Turnabout Revolution

"Apollo Justice"

- But as shocking as that news was... it was only the beginning. The beginning of something big -- big enough to shake Khura'in to its very core. ...Revolution.

Episode 5: Turnabout Revolution is the fifth and final episode of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice. A dispute over the artifact known as the Founder's Orb leads to Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes facing Phoenix Wright on opposite sides of a courtroom in a civil trial-turned-murder trial.

Afterwards, they travel to Khura'in, where the country in the midst of rebellious citizens attacking. While there, they find Minister of Justice Inga Karkhuul Khura'in dead and Dhurke Sahdmadhi is arrested.

Prologue
A broadcast of "The Plumed Punisher: Warrior of Neo Twilight Realm" - which featured a demonic looking Dhurke as its villain - was hijacked by the Defiant Dragons. Addressing the people of Khura'in, Dhurke pointed out the countless wrongful convictions that had happened under the Defense Culpability Act, before claiming that the Defiant Dragons had obtained a weapon known as the Founder's Orb, and vowing to personally dethrone the Ga'ran regime. "A dragon never yields. Nor will he rest until his revolution is complete." Dhurke declared.

Wright Anything Agency
At the Wright Anything Agency, Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright were watching a news report covering the television hijacking incident. Apollo wondered what Dhurke was planning, prompting Trucy to ask him if he knew Dhurke. Apollo admitted that he did, though he claimed that that was a long time ago. Before he could explain why he knew Dhurke, the man himself showed up at the agency and enthusiastically greeted him.

As Apollo got over his initial shock, Trucy asked Dhurke about his relation to her colleague, with the revolutionary leader acting surprised that Apollo had never mentioned him to anyone. He exuberantly assured Apollo that he could talk about him all he wanted, only for Apollo to try and convince Trucy to close the office early and leave, much to Dhurke's surprise and disappointment. Apollo asked Dhurke why he had shown up after so much time had passed. Dhurke claimed that he merely wanted to see Apollo, before admitting that he also wanted his help with something.

Dhurke introduced himself to Trucy, and remarked that she and Apollo would make a good couple - unaware that the two of them were half-siblings. With Trucy demanding to know how Dhurke and Apollo knew each other, Apollo told her about his childhood in Khura'in, explaining that he had never told anyone about his past because he hadn't wanted people to know he had been raised by a criminal. He admitted that he had assumed Dhurke had forgotten about him, but Dhurke flatly denied it, explaining that he had been unable to visit before due his work with the Defiant Dragons, and his fugitive status. Apollo assured him he had no issue with this, though he thought to himself how odd it was for Dhurke would show up and start acting like a parent after all this time.

With regard to why he wanted Apollo's help, Dhurke explained that he was trying to acquire the Founder's Orb, having lied about finding it in his broadcast. Apollo recalled a newspaper article that claimed the Defiant Dragons had stolen the orb, but Dhuke stated that this wasn't true. He informed Apollo and Trucy that one of his men had tracked the orb to Kurain Village, discovering it in the possession of Archie Buff, a doctor of archaeology who had taken up residence there. According to Are'bal, someone - presumably the thief who had stolen the orb in the first place - had asked Archie to study the artifact, but the doctor had nevertheless agreed to hand over the orb to the Defiant Dragons.

Dhurke explained that he wanted Apollo to be present as his lawyer when he took possession of the orb. Apollo agreed, and questioned Dhurke about the orb. Dhurke explained that it had been found during an excavation eight years ago, and that according to legend, whoever solved a riddle associated it would be granted immense spiritual power. If the Defiant Dragons obtained such power, it would grant them the right to rule Khura'in, or so Dhurke believed.

Dhurke then presented Apollo with a plate of sushi, having assumed that his son was unable to afford three square meals a day. Still feeling distant from his adoptive father, Apollo declined, leaving Dhurke and Trucy to eat the sushi themselves. Afterwards, Dhurke presented his son with a photo of Jove Justice, Apollo's biological father, adding that it had been 23 years since his death. Apollo asked why Dhurke would give him such a thing now, and Dhurke answered that he thought it sad that Apollo didn't know what his father looked like. Apollo was unmoved by the gift, having never known Jove as a person, but nevertheless, Dhurke insisted that he keep hold of the photo, claiming that it took him a lot of effort to obtain it.

Before he, Dhurke and Trucy left for Kurain Village, Apollo learned from Trucy that Athena Cykes had left to pick up Phoenix Wright from the airport, owing to his return from Khura'in. She briefly pondered why Phoenix had cut his trip short, and why he and Cykes hadn't returned to the agency, before the three of them set off.

At Kurain Village
Arriving in the village, Apollo and Dhurke were reminded of their life with Nahyuta Sahdmadhi in the mountains of Khura'in. Trucy still had trouble believing that Dhurke was Apollo and Nahyuta's father, but the two of them soon bonded over Apollo's childhood, much to the younger lawyer's embarrasment. The conversation was then interrupted by the appearance of Ema Skye, who remarked that she wasn't surprised to see Apollo, as he always seemed to pop up wherever there was trouble. Apollo guessed that she was investigating a case, and Skye in turn guessed that they had come to see Archie, before offering to take them to him.

As the group arrived in Archie's study, Trucy and Dhurke quickly noticed the ceiling-high bookshelves within the room, as well as the numerous artifacts that were there. Apollo's attention meanwhile was drawn to a large pile of books that had spilled onto the floor, and a chalk body outline underneath the pile. He asked Skye where Archie was, and she answered that he had died last night. The official police assumption was that the fallen books had knocked Archie off a ladder while he was trying to get a book from one of the topmost bookshelves, causing him to fall to the floor and land on his head, killing him instantly. Both Apollo and Dhurke became worried, since Archie would no longer be able to legally give them the Founder's Orb.

Skye informed Apollo that she had recieved a call in the morning from an anonymous caller, who claimed to have seen Archie dead underneath the pile of books, before reiterating what she had told him earlier about the cause of death. Dhurke stated that, with Archie now dead, he and Apollo would have to search for the Founder's Orb themselves. Apollo then told Skye about the situation with the orb, and Dhurke revealed that Are'bal had obtained a written transfer agreement for it, allowing them to legally take possession of it even with Archie's death. Skye then asked about Dhurke, who claimed to be a volunteer worker within Khura'in, before Apollo and Trucy revealed that he was Apollo and Nahyuta's father. Skye was taken aback by the news, before sadly remarking that Apollo must have had quite a life.

After an awkward moment arose when Skye almost recognised Dhurke, the conversation moved onto the subject of the Founder's Orb. Dhurke stated that, since none of them knew what the artifact looked like, they would just have to look through all of the relics. Skye gave them permission to search the accident scene, in exchange for their help with her investigation. Skye provided the investigators with a photo of the doctor's body when it was first discovered, in which Apollo noticed a book stained with Archie's blood, as well as coffee. Dhurke meanwhile took notice of the large window next to the bookshelves, noting that anyone outside would have a clear view of Archie's body, and Skye explained that that was how the anonymous caller had discovered Archie's death. Looking at a green and yellow raincoat hung on a coat stand, Dhurke guessed that it had been used recently, judging by how damp it was. The group also noticed a set of reading glasses belonging to Archie that had been placed on a stand on the doctor's desk, as well as Archie's computer, though they were unable to access any of its content because of its password protection.

Exploring the other half of Archie's study, the group discovered a number of artifacts, including the Sacred Urn of Kurain Village, as well as the gravy-covered hanging scroll and statue of Ami Fey that had previously been at Hazakura Temple. The group also found Archie's research notes on the Founder's Orb lying on the floor next to a coffee bar, which included both a photo of Tehm'pul Temple's treasure box and the lyrics of the Song of Ceremony. Dhurke mentioned that the solution to the orb's riddle was supposedly hidden within the lyrics of the song, and found it unusual that the second half of the song was included, since only the first half was sung during the Dance of Devotion. Exploring further, the group discovered a locked suitcase that had been left in the study last night, which was revealed to belong to Are'bal after the group tested the suitcase for fingerprints. Everyone wondered where Are'bal was, until Skye revealed that there had been reports of him loitering in the village.

Having failed to find the Founder's Orb, Apollo, Dhurke and Trucy returned to the village to look for Are'bal, and immediately encountered a palanquin carrying Paul Atishon, a politician in the middle of campaigning for a seat on the local council. Upon recognising the group, Atishon demanded to know why they were searching Archie's study, and later became offended when the group failed to recognise him, before boasting that he was the grandson of a renowned politician and subsequently destined for great things.

