Volume 4: The Innocent Thief – Part 2

  "'An Enemy Among Friends…'"

  Onion Knight stood gazing out his bedroom window, entranced by the pitch-black darkness of the night as he subconsciously recited the ominous message found in Firion's pocket.

  "So, this is all just a petty game to this person?" He then questioned, feeling his jaw tense up as he felt his anger rise. "Tsk! How repulsive."

  His mind was completely distracted, unable to think of anything else besides the events that occurred throughout the day. He was mentally exhausted, wishing he could set aside the entire situation for the night and get his well-deserved sleep.

  However, his mind was racing, knowing he would never be satisfied until he found the truth behind the incident.

  Somewhat against his will, he was reflecting on the events in its entirety: the moment he stumbled upon the incident; the process of the initial investigation; and – of course – the extent of the trial itself. From this, questions inevitably formed in the depths of his mind, refusing Onion Knight from giving in to his fatigue.

  Amongst the many that appeared, three core questions took priority:

  What are we still missing?

  How will we be able to gain stronger leads for the next Court Trial?

  And … who else could be involved?

  On the windowsill in front of Onion Knight was the flattened slip of paper – the very same paper found from Firion's pocket.

  'An Enemy among Friends…'

  The words played through his mind once again, repeating itself like a broken record.

  It was a question of the message's context that seemed to escape Onion Knight, feeling his mind was running in circles as he attempted to crack the code for the past several hours.

  "*Sigh…*"

  In a frustrated huff, he picked up the piece of paper and moved it over to his work desk that stood alongside the window. Dropping it with the other pieces of evidence gathered from the case so far, he glanced over them as he was left deep in thought.

  All evidence on the table were carefully placed and labelled, every piece surrounding the detailed notes from the previous trial that was situated at the centre. Although it was as organised as one would expect from the young methodical student, he was only left unsatisfied.

  Deep down, all he could think about was the lack of hints and potential for certified leads. And with only two days to prepare for the next battle for Zidane's innocence, he had no idea where to start.

  No matter how much he turned the imaginary cogs in his head, he was only left with nothing.

  Onion Knight slumped on his desk chair, his body language expressing his exhaustion. His head tilted back, shoulders slumped back, and continuing to sigh away.

  Holding up his wristwatch lazily, he checked out the time.

  It was 12:14am.

  He realised he had wasted the past four hours getting nowhere with his thought process.

  For now, he at least knew what his plan was to further the investigation process – starting the following morning.

  I will begin the day with meeting up with Terra and Firion - if he's up for it, of course - and discuss about the case at hand.

  Onion Knight continued to recollect in his mind, his eyes closed yet still conscious.

  Depending on the time, we'll head off into town to see if anyone else we know is available. I'm certain we'll at least spot Warrior of Light near the Academy … considering his persistence. However, our priority is to find potential witnesses and new, concrete evidence. We need to get ahead of the opposition – for Zidane's sake.

  He then slightly shifted his thoughts.

  Considering what was confirmed during my meeting with Headmistress Cosmos, I cannot allow for any stones to be left unturned...

  The Headmistress' Office, 8 hours previous …

  "To think someone would have the gall to assault another student in Dissidia's Halls." Cosmos murmured in both sadness and disgust. "Whatever game they're playing … I won't stand for it."

  The Headmistress was perched behind her desk. Situated before her were books and files of plenty stacked sky-high on table – as per the norm. In the centre of the desk was the note from Firion's pocket, flat against the table surface as she observed the ominous message.

  Onion Knight and Firion were placed on chairs opposite to the Headmistress: one kept momentarily silent as he stared at the note on the table; whilst the other was preoccupied soothing his head injury with a medical icepack.

  Not long after Onion Knight and Firion had found the mysterious note, Headmistress Cosmos arrived at the Top Floor. She had not expected to meet them, completely taken aback as she spotted the Firion's head injury.

  After carefully tending to his classmate's injury, Onion Knight proceeded to explain the situation to Headmistress Cosmos.

