dhurke asked Phoenix about it and he said he'd seen his fair share of cases like that. Dhurke said he and Phoenix were kindred spirits with a hearty laugh! I said it must shave years off your life and Phoenix said if that were true he'd be long dead!

I asked him if he was sure if Inga was dead. He said it was easy to tell the difference between a body without a soul and a person who was a soulless shell. Ga'ran told him to watch himself or he'd be soulless himself, bowing in the afterlife to Inga for forgiveness, though he may not have a head with which to bow. He called her a bloodthirsty spider! Nice! He asked her what happened to her and she used to have a little bit of love, even once seeing him as like a brother! She was not impressed. I begged him to spare the lip, as impressed as I was!

I asked him if he really didn't remember anything? He said he really didn't and it was like that part of his brain had been scooped up. Ga'ran piped up again, saying there was nothing to debate and he was guilty without question. He said he had no motive and she said his revolution was motive enough to kill the minister of justice. He objected strongly, saying that he had declared countless times that he led a bloodless revolution, that he forbade violence and murder. I asked him to add this to his testimony.

I asked Dhurke to be more specific about his bloodless revolution. He said he was specifically talking about dragging this pompous prosecutor off her bloody throne, telling Ga'ran to act all high and mighty now as it was going to be the last chance she'd get. She kept threatening him with execution and he laughed, saying he was going to continue being like this in the afterlife!

I asked Dhurke to state more definitively about not killing Inga or at least, say he wasn't a murderer. He was able to do that least and said loudly and proudly that he wasn't a murderer and would never kill anyone, no matter the circumstances. Ga'ran objected and asked for evidence. Dhurke said he didn't have any. She then wanted his statement about not killing Inga stricken! 

I said she couldn't just do that! I was the one doing the cross-examination! She told me to hold my prattling tongue, calling me a foreign devil. She declared that as queen of this kingdom, that she WAS the law! She said she didn't need to follow the laws in place and she could make or break them at will! What the actual heck....

The judge actually sided with this! He told Dhurke to refrain from saying he didn't kill Inga! I couldn't believe it. Dhurke said whatever, that it was "The Ga'ran Show" after all. 

This was nuts. It was like Dracula having the grim reaper working for him in Castlevania.

I pressed Dhurke on his statement about there being no evidence to prove he didn't do it and asked him to please not keep agreeing with the prosecution. He said he'd stop, but to remember if I truly believed in him I'd be able to prove his innocence and he knew I could do it. Phoenix said Dhurke was on to something, that even the most disadvantageous facts may point the way to the truth. He advised me not to ignore them and to think of them as food for thought.

Phoenix also said we had to raise the possibility of a third party. Hmm...

197 ace attorney 6 - princess rayfa collapses

Dear Readers,

Prosecutor Ga'ran summoned a very sad looking Princess Rayfa to perform her Divination Séance. The judge asked her if she was unwell. He was sympathetic to her situation, as the victim was her father and she now had to experience his death through his own eyes.

Phoenix said she seemed worse off than she was yesterday. I wondered if Ga'ran did something to her when she talked about disciplining...

The judge said Nahyuta had yet to review the Séance's content. Ga'ran asked Nahyuta to explain himself. Nahyuta said since the accused was caught at the scene of the crime, he deemed no Séance would be necessary for a case that was so clear-cut. Ga'ran curled her long purple-nailed fingers and said he had a bleeding heart for sparing Rayfa the trauma of witnessing her father's death. She asked him if this was why he had done this and he said not at all, though somewhat nervously. Rayfa asked him if he was concerned about her. I found it oddly compassionate of him. He said regardless of what was best for Rayfa, he found the case to be blessed with a bounty of incontrovertible evidence, so he believed we could reach a swift verdict without spending time on a Séance. The judge agreed with his point but at the same time he wanted to spare Rayfa any undue misery.

Rayfa wondered if the trial could truly proceed without a Divination Séance. The judge asked for Ga'ran's opinion and she insisted on going ahead with it anyway, calling our words of compassion feckless! She was much more harsh and this was her own daughter! She asked her to perform and she agreed.

Rayfa asked for Nayna to remove her robe, forgetting again that she was missing, so she ordered Phoenix to do it! He did so, begrudgingly.

Rayfa then performed the ritual dance to the end but something went wrong. Her face turned a ghastly colour and she started sweating and breathing heavily. Then she collapsed, causing uproar in the court.

The judge called for order and for Rayfa to be taken to first aid at once. He asked Ga'ran what happened and she said it seemed Rayfa wasn't ready for what the deceased was going to reveal and it overwhelmed her. She said she was disappointed and grunted at Rayfa's unreadiness and immaturity. I thought she wasn't winning Mother of the Year ever.

Ga'ran decided to move on to witness testimony and the judge agreed. The witness was called and it was... Dhurke! 

196 ace attorney 6 - prosecutor ga'ran revealed!

Dear Readers,

On the day of Dhurke's big trial, it started with an animated scene of a huge angry mob filling the courtroom with the flag of the Defiant Dragons before they got beaten down, leaving their flag tattered on the ground.

