Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner-Chapter 854 - 513: Obituary and Death Sentence

Seventy-two hours after the Cat Island video was released, the cabinet support rate fell below 10%, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s stock price plummeted to zero, and more than 200 demonstrations erupted across the country.

The front page of the Asahi News featured an enlarged photo of Kujo Yua’s resignation letter, marking the end for the first female Director of Police in history who finally chose to face the consequences and resign.

In the spring of 1994, NHK News broadcasted an obituary:

Minamoto Tamako, a criminal police officer from the Sugamo Police Station’s criminal department (aged 23), died in the line of duty, and was posthumously awarded first-class merit by the Police Department. During the Tokyo Tower incident, she was hit by a stray bullet while subduing a heinous criminal and died at 23:17 on the day after unsuccessful rescue attempts.

According to her wishes, her remains will be donated to a medical institution. The farewell ceremony is limited to family members, but the public can offer flowers at Zojo Temple before February 20.

...

In May of the same year, the assault case formally opened under multiple compromises.

The spectators’ seats were packed with people; the front row was filled with bureaucrats dressed in unified black suits, the middle with victims’ family members wearing masks, and the back was the press area, brimming with filming equipment for live broadcast, as the entire nation watched the trial.

Bulletproof glass isolated the defendant’s stand into a transparent cage, with Fushimi Roku clad in an orange prison uniform, shackled to the metal floor, each move causing a heavy crashing sound.

He hadn’t cut his hair or shaved for months, looking much more haggard. His hair covered his eyes, and his chin was full of stubble, resembling a man in his thirties.

The judge struck the gavel, officially starting the trial.

This time there was no plea bargaining, no collusion, just a straightforward trial aimed at ensuring every sentencing was legal and compliant.

The prosecutor formally filed a lawsuit, listing eighteen criminal charges ranging from ’premeditated murder,’ ’arson,’ ’causing explosions,’ to ’illegal detention.’

The judge asked if the defendant had any objections, but the defendant remained silent, forcing the judge to consider it consent, allowing the prosecutor to continue speaking.

Next, the prosecutor presented witnesses and evidence, proving that the suspect was indeed responsible for the Police Department assault and Tokyo Tower hijacking, with irrefutable evidence demanding the death penalty.

The judge asked the defendant if he pleaded guilty, giving a long-focus close-up of Fushimi Roku, who seemed to nod slightly.

"Alright, now the defendant’s defense lawyer will speak," the judge struck the gavel.

Fushimi Roku’s defense lawyer was a man in his thirties, taking on the nationally focused case as a testament to his confidence - if he could argue for a life sentence instead of the death penalty, he’d earn fame and acclaim in legal circles.

Thus he prepared extensively, starting with the motive behind the crime, declaring that it was the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s inaction that led to the suspect’s actions and were not ’profit-driven.’

He eloquently stated in court:

"When the judicial system itself becomes a breeding ground for crime, should the citizens’ self-rescue actions still be defined as crime?"

"Look at those names marked as ’suicides’ or ’missing’ in official records! When the Police Department shreds report records, when the Prosecutor’s Office falsifies autopsy reports, my client merely fills in the gaps of this nation’s failing justice!"

...

The lawyer’s speech was successful, met with thunderous applause from the spectators’ seats, some of whom recognized shades of old acquaintances in Fushimi Roku.

The judge nodded, indicating that this point would be considered during sentencing.

After voting by the jurors, the judge temporarily adjourned, holding an internal meeting to discuss sentencing. Everyone waited for over two hours; the court reconvened, and before the final verdict, the judge asked the defendant again if he pleaded guilty.

"This concerns your sentencing, please answer seriously," the judge said solemnly.

Defense lawyer Asai Ryoto heard the hope for life imprisonment, closely observing his client, whispering to Fushimi Roku, prompting him to plead guilty.

As long as he pleads guilty, he will survive.

Fushimi Roku lifted his head slightly, glancing sideways at Asai Ryoto, with cold glimmers peeking through disordered strands of hair.

He sarcastically said in a voice audible only to the two of them, "They are playing you, can’t you see?"

Asai Ryoto froze, instinctively looking up at the judge, whose expression remained meticulously rigid.

"How is it, don’t overthink, this judge is very responsible..."

Before he could finish, Fushimi Roku suddenly raised his head, straightened his body, and stood up.

Merely this act of standing became the focal point of all eyes in the court. The audience held their breath, jurors leaned back slightly, and the judge interlocked his fingers, waiting for his statement.

Fushimi Roku surveyed the room, and before he spoke, the staff had already placed the microphone in front of him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I do not wish to defend myself."

"While I can still speak, while there are still people willing to listen, I will only say one thing here."

"Concerning the so-called Heavenly Punishment."

"Maybe everyone thinks those I’ve killed deserved it. ’If you don’t do bad things, you won’t die,’ is the thought everyone holds when viewing these dead, not fundamentally different from those negligent judges, legislators, or criminal police from the Police Department."

"Why do judicial verdicts always invite doubt?"

"Because they, like everyone, struggle to avoid the inherent flaws of being human. ’If you don’t engage in prostitution, you won’t be framed’ or ’If you don’t fight, you won’t be hit.’ ’The powerful should yield to the weak’... Everyone has preconceived notions, assigning labels to people in their minds."

"He’s a good person, he’s a bad person, he’s wrong but pitiful, he’s right but aggressive."

"Implementing real justice is complicated and challenging; most people lack the ability or energy to clear up everything so everyone is convinced, so they start taking shortcuts."

"As long as the criminal is caught, evidence doesn’t matter;"

"As long as there’s a crime, sentencing size depends on the suspect’s attitude;"

"If profit is involved, law enforcers might exploit legal loopholes;"

"With such analogies, as long as there’s revenge, taking brutal retribution isn’t impossible. Ultimately, justice becomes a mere lamentation: ’Flies can’t bite seamless eggs, you’re just unlucky.’"

"Material foundation determines everything; I know East Asia currently lacks the ability to create a relatively fair law enforcement environment, everything is mere talk. But only by identifying the problem, confronting it can one resolve it."

"Any attempt to discipline the public in an unjust manner, no matter how noble the final goal, is inherently hypocritical."

Fushimi Roku paused for a moment amid the uproar and calmly stated:

"Yes, I do not care about the victims’ families."

"Yes, I do not care about so-called justice."

"I’m merely a criminal satisfying my inner arrogance, vanity, and hypocrisy by killing indiscriminately."

"Likewise, if a law enforcer, driven by the arrogance of convicting, vanity of public opinion, or hypocrisy of legal dignity, issues judgments, he too is a criminal."

"According to law, committing the aforementioned eighteen felonies indisputably should result in the death penalty."

"I don’t know what they were discussing for two hours."

"I only know, if I live, if the judge tolerates the so-called ’Heavenly Punishment,’ Japan’s legal dignity will be utterly lost."

"That’s right."

"I kindly ask everyone to sentence me to death."

...

The courtroom fell silent, a pin drop could be heard.

The live camera long-focus shifted to the presiding judge’s face, giving a close-up. The latter removed his glasses, rubbing his forehead with a long sigh, his complexion livid.

"Adjourned." The judge strongly struck the gavel.