Atishon again asked why the group were in Archie's house, and Apollo explained about the Founder's Orb. Atishon however claimed that the Founder's Orb belonged to him, and that it was actually the Crystal of Ami Fey, an Atishon family heirloom that had been stolen and hidden away by the doctor. Apollo argued that Archie himself referred to the object as the Founder's Orb, but Atishon argued that he had been tricked into doing so by a "weird foreigner", who Apollo correctly identified as Are'bal. Dhurke asked where Are'bal was right now, and Atishon replied that he had been taken into police custody after being caught hiding in Atishon's dog's doghouse. As the group prepared to leave, Atishon warned them that he would not let them take the Founder's Orb from him, as he planned to give it to an influential benefactor of his, who would in turn support him during his political career.

Apollo, Dhurke and Trucy then met Are'bal at the detention center in order to question him. Are'bal insisted that the doctor's artifact was the Founder's Orb, and when Dhurke bought up Atishon's claims against him, Are'bal responded that they were all lies, causing Trucy to wonder who was telling the truth. In response, Are'bal presented the transfer agreement he had obtained from the doctor, which specifically referred to the artifact as the Founder's Orb. Dhurke however noticed a line stating that the agreement was only valid as long as Archie came to no harm, and Apollo asked if Are'bal had threatened the doctor. Are'bal denied it, claiming that a friend of Archie's had warned him against working with the Defiant Dragons. Apollo guessed that it was the work of Atishon. Regarding his incarceration, Are'bal explained that while he had at first been arrested for laughing at a policeman's face, he was currently being held on suspicion of entering the country illegally, and was unable to prove otherwise since he had lost his passport. Regarding the orb, Are'bal suggested that the group talk to Archie's child, but warned them that the child in question was a severe agoraphobic.

Return to the study
The trio returned to Archie's study, whereupon Skye mentioned that Phoenix had come by to look for something a short time earlier. Looking around the room, the trio noticed a remote controlled drone resembling a helicopter gunship, which Trucy guessed belonged to Archie's child. They also attempted to get Are'bal's passport from his suitcase, only to discover it was both locked, and too heavy to take to the detention center. Dhurke managed to pick the lock, and Trucy left to take Are'bal's passport to him, telling Dhurke and Apollo to enjoy some quality father and son time while she was gone. The next few moments were somewhat awkward for the two men, having never seen each other in over a decade. Dhurke managed to ask Apollo how he had been, before the now airborne drone shot at the pair of them with a miniature gatling gun.

Once Apollo had regained consciousness, the drone demanded to know why he was "invading Buff airspace" via a microphone it was equipped with, referring to itself as Sergeant Buff. Dhurke figured out that the drone was being controlled by Buff's child, and convinced Apollo to play along with the drone's behaviour - akin to that of an actual drill sergeant - until they had the information they needed. This soon amounted to them introducing themselves by giving their names as well as their "units and ranks", and Dhurke agreeing to get his hair cut. After this, Apollo - now referred to by the drone as "Private Justice" - asked "Sarge" about the drone, learning that the reclusive child could see what was going on outside without physically being there via a camera on the drone. Dhurke remarked that such a gadget would be very useful to the Defiant Dragons, leading Sarge to admit to modifying it for use in "siege defense", which Apollo guessed referred to Sarge's agoraphobia.

Apollo asked about the Founder's Orb, but this caused Sarge to become despondent over Archie's death. Apollo tried to assure Sarge that he too understood what it was like to lose a loved one, but Sarge didn't believe him, and it was revealed that Sarge's mother was also dead. Sarge explained that six months ago, before the Buff family moved to Kurain, they were caught up in an arson attack, during which Sarge's mother was fatally injured in the act of saving her child. Apollo guessed that something had happened during this that caused Sarge to withdraw from the world. On Dhurke's advice, Apollo presented the photo of Jove to Sarge as proof of their shared pain. Dhurke explained that Jove too had died saving his child from a fire, and Apollo added that his mother had also disappeared after the fire.

Now understanding that they shared the same hardship, Sarge immediately warmed up to Apollo and "promoted" him to "Corporal Justice", and Apollo took the opportunity to ask about the Founder's Orb. Sarge explained that it had been in the study last night, but that Archie had planned to hide it, owing to someone attempting to take it for themselves. By now, Sarge assumed it was probably somewhere in Kurain Village, with the drone mentioning that Archie had supposedly found an ideal hiding place for it. Dhurke suggested that there might be clues to this hiding place within the study.

Apollo asked Sarge about Archie, with Sarge telling him that the doctor had moved to Kurain Village to help his child recover, even going so far as to resign from an enjoyable job at a university for the sake of his offspring. Returning to Archie's computer, Apollo and Dhurke were able to access it thanks to Sarge, and they discovered an email Archie had sent to someone known as "PAW-711", reporting his research on the Founder's Orb. They also had another look at the glasses on the desk, with Sarge explaining that they were reading glasses for Archie's poor eyesight. Examining the study's shoe cubby, Apollo and Dhurke found a pair of damp walking boots, with one of them containing some kind of glowing moss, leading Dhurke to suspect that the doctor had worn them when he went to hide the orb. The pair also examined the damp raincoat again, and after learning from Sarge that it hadn't rained last night, Apollo wondered how it got damp and muddy. When Sarge mentioned that it had been unused when he saw it last night, Apollo guessed that Archie had used it later in the night.

Their investigation complete, Apollo and Dhurke deduced that Archie had hidden the Founder's Orb somewhere that both required him to wear a raincoat, and was home to the glowing green moss found in the walking boot. With Sarge having no idea where such a place might be, Dhurke remarked that they would have to go to Kurain Village and ask the locals.

Exploring Mt. Mitama
Apollo and Dhurke returned to the village to find it covered with Atishon's campaign photos. Noticing a mountain in the distance, Dhurke suggested the two of them go hunting later, only for Apollo to decline, still feeling distant from his foster father. They then noticed a crude painting of the Kurain Village bus stop at night, which also depicted a green and yellow figure at the bus stop. As the pair critiqued the painting, they were overheard by its artist, who turned out to be Pearl Fey. After the introductions, Pearl and Dhurke had a talk about mediums and spirit channeling, and Apollo remarked to himself how mediums would physically become the person they channeled.

Apollo told Pearl that he had come to Kurain Village to take care of a small matter, leading Pearl to ask if it was the same thing Miles Edgeworth was looking into, explaining that she had seen him searching for something earlier. Apollo decided not to dwell on this, and the conversation turned to the village itself. Pearl told them a bit about the Kurain channelling technique, explaining that a medium needed to know the name and face of a person in order to channel them, and that channeling itself could only be done by those with certain bloodlines. Pearl then sadly remarked that she and Maya Fey were the only mediums left in Kurain Village, as the other women of the village had left for the city rather than stay and learn spirit channeling.

The talk then moved to Atishon, with Pearl revealing that the village considered him a public nuisance as a result of his excessive campaigning, but that the police were unable to touch him due to his family's influence. She also suggested that Atishon was after the political sway the spirit mediums of Kurain had once held; much like Khu'rain was able to maintain its independence around larger countries due to the royal family's ability to channel spirits, those with medium blood in Kurain village still commanded respect. Apollo remarked that as Atishon's benefactor went, so went the village, and wondered who this benefactor could be.

Apollo then asked Pearl about the glowing moss, with Pearl explaining that it grew on a nearby mountain named Mt. Mitama. She asked Apollo why he was interested in the moss, and Apollo briefly explained about Archie hiding the Founder's Orb. At this, Pearl seemed to think this would explain something she saw, but when Apollo pressed her for more information, she claimed that all she knew was that Archie was somewhere on Mt. Mitama. Apollo however noticed that when Pearl mentioned the mountain, her thumb would subconsciously rub a piece of green paint on her left index finger, which he guessed was from her painting. Pearl insisted that the painting had nothing to do with Archie, but Apollo pointed out the green and yellow figure within it, figuring out that it was Archie wearing his raincoat.

Her lie caught, Pearl admitted to seeing Archie last night, adding that the doctor had asked her not to tell anyone about him. Dhurke guessed that something had spooked Archie, and that he didn't want anyone to find out where he had hidden the orb. Pearl assumed that Archie had gone to a cave on Mt. Mitama, explaining that she had heard of one where mediums would train in ages past, and of mystical ruins that were supposedly hidden within the mountain.

With this information in hand, both Dhurke and Apollo set off for Mt. Mitama, eventually reaching a large cave which had the moss growing on its walls. As they went inside, an unknown person handed Apollo a flashlight, before pushing him and Dhurke off a ledge, causing the two of them to fall into a deep cave. Finding themselves unable to climb back out, they resolved to press on, noting that Archie had to have found a route through the caves when he hid the orb.

About an hour later, as the two of them travelled through the cave, Dhurke and Apollo briefly discussed the start of their legal careers, before Dhurke apologized for not keeping in contact with Apollo over the years. Shortly afterwards, the ground beneath them collapsed, dropping them both into an underground lake. Upon hitting the water, Apollo passed out from shock.

