Afterwards, Ru and Zeran were now at some kind of an old fashioned trial court inside the dome-like area of Celestia heavenly mall, although the whole place just looked-like a refurbished coliseum added with just a few numbers of the judges' desks. Though, the intensity of the place was very unnerving since the observers eyes were glued upon the two. The two of them were at the very middle of the place and there was a panel of three various dark Goddesses that would put Ru's sinister aura to shame. They were acting such as they were the highly revered judges for Ru's trial. More than that, Ru was now shackled in violet chains. Strangely enough, there were no signs of lawyers who will defend or oppose Ru, instead Zeran was just beside her, since the justice system of Celestia Heavens was very much different from the modern world, in which the accused needs to prove herself in some way or another, depending on the panel of judges questions or accusations upon her that would drive the personal state of the accused aswell without the need for any formality. As usual, the crowd of observers was packed with lots of heroes, Gods and Goddesses who were sitting at the stoned benches. They were eager for Ru's case, although some of them were just there since, they feel some kind of otherworldly entertainment due to this rare event. Sooner or later, a loud thump of a judge's mallet echoed throughout the very place, turning the audience to hold their tongues. Afterwards, one of the dark Goddess panelists announced,
"WELL THEN..."
"LET THE JUDGEMENT TRIAL FOR THE DARK GODDESS RUHIME BEGIN...".
Sooner or later, the leftmost black haired dark Goddess judge exemplifying out her intimidating beauty aided by her aura that was reeking of death and destruction upon her wake, asked Ru,
"Ruhime was it?"
"Could you tell us on why during that time, while Zeran Noah Aether was the rising hero of your world...you didn't do anything?".
"Nor judge the world or the chosen hero?".
The silence became more and more unnerving, as those statements filled with direct impact were thrusted unto Ru. For some reason, Ru kinda felt irritated in her thoughts,
("So they started off with that...")
("THIS'LL BE A BORING TRIAL...")
("I NEED TO END THIS FAST!").
A little while later, she looked at the dark Goddess judge who introduced the question to her. Then, Ru said with a mix of a calm and determined look,
"It's because..."
"It felt like there was no need for that anymore as the looming darkness was already sufficient for him...".
As the audience heard her not so compelling statements, they had pessimistic and unmotivational murmurs about her. Though, the panel of dark Goddess judges didn't show their emotions, although their deafening silence proved that they weren't pleased of Ru's formal response. Soon after, the dark Goddess from before turned to look at Zeran this time and said,
"With her statements..."
"What can you say about those, hero Zeran Noah Aether?".
Zeran was astunned in his thoughts,
("Huh? I really don't know what to say...").
He looked down and he felt very tense. Though, soon enough, he replies back with his direct words,
"Well...haha...err...let's just say maybe she was feeling lonely and depressed of her dying over and over again?".
Sadly, he didn't looked that much serious for his own words, so the dark Goddess judge wasn't pleased and just closed her eyes, as she heard his disappointing words. Even Ru wasn't amazed of what he had thought about her before, making her to feel embarrassed in her thoughts,
("Geez...why'd you have to say that...Zera...").
It was only the first accusation, but the audience was already having bad and uninteresting rumors about Ru and Zeran. The three-panel of dark Goddess judges took the time to brainstorm and decide on what they shall accuse or ask her next. Somehow, Ru gulped, while she was wearing a nervous expression, since she was feeling that the tides were against her. Afterwards, the three Goddess judges had finished asking each other out. Thereon, the middle dark Goddess judge who looked very much serious with her sleek dark brown colored hair and sharp eyeglasses, told Ru,
"Next question..."
"After those events, why did you suddenly enslave the chosen hero?"
"While we commend you for doing that amazing feat..."
"What driven you to do such a thing?".
Ru's foxy ears popped out, as she felt tense, since it was a very sensitive topic to her. Zeran also felt nervous for her too, for some reason. Though, she looked determined and she had a brilliant idea as the said topic was opened. She closed her eyes and steeled herself. She relaxed her body by exhaling a calm air. Soon, her eyes bloomed and looked at the dark Goddess judge who asked her. Then, Ru said with grave intensity aided by a grand gesture of swaying her arm, proving her words were true to tell,
"It's because, I wanted the hero to see BEYOND what's in front of him, judging and making him to REALIZE something DARKER that he would not expect...".
The flock of Goddesses were amazed and they had grown wild with emerging positivity, as they heard Ru's strong convincing words. Though, Zeran looked very much in awe of Ru's valiant words, making him to wear a smile that would say it was indeed all true to hear. The other dark Goddess judges just nodded in respect, although the dark Goddess judge in the middle cracked out a sarcastic smile, as she noticed that Zeran's expression told it all. A little while later, the Goddess judge from before, said more and more accusations directed at Ru,
"Some say...you acted like a light Goddess this time instead of a dark Goddess...".
The Goddess judge shifted her look at the astunned Zeran and asked,
"What can you say about that Zeran Noah Aether..."
"Since you've witnessed it firsthand?".
Zeran scratched his head first, but soon enough, he took one step forward and stood with great composure. Then, he released his golden words filled with great content,
"All I could say is that..."
"She didn't act like a true light Goddess but instead, she proved to be a greater dark Goddess upon hitting two birds with one stone..."
The dark Goddess at the leftmost area replies,
"Namely?".
Zeran responds,
"During the time the queen of that nation was gone, yes the cruelty had dispersed yet, there came more and more grueling chaos upon the kingdom after, leaving out a greater opportunity of a newer darkness to loom...".
