The Council Court was held within a grand circular chamber beneath the Royal Citadel, a place built from obsidian stone and silver-veined marble. Tall stained-glass windows cast colored light across the floor, each depicting a moment of justice throughout the kingdom's bloody history.
Now, those colored lights fell upon two figures shackled in enchanted iron.
Joshua stood tall despite the chains digging into his wrists, a dull bruise still fading from his neck. Rowdy was beside him, arms bound, but his posture was relaxed, almost cocky. His black hair extra spikey today, but his lip still held a hint of a smug grin.
The gallery above was filled with nobles, generals, knights, and witches. The elite of all three kingdoms had come to watch.
On the high dais sat royalty...
King William—cold, blue-eyed, and stiff with duty.
Queen Juliet—her crimson dress flowing, her expression tight with disdain.
Commander Vance—Eric's father, dressed in full formal armor, standing beside the panel as the court's lead military voice for the day.
Captain Percival— Lancelot's Father, dressed in full formal armour.
Others stood below or among the spectators...
Franciele folded her arms.
Raphael, with Julia seated beside him.
Jack, in his Beta uniform, his hand resting lightly on Jessica's.
Sam, Emelia, and Eric, eyes flicking between Joshua and the council nervously.
Lancelot stood behind Merlin. Both looked carved from fury.
The room quieted as Commander Vance stepped forward.
He removed his helmet and bowed before the panel, then turned to face the assembly.
"Yesterday afternoon, at high noon, Joshua Xeno was walking alone through the outer slums," Vance began, voice deep and steady. "According to multiple witness reports, he was ambushed."
Gasps echoed faintly through the crowd.
"A noble witch, using advanced teleportation magic, opened a rift. Twenty-one holy knights, led by Knight Joan, entered through that rift. Their formation was tight. Their weapons were already drawn. They did not come to question him. They came to kill."
He paused.
"And so Joshua defended himself."
Murmurs broke out. Several nobles shouted in protest.
Vance raised a hand.
"In the process, all twenty-one knights were killed. Including the noble witch."
Queen Juliet rose partially from her seat. "Are you suggesting that boy"... she jabbed a finger at Joshua..."faced an entire holy squadron alone and lived?"
Vance didn't flinch. "That's exactly what I'm suggesting, Your Majesty."
King William leaned forward, cold eyes narrowing. "And the vampire?"
"Rowdy Von Blackthorn intervened. One of the knights nearly dealt a fatal blow to Joshua. Rowdy saved his life. He killed only one knight."
A storm of outrage erupted.
Queen Juliet slammed her hand on the table.
Raphael stood abruptly. "This is absurd! You're describing slaughter, not a battle! There are eyewitnesses who said he lost control. That he transformed into a monster. That he didn't just defend himself, he enjoyed it."
Vance raised his voice.
"I will never bend the truth in this chamber. I am a man of honor. And what I saw, what I heard from those in the slums, confirms it, Joshua acted in self-defense."
Joshua exhaled.
Rowdy's smirk grew.
Franciele gave a small nod of approval.
Lancelot allowed a breath of relief to pass through his lips, while Merlin's tense shoulders finally relaxed.
But the Queen was furious. She whispered something sharp to the King.
Jessica stood suddenly, her voice loud and trembling. "What about the destruction? The buildings that collapsed? The children who saw him tearing people apart like meat?"
Jack stepped forward next.
"I was there," he said. "He didn't just fight. He snapped. I've fought him before. This… this was different. He wasn't there anymore. He was just rage. He tore Joan apart like she was nothing. He would've killed everyone if Rowdy hadn't stopped him."
Raphael nodded grimly, stepping beside Jack.
"I saw his eyes. He wasn't Joshua. He was a beast. Rowdy pulled him back… but for a moment, he was gone. Completely lost. You want to pretend this was clean self-defense? It wasn't. He enjoyed the slaughter."
Joshua clenched his jaw.
Rowdy's smirk faded, replaced by a scowl.
Merlin stood, her voice sharp and scathing.
