Adrien stepped through the grand archway, and the waiting room faded behind him like a distant memory. The courtroom stretched before him, vast and impossible, suspended somewhere between realms. Light shimmered from no particular source, bouncing off walls that seemed to breathe with energy.
At the far end, the Inter-Ruler presided. Its form was humanoid, tall and draped in robes that seemed woven from shadows and silver light. But it had no face—only a smooth, featureless surface where eyes and mouth should have been. Despite this, Adrien felt its gaze, impartial and unyielding, sweeping over the room as though weighing every thought and intention in the air.
The jury was an unusual sight—humans and demons seated together, their expressions a mixture of curiosity, suspicion, and amusement. Some scribbled notes on floating parchment, while others simply watched, their eyes following Adrien as he approached the center.
And then he saw him.
The defendant. My first enemy in this world.
A human—or at least they appeared human—sat confidently on the opposing side of the courtroom. A jagged, haunting burn scar ran across their face, marking them unmistakably. A mocking grin stretched across their face, eyes glinting with a mix of anger and amusement.
So, this is the challenge? It seems so easy.
Adrien straightened, adjusting his cloak, and let his gaze sweep over the courtroom. Every eye was on him.
His black three-piece suit hugged his lean frame perfectly, the crisp white shirt highlighting his sharp features. Blue streaks in his hair framed piercing dark-blue eyes, and several silver piercings glinted along his ear, giving him a sharp, commanding presence. Confidence radiated from him like a tangible force.
But whispers and laughter drifted across the room.
"He's the loser who never won a case… a hopeless attorney."
"The human will win. Poor Miss Lilithra—if she hadn't lost everything to a gamble, she'd have hired someone competent. Not this guy. She'd have been better off defending herself."
Adrien's eyes flicked across the murmuring crowd.
So, this is the body I've been reborn into—a loser's body. Never won a single case? Huh.
A grin spread across his face.
He adjusted his suit, letting his sharp gaze sweep over the room once more.
I refuse to remain in this loser's shell. Adrien Veil, you should thank me. I will turn you into a real winner. Today, you will finally have a fine taste of victory.
From his side, a magical podium floated upward, carrying his client's dossier. Adrien approached it with measured steps. As he reached it and prepared to take his seat, the Inter-Ruler's smooth, faceless presence seemed to tilt forward slightly.
"Proceed with the case," the resonant, echoing voice commanded, carrying a chill of absolute authority.
Adrien opened the dossier, the pages glowing faintly as he flipped through them.
"This case concerns a violation of the Soul Allocation and Power Exchange contract," Adrien began, his voice steady, carrying through the vast chamber. "The Contractor, Demon Lilithra Veyrisse, lent her magical strength to the User, Jareth Corvin, for a specified duration of one day.
The terms of the agreement were clearly outlined, including the purpose of the borrowed power, the penalties for breach, and exemptions in the event of failure against the Dragon Beast of the West."
He let his eyes sweep across the courtroom, catching both the jury and the defendant. His gaze hardened, calculating.
"The issue before this court is not merely a question of intent, nor is it a trivial dispute. The Contractor, Lilithra Veyrisse, has fulfilled all the conditions of the contract. The User, Jareth Corvin, received the Contractor's magical strength specifically to confront the Dragon Beast of the West. Yet the User now refuses to honor the terms he himself agreed to, denying the ten years of his soul as stipulated. This constitutes a clear violation of the Arcanum of Contracts."
Laughter erupted from the other side of the courtroom.
"This will end faster than It begun!"
The defendant's lawyer, a man with white hair and piercing red eyes, smiled smugly at Adrien's attempts. He wore a pristine white three-piece suit—tailored jacket, matching vest, and crisp trousers—paired with a pale dress shirt and a narrow tie, giving him a sharp, immaculate, and slightly intimidating presence.
"Objection! I, Tavren Korr, represent my client, Jareth Corvin, who failed to destroy the Dragon Beast of the West and, as you can see, bears this nasty scar as proof."
He failed? Then, according to the contract, he is exempt from surrendering any portion of his soul.
"Lilithra, were you aware of this? None of this information was disclosed in my case files."
"Impossible! My powers are strong enough to defeat him… had he used them properly, there wouldn't be a problem!" Lilithra screamed, her yellow eyes blazing with a mix of frustration and disbelief.
"Yet the defendant clearly failed miserably," the opposing lawyer continued, his voice dripping with derision. "The scar speaks for itself. Surely, Inter-Ruler, this is an easy case to close. There's no need to waste further time on trivialities."
Adrien's jaw tightened as he listened, his inner monologue spinning.
Wait… am I missing something? I don't know nearly enough about this world. Judging by his expression, Jareth must be hiding something. My intuition, honed over years of experience, tells me he is no innocent.
Adrien opened his dossier, and the burned town sprawled across the magical projection. Flames frozen in time, rubble scattered, the evidence of devastation etched into every frame. As he touched the dragon's image, it responded like a holographic interface—rotating, zooming, displaying stats in floating panels, just like a video game.