  She was left horrified beyond belief, her face falling pale like a ghost.

  Reality dawn on the Headmistress in an instant, any enjoyment from the previous Court Trial completely dissipated.

  It was at that moment Onion Knight showed her the note from Firion's pocket, wondering if she could decipher the handwriting.

  She stared at the note momentarily, her brow furrowing as she held her silence.

  And then, she invited them to her Office…

  "I'm fine, Headmistress. I think I'll live another day." Firion politely assured her, showing a calm grin as he continued to sooth his head. "Besides, we could take this as our 'culprit' growing desperate."

  Headmistress Cosmos glanced at Firion in sorrow, appreciating his optimism.

  "Even so, the safety and wellbeing of my students takes priority … no matter the cost." She firmly assured her students, aligning her posture to further remind them of her responsibility as a teacher. "The Failure of your safety falls on me … and I'm sorry."

  Silence engulfed the room as the Headmistress apologetically bowed to the two students, causing a depressing aura to set on the three.

  Seeing her in such uncharacteristic way, Onion Knight decided to speak his mind – using it as an excuse to change the subject.

  "Headmistress Cosmos … what do you believe would be the best approach from here?"

  The Headmistress straightened up upon hearing this question, returning to her usual self.

  "Well, I've already had confirmation from the authorities that they'll be investigating throughout the entire weekend. So, all we can do is to continue with our own separate investigations … as much as it pains me." The Headmistress glumly admitted, showing hints of irritation in her words. "I will say this though … this second assault has given us a new shed of light on the matter."

  "You mean regarding the possible second suspect?" Onion Knight questioned in a small murmur.

  As expected, he came to the same conclusion not long after finding Firion and the ominous message.

  "You're right on the money, Onion Knight." Cosmos nodded with a firm expression, "Zidane was still in the Theatre Hall at the time of the assault on Firion, so he's already ruled out as a direct possible suspect. Whether it was the main culprit – or the presumed secondary suspect – is still up in the air..."

  "I thought as much…"

  Onion Knight's eyes lowered as he made his comment, unsure whether to feel triumphant his correct accusation … or frustrated that this culprit had made another move.

  "I'll check the security footage for any evidence on the culprit of Firion's assault momentarily." The Headmistress then assured the two, although showed hesitation in her voice as she continued. "It's best not to get your hopes up, though … the culprit has likely covered their tracks and wiped the footage from the system's memory."

  Onion Knight glanced away, hiding his rising anger over the situation. As much as it pained him, he expected this likely outcome over the fact that the culprit had already wiped the security footage of the main incident.

  Upon seeing the reactions of the young student, Headmistress Cosmos decided to shift topics. She shuffled on her seat as she reached out on her desk, taking the mysterious note, and held it up in view before Firion and Onion Knight.

  "I have to admit, the handwriting style here doesn't match any staff or student I know from this Academy." She expressed, her grasp firm against the small note. "I'll examine my files to confirm, but … it may mean the note was purposely forged to throw us off. On the other hand, this would bring a possibility that someone not directly affiliated with the Academy could be involved."

  Onion Knight tensed up further upon hearing this new possibility.

  It was a fear that haunted Onion Knight's mind, yet he could only agree with the Headmistress on the possibility of outside involvement.

  If the second suspect was an outsider to the Academy, this would mean that the authorities would have to take full control of the investigation. This would result in Onion Knight being forced to give up his involvement on the case – even though he had reached so far.

  Although this was only a small possibility, Onion Knight refused to head down the dead path.

  I shouldn't think like that…

  Onion Knight's thoughts were running wild, his intense gaze showing the undying flames of determination.

  …Not when I still have the lead on this case.

  "What we seem to lack from the previous trial were solid witnesses." Headmistress Cosmos expressed as she decided to continue, placing the note back down on her desk. "Even though we had Bartz testify to the court, it wasn't enough to warrant any decisive conclusions to this case. In fact, it had led to more questions and possibilities than answers. What we'll need going forward are more witnesses … and ones that are fully prepared."

