On to the present, and the first layer: the cliché layer (descriptions and citations are taken from the book Fritz Perls by Clarkson and Mackewn). The cliché layer includes “meaningless tokens of meetings” and “clichéd greetings” with no relation to the actual feelings of the involved individuals, and basically consists of “introjects of expected, socially accepted behavior”. The first time we ever see Nahyuta in the courtroom he’s deep in prayer, and when the judge calls for his attention, his first lines are “…A thousand pardons. It was rude of me to keep you waiting. I was praying for the victim.” He’s praying for the victim as is custom in Khura’in, but he’s also consciously trying to follow the customs of the Japanifornian court, and goes on to express himself in a humble way and apologize in advance for the “many blunders” he may make. Back in Japanifornia in case four, Nahyuta says he’s fully prepared right away, which surprises the judge, to which Nahyuta explains he has already finished the praying in the lobby before the trial to expedite it, which the judge considers thoughtful of him. By this, we can tell he’s starting to adapt to the Japanifornian way of proceeding (apart from the nasty words and bead-throwing, that is).

For reference, we can compare this to the start of the trial in case 3, which takes place in Khura’in: once again he starts by silently praying, while the Khura’inese judge patiently waits for him to finish (and shuts down Phoenix for disturbing him), and laughs and says “Splendid!” when Nahyuta promises to cast Phoenix’ and Maya’s “wicked souls” into the pits of hell. Jolly.

As for him and Apollo, the first thing Nahyuta ever says to Apollo in the game is “…If the defense wouldn’t mind… …could you please explain your reasoning?”. He’s coming across as polite, but extremely impersonal towards his brother he hasn’t seen for fifteen years – “meaningless tokens”, “clichéd” and without relation to feelings towards the individual indeed. After the trial, when Apollo tries to talk to him, Nahyuta attempts to maintain this by claiming that the two of them, now that the trial is over are “once again strangers, with no further need to interact” (which causes Apollo to question if Nahyuta has actually forgotten all about him and it’s absolutely crushing, so screw you, Nahyuta), but Apollo won’t have it.

The second layer is the role layer, in which the person acts “as if [they] were whatever [their] role is” and might pretend to be better, or tougher, more polite or more pathetic than they really feel. If my understanding on these “layers” is correct, I’d say that this is where Nahyuta spends most parts of the game, up until case five. He is fulfilling his role as a devout monk, and as the “last rites prosecutor”, and the second Apollo explains that he believes in his client, the insults and sutras comes out, because “it is my duty as a monk to punish sinners, and to guide victim’s souls to the Twilight Realm” and “should you interfere with my sacred last rites for the victim… then I shall cast you down into the pit of hell, along with Trucy Wright!”. Apollo questions whether this is “any way to address someone in a court of law” and the judge agrees, but Nahyuta tells them it’s “but a Khura’inist sermon for those who have strayed from the path”. The asking for forgiveness and patience for blunders he might make is a thing of two minutes ago, and the bitch is out to play. I don’t think any more examples of his… let’s call it “fierceness” are needed to get the point across. By the epilogue, he even admits himself that he’s “merciless in the Halls of Justice”. And by the end of case 2, when Apollo keeps on trying to talk to him, he switches from “we’re once again strangers” to claiming he has nothing to say to the likes of him.

He keeps this up during a portion of case five, but as he starts breaking down, it seems more like an attempt to act in a role that used to come naturally to him. Compare his first lines or lack thereof in the trials of cases 2, 3 and 4 with that in case 5, in which he stutters and zones out to the point where Apollo and the judge both appear concerned, and Ga’ran decides he’s unfit to prosecute.

Another role cast upon him is that of a protector and guardian, both for the kingdom itself and his sister. Especially after Dhurke’s death, he claims it to be his duty as the oldest Sahdmadhi to protect Rayfa, and asks Apollo to try to understand that.

However, even though his various roles are ingrained in him (which was partly my point in the other post I made about Nahyuta) it obviously doesn’t mean that they are all there is to him. Although he’s clearly under Ga’ran’s influence, having internalized her ideas and opinions, one could even say he’s basically brainwashed, he’s not just that, which becomes apparent in what I'd call personality leakages.