He woke to find himself in a large cavern containing a set of ancient ruins. Noticing Archie's footprints, Apollo guessed that the doctor had hidden the Founder's Orb somewhere within the cavern. Dhurke noticed that the footprints had started from a lake within the cavern, and after seeing a discarded plastic bottle and noticing that the lake was saltwater, guessed that the lake and cavern were connected to the ocean. Apollo and Dhurke then noticed a locked puzzle box resting on an altar within the ruins. With no clear way out of the cavern, they decided to try and open it, soon discovering that the Song of Ceremony in Archie's research notes contained the box's solution. He and Dhurke arranged the box's sections in accordance with the Song of Ceremony's lyrics, and sure enough, the box opened to reveal the Founder's Orb.

After Dhurke had effusively thanked Apollo for his help, Apollo asked him how he planned to use the orb. Dhurke replied that for now, he planned to return it to the Kingdom of Khura'in, as his main goal was to find out who had asked Archie to study it, and why. He suggested that a member of Khura'in's royal family had stolen the orb in the first place, since they all had free access to Tehm'pul Temple's treasure room, its original location. Apollo asked why one of the royals would do such a thing, and Dhurke admitted that he had no idea. Nevertheless, he stated that the culprit could not have a good reason for stealing an item of great religious significance and blaming the Defiant Dragons for it, noting that if the truth of what had happened got out, the people would be outraged at the perceived sacrilege of allowing a foreign national to study a treasure that was off limits to the public. The revolutionary also hinted that there was an even bigger secret relating to the orb and why Archie had been studying it, the reveal of which would shake Khura'in to its very core.

Apollo then asked Dhurke why he was so dedicated to revolution. Dhurke replied that while he wanted to reform Khura'in's legal system, he also wanted to save Nahyuta. Apollo recalled his less than friendly reunion with his brother, remarking that Nahyuta had gone from being a cheerful and kind child to being a cold and unfriendly man willing to get Trucy convicted on false charges. Dhurke guessed that he had been influenced by Ga'ran, explaining that five years ago, when Nahyuta first became a prosecutor, he had been a member of the Defiant Dragons with a strong sense of justice who had intended to use his position to bring down Ga'ran's regime from within. And while Nahyuta was now one of the queen's top supporters, Dhurke doubted that he truly believed in his new path, sensing that his heart was filled with resignation and despair. He suggested that Ga'ran was forcing Nahyuta to follow a path he did not believe in, but Apollo asked Dhurke if he really thought that Nahyuta still held his old beliefs after five years. Dhurke replied that as long as Nahyuta remembered what Dhurke had taught him, he would continue to believe in his son.

Apollo recalled that Dhurke had always told him and Nahyuta that "a dragon never yields" while they were growing up. Dhurke replied that it was a belief he'd held ever since he became a lawyer, explaining that a dragon stood at the pinnacle of the natural world, incapable of being bent to another's will. Apollo took it to mean that a lawyer should pursue the truth like an unyielding dragon, fighting for it to the bitter end regardless of what it took. Dhurke stated that it was because of that belief, and the hope that Khura'in's legal system would one day be restored to its former state, that he continued to wear his attorney's badge, even though there were no lawyers left in Khura'in. Apollo wondered if Nahyuta still believed in those teachings, and Dhurke confidently declared that he would bet his life on it, since Nahyuta was his son. Apollo inwardly remarked that it was this unshakable faith and confidence that drew people to Dhurke, and recalled how Nahyuta would proudly declare that he had the blood of the dragon within him. Dhurke replied that it was because of that that he wanted to free him from Ga'ran's clutches.

The conversation then moved to how the two of them would get out of the cave. Remembering that the cavern's lake was connected to the ocean, Dhurke left to see if he could find a way out, assuring Apollo that he'd return for him. Twenty minutes later, the cavern suddenly started to flood. Unable to swim, Apollo managed to stay afloat by clinging to the piece of driftwood, and was carried up to the hole from earlier as the water level rose. Initially thinking he could escape through the tunnel, Apollo discovered that it had now caved in, before he slipped and fell into the water, and lost consciousness.

Thinking that he was about to die, Apollo had a flashback to an incident in his childhood in which he and Nahyuta fell into a river and were nearly washed away, but were rescued by Dhurke. After the incident, Nahyuta had asked his father why he would risk his life for them, but Dhurke responded by asking what kind of father wouldn't do so. He assured both his children that if they ever needed his help, they had only to say so. Apollo then recalled how Dhurke had left him in America, promising to return for him as soon as things in Khura'in were settled, only to never do so. Apollo remarked that because of this, he had attempted to forget all about Dhurke, and his childhood in Khura'in. His last thought was him wondering why Dhurke never came back for him.

Then all of a sudden, Apollo started hearing Dhurke's voice, and he woke up to find himself in his foster father's arms, still inside the flooded cavern, but above the water's surface. Apollo was surprised that Dhurke had come back, and Dhurke reminded him that he had said he'd return. Apollo then began to worry that Dhurke wouldn't be able to stay afloat and support him at the same time, but Dhurke told him not to say anything else, lest he bite his tongue. Moments later, the two of them were pulled under the water's surface.

When Apollo next woke up, he was back in Kurain Village, with Dhurke, Trucy and Are'bal nearby. Dhurke apologised for his late return, and explained that he had made it to the ocean, before getting the help of a nearby fisherman and returning for Apollo. Knowing that Apollo couldn't swim, Dhurke had the fisherman tie a rope around him, and after he had found his son, the fisherman pulled the pair of them out of the flooded caverns using the rope. Apollo thanked Dhurke for saving his life, to which the revolutionary awkwardly replied that he merely did what any good father would have done. Noticing that Apollo was still hungry, Are'bal revealed that Dhurke had had him get another plate of sushi for his son. Now fully reconciled with his foster father, Apollo had no hesitation about eating it alongside Dhurke and Are'bal, remembering how, as a child, he used to dine on fish that Dhurke caught.

The conversation then moved onto the Founder's Orb, with Dhurke stating that the Defiant Dragons' revolution could take a big step forward now that it had been found. As he and Are'bal made plans to celebrate, Apollo wished that Nahyuta could be there with them, and considered joining the revolution if it meant being able to bring him back. The celebratory atmosphere was then interrupted by Atishon, who demanded they turn the relic over to him. The politician remarked that he had anticipated that Dhurke and Apollo would be able to find the relic, and revealed that he was the one who pushed them on Mt. Mitama in order to "help" them with their search, much to Dhurke's fury. Dhurke flatly refused to hand over the orb to Atishon, who responded by calling over Skye and claiming that Dhurke had stolen the orb from him. Skye attempted to take Dhurke in for questioning, but Apollo presented the orb transfer agreement to her, as proof that Dhurke was the legal owner of the orb. This satisfied Skye, but Atishon claimed that the artifact in question was the Crystal of Ami Fey, meaning that the transfer agreement didn't apply to it. Skye remarked that the argument would go nowhere at present.

This stalemate was then brought to a close when Phoenix showed up and stated that the matter would have to go to trial. He explained to a confused Apollo and Trucy that Atishon had hired him to get the Crystal of Ami Fey back from Archie, and to handle any legal issues that might arise. Apollo asked Phoenix if this was the reason he had returned from Khura'in, but Phoenix claimed that his return was just a coincidence, and that Atishon was an important client. Phoenix warned Apollo that he intended to fight for his client's interests, and that if Apollo and Dhurke refused to hand over the orb, he would take the matter to court. Apollo and Trucy attempted to convince Phoenix to not go through with his threat, but to no avail, and Phoenix asked Apollo if he was willing to take the matter to trial. Although unnerved at the idea of going up against the man who was his boss, a renowned lawyer and his inspiration, Apollo resolved to battle Phoenix in court, for Dhurke's sake. After a long pause, Phoenix warned Apollo that he would not be going easy on him, and left to prepare for the trial, with Trucy following after him.

Once they had left, Dhurke expressed regret over causing the current situation. He then admitted to Apollo that the upcoming trial might be a blessing in disguise, as it could lead to them learning the identity of the person who had asked Archie to study the orb, and thus enable the revolution to begin. Apollo vowed to do what he could to win the trial, and Dhurke assured his foster son that he had faith in him.

Former session
As Apollo, Dhurke and Trucy waited in the defendant lobby, a furious Trucy told Apollo and Dhurke that she would not be taking sides in the upcoming trial. After Dhurke apologised for his role in what had happened, a now morose Trucy admitted she was afraid that Apollo and Phoenix's friendship would be destroyed in the trial. Dhurke told her not to worry, assuring her that while men could fall out, they never stayed mad at each other for long. Cykes then showed up in the lobby, explaining that she had gone to the wrong airport yesterday, and failed to realise her mistake after she fell asleep waiting for Phoenix to arrive. Apollo had just enough time to explain to her that they were involved in a civil trial, before the two of them were summoned into the courtroom for the trial to begin.

