Noon.
In the Security Force, aside from Ieyasu, who had to familiarize the newly arrived Ran with the force and therefore did not attend the trial,
Seryu and Sayo followed Yorii Tsugikuni to the courthouse in the eastern district.
"Defendant Shira, do you admit that you attacked Security Force member Seryu Ubiquitous one day ago and abducted the orphans from Tars Orphanage?"
In the courtroom, the presiding judge stood at the bench and looked toward Shira, whose hands were cuffed at his side.
At the same time, the hundreds attending the trial all turned to look at Shira.
"This is a false accusation."
Under the stares of so many people, Shira, who had trembled incessantly after being defeated by Yorii Tsugikuni,
once again wore a face full of confidence.
With a smile on his face, he turned toward Seryu, who had risen to her feet with both fists clenched after hearing him. "I never did any of those things. They attacked me and even stole my Imperial Arm."
An uproar broke out!
Upon hearing Shira's words, the hundreds who had quietly observed the trial immediately began clamoring.
"Bastard, you're lying!"
Seryu had not expected Shira to be so shameless as to turn the tables on her.
If Sayo had not held her tightly, she truly would have wanted to beat Shira to a pulp right then.
"Silence!"
Seeing the courtroom descend into chaos,
the official in charge of the trial shouted to stop the crowd.
He then led several fellow officials in discussing the final verdict.
An hour later.
"Enough."
"The plaintiff's evidence in this trial is insufficiently persuasive. Shira's case will be postponed for retrial."
After a lengthy discussion, the tribunal officials delivered their ruling on Shira.
Outside the courthouse.
"You can't kill me."
"As long as I'm still in the Imperial Capital, no one can kill me."
Shira looked at the silent Yorii Tsugikuni and Seryu, as well as the many civilians glaring at him in anger.
His face was filled with smugness.
Yorii Tsugikuni said nothing.
He led Seryu and the others away.
"Damn it!"
When they reached a street corner, Seryu turned around and looked at Shira's group, now little more than tiny dots in the distance.
She slammed her fist heavily into the wall, instantly leaving a small crater covered in cracks.
That presiding judge had clearly failed to be fair.
Yorii Tsugikuni was not surprised by Shira's verdict.
He had long anticipated this outcome. He had even considered the possibility that Shira might be released on the spot.
Boom!
A massive explosion suddenly rang out from the direction Shira had left.
Shira's End, and a Slightly Different Night Raid
The sudden explosion stopped Yorii Tsugikuni and the others just as they were about to leave.
Without thinking too much, Yorii Tsugikuni turned around and ran toward where the explosion had occurred.
On the street.
Shira's head had been blasted apart like a watermelon.
"It's Night Raid."
"Let's pursue them."
Because Shira had been walking at the front of the group, just as he turned onto the street, the western sun happened to shine directly into his face, and a beam of golden light instantly struck his head under the cover of the sunlight.
Without the Imperial Arm Shangri-La, even though Shira had reacted,
the beam had been fired far too quickly for him to dodge.
The Four Rakshasa behind Shira looked at the flash of pink disappearing far in the distance.
Ignoring Shira's corpse, they gave chase.
There was no need for them to think about who that pink figure was. It was Night Raid's Mine.
Only her Imperial Arm, Romantic Cannon, could fire from such a great distance and strike here.
At that moment, they had only one thought: they had to catch Mine.
They could not imagine how they would face Honest's fury.
He was already dead?
Just as the Four Rakshasa left, Yorii Tsugikuni arrived at the scene with Seryu and the others.
Looking at Shira, whose lower half had been blown away, Yorii Tsugikuni showed no change in expression.
He raised his head slightly and looked at the four figures of the Four Rakshasa, already vanished in the distance.
He roughly understood what had happened.
"Protect the scene."
"Report it to the courthouse and have them deal with it."
Yorii Tsugikuni did not join the pursuit. Before the explosion had sounded, he had heard another sound.
He had heard that sound before during his battles with Night Raid.
It was the energy beam fired by Night Raid's Mine.
After today's trial, Yorii Tsugikuni had become disappointed in the Empire's judicial officials.
The Empire was far more corrupt than he had imagined.
Though he was a law enforcer, he was not a rigidly dogmatic one.
"Mm."
Seryu nodded and left with Koro.
Shira's death swept away all of her earlier gloom.
Judging from what they had uncovered during their investigation, even if Shira died ten times over, it probably would not be enough to atone for the crimes he had committed.
After everything had been handled.
After dinner.
Yorii Tsugikuni took Adai and Seryu on patrol through the streets.
Because several major roads in the Imperial Capital had been damaged and were still under repair,
the Imperial Capital, lacking food supplies, had descended into disorder.
At night, far more people came out to commit crimes.
Naturally, the Security Force's patrol duties increased as well.
Ring, ring, ring!
A carriage sped down the street.
It quickly vanished from Yorii Tsugikuni and Seryu's sight.
With only one glance, Yorii Tsugikuni recognized it as a carriage from Honest's residence.
Near the palace.
The carriage Yorii Tsugikuni and Seryu had seen stopped before Honest's residence.
Several figures quickly entered the estate.
"So... this had nothing to do with Yorii Tsugikuni, then."
"It was merely Night Raid acting on its own?"
Honest swallowed a piece of raw meat, his expression utterly calm.
He looked no different from usual.
It was as though Shira's death had caused him no grief whatsoever.
When asking about Shira's death, he sounded as though he were asking about a stranger.
"That was indeed the case."
"Yorii Tsugikuni and the others merely attended the trial today."
Hearing Honest's exceedingly calm questions, Suzuka, standing before him, trembled all over.
Though Honest displayed neither anger nor sorrow,
he nevertheless exerted tremendous psychological pressure.
"If he still had his Imperial Arm..."
"Shira... would not have died, would he?"
With a tearing sound, Honest ripped a piece of raw meat in half.
He did not speak loudly, yet his voice gave off an icy feeling, like the murmurs of a demon.
"Leave."
"Find a decent urn for my poor foolish son."
Honest closed his eyes.
Soon, at his command, everyone in the hall left.
Only he remained.
"Hehehe. Hahaha... I'm not terribly heartbroken."
"But he was my son, after all."
A tear slipped from the corner of Honest's eye.
Then he narrowed his eyes, seeming to forget his sorrow as a cold smile formed at the corner of his mouth.
"Nicely done!"
"That guy was nearly released."
Inside a dim basement.
Other than Chelsea, every member of Night Raid had gathered there.
Leone looked at Mine and Brood, who had just returned, and clenched her fist excitedly.
Night Raid naturally knew that Shira had been captured by Yorii Tsugikuni.
Thus, after learning of it, Nadjeshda immediately decided to snipe Shira.
"Come to think of it, if that guy had possessed an Imperial Arm,"
"I might not have succeeded this time."
Before you continue