In the accused lobby, Phoenix told us about how the system works here and about the Divination Séances and how they were simply another piece of evidence to prove your client innocent if that is the truth. I knew Dhurke was innocent but I was worried about the big secret that was going to be revealed today.

Datz showed up and gave me the Founder's Orb. I thanked him and was glad to see he was okay after dealing with the cops the day before. With his two thumbs up he said he was put in the slammer for the night with a fine meal, a shower and even a bed! He was delighted! Athena was jealous of him because of where we were staying. He said everyone was counting on me to win and avoid the DC Act death penalty.

We went into the courtroom and faced off with Nahyuta. The judge announced the trial would examine both the murder of Justice Ministger Inga Karkhuul Khura'in and the assassination of the former queen, Amara Sigatar Khura'in. He decided to start with Inga and asked Nahyuta if it was okay. Nahyuta seemed distracted and stuttered a little bit. I wondered if he was really going to be able to go through with this.

The judge admitted his concern of Nahyuta prosecuting his own father without letting personal feelings getting in the way. Nahyuta said he was ready without question. At this, the gallery erupted into chatter, wondering if Nahyuta was up to it. A loud "Objection!" came from Dhurke! He told his fellow citizens they would do well not to underestimate his son! He said Nahyuta wouldn't let personal feelings interfere with the execution of his duty. Nahyuta confirmed this. The judge yelled at Dhurke for taking the stand without being summoned first! Then he went on to begin the proceedings...

...Before he did though, there was an "Objection!" from a woman whose voice acting I had never heard before. It was Queen Ga'ran! She came into the courtroom and parked herself next to Nahyuta!

She said Nahyuta had some reservations and he insisted he didn't! She then announced she was taking over the prosecution of Dhurke personally! Dun dun dunnnn!

She told him to stay by her side though and witness how she does things. I asked if she really was going to do this and if it was kosher? She said before she became queen she was a prosecutor herself! The judge then revealed that she was the one who prosecuted the assassination case twenty-three years ago!

It was a shock for me, and not just culturally. Phoenix was next to me at least. He said he heard she was Minister of Justice, but she was now revealed to also be a prosecutor.

Ga'ran said she prosecuted the case, but no verdict was ever reached. She said she always won guilty verdicts up until then and no lawyer could stand up to them! The judge was delighted to be able to see her in action again after such a long time.

Ga'ran then summoned her royal guard and made a transformation! Her white flowing robes as queen were changed to a purple outfit, her hair was loose and spread out like spider legs and her face wore a fearsome expression with her eyebrows! Phoenix and I were flabbergasted as we looked at each other. She told us to say our last words while we still had heads to think with, and she was dead serious. She patted her palm with her fan and smiled at us wickedly.

Ga'ran then summoned Princess Rayfa to perform her Divination Séance.

That was some transformation! Some cool new villain music too!

195 ace attorney 6 - preparing for dhurke's big trial!

Dear Readers,

Phoenix, Athena and I went back to the safe house at Dhurke's old law office. Edgeworth welcomed us back. He said he watched The Plumed Punisher on TV while we were gone and said it was an outrage, escpecially the theme song! At least he wasn't bored!

Phoenix asked me was I ready and up to speed with everything and I said I was. The truth about what really went happened was going to be troublesome though. He agreed and said there was a deep darkness enveloping this case. Athena said the more we learned, the less we understood. Phoenix said he was almost afraid of what we would find once we lifted the black veil, but the real killer would be found underneath. It all came down to who killed Inga, and why?

Phoenix asked us who would have a motive to kill Inga? He wanted to know how the killer slipped into the tomb, killed Inga, and slipped back out without ever being seen. I said we had lots of evidence, so we were just going to have to see what came out in court.

Then there was the matter of Amara and the attempted assassination. There was no evidence at all to go on, which made that part really difficult. Athena asked Phoenix if he ever won a case without any evidence and he said no, never. This case was unprecedented, even for him. I wondered if there really wasn't any evidence at all.

Also, there was the DC Act to worry about. If Dhurke was sentenced to death, we'd all have to join him in a public execution. Athena said defeating the charges or die was a crazy way to have a legal system. Phoenix told her it was just going to be him and me on the floor, but she could support us by watching from the gallery. She wasn't happy with this but he said sorry and it was an order from her boss. Then he said Simon would use him for sword practice if he put her in harm's way. She then wanted us to promise her we'd make it back alive. Phoenix reminded me of the lawyer's biggest smiles lesson. I wondered if I'd be able to do it when things got bad the next day in court.

I'm pretty excited about this dreadful twist that's gonna come up!

194 ace attorney 6 - ga'ran admits the truth about amara

Dear Readers,

Phoenix, Athena and I went to Ga'ran Palace to speak with the queen again. We saw her and Princess Rayfa, who was yelling at her for deceiving people. Rayfa ran off in a temper and bumped into Phoenix, before giving him one of her little punches and running away. Poor guy said he was used to it by now.

Phoenix said they may have been arguing over the picture they found in Inga's safe. I wondered if Rayfa knew the truth now and she probably did, seeing how sad and angry she was.