Court began with Apollo and Phoenix facing each other from opposite sides of the courtroom, much to the shock of both the judge and Cykes. After learning that the two lawyers were going up against each other in a civil trial, the judge expressed his hope that the outcome wouldn't affect their working relationship with each other. Phoenix repeated his warning from yesterday to Apollo, who replied that if Phoenix wanted a fight, he'd get one. The judge told both lawyers to keep their behaviour civil, before calling the plaintiff to the stand.

Atishon took the stand in his palanquin and started giving a campaign speech, only for the judge to inform him that he was in court, and order him to get out of the palanquin. Once Atishon had done so, the judge asked Phoenix to explain his client's complaint against Dhurke. Phoenix stated that Dhurke had stolen the Crystal of Ami Fey from Atishon's family, and that Atishon sought its return. In response, Apollo asserted that the relic in question was the Founder's Orb, as proven by Archie's studies. He argued that the orb's theft from several weeks ago had actually been part of a plot to smuggle it into the country for Archie to examine. After discovering the relic's identity and realising it had been stolen, Archie wanted nothing more to do with it and agreed to give it to the Defiant Dragons, as stated in Are'bal's written transfer agreement.

The judge remarked that the key issue in the trial was the identity of the disputed relic, as once that was determined, it would prove who its rightful owner was. Phoenix then called Skye to the witness stand, causing Apollo to question why a detective was getting involved in a civil trial. Phoenix explained that he had asked Skye to investigate Archie, and Skye proceeded to admonish Apollo for both forgetting that she was now a forensic scientist, and for going up against his mentor. She then revealed that many of the artifacts in Archie's study had in fact been stolen by him, and that the relic in question was likely stolen from the Atishon residence. Out of respect for Archie's memory, Phoenix explained that Archie only stole artifacts in order to study them, and would return them to their original locations once he was done. Apollo argued that if this was true, Archie could have stolen the Founder's Orb from Khura'in, but Phoenix replied that this wasn't possible; there had been no record of the doctor leaving the country, and he could not have left Sarge alone.

In his cross-examination, Apollo pressed Skye on her claim that Archie had stolen the relic from the Atishon residence, to which she presented a theft report for the Crystal of Ami Fey that dated back one year, long before the Founder's Orb was reported stolen. Apollo noticed that the report gave Atishon's full name as "Paul Atishon-Wimperson", and guessed that he was the "PAW-711" in Archie's email. Presenting the email to the court and explaining his theory, Apollo argued that Atishon had been the one who had gotten Archie to study the relic, and that he would not have done so if the relic in question was his family heirloom. Skye pointed out the theft report, and Apollo suggested that it was genuine, but that Atishon was just using it to claim possession of the Founder's Orb. Phoenix tried to argue that the letters matching Atishon's initials were just a coincidence, but Apollo pointed to the numbers in the name, correctly guessing that they referred to Atishon's birthdate.

Phoenix was forced to concede that Atishon had lent Archie the relic, but he stated that it had no bearing on the matter of the relic's ownership. With some coaxing from Phoenix, Atishon admitted that he had kept quiet about his correspondence with Archie to prevent his family from learning that he had briefly given away their heirloom, and had only given it to Archie because of how eager the doctor was to study the relic. Apollo then pointed out that despite this, Atishon had planned to give that same relic to his benefactor, to which Atishon claimed that he would have explained things with his grandfather later on. Atishon and Phoenix both asserted that the older man would have been happy to part with one of the family heirlooms if it meant supporting his grandson's political dreams, a sentiment the judge agreed with, being a grandfather himself.

Skye then left the stand, and the judge asked Apollo what he planned to do next. Acting on advice from Cykes, Apollo asked that Atishon testify about the Crystal of Ami Fey, in order to see if there were any inconsistencies between it and the disputed relic. Atishon claimed that Ami Fey had had the crystal made as a gift for an Atishon lord from Japan, as thanks for him protecting the Fey Clan from prejudiced locals. Apollo however pointed out that the disputed relic had a mitamah motif from Khura'in's founding period, as detailed in Archie's notes, thus making it a Khura'inese work of art, not a Japanese one. Phoenix argued that Ami, who was known to have trained in Khura'in, could have simply bought the mitahmah motif over to Japan, but Apollo replied that even if this was true, there was still no proof that the relic had been made there. Phoenix responded that, by that logic, there was nothing that proved the relic had been made in Khura'in, either. The judge concluded that the mitamah motif alone could not prove the relic's identity, leaving both sides of the courtroom at a stalemate.

Phoenix then suggested that the court look at the dispute from another angle. He argued that the Defiant Dragons had threatened Archie over the Founder's Orb, and their transfer agreement was therefore null and void. Apollo asked for an explanation, and Phoenix claimed that Archie's accident had in fact been murder at the hands of the Defiant Dragons. He told the court that all of the books that had fallen from the bookshelves had come from the archeology shelf at the top, except for the book with blood on it, which was in fact a psychology volume, kept on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. He argued that the killer had struck Archie from behind as he was selecting a psychology book, causing his blood to spill onto it, and that the killer then tipped the archaelogy books onto the body to make it look like an accidental death. Apollo asked if Phoenix had any proof that Archie had been murdered, and Phoenix revealed that Archie's head wound had come from being struck by the corner of an object, not from a fall. Apollo then questioned why Phoenix was blaming the Defiant Dragons for the murder, and Phoenix, much to the shock of the court, instructed Atishon to tell the court how he had seen one of the Defiant Dragons leaving the crime scene. Apollo and Cykes realised that they had been caught in a trap. Before Atishon testified, the judge remarked that Phoenix hadn't explained what the murder weapon was. Phoenix replied that the weapon hadn't been found at the crime scene, and the killer had most likely disposed of it.

Atishon claimed that at about 10PM on the evening of the murder, he had seen Are'bal running out the front door of the Buff residence, and guessed that he had been fleeing the scene of the crime. Phoenix reminded Apollo that Are'bal's suitcase had been left within the Buff residence, before he informed the judge that Are'bal was currently sitting in the courtroom gallery, causing the rebel to attempt to flee, before calling Phoenix a backstabber. Apollo meanwhile pressed Atishon, the politician claiming that he had been stood underneath a nearby tree when he saw Are'bal, and that he hadn't realised Archie was dead during that time. Apollo then presented the crime scene photo; if Atishon had been underneath the tree as he had said, he should have clearly seen Archie's body through the huge window, as they were both right in front of him. Apollo demanded to know if Atishon really had seen Are'bal, but Atishon attempted to avoid answering the question, only for Phoenix to advise him to inform the court about "that matter we discussed".

Atishon was reluctant to do so, fearing that it would damage his campaign, but Phoenix assured him that no such thing would happen. He revealed that Atishon had been the anonymous caller who had reported Archie's death, and reminded Apollo that Are'bal had been at the crime scene during this time. Phoenix argued that Atishon had seen Are'bal fleeing the murder scene, and reiterated his claims that the Defiant Dragons had threatened and murdered Archie, therefore invalidating the orb transfer agreement. Desperately looking for a counter-argument, Apollo asked if Phoenix had any evidence that proved Are'bal murdered Archie. Phoenix admitted that he had no such evidence, but stated that he did have another witness whose testimony would prove Are'bal's guilt. The judge called for a recess to allow the bailiff to summon this new witness.

In the defendant lobby, Apollo and Cykes discussed how Phoenix had almost outwitted them, and Are'bal joked about how he had now been caught three times in one year, much to Apollo's annoyance. Dhurke questioned Are'bal about his supposed visit to the Buff residence, with Are'bal admitting that he had indeed gone there, and that Archie had refused to hand over the orb to him. Are'bal claimed that someone convinced Archie that the Defiant Dragons were dangerous, and he subsequently ejected Are'bal from the premises. Apollo remarked that this would mean Archie was still alive when Are'bal last saw him, but Cykes commented that they would still have to prove this in court, and Dhurke warned Apollo that Phoenix's witness could either make or break their case. Apollo then noticed that Trucy was not in the lobby, and Cykes explained that she had gone to see Phoenix, and was worried that the fallout from the trial would lead to Apollo leaving the Wright Anything Agency. Apollo scoffed at the idea of him doing so, before court resumed.

Middle session
Phoenix's witness was revealed to be none other than Sarge - or rather, Sarge's drone - whom Phoenix had managed to coax out of the Buff residence. Upon seeing Apollo, Sarge was furious at him for defending Archie's killer, considering it a betrayal and "demoting" him back to "private". Apollo offered to explain things to a confused Cykes later, before the judge asked for Sarge's testimony. Sarge claimed to have not seen what had happened in the study due to an unwillingness to leave their bedroom, but testified to overhearing an argument between Are'bal and Archie, before seeing Are'bal get thrown out of the building. After this happened, Sarge saw Are'bal loitering around the building, and guessed that he had then re-entered the residence and murdered Archie. Phoenix argued that Atishon had then seen Are'bal flee the scene after doing so, prompting Are'bal to suddenly take the witness stand and declare his innocence, only to flee when Sarge had the drone fire a barrage of missiles at him.

