The moment Neuvillette stepped onto the cloud-carved staircase, the atmosphere within the arena turned from chaotic to silent, charged with both fear and awe.
The crowd—hundreds of Devils, from nobles to the most common citizens, sat frozen, unable to tear their eyes from the figure that had descended from the storm.
His regal form, bathed in flashes of lightning and flanked by the loyal Alfred, dominated the shattered coliseum.
Every single Devil knew who he was, even if they hadn't seen him in two decades, his name boomed in each of their ears. He was well known, a man who single handedly brought order to the Supernatural World with his power.
Even the Biblical God and the Original 4 Satans didn't dare offend Neuvillette, no-one knew exactly why since no-one had ever seen him in battle. But now, they knew, it was because his power was astronomical.
The storm was still swirling, but in the presence of Neuvillette, it had subdued itself to his power. The gaze of the Chief Ludex, icy and sharp, surveyed the ruined arena with a stern intensity.
The energy radiating from him was suffocating, each breath in the stands coming shallow and uneasy.
No one dared speak. Even the Great Satans, who had never known fear, stood in solemn acknowledgment of the power before them. Sirzechs Lucifer, Serafall Leviathan, Ajuka Beelzebub, beings who ruled the Underworld, now watched in tense silence.
Then, with a voice as deep as the storm that raged behind him, Neuvillette spoke.
"Devils of the Underworld," his voice carried throughout the entire arena, booming, yet elegant, "I have come to pass judgment."
A ripple of confusion, then shock, spread through the crowd. Judgment? From whom? For what? Those present shifted uncomfortably in their seats, and the tension hung thick in the air.
Neuvillette continued, his tone never faltering, "In the past twenty years I have been in retreat, it seems you all have grown cocky, overconfident, undisciplined and lawless. You all now dare to slaughter willfully, without cause, without trial, you dare to attack the Enforcers of the Fatui, and dare to ignore the sacred summons of the Court."
His words struck the arena like bolts of thunder. Whispers of fear and confusion surged through the crowd. Devils who had once thought themselves untouchable now felt a creeping sense of dread.
Many of them Devils who had previously broken laws, ignored summons felt cold sweat running down their faces, the fear of death swarming them. Their influence had protected them for so long, but not anymore.
Standing up, Sirzechs, known for his calm demeanor even in the most stressful situations, took a step forward, his brow furrowed as he prepared to intervene.
"Neuvillette—" he began, but his voice was cut off by an overwhelming force.
"SILENCE!" Neuvillette's voice cracked like the wrath of the heavens, shaking the entire arena to its core. As his command echoed through the air, the Eye of Stormy Judgment opened once more, its venomous gaze locking onto Sirzechs.
A jagged bolt of lightning shot down from the eye, striking Sirzechs' arm with terrifying precision. The Great Satan staggered back, his arm scorched and smoking.
The crowd gasped in horror.
For the first time in a long time, Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the most powerful beings in existence, had been wounded.
Neuvillette's gaze, unyielding and colder than ice, remained fixed on Sirzechs. His voice, calm yet brimming with the weight of divine authority, pierced the air once again, "You, Sirzechs Lucifer, who hold the title of Great Satan, have failed in your duty."
Sirzechs gritted his teeth, pain shooting through his arm as the energy from the strike still pulsed through him. The energy of the lightning bolt was tyrannical, and he could feel it, desperate to devour his entire arm, but only held back by Neuvillette's control.
He wanted to thank the Chief Ludex for his mercy, but could not respond, just listening to his statements,
"It is the responsibility of the Great Satans," Neuvillette continued, "to keep your people in line. You, Serafall and Ajuka, the three who sit atop the hierarchy, who wield such immense power, have allowed chaos to fester under your watch."
"You have failed to control your subjects. Instead, they defy the laws of the Court of Fatui with impunity, and you, " Neuvillette's voice darkened, ", you dare to stand in my way as I bring them to justice?"
Neuvillette stepped forward, descending the staircase, each step bringing with it a rumble of thunder. The crowd, paralyzed by fear, could only watch as his figure loomed over the Great Satans.
He paused for a moment, surveying them all—Sirzechs, Serafall, Ajuka, each of them equally silent in the face of his power.
"You, who boast of your control over the Underworld, have failed to uphold your end of the Abyss Accords. Your people slaughter and terrorize as they please, even daring to attack envoys protected by diplomatic immunity. You have allowed them to grow complacent, undisciplined, unchecked."
Another ripple of shock ran through the crowd. The mention of the Abyss Accords, a sacred agreement that no Devil would've dared violate if they knew Neuvillette was awake, sent chills down their spines.
