With the Angels of Justice behind us, the Trial had officially started. I didn't know what to expect from this, but all I knew was that I needed to answer every question honestly. The swords those Angels held didn't seem like mere decoration.
The jury had been a bit confused at my response, but as simple as the question was, if this thing really was measuring my honesty, then that was as honest as I felt about that question. I was not the official Captain of the Black Wolves, not even in Kingdom records—Sirus knew that best of all. Not officially in title and belief. It was Asura, and it always will be.
"So, Greed…" Alphonzo addressed, "Let's try this again… Do you or do you not have anything to testify against you and the Black Wolf Knights' actions?"
I took a deep breath and took my time to speak. "These Black Wolves you speak of, and my Black Wolves are two separate entities. I have nothing to do with the ones from the incident last night, this morning, or any of their organized crimes outside and inside the Kingdom."
Silence filled the room for a few seconds. Then, from the Angel of Death behind me, its scales tipped back, now with the left scale shifting down and the right one shifting up. Right then, the black Angel behind me lifted its sword and struck down at my back.
SLASH!
My eyes widened out of shock… What just happened? I just told him my side. Why did I just get struck? I thought.
The strike didn't hurt, but it tore my jacket and the shirt underneath. It also somehow managed to knock me off balance slightly, which most attacks of that caliber could not do… So, what was this?
"Well, looks like that wasn't entirely true now, was it?" Not a question, an observation. I sensed no hostility in Alphonzo's words; however, that dead stare he kept giving me was getting on my nerves.
The jury and council began talking amongst each other at this moment, like the strike from the Angel had confirmed their suspicions about me.
"This should come as no surprise. It seems you have everything to do with it because you are all the same."
From this moment, Alphonzo waved a hand and summoned a podium with stacks of scrolls on it. The scrolls weren't typical rolled-up paper; they were advanced and mechanical. When you opened them, they glowed from mana and carried digitized information within them.
He waved his hand again, and all the scrolls on the podium levitated in front of him, scattered out in the air. He chose one of the scrolls and read it out loud, "Twenty-third day of the fifth month, about last week. The time was 1605. LeHarla. You resisted arrest from the W.M.A. but were pardoned due to your relationship with Ryoku of the Crimson Dragon Knights." He moved the scroll aside and looked at me again. "Is it true that Ryoku was with you last night at the incident at the Southeast? Where is he now?"
Damn records were not accurate. I had not resisted in LeHarla… at first. But what did Ryo have to do with any of this?
I answered and was careful with my words this time, "Yes, he was there, and so was I. We were operating undercover to save a girl who was kidnapped."
"Who you kidnapped," Alphonzo added swiftly.
I hesitated before responding, looking at the Black Angel behind me.
"We did not kidnap her."
The scales from both Angels shifted again, and the Black Angel moved its left arm, holding the sword, swinging down at my back once more.
SLASH!
A harder slash than the last. This one, for some reason, had brought me to my knees. How had these strikes been affecting me at this time? Hits like this should not have been able to phase me. But they were.
"So it was the Black Wolves that kidnapped the girl," Alphonzo concluded. Again, not a question, twisting the story more and more.
I was starting to understand after he had said that. As annoying as this situation was, I could not go without being struck. The reason was that even if I had said my peace, if it went against record, then it was not true. And in everyone's minds, the record was truth.
"How annoying." I breathed.
"I agree, Greed. If you could simply tell us the way it actually happened, then this Trial will be over a lot sooner, and we can finally conclude this with either you being thrown into Tartarus or executed in front of the whole Kingdom to be an example of your crimes."
"Not really motivating me there, are you, Al? Can I call you Al? I'm gonna call you Al." I wasn't about to let it end like this. I was tired of the discrimination and false accusations and their made-up stories.
Alphonzo continued his dead stare at me and asked once more, this time more concise, "Is Ryoku of the Crimson Dragon Knights affiliated with the Black Wolves?"
I felt like if I answered this question, they would immediately see it as unjust proof and start looking for Ryo to bring him here too. Good thing I had Ophelia and Havoc take him away when I did.
I looked down at the ground, still on my knees from the strike that the Angel of Death gave me. My bangs covered my eyes, forming a shadow over them. I took my time to respond, and when I did, I replied bleakly, "I refuse to answer that question, Al."
Murmurs rippled across the room.
"Well, this isn't good, is it?" Alphonzo replied. "Not answering the question raises suspicions even more and delays the inevitable. You know if you don't answer, we will just take him in as we did you and question him ourselves."
