Fontaine, the Opera Epiclese.
More than an hour before the trial was scheduled to begin, the opera house was already bustling with activity, filled with a cacophony of voices.
Every seat had been taken early, and even the aisles were packed with people.
The audience members were either conversing in hushed tones or anxiously awaiting the start of the trial, a tense and expectant atmosphere permeating the air.
Due to the large number of latecomers, the seating within the opera house proved insufficient.
To accommodate the audience, the Gardes had to place additional seats in the corridors temporarily.
However, even this could not satisfy the continuous influx of spectators.
The number of onlookers today was unprecedented in Fontaine's history.
This was because two trials were to be held here today: one to judge the perpetrator of the serial disappearances of young women, and the other to judge Lin Yide, the director of the West Factory, who had massacred over five hundred people the day before.
Soon after, Lin Yide, dressed in a black uniform, slowly appeared at the plaintiff's stand.
He stood upright, like an unshakeable statue, under the scrutiny of the crowd.
His appearance caused the temperature of the entire opera house to drop suddenly, and a chilling aura spread, making everyone present feel a strange coldness in their hearts.
Then, with the assistance of the Court of Justice staff, Vacher managed to sit down in the defendant's seat with difficulty.
His entire body was tightly wrapped in bandages, and his eyes revealed deep pain and resentment.
The audience, seeing his miserable appearance, knew without a doubt that he must have been subjected to extremely cruel torture by the West Factory before the trial.
Thinking of this, the audience's fear of Lin Yide gradually dissipated, replaced by a sincere respect.
On the second floor, Furina's eyes remained fixed on Lin Yide, her gaze filled with deep and tender affection.
Recalling the mischief this guy had caused her in the study yesterday, she couldn't help but curse inwardly, "He's just a big pervert, only knows how to bully me."
With Neuvillette's solemn and powerful announcement, the atmosphere in the courtroom instantly became solemn, and the prelude to the trial officially began.
Lin Yide stood at the plaintiff's stand, detailing all of Vacher's crimes.
As he spoke, the audience's anger gradually ignited.
After Lin Yide finished speaking, all the audience members chanted "Death penalty!" in unison.
Despite the public's outrage, everyone knew that, according to the current legal system, Vacher would not be sentenced to death.
Neuvillette shouted loudly, "Silence!" His voice echoed throughout the opera house, and in an instant, the entire space returned to silence.
He stared at Vacher with cold eyes, his face filled with disgust, and said with a particularly serious expression, "Vacher, in the face of Baron Yide's accusations, what do you have to say in your defense?"
Vacher, his whole body wrapped in bandages, suddenly burst into mad laughter, but the excessive movement accidentally pulled at his wounds, causing him to gasp and emit a painful groan.
He said sarcastically, "What do I have to say? Neuvillette, I have to tell you, the reason I was able to kill so many innocent young women is all thanks to you!
If your Court of Justice and Marechaussee Phantom were not so incompetent, how could I have succeeded so many times and been able to roam free for so long?"
Every word he spoke was like stabbing a knife into the heart. Even Neuvillette, with his steadfast mind, couldn't help but feel remorse and guilt.
Vacher paused slightly, glanced at Lin Yide with a provocative look, and then said sarcastically, "Yide, once I'm locked up in the Fortress of Meropide, you'll only be able to stand outside, helplessly watching me live out the rest of my life inside."
He originally thought that these words would enrage Lin Yide, making him fly into a rage but be helpless.
A twisted sense of pleasure even surged in Vacher's heart.
However, to his surprise, the angry expression he had expected did not appear on Lin Yide's face.
On the contrary, the corners of Lin Yide's mouth curled into a faint smile, as if he had seen through Vacher's thoughts.
"Vacher, you may be disappointed," Lin Yide said calmly, "After this trial is over, I will also be on trial, and the result will be the same as yours, sentenced to life imprisonment."
Vacher's face changed drastically, and he looked at Lin Yide in disbelief, as if trying to find a trace of lying on his face.
But Lin Yide's eyes were firm and frank, making people have to believe him.
"Guess," Lin Yide continued, "if we are both locked up in the same place, what methods will I use to torture you?"
Vacher's expression instantly froze, his eyes filled with fear and unease.
He originally thought that he had nothing to fear anymore, but now he understood what true fear was.
"No! Don't! Sentence me to death! Let me die! I don't want to be locked up with this devil!" Vacher suddenly screamed loudly, his voice filled with despair.
The audience witnessed this scene, and the frustration they originally felt because Vacher could not be sentenced to death instantly vanished.
Spending every day in the Fortress of Meropide in Lin Yide's company would be like suffering in hell.
Some audience members even began to sympathize with Vacher, believing that he was about to become the most tragic prisoner in history.
Subsequently, under Neuvillette's direction, the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale began to operate slowly.
Vacher suddenly felt a strong dizziness, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a strange space.
A mysterious and eerie aura permeated the surroundings of this space.
He looked around in horror and discovered that countless young women he had cruelly murdered were gathered here, their figures looming, staring at him with hateful and angry eyes.
Among them was his beloved lover, Vigneire, whose eyes were especially cold and deep, as if to see through his soul.
These young women transformed into vengeful spirits, screaming as they attacked Vacher, trying to devour him completely.
Vacher was terrified and ran around, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not escape the entanglement of these vengeful spirits.
Just as Vacher was about to be completely devoured by the vengeful spirits, a cold and majestic voice suddenly sounded in the space, "Focalors, enough! For Vacher, death is the lightest punishment."
As soon as the voice fell, these vengeful spirits seemed to be dispelled by some force, and they instantly vanished without a trace.
Vacher suddenly opened his eyes and realized that he had returned to the Opera Epiclese, surrounded by the same magnificent and solemn decorations, but he felt a deep sense of fear.
His gaze involuntarily turned to Lin Yide, because he clearly remembered that the cold voice that had sounded in the mysterious space was Lin Yide's voice!
He looked at Lin Yide, only to see the other party also turn around, a hint of evil and cold smile in his brown eyes.
This smile made Vacher feel as if the blood in his whole body had solidified.
He knew clearly that this demon had just prevented the vengeful spirits from taking his life, only to torture him more cruelly.
The final moment finally arrived, and the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale slowly gave its verdict.
Neuvillette picked up the blue card, took a look, and then announced the verdict in a loud voice.
Unsurprisingly, Vacher was sentenced to life imprisonment.