Beyond the rigid bitch we get to see glimpses of something else, which possibly would have been more present in his personality under other circumstances. From his dialogue and behaviour, we can see hints of him having a slightly harsh sense of humour, and being a very curious person who likes to learn – doing research on the topics he’ll meet in his trials is one thing (especially if one can brag about it), sitting for hours on end researching rakugo to the point where he has stories memorized, culminating in him performing “Time soba” in court (which gets even better as he’s just said that rakugo storytellers use distinctive voices for the different characters, so one can assume he does too in his reciting) is another. He apparently gets easily immersed in various subjects he finds interesting, and this scene amongst others is also a nice contrast to his refined speech and usual pokerface, showing that despite that, he’s absolutely not as stiff and overly serious as he might come across. What’s crack-a-lacking, homie?

These glimpses of excitement appear in other ways as well, such as standing in line for two hours for a burger, or lovingly describing why peach is his favourite fruit. He also seems genuinely interested in forensic science (to the point of dragging Ema back and forth between Khura’in and Japanifornia), and speaking of Ema, before the trial of case 2, before we’ve met Nahyuta, she describes him as kind, gentle and understanding, which seems to clash majorly with the major bitch he turns out to be. Still, it makes sense that his ruthless behaviour would be more of a courtroom thing, especially when he’s being challenged. Other than that, we mostly get to see him in pretty loaded situations, but it’s possible that how Ema described him is how he behaves in more relaxed situations (which would have been nice to see more of), and also ties in nicely with the personality Apollo remembers him to have had as a child.

You can’t always tell whether he’s serious or not (giving the silly descriptions of various kinds of hell, or saying “what’s crack-a-lacking, homie” with a completely straight face is one thing, but no one can convince me that him threatening to punish Ema by holding an eight-hour sermon wasn’t solely to take the piss). His quarrelling with Simon in case four is worth a mention just because it was so gloriously stupid (and finally somebody managed to really talk back to Nahyuta). “Be gone, witness! No more shall you haunt this sacred hall!” Face-crack of the century.

The impasse layer involves dropped roles, feelings of stuckness, confusion and anxiety, “two aspects of ourselves” being “locked in a conflict”. It is described as a very uncomfortable phase, where the person might either attempt to “complete unfinished business” or try to “avoid suffering” by denying “existential dread or anxiety”. Come case five and this fits Nahyuta to a t. Dhurke tells Apollo in the cave scene already that Nahyuta is “suffering in silence” and that something is “tearing him apart”, but so far, he has been able to push through that, repressing the shred of doubt, and hope, that he still has, and resign to his role for the sake of his convictions, seemingly more or less going numb in the process. Once Dhurke is arrested, however, he finds himself in a situation where he is forced to prosecute his father (and indirectly his brother) in order to protect his mother and sister. Whatever he does, something’s got to give, and unable to admit to himself that it’s a really shitty situation with no good outcome, he tries to lean back on his convictions, only to find that the situation is smacking him in the face to the point where even they have gone shaking.

The first time we see Nahyuta in case five is when he’s about to interrogate “the prisoner”, and at this point, he still seems to be in the “role layer”. “The fact remains, I am a prosecutor.” Apollo decides further discussion is futile, because he doubts he’s getting through to Nahyuta at all. As Dhurke talks to him, he’s quick to tell him that “the Nahyuta you knew exists no more”, but he comes across a bit hesitant, and when Dhurke tells him he’ll always be his boy, and that the Defiant Dragons will welcome him back with open arms as soon as he’s ready, he looks like he’s in physical pain, and groans, before collecting himself. “…….Ngh! ……..As I said, I’ve moved on.” He’s business as usual when speaking in broader terms, distancing himself mentally from the issue, but as soon as the conversation turns more specific and personal, he has trouble saying anything at all.