"Well, good luck finding him. Even I don't know where he is."
The truth. All I had told Ophelia and Havoc to do was take him away. I merely suggested they take him back to the Crimson Dragon's castle, but I had no idea if they actually did or not. Either way, I wouldn't know.
The angel scales shifted back to truth after I said this. Alphonzo side-eyed the Angel of Life behind him from his position before looking back to me afterward.
"No matter. We will get the answers one way or another. But for now, I think it's time we upped the ante." Alphonzo lifted his hand, gesturing for someone to come in.
On both sides of the Royal King, there were two open doors. Through them, they were clearly hallways, but were shadowed from my point of view.
A silhouette of a figure stood at the door to the right of the King. As the figure stepped past the door into the light, his long white hair gleamed from it, and his blue and gold cloak glimmered side by side with his golden skin.
Syemore.
As he made his way to where Alphonzo was, he stood there renowned. The council and jury looked at him with what seemed like pride or relief in their eyes. He then spoke with a calm whisper of a silent storm brewing behind it, "Hello, Greed, it's nice to see you again. We haven't officially met, have we? I do apologize it had to be in circumstances like this."
I still hadn't confirmed from my end that Syemore was involved, but one of his Vice Captains was. And that was all the proof I needed. Plus, there was also that "big boss" that Ryo and I heard was there. The shadowy figure on the balcony of that underground club, watching us all the while. Had it been him? Regardless. I had a feeling I'd see him here at my Trial, so he was exactly the person I'd wanted to see.
Syemore then looked at Alphonzo to speak to him. "Vice Chairman, would you mind switching with me? I think it'd be best if you let us two knights speak in fairness to each other."
"Oh, Keeper take me…" I said under my breath. That goody-two-shoe act had made me gag. But it was fine. If he wanted to be under the Angels of Justice with me, then all the better. In fact, this would make it that much easier to expose him.
Alphonzo released himself from the bond of the Angel of Life over him and stepped out of the way, letting Syemore step in to take his place. Syemore positioned himself then took his time to look back at me with those calm, plotting red eyes.
I had waited until he was fully under the Angel of Life before speaking up. I wasn't about to wait or give him a chance to speak. I had decided he was going to be exposed right now.
I raised a leg as if to stand myself up, but then…
SLASH!!
On my back again, the strike was getting stronger each time. When it struck, I staggered back down to my knees once more.
But what was the reason? I hadn't even said a word this time yet.
"The Angels also punish you if you decide to speak out of order as well. It seems you even lack proper etiquette as a Kingdom knight." Alphonzo stabbed.
"We were taking fucking turns?" I said, and the Angel of Death raised its sword again, but Alphonzo halted the strike. He was going to let me slide with that one. The last thing he wanted was the person in question to be passed out before any further questioning.
Irritation built inside as I gave him a fierce look. At a glimpse, I caught Syemore's hidden smile that no one saw except me.
"It's quite all right, Vice Chairman, I'm sure he is just eager to speak to a fellow knight, as am I." He gestured politely. He was either good at telling lies, or he was truly innocent and told the truth. But I had a hunch the latter wasn't true.
"Before we start." Alphonzo interjected, "Do you, Syemore, solemnly swear in the name of the Keeper that you will tell the truth and only the truth."
"I do."
The scales remained the same, tilting away from my favor.
"Well then, I should start by saying that I did witness Greed at the incident last night," he started off immediately after solemnly swearing.
So, he was already admitting he was there. Was it from the balcony? What was his angle here?
"The Blue Phoenix Knights were on a reconnaissance mission to exploit Black Wolves activity that has been on the high rise lately."
There's no way that's true. Terek, a Blue Phoenix Knight himself, had admitted it. However…
The Angels of Justice tilted their scales in his favor and remained still there after. Nothing more was done.
How could this be? How had that been the truth? Had it been the way he said it? Even so, wouldn't the angels have been able to tell that was a lie? He did say he saw me, and then he said, the Blue Phoenix Knights were on a reconnaissance mission. Which Henza had said back at the abandoned church—
Curious that I find the Black Wolves Leader, Vice Captain, and an Executive at a hideout we've been tracking to snuff out some illegal Black Wolves activity… I remembered him saying.
Okay, so that part had been true, but the fact that he replaced himself in that sentence with the Blue Phoenix Knights and had simply referred to their mission overall and not at the incident meant—he knew how to play around the Angels of Justice.