  "But that's a problem within itself." Onion Knight abruptly pointed out, noticing the flaw to this idea. "The only confirmed student on the 4th Floor at the time were Zidane, Bartz, Rydia, and the mysterious second suspect. Who else could there be?"

  "That's … true." The Headmistress murmured in deep thought, disheartened slightly by that fact.

  However, Onion Knight and Firion then noticed a small hidden grin curl from the corner of her mouth, causing the two students to grow curious.

  "Thankfully … this is where the court trial came in extra handy." She spoke up in admittance, a cunning spark in her eyes. "There may be students and staff in the audience who hadn't realised they were witness to the crime scene. Some could've even been aware that they were witnesses … but were maybe just too shy to speak up."

  Onion Knight and Firion continued to listen the Headmistress, understanding her thought process albeit uncertain on the accuracy of this hypothesis.

  "Whatever the case – with the court trial's influence – these witnesses may decide to finally surface." The Headmistress then added, acting optimistic with her theory.

  Onion Knight leaned back on his seat as he took the Headmistress' self-assured suggestions into consideration. There was no denying that the idea of more potential witnesses lifted his spirits, yet part of him was hesitant to fully place trust in the outcome.

  What if no one came forward?

  What if there were no other witnesses to the case?

  And, if there were witnesses that came forward…

  "Would these witnesses have a relevant testimony?"

  Firion murmured in question, seemingly speaking Onion Knight's mind.

  "And if so, would the testimony help the case … or just waste the court's time?"

  The Headmistress' eyes focused on Firion, her curiosity arose by the questions.

  "Speak your mind, Firion." She offered the student, expressing openness to the discussion. "You seem rather doubtful."

  "Ah! No. Not in the slightest, Headmistress Cosmos." Firion reactively denied, removing the icepack from his head in the process. "I was just thinking that most of the students were outside at the time of the incident. So, even if students witnessed the event: would it be enough for the court case?"

  The Headmistress paused upon hearing Firion's words, understanding his concern.

  "Any witness testimony – both large and small – are crucial for the court case." Cosmos breathed out in a sophisticated tone, standing firm by her statements. "Whilst the smallest of testimonies may seem disposable in the short term, it'd could become the greatest asset to turning the tables on the entire case."

  Onion Knight glanced over to Firion, wondering how he would react to the Headmistress' response.

  Firion was in deep silence, his hands fiddling with the slushing icepack as he processed his thoughts.

  He then switched to Onion Knight, his eyes set with heightened resolve.

  "It's seems we've got a lot of work to do, Onion Knight." He stated with a firm grin. "Let's ensure that no stones are left unturned."

  Present time …

  "That'll be easier said than done." Onion Knight admitted underneath his breath, knowing they were swept up in the moment at the time. "Hopefully, we'll have some luck on our side."

  Before heading to bed, Onion Knight took a moment to idle in his room. He cleared his mind, knowing he had to ensure his focus was primarily on the weekend-long investigation.

  He was also praying for a decent night sleep.

  Onion Knight then scanned the room, ensuring no tasks would be forgotten.

  The room was simple in design. Due to only moving into his new student accommodation two weeks prior, many boxes and bags holding his belongings had yet to be unpacked. Due to this, his room still had numerous boxes and bags stacked in the corners.

  Even so, he kept the place a tidy as effectively as he could: barely any mess on the floor; clothes neatly folded and placed in the cupboards; and a lack of dust could be found forming in the typical areas. Items such as electronics and books were neatly displayed on the shelf above his single bed, ordered in terms of importance and efficiency. His walls were plain amber colour, giving a warm, tranquil glow whenever the light shines through the window break.

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  Overall, the room was expectedly comfortable.

  After changing into his lounge clothes, Onion Knight threw himself onto his bed. His eyes were immediately heavy, giving him the indication that he was more exhausted then initially expected.

  The room had fallen completely silent, allowing a perfect atmosphere to drop off into slumber.

