| “ | Ryunosuke: The killer that terrorised London a decade ago, and became known as the Professor... The man believed to have murdered five members of the aristocracy...... wasn't Genshin Asogi at all.
Kazuma: ...! No... You can't be suggesting...? |
„ |
| ~ The truth of the Professor killings. |
Genshin Asogi (Japanese: 亜双義玄真, Asōgi Genshin) is a character featured in The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve. He was the father of Kazuma Asogi before being killed by Seishiro Jigoku for the murder of Klint van Zieks.
Biography[]
Genshin Asogi came to London alongside Yujin Mikotoba and Seishiro Jigoku and aimed to become a detective. During his stay, he became friends with the van Zieks family and, specifically, Klint van Zieks. However, once he realized that his friend was "The Professor" who killed people with his hunting hound, Asogi asked the Lord Chief Justice Mael Stronghart to investigate, only for Stronghart to refuse his request since the only evidence he had was that Klint owns a large dog. He then went to Klint so the both of them can duel to the death knowing that he was the killer, but before that, Klint asked to write down his will and confessed to his crimes before dueling with him.
Lord Chief Justice Stronghart knew that van Zieks' status as a noble killing other nobles would cause widespread panic if released to the public. Stronghart then decided to pin the blame on Genshin, despite the fact that Klint wasn't killed by the hound like the last victims. Meanwhile, after killing Klint, Asogi met up with Barok van Zieks (Klint's younger brother), only to get attacked by Tobias Gregson and a gang of thugs surrounding them. Despite holding them off, they managed to steal Asogi's ring and put it inside Klint's stomach, leading to false evidence of Klint swallowing the ring during his death when Genshin killed him.
During the time of the trial, Genshin was forced to wear a metal mask to keep his identity hidden. Before going to prison, Stronghart ordered him to write his will in the cell and, when realizing that Genshin had Klint's will, Stronghard decided to make a deal with him. If Genshin took the blame for the killing, his execution would be faked. Then, after being buried alive, Seishiro and Stronghart would dig him out of his grave, leaving him free to return to his son and family.
Genshin agreed to Stronghart's proposal and put Klint's will inside the hilt of his sword, Karuma, hoping that one day it could be found and reveal the truth behind the Professor case. After his trial, Asogi was found guilty of the murder of Klint Van Zieks and was sentenced to death by hanging. Afterward, Courtney Sithe declared him dead from hanging and he was then buried alive.
Back from the Dead[]
As planned, Stronghart and Seishiro visited the grave where Genshin was buried, intending to dig him out. However, Enoch Drebber ended up witnessing Asogi emerging from the grave. Worried that news of the Professor's fake execution would reach the public, Lord Stronghart ordered Seishiro to kill Genshin and put matters to an end. Seishiro reluctantly agreed and shot Genshin, causing blood to splatter on Drebber, who then ran away from the scene in terror. Stronghart and Seishiro then reburied his body and left the graveyard. The Professor was now dead, and the British nobility could rest assured that they were safe from any harm. Lord Chief Justice Stronghart was satisfied with this unplanned conclusion and knew that the Professor case must be kept secret at all costs—in order to preserve peace in Britain and ensure his ascendancy to Attorney General.
Beyond the Grave[]
For years, the Professor killings remained under wraps. However, a renewed foreign exchange trip between Britain and Japan would change things. Kazuma Asogi, Japanese defense attorney and son of Genshin Asogi, was invited to travel to Britain and learn about British law, alongside his judicial assistant, Susato Mikotoba. After the events of "The Adventure of the Great Departure", Kazuma Asogi decided to take his friend, Ryunosuke Naruhodo, with him on the boat to Britain. Kazuma's motivation for the exchange trip was twofold: first, he desired to learn more about British law and improve his talents as a lawyer; more importantly, though, Kazuma wanted to learn the truth about his father's death. Kazuma wouldn't get to accomplish these goals just yet, though, as he was killed on the S.S. Burya in transport to Britain. Ryunosuke Naruhodo and Susato Mikotoba investigated the murder, alongside new friend Herlock Sholmes, and managed to ascertain the truth of the events that transpired. However, one mystery remained: Kazuma's corpse had disappeared. Despite this puzzling turn of events, Ryunosuke took his place as a defense attorney, and Susato proclaimed that she would accompany him as his judicial assistant. The pair promised to honor Kazuma's memory and Ryunosuke decided to hold onto Karuma, the Asogi family sword that was passed down to Kazuma. Naruhodo would then spend his remaining time on the S.S. Burya studying British law in preparation for his arrival to London.