[S-Rank Beast – Dragon of the West]
[Appearance: Emerald green scales, folded wings, molten jade eyes]
[Type: Magical Beast / Dragon]
[Size: Colossal]
[STR: 98/100 – can level buildings with a swipe]
[SPD: 85/100 – agile despite size]
[END: 95/100 – endures prolonged combat]
[INT: 90/100 – cunning, anticipates moves]
[Breath (FIRE): 100/100 – can ignite entire towns]
[Aggression: 90/100 – highly territorial]
[Behavior: Destructive, non-carnivorous toward humans]
[Weaknesses: Coordinated magic attacks; overexertion slows mobility]
[Loot: Rare scales, claws, teeth with latent magic]
[Notes: Extremely dangerous. Solo attempts without magic likely fatal]
Adrien's eyes glowed a piercing blue as he absorbed every stat, every detail. The screen before him flickered, numbers and abilities flowing in real time.
This is like a video game. I'd always wanted to play one, but I never had the time to even pick up a controller.
"If this dragon is an S-rank beast… then you must be stronger than it. Borrowing your power should let him win effortlessly against such a monstrosity. Do you also have a screen showing your own statistics?"
"Yes obviously, we all do, even you."
Even me? I wonder what my statistics would look like in this body.
"But I'm not showing it to you. It's private."
"Then you must be lying—either to me or to everyone here. Do you intend to claim these ten years of this man's soul or not? As your attorney, you need to prove to me that you truly wield that power so I can defend you."
Lilithra huffed, a dark smirk curling her red lips.
"Ugh, this is so pathetic. Fine, I'll share my statistics with you. Admire my power, you half-demon—you could never hope to reach this level."
Half-demon?
A sharp bip echoed as his screen hummed, downloading Lilithra's statistics in real time.
[SSSS-Rank Demon – Lilithra Veyrisse]
[Type: Demon / Arcane Warrior]
[Appearance: Bright skin, yellow eyes, curling horns, long black hair]
[STR: 120/100] – claws can shred enchanted steel and dragon scales
[SPD: 110/100] – near-instant reflexes, faster than S-rank beasts
[END: 120/100] – sustains combat endlessly, minor wounds regenerate instantly; severe injuries, including lost limbs or devastating burns, can fully heal within moments
[INT: 105/100] – tactical genius, anticipates multiple opponents
[MAG: 150/100] – blue inferno fire, vaporizes dragon flames and magical shields
[AGG: 100/100] – lethal focus in battle
[Combat Style: Adaptive] – blends claws, fire, and high-level spells
[Abilities: Azure Inferno – blue fire neutralizes any flame; Soul Rend – pierces magical defenses; Arcane Binding – restrains even SSS+ beings; Demonic Reflex – near untouchable; Infernal Roar – disrupts enemy magic; Rapid Regeneration – can heal severe wounds, burns, and even lost limbs in moments, allowing near-immortality in battle]
Tavren Korr rose abruptly, his voice booming through the chamber.
"I demand that this case be closed before the Inter-Ruler!"
A sharp retort cut through the murmurs of the room.
"Objection! I request that the statistics of my client, Lilithra Veyrisse, be displayed for all to see! This will prove that her power alone is sufficient to defeat the Dragon Beast of the West!"
"Hey! Don't do that! You're exposing my powers in front of everyone!"
Lilithra protested, but Adrien ignored her. With a flick of his hand, her statistics screen glowed into existence, visible to all in the courtroom.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd as they read the stats.
"She is that powerful!"
"Impossible!"
"How can someone be this strong yet so poor?"
"That's the danger of gambling," someone muttered from the back.
Adrien smirked.
This is going easier than I expected.
But Tavren didn't sign his final word yet. He had a nasty look on his face.
"Objection! Your Honor, the accuser may have falsified these statistics. Even if they are real, how could my client have lost the fight? Look at his burned face—that alone proves he failed! I demand verification by a Sage of the Balance!"
"I'm a victim! With her supposed regenerative powers, I shouldn't even have a scratch—yet my face bears burns, as if I faced the full wrath of the dragon's flames!"
The crowd erupted in chatter again.
"Yes, this is suspicious!"
"She doesn't look that powerful at all!"
"She could have been lying!"
"Poor Jareth, he lost his face because of that b*tch! She doesn't have any regenerative powers!"
Adrien looked confused. Inter-Ruler's gaze swept slowly over them both, his voice calm but firm."Objection sustained. The verification of a Sage of the Balance may proceed."
Tavren's face broke into a wide grin."Yes! Finally, justice will be confirmed!"
"What is this… a verification by a Sage of the Balance?"
Adrien's eyes narrowed as he consulted the law book. The page flipped, revealing the definition:
[Sage of the Balance Verification]
Purpose: Confirms the authenticity of a magical user's statistics.
Procedure: Observes and tests the user's abilities over a period of one week.
Outcome: Certifies that the user has not tampered with or hacked magical stat systems.
One week… but their contract expires in two days. After that, Lilithra cannot claim the life span of the User.
I need another way to prove this. We can't afford to wait for one week.