Ga'ran asked us if we were eavesdropping and recognised me as Dhurke's son. I showed her my lawyer's badge and she wasn't impressed. After this I laid out all the stuff about Amara that we learned from Dhurke. She laughed at the notion and her royal guard joined in with their own laughs. I showed them the photo of Amara and the baby and she was more willing to speak.

She said what Rayfa told us earlier, that Amara was in a safe location. Oh well, at least she admitted that Amara was alive.

She then asked me about the Founder's Orb, assuming I knew where it was since I was Dhurke's son. I sarcastically thanked her for the running tour of Khura'in. She laughed and said it was just the royal guard who chased me and I didn't believe a word of it. I had no intention of giving her the orb, ever.

I asked her what she wanted it for anyway and she said it was dangerous in the wrong hands. Phoenix asked her if it really could impart spiritual power and she believed so. She asked me again if I had it and I asked her if it looked like I did.

She then ordered the royal guard to strip search me! They got nothing except my dignity. Ga'ran then said I had hidden it somewhere and said she'd recover it once I got convicted under the DC Act, laughing to herself.

Rayfa then returned, after taking a stroll to calm herself. She declared the people had to be informed about Queen Amara. Ga'ran told her she didn't understand how government and people were supposed to interact and there had to be secrets. Rayfa said it was the Royal Priestess' duty to always speak the truth.

Ga'ran told her her mind was poisoned by Phoenix, who said it was an honour and a pleasure! She then excused herself, saying she had to discipline her daughter. That didn't sound good...

They left. Phoenix suggested we head back to the safe house to collect our thoughts and prepare. I agreed but looked at the throne for a moment, briefly entertaining the notion of sitting on it with Athena and Phoenx grovelling at my feet. Haha! That was kinda fun. Hope Rayfa will be okay...

193 ace attorney 6 - confronting nahyuta about his parents

Dear Readers,

Phoenix, Athena and I rushed to the source of the angry mob and it was at Tehm'pul Temple.

A brief animated cutscene played where Nahyuta was looking over the cops ganging up on Datz until a huge march appeared led by Beh'leeb. Datz shook the cops off and was all fired up for a big revolutionary protest!

The people pulled and pushed at the cops, demanding they release their loved ones who had been detained unfairly. Nahyuta called them unenlightened fools.

I went up to Nahyuta and asked him what was going on? He said the insurgents were fanning flames of rebellion but the crowd was all going to be arrested by reinforcements shortly. I said for protesting? He said they were aiding and abetting a criminal by seeking his release, so the queen ordered they be arrested and judged en masse. Yikes!

I asked him wasn't he once a member of the Defiant Dragons? How could he go along with this? He said he was simply following orders and I said it couldn't be that simple. I demanded he stay as I wanted to talk to him about something. I asked him again did he really want to prosecute on Dhurke's case, his own flesh and blood? He wasn't budging on this point so I went straight to Dhurke's health.

I asked Nahyuta if he knew Dhurke was sick and didn't have long to live, not even to make it until his execution day. He didn't know what I was talking about and didn't know what to say. I told him to knock off the zen monk act and tell me what he really felt. He said everyone was born to fill a role and I told him I doubted taking Dhurke to trial was part of his lot in life. He didn't say anything.

I then asked Nahyuta if he knew his mother was still alive and being held captive somewhere. He admitted as much except for the part about her being held captive. He said Ga'ran was keeping her safe from harm and she was living a monastic life.

I kept after him on this point. I said wasn't he really following the queen's orders because she was holding his mother captive? I then pressed him on knowing that Dhurke didn't really kill Inga? He listened quietly. I told him I wanted to help Dhurke in any way I could, since he didn't have much longer to live. I told him it was our turn to help Dhurke however we could.

Nahyuta paused for a long time. Then he said what I spoke of was futile. He kept telling me to let it go and move on, over and over. He also told me to resign myself to hopelessness. He then said he was finished was idle chatter and left to prepare for the trial.

Athena came up to me and said she sensed a whirlpool of emotions coming from Nahyuta while I was talking to him. She said they were anger, shock, bewilderment and a deep dark icy sorrow. I said it looked like Dhurke wasn't the only one who needed my help now.

Freaking Nahyuta. I'm still disgusted with him for the way he's been throughout the entire game but at least I have a way to help him now as his brother, Apollo.

Phoenix then said it was time to pay Queen Ga'ran another visit and ask her about her sister Amara.

We also pondered sadly for a time, wondering what the heck was Dhurke dying from?

We left the temple, leaving Datz to fan the flames of the revolution.

192 ace attorney 6 - dhurke drops some bombshells

Dear Readers,

Dhurke finally revealed that his dear someone was none other than the late Queen Amara and she was still alive! Along with everyone else, he thought she had been assassinated, but it seemed she made it out alive only to be held captive by the Ga'ran regime.

What a bombshell! More of them were to come though...

Phoenix asked him if the sarcophagus was empty and he said it was and the tomb was a big charade to stage Amara's death.

Dhurke went on to say that he freed her and they made a run for it. The photo in the pink butterfly pendant thingy was taken then. I noticed there was a fingerprint inside as well.

