The Herrscher must have a reason to get close to me!
Siegfried made an instant judgment, and his retreating footsteps suddenly accelerated, almost matching the Herrscher's forward dash.
The Herrscher's physical abilities were not strong. Apart from defense, she was even weaker than Siegfried himself.
And her defense wasn't ridiculously strong either. Siegfried clearly saw the mark on her brow and the wound on her arm. His attacks could break through her defenses...
Right now, the Herrscher's core power seemed to be restricted and couldn't be used. Maybe... he could handle her alone!
But this was just a try. After all, besides the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" scenario, it was more likely that the other party had a hidden move that could instantly counter him. Rushing forward was the biggest taboo for a warrior, and Siegfried would never make such a mistake.
The Herrscher's speed was only slow in Siegfried's eyes. In reality, the two of them had passed through several alleys in a very short time, moving hundreds of meters in just a few seconds.
And the moment Siegfried and the Herrscher rushed out of the narrow alley, Siegfried had finished reloading.
High-energy particles flowed rapidly within the Star of Judgment, gathering in the chamber and mixing with pure energy, about to erupt from the muzzle.
"Judg—"
At that moment, a smile suddenly appeared on the Herrscher's lips.
"Found you..." For a moment, Siegfried seemed to see his own reflection in the Herrscher's hollow eyes.
"Your killing intent."
...
The moment the strong light hit, Siegfried raised his hand to block his eyes to avoid being damaged by the glare.
But the light came from all directions. Siegfried could only blink a few times quickly, trying to adapt to the environment.
"Sinner—Siegfried Kaslana," The voice was like a booming bell. Siegfried only felt his head become a little dizzy at that moment, as if he had drunk too much.
Some thoughts were uncontrollably bubbling up in his mind. Siegfried frowned and suppressed the churning emotions, then opened his eyes, which had adapted to the strong light, and looked around.
"This is..."
The surrounding environment felt a bit fantastical... everywhere was a cold, emotionless color, a pale white that made people feel tasteless at a glance.
Pale white Roman columns supported the stone arches. This place was like the center of an arena, and also like a church sparkling with the morning light.
And the Herrscher stood at the very front, under a huge stone tablet, looking down at him indifferently.
Siegfried's attention was focused on the small golden scale in front of the Herrscher. A pure white feather was filled with a sacred meaning that was out of place here.
The feather looked very light... even though it was bigger than a person's palm.
"The charges—" A dense chorus of voices suddenly sounded, instantly attracting Siegfried's attention to the back.
When he turned around, the space behind him was as vast as a hall, and every seat was filled with people.
Everyone was looking at Siegfried, and Siegfried also wanted to see who those people were, but everyone was in various forms. One second it was a pot-bellied fat man, and the next second it was a graceful dancer.
This constant change intensified Siegfried's dizziness. The burning gazes seemed to be forcing him to turn his head away.
But Siegfried's stubbornness was unexpected. He stared at these gazes, staring at the person closest to him, in the front row.
Various forms, huh... change if you can!
The voice that was supposed to pronounce the judgment did not come. Siegfried squinted his eyes and stared at one person, and finally found a clue in the constantly changing faces.
There were a few faces that flashed by... he had seen them!
They were the people who had been killed by the Herrscher!
"Thud!" It was unclear whether it was a gavel or a judge's hammer, but a muffled sound of a strike made Siegfried subconsciously turn his head. Taking this opportunity, the boundless figures behind him began to chant again.
"The charges—Wrath, Pride."
The Herrscher in front of him slowly spoke to Siegfried: "Do you—know..."
"Nonsense!" Siegfried shouted sharply, lifting his foot to walk out, but his waist hit a crossbar. Only then did Siegfried realize that he was already standing in the kind of small cage that was unique to a courtroom.
Courtroom... charges...
A spark of inspiration flashed in Siegfried's mind.
Was this Herrscher's power really related to judgment... combined with the restrictions the Herrscher might have been under before, this trial was obviously not just a formality. The Herrscher probably needed this trial to achieve some purpose...
Only in this situation would a Kaslana erupt with their astonishing wisdom.
While Siegfried was quickly analyzing everything around him, he was also able to multitask and refute the Herrscher.
"You say I'm wrathful, you say I'm arrogant, where's your evidence? Is it just 'you think so'? Then I think you're a heinous criminal!"
The Herrscher successfully fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "The sinner has raised an objection and a lawsuit against me... the verification of the charges will now begin..."
Siegfried, who was secretly observing the details of the scale, was suddenly stunned. The next moment, he raised his head and looked at the stone tablet behind the Herrscher in surprise.
The incomprehensible words on it began to break down and reassemble into a form that Siegfried was familiar with.
The Herrscher looked at Siegfried's reaction, her brows furrowing deeper.
This guy... was completely different from the others.
The other sinners, the moment they entered this place, were illuminated by the strong light, revealing all their darkness. No shadow could hide itself here.
And compared to those who were afraid of the light, this strong light had no effect on Siegfried. In fact, compared to the jury, Siegfried was more like a native of this place, someone who was always under such strong light.
...Where was his darkness?
The Herrscher looked at Siegfried silently, watching as curiosity even appeared in his eyes. She wanted to find the darkness she was familiar with, but she couldn't see anything...
"I say..." Siegfried suddenly spoke up, pointing at the stone tablet behind the Herrscher. "Is this thing broken? Why is it repeating? Or do you guys also have loading lag?"
The Herrscher suppressed the thoughts in her mind and the urge to turn around and confirm. She looked at Siegfried and spoke softly.
"First... the crime of Wrath."
["To use such a private punishment on a child..." Siegfried gritted his teeth, his anger causing the corners of his mouth to twitch. The Star of Judgment was pointed at the black-robed person, carrying his roar.
"Is this the justice you want to carry out, Herrscher?!"]