Sorrow & Mercy: a Great Ace Attorney AU

A Curtain of Truth

Jigoku had killed Gregson. That was the first horrible truth Susato learned that day. Seishiro Jigoku. Her father's lifelong friend. A kind and supportive man with a hearty laugh who could always make Susato smile. It was hard to fathom that he could do something so utterly despicable. But far worse revelations awaited their discovery, and the trial was far from over.

Even though Stronghart was ready to adjudicate, Kazuma would not let him. He doggedly insisted that Barok was the Reaper, that he had proof. And then Kazuma demanded Barok be put on the witness stand.

"Kazuma-sama is so emotional at the moment. He's not thinking logically," Susato said, staring at her adoptive brother with wide eyes, her body full of hurt.

"You're right that he's not himself. But I knew it would be like this. And I came here today determined to face him through whatever might arise. As a lawyer...and as his friend," Ryunosuke said.

"Then that's what we must do," Susato said.

And from there, they hurtled towards the light, piercing shapes long slumbering in ink-black darkness.

Kazuma insisted that Gregson had confessed that the damning evidence that had secured Genshin's guilty verdict all those years ago was falsified and planted—by Gregson, himself. And with the help of Sholmes, Yujin Mikotoba ended up being brought to the stand to testify, along with Maria Gorey, Courtney Sithe's daughter, and acting coroner now that her mother was in prison.

Susato stared at her father, astounded. She had no idea he had been there when Klint was autopsied. More than that—he had assisted in the autopsy and had written the report for Dr. Wilson. It seemed Stronghart hadn't been aware of this fact either.

"If it wasn't for Inspector Gregson's insistence, Lord van Zieks' autopsy would never have happened. But he was absolutely convinced it would reveal decisive evidence against Genshin, you see. So Lord Stronghart entreated the nobility to allow it to take place," Yujin said. "Do correct me if I'm wrong, My Lord."

"...It was as a result of that autopsy that a mass murderer was apprehended and justice was done," Stronghart said with finality.

"But Gregson admitted it before he was killed! He admitted that the results of the autopsy were fabricated!" Kazuma insisted.

Yujin explained that Genshin's ring had been found in Klint's stomach. Or, at least, when he turned away to grab a scalpel at Dr. Wilson's behest and turned back around, Dr. Wilson had the ring in his hand and claimed that's where he had found it. Barok was determined this was true, that Klint had used his death to implicate the Professor, boldly swallowing the ring to assure victory and justice. Susato touched her cheek, entirely unsure of what to believe.

"After the autopsy, Genshin was summoned by the police to check for the presence of his ring. It wasn't on his hand, of course. Moreover...there were deep abrasions on his finger where it had been pulled off," Yujin said.

Susato thought of the ring, thought about Barok descriptions about that fateful attack when they had spoken with him at the prison. Genshin's injured hand...Susato shut her eyes. She knew that ring. Even after all these years, she remembered it. The silver claws, the square ruby gem. A terrible feeling wormed into her stomach.

"...they arrested the man there and then, right before my eyes," Yujin continued, pain clear in his voice. And Susato's heart shuddered.

"How could they!?" Kazuma growled.

"I brought the ring with me today," Maria Gorey said.