Upon arriving to Britain, Naruhodo and Mikotoba visited Lord Chief Justice Stronghart and explained Kazuma's death. Stronghart allowed the pair one chance to prove themselves worthy of taking Kazuma's place, and Naruhodo was tasked to defend Magnus McGilded in the Old Bailey courthouse. Against all odds, Ryunosuke and Susato managed to get their client declared innocent and successfully proved their knowledge of British law. From there, Chief Justice Stronghart assigned them more cases to solve and clients to defend.
Kazuma Asogi's untimely death remained on the minds of Ryunosuke and Susato, but their understanding of the events that occurred on the S.S. Burya wouldn't be challenged until they met Barok van Zieks' mysterious new assistant. This assistant was devastatingly familiar to the pair, and their encounters with him led the pair to believe that the stranger was actually Kazuma Asogi himself. However, the assistant was dismissive of Ryunosuke and Susato whenever speaking to them, which led them to question whether the newcomer was truly Kazuma Asogi. Following the trial of Alfred Harebrayne, the assistant removed his mask and revealed himself to the pair. Kazuma Asogi wasn't dead, but he had lost his memory after the events on the S.S. Burya. Together, the reunited trio decided to unmask the Professor's wax sculpture to reveal his face. They unlocked the metallic mask to reveal Genshin Asogi, Kazuma's father. Kazuma, shocked and horrified by the sight, regained his memories; Naruhodo then returned Karuma, the Asogi family sword, to its rightful owner: Kazuma.
The truth behind Genshin Asogi's death and the Professor case wouldn't be truly revealed until the murder of Tobias Gregson and the trial of Barok van Zieks, who many thought to be the Reaper of the Bailey and the killer of Gregson. Ryunosuke and Susato took up van Zieks' defense and faced off against none other than Kazuma himself in court. Despite being on opposite sides, Ryunosuke and Kazuma were both committed to discerning the truth behind the Professor killings, the Reaper, and the murder of Tobias Gregson. The pair eventually managed to deduce that the Reaper was not an individual—as previously thought—but, rather, an organization of powerful individuals who carried out "justice" and followed the orders of Chief Justice Stronghart.
From there, Kazuma and Ryunosuke sought to untangle the webbed mess of the Professor case—as it was intimately connected to the murder of Tobias Gregson, the Reaper organization, and the "assassin exchange" Naruhodo discovered in his investigation. As the truth was gradually uncovered, Ryunosuke and Asogi both faced increased resistance from Lord Chief Justice Stronghart, who was the presiding judge of the trial. He threatened to end the trial several times, but Ryunosuke continued to prove that the killings were relevant to the matter at hand and that the trial must continue.
Ryunosuke realized that Klint van Zieks was the Professor all along; upon revealing this information to the court, Barok van Zieks, the defendant and the younger brother of Klint Van Zieks, let out a horrified scream. Kazuma was similarly affected, as he remembered that his father Genshin was executed for his supposed role as the Professor. From there, Ryunosuke and Kazuma puzzled out how Klint Van Zieks carried out his murders - using his hunting hound, Balmung. They learned of Genshin Asogi's encounter with van Zieks and their duel, which resulted in Klint's death.
From Father to Son[]
Despite all this headway, there was still one issue remaining: evidence. The will of Klint Van Zieks was nowhere to be found, and Ryunosuke needed unshakeable evidence to prove Klint's role as the Professor. Naruhodo agonized over the missing will and tried to rack his mind for a solution. Susato and he had investigated nearly everything and everywhere there was to explore in relation to the case; it was almost unthinkable that they hadn't come across the will. Kazuma and Ryunosuke then remembered that Genshin Asogi must've possessed the will of van Zieks. The only question: where was the will now? After some contemplation, Ryunosuke came to a dramatic realization: the will was in the very courtroom!
Ryunosuke inspected Karuma, the Asogi family sword handed down to Kazuma from his father. He had held it many times, but it wasn't until that very moment that he realized its hilt contained a hidden space used to keep important objects. Ryunosuke accessed the secret compartment, only to find the will of Klint Van Zieks - which contained Klint's written confession as the Professor and irrevocable proof that Genshin was innocent. Genshin Asogi had hidden the will inside Karuma to prevent Stronghart from getting his hands on it. With this vital evidence from Genshin, Ryunosuke and Kazuma were able to cement Klint Van Zieks' role as the Professor and later prove that Chief Justice Mael Stronghart was the leader of the Reaper organization and mastermind behind the assassin exchange and the murder of Tobias Gregson. In a true twist of fate, the same sword that Genshin passed down to Kazuma was the saving grace of the case against Mael Stronghart and, subsequently, the Reaper organization that cast shadows over the British legal system in the years prior.
Gallery[]