  Before the desire for slumber overtook him, Onion Knight drowsily reached out to the desk next to him. He grasped the slip of paper once again, deciding to hold it up high above in the light of the window break.

  An Enemy among Friends…

  He read the line one more time … and murmured sleepily as a response.

  "I'll win the case … and I will track you down."

  The Next Morning, 9:30am …

  Now groggily eating his breakfast, Onion Knight was perched silently in front of the small dining table of his cramped kitchen. The Kitchen was basic for student accommodation, giving the residents the necessary essentials for cooking, washing, and cleaning.

  Sitting opposite Onion Knight was a boy around his own age.

  He had light brown hair, hazel eyes and numerous freckles scattered on his skin. In terms of his characteristics, the boy was rather timid and soft spoken.

  To Onion Knight, the boy was a childhood friend and housemate who entered Dissidia Academy around the same time as him. Unfortunately, as they entered the new semester, they had found that they were situated in separate classes.

  The boy's name: Arc.

  He seemed to be fully engrossed in one of his books, completely oblivious of the real world around him. Onion Knight quickly recognised the title 'The Mana Chronicles', wondering if it had any relation to a popular game franchise he occasionally played.

  Onion Knight then noticed of Arc anxiously shuffle on his chair, acting as though something was on his mind.

  "Is something troubling you, Arc?" Onion Knight curiously questioned.

  Arc lifted his head, acting as though he had just snapped back into reality.

  "O-oh, no … I'm fine, thanks." Arc responded in a light murmur, showing a wavering smile. "It's just one of the chapters I'm reading, that's all."

  "I see…" Onion Knight warily murmured, staring somewhat judgingly at his friend as he took another bite of his cereal.

  Onion Knight and Arc continued to chatter on occasions, Onion Knight deciding to bring up Arc's book out of curiosity – and just to create conversation. It seemed the book was a related novel spin-off to the game franchise that Onion Knight had in mind.

  However, the conversation soon dropped back to silence as Onion Knight finished his food and stretched out from his chair. Feeling more awake than before, he decided to strike up one more conversation with his friend – believing it was an appropriate time.

  "How was your first week at the Academy?"

  Twitch…!

  That was when he noticed Arc's body abruptly shudder, taken completely off-guard by the unexpected question.

  "Err … about that…" Arc awkwardly muttered, his eyes anxiously veering away from Onion Knight.

  However, Onion Knight could read his friend like a book. He crossed his arms, his expression turning serious as he pursued further.

  "…You're not enjoying it, are you?" He immediately assumed. "Are you being bullied again?"

  "T-that's not the reason at all!" Arc then anxiously raised his voice. "I just feel … like I don't fit in with my class at all."

  Onion Knight gazed at his friend, giving out an irritable sigh as he understood the situation.

  "That's typical…" He nodded, deciding to wave off the severity of the issue. "Just be patient. It's only the first week, so you still have plenty of time to build relationships."

  "Right…" Arc then pouted, turning his head away. "Says the guy who's been getting all the attention."

  "Wha…!?" Onion Knight blurted out, taken aback by the unexpected comment. "Wait, how is that related? I didn't exactly choose to take up the Defence Attorney role in yesterday's court trail, you know."

  There was a moment where time seemed to freeze, the two glaring at each other as they attempted to read the other's mind.

  Eventually, Onion Knight decided to stand up and shifted to the kitchen sink, cleaning away the dish and cutlery for later use. In the corner of his eye, Onion Knight noticed Arc slouching back on his chair.

  "*Sigh…* Maybe it's best to change subjects." Onion Knight ultimately decided, breaking the tension. "Actually … Where in the world is Refia? I thought she would make an appearance by now."

  Onion Knight glanced over towards the direction of the stairs, wondering if their other housemate/childhood friend would appear.

  He then switched his sights back to Arc, wondering why there was no answer to his question.

  "Arc?"

  He immediately noticed Arc had completely frozen up, his face turning pale as beads of sweat began to form from his forehead.

  "U-um … you might want to tread carefully around her right now." Arc fearfully murmured in warning.

