- "...I must admit I have never thought of devising laws to judge gods before." Verissimus says after wiping the blood from his nose with a handkerchief handed to him by one of the robed mages stationed around the courtroom. "Lady Calliope, what shall we do?"
- "...Evacuate the courtroom." Calliope orders. "This matter is not to be discussed publicly, and I fear for the safety of our citizens."
- "Understood." He turns to the public. "I must ask you to leave the premises. The verdict will be made public tomorrow at noon." He glances at the jury of eight. "This includes you, much as I loathe it."
The courtroom is rapidly emptied of its crowd, security detail and jury. On her way out, Angelica looks at Julian, and they nod to each other before she exits. Nyx notices a rich-looking blonde woman she didn't recognize among the people leaving, who was intensely staring at her with a puzzled expression, as opposed to the rest of the crowd who were staring daggers at her. Eventually, the only souls left are Julian, Nyx, Verissimus and Calliope, who slowly floats down to the ground.
- "Judging by your lack of reaction, you must already be aware." Calliope coldly tells Julian when she arrives at their level.
- "Yeah?" Julian shrugs. "She's been talking about it for a while now."
- "And you withheld that information."
- "Respectfully, Lady Calliope, what do you want me to say? Oh yeah, my client is the literal fucking universe! If you bought it, that sure would've made that whole thing a lot easi-" He abruptly stops, noticing Calliope's eyes turning a darker shade of blue. "Sorry for swearing."
- "...I understand. No one with an ounce of common sense would believe such a claim."
They both turn to look at Nyx, who was patiently staring at them.
- "What?" She tilts her head to the side.
- "Can you recall when you were born?" Calliope asks.
- "I can't really tell you when, because time wasn't a thing back then. I don't really think I was born either? I always existed."
- "Do you know where you originate from then?"
- "Uh… everywhere? You guys invented the concept of where. I'm just what 'where' is."
- "...I see. So you are the embodiment of our realm."
- "You understand her?..." Julian asks, dumbfounded.
- "You do not?" Calliope asks back.
- "...Nevermind."
- "Why would the embodiment of our universe take such actions against Crystal Rose? I remain skeptical." Verissimus says from his desk far above them.
- "I'm not trying to attack Crystal Rose!" Nyx grumbles. "I'm trying to save as many people as possible."
- "Okay let's slow down." Julian sighs. "You both got a few hours ahead of you?"
- "I can make time for this… unusual situation." Verissimus replies.
- "Likewise." Calliope adds.
Julian and Nyx proceed to recount to them what happened ever since Nyx possessed Vanessa's body, up until she provoked Lady Night on that fateful night.
- "...And that's basically it." Julian concludes. "Can I get some water? I'm parched."
- "Me too…" Nyx complains.
- "You really didn't have to give that much detail and go on so many tangents."
- "But that wouldn't…" She coughs. "...do the story justice…"
- "I have a collection of non-alcoholic refreshments." Verissimus says, taking out colored bottles from under his desk. "They are imperative for longer trials."
A few minutes later, they were all standing at the center of the courtroom.
- "So you say that Lady Night is a fragment of the original creator goddess, just like you are." Calliope comments. She was the only one who wasn't interested in drinking anything, and was floating a few meters above the ground, pensive. "And as she seeks destruction, you oppose her."
- "You accepted it much quicker than I thought." Julian comments.
- "I… was aware that the creation myth was fabricated, yes. Are you familiar with the Cosmic Library?"
- "I remember Thaddeus talking about it on my way to Crystal Rose." Nyx chimes in. "But I don't know what it is though."
- "It's basically a library in another dimension where Lord Solomon keeps all of the knowledge gathered by humans over all past civilizations." Julian explains. "There's a bunch of clearance levels, and the higher yours is, the deeper you can go in the Library. I've been there once, but I only have level one clearance so the best thing I could get my hands on were outdated law books."
- "That is correct." Calliope looks up at the glass dome above them. "And as a Grand Archmage, I possess the highest level of clearance achievable. I have been to the deepest reaches of the Cosmic Library, and there I found a book in particular that drew my attention. What was unusual about it was that it was written by Lord Solomon himself."
- "Actually?" Julian comments. "Damn. What was it about?"
- "It read more like a letter of apology than a book. But it hinted at the existence of a higher being, having created the four gods as we know them. In it, he blames himself for the death of this great god, and theorizes on how to bring them back. Notably, half of the book is dedicated solely to theorizing how that god would most likely destroy our entire galaxy as revenge for some type of betrayal, orchestrated by the goddess of Love."
- "Yeah he feels bad about it…" Nyx says. "But I told him it's fine! Also I wouldn't destroy the galaxy, that doesn't make sense. He probably just wants me to, because he feels like I should be angry."
- "So that's why she actually showed some emotion earlier." Julian comments, glancing at Calliope.
- "I was faced with the possibility that a genuine deity with power superior to Lord Solomon's descended on our city to enact their revenge." Calliope replies in a deadpan tone. "I believe my reaction was warranted."