Athena was all excited to hear about Dhurke running away with Amara, sounding to her like something out of a fairy tale. I thought Ga'ran must've told her that Dhurke was responsible but he convinced her enough to run away to ascertain the truth for herself. Once Ga'ran caught up with them, Amara was taken away to who knows where. Dhurke searched the palace but couldn't find her and thought maybe she was taken to a remote mountain prison or something. I asked him if Nahyuta knew about this and he said that he knew Amara was his mother at least. I asked if this was why Nahyuta was following Ga'ran's orders and he said it was most likely. Athena asked him if deep down, that Nahyuta didn't really want to prosecute him and he said he wasn't one to show his feelings and lately had no idea what Nahyuta was thinking.

Phoenix then turned to me and said we needed to grill the queen about Amara when we had the chance.

Athena asked if the little baby in the photograph was Nahyuta. I said it could just as well have been me as he and I were only a year apart. Athena said it was too cute to be me and I said nothing and thought it would be better to ask Dhurke.

I showed Dhurke the picture of Amara and the baby and asked if it was me and he asked me what I was talking about. Athena grinned and said it was Nahyuta again. Dhurke copped it and said either way, it wasn't me. I said if it was Nahyuta, then he ran away with Amara about 22 or 23 years ago? Dhurke laughed and said I was pretty good with numbers!

Dhurke then said before I left, there was something important he needed to tell me. I asked what it was, noting his uncharacteristic seriousness and he paused for a while. The music stopped too. He then said even if I proved him innocent the next day he didn't have long to live. He said he could already hear the Twilight Realm calling his name. I asked him if this was another one of his jokes and he said he wished it was. My bracelet didn't react. Phoenix asked him if he was sick and he said it was something like that, but didn't specify.

I was pretty upset by this. I said I'd work hard until we could pay for surgery or whatever he needed. Again, he said it was too late and there was nothing more to be done. I brought up the dragon never yields thing and he said he was really sorry. I asked why was this happening. He then paused before asking me would I keep quiet about this as he didn't want his fellow Dragons to lose all hope. I said I would of course... I was still really upset though and it was just as I was beginning to feel close to him as my father figure.

Dhurke vowed never to let them execute him before he got to finish what he needed to do. I said there was no way I'd let them prove him guilty. I was going to turn back time by righting the wrongs that have been done. I was going to restore Dhurke's freedom and return a real smile to Nahyuta's face! I had to win this case!

Dhurke then said he had one more big secret. He couldn't tell me what it was as it would betray a certain someone if he did. I asked what he meant and he said sorry, but I would have to find out for myself! He said it was the only way and I didn't understand. He then said that in court the next day I may find myself faced with "a truth that was difficult to accept" but he knew me to be able to handle the truth, no matter what it turned out to be. He knew because he believed in me, since I was his son, after all! He finished with a big smile.

I wondered if he was going to reveal that he actually was the killer?

Phoenix then said we ran out of things to discuss. He asked if I was okay and I said I was fine. 

I was interrupted by a huge angry crowd outside yelling "FREE HIM NOW! RELEASE DHURKE!"

Dhurke said the party was getting started without him and Athena said it was coming from the temple.

I showed the Pink Butterfly Pendant to Dhurke again and asked how a commoner could win the heart of a queen. He said why and asked if I had fallen for Princess Rayfa! They all teased me then about falling for someone so young! Haha! I had to tell them I didn't say anything! Bit of a clever deflect Dhurke did from himself there. Very clever.

191 ace attorney 6 - asking dhurke about his dear someone

Dear Readers,

Athena, Phoenix and I went to the detention centre to see Dhurke. He was happy to see me but when I asked about his questioning, he said Nahyuta really came down hard on him, trying to find out where the Founder's Orb was. When Dhurke wouldn't comply, Nahyuta confiscated what few possessions he had left. I noticed he wasn't wearing his attorney's badge.

Dhurke said Nahyuta also took his jailbreaking tools, but not his badge. It looked like he was going to, but he changed his mind. We wondered why. Dhurke asked me to hold on to it. Wow... something so important...

He joked about having eggs, tomatoes and cabbages thrown at him and said if you were good at catching things you'd have the start of a good meal! I never knew he had it so bad when he was raising us...

We talked about Inga. Dhurke said he was insufferable and unlikable, but he never thought he'd wind up dead like this. The Defiant Dragons came to know him as the executioner, since he'd execute anyone his secret police caught. He said he was probably in hell now, being tormented by the innocent people he sentenced to death.

I showed Dhurke a few things, including the pink butterfly pendant, which made him act awkwardly. He wouldn't talk about it but he wanted it back, so I gave it to him and kept a record of it.

Phoenix suggested I ask Dhurke about this someone who was dear to him, this person referred to in the phone call he had with Inga. It wasn't Nahyuta so then I asked him if there was a new lady in his life? He told me not to be ridiculous, that Amara was the love of his life and there wouldn't be another. At this, my bracelet reacted!

It took quite a long time, but I noticed something shining on his left arm. It was on the statement "But she's gone now", but what did that mean? I presented this to him with a "Gotcha!