Then, she added unto Zeran's statement, as if she was agreeing to him,
"Or a newer light to occur, yes that's one of the duties of a dark Goddess, causing a great turbulence or anomaly into their world or hero...and giving out a worse or better opportunity for either a newer light/darkness to sprout..."
"Not just creating DARKNESS OUT OF WHIM....".
More than that, it seemed she was looking at some Goddesses at the leftmost crowd, as she was pointing something out to the specific lot. As for Ru, she commended and praised him in her thoughts, while she was smiling with a relieved smile,
("Interesting reply Zera...")
For some reason, Zeran was in his thoughts for a second too,
("I think I need to credit Nassus for ending Fae's mortal reign though...").
The tense atmospheric vibes had ceased, since Zeran and Ru were gaining the upperhand, as the dark Goddess judges were turning to their favors. Though, the dark Goddess judge from before asked more nerve cracking questions,
"In your stand hero..."
"Were you judged by the dark Goddess Ruhime during your travels?".
He responds straight,
"Yes...".
She wants him to elaborate, as she said,
"Like?".
Zeran replies,
"When I was given a chance whether to become a hero/savior again or not..."
"To kill or not to kill my former allies..."
"To follow her or not to follow her demands...something like that..."
"To either kill my former goddess wife Mai..."
"To run away or not and many more...".
The dark Goddess judge smiled with a satisfied look, as she heard his fully detailed explanation somehow. There after, she praises him with all her deep contempt,
"I see...thank you for that elaborate explanation...hero Zeran..."
"Or should I say...DARK hero Zeran Noah Aether...".
Ru had passionate hearts in her eyes, since she felt her inner core was struck by a cupid's arrow, as she heard him say those indirect words of praise about her, making her to have fleeting thoughts above the clouds, while she was looking at him,
("Awwwww...To think you've learned so much from me, my dear Zera...").
The last dark Goddess judge at the righmost area, who has a golden polished hair and looked-like a matured gravure idol of sorts due to her attire without any ounce of decency, looked with dangerous interest at Zeran and Ru. Then, the dark Goddess judge asked like she was a daring and a gossip loving woman,
"Hmmmm...I just wanna ask something...What's the relationship between the two of you?"
"It's highly unlikely for a chosen hero to work with a dark Goddess...but, nevermind..."
"You two can keep your private matters all to yourselves...for now...".
Though, her eyes upon the two of them were filled with some kind of deep interest since, she wanted to know more about their personal relationship in truth. The crowd were left silent afterwards and they were having embarrassing rumors about Zeran and Ru, as she revealed that personal topic. Sadly, her fellow dark Goddess judges looked at her with their kinda irritated expressions, since she didn't do much for Ru's trial and turned the whole ambience into some kind of a steaming showbiz and misleading the masses. Sooner or later, the serious-looking Goddess judge at the middle broke the growing tension by clapping her hands and said,
"Well then...dark Goddess Ruhime and dark hero Zeran..."
"We shall tell the result later on...".
Afterwards, the two of them were transported back to the outskirts of Celestia heavenly mall where Mai and Arseia were sitting on the wooden benches waiting for their return. Later, Arseia hugged Zeran like she was a worried mother and told him with all her heart of a loving parent,
"I'm glad you two came back in one piece...".
As for Ru, she was also feeling a sense of happiness as she was witnessing the thankful Goddess mother Arseia that her son was still alive. Mai sighed and said with an awkward smile on her face, since she was already convinced for Ange's case,
"And Angehime's done for...".
Zeran asks,
"Eh? Why's that?".
Later, the four of them sat on the vacant benches and the three Goddesses told Zeran when a Goddess in Celestia heavenly system doesn't return from her judgement trial, it doesn't bode well. Sadly, Zeran didn't clearly understood on what they meant. They were at wits end, since they don't know how to explain it in brief. Instead, Mai tried to let him recall her Goddess incident during her time in the world of Aiko. In turn, Zeran was now able to understand upon what they were trying to say, so he was convnced that Ange will get punished for her ambitious actions. It seemed the three Goddesses were silent, as they heard him say a very dire topic in which he was just looking at the tree instead of a forest, so Mai says,
"Those were just minor things..."
"What Angehime did was a major thing...".
"So..."
"She'll either be casted into the HELLION SYSTEM to become a lesser demon, namely a succubus...due to her nature..."
"Or...she'll be FOREVER erased from existence...".
For some reason, Ru didn't look happy, as she heard Mai's critical words about Ange, even though Ru was grieviously tortured by Ange previously, despite Ru's nature of a vile dark Goddess that would be very unforgiving to her enemies. While for Zeran, he was kinda filled with a mix of shock and doubt,
("Eh?! That harsh?! Well...she deserved a punishment but, that's kinda cruel...and I had a feeling she was just being manipulated by that other light Goddess...").
The three Goddesses sighed with their sorrowful faces, feeling great pity for the case of Ange, while Zeran was looking at the ceiling of the lavishing mall, thinking some kind of idea. A little while later, he looked at Mai and continued the flow of the topic by asking,
"Err...is that the only punishment she would get?".
Though, Mai noticed that he was very much concerned for Ange due to his doubtful tone, so she says straight into his face,
"Let me guess...you're worried about her huh?".
As Ru, heard his amount of little concern to her Goddess counterpart, Ru wagged her tail like she was a teasing sinister fox and she comments like she was a daring and flirty woman,
"Awwww...Zera's such a softie...".
Then, Arseia said,
"For a son of mine, you're too soft..."
"But...there's a way...".