In his cross-examination, Apollo pointed out that with the camera on the drone, Sarge could have easily seen what was going on outside their bedroom, and asked if the reclusive child was hiding something. Sarge was shocked at being hit by such "ordinance", but nevertheless claimed to have not seen anything. Cykes however noticed that, in addition to looking visibly stressed and anxious, there was a lot of discord in Sarge's voice, and obtained permission to perform a therapy session on Sarge. Testifying again, Sarge claimed to have stayed in their room for the whole of that night, and subsequently didn't realise Archie was dead until the next morning. Examining the testimony in the mood matrix, Apollo noticed that Sarge was more shocked about seeing Are'bal than about seeing Archie's body, and guessed that Sarge had actually left the room that night, and subsequently saw Archie's body earlier than claimed. Sarge claimed to have seen no such thing, but the noise level nevertheless dropped, and Apollo asked what it was that Sarge saw. His questioning caused Sarge to utterly lose control, before stealing Widget from Cykes and preventing her from being able to continue the therapy session. The judge ordered Sarge to calm down, only for the drone to steal his gavel and attempt to convene a military tribunal. Chaos reigned in the courtroom as the judge ordered the bailiffs to arrest the drone, only for Sarge to turn the drone's weapons on them, before attacking Cykes when she tried to take back Widget.

Eventually, Cykes managed to regain Widget, and Sarge had calmed down slightly. Apollo and Cykes resumed the therapy session, noticing that Sarge was suffering from an emotional overload of both shock and sadness. Testifying again, Sarge claimed to have left the room after hearing more arguing between Archie and Are'bal. Shortly after doing so, Sarge became dizzy and passed out, though not before seeing a flame lighting up the room, and Archie grinning with delight at it. Sarge assumed that Are'bal had murdered Archie shortly afterwards. Remembering the arson attack Sarge had once been caught up in, Apollo guessed that the flame was the source of the emotional overload, as well the reason the reclusive child had passed out. Cykes then went on to argue that it was a subconscious fear of fire that had led to Sarge developing agoraphobia, due to the prevalence of fire in modern day society, with Sarge agreeing with and accepting this assessment

Apollo then asked about the source of the flames, and Sarge claimed to have seen the Founder's Orb on fire, before also claiming to have seen Mrs Buff's face within the orb. Apollo then pointed out that if this was true, it meant that Archie could not have been murdered after Sarge had passed out, since Archie had been able to hide the Founder's Orb within Mt. Mitama before his death. Despite this, Sarge still felt guilty over Archie's death, as it was because of his child's trauma that Archie had moved to Kurain Village in the first place. And despite everything Archie had done, Sarge had never recovered enough to re-enter the outside world as Archie had hoped. Recalling her own trauma over her mother's murder, Cykes assured Sarge that it was not too late to fulfill Archie's wish, as long as Sarge was willing to take that first step forward, with Apollo adding that without a change in tactics, Sarge would never be able to recover. Their words succeeded in winning Sarge over, and the reclusive child declared an end to their siege defense strategy.

A twelve year old girl in a wheelchair then wheeled herself into the courtroom and introduced herself as Sergeant Buff, much to the surprise of Apollo, Cykes and the judge, who had assumed that Sarge was an older male. Sarge informed them that her mother had been in the Russian Army, thus explaining her military obsession, and Phoenix introduced her as Armie Buff. Apollo asked about the wheelchair, and Armie replied that she had become wheelchair-bound following the fire. The judge then asked why Armie's voice was different from that of the drone's, with Armie telling him that her drone had a voice modulation device on it, explaining how no-one had noticed her voice.

Armie then requested that she be allowed to continue her testimony, claiming that the figure she saw in the Founder's Orb wasn't her mother, but the Holy Mother of Khura'in and the founder of Khura'inism, causing the last of her voice's discord to disappear. Cykes asked what Armie's statement could mean, while Phoenix had become uneasy upon hearing it. Apollo recalled the third verse of the Song of Ceremony, which claimed that the Holy Mother would return when offered "prayers as fervent of fire", and realised that it was actually a clue to solving the orb's riddle, indicating that it had to be set on fire, thus explaining Archie's actions. Armie wanted to believe that her father had achieved his dream of solving the orb's riddle before his death, and Apollo replied that they would just have to set the relic on fire themselves, which Armie eagerly agreed to. After unsuccessfully attempting to object on Atishon's behalf, Phoenix objected on the basis that Apollo had no right to set a historical relic on fire, but Apollo retorted that he did have that right; until the relic's identity could be determined, any ownership rights Archie had had went to his next-of-kin, who had already given Apollo her permission. The judge ruled in Apollo's favour.

Apollo held a lighter up against the relic, which caused the sphere in the middle to melt and drain down into the relic's base, revealing a golden figurine of the Founder. Dhurke noticed that the figurine depicted the Founder's face, despite this being a taboo in Khura'inism, before Apollo declared to Phoenix that this proved beyond any doubt that the relic was the Founder's Orb. Phoenix refused to give up, arguing that Are'bal could have still murdered Archie and thus invalidated the transfer agreement, but Apollo pointed out that there was no proof Are'bal was still around after Archie returned from hiding the orb. Phoenix was unable to come up with a counterargument, despite Atishon urging him to do so, and Apollo told the politician to give up now that the relic's identity had been proven, before mocking him for his lies.

The judge prepared to give his verdict barring any further objections, only for Atishon to interrupt Phoenix as he was reluctantly conceding, the politician unwilling to lose the relic and the election along with it. Phoenix replied that there was nothing more he could do, to which Atishon asked if Phoenix had forgotten "their little chat", causing the lawyer to become agitated. Phoenix then suddenly raised another objection, pointing out that according to the orb's legend, whoever solved the riddle would be granted spiritual power from the Founder, something that had not happened when Apollo set the relic on fire. Apollo argued that the reference to receiving spiritual powers could just be "mystic mumbo-jumbo", but Phoenix reminded him that he was the one basing his claim on the legend, and that the events of the trial did not match with the legend. Thus, Apollo's claim that the relic was the object of the legend was invalid. The judge was unconvinced, but he nevertheless called for a recess instead of ending the trial, while also telling Phoenix to get his act together before court resumed.

Back in the defendant lobby, Apollo, Cykes and Trucy discussed Phoenix's last assertion, Cykes calling it crazy, and Apollo guessing that it was either a bluff, or a desperate last attempt to win the trial. Trucy wondered if there was something going on that they didn't know about, and a worried Cykes left to check on Phoenix. After she left, Armie, now aware that her father had been murdered, then approached Apollo with some new information. She told him that she had passed out on the second floor overlooking the study, right above the its coffee bar, but later woke up to find someone pushing her wheelchair, and fled back to her room in terror. She was unable to see who was pushing her in the darkness, but she doubted that it was her father, as he would have said something to her. This lead Apollo to suspect that whoever pushed Armie could be the real killer. Dhurke guessed that the killer would have had a reason for had moving Armie's wheelchair, and Apollo decided to record Armie's statement.

Cykes then reentered the lobby, looking despondent and muttering to herself about what she should do. Upon realising that Apollo had noticed her, she reacted with surprise and claimed that she simply zoned out, and started acting eager for the trial to resume, causing Apollo to wonder what was going on.

Latter session
Court resumed, and Phoenix reiterated his previous argument, before claiming to have new testimony that proved Are'bal was the killer. Atishon returned to the stand, and testified to seeing Are'bal use his suitcase to bludgeon Archie to death from outside the study at 11PM. As proof of this, Phoenix revealed that Archie's blood and Are'bal's prints had been found on the suitcase, thus solving the mystery of the murder weapon's identity. Apollo asked how Archie could have failed to notice Are'bal sneaking up on him from behind, and Atishon claimed that Archie had been reading a book at the time, but Apollo pointed out that Archie's reading glasses were found on a desk, meaning Archie wasn't using them when he was killed. Atishon hastily revised his testimony, claiming that he actually saw Archie dozing off at his desk, but Apollo found another contradiction in this argument; if this was true, Atishon couldn't have seen Archie from outside the study, as a smaller bookcase inside would have blocked his view. He proceeded to argue that Atishon was actually inside the study at the time of the murder, and that he was the real killer, but Phoenix pointed out that the suitcase was extremely heavy; only Are'bal had the strength to use it as a weapon.