I confronted him with this and he was stunned, asking me how I did that. I said it was okay since he was an eligible bachelor, but asked him to introduce me sometime. The pink butterfly pendant came up and I asked to see it. There was a button on it I pressed and it opened up to reveal a picture of him and some lady.

Athena and I teased him about it and he snapped back, saying this was Amara before she died. We then noticed this woman was the same one from the photo Phoenix found in Inga's safe!

We suddenly realised this photo couldn't be 23 years old because Dhurke's law book and Defiant Dragons brand were in the photo and the brand didn't exist until after Ga'ran came to power, which was after Amara's assassination.

Dhurke wasn't saying anything. I said this meant that Amara was still alive and he finally said that I found him out!

190 ace attorney 6 - asking datz for help with old evidence

Dear Readers,

Athena and I were here in Dhurke's hideout, along with Datz, Phoenix and Edgeworth.

I talked to Datz about this place. He said Dhurke wanted to keep it the way it was until the legal system was restored and he hoped I would come back to take over the office someday. Datz told me it was a pipe dream of Dhurke's. I was amazed he said it. Datz then said Dhurke never was a hands-on kida dad, but he was sure there was never a day that went by that he didn't think of me. Aw... he was worried I'd forget about him and I really did try to but I didn't. I was looking forward to a nice, long talk with him once he was free.

I noticed the TV among the appliances and Datz talked about hijacking the broadcast of the Plumed Punisher, the very show where they were the enemy!

Athena and I argued over the creatures hanging from the ceiling, whether they were newts or geckos. Could this be our own ladder/stepladder thing? Phoenix then said we were both wrong, that they were just lizards.

Datz talked about the symbiotic relationship he had with all the spiders, that he would keep their webs while they catch all the bugs that get in!

I observed Dhurke's old jacket and Athena and Datz encouraged me to try it on. Datz said he even had a spare eyepatch! Athena found it all very funny and it hurt my pride... Oof...

I asked Datz about the altar and he said it was for them to pay respects to the victims of the DC Act.

Datz said the knife stuck in the picture of Queen Ga'ran's face was there because he missed while throwing it at a fly, laughing his big laugh.

Then the topic shifted to the family photo of Dhurke with Nahyuta and me when we were kids. Datz remembered the day it was taken and we all went out fishing. Athena asked him what Nahyuta was like when he was younger and he said he was quiet but passionate about his convictions. He achieved his goal of becoming a prosecutor but was now a lackey of Ga'ran. It was the first time I had seen Datz be sad about something. I wanted to ask him more later.

We then looked at the file on the table. It had stuff about the fire and about my father! It said he got caught up in the incident and lost his life too! This was a find for Athena, because I already knew about it. However, I never learned much more than that and assumed it was because Dhurke may have thought I was too young. I never really brought it up because I always thought of Dhurke as my dad. I was never that curious before recently when Dhurke gave me the picture of him.

I asked Datz about Nahyuta's role in the Defiant Dragons. He said he'd give Inga and Ga'ran the smackdown they deserved! But now he was working for them... Datz wondered just as much as we did as to why Nahyuta became this way and his only guess was that Ga'ran had some leverage over him. He didn't know what, but it seemed Dhurke did know and wouldn't say.

I then asked Datz about my own father after showing him his picture. He told me about him and Dhurke becoming fast friends and being invited to play music. When the fire broke out, I happened to be there as well, though I was a baby. Datz said Dhurke risked his life to save me, but my father's belongings were all destroyed in the fire, including any identification. I asked if he knew anything about my mother and he said all they knew was that she was travelling with my father but she was doing something on her own that day. No sign of her since and the upheaval caused by the former queen's death meant that no one could help find her. No leads, nothing. For all they knew, she could've heard of the fire and assumed I was dead as well.

I then asked Datz to help organise the file of evidence. He brought out the thing about Nahyuta being expelled from the royal family because of Dhurke and the thing about the "sins of the father". This meant that he also had a lot of trouble in becoming a prosecutor but he made it.

Just then, we heard someone talking to rebels. It was Beh'leeb! Datz said she was here to lend an ear to all those suffering under the regime's wrongful accusations. She was bringing in more and more believers to our side! Dhurke's dreams of revolution could very well be coming true!

I entrusted the Founder's Orb to Datz. With that done I wanted to visit Dhurke. Phoenix said he'd come along and Edgeworth said he'd hang around here.

189 ace attorney 6 - meeting phoenix and edgeworth in the safe house

Dear Readers,

Athena and I escaped the Royal Guard through the sewer and into Dhurke's office. I hadn't been here in a very long time. Poor Athena was quietly huddled in a corner.

Just then, Datz appeared, surprised to see us! We told him we were being chased and he laughed, saying once a rebel, always a rebel! He told us to relax as they didn't know about this place.

Phoenix and Edgeworth then appeared! They saw us go through the manhole and followed us. Good thing no one else did! Phoenix then gave me the evidence he and Edgeworth collected in their investigation. 

Edgeworth asked what this dubious hovel was and I told him it was the safe house of the Defiant Dragons and Dhurke's former law office. He mused about the idea of being a chief prosecutor hiding out in a rebel base. I asked him to please not tell the local police about this place.

