At the Opera Epiclese, Lofan stood on the raised platform reserved for the accused. He was charged with inciting innocent civilians to leap from buildings—the true mastermind behind Fontaine's recent "serial jumper" cases.
Before him stood Charlotte, the accuser. Lofan observed her face, devoid of expression, eyes staring blankly at the ground with no focus, as if in a trance.
Lofan's gaze lingered briefly on Charlotte before shifting elsewhere.
To his left, a massive throne stood elevated higher. Upon it sat a petite young girl with long blue hair, her delicate features radiating charm.
Lofan had never met the Hydro Archon Furina before, nor had he been to the Opera Epiclese. However, considering the position he was sitting in, it seemed unlikely anyone else could be there besides Furina.
At that moment, Furina rested her chin in one hand, gazing at the wall ahead with a troubled expression, as if contemplating some serious problem.
This was Lofan's first time meeting the Hydro Archon Furina. He didn't know her personality, but based on his current impression, she seemed like a silent and reserved deity, not particularly skilled at forming close connections with others.
Lofan then shifted his gaze to the seat at the front where the Chief Justice sat. A white-haired man with an exceptional presence had already taken the seat. His face showed no emotion, yet simply sitting there gave off an air of imposing authority.
Though he'd never met him before, Lofan immediately recognized the man as Neuvillette, the Chief Justice of Fontaine.
The citizens of Fontaine who had come to the Opera Epiclese to watch this trial were now filing into the theater, gradually filling the space with murmurs of conversation.
"Is that the suspect who supposedly made innocent people jump to their deaths? He looks so young!"
"Exactly! That's what makes his twisted mind even more chilling. I hope we get to see a proper 'Trial' today."
"I'm convinced the real culprit must be someone else. This youth is just a pawn being pushed forward... You know how it goes in these stories - only by following that path can you get the proper twists and turns."
"Silence!"
Neuvillette suddenly spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but every person in the room could hear him clearly. The buzz of conversation gradually died down.
Only when complete silence had fallen did Neuvillette speak again, his tone solemn.
"Then, let the Trial of the True Culprit in the Serial Jumping Case begin."
"First, to help everyone understand what exactly happened, we'll hear from Miss Charlotte about what she witnessed."
Charlotte, suddenly addressed by name, finally snapped out of her daze. Feeling all eyes on her, she remembered she was standing at the Opera Epiclese's witness stand, about to expose Lofan's twisted and horrifying actions to everyone present.
Charlotte cast one last glance at Lofan, whose face remained expressionless as if he'd already accepted his fate. She clenched her fists, then slowly unclenched them. In a low voice, she began recounting the entire process of how she'd accidentally witnessed Lofan committing the crime.
As a journalist by profession, Charlotte's description was meticulous and precise, effortlessly capturing the essence of her account. Under her narration, Lofan's image in the eyes of the audience gradually transformed into that of a seemingly harmless individual concealing a twisted, murderous nature. This immediately elicited waves of shocked gasps from the spectators.
"Silence. Please observe the [ Trials ] protocol."
Neuvillette's voice cut through the rising chaos, extinguishing the first sparks of disorder before they could take hold.
Charlotte then proceeded to detail every aspect of the scene she had witnessed.
"Chief Justice, that concludes my testimony."
As the final words left her lips, Charlotte's body seemed to collapse inward, drained of all strength. Only by gripping the podium's edge with both hands did she manage to remain standing.
Neuvillette nodded, then turned his gaze to Lofan and asked, "Mr. Lofan, do you accept the accusations presented by Ms. Charlotte?"
In response to Neuvillette's question, Lofan's face suddenly lit up with the same sun-kissed smile he'd worn during his interactions with Charlotte. He answered in a voice as innocent as a child's.
"Charlotte, you're truly remarkable! To recall such specific details from that incident is astonishing!"
Lofan's words felt like a knife reopening old wounds in Charlotte's heart. Her hands trembled on the armrest, and she kept her head bowed, refusing to let anyone see her face.
"Mr. Lofan, please answer my question," Neuvillette said, his voice carrying an imperceptible weight that made Lofan feel as if some terrifying entity were staring at him. Yet maintaining perfect control over his body, Lofan kept his composure.
"Of course! Why would Charlotte lie?" Lofan accepted the accusation of his crime as if it were self-evident.
As Lofan spoke, the balance of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale—the symbol of absolute fairness and justice—tilted slightly to the left.
Seeing this, Lofan's smile grew even brighter.
"Good. Now let's proceed to the next step."
"Mr. Lofan, please explain your reasons for doing this," Neuvillette instructed.
Hearing this, Lofan responded with genuine confusion.
"Reason? What reason?"
"Do you need a reason to kill a few bugs?"
Lofan's words sent shockwaves through the crowd. Everyone stared up at the teenager on the high platform with terrified expressions.
"He doesn't think there's anything wrong with his actions! What does he consider human life to be worth?!"
"Execute him! A monster like this can't be spared!"
"If we forgive his crimes, he'll commit more once he's out of prison!"
At that moment, Lofan suddenly turned to look down at the audience below. He sneered and laughed loudly.
"You call them human?"
"Hahaha! People living in the dark depths of the Fleuve Cendre, who can't even afford food and must beg for scraps - how can you call them human?!"
"No, they're just bugs, a pack of beasts!"
"They jumped to their deaths completely of their own will. I didn't force any of them."
"Life was so painful for them. I showed them how to end it early. Those stinking bugs should thank me! What's wrong with that?!"
Hearing Lofan's twisted words, Charlotte felt her heart grow even colder.
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Made a discord if anyone is interested
https://discord.gg/BFW77h7XyS