  "For what reason?" Onion Knight wondered in response, confused upon Arc's sudden reaction. "Did she wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?"

  BANG!

  Suddenly, the two felt a sudden impact from directly above, followed by a growing rumble.

  Onion Knight lifted his head, a sense of terror building upon the back of his mind.

  "I'll … take that as a 'yes', then." Onion Knight muttered in answer to his own question, taking a cautious mindset.

  "No … you don't understand." Arc began to warn, knowing the level of fury that would soon dawn upon them. "Refia is furious with you. You stayed locked up in your room the entire night without any communication since returning home."

  "THAT'S THE REASON!?"

  Onion Knight was unable to hold back his bellow of disbelief, finding the reasoning completely absurd.

  "Oh … the horror." Arc then continued to mumble, beginning to trail off. "How she ranted on through the night … How she threw fits of rage … I could barely sleep a wink."

  "I don't understand. Why couldn't she have just knocked on my door?" Onion Knight complained, finding this situation somewhat pointless and irrelevant. "It wasn't like I was being completely anti-social."

  Just then, quickened steps were heard from above.

  "Whatever the case … I suggest you cover your ears." Arc concluded in almost a whisper, covering his ears with his hands as his eyes followed the echoing footsteps.

  Onion Knight stared at his friend with a blank expression, finding the melodramatic performance rather outlandish. Then, taking a deep breath, he then decided to turn and face the inevitable.

  He stepped out through the open door and into the hall … and waited.

  It was at that moment, she appeared.

  "WHAT'S WITH YOU!?"

  The young girl that suddenly appeared before him let out an infuriated roar, unable to hold back her overbearing temper.

  "You lock yourself up in your room the moment you got home from Dissidia yesterday like an antisocial bum, and now you're complaining about me behind my back!?" She continued to yell. "You have no sense of shame!"

  Refia – Onion Knight's other housemate and childhood friend – was a light-ginger haired girl with a slim figure for her age. She usually wore light based clothing, such as a long-sleeve blouse and simple leggings.

  She was the undisputed boss of the student household – at least, in Onion Knight's eyes. She kept the two boys in constant check, ensuring they were able to manage the house efficiently along with keeping themselves respectable.

  If anything were to become out of line, she will chew them out like a rabid dog.

  "You seem misinformed, Refia." Onion Knight casually pointed out, keeping himself calm as he explained his reasoning. "First of all, I was aware that you were in earshot of the conversation. Secondly, just because I stayed in my room throughout yesterday evening does not automatically class me as an 'antisocial bum'."

  "You could have at least come down for dinner, though!" Refia argued back, accepting no excuses.

  "Refia, missing one meal doesn't result in the end of the world … at least not that I know of." Onion Knight irritably sighed out, soothing his forehead as he felt a headache forming. "And besides, I have enough on my plate as it is. So, the last thing I need right now is criticisms on my current lifestyle."

  "…Noted." Refia bitterly huffed, her eyes glaring at her roommate. "Just be aware that if this happens again … I'll place you on cleaning duty for an entire week."

  "HUUUHHH!?"

  Onion Knight's mouth dropped in utter despair.

  "By the way…" Refia followed up, deciding to change the subject she finally releasing the pent-up steam. "Your performance yesterday during the Academy assembly's court trial … was pretty cool."

  With that, Refia casually brushed past him and entered the kitchen without another word, leaving Onion Knight to stand in the hall in awkward silence.

  He never expected to receive such a sudden compliment from – especially after being relentlessly chewed out. He mentally appreciated it, even if he was unable to express it to her in this current time.

  After his mind processed the whole ordeal, he glanced over towards the clock that hung up high on the wall.

  It read close to 10am.

  Ding-dong…!

  The doorbell rang out not long afterwards.

  Onion Knight was sitting in the living room as he awaited the bell to finally ring, clicking away at his laptop as he was researching various topics related to the recent – and upcoming – court trial.