- "Uh, yeah sure…"
- "I mean, I already told you I wouldn't hurt any of you willingly. Humans, elves, spirits, beastfolk, demons, I love you all the same." Nyx says. "By the way, can I get more of that sugary water? I finished mine."
- "Of course." Verissimus replies, handing her an orange bottle.
Nyx reaches to grab it, and her handcuffs violently snap, falling in pieces on the ground. Everyone else slowly looks down at the pieces of white gold on the floor as they slowly lose their color.
- "Oh no!" Nyx exclaims, crouching down to pick up the pieces of her handcuffs. "I forgot I need to be careful!"
- "...You could have done this from the start?" Calliope very lightly frowns.
- "...Ha." Verissimus chuckles. "I would be inclined to say that this is illegal, however I do not believe Lord Solomon's justice applies to her."
- "Hey I think you can just… stop." Julian tells Nyx, helping her up.
- "But the handcuffs made them feel safe, didn't they?" Nyx replies. "I don't want people to be scared of me."
- "Yeah it's a bit late for that."
- "Oh…"
- "I will admit, I am at a loss as to what to do with you." Calliope finally says. "This trial was utterly fruitless."
- "Yeah, talk about a waste of time." Julian sighs. "I was told about this whole thing yesterday, and I spent all night preparing… All that for it to work out on its own."
- "Is someone going to tell him that if he wasn't there, Nyx would've probably blown up the courtroom?..." Vanessa comments inside Nyx's mind.
- "If you weren't there, I probably would've blown up the courtroom!" Nyx repeats to Julian.
- "...You're making it really hard for me to defend you from the terrorism allegations." Julian replies before turning to Calliope and Verissimus. "It was a joke. I think."
- "No matter." Verissimus answers. "As informal as it may seem, I am going to produce a verdict. Given that I am judging a god, standard procedure does not apply." He turns to stare directly at Nyx. "Nyx. You are condemned to five thousand years of forced labor."
- "Only five thousand?" Nyx replies. "Alright then!"
- "Your work will consist of assisting the government of Specta in apprehending and neutralizing Lady Night. Your sentence shall be lifted upon completion of that task."
- "Hm? Sure, that's what I planned to do anyways."
- "Judge Verissimus." Calliope cuts. "I believe you are being too generous. She has caused tens of thousands of deaths, and countless citizens of our beloved kingdom were gravely injured."
- "And what would a heavier punishment achieve?" Verissimus calmly replies. "She is the only person directly related to one of our kingdom's greatest enemies. I could sentence her to an eternity of imprisonment, but I believe that would only cause us to have to handle two dangerous enemies as a result."
- "...What will I tell the families of those that were lost? The teachers who used to work at the countless magic schools that were destroyed? Our worried compatriots?"
- "I am afraid you must either tell them the truth as it is, or be… diplomatic."
- "So you are suggesting I lie. How unlike you."
- "Were it up to me, I would tell them everything. But I am also aware there is a reason I am not at the command of a kingdom. Truth is like a blade, it will cause harm in the wrong hands."
- "...I will do what I must."
- "So are we good?" Nyx asks.
- "You-"
The entire courtroom suddenly gets darker, as if the sunlight shining through the glass dome above them was obscured for a moment.
- "Something is wrong." Nyx immediately says.
- "I can sense it." Calliope adds.
- "What?" Julian looks around, reaching inside his vest. He swears, remembering he decided not to carry a weapon with him. "What's going on?!"
- "I don't-" Nyx starts.
- "Huh?" Vanessa whispers in her mind. "What's that over there? It's like a black hole…"
- "Vanessa?"
- "It just appeared in our mind… and something's coming out of it… Wait, wait! AAAH!"
- "LET VANESSA OUT!!!" Nyx-R screams inside her mind.
The stars in Nyx's eyes immediately disappear, and she falls to her knees.
- "Nyx- wait, Vanessa?!" Julian exclaims. "What's going on?!"
- "It's her…" Vanessa answers, grasping at her heart.
Location: Inside Nyx and Vanessa's mindscape
Nyx appears next to Vanessa's table, floating in the cosmic void. She immediately looks around, and quickly finds Nyx-R, drifting away. She seemed to be unconscious, and droplets of blood periodically came out of her nose as she drifted further away. Sitting directly on the table was an unnaturally tall woman, with equally long white hair and pitch black eyes. She had a wide smile on her face as she looked at Nyx.
- "Lady Night." Nyx bellows. "Did you just try to harm my vessel?"
- "Oh, yes indeed." Lady Night's smile gets wider, as the stars in the cosmos behind her slowly go dark. "That would be-"
- "You crossed a line." Nyx cuts, swinging her arm in her direction,
A giant red star forms above her head. It crashes onto Lady Night, but the latter simply flicks her finger at it, and the star is engulfed in a veil of darkness. When it dissipated, the star was completely gone.
