The sky above Jerok, the city second only to the imperial capital in the empire, was filled with an awe-inspiring sight. A massive blue crystal gate appeared in the sky.
The Crystal Gate was so vast that anyone who saw it had only one thought in their mind: this was the gateway to the divine realm where the gods lived.
Countless people across the world watched as the enormous portal, along with the phantom of the scales, became a reality.
"Oh my god! A god! It's really a god. Gods truly exist!"
"The God of Justice and Water! The God of Justice!"
"God, you have finally appeared!"
"God of Justice, you could no longer tolerate the darkness in this country, so you have descended from the sky!"
The common people of the empire, those oppressed and exploited by the imperial nobles and the empire's enforcers, stared at the miracle in the sky. At times they shouted, at times they wailed.
Most ordinary people understood that the thousand-year-old empire had become corrupted, with nobles and enforcers finding new ways to exploit them continually. Ordinary citizens had no power to resist. Even a squad leader among the imperial soldiers could massacre an entire village without consequence.
In the eyes of the imperial nobles and enforcers, ordinary people were no different than livestock. Games that hunted ordinary people or involved torturing young girls for fun were just appetizers to them. The darkness of human nature that people could only imagine was happening every day in the hands of the nobles and the enforcers.
Ordinary people had no power to resist and could only endure in silence.
But now, in this world filled with decay and darkness, the God of Justice had pierced a hole in the night with a voice of supreme power. People who yearned for light, suffocating in the darkness, instinctively screamed, reaching out as though trying to grasp salvation.
In the deep mountains outside the imperial capital, at the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army's assassination group 'Night Raid,' a stern woman with short white hair, dressed in clothing that allowed for easy movement, and with a robotic arm looked at the sky in shock. She muttered to herself.
"The Queen of all waters, of all directions, of all peoples, of all laws, the God of Justice and Water! This power covering the entire sky—truly a god!"
As a former prestigious general of the imperial army, she knew that no Teigu user had such immense power. Even the original Teigu, known as the power of the gods, could not intimidate the entire world.
She had once seen the power of the woman said to be second only to the original Teigu. Even that power did not come close to matching this divine force.
Another woman with long golden hair, dressed in a bold and provocative manner, stood stunned. "The God of Justice and Water, and those scales and the water gate?"
As a user of the Imperial Teigu 'King of Beasts,' she felt the divine power more intensely than other Teigu users. The presence of the gods kept amplifying within her, and the memories of her petty deceptions replayed in her mind like a spear of justice constantly piercing her.
"Could it be that the corruption and darkness of this empire have finally become intolerable, even to the gods?"
She clutched her surging chest, breathing heavily. If even her small indiscretions weighed on her so heavily, one could only imagine what the evildoers in the imperial capital must feel.
A young girl with pink twin-tails stared blankly at the huge scales and the portal in the sky. "The God of Justice, Furina..."
As the warm light descended from the golden clouds, it seemed to touch her face, gently healing the scars of her childhood when she had been bullied for her mixed heritage.
A man in armor shouted with excitement, his breath quick. "Gods—there's no doubt! Only gods have such power! Sister, what do we do now?"
This was the God of Justice.
The purpose of their "Night Raid" in accepting assassination requests was for the "justice" in their hearts. Now, the God of Justice had appeared before them. How could he not be thrilled?
The girl with long black hair, a cold expression, and red eyes looked at their leader, Najenda.
Najenda took a deep breath to suppress her racing heart. She knew what the arrival of a righteous god meant—the God of Justice had come for true justice. Things had fundamentally changed.
"Did you hear what the gods said?"
[Justice will be brought down on the corrupt world.]
Najenda spoke firmly. "Such a great divine power has been felt across the world. I'll send a message to the Revolutionary Army, and we'll go to investigate... and pay homage to the God of Justice."
The miracles in the sky had not yet disappeared. Najenda passed on the message to the Revolutionary Army. They too wanted to know about these gods and miracles. Thus, the "Night Raid Team" set off for the place where the divine portal had descended.
Meanwhile, in the imperial capital, the height of corruption was about to implode. This place had become a playground for executioners in the service of nobles and wealthy merchants.
Those who were guilty wore expressions of terror, bowing their heads and trembling from the depths of their souls. They dared not even glance at the golden sky or the divine scales.
Some unforgivable sinners were too consumed by fear to notice they had become incontinent.
Within the royal palace, Minister Honest looked up at the miracle in the sky. The meat in his hand had dropped to the ground, and his trousers were soaked in his own urine.
The fat on his body trembled uncontrollably, as though he was being judged under the scales of the gods.
Gods! There were truly gods in this world!
Knowing the power of the First Emperor's Supreme Throne, Honest thought it was a god. But under the divine power now covering the world, the Supreme Throne seemed insignificant.
And what kind of god was this? The God of Justice.
"Righteous judgment on a corrupt world…"
Honest's eyes widened, and his soul trembled.
"Minister Honest? Minister Honest!"
It wasn't until one of his lackeys shouted in his ear several times that he snapped out of his fear.
"W-what?"
"His Majesty the Emperor is calling for you."
The young emperor frowned as he looked at the trembling, incontinent Honest. "Minister Honest, are you unwell? You've wet yourself in the hall."
Some of the civil servants who opposed Honest laughed, but that was all they could do—the emperor trusted Honest far more than anyone else.
Honest glanced at the laughing officials before turning back to the emperor with a flattering expression. "My health has been poor lately, Your Majesty. I truly apologize. But why have you summoned me?"
The young emperor nodded. "It's understandable. Minister Honest, you eat meat every day, and it might not be good for your health. But it's not a big deal. I wanted to ask you about the voice of the gods we just heard—it didn't seem like praise."
"Minister Honest, you are wise—do you know what it means?"
Honest's pupils contracted, and cold sweat drenched his back. He quickly spoke up. "It seems that a god named Los has arrived—the God of Justice, I believe.
This divine power must have been used to punish the rebels who oppose Your Majesty! Please, do not worry, Your Majesty. You are a benevolent ruler, and the arrival of the gods will only make the empire more prosperous."
Though Honest spoke with confidence, he didn't believe for a second that the gods had come to help the empire. The God of Justice—he knew the true state of the empire better than anyone else. Most likely, the gods were against them.
The fat on his body trembled as cold sweat continued to pour from his face. Such terrifying divine power was beyond anything the empire's Teigu users could fight.
Although Honest was the main culprit behind the empire's corruption, he was not a fool. The arrival of the gods signaled one thing: if they were against the empire, then the empire's time was almost up.