Positive little sun, magical girl, I am awesome

Chapter 489 Goodbye, An Qi

——She seems to be wrong.

Catherine looked at her struggling to speak and suddenly realized something. She turned her head sharply to look at Bishop Quincy, who felt her gaze and showed no guilt at all.

"I didn't... seduce." A faint voice came, and An Qi, who was struggling, raised her head in surprise.

"I'm just crying... because I miss my deceased mother..." It was actually the goddess Marcia. She staggered towards the center of the courtroom, getting closer and closer to Angel and the others.

"Knight Viente...found me...He said...I was guilty. It was me who was not pious enough. That's why my mother's soul cannot rest in peace..."

The voice of the Goddess Marcia was very low, but the originally chaotic courtroom gradually quieted down, because people discovered that the Goddess, who had been silent in the early stage, now had large red flowers blooming on her white robe.

"Marcia?" Nora stared at her former friend in a daze. In front of her was... blood?

"He said that he had a way to make the dead souls float to the altar of Father God sooner...as long as I sincerely atone for my sins."

Marcia spoke every word with great effort, accompanied by gurgling sounds. She never let go of her hand covering her throat. At this moment, Lilith seemed to see countless twisting shadows emerging from the gaps between her fingertips. Those sticky red shadows entangled her throat and forced her to raise her head.

The crowd did not react until the red shadows continued to climb upwards, forming dark red patterns on the lower half of her face, like a new birthmark, and someone in the jury box exclaimed.

"She, she is possessed by the devil!" Someone in the crowd made a random judgment, accompanied by screams, and the crowd of onlookers retreated, "The devil has come!"

The goddess's movements were distorted, and she kept making horrible noises from her throat. Even blood began to flow from her facial features!

The person in front of her bumped into Lilith's shoulder and retreated to the outside. Lilith, who was able to see the situation clearly, was startled and suddenly realized what it was.

“Stop——!!”

She desperately pushed aside the people in front of her and rushed towards the human wall formed by the guards. The guards in front were caught off guard and were knocked to the ground by her.

"Lilith!" Leila failed to hold her and she broke free.

Violation, was that really an infringement? -- Marcia had completely understood the truth since Viente accused her of seducing her, but speaking it out was much more difficult than she thought.

Before the priests brought her here, the four corners of the front page of the "Bible of Light" that they asked her to swear on were stained dark red. She should have realized that something was wrong long ago, but she still swore loyalty to the Holy See and would never smear it.

"In the confessional, in the stable, in my bedroom..." The red patterns quickly spread to her face. Her hands were no longer able to cover her throat. The moment she let go, blood gushed out of her throat.

Amidst the screams, people saw that her neck was covered with spells, and the flesh on her neck seemed to have been torn apart by the monster's claws, leaving the wounds uneven.

"Stop talking! Stop!" Lilith broke through the double blockade of the guards and the Knights of Light and rushed into the courtroom.

"Who is it!? Guards! Guards!" The inquisitor spoke at this time.

But when the Knight of Light rushed forward, he was blocked by the wind wall.

"Your Highness!" Bishop Quincy roared, "This is the King's Court! Are you dissatisfied with the King's decision?"

Catherine was speechless, for she was afraid that if she spoke she would blurt it out—they had done something, they had never intended for Marcia to tell the truth.

Catherine, who had figured all this out, was not surprised at all. They had already made multiple preparations, but allowed the trial to go on for so long. They wanted to deter those who dared to do the same in the future and let them see clearly what the consequences would be for discrediting the Temple of Light.

She rushed down from the judgment seat, Lilith chanted healing magic quickly, and Catherine held up Marcia's head and helped Lilith pour various potions into it.

But it was no use. The healing magic had no effect on the canine-like wound. The potion she drank overflowed from the corners of Marcia's mouth and throat, diluting her blood and turning it pink.

Catherine once again saw the helpless expression on Lilith's face. She tried her best to wipe the blood flowing from Marcia's eyes, nostrils and ears. The lizard totem on her hand seemed to be a little bigger, and its color was exactly the same as the totem growing on Marcia's throat and face.

It's a blood oath...

Is this the power of the blood oath? Lilith's pupils trembled, but she continued to cast healing spells on Marcia. People felt that the court was wrapped in wind from all directions, gathering and dispersing, but nothing happened.

Marcia's hand dropped down into a pool of her own blood.

She could no longer speak.

Lilith raised her head mechanically and met Catherine's gaze. A faint golden light appeared in her eyes. The same anger and powerlessness flowed in the hearts of the two people. The various magical elements around them were agitated because of the loss of control of the two. Seeing this, the priests of the Vatican hurriedly asked King George and Bishop Quincy to leave.

……

“Ding, ding.”

It was King George who took the gavel from the judge and played with it for a while, then struck it casually as if for fun.

The scene fell silent.

"Your Majesty," Bishop Quincy whispered in a voice that only King George could hear, with a hint of pleading. His face was not looking good, and he kept moving his eyelids to observe King George's expression.