- "We are connected after all. All I had to do was draw you into your own mind, to then invade it and dispose of you." Lady Night calmly comments, pointing her finger at Nyx.
- "You can try." Nyx is surrounded by an aura of starfire, burning so bright that it obscures the distant stars behind her.
Lady Night cackles and dismissively waves her hand towards Nyx. A small black hole forms between them, and Nyx is drawn into it. She attempts to resist it, but despite her best efforts she is unable to pull away. She then instead fires a barrage of plasma rays at Lady Night, who effortlessly destroys them with dozens of rays of pure darkness.
- "You are no match without all of these other pests." Lady Night laughs, mockingly pointing at her. "This truly is a fitting fate for a god relying so much on lowly humans."
- "I'll kill you… if that's… the last thing I ever do!!" Nyx's aura of starfire violently bursts, engulfing the entire galaxy around them in a matter of seconds. The black hole collapses in on itself, and Lady Night stops laughing, protecting herself with a sphere of jet black energy. A few burn marks appear on the surface of Vanessa's table, and Nyx instantly stops herself the moment as she notices. Her breathing was labored, and her hair was very slowly turning white from the roots. "...No!..."
- "How unsightly." She raises her hand towards Nyx again.
However, before she can do anything, a large sphere of black and neon blue energy materializes in front of her.
- "Lady Night." Calliope says as she emerges from the sphere.
- "Calliope." Lady Night frowns. "You-"
- "...I am known as the Wanderer, the being destined to witness all worlds." Calliope starts chanting. Above them, what seemed to be one of her portals manifests. What was different about this one was that it was the size of the entire city of Crystal Rose, and was quickly expanding outwards at an almost exponential rate. "Today, I relinquish my title. My journey to the end of time ends, and…"
Lady Night immediately disappears in a puddle of darkness, sinking into the table. Calliope stops chanting as soon as that happens.
- "Thank you Calliope…" Nyx whispers, trying to catch her breath after the tremendous effort she just produced. "What did you do?"
- "I was about to unleash my most potent spell." Calliope stares into the distance as the blackened stars return to their regular glow. "She knew it would be the end of us all, and fled."
- "The end of us all?! I don't want to die!"
- "I will do what must be done. From now on, I will watch over your mind, in the event of her return."
- "I really don't know if I want that…"
- "You do not have a choice in the matter. Seeing as I am a spirit, I will aid in combating her inside your mind, regardless of your personal preference."
- "...Just be careful with Vanessa, alright?"
- "I cannot promise you such a thing."
- "Then you're also my enemy." The stars behind Nyx begin emitting a dangerous glow, growing in size as if they were getting closer.
- "...I will at least ensure that she remains unharmed so long as I live. Do you agree to these terms?"
- "...I don't like this. But it's fine for now."
Location: Back in the courtroom
- "Oh, she's back." Julian comments.
Nyx opens her eyes. She was lying on the floor of the courtroom, and Julian was sitting next to her.
- "It was Lady Night…" Nyx says.
- "Yeah Lady Calliope told me. She came back ahead of you. You were stuck inside your mind for a good thirty minutes, and Vanessa was starting to lose it out here."
- "Where is Calliope now?"
- "She left a few minutes earlier. Something about having to prepare her speech for the public."
- "Oh."
- "She has returned?" Verissimus asks. He was back to sitting at his desk, above the courtroom. "In that case, she shall be escorted back to her prison cell for the time being."
- "Seriously?" Julian frowns.
- "It is a necessary procedure. We cannot, under any circumstance, simply send her back to the headquarters of the Fourth Branch."
- "I… guess that makes sense." He glances at Nyx. "Anything you want me to tell Beatrice? She's been down in the dumps for the past few weeks."
- "Right… Tell her I'm fine now, and that I'll make sure to spend some time with her when I come back."
- "Alright, roger that."
Date: The same day, a few hours later Location: High security dimensional prison, Headquarters of the Second Branch
Nyx was back in front of her cell, with her designated guard opening the door for her. She had a new pair of white gold handcuffs around her wrists.
- "Thanks Michael." She says as she steps in.
- "No problem, I guess?... So, what was the verdict?"
- "I don't know."
- "That… doesn't sound legal."
- "It wouldn't be if I was a citizen of Specta!"
- "???"
- "I don't know if I should tell you, now that I think about it… Just don't worry!"
When he closes the door to Nyx's cell, she notices someone was standing in the corner. It was a rich-looking woman with blonde hair.
- "Hi? Didn't I see you at the court earlier? I'm sorry you got jailed too…" Nyx asks.
- "...You know, I had my doubts." The woman replies, a red light surrounding her. Her hair grows significantly and turns pink, while her pink irises also shift to feature familiar heart shapes, the left one being broken in half.
- "Oh, it's just you Vivianne. What are you doing here?"
- "Yeah it's just little old me." Vivianne replies with a plastic smile. "How about we have a little chat?"