After Ten Millennia in Hell

When the news spread that Fujimoto Ryoma had rescued her, the mood took a drastic turn for the better.

The Player that could be said to represent all Japanese Players had saved the Miko of the Heavens!

All news was full of praise for Ryoma, and Yurie's rescue was even covered in foreign countries.

Comparatively, there was almost no news that talked about Kang-Woo. No, he had barely been mentioned.

Ryoma had warned the news outlets ahead of time to stop the incident from getting bigger until the trial had come to a ruling.

Three days passed.

Ryoma, who had become a national hero, was walking to court.

It was the day when the trial of Korean Player Oh Kang-Woo would take place.

"You made sure that the judge in charge of this trial is Judge Wakabe, right?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good."

Ryoma smiled.

Wakabe Nobuhito was a judge who had helped Ryoma get out of legal trouble a couple of times before. He was moderately greedy and very quick-witted.

The trial would go smoothly as always.

"Prime Minister Yamada will be the witness."

"Hahaha! Good."

A testimony from the prime minister? Even if Judge Wakabe wasn't in his pockets, the case would be a slam dunk.

Ryoma felt that all of the relationships he'd built throughout the years had formed one big castle.

'And I'll soon become the king of that castle.'

He was a bit bothered by Kang-Woo's relaxed attitude, but there wasn't a way for Kang-Woo to turn this case around anymore.

The reason why so many people had been victims of witch hunts was that there wasn't a way for them to prove they weren't witches in the first place.

It would be the same this time as well.

There was no way Kang-Woo would be able to prove that he wasn't a Demon Cultist.

'It would have been great if I had acquired a few demonic crystals.'

Demonic crystals were the black gems made of concentrated demonic energy that the Demon Cult used. If he'd been able to acquire one, he would've had an easier time framing Kang-Woo as a Demon Cultist. Sadly, however, he had not been able to get one.

'It would be troublesome if I am accused of being a Demon Cultist while trying to get one.'

Since Prime Minister Yamada was going to be a witness, there was no way Kang-Woo would be able to win, anyway.

Ryoma entered the courtroom with light steps. He saw Cha Yeon-Joo and the other Korean Players glaring at him.

'They look rather furious.'

It was understandable. After all, their comrade had been framed as a Demon Cultist, so it wasn't weird for them to react like this.

'But considering they haven't done anything for the last three days, I guess they've given up as well.'

It really didn't matter if they got angry. Rage wouldn't change anything in this world.

The reporters who had been waiting outside swarmed toward him.

"Mr. Fujimoto! There