Apollo turned his thinking around, trying to figure out how Atishon could have used the heavy suitcase as a weapon, and realised that it had been pushed off the study's second floor and dropped onto Archie's head. For this to have been possible, Archie would have to be sat at the coffee bar. Phoenix claimed there was no proof that the murder took place at the coffee bar, but Apollo pointed out the coffee stain on the psychology book, guessing that Archie had been enjoying a cup of coffee at the coffee bar when he was hit by the suitcase. Atishon demanded to know what motive he could have had for killing Archie, and Apollo argued that Atishon had warned Archie about the Defiant Dragons to get the doctor to return the relic to him, only for this strategy to backfire when Archie discovered the relic's true identity and chose to hide it instead. Furious, Atishon had responded by murdering the doctor.

As Atishon struggled to respond, Phoenix suddenly begged Apollo not to accuse Atishon of murder. When asked for an explanation, Phoenix claimed that his client was too important to the nation's future to be hit with a scandal, but did not appear to believe his words. Atishon, who by now had regained his composure, demanded that Phoenix prove him innocent, warning him that something would happen to "her" if Atishon was charged with murder. Apollo meanwhile demanded to know why Phoenix was willing to have Are'bal convicted on false charges, to which Phoenix responded by collapsing against his bench, head in his hands and screaming in despair. Apollo nevertheless started to make his accusation, but was interrupted by Cykes, who revealed that while visiting Phoenix during the last recess, she had overheard a conversation between him and Atishon, from which she learned that Atishon had taken Maya Fey hostage and was threating her life in order to force Phoenix to obtain the Founder's Orb for him. During the overheard conversation, Phoenix asked Atishon why his benefactor wanted the relic, with Atishon replying that they were hoping to solve its riddle and gain the spiritual power it was said to hold.

Apollo asked Cykes why she hadn't informed him about this, and Cykes explained that Phoenix had told her not to, fearing that it would be harder for him to help Maya if Apollo found out what had happened. Now understanding why Phoenix had been so determined to win the trial, Apollo also realised that he could not have Atishon convicted without putting Maya in danger. As he struggled to figure out what to do, a despairing Phoenix apologised to him, causing the judge, now visibly alarmed, to ask what was going on. Neither lawyer could reply, and Atishon, aware that Apollo had realised the truth, demanded that Apollo retract his accusation, after smugly declaring that his election victory was assured once he delivered the relic to his patron, and that from there he could go on to become president, and then a king, with every politician at his command. Seeing no other option, Apollo started to retract his accusation, but before he could do so, Dhurke suddenly took the stand. He admitted that he didn't understand the current situation, but he nevertheless told Apollo that, as a lawyer, he had no business giving up. He reiterated his creed that "a dragon never yields", stating that even when wounded, it would keep fighting to the bitter end, similar to how lawyers would fight for the truth.

Revitalised by his foster father's words, Apollo resolved to find a way to save Maya and bring down Atishon. Reconsidering all his previous knowledge, he realised that the true final step to solving the riddle of the Founder's Orb was to have a medium channel the founder, an action only made possible by the reveal of the founder's face in the orb. With this knowledge in mind, Apollo assured Phoenix that Maya would be safe, as Atishon could not afford to harm her. He explained his theory behind the orb's riddle, before pointing out that if Atishon or his benefactor were to kill Maya, they would be unable to channel the founder. Though shocked to learn this, Atishon argued that he could simply bribe Pearl to help him, but Apollo replied that Pearl would never be tempted by material gain, or help someone who had threatened her cousin. As for the only other person capable of channeling the founder, the Queen of Khura'in, she would never agree to help Atishon. The politician demanded that Phoenix help him out, but Phoenix replied that while he was obligated to defend his clients, he also had a duty to find the truth, which Atishon had tried to twist for his own benefit. With Maya's fate no longer hanging over his head, he declared that he could not let a murderer escape justice, and promptly resigned as Atishon's attorney, much to Atishon's horror.

Despite these setbacks, Atishon refused to give up, arguing that there was still no evidence tying him to Archie's murder. With some prompting from Phoenix, Apollo remembered Armie's statement about an unknown individual pushing her wheelchair after she passed out, and guessed that Atishon had done so to move her out of the way and allow him to drop the suitcase onto Archie's head. If so, his fingerprints would have gotten on Armie's wheelchair, and since Armie had fled to her room as soon as she realised what was happening, Atishon would have been unable to wipe them off. Defeated at last, Paul Atishon had a vision of himself winning an election, only to be arrested on murder charges and stripped of the win, before falling into a bottomless pit as he screamed for his grandfather. He then collapsed, unconscious.

The judge stated that, after everything that had been revealed in the trial, the disputed relic was indeed the Founder's Orb, and that Atishon could now be considered a suspect in Archie's murder. Phoenix then thanked Apollo for saving him from Atishon's hold, though Apollo thought to himself that he wouldn't have been able to do so without Dhurke's words of encouragement. The judge then gave his ruling; the Founder's Orb belonged to the Defiant Dragons, as per the transfer agreement. He then remarked that there could be another legal dispute if the Kingdom of Khura'in tried to claim ownership of the orb, to which Dhurke boldly stated that such a trial could lead to an international incident, before promising that bigger and more momentous things were in the air. The judge then declared the court adjourned.

After the trial, Dhurke expressed his amazement that Apollo actually beat Phoenix, therefore making the revolution more possible, though Apollo remarked to himself that he might not have won if Phoenix hadn't been blackmailed by his client. Trucy asked Dhurke if he intended to have someone channel the Founder, but Dhurke told her that before he could do so, he would need to know the Founder's real name, and that the only person who knew it was the queen of Khura'in. Instead, he stated that he would trace back Dr. Buff's route to find out who Atishon's benefactor was.

Soon afterwards, Armie came over to congratulate Apollo and Cykes for their trial win, with both of them congratulating her in turn for her recovery, and thanking her for helping them take down Atishon. Armie then surprised them and Dhurke by getting out of her wheelchair and standing on her own two feet without falling, admitting that her doctor told her she could walk months ago, but that she never told her father, as it would mean having to leave the house. Phoenix then approached the group, informing them that Maya was currently being held in Khura'in, and that her kidnapper was Atishon's benefactor.

May 18
Everyone is shocked by Wright's revelation about Maya Fey, but Dhurke says that he made sure she's in a safe place. Suddenly, Wright's phone rings, it's the benefactor using a voice alteration device. They apparently heard about the whole trial but they assure Wright that they can't gurantee Maya's safety since they say they have more than one spirit medium on his hands. Dhurke grabs the phone and reveals the benefactor/kidnapper's name, a name Wright and Justice never expected: Khura'in Justice Minister Inga Karkhuul Khura'in! Inga talks without the voice changer and demands what he's doing in the States. Dhurke assures him that he can't lay a hand on Maya nor the Founder's orb. However, it seems Inga has someone else he can threaten if it's not Maya, someone dear to Dhurke, so if he doesn't want them hurt he'll bring the orb alone to Inga at Amara's Tomb at 3 P.M. sharp in exchange for Maya. Much to Justice's surprise, Dhurke tells them they have to go to Khura'in, despite him being criminal and the possibility that there will no seats on the plane.

However, an old friend comes to help, Chief Prosecuter Miles Edgeworth. He was helping investigate Maya's kidnapping. Although he was shocked that she was still Khura'in, he understands that that's why there was no connection between her and Paul Atishon. Edgeworth booked a plane and Dhurke will hide in it. Everyone present is coming except Trucy as she is too young and has to watch over the agency.

Upon arrival, the group quickly run to Amara's tomb where Maya Fey is being held. They meet up with Princess Rayfa Padma Khura'in who refuses to believe her father would kidnap anyone. But then her mother, Queen Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in, shows up with her own elite force of the strongest men in Khura'in called the Ga'ran royal guard. Dhurke pleads Ga'ran to go in with a glare and she reluctantly gives him twenty minutes. After that, the royal guard storm the tomb. But then they come out and say that Justice Minister Inga is dead! When the group rush in, they see Dhurke holding a knife with it and his clothes covered in blood. Dhurke doesn't seem to recall what just happened. The guard beat him up and take him away, Dhurke gives Justice the Founder's Orb and tells him to keep it safe. They then find Maya who immediately passes out.

Phoenix and Edgeworth
In the Audience chamber Rayfa still refuses to believe that Inga is a bad man, and she punches Wright a lot. The two men learn that Inga was planning on planning on killing the family so he can claim the throne. His secret police were part of the plan but the Queen couldn't control them. However, only spirit mediums can claim the throne, so Inga was going to use the Founder's Orb to gain spiritual power. Ga'ran also reveals that the man who stole the orb, Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin, was actually working under Inga's order when he committed the theft. When asked about the Assassination of Queen Amara Sigatar Khura'in, Ga'ran says that Dhurke set her residence on fire that killed her. Ga'ran used to the Khura'in Justice Minister, she became queen after Amara's death and passed the Defense Culpability Act. It was passed because of the assassination. According to Ga'ran, Dhurke defended himself in court. He was a skilled lawyer and very popular, but Ga'ran exposed him forging evidence in the court case. After the people found that out they gained a distrust the legal system. Edgeworth and Wright note that sounds very familiar. The DC Act was made to get back the people's trust in the legal system. Ga'ran assures them that lawyering is still aloud in the country. She also says that there will be no false charges as long as the prosecuters run perfect trials, much to Edgeworth's dismay.