  Upon hearing the ringing doorbell, Onion Knight rushed over to the hall without a moment of hesitation, unlocking the front door upon reaching it. Arc and Refia were both preoccupied in the kitchen, aware that Onion Knight would expect at least a single visitor.

  "Ah, Terra! Good morning."

  Onion Knight cheerfully greeted upon opening the door, showing his politeness to his classmate and court partner.

  Terra stood at the door with her usual well-mannered expression, greeting back with her usual kind yet somewhat timid smile.

  However, Onion Knight noticed the smallest of twitches appear from the corner of her mouth, causing him to suddenly become anxious. He gestured for her to step in, in which she swiftly accepted and entered the house.

  He then realised the reason behind Terra's nervous twitch … as there was a second visitor who turned up at Onion Knight's door without invitation.

  "Yo! Onion Knight! Do you mind if I-!"

  SLAM!

  Onion Knight automatically slammed the door in front of the surprise visitor, causing Terra to let out a quiet squeak in sudden fright.

  Onion Knight glanced over to his friend, his expression seemingly a balanced blend of confusion and annoyance. The surprise visitor was one of the last people he wished to see at this current time, and the fact that the visitor now knew his home address infuriated him even further.

  Gradually, Onion Knight opened the door once again, hoping the surprise visitor had left.

  "Now that was rude-!"

  SLAM!

  He had not.

  Onion Knight turned towards Terra, who had been standing beside him nervously. There was a moment of awkwardness between the two, Terra trying to avert her eyes … whilst Onion Knight glared at her with rising agitation.

  "Terra … why is he here?" Onion Knight eerily questioned her, his eyes glaring like daggers.

  "H-he saw me walking down the street … and decided to follow." Terra anxiously answered, a sense of guilt could be heard in her tone.

  "And … you couldn't shake him off?" Onion Knight continued to question, crossing his arms in disappointment.

  "No. He was very persistent." Terra admitted in a guilty murmur.

  Onion Knight let out a defeated groan, his frustrations building on top of each other to the point of almost toppling over.

  However, he made the ultimate decision to open the door once again.

  "What do you want, Bartz?" Onion Knight asked the uninvited the visitor, his judging eyes set as he found this whole thing a nuisance.

  Bartz Klauser was standing idly at the door, sporting his casual attire.

  "Was there really the need to shut the door on me?" Bartz complained in disgust. "…Twice!?"

  "I'll shut it again if you want…" Onion Knight then blankly murmured, slowly closing the door in the process.

  "N-NO NO! There's no need for that! Hehee…!" Bartz hastily muttered out, showing his desperation as he switched to his usual attitude. "Please let me in. I promise not to be a bother."

  Onion Knight and Terra momentarily glanced at each other in silence, considering how to proceed.

  Bartz fidgeted on the spot, curious as to what they were thinking.

  "Bartz, you can come in." Onion Knight confirmed to him in a serious, clear tone. "However, we need all the help we can get for this investigation."

  "That's the reason why I'm here!" Bartz instantly blurted out, relieved that it was brought up. "I want to help out! Zidane is my best friend and so I want to do everything I can to help in proving his innocence!"

  Onion Knight nodded as he understood Bartz's reason, although caught off-guard by the outburst.

  He welcomed his classmate inside the house and lead the two into the living room, closing the door behind them.

  The three sat on sofa chairs that circled around the room, shuffling on them as they made themselves comfortable. During this time, Onion Knight brought out two spare seats, knowing his housemates would likely join in on the conversation eventually.

  As Onion Knight finally perched himself on his seat, the conversation started…

  "I heard that Firion was injured yesterday after he left the court trial." Bartz first mentioned, giving a somewhat worried expression as he broke the silence. "What happened to him?"

  Onion Knight sat on his own seat and glanced at both Bartz and Terra, knowing that one of them would eventually bring up the event in question.

  Prior to eating his breakfast, Onion Knight had received a call from Firion. Firion had apologised to him on being unable to meet that day, blaming it on the developing concussion from the recent incident. Saddened yet understanding by this, Onion Knight wished him well and ultimately decided to carry out the plans without his involvement.