The Devils were no strangers to their own political machinations, but this… this was far beyond anything they had anticipated.
"The time has come for justice," Neuvillette declared, raising his hand toward the stormy skies. The clouds above churned violently in response, and the Eye of Stormy Judgment glowed brighter.
The moment Neuvillette raised his hand to the heavens, the Eye of Stormy Judgment pulsed with an ominous glow, casting a venomous light over the entire arena.
The clouds roiled above like an enraged sea, and before the crowd could even blink, the Eye began its furious judgment.
CRACK!
Thousands of bolts of lightning tore from the Eye, striking down with terrifying speed and precision. The bolts found their marks among the gathered Devils, their electricity branding the guilty with Neuvillette's unmistakable mark, a glowing Thunder Eye tattoo.
The searing pain of the brand etched itself into their flesh, burning the sins they had committed into their very souls.
Cries of shock and pain erupted from all corners of the coliseum as the bolts claimed their targets.
Nobles, commoners, even high-ranking Devils were struck down by the wrathful judgment. Each one, marked with the Thunder Eye tattoo, could do nothing but clutch their burns, powerless in the face of Neuvillette's power.
Those who had broken the laws of the Court of Fatui now bore the mark of their crimes. The once proud and untouchable stood humbled and terrified. The branded ones shuddered, knowing their lives had forever changed.
Neuvillette's voice cut through the chaos, cold and commanding.
"Every Devil who has been branded," he declared, his voice booming across the arena, "has violated the laws of the Court of Fatui. Whether it was the willful slaughter of innocents, the ignoring of summons, or defiance against the lawful order, your sins have been recorded."
The branded Devils trembled under his gaze, sweat beading on their foreheads, their hearts racing in fear.
"You will answer for your crimes." Neuvillette's words were calm, but laced with the promise of retribution. "Each of you will be summoned to the Court of Fatui to face judgment for the laws you have broken. Fail to appear, and I will personally ensure that your punishment is far more severe. You will NOT escape the hand of justice."
The branded Devils exchanged terrified glances, knowing full well that Neuvillette's threats were no mere words. There would be no escape from the fate that awaited them in the Court of Fatui.
The arena was filled with the heavy silence of fear, broken only by the soft rumble of thunder in the distance. But Neuvillette was not finished.
His gaze shifted to the Great Satans, and the weight of his stare pressed down on them with a crushing force. He spoke, his voice cutting through the air with deadly precision.
"Twenty years ago, I withdrew to rest, trusting that the supernatural world would remain under the order I had established. I was wrong."
Neuvillette paused, his voice lowering, a deadly edge creeping into his tone.
"You have allowed atrocities to unfold unchecked. The most recent of which..." His words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. "...is the massacre of the Nekomata."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Neuvillette's gaze grew even colder, his next words filled with barely contained fury. "I sent an Enforcer to deliver a message regarding this massacre, as is customary under the Abyss Accords. That Enforcer, bound by diplomatic immunity, was brutally attacked."
A palpable wave of fear surged through the arena. Everyone knew the gravity of harming an Enforcer of the Court of Fatui. It was a crime so heinous that even the most lawless of Devils feared the consequences. Neuvillette's punishment for such transgressions was always swift and unforgiving.
"The punishment for attacking an Enforcer," Neuvillette's voice deepened, "is death. Yet you, who are meant to rule, have allowed the culprits to roam free."
The Great Satans stood frozen. Even Serafall, usually lighthearted and whimsical, could not find a word to say. The weight of Neuvillette's presence had silenced all but their racing hearts.
Neuvillette took another step forward, his form casting a long shadow over the Great Satans. "You have 48 hours," he said, his voice as unyielding as stone, "to find those responsible for the Nekomata massacre. You will also find the ones who dared to harm my Enforcer."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing, "Bring them before the Court of Fatui to face trial for their crimes. If you fail..." His eyes narrowed, cold and merciless. "...I will find them myself. And my judgment will be absolute."
The storm above rumbled as if in agreement with his words. The tension in the arena was suffocating, the air thick with fear and dread. The Great Satans, for the first time in their reign, were powerless before an authority they could neither challenge nor defy.
Neuvillette turned, his gaze sweeping once more over the crowd of Devils. "I will return in 48 hours if the demands are not met. Do not test my patience."
With that, Neuvillette stepped away, his cape billowing behind him as he ascended the staircase back into the swirling storm. Alfred followed closely behind, silent and watchful as ever.
The arena, still echoing with the thunderous commands of the Chief Ludex, remained in stunned silence long after Neuvillette had disappeared into the clouds. The storm raged on, but its master had spoken.
Judgment was coming. And no one, Devil or otherwise, would escape it.