Klapollo Ace Attorney *Apollo justice*

"Seven Years Ago Detention Talk"

'What strange sight doth mine eyes behold!'

the man said, twirling his baton, phoenix mentally groaned in his head, ...greeaat

'Two men on either side of a single transparent pane... ...yet it seems fickle Fate has switched sides, so to speak! The forger of fakes walks freely. While the innocent languishes within these flexiglass confines'

Phoenix stared angrily at him

'There's been no proof that jousha poppet forged anything'

'Nor proof that I took the life of my dear mentor'

he replied back, phoenix studied him with his eyes, watching out for his body language and anything else that may seem off

'Yet... these chains cannot hold me for long. The stage awaits! And what, may I ask, awaits you?'

'A piano in a shitty cold little hole-in-the-wall'

he replied back, crossing his arms, valant smirked

'But, since you are here... ...what shall we discuss?, I have to hand it to my partner. He knows how to make an exit. That's talent'

phoenix glowered at him through his eyes

'yeah, he made my fill in losing his badge, and he never even fucking touched it'

Valant carried on with his cheerful stone however

'Glory's spotlight always leaves someone weeping in the shadows... ...yet his very disappearance is itself a revelation'

Phoenix raised a brow

'Revealing what?'

'Zak Gramarye killed Magnifi. It's as good as a signed confession, I grow tired of my cage. And the time of my release is near. I must go and prepare'

'your seriously planning on going back to magic after this?'

most people who are such a high public figure would ditch their career to save their public image, the fact that valant was willing to go back to perform despite being a suspect for the murder of his mentor, that was unusual 

'As long as an audience waits with bated breath, there will be Valant. And also...'

he trailed off, phoenix rolled his eyes

'what?!'

'Now that my partner has disappeared, Magnifi's repertoire... is mine. Valant Gramarye has a tradition to uphold'

Phoenix perked up at that a little

'Seen in this light, the trial was quite good to me, verdict or no. And... you can't pay for that kind of publicity'

'The suspicion on you hasn't lifted entirely Gramarye, you received one of those letters too, You were just as obligated to follow Magnifi's instructions as your partner'

Valant stared at him for a moment before he spoke

'...So I was. But only Zak Gramarye followed them. Let us not speak any more of "who shot what". Now that my partner has vanished... the question is moot'

'i'm not here for that'

valant raised a brow at him

'What might that be?'

'how could Magnifi coerce you and your partner to kill him?'

'The "trick" up his "sleeve"? Ah ha ha ha ha...! Perhaps you do not know'

phoenix glared at him

'let me fucking guess, a great magician never reveals his secrets

'....perseisly'