The grand hall started crumbling apart, and the stars in the sky faded off like someone was erasing a drawing.

In the place of the grand hall, a courthouse emerged from the ruins, and Kael appeared in the seat of the accused.

Behind him, the seats of the public gallery were empty and silent, as if frozen in time, and across from him, there were three raised seats.

It was for the judge, the prosecutor, and the executioner.

"…Where am I?"

As he whispered, at that moment, he started to hear the sounds of murmuring, and out of nowhere, the public gallery seats were suddenly all filled.

A fear-eyed people looked at Kael as if he were some kind of monster. Strangely enough, everyone in those seats looked alike.

Short-cut bob hairstyle, brown in color, and round innocent eyes. They were all women of the same physique as well and of height.

To Kael, they did look somewhat like Wren, even though he didn't know what she actually looked like, and the hair color was all different.

It was like they were the mortal version of Wren, but still really beautiful.

"…The accused."

"…I don't like the look in his eyes. It looks evil."

"…Criminal."

They whispered among themselves.

At that moment, in the seats of the judgy prosecutor and the executioners, three people emerged, and again, they looked alike with slight differences.

"Hmph!"

In the seat of the prosecutor, a lofty-looking woman stared down at Kael. She was a beauty with glasses on her nose bridge, short brown hair, and a stern expression that sent shivers down his spine.

"This will be the neck I cut~?"

In the seat of the executioner, a black-haired woman sharpened her sword. She looked gothic with a dark cloak, pale skin, and ear piercings of inverted crosses.

Under her round black eyes, there were metallic piercings in the shape of teardrops. It was as if she were an edgy teenage girl.

However, her facial features still resembled that of everyone else in the room.

"Calm down, everyone."

In the seat of the judge, a beautiful gold-haired woman raised a gavel and struck it against the sound block, silencing the room.

Bang!

She looked more like the real Wren, but her face was hidden behind the veil, and it was clear that she was the real Goddess of Outlaws.

While everyone else felt like mortals, she carried an aura of authority that could only come from Goddess such as herself.

"Kael Mizuchi, you've been summoned here today to answer for your crimes. You're facing one case of murder and one count of robbery!"

Wren, in the seat of the judge, said.

'One case of murder? It must be the thing related to Raheem and one count of robbery? Could it be related to the crimson book?'

It could also be about the memory crystal.

"What do you have to say in your defense?"

The prosecutor asked in an angry and hostile tone—it was as if he happened to kill her loved one or something—but it could also just be her personality.

"Mind refreshing my memory about who I murdered?"

Kael asked, kicked his legs up, and put them on the table in front of him.

"Put your feet down right at this instance. You're in the Courthouse of the Gods, and you'll be showing respect!"

She screamed with hostility.

"I refuse."

Kael said coldly.

Almost exploding in anger, Wren the Judge calmed down the prosecutor and then said.

"You're accused of killing a fellow Blessed One of Leader Pathway, Raheem. What is your defense against these accusations?"

Wren asked.

"Self-defense."

Kael said.

"Self-defense? Perjury! You went to the house of Raheem with intent to harm him, didn't you?"

The prosecutor exclaimed.

"I must remind that while you're in the Courthouse of the Gods, you're under oath, and lying will not be tolerated."

Wren said.

"I am not lying. It doesn't matter what my intentions were to be in his house. I just went there to talk with him, and it was him who attacked me first."

Kael said.

"You showed the first sign of aggression, didn't you? You pointed your gun at him first, didn't you, and he defended himself!"

The prosecutor said, waved her hand, and a couple of lookalikes brought the first evidence to the judge.

It was the black revolver.

"This black revolver is the murder weapon. And it has your fingerprints all over it. You killed him with this, didn't you?"

The prosecutor asked.

"I did."

Kael said coldly.

Gasp~

The people at the gallery gasped at the boldness of his answer and whispered among themselves of how someone could be so callous and heartless.

"Silence."

Wren banged her gavel, silenced the courtroom, and turned her beautiful eyes behind the veil towards Kael.

"You're admitting to killing him?"

"I don't think there was ever a question of whether I killed him. I did, and it was the right thing to do."

"It wasn't your duty! Leave it to the Guild or the Magisterial Yard. With your testimony over the crimson book, you could've given them enough evidence for them to go after Raheem!"

The prosecutor said angrily.

"I could've, but he pissed me off, so I decided to kill him. I didn't like his version of revenge, that's all."

Kael said.

"Do you realize how you sound right now? You talk as if you're justice warrior, but are your actions any different from Raheem's?

"He also believed what he was doing was justice!"

The prosecutor said.

"…Hmm, I guess so."

Kael shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"And what about the Book of Revenge, Retribution, and Suffering? You stole what was his property, and instead of taking it to the authorities, who would be able to seal it away, you took it for your selfish purposes.

"It's because you also plan to use it in the future, right? You're intending to use it to kill someone, isn't that right?!"

The prosecutor slammed her hands down on the desk and asked with a scream.