I thought we might as well look around here while waiting for the heat to die down out there. I asked Athena to snap out of it and help. She asked if there was a shower here and I told her there was a sink in the kitchen and maybe some soap if she was lucky.

Fine big crowd of us here! Datz was the main guy to chat with though.

188 ace attorney 6 - escape from the royal guard

Dear Readers,

I asked Ahlbi if he happened to know why the urn in front of us got knocked over, telling him that Princess Rayfa told me a dingbat dog knocked it over. It was then that he came clean about Shah'do and apologised to me. I told him it was better not to lie to anyone.

Then he said he saw a couple of Americans with weird haircuts, thinking they'd be friends of mine. Edgeworth found it pretty amusing. Ahlbi correctly described Apollo and Athena. I asked him what they were doing and he said they were racing through the bazaar with the Ga'ran Royal Guard in hot pursuit! We wondered why they were being chased and it didn't sound good.

It was the end of this part and my perspective switched to Apollo again.

I ran through the bazaar with Athena, wondering why we were being chased. We dived for a cover in a hiding place. They called out to us in their weird loud voices. There were places to examine but I knew the one place we could go to hide and that was to Dhurke's office through the manhole cover. Athena wasn't too happy about the smell of the sewer but we had no choice. We went in...

187 ace attorney 6 - catching ahlbi and shah'do in the palace

Dear Readers,

Edgeworth and I bumped into Ahlbi when we left Inga's private residence. Poor Edgeworth got Shah'do nibbling on his cravat! Ahlbi greeted us with big apologies! He tried to pull Shah'do off but it ended up leaving Edgeworth gasping for air! Yikes!

Ahlbi said with more apologies that Shah'do had a habit of attacking frilly things. He then said Shah'do snuck in again today and stole a hat that looked a lot like Nayna's.

I asked Ahlbi about the hat and he went into a story about how Datz appeared in the bazaar and freaked both him and Shah'do out with firecrackers, laughing until a policeman took him away. Uh-oh... Shah'do then stole Nayna's hat. This took place at around 2pm. I took down his statement as it would help us with Nayna's whereabouts.

Ahlbi then said he saw something amazing, which was the queen channelling someone. It was ten minutes later when he was looking for Shah'do after he fled. Ahlbi looked around the palace, which gave him the creeps. He sneaked a peek into a small room and saw the queen channelling a spirit for a neighbouring kingdom's king. She transformed before his eyes and he got so excited he took a picture. I said he could've been arrested again and he knew, but he couldn't help himself. He gave me a copy of the photo and said not to tell anyone he took it.

I asked Ahlbi how he and Shah'do even got into the palace as it wasn't open to commoners. He revealed details of a small hole only he and Shah'do could fit through. I told him to go on and he kept blabbing, mentioning the food they had here. I told him trespassing was illegal and he said to wait, and he just wanted to help change the kingdom.

I asked Ahlbi what he meant. He said he was thinking after Maya's trial about how he could help the revolution. It seemed that trial got the public thinking in general about the DC act and making a change. He said his intention was to sneak in and take a picture of one of the royals doing something bad to help the revolution. Edgeworth observed this spirit of revolution building in the populace and the tipping point was fast approaching; it was just a matter of when. I noted the perception of the Defiant Dragons seemed to be changing too.

I then told Ahlbi that he couldn't be trespassing like that, even if it was for a good cause it wasn't right. He said he wouldn't do it again. I asked him if he had anything else to confess and I was referring more to Shah'do. He said he didn't know what I was talking about, with a laugh.

It was a nice try, but the evidence was right in front of us. There weren't any psyche-locks or anything, I just had to examine it.

186 ace attorney 6 - inside inga's safe

Dear Readers,

It was time to check out Inga's safe. It had 4 digits for the combination so we made a guess based on a significant date. I decided to try Princess Rayfa's birthday. I asked her for it and she didn't believe it could be the combination. I asked her to play along and then she told me it was December 24th. Wow... what a birthday to have! Christmas Eve!

I gave it a go and the statue opened up! Rayfa wondered why he would use her birthdate. I had a look inside and it was a letter from Rayfa to her father. The letter wished him a happy birthday and that she loved him very much. She also hoped he would live to be a hundred years old... Oh my goodness... that's so sad... She said she wrote this when she was eight years old. She wondered why he would hold onto something so childish and stupid? I didn't respond but I could understand why he would...

There were other papers in here including one literally titled "Ga'ran Assassination Plan", which bluntly described what the queen was telling us about him! Rayfa demanded to see it and she was very upset, unable to understand. She said it couldn't be true. She said her father would never harm her mother. Poor girl. She must've been really shocked.

Another thing we found was a picture of a woman and a baby. On the far left there was a law book with the mark of the Defiant Dragons branded on it, just like Dhurke had. Rayfa had a sudden realisation when she saw it and wondered how it was possible? She then dropped to the floor with a thud again. She got back up but she was really pale.

I asked her if she was alright. She said how could she be, when everything she had believed were lies. I didn't understand, so I asked her who the woman in the photo was. She barked, saying how should she know and that it seemed she didn't know anything that was going on.