Former session
In the defendant lobby, Datz Are'bal comments that all of the rebels fates be determined by this trial.

Middle session
Dhurke arrived at Amara's tomb to invesitate what Inga Karkhuul Khura'in was up to. He decided to rescue Maya who wondered why a rebel would help her. Suddenly Inga appeared and shot Dhurke three times in the chest. Despite that Dhurke glared and didn't even flicnh. That scared Inga so much, he ran away. Maya tried to help Dhurke but her ropes were too tight. Dhurke told her to let him die so she can channel him and escape. He says there is one boy who I have to meet in the United States.

Latter session
...But Ga'ran laughs, reminding Justice about the Defense Culpability Act. Since Nahyuta gave false testimony to protect Ga'ran, he would suffer the same punishment is she was found guilty of murdering Inga. Justice argues how broad that law is but the Judge says it doesn't matter, after all Justice said no one is above the law. Justice can't believe she just wants them to her go off free, but Nahyuta is willing to receive the same punishment if it will bring revolution to Khura'in. Ga'ran won't have it, Rayfa can't channel spirits yet, so if Ga'ran arrested the kingdom will crumble. Ga'ran resorts to drastic measures by changing the law so that any challenge towards the Queen will resort in immediate execution! With that, the Ga'ran royal guard storm in, apparently they were looking out for "foolish terrorists". Justice says this is insane but Wright says he might get killed if he speaks again. But Justice won't back down from the truth no matter what. Wright always said "The worst of times are when lawyers have to force their biggest smiles." and Nahyuta and Dhurke always said "A Dragon never yields." These words have always been dear to Justice and not even death threats will stop him from discovering the truth. The only way to make things right is to dethrone Ga'ran right here and now.

After rethinking everything yet again, including Queen Ga'ran's obsession with the Founder's orb and having Amara perform the rite of channeling for her, Justice asks Ga'ran whether or not she can actually channel spirits, surprising everybody. In Khura'in, there is one law that no one can ever change: In order to become queen, one must be able to channel spirits. So if Ga'ran was unable to do that, she'd have no claim to the throne. Not only that, but every law she passed down under her false reign, including the DC Act, would be rendered null and void. Ga'ran and her royal guard say he's trying to defame her, but Justice says if that's really true the she should prove it. He presents the Founder's Orb to Ga'ran since she wants it so badly and says that because she's queen she knows the founder's true name, so she should use the orb to channel the Holy Mother. Everyone is amazed that the Holy Mother is going to appear before them. Ga'ran tries to summon her own lawyer but Justice reminds her that her own DC Act completely eradicated Khura'in of that profession. Justice and Nahyuta mock her when she said "It's time to cease this insanity." Finally, Justice points at Ga'ran so hard, her guards fly back and she back up a bit. Ga'ran decides to try and channel the Holy Mother by doing the Dance of Devotion. But it falls causing her guards to realize she has no legal claim to the throne and is a usurper so they point her guns at her. Ga'ran says she was just warming up then tries again by chanting Nahyuta's signature chant. Her eyes become white and she falls into the Pool of Souls. Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in is then seen just lying there.

After that, Nahyuta announces that Ex-Queen Ga'ran now thinks that she herself is the Holy Mother. The judge asks why she tried to kill her sister, Amara, years ago as it was already clear that recently she killed her husband, Inga, to prevent him getting the spiritual power and killing her. Nahyuta says Ga'ran never really intended to kill Amara, she just wanted to make people think she was dead. She was extremely jealous that she didn't have any spiritual power of her own, so she kept her sister alive to make it seem like she did. Amara obeyed Ga'ran's command and believed that Dhurke was out to get her because she loved her sister dearly. It wasn't until she fled with Dhurke and was told the truth that Ga'ran starting threatening Rayfa's life. Wright was amazed that being disguised as Nayna only deepened Amara's love for her daughter. With Defense Culpabity Act finally null and void, the judge declares Nahyuta Sahdmadhi not guilty. Before they leave, Apollo "tells" Dhurke that he's finally cleared of killing Amara and the revolution he always wanted is here.

Where are they now?

 * Trucy put on a show with Mr. Hat, who admitted to missing Apollo as they shared a rivalry. Trucy resolved to visit Apollo in Khura'in.
 * Inspired by Apollo, Ur'gaid decided to focus his efforts in developing Khura'in's tourism industry.
 * Edgeworth personally congratulated Skye on achieving her dream of becoming a forensic scientist. Skye admitted that Nahyuta had requested her presence in Khura'in to assist in more investigations. Edgeworth suggested that she rise to the challenge, which Skye accepted, determined to aid Apollo in his efforts.
 * Much to Betty de Famme's annoyance, Apollo's reveal of the secret behind the "teleportation" trick meant that both she and Bonny de Famme were out of a job. Bonny suggested they accept Trucy's offer to join the Wright Anything Agency, ticking Betty off as it reminded her of her rivalry with Trucy.
 * Beh'leeb gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Faitah, whom she paralleled with Khura'in's new revolutionary era. She expressed hope that Tahrust and Dhurke would watch over them. Are'bal assumed his Defiant Dragons pose, intending to teach it to Faitah as a sign of manliness, which Beh'leeb laughingly rejected.
 * Cykes' workload at the office doubled due to Apollo's absence. She expressed determination to become a lawyer worthy of Blackquill's respect, despite secretly worrying that she might not be up to the task.
 * To the annoyance of Simon Blackquill, Bucky Whet delivered his order of noodles in a drunken state. As Whet suffered nausea once again, Blackquill mused on the difficulty of finding good help.
 * Uendo Toneido decided to work harder at his rakugo, creating a new story based on Taifu Toneido's murder. His split personalities intended for this to make up for tampering the crime scene, and also to provide the fourth personality, Owen, training as well.
 * Armie prepared herself for a new life outside of her "siege defense". Notably, the university where her father worked at invited her to go on a dig. She hoped to find a forgotten civilization and name it in her father's honor. She also planned on visiting Khura'in on another dig to see if Apollo was slacking off.
 * Maya returned to Kurain Village, determined to revolutionize her hometown now that she is the Master. Pearl hoped that the plans included a new shopping mall where she could buy new clothes, but conceded that it was not a priority.
 * Rayfa requested Amara for a "new Nayna", now that Amara had revealed her true identity. Amara mused that Rayfa had been rather demanding of her when she played the role of Nayna, suggesting that few would be willing to serve said role. Rayfa admitted that she intended to make up for acting spoiled, to which Amara requested for one of her shoulder rubs.
 * Much to Nahyuta's consternation, Rayfa began referring to him as "Braid Head", unaware that she was embarrassed to refer to him as her elder brother. Disturbed by her animosity, Nahyuta decided to consult Apollo on the matter.
 * Phoenix met up with an unseen Thalassa Gramarye, presenting her the photo of her former-husband Jove Justice, Apollo's deceased biological father . He suggested to her that they tell Apollo and Trucy the truth behind their shared parentage, now they had grown into capable adults in their own right, and she agreed.

Months later, Apollo wrote to Phoenix to give him a status update. He apologized for not writing sooner due to being swamped with work, reforming a legal system he'd only started to grasp.

In Khura'in, Apollo found that he has become sloppy in his work, owing to having taken on too many cases. In addition, Nahyuta, the Judge and Rayfa have been advertising his services as he remains the only defense lawyer in Khura'in, giving him a backlog of several hundred cases. Backed into a corner, Apollo responded in the only way he knew how...



Bad endings
There are four points in the game where the player may receive a bad end, should the player run out of penalties; once during the civil trial, and three times during the Khura'in murder trial.
 * If Justice is unable to prove the treasure is the Founder's Orb during the civil trial, the judge will rule in favor of the plaintiff, permanently ending the hope for revolution in Khura'in and causing Wright and Justice's relationship to never be the same again.
 * Should Inga's murder trial end after Dhurke is found dead, but before Amara or Nahyuta confess to the murder, Justice will muse that they never got the truth out of Amara, Dhurke was found guilty for the case twenty-three years ago, and the truth was lost.
 * If the trial ends after Amara confesses, but before Ga'ran is implicated for the murder, she is arrested and tried for his murder, while Dhurke was found guilty for the case twenty-three years ago, and the truth was lost.
 * If Justice fails at proving Ga'ran's guilt, the allegations against her are dismissed. Dhurke is proven innocent for Inga's murder, but the truth behind his death and the case twenty-three years ago remains unsolved. Justice is forced underground to escape the queen's agents, and joins the Defiant Dragons, hoping to one day bring revolution to the country.