Later on, he appears in Amara’s tomb, where he bitches a little about lawyers, but when Apollo tries to talk with him about Dhurke and the Defiant Dragons, he runs away. Runs, as in, Apollo and Athena have to chase him down. When they do, he tries to leave again, which makes Apollo ask if Nahyuta is afraid of what Apollo has to say, which probably hits the nail on the head. The attempt to reach out fails miserably as the conversation turns into a debate in which the participants have two completely different goals – while Apollo tries to connect with Nahyuta, and get him to be honest about not wanting to prosecute Dhurke, or at the very least wishing he didn’t have to, Nahyuta takes the subject to a higher level and talks about civilization and its need of (impersonal) law, “Do you disagree?”, so that Apollo will have to say that he doesn’t, i.e having to admit that Nahyuta prosecuting his father is completely rational and therefore justified. Athena declares Nahyuta to be the winner of the debate, but Apollo has the feeling that his “pretty words” are covering up for something, and it’s worth noting that Nahyuta never says he has no personal feelings regarding the matter, just that they have no place in a court of law, and that is all there is to that.

“(…Nahyuta. Is this the real you? Have you really changed? Can you even hear me? Don’t Dhurke and I matter to you anymore?)”
That’s the million-dollar question, ain’t it? Can Nahyuta hear those who care about him at all? At the very least, at this point, it seems like he’s starting to, although very reluctantly. Like in the in my opinion best offscreen-moment of the game, when Nahyuta confiscates Dhurke’s belongings, except for his badge. “Just when it looked like he was about to take it… he changed his mind.” And outside the temple, once the people have started protesting, he has nothing to say about it other than he’s following orders… and then he tries to flee from Apollo again. Hearing about Dhurke’s condition seems to do the trick, but: “…………………. ……………………… ………………………. …what you speak of… is futile (…) The guilty verdict… the hopelessness… You must resign yourself to it all. Clinging to false hope now will only serve to magnify your future despair. So let it go… and move on.” Deny dread and anxiety to avoid suffering? Check.
The impasse layer is described as the person experiencing it “goes into a whirlpool”, and in a similar manner, Athena claims to sense “a whirlpool of emotions” from Nahyuta at this point. Anger, shock, bewilderment. “…and an icy sorrow, as deep and dark as an abyss.” In other words, this bitch is starting to implode.

Whatever the case, the evil queen takes his place with Nahyuta as her aid and he’s pretty chill for the most part. The implosive layer is also called the “death layer” and involves “paralysis of opposing forces”; the person experiencing it pull themselves together, contract their muscles, implode. It’s an inward-turned energy, the person is tense and "paralysed by the fear of the unknown".

Nahyuta’s mostly hanging around while the courtroom drama intensifies, save for some Klavier-style prosecuting on the side: that is, going with the flow, laying down facts and yelling at Apollo when he’s going off rails. Speaking of Apollo, when he’s proposing a really wild theory, Nahyuta seems more amused than anything: (smiling) “Oh, you putrid pepper. Of all the half-witted buffoonery to come from your lips. But suppose I indulge you.” Too bad he’s not gonna be smiling for long. Apollo lays it down, that Dhurke is dead, and Nahyuta is obviously gobsmacked and tries to deny it. “A-and you would not dare to claim to have proof to support your assertion.”

The explosive layer makes the person “come to life”, they “explode into grief, anger, joy, laughter, or orgasm”. They are authentic and capable of experiencing, and expressing, real emotion. They act, they live, and the explosion is often followed by insights, creativity and excitement.
“Th-that’s preposterous!” (falls on his ass) “Wh-Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!” (…) “M-mother! Why would you…?!” (…) “…Mother! What is the meaning of this?!”
Next thing we know, Amara gets shot, the court takes a recess, and when we get back to the courtroom, Nahyuta has been taken away to take the witness stand, just as he was starting to explode in… something, and it wasn’t laughter or orgasm. Can a bitch ever get some rest? Not on Ga’ran’s watch. Nahyuta is backed into a corner again and Apollo and Phoenix shows about the same reaction as the player might: “not this shit again”. Apollo is once again “Mr. Justice” to Nahyuta, but Apollo himself is on fire. Figuratively. This makes it hard to pinpoint one precise explosion-point for Nahyuta, since he is forced to restrain himself once more.

Even so, this seems to be a recurring theme with him, according to Apollo. “Why do you always have to be so stubborn, Nahyuta?! I hate how you never listen to reason once you get like this!”
But he’s not completely detached.
“…….Mr. Justice. Know that Dhurke sent you away so that you would not get caught up in that life we led. “
“I see… Thanks…” The topic of Apollo’s departure hasn’t been brought up outside of Apollo’s head, just the point in time where it happened, but Nahyuta understands it’s on Apollo’s mind and goes out of his way to assure him this, for Apollo’s sake, probably, but perhaps also for Dhurke’s.