Rayfa thought for a moment before saying she had to ask her mother about the secret she was hiding. I asked about it and she just said that she had to go, saying goodbye, leaving Edgeworth and me to wonder what upset her so much about the photo.

We heard Shah'do barking outside with Ahlbi, so we went out to them.

185 ace attorney 6 - investigating inga's private residence with edgeworth and princess rayfa

Dear Readers,

Edgeworth and I examined Inga's private quarters after Princess Rayfa graciously allowed and requested us to.

There was a painkiller syringe and medicine on the table. Rayfa said her father had bad back pain and he relied on it. I said I had back pain of my own lately. She suggested using it and I declined, but ninja'd it into my pocket anyway. She said she thought I didn't want it. I didn't respond but thought about going straight to a chiropractor when I got home.

Inga's ink pad was here too. I've seen him stamp lots of things.

Inga's notepad was peculiar. On it were descriptions of Nayna, Dhurke and me, detailing what we wore. Rayfa couldn't explain it and it was giving me a case of the heebie-jeebies. Edgeworth said they looked like notes taken over the phone. That was a good deduction, but why did Inga need Nayna's description?

When I looked at the bed I said I was missing having a nice soft bed to sleep in. Rayfa told me to take it and that they'd need to clear this place now that her father was gone. I asked her didn't she want a memento of her father? Also, I didn't want her father's ghost haunting me at night. She wondered sadly if she slept on it that she could see her father once more. I wasn't able to answer that...

The chair had similar buttons to the ones on Inga's jacket. Rayfa said they were there to massage the pressure points on his bad back.

There was a gaudy sculpture of Inga next to his bed. Rayfa said he sculpted it himself out of solid gold. Yeesh. I found the stamp part that the chewed on to be a little loose and it triggered a little door to open underneath, revealing a secret safe.

We observed the muddy footprints and determined when they must've been made, considering the overturned urn outside.

There was tons of paperwork on the desk, all for executions, some of which were years old.

We found a hair colouring spray on the desk too, which suggested Inga was going grey. I teased Edgeworth about him using it and he snapped back, saying he was happy with his natural colour. Haha.

184 ace attorney 6 - asking princess rayfa about nayna and the next séance

Dear Readers,

Edgeworth and I went to Ga'ran Palace Royal Residence, but we lost sight of Rayfa. We looked around for a bit. When I saw the overturned urn, I immediately thought of Athena, but it was overturned before we got here so it wasn't her. Edgeworth found it concerning I immediately thought of her when an accident happened. Poor Athena! She had to say it wasn't her when I was examining as Apollo too!

I examined the residence and heard Princess Rayfa sobbing inside for her father. It broke my heart and made me think of Trucy. She heard us and came out, putting on a brave face. She said a dog knocked over the urn. Hmm...

She let us into Inga's private quarters. It was stately but messy. Rayfa summoned Nayna, but then remembered something sadly and commanded me to hold her staff for her. I showed her my badge and she disapproved before trying to bite it! I also took a chance and showed her the picture of her father's dead body. Hooo... not a good thing to do. She put on a brave face but she fell down on the ground. Edgeworth told me to put it away. Oops...

Rayfa declared she would share her thoughts on the abduction. She said her father was wanting to obtain the orb for her sake. I said that didn't absolve him of his role in the abduction and she got angry, saying details would come soon in the investigation.

I asked Rayfa about Nayna, her personal internet. She said she couldn't get Nayna since this morning and saw her briefly after 2pm, but couldn't get her to come. She hadn't found her since. Edgeworth said that sounded alarming, considering the events of the murder and he wondered if her absence was related somehow. We all wondered, but I didn't think she was at the scene of the crime or anything. Rayfa looked worried and hoped Nayna was alright.

I asked her about tomorrow Séance. She was going to be doing it alright, but this was going to be about the moment of her father's death. I asked her if she really had to do it, and if she was the only one, considering it's about her father. She said it wasn't as if she wanted to do it before correcting herself and saying she fully intended to carry out her duty. I thought back to what Maya said to her about being a ruler someday. The thing is, she was going to have to watch the murder of her father happening and come up with her Insights. It was an awful burden to have for someone so young.

We went back to the topic of Nayna, who took care of Rayfa since she was a baby. She was sad to imagine Nayna not wanting to come at her beck and call anymore. She reflected on maybe being spoiled and maybe she could do something nice for Nayna. I told her I was sure she'd be back. I couldn't help but think that Nayna was now connected to this case in some way.

183 ace attorney 6 - meeting datz, then rayfa at the bazaar

Dear Readers,

Edgeworth and I went to the bazaar to hear the sound of people moving around and what sounded like a lion's roar. It wasn't of course, it was a warbaa'd, but Edgeworth was caught by surprise. We talked about it for a little until we heard what sounded like a gunshot behind us. It wasn't. It was Datz!

Datz put on his goggles and laughed at me getting startled. He said these were the Defiant Dragons' new weapon, called Dragon Snot Snaps. I asked him why he needed those and he said their efforts were beginning to pay off, thanks to TV signal hijacking and stuff, more people were joining their cause. 