"You bastards." she shouted, pointing at Raphael and Jack. "You stand here and twist the story because you want to believe he's a monster. You ignore what led to it. You ignore the fact that he was hunted like an animal!"
The room shook with tension.
Lancelot stepped beside her, fists shaking.
"You're both cowards," he growled at Jack and Raphael. "And you'd rather destroy him than admit he's stronger than you."
Captain Percival stepped forward quickly, trying to calm the rising storm, but the court had already descended into chaos.
Judges murmured among themselves. Magic-users whispered incantations into enchanted scrolls. Soldiers watched the exits warily.
Joshua stood still, shackles digging into his flesh but his eyes met Merlin's across the chamber.
She nodded at him, fiercely.
He nodded back.
He wasn't alone.
Not anymore.
The room had barely begun to settle when Queen Juliet rose again.
Her crimson dress flowed like blood as she descended from the dais and stepped onto the speaker's podium in the center of the chamber. The crowd grew quiet, all eyes drawn to her icy presence.
She turned slowly to face the assembly, then pointed directly at Joshua.
"This isn't just about holy knights," she said. "This is about power without restraint."
She let the silence hang, then continued.
"A few weeks ago before this battle… I approached him. I came to speak. To understand. And what did he do?"
She turned sharply to the council.
"He growled at me like a wild animal. He lunged. If Captain Percival hadn't intervened, I would not be standing here today."
Gasps rang out again.
Joshua's eyes widened slightly, stunned. He shook his head, lips parting..."That's not..." but the Queen raised her voice over him.
"I felt the madness in him. You all speak of evidence and defense. I speak from experience. The boy is unwell. And we are fools if we allow him to walk free like this never happened."
She stepped back, regal and cold, her words etched into every corner of the room.
Captain Percival stepped forward slowly, face unreadable. He gave the Queen a brief glance, then looked toward the judges without speaking.
A bell rang twice... court recess.
The audience murmured as everyone was ushered out for a short break. Guards led Joshua and Rowdy back to their holding area, but they could still hear the noise above, arguments, angry voices, whispers of power, fear, and politics.
An hour later.
Everyone returned to the chamber, the tension twice as thick.
The chief judge, an elderly witch with violet eyes and silver lips, stood at the dais. Her voice was sharp and ringing with authority.
"After reviewing testimony, magic records, and multiple eyewitness accounts," she began, "this court has reached a verdict."
Silence fell.
She looked straight at Joshua, then Rowdy.
"You are both found not guilty… of murder and treason."
The room erupted again, some in outrage, others in relief.
But the judge raised her hand.
"However," she continued coldly, "your actions, no matter the intent, have shaken the public's sense of safety. Entire streets were destroyed. Blood ran through the slums like river water. And you, Joshua Xeno, are no ordinary man. You are something... else."
Joshua held her gaze.
"Therefore, this court issues the following sentence..."
The judge turned to address the crowd, her voice hard as stone.
"Tomorrow morning, you are to be brought to the central square of the Human District. There, you and your comrade will be stripped of your clothing and placed in stocks, head and arms bound, for two full days. You will remain exposed for all citizens to witness, unarmed and unprotected."
More gasps.
"Let them see your humility. Let them judge for themselves that you are not their enemy."
Rowdy's grin vanished.
Joshua's face darkened, humiliated but he remained silent.
The judge pressed on.
"Following this, you are both to perform one month of community service, under supervision, to rebuild what was damaged during your encounter."
"And should anything happen during this period, should you lose control again, or should anyone else die in your presence, you will be executed without trial."
The words echoed like iron.
"This court is adjourned."
The gavel hit the marble three times.
The audience rose, whispers and outrage clashing with murmurs of relief.
Franciele rose slowly, her face unreadable.
Merlin gripped Lancelot's sleeve tightly, her eyes filled with rage and sorrow.
Captain Percival closed his eyes for a brief moment, jaw clenched.
Joshua looked down at the floor, his fists trembling inside their chains.
Rowdy looked sideways at him and muttered under his breath with a bitter grin, "Guess we're public clowns tomorrow."
Joshua didn't answer.
But his silence was loud.