  Onion Knight began to explain everything that happened during the aftermath of yesterday's trial: how he found the assaulted Firion on the Top Floor of the building; they're unplanned meeting with the headmistress; and the contents of the mysterious note.

  Both Bartz and Terra listened carefully to the explanation, silently expressing their distraught that another classmate was physically assaulted by this mysterious culprit.

  "If Firion was assaulted during the court trail … then surely there's legitimacy of a second culprit?" Terra expressed upon realisation, noticing a clear contradiction. "It's impossible that Zidane could have attacked him at any point during the trial."

  "That's correct. During the time Firion had left the court room, Zidane was either present in the eyes of the court or in further questioning with Bartz." Onion Knight nodded as he answered, remembering the discussion he had with the Headmistress the previous day. "I'm sure Bartz would be able to clarify."

  Both Onion Knight glanced over to Bartz with intense glares, causing him to suddenly feel cornered.

  "Y-yeah, we were both being questioned by Headmistress Cosmos." Bartz anxiously admitted, fidgeting on his seat. "I told her everything I knew about the situation, and Zidane was … completely silent."

  "So … he's still acting that way." Onion Knight disappointedly murmured, somewhat expecting the outcome. "We may need to question him ourselves before the next trial."

  Terra nodded in agreement upon hearing this, believing it was inevitable. On the other hand, no word came out of Bartz, his eyes diverting as conflict filled his mind.

  "Do you have a plan in mind for our weekend-long investigation?" Terra curiously questioned him, deciding to shift the subject.

  "There's no way I'm throwing us into this case blind." Onion Knight responded in confidence. "So, yes. I have a plan."

  Knock-knock!

  However, before Onion Knight was able to continue, there was a knock on the living room door.

  "Hey, Luneth! Is it possible for us to join in?" Refia densely asked out as her and Arc stepped into the room.

  In that moment, the entire room froze.

  Both Bartz and Terra reacted in abrupt shock as Refia gasped and covered her mouth, realising she had made a critical mistake. Arc also realised what had just occurred, hiding away completely upon noticing Onion Knight's own reaction.

  Onion Knight's eyes were widened beyond belief, utter betrayal setting in.

  "Really…? You just had to give that away so carelessly?" He questioned out to Refia in despair.

  The two sat down in their seats in silence, Refia turning bright red due to the embarrassment. Bartz and Terra's enlightened eyes were locked on Onion Knight upon hearing this revelation, their expressions almost unreadable.

  It seemed Onion Knight had more baggage to deal with … much to the unbearable headache that was consuming him.

  "W-wait a moment … your true name is 'Luneth'!?" Bartz blurted out in amazement.

  Oh, great … here we go…

  He had no choice at this point, he had to explain the truth to his name.

  "Technically, 'Luneth' is my middle name. My first is 'Ingus'." He resentfully explained, feeling exposed to the world. "When I was younger, the title of 'Onion Knight' was bestowed upon me by a family member. I was told I had to use it as my official name for most of my life, so … I've stuck by it to this day."

  "Really? Huh … I always thought your first name was 'Onion'." Bartz innocently commented, chuckling away. "That makes so much more sense!"

  …Is this guy serious?

  Onion Knight felt as though he had lost a plethora of braincells due to Bartz's baffling idiocy.

  "Whatever the case, I would prefer it if you would call me by my title." Onion Knight earnestly requested, wishing he had avoided the issue entirely. "I don't need people throwing my name around with little meaning."

  "Aaargh…! But it sounds so much simpler to say!" Bartz then moaned out in denial. "Could I at least call you 'O-Knight' or something?"

  "Would you like me to show you the door, Bartz?" Onion Knight then passively threatened with a horrid grin, pointing towards the direction of the front door.

  "…Sorry, I'll stop now."

  Bartz quietly sank into his seat, deciding to listen to Onion Knight.