References to other cases

 * While in the caves, Apollo Justice tells Dhurke about some of his previous court experiences, such as events from Turnabout Trump and Turnabout Corner, as well as meeting prosecutors Klavier Gavin and Simon Blackquill (the latter meeting occurring in The Monstrous Turnabout).
 * When in Archie Buff's study, the Sacred Urn seen in Reunion, and Turnabout and The Stolen Turnabout can be seen next to a statue of Ami Fey holding a Shichishito similar to that of Bridge to the Turnabout. The scroll depicting Misty Fey also makes an appearance; humorously, Buff's restoration seemingly included the gravy which Pearl vandalized the scroll with.
 * When examining the computer in Archie Buff's home, the letters BSI appear. This may be a reference to the company Blue Screens Inc from Recipe for Turnabout.
 * Prior to the civil trial, Cykes asks Justice what case they're taking on today. She asks him if it's a locked-room mystery, a suspect with a flimsy alibi, or a dying message. This could all be a reference to her own case in the game, Turnabout Storyteller, as the case involves all three.
 * When Paul Atishon claims to have seen Datz Are'bal hit Archie Buff at his desk, Apollo points out that since there was a bookcase in between the desk and the window, the only way Atishon could have seen the murder was from inside the room. This is almost the exact same argument Wright used against Redd White in Turnabout Sisters. Possibly coincidentally, both witnesses turned out to be the true culprits of each case (White murdered Mia Fey, and Atishon murdered Buff).
 * While investigating Amara's Tomb, Apollo and Athena talk about Inga's grape juice, and mention Phoenix's consumption of it. Athena wonders if it was the "fermented kind," but Apollo states that Phoenix was in the hospital during that time, referencing the events of Turnabout Corner.
 * Despite proving himself innocent of the attempt on Amara's life, Dhurke is explained to have been found guilty due to allegedly forging evidence. Edgeworth, none too subtly, reminds Wright of the events that led to his disbarment as seen in Turnabout Succession.
 * While Edgeworth and Phoenix talk to Queen Ga'ran about not needing defense lawyers, she mentions that a lack of lawyers doesn't matter as long as prosecutors run perfect trials. Phoenix thinks to himself, "Perfect prosecutors and their perfect trials, huh..." to which Edgeworth objects, "Let's not get started down THIS path..." This references to the first Ace Attorney game, where Edgeworth cared only about his perfect record, having followed the philosophy of perfection from his mentor Manfred von Karma. Edgeworth's comeback alludes to his rejection of said philosophy over the course of his character development, as explored in subsequent games, namely Ace Attorney: Justice For All and Ace Attorney Investigations.
 * When presenting unrelated evidence to Edgeworth while investigating in Khura'in, Phoenix mentions how he heard from his sources about the investigations that Edgeworth had been involved in, referencing to the cases in Ace Attorney Investigations and Gyakuten Kenji 2. As a recurring joke, Edgeworth then mentions looking forward to Phoenix's source's next salary evaluation.
 * When presenting Inga's autopsy report to Edgeworth, he claims that it is ironic that a man tasked with upholding the law ended up breaking it. Phoenix then comments that that has happened a number of times back in the U.S. as well to which Edgeworth claims that the worst offenders have been put away.
 * When investigating the late Inga's room, a bottle of jet-black "Je Suis L'Belle!" hair dye can be found on his desk, a reference to Florent L'Belle's brand of cosmetics mentioned in The Monstrous Turnabout. While not explicitly mentioned, it is hinted that Amara used the dye whenever she needed to masquerade as Ga'ran to perform spirit channelings, and later, to channel Inga and Dhurke, by dyeing her white hair black.
 * At one point Maya calls herself an "Ace Spirit Medium." This nickname was first used in The Stolen Turnabout.
 * The attempted assassination of Amara Sigatar Khura'in and subsequent trial bears a strong similarity to the trial of Zak Gramarye. Both had the defendant being forced to run away to avoid being arrested, both had the lead attorney being suspected of forging evidence which lead to the public's view of the courts to diminish and in the aftermath of each case, the lead attorney taking in the child of someone involved in the case. Incidentally, both of the two children who were taken in turned out to be half-siblings from the same mother.
 * Apollo's final pointed-finger pose causing a windstorm that knocks down the guards is a nod to the anime adaptation of the series, where this action is frequently seen as a visual equivalent to the games' use of speed lines that appear behind a character emphasizing the end of their argument.

References to popular culture

 * The Yashichi, a recurring pinwheel-like symbol in many Capcom games, can be seen as a desktop icon by examining the E-Mail piece of evidence.
 * Upon examining the statue in Archie Buff's study, the Statue will shout out "EX-TER-MI-NATE. EX-TER-MI-NATE. DES-TROY ALL TAR-GETS/HU-MANS." This is referring to the well known quote of the Daleks from Doctor Who.
 * Upon examining the Statue with Armie present, she will state that the statue is an alien weapon that destroyed an entire ancient civilization. This is reference to the planet Gallifrey from Doctor Who; the entire planet was originally thought to have been destroyed by a weapon known as "The Moment".
 * When examining the bird/plane-like figure in Archie's study, it leads to Apollo and Dhurke having a ladder vs. stepladder-like conversation, where they question whether it's a bird or a plane. This is a reference to the saying "It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's Superman!" from the Superman comics.
 * During the civil trial, Paul Atishon makes several comments referencing several United States' presidents
 * When he first shows up in court and begins making his pitch, he uses the line, "Ask not what you can do for your country," a nod to President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address.
 * Prior to his breakdown, he says "I-I... I am not a crook." This is a reference to a quote said by another corrupt politician and former US president Richard Nixon in a speech of his concerning "The Watergate Scandal".
 * Additionally Paul Atishon's campaign poster that reads: "Reclaim the glory of Kurain" may or may not be an indirect reference to the then presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign slogan: "Make America Great Again."
 * While accessing Buff's computer, Sarge says that "a modern day warrior must be well-versed in technology... and have mean, mean pride!" This is likely a nod to the song "Tom Sawyer" by the Canadian rock band Rush and its opening line"A modern day warrior // Mean, mean stride // Today's Tom Sawyer // Mean, mean pride".
 * When Apollo questions Pearl about why Archie Buff was at the bus stop, she lies and says that rain spirits were at the bus stop. This could be a reference to the bus stop scene in My Neighbor Totoro, where Totoro was waiting for Catbus to arrive.
 * After Ema reveals that Buff has stolen many of the artifacts he was researching, she claims that he was a "classic treasure hunter," to which Athena ponders whether or not Buff had "thrilling adventures in exotic places, risking life and limb for glory." Apollo then states that it was unlikely that Buff was the star of his own movie series. This is a nod to the Indiana Jones movie series.
 * If Apollo presents incorrect evidence during the civil trial, one of the responses will include Phoenix mentioning how a gambler once sang, "you got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em," and The Judge will chime in to say he likes that song, finishing the chorus. This is a reference to, "The Gambler," a song sung by Kenny Rogers.
 * When pressing Paul Atishon's statements, at one point Apollo will describe him as, "a platform of sound and fury, signifying nothing." This is a nod to Shakespeare's play, MacBeth.
 * Upon starting a therapy session with Cykes, Sarge mentions how there is no room for women on the battlefield. Cykes retorts with "This G.I. Jane's always ready for a fight in the courtroom!" alluding to the 1997 movie G.I. Jane, a fictional movie about the first woman to train in a specific US Navy unit.
 * When Armie Buff is about to stand for the first time, she states, "This is one small step for man... and one giant leap for me!" This is reference to Neil Armstrong's words when he first stepped on the the moon.
 * While discussing the reason for Inga's button being in the ash, Apollo will tell Athena that "Every puzzle has an answer," after hearing Ema's explanation. This is a line often used throughout the Professor Layton series, usually after solving a puzzle.
 * After Ga'ran changes into her prosecutor outfit, a shocked Wright and Justice exclaim that she underwent an "extreme makeover". This may be a reference to an infamous line uttered by a newly-mutated Ricardo Irving before his boss battle in Resident Evil 5, another Capcom game.

Typos and errors

 * Before Sarge opened the computer, she said: "Ha ha ha ha ha! Leave it me!" when it should be "Ha ha ha ha ha! Leave it to me!"
 * During Ur'gaid's flashback to when Are'bal exploded firecrackers in the bazaar, the textbox will sometimes erronously say "Datz" even though it is Ur'gaid who's talking.
 * When the judge questions Amara's survival, he says, "Her Eminence Queen Amara yet lives...", though this is Ga'ran's title.
 * When Ga'ran is being accused of the murder, she says "You khave no evidence"

Name

 * Japanese - 逆転の大革命 (Gyakuten no Dai Kakumei lit. "Turnabout Revolution")