"I also… saw Ryoku of the Crimson Dragon Knights present and wearing a Black Wolves jacket there too. The place collapsed before any other intel on them was acquired," he finished.
The jury, assessing their case, continued to chatter amongst themselves. Some were even disappointed that a hero of the Valley such as Ryoku would stoop so low.
"It's your turn to speak now, Greed. Can you confirm what the Captain has said or have anything to say against it?" Alphonzo gestured. That cold stare locked on me once more.
It had finally been the moment. This was where I would expose Syemore. I stood up and spoke at this time, "Yeah, I do. Then explain why your Vice Captain Terek was onsite and was also wearing a Black Wolves jacket. He admitted to assisting in organizing not only the kidnapping of me and my crew but also the desecration of the body of the Snow Lilies Captain, Friera, and the kidnapping of a young girl to later fight to the death in a dangerous underground arena."
This was check. I had not only demanded an answer, but I provided facts to back it up. If he goes on to say they were on a "reconnaissance mission", the Angel of Life behind him would strike him down. I waited patiently for his response, thinking I had won.
Syemore was silent as I continued to wait in anticipation. When he spoke, I couldn't believe what I heard: "It is within my deepest regret that Vice Captain Terek is no longer a part of the Blue Phoenix Knights."
The Angel of Justice once more tilted their scales in his favor. And I stood there with disbelief written all over my face.
What? What kind of response was— I thought to myself. The thought itself was interrupted by his next words.
"Two days ago, after the Kingdom's Guild meeting, I stripped Vice Captain Terek's title from the Blue Phoenix Knights. The reason was that he was found to be an affiliate of the Black Wolf Knights. Thus explaining the recent activities you described."
The angels did nothing as he went on with his response. He was telling the truth about what he did to him, whether Terek knew it or not. Syemore had either played him, or he really wasn't the orchestrator after all. No, this could not be the truth.
"Captain Terek was one of the apprehended; however, he is currently in a coma. The facts stay true," Alphonzo added.
This was not right. It's like he had woven in every possible outcome for this very moment. To get the Kingdom itself against me.
"It appears that the Black Wolves are trying to get into different Kingdom Guilds to ally with some of their strongest knights, like their Vice Captains, in order to cause rebellion." Syemore continued.
No way he had just linked my relationship with Ryo with his, now, ex-Vice Captain Terek. He had literally used him as a sacrificial pawn, and the courtroom was buying it. This was complete bullshit.
"All evidence points directly back to you, Greed. Even if we held a jury meeting, the outcome would ultimately be the same for you. As you can see from the scales. The right scales on both the Angels are up, and the left are down. The left sides are the truth and facts which outweigh your 'truths.' So now, we will be discussing your penalties—"
"Let me just say one last thing, please," I interrupted. I didn't care if the Angel of Death would swing down on my back here. I was already pissed off at the outcome.
Lowering my head, I paced the words that came out of my mouth next so as to be as clear and concise for everyone in this courtroom to hear: "Was this the plan to Hunt the Wolves, Syemore?"
When he looked at me, he wore a forced serious face. Like the blood had drained from him, almost stunned that he didn't even see this question coming. The only way out of this one was to refuse to answer. Anything other than yes would have the Angel of Life behind him swing its sword down onto his back, just as I.
Alphonzo side-eyed Syemore, curious of his answer to my intriguing question. He even halted the strike of the Angel of Death on me after speaking out of turn again.
Syemore paused for a while, thinking. Then Alphonzo followed, "Well, Syemore, we're all waiting on your response. I myself am curious about the statement… So out with it."
Syemore, looking at Alphonzo back dead in the eyes, said, "No reply."
There was an awkward silence that filled the room for a short moment. Alphonzo looked back at Syemore with that cold stare of his, unflinching. Alphonzo was a smart man, so I knew he would be the one most likely to pick up on my hint.
I stood from where I was, half smiling at Syemore, baring my shark-like teeth at him. Because even if he did not answer, I had raised suspicion on him with Alphonzo himself. But because nothing was proved, it was about that time for the court to decide what to do with me. Tartarus or public execution? Regardless, I had won, and Syemore knew it.
Then, behind us, from the front double door entrance of the courtroom, the voice of a female invaded the space. Her voice echoed and boomed, yet it carried a hint of sweetness in it as it seemed to have taken physical form with her dramatic entrance. I knew it all too well, and my heart skipped when it entered my ears, "This Trial is over. The Black Wolves boy comes with me," Captain Belle of the Golden Rose Knights commanded.