"I told you so long ago, Quincy." King George did not mind at all that the chaos below wasted his time. Instead, he watched the whole process with great interest. The pain and struggle of others greatly pleased him. He raised the corners of his mouth without any concealment, opened his hands and announced again.

"Justice will eventually stand on the side of truth. Father God will not let the false accuser go. She has already received her own divine punishment. Praise the light."

Bishop Quincy breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Catherine below amid the cheers of the people.

"As for the other pagans—" King George lowered his head and looked at his niece squatting in a pool of blood, "they will naturally meet their due end."

……

……

"Burning at the stake!"

"Burning at the stake!"

"Burn them to death!!" Someone took the lead in shouting, and then hundreds of people responded.

Angel stopped struggling after Marcia fell down. Her head was pressed to the ground, and she watched Marcia die in Lilith's arms.

What did she do? - Anqi's eyes were a little out of focus, and all the sounds around her seemed to be blocked under the water. There was only a buzzing in her head.

Nora was tied up and carried away first, and the poor child was still asking herself, "Why, Angie, didn't Marcia already identify it?"

Yes, why? Marcia risked her life to tell the truth, but the adults above seemed to have not heard it. Her words were light and powerless.

So did grandpa and mother have expected this outcome? An Qi turned her head with difficulty on the cold ground, trying to find her mother, but she saw someone first.

Many of the onlookers had retreated since someone shouted that Marcia was possessed by the devil. Many people were afraid of the unknown power and feared that they would be the next possessed by the devil. They did not even want to watch the excitement and hurriedly fled the scene. Therefore, when Angel turned her head, she saw Daniel at a glance.

She saw that Daniel seemed to have been waiting for her gaze for a long time, because when their eyes met, Daniel smiled at her.

Goodbye, Angie. ——Angie easily recognized his lip movements.

An Qi's unfocused pupils suddenly contracted.

Her sight turned again. She was tied up tightly and then carried on a shoulder. The faces she saw now were all reversed, making it even harder to find her mother's figure. Only the huge stone sculpture of two overlapping swords above her head was upright.

The double blades represent justice and truth above all else, and are the continuation of the spirit of chivalry.

Tears welled up in Angie's eyes. What exactly is justice? Marcia was dead, and Nora was implicated by her and would soon be burned at the stake with her.

"——I object to the verdict of the trial!!"

King George had left the table and walked to the heavy wooden door at the side, but he heard the sound coming from below again. It was Sir Russell's strange-looking granddaughter.

"...Haha, interesting." The result of this trial was announced by King George. Speaking out at this moment would be no different from disobeying the royal authority. He was just about to make a few more jokes with the gloomy-faced Knight Russell.

"——I request a trial by combat!!!"

King George turned away.

The whole place suddenly fell silent, and Angel's voice echoed above everyone's head. Knight Russell raised his head at this moment, looking at his granddaughter in the audience, his face pale.

"Trial by combat?" The judge above was somewhat incredulous.

Catherine stood up from the pool of blood and looked at Angel. Trial by combat was one of the oldest laws in the empire, mainly used to solve major criminal cases without direct evidence. It was a special divine judgment. But since the Church of Light flourished in the empire and gradually reformed the litigation laws, this ancient divine judgment quietly withdrew from the stage of history and had long become an ancient legend. How could Angel——

"I still have objections to the verdict. According to the law set by Queen Zora, I have the right to request a trial by combat!" Angel shouted, "This is the original law and it has never been cancelled!"

She looked at the stone sculpture of the sword blade above her and recalled the story about trial by combat that her brother had once told her. In the early days of the Gaia Empire, everything was extremely chaotic. In view of the rampant perjury in lawsuits at the time, Queen Zora ordered that "evidence" could be obtained through duels in trials, thus opening the history of judicial duels. Both the plaintiff and the defendant had the right to request a trial by combat. Both parties would duel fairly and fight to the death. The one who survived represented justice.

She was the daughter of a knight family. Even if she died, she should not die at the stake, but on the battlefield.

Just like her brother Andre.

"I am willing to duel with Pico Winetley!" She was determined to die, but at least this would exclude Nora from this ridiculous trial.

"...The child is asking you for help, Croft." His authority was challenged, and King George's expression became gloomy again.

Knight Russell withdrew his gaze from Angie, his face expressionless, "My sword will only fight for you, Your Majesty."

"——Angel Russell, as far as I know, you don't have any knights." After being shocked, the Inquisitor said under everyone's gaze, "The trial duel requires the identities of both parties to be consistent. The defendant Picol Viente is a noble, and the warriors fighting for you must also be nobles."

He had never thought about the possibility of Angel playing on her own. After all, on one side was a weak-looking noble lady, and on the other side was a professionally trained Knight of Light. It seemed impossible for them to fight on the same field. And now, which noble knight would risk his life for a woman who had falsely accused the Church? Even if she was as beautiful as a god, it was impossible.

"Is there anyone willing to fight for you?" He went through the process calmly.

"Leila Taylor."

"Lilith Fryer."

Two voices sounded at the same time.