  "So then, before the rude interruption…" Onion Knight sighed as he directed his words towards Refia and Arc, before returning to the initial topic. "My plan is to meet up with Warrior of Light for an update on the case. Hopefully, he will be kind enough to share some insight on any new evidence or witnesses. If our stuck-up Prosecutor reveals any significant information, we will use our time location any of these potential witnesses or evidence to help boost our side of the case. If we are lucky, they should give us some details of the 'second' suspect that fled the scene during both assaults."

  "How will we know who the witnesses are? I honestly don't see Warrior of Light revealing any information of the case." Refia pointed out, involving herself in the discussion after her initial blunder. "At least … that's what I've heard."

  "For now, it's best to ask any of the students you might come across when we're in town." Onion Knight shrugged in response, expecting the issue to be mentioned. "It's already established that most of the Academy students were outside during the time of the incident. So, it's highly probable that someone could've seen our suspect."

  "That sounds like a drag." Bartz moaned, straightening back up on his seat. "Are there any other ways we could consider?"

  "I know it sounds like a mediocre task, but it's necessary." Onion knight truthfully admitted, understanding the complaint. "We will also be checking up on the crime scene, seeing if any new evidence is found. And we will also meet up with Zidane and Firion whenever possible, depending on their availability. Firion would want to know of any updates on the case, and Zidane … well, I would like to find out what he's hiding."

  There was a moment of silence throughout the room as Onion Knight finished his explanation, the four taking his words into account.

  Although Zidane had a stronger possibility of showing his innocence after the previous trial, the fact that he continued to refuse on revealing his point-of-view on the incident made their situation unnecessarily more complicated.

  There were still far too many questions … and not enough answers.

  "What could he be hiding from us?" Terra cautiously wondered, showing her uncertainty in the issue. "He's said numerous times that he's innocent … so, why not prove his alibi by testifying his case?"

  "I don't know…" Onion Knight lowered his head, feeling dragged down by the looming headache.

  "I think … he's protecting someone." Bartz unexpectedly murmured out, causing all the eyes in the room to abruptly focus on him.

  "What … do you mean by that, Bartz?" Onion Knight hesitantly asked, finding his opinion rather sudden … and intriguing.

  "I've known Zidane for a long time. We've pulled off numerous pranks over the years – both big and small – and we've dealt with many consequences in the process." Bartz thoroughly explained, standing up from his chair. "In the many cases where we were caught, he would either admit to his guilt or try to prove his innocence. I can't deny that he would use me as a scapegoat at times, but I accepted that as a necessary aspect of the job."

  Onion Knight had a desire to call out an issue in Bartz's reasoning to the admitted scapegoating. However, he chose to hold his tongue to not interrupt his classmate.

  "I have to say, though … I've never seen him act this way before." Bartz then admitted, his tone growing more concerned. "I thought he was acting odd because he knew he was student life in Dissidia was on the line, but…"

  "…You then realised that his reasoning wasn't selfish." Onion Knight muttered as he finished Bartz's sentence, his face suddenly lighting up in realisation. "He doesn't want to testify because it would mean revealing the second suspect's involvement."

  Onion Knight stood up instinctively, picking out the ominous note from his pocket as he connected the dots.

  An Enemy among Friends…

  It finally made sense.

  Bartz responded to him with a severe nod, "I think the reason why Zidane is protecting the identity of the true culprit behind Rydia's assault … is because Zidane personally knew the culprit."

  "Oh no…"

  Onion Knight let out an almost inaudible murmur, his face falling deathly pale as he finally understood the context of the note.

  Terra, Refia and Arc watched him in equal confusion, feeling as though they were left out of the loop.

  "What's wrong, Onion Knight…?" Terra anxiously questioned, her voice quivering as she felt tense aura engulf the room.

  Onion Knight gradually switched to Terra. His gaze was barely focused, unable to hide his distraught expression as he struggled to speak his mind.

  Based on Bartz's assumption, there was a strong possibility that the culprit was a friend of Zidane.

  And, if that was true, then…

  "The culprit … is likely to be one of our classmates."