Nahyuta explains his personal feelings are “of no consequence” since his life is devoted to law, queen and country first and foremost. “I know I must accept status quo without any thoughts of change.” But Apollo won’t have it, since he’s sure that deep down, there is still hope in his heart.

“…and it’s what binds you, me, and Dhurke together… as a family.”
“……………………………………………………..Hmph. You are… very perceptive, Mr. Justice. It may very well be as you say.”
Nahyuta claims he didn’t understand it at the time, but he may have been waiting for Dhurke to save Nahyuta, and to “free our family from the chains of the past”.

“However! …It was but a dream. And now that dream has died. Murdered, along with Dhurke! So now, as the eldest, the responsibility falls squarely onto me. …No matter the cost, I must protect her! Please, try to understand, Apollo. Understand why I shall bear all this sin. It is the only way!” As far as I’m concerned, these lines are the completely authentic Nahyuta, speaking completely freely from his mind. At least, that was the feeling I got when reading them. Nahyuta 100 % unlocked. And when he’s begging Apollo to try and understand why he feels that he has to do what he does, it’s completely earnest, brother to brother.
After this, he finally starts catching on that Ga’ran is evil. “Your Eminence! It’s you, isn’t it…!” He’s the one who names her as the killer and provides a motive. “…are you the one responsible for tearing my family apart? (…) Y-you concealed the truth, and used me for your own designs?!” From here and onwards, he has a very direct way of speaking. The occasional flowy language is still there, but it’s fierce and prickly rather than high and mighty. Also, it’s worth mentioning that when Ga’ran questions him being done heeding her commands, he interrupts her, the freaking queen, with a “Satorha!”, and that’s probably my single favourite moment with him. He’s a bad, bad bitch, but in a good way now.
“Hear me, Ga’ran: I will cast you down from your bloody throne! Long live the revolution!”

Now that he’s on the same page as everyone else, he starts helping the defense, and Phoenix, Apollo and him becomes completely awesome together.
Ga’ran: “I doubt you could find them now.”
Nahyuta: “Objection! …Then you don’t know us very well.”
What he has been on about all this time, about putting the good for the kingdom before his own life, is still true, but now he considers the revolution to be the best for Khura’in, rather than heeding Ga’ran’s commands.
“…..We cannot yield to her here, Apollo. If… If it will move the revolution forward… …I will gladly face the DC act! Now, do it! Accuse Queen Ga’ran of the crime she has committed!”

Having made a complete turnabout attitude-wise, he’s still as ruthless as ever, if not more. But he also wants to keep his “dear brother”, as Ga’ran puts it, safe:
“P-please, Apollo… Do not make this any worse than it already is… I cannot lose you to the Twilight Realm, too…” Weighing up for all the “putrid pepper” and so on, he’s now using Apollo’s first name quite often, which is sweet. And he’s able to express himself fully, suffering but not in silence, straight out begging Apollo not to get himself killed, because he wouldn’t be able to bear it.
Even so, once Apollo refuses to yield, Nahyuta is seemingly impressed and claims that both a fierce dragon and a virtuous phoenix dwells deep within Apollo, and that he shall join him in his “death-defying bluff!”.
The slumbering dragon dwelling deep within him has apparently woken up, and with bravado. “Comes to life”? “Acts, lives”? “Excitement”? Check, check, check as heck.

After the trial, and when he’s done being Mr. Exposition, he’s pretty chill again. There is something almost sly about him at times, but in a rather sweet and humorous way. Like when talking about the state of Ga’ran: “*sigh* I fear it will be quite a challenge to question her later” Or when Rayfa goes “Big B… B…” and he’s all poker-faced: “…….”Buh”?” I’ll never understand whether he’s clueless or just a little bitch (said in a loving way). Or, for that matter, in the epilogue where he expresses bewilderment about being referred to “Braid head” by Rayfa, and that she’s trembling and blushing when she’s trying to speak with him, wondering what he has “done to deserve such animosity”. But he ultimately decides that maybe he shall “consult Apollo about this”, so it’ll be fine.