Datz also said the regime was knuckling down more, especially after the last case with the late high priest. He said people were calling it the "DCA Tragedy" and it was causing public uproar.

I asked him how firecrackers were going to help him and he said as a diversionary tactic to shake off Ga'ran's goons. He set another one off which startled me and he burst out laughing again.

Just then, Princess Rayfa appeared, addressing Datz. He set off a firecracker and fled into thin air, proving his new strategy worked. Rayfa then turned to me, saying she wanted to speak to me about what her mother said. She said she didn't believe a word of it and her father could not have been planning a coup. She said someone must've set him up and was plotting against him. I asked her how she knew and she said she just did and that the Holy Mother guides her. She said as the royal priestess, she must uncover the truth for all to see. I thought maybe this was just how she expressed her sense of duty.

With her haughty smile, she told me to rejoice, as she was now going to accompany me and bestow upon me her wisdom. I told her it was the best news I heard all day! I said we humbly accepted her company as Edgeworth was willing to go along with what I wanted.

She was delighted and told us to begin with her father's private quarters to search for evidence, determined to expose this as a false charge. She told us to follow her as she ran off in a hurry.

Edgeworth said Inga's private quarters might hold evidence related to his murder, so this was a good opportunity. I hoped Rayfa was ready for the truth we were going to find. We set off after her to the royal palace residence.

182 ace attorney 6 - speaking with the queen about inga and dhurke

Dear Readers,

Edgeworth and I stood before Queen Ga'ran after she summoned us. She said she wanted to ask us something about the case at hand. I had a few questions of my own.

She asked about Inga and I told him about how he wanted to trade a hostage for the Founder's Orb. Princess Rayfa got so angry she hit me, unable to believe her father would do such a thing. The queen told her that was enough and she understood her feelings, but she believed she knew why her husband would do such a thing. She believed her husband wanted to gain spiritual power and usurp the throne as he was dissatisfied with the current administration. Wow... planning a coup and assassination on his own wife...

The subject of the secret police came up and Edgeworth asked her if she hadn't any control over them. She admitted with embarrassment that Khura'in wasn't the unified realm it appeared to be. I could see that a mile off but I didn't say so. Rayfa was really sad to realise this herself though.

The queen then said Inga wouldn't be able to become king though, because only those with spiritual power were allowed to sit on the throne, which was why he wanted the orb.

The queen asked if I remembered Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin from the first case. I sure did and I'm glad I don't have to write his name out much again. She said he was involved with Inga, who bought him out and ordered him to steal the orb and cover up the theft. Then the orb was sent to Dr. Buff in the U.S. to study.

The topic moved to Dhurke. The queen and her guard expressed delight at his apprehension. I thought the queen seemed a bit too excited for someone whose husband was just murdered. Rayfa in contrast, seemed hugely saddened. I asked about the incident where the late Queen Amara died in the fire. Ga'ran revealed that she was her sister and that Dhurke did it, calling him a demon. I was thinking though that this also set the stage for Ga'ran herself to become queen.

I asked her what she did before she became queen. She said she served in many government positions, one of them being the previous Minister of Justice. When she became queen she passed the DC act.

I asked her what made her pass the DC act and she said it was the event of the late Queen Amara's assassination and Dhurke becoming disgraced with allegations of falsified evidence. Trust in the legal system plummeted and that's when she passed the act.

Edgeworth said that sounded familiar and I laughed an awkward laugh.

The queen said she had to pass the act because the Hall of Justice was a sacred space where victims received their last rites and if the people lost their faith in it, the kingdom would be shaken to its very core. She said it was the only way to keep things going.

I told her this law made lawyers go extinct and the accused had no one to defend themselves. She said she understood me taking issue with this, but she didn't ban lawyering itself and it was still possible for someone to make a vigorous defence, citing my own examples.

I conceded on this point but also argued that without lawyers, there was the possibility of false charges being filed and prosecuted. She said as long as the prosecutors ran perfect trials there was nothing to worry about and asked if I disagreed.

It was Edgeworth's turn to laugh awkwardly, but he instead said let's not go down this path.

The queen also said since they had the Divination Séance, there wasn't any need for lawyers since the dead didn't lie. I brought up my cases where they were used and argued I found the memories of the dead to be less than perfect, so naturally I did take issue with the DC act.

The queen laughed at this, saying my reputation preceded me and that it felt as if she herself were being cross-examined. She said many felt the DC act was a necessary evil at best, but it was a small sacrifice to keep the peace in the kingdom and she had no regrets about enacting it.

Edgeworth then said why not leave it at that, as this wasn't a court of law, after all.

The queen then asked about the orb, as it went missing after the arrest. I said Dhurke had it in the tomb and if it wasn't there I didn't know.

The queen then asked about Apollo, which she called the horned one, assuming him to be a relative of mine. I said no, that he was Dhurke's adopted son. When she heard this she whispered to her guard and then dismissed us, thanking us for our time. We said our farewells.

I don't know what she whispered but I hope Apollo will be ok!

I thought about the next move, maybe to speak with the locals at the bazaar.