“Regarding the worsening of Cumba Nols’s tumor after being treated with God’s Panacea, there is scope to deem it as negligence. However, the accused knew about the medical condition and still kept him inside the church to prevent him from receiving outside treatment. Furthermore, he used Cumba as a timing device for the building collapse, which led to his death. Even if this is not a direct act of murder, and even if the exact time of his death is unclear, we recognize the causal relationship between Cumba’s death and the accused’s actions, therefore establishing the crime of homicide. The accused is subject to penalty under Article One Hundred and Ninety-Nine of the Penal Code!”
I thrust my hand toward the text generated by the judge and concentrated hard on an image in my mind’s eye.
We needed to keep Gilvert’s body here. And I needed the power to do that.
“The court recognizes that Alba Nols was also used as a timing device in the building collapse, but since he escaped the incident with his life, the accused will be charged with the crime of attempted homicide, subject to penalty under Article One Hundred and Ninety-Nine, and Article Two Hundred and Three of the Penal Code!”
The text I grasped in my right hand became like a chain.
I swung my arm.
“Regarding Cumba Nols’s body being turned into compost in the church’s compost room, while the execution of the act was carried out by one of the church’s followers, the affected party was under the effects of brainwashing by the accused and was used as a tool for the accused to carry out his criminal acts. Therefore, we recognize the culpability of the accused, and hence charge him with the crime of destruction of a corpse, subject to penalties under Penal Code Article One Hundred and Ninety!”
As the text of the verdict linked together, I wrapped it around the accused’s body.
I hoped to myself that this chain of text would be able to fix his body to the ground.
“With regard to the false testimony given at the scene of the incident, we apply the crime of perjury, subject to penalties under Penal Code Article One Hundred and Sixty-Nine! For acts of intimidation toward Lyra Boucher, we apply the crime of intimidation, Penal Code Article Two Hundred and Twenty-Two!”
Using the text created by her verdict and grounds for the decisions, I wrapped the chain around his waist.
I struggled against his upper body, which was already being converted and broken down into its own text.
“We take into account the accused’s circumstances that he suffered abuse from his late father. However, being abused by a parent does not excuse using another human as a timing device for a building collapse.”
Tsukasa began to summon her Power of Words: “Law Gravity.”
Creak—I felt the chain of words in my hand become heavy.
The body of the accused knelt to the ground like a captured criminal.
“The victims in this case were at no fault of their own and were only trying to have faith to better their own lives. Yet the accused trampled that faith, along with the victims’ lives themselves. As the accused was well aware of his crimes, he made a concerted effort to mislead the trial. From the manner in which he rejoiced to see the citizens of this kingdom in turmoil, it is clear that the accused not only lacked the ability to make sound decisions and was of unsound mind, but also that he abused his position of responsibility as high priest for an extended amount of time. He is a wicked, intellectual criminal worthy of the utmost contempt, who brainwashed approximately ten thousand people and deprived them of their freedom in order to satisfy his selfish desire to fill this cathedral.”
Our trust level we needed to use the Power of Words was declining rapidly.
But at the same time, it was increasing just as fast.
I could sense the spectators around us being convinced by the verdict as they evaluated Tsukasa’s judgment.
“Based on these grounds, both the accused’s maliciousness and criminal responsibility are of the extreme degree. We can only imagine the feeling of his victims, such as Alba Nols, who was trapped among the compost with his brother’s corpse. In light of the nature of his crimes, his methods of killing, his persistence, his abusiveness, and the heinous nature of the social consequences of his crimes, it is arguable that the ultimate penalty of the death sentence may be appropriate.”
Snap. I felt a response.
The Black Scales began to disappear.
And beneath it, only the lower half of the accused’s body remained.
“However, considering the fact that we cannot conclusively say that there was no third-party influence on the motive for the crime in question, and considering the fact that the accused confessed and apologized in the end, I have decided that it is appropriate to sentence him to life imprisonment!”
The cross section of Gilvert’s lower body, which had been separated from the rest, rolled over and faced us.
There were no organs visible where his organs were supposed to be, only writhing letters like his body had been painted over in black ink. There was no blood. His legs were twitching like they were having convulsions. His upper body had been taken somewhere far away by the Black Scales. But he was still alive in this state.
Converting someone’s body into text and breaking it into separate pieces… Is this the work of the Demon King?
I sensed there was an evil out there that was even more evil than the high priest.
Gonnng.
It was as if the sound rang out all over the kingdom.
Above our heads, the Great Scales had risen again and began to tilt toward where Gilvert had been standing.
I could see the black particles that had been generated by all in the gallery had stuck to his side of the balance and weighed it down.
Below the pan, there was a line of text.
Guilty
Accused: Gilvert Trinity
Charges: Breaking into a Building, Homicide, Attempted Homicide, Destruction of a Corpse, Perjury, Intimidation
He was unanimously found guilty.
◎ JUDGMENT COMPLETE ◎
A line of text appeared to signify the end of the trial.
Three Shards of Judgment descended into Tsukasa’s and my hands…