When the God of Justice descended before the people and proclaimed for them to voice all their grievances, promising to fulfill their wishes and judge the sins of all, she declared her intent to bear all their hopes and burdens.
"God! Ohhhhh—!"
Generations of people who had been oppressed, exploited, and tormented by the empire's nobles and executioners began to cry out in pain, weeping and wailing as they poured out the injustices and darkness of this world to the God of Justice.
Hearing the heartrending cries, like the anguished wails of cuckoos, Furina recalled the information in her mind. Despite having played the role of a god for five hundred years, it was only now that she truly felt the thirst of those dwelling in darkness.
The thirst for a god to pull them out of their suffering.
The thirst for salvation.
Looking at the people of this world, Furina, for the first time, felt the true responsibility of being a god.
So this is the will of the Lord Heavenly Principle? she thought. I think I'm beginning to understand.
"Ah…" Neuvillette sighed silently in his heart. Having gained a better understanding of humanity, he now had new insights.
Even in Fontaine's highest crime period, it was not a fraction as dire as this world.
At this moment, Clorinde arrived with over a thousand elites from the Maison Gardiennage, followed by Chavoret leading the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol Forces.
Even though they already knew the dire state of this world, they were still stunned by the sight of the suffering masses crying out in desperation for the god's salvation.
At that moment, the invisible barrier separating the people disappeared, yet the crowd remained kneeling, not daring to approach or show any irreverence toward the god.
From among the crowd, the leader of the Path of Peace rushed forward, falling to his knees with a loud thud, crying out:
"Oh, great God of Justice whom we have long awaited! I am the bishop of Path of Peace, the faith devoted to you in this city. I beg to speak of my grievances!"
Furina was momentarily taken aback by these words. A faith devoted to the God of Justice in this world? But her strong sense of self reacted immediately.
"Devout ones who believe in justice, speak your grievances loudly and clearly. Entrust them to me, the embodiment of justice itself, to listen and judge."
The bishop was overjoyed. The God of Justice had recognized their faith! The Path of Peace now truly had a god.
He quickly recounted how the corrupt empire exploited the people and cast its shadow of darkness over them, leading their faith to consider armed rebellion. But his assistant, Bolic, was an undercover agent sent by the empire.
Bolic used his position as the bishop's assistant to extort and oppress the people. Worse, he preyed on the female believers, countless of whom were defiled by him.
Not only that, but after using them, he sold the women to brothels in the Imperial Capital.
Amidst the crowd, Bolic's face turned pale with terror. He tried to flee but was shoved forward by the enraged followers of the Path of Peace, falling flat on his face in front of the people.
Desperate and hysterical, Bolic screamed with a twisted expression:
"Lies! Utter lies! I've done no such thing! Bishop, I am your assistant—why are you framing me?"
Deep down, he knew the truth better than anyone. Even before the god descended, he had already felt the sharp, invisible sword of judgment piercing his heart. He had soiled himself when he was caught defiling a female believer.
Now, before the God of Justice, who had come to judge all sins, his death was inevitable.
Furina's heart leapt with joy as she recalled the information about the Path of Peace in her mind.
It was the empire's largest religious organization, and the city of Kyoroch, which they controlled, was the empire's second-largest city after the capital.
She had not expected to achieve the first step of her plan so quickly upon her descent.
Now, she needed to hold a grand Judgment of Justice to let the people witness the will of justice firsthand.
Hovering in midair, Furina spread her arms wide and laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! Excellent, wonderful! To have a sin ready for judgment the moment I descend into this world!"
"Since this is a judgment, it cannot be a one-sided decree by the God of Justice. It must conclude like a grand opera, amidst the cheers of the people, so that all may revel with the god in the wailing of sinners as they are judged!"
"Justice is not the justice of one person but the collective desire of all!"
"Now, in the chorus of cheers, I present the first Arbiter under my command as the Hydro Archon—the Hydro Dragon Sovereign, Neuvillette!"
...
In this world, dragons were legendary beings. Even a thousand years ago, no one had truly seen a dragon—only dragonkind remained.
The existence of dragonkind was said to be so powerful that they could reshape entire landscapes, making them legends among Super-Class Danger Beasts.
The Danger Beasts of this world were categorized from Level 1 to Level 4, followed by Special Class, and then the legendary Super Class.
Leaving aside Levels 1 through 4, Special-Class Danger Beasts had the power to reshape terrain and were not much different from divine envoys in Teyvat.
Of the 48 Teigu, half were crafted from the materials of Special-Class or legendary Super-Class Danger Beasts.
Legendary Super-Class Danger Beasts might not quite reach the level of gods, but they were very close.
Hearing that the god intended to judge him, Bolic was so terrified he lost control of his bladder. Screaming hysterically, he tried to break free and run, but the enraged citizens mercilessly shoved him back into place.
Neuvillette raised his gentleman's cane, tapping it firmly against the ground.
"Silence!"
The stern command echoed over all other sounds. Bolic was immediately immobilized by an invisible force, his voice silenced. The crowd, too, was rendered speechless.
Far from being frightened, the people grew even more fervent.
"Now, I will proclaim the laws decreed by the God of Justice for this world. From this day forth, all judgments will be carried out according to these laws!"
Neuvillette began to read a modified version of Fontaine's most critical laws, adapted for this world.
In a chaotic era like this, harsh laws were essential. Moreover, knowing the will of the Lord Heavenly Principle, those deemed irredeemable in Celestia's eyes were to be met with the death penalty.
As soon as the god's laws were proclaimed, the people's fervor reached a fever pitch. To them, it felt as though the beautiful world they had always dreamed of was finally becoming a reality.
"Long live the God of Justice—!"
"Long live the God of Justice—!"
However, a small portion of the crowd trembled in fear, drenched in sweat. Their hearts dared not harbor hatred, terrified that the god might detect their presence and judge them on the spot. They wanted to flee—to escape this city.
Furina's voice rang out loudly, announcing to the entire city:
"I, Furina de Fontaine, now declare the opening of the first trial in this world. The Court of Justice is hereby open to all!"
Creak—
The massive doors of the grand Opera Epiclese, capable of seating 100,000 spectators, slowly opened behind her.
Neuvillette proclaimed, "Now, the Maison Gardiennage is in session. The defendant, the plaintiff, and the defense shall be present for judgment!"
Clorinde, leading members of the Maison Gardiennage, brought the first sinner into the courtroom.
Bolic, bound and immobilized, was dragged in despite his overwhelming terror. Though on the verge of fainting, he was unable to resist.
The people, filled with anticipation, fervor, and excitement, began filing into the divine tribunal, eager to witness the god's first judgment upon a sinner.
Among the crowd were members of Night Raid, who had just arrived and heard the proclamations of the God of Justice and the laws read by the Hydro Dragon Sovereign.
Leone whispered excitedly into Najenda's ear, "Boss, these laws are like a dream! Even the Revolutionary Army's laws for the people can't compare to this!"
The purple twin-tailed Mine clenched her fists, nodding. "Yeah! These laws are entirely for the happiness of the people. It's unbelievable."
Najenda remained silent for a moment, then nodded. She knew more than the others. The truth was, the Revolutionary Army's uprising wasn't entirely for the people.
It was only when compared to the corrupt empire that the Revolutionary Army appeared just.
But justice couldn't withstand comparison. Once compared, the Revolutionary Army was riddled with sins as well.
Bran, the spiked-haired man, asked in a low voice, "Should we go in?" His excitement was palpable—this was the god's Tribunal, after all.
Najenda clenched her fists. "Yes. Let's go witness what a true judgment of justice looks like."
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