Impa's POV

The courthouse is already buzzing with tension even though it hasn't even started yet.

There's no jury for Hyrule's case against Karusa, but a handful of people are in the audience who are either connected to the case in some way, or here to support it. Apart from some bigshots who work at or for HU, the people here for support include me, Mipha, Kiroh, some frat boys, and my parents, to name a few. Oh and Link, obviously, since he's like the star of the show. Well, co-star. This whole thing is really about Karusa's actions, not Link's.

The only one missing here today is Zelda, but nobody's blaming her for rainchecking. She said she was 'too busy' to show up, but I know full well it would've just been too emotional to face Karusa with everything else going on. She's strong, but there's a limit for everyone.

I check my phone to see if she texted me, but after her last message from this morning in which she said how sorry she was that she couldn't be there to support Link, she didn't say anything else. Again, nobody blames her. I just wish she'd let me in on her thoughts. Vent to me or something. I miss her. Even when I'm right next to her, I still miss her because she's not fully there...

Link takes a look around the courtroom himself and then whispers to me. "Did you notice how there's nobody here to support Karusa? Not a single friend or family member."

I didn't notice it before, but he's right. It's just Karusa and his attorney. That's gotta look a little suspicious to the judge, right? I mean, that's in like chapter one of 'How To Identify A Sociopath.'

The judge finally enters the room, and we are all forced to stand up like it's the Queen, which is really pointless since she immediately tells us to sit back down. She's a stern-looking woman with thin, half-moon shaped glasses, and thin white hair.

She bangs her gavel. "Court is now in session."

Last time I heard those words was when I had the hearing for that bullshit arson charge in my first semester. Now it's Karusa's turn to face the heat.

My foot taps nervously under the table. Man, I hate this place. At least for now. Once I'm a judge, I'll be the one in charge. I'll make the decisions. The right ones!

While the judge starts with an opening statement that kind of summarizes why we're here today (as if we didn't know already), the quote-end-quote "Defendant" sits across from her, looking annoyingly relaxed. Or bored. Karusa really makes me want to punch him just for breathing the same air in the room. On the other hand, I sometimes wish someone would lock me in a room with him for 10 minutes or so, no cameras, no witnesses, and no intervention. I'd teach that punk a lesson he wouldn't forget.

His lawyer's name is apparently Agahnim. He looks prepared, venomous, and most of all pricey. Not a great start for us, but I'm sure Hyrule can afford better lawyers than some lowlife sewer rat like Karusa.

The judge is done, and the prosecution, John Joseph Kirby, stands up to state Hyrule's intentions from our viewpoint. He's got this no-nonsense vibe that I would usually make fun of, but today I'm all for it.

"Your Honor," he starts, "today we will present evidence showing that Karusa Valley not only initiated the brutal attack on Link Miyamoto, but did so with a calculated intent of severe harm. We will demonstrate how this attack, which left Mr. Miyamoto with life-altering injuries, stems from a pattern of reckless behavior rather than an isolated act of violence. Additionally, we will establish that Karusa's actions have tarnished the reputation of Hyrule University, a respected institution that prides itself on excellence and sportsmanship, and how he caused the school to suffer irreparable damage. These damages include but are not limited to:

1. A loss of financial support from sponsors who no longer wish to associate with an institution that has been marred by violence.

2. A decline in applications and enrollment due to concerned parents who are now hesitant to send their children to a school that appears dangerous.

3. The disruption of athletic events.

4. And the substantial costs that have incurred to enhance security measures.

This is not just about one individual's suffering; the repercussions of Mr. Valley's behavior have rippled throughout the entire community at Hyrule University. Thus, we ask that justice be served by holding Karusa Valley accountable for the infliction of reputational harm, and attempted murder."

I can see Karusa's face twitch slightly when the word murder comes up. It's the first sign of a human being I've seen in him, and even though he tries to cover it up with a mask of confidence, I can tell he's sweating!

Feel the pressure, bastard.

The defense attorney, Agahnim or whatever his name was, stands up. "These accusations are grossly exaggerated and lack substantive evidence. My client acted in self-defense during the altercation with Mr. Miyamoto."

I clench my fists, out of sight of the judge. His argument is seriously that Karusa defended himself? Give me a break.

Kirby doesn't miss a beat. "Self-defense? Valley's actions were disproportionate to the threat posed. Link Miyamoto was left with severe injuries, including a broken leg and spine, effectively ending his athletic career." Kirby steps forward with a folder of documents. "I would like to introduce medical evidence to illustrate the extent of the injuries sustained by the victim."

The judge nods. "Proceed, Mr. Kirby."

Kirby presents a stack of medical reports. "According to the attending physician, Mr. Miyamoto required extensive medical intervention including a lumbar fusion to repair spinal fractures, treatment for a partially collapsed lung, and surgery for a torn ACL and patellar fracture."

I look at Link to see if hearing about all his injuries affects him at all. I can't read his expression, but he definitely looks invested in everything the attorney has to say.

"Additionally," Kirby says, "the young athlete suffered severe head trauma necessitating a craniotomy, and was placed in a medically induced coma for no less than 100 days."

When they show the court some X-rays and photos of Link before and after his surgeries, Karusa turns around, looking right at us. Link ignores it, but when Mipha notices it, she leans into Link and whispers, "Are you alright?"

He simply nods, his eyes briefly skipping to Karusa before settling on Mipha. "I'm just excited to see him go to jail for what he did."

The way Link says it with so much disgust makes me think he's referring to what Karusa did to Zelda, not Link himself.

The judge examines the reports, her face serious. "Thank you, Mr. Kirby." Then she looks at Karusa's attorney. "Mr. Agahnim, do you have a response?"

Agahnim stands, his expression even more confident than Karusa's. "Your Honor, while the injuries sustained by Mr. Miyamoto are indeed severe, it is crucial to note that the most critical injuries, including the head trauma and spinal fractures, were inflicted by another athlete, not my client. By the time these injuries occurred, Mr. Valley was already unconscious. Through the violent actions of Link, I might add. Therefore, attributing these injuries to my client is not only inaccurate but also unjust."

Fuck you and your justice. This is 'unjust' until your jackass of a client is behind bars. Everyone here knows that Karusa is the real evil, so don't try to pin it all on Link.

"Granted, another athlete delivered the final most damaging blows," Kirby says in response, "however, it was Mr. Valley who escalated the violence to a point where such intervention was even possible. He initiated the attack, broke Mr. Miyamoto's leg, and rendered him incapacitated, allowing his teammate to deliver the subsequent injuries."

The judge nods, her expression thoughtful. "I see. Karusa Valley's role in the escalation of violence remains a critical factor."

That's damn right! We all saw the way Karusa provoked Link before the game even started! Can't talk yourself out of that one!

Agahnim steps forward again. "I would still like to emphasize that Mr. Miyamoto's aggressive actions were the catalyst for the entire incident. The video evidence clearly shows Mr. Miyamoto throwing the first punch and aggressively pursuing my client. In such a high-stress, chaotic situation, Mr. Valley's actions, though severe, were a direct response to being attacked."

"Objection," Kirby counters, "the issue is not whether Mr. Miyamoto initiated the conflict, but the degree to which your client responded. Valley's behavior in general speaks to a pattern of aggressive and harmful behavior that the court should address."

"What are you referring to?" The judge sounds curious, and Kirby looks happy she asked.

"Prior to the incident involving Link, Karusa Valley has harassed other students on multiple occasions," he enlightens the court. "Valley specifically seems to target female students."

Agahnim objects. "The prosecution's claims about prior behavior are unsubstantiated! There is no concrete evidence to support these accusations!"

Kirby responds fast, "A security video clearly shows Mr. Valley's harassment. He approached a young, female student and initiated an unwanted and non-consensual sexual encounter. And shockingly, it wasn't the only time..."

I look back at Link without turning my head, trying to catch his reaction. He definitely looks increasingly pissed off the more he hears about Karusa's assault on Zelda, but he's trying his best not to let it show. I wish I could telepathically tell him, "Me too, buddy."

"Where is the evidence of these alleged crimes?" Agahnim challenges Kirby with a smirk.

"The footage was lost in the fire at the Hyrule family's home," Kirby tells the court with regret. "However, it should be noted that this footage existed and would have provided clear evidence of Valley's aggressive behavior."

Karusa's attorney shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders as if he just heard a bad joke. "Your Honor, are we now allowing evidence that no longer exists? Or perhaps never existed to begin with? It's speculative and prejudicial. There are no witnesses or physical evidence to corroborate these claims. Any mention of such destroyed evidence should be stricken from the record."

The judge pauses, considering both sides. After a few seconds, she nods at the wrong attorney. "Sustained. The court will disregard any mention of the destroyed video footage."

You for real right now? I want to be mad, but I guess you can't really consider evidence that isn't here... that would make things really unfair.

I look at Kirby, who is far from giving up. "Regardless of the absence of this footage, the impact of Valley's actions on the university and its reputation is undeniable. We have multiple testimonies confirming his violent behavior."

Karusa isn't even paying attention. His head is aimed towards the window, and his eyes are looking at nothing but an empty sky. Wonder what he's thinking about. Likely not much.

Meanwhile, his lawyer gives his everything to save Karusa's worthless ass. "My client's actions were not the direct cause of Hyrule's tainted reputation. It was Mr. Miyamoto's actions that drew all the negative attention." He pauses for effect, then picks up a stack of newspapers from his desk. "Let me read a few examples to the court:

'𝙷𝚢𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎'𝚜 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛 𝙰𝚝𝚑𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝙲𝚊𝚖𝚙𝚞𝚜 𝙱𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚕: 𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝙼𝚒𝚢𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚘 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚁𝚒𝚘𝚝.'
'𝙰𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚞𝚕𝚝 𝙰𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚂𝚞𝚛𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝙰𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝 𝙷𝚢𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎'𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚘.'
'𝚅𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙾𝚞𝚝𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚋𝚢 𝙷𝚢𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎'𝚜 𝙶𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝙱𝚘𝚢: 𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝙼𝚒𝚢𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚘 𝙸𝚗𝚓𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝙵𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚂𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜.'
'𝚂𝚘𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛'𝚜 𝚁𝚊𝚐𝚎: 𝙰 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝙲𝚊𝚖𝚙𝚞𝚜 𝚂𝚊𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚢'
'𝙸𝚟𝚢 𝙻𝚎𝚊𝚐𝚞𝚎 𝚂𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚕 𝙻𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝚛𝚘 𝙰𝚝𝚑𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎: 𝟹𝟶% 𝙳𝚎𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝙰𝚙𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜.'"

That's such bullshit! Why aren't we objecting this crap?! There's countless headlines out there siding with Link! I read at least three different reports calling Karusa and Ganon "monsters" for what they did.

Agahnim hands the papers to the judge. "These headlines clearly show that it was Link Miyamoto's behavior, not Karusa's, that damaged Hyrule University's reputation and led to the school's all-time low in application stats."

My blood boils listening to this. They're twisting everything to make Link look like the bad guy. I can't believe it!

Kirby stays calm and tries to regain control. "These headlines are a result of a sensationalist media and biased research. Karusa Valley's initial provocation and subsequent violent actions were the true catalyst, and plenty of headlines out there will say similar things about Lorule and its players."

That's what I'm saying! I'm reading this case like a book! Maybe becoming a lawyer wasn't such a bad idea of mine.

Kirby pulls up his laptop and enters "Hyrule vs. Lorule baseball fight" in the search bar. "Let me read to you the first five search results that pop up," Kirby says to the crowd.

"1. Link and Karusa fight (full video).
2. A whole nation in shock after D1 college athlete ends up in a coma.
3. Will Link be able to recover fully?
4. Lorule student attacks Hyrule Legend, leading to CPR and two arrests!
5. Athlete Rivalries and Violence–Where Do We Draw the Line?"

Kirby puts his laptop down and intertwines his fingers. "As you can see, the media coverage focuses primarily and foremostly on the attack on a celebrated and beloved athlete, and the serious consequences that followed. This demonstrates that the attention should be on the actions of Karusa Valley and his impact, rather than diverting blame with sensationalist reporting!"

That's a good point! Karusa's attorney isn't intimidated though. "Objection, Your Honor, the prosecution is deflecting responsibility. The facts are clear: Mr. Miyamoto's actions garnered negative attention and directly impacted the university's reputation."

The judge nods. "Sustained."

What just happened? Our attorney listed all these articles and it instantly got shut down? Just like that?

This is messed up, and there's absolutely nothing I can do. At least for now. I know I have to keep my cool until it's my turn as a witness.

Kirby is doing his best, but without that video of Karusa assaulting Zelda, it's an uphill battle. There's really not anything (provable) Karusa did that day that was worse than what Link did. And Karusa knows it. That's why he's sitting there looking smug and untouchable.

After some more back and forth between the two attorneys, the gavel bangs, and the court is adjourned for a short recess. I stretch my legs and shoot Zelda a quick text.

*This shit's getting real. Karusa's lawyer is a piece of work. I'll fill you in more later.*

If we don't win this... I wouldn't know how to break it to Zelda. She's already going through so much right now. I think she really needs this victory. Not just for her own comfort of seeing Karusa locked up, but because she wants to see her dad's lawsuit succeed.

When the recess ends, and everyone returns to the courtroom, the judge sits back down, her gavel sounds, and the whispers in the room die down. The court is back in session. Time for witness statements.

I glance over at Link, who's now on the stand, looking more subdued than usual. His presence feels like a double-edged sword. He's here to testify, but with his reputation, it's hard to tell how much of his testimony will hold up.

"Mr. Miyamoto, can you please state your full name and occupation for the record?"

Link nods at Kirby. "I'm Link Miyamoto. I was a pro athlete in Japan and then played for Hyrule's soccer and baseball teams."

"Are you still playing for Hyrule?"

"No, sir. I'm not currently active."

"Could you tell the court why you are no longer playing sports?"

Link nods again. "After the coma, it took a while to recover from the injuries."

The prosecutor looks satisfied and compassionate. "Could you describe what happened on the day of the attack? Do you recall any details?"

Link hesitates, as if he's searching the room for the right puzzle pieces. "I remember that Karusa stood really close to me and started saying some things... Things he'd done to... um, to one of my friends. He admitted to having touched her against her will." Link's eyebrows slip down in anger. "He basically admitted to having raped her."

That one grabbed Karusa's attention. He leans over to his attorney, whispering something. In response, his guy nods and scribbles something down on a piece of paper, but doesn't take any action yet.

"I got angry," Link confesses next. I can see the tension in his shoulders. "I confronted Karusa about it. He seemed proud of it. Things escalated quickly, and I tried to hit him but he blocked it. After that, it's all a blur."

"But you are certain that it was this individual," Kirby points at Karusa, "who attacked you?"

"Yes, it was definitely him," Link responds. "Karusa Valley."

"Thank you. No further questions, Your Honor."

Kirby sits down and the defense attorney stands up. His expression is a calm evil as he approaches Link in the witness stands. "Mr. Miyamoto, you mentioned feeling angry during the confrontation with Karusa. Is it possible that in your anger, you misinterpreted his words?"

"No, Karusa was very clear about the things he said."

"But surely some of your details are influenced by second-hand information rather than direct memory. You did suffer from memory loss, correct?"

"Yes but..." Link shakes his head, "I recovered all my memories."

"All of them?" The defense looks suspicious and intrigued, like a vulture that just spotted a dying lamb. "Let's test your memory then, shall we? Which one of your teammates was the first to step between you and Karusa?"

"Um..." Link looks unsure. "I remember somebody stepping in but I don't know who it was. I was too focused on Karusa."

"Understandable," Agahnim says casually, like it didn't really matter anyways if Link knew the answer. "Let's start with something a bit easier. Do you recall which weekday the game was scheduled for?"

"Sunday."

"And at which time did it start?"

Link's answer comes a little more delayed this time. "1 or 2 pm," he says, and sounds about as sure as me when my math tutor asks me what a monoequative graphic is.

"1 or 2 pm," the attorney repeats, not giving away if it's true or false. "Interesting."

Link shrugs annoyed. "I don't remember the exact time the game started, okay? But that has nothing to do with my memory loss. I don't usually remember little things like that, especially not one year later."

"Then just answer this one simple question," the defense says. "During what inning did the altercation take place? Surely you must remember if it was at the start, middle, or end of the game."

"It was at the start," Link answers, this time with confidence.

"So, the first inning?" Agahnim asks Link.

"Yes."

The defense attorney's lips curl into a lifeless, rotten grin. "The game hadn't started yet, Link." While I slap my forehead, Agahnim turns to the judge. "Your Honor, Mr. Miyamoto claims to remember everything, yet he can't recall critical details. How can we trust his testimony?"

Kirby stands up swiftly. "Objection! Link's inability to remember minor details does not invalidate his entire testimony."

The judge nods thoughtfully. "Overruled. Proceed, Mr. Agahnim, but stick to relevant questions."

But, as if he already won the case, the defense raises his hand in an effortless no-fucks-given way and smiles. "No further questions."

Link steps down from the witness stand, looking like he handed in an exam half-finished. It's that look—when you know you've done your best but still feel like you missed something big. Makes my stomach turn just watching him.

The judge calls it for the day, and the courtroom starts clearing out. I can't shake the feeling that today didn't go our way.

We'll be back here in a few days, though. More evidence, more witnesses. This isn't over, not by a long shot. We're in for a fight, and I'm damn sure not letting them get away with twisting the truth. Just wait till I'm on the stand! I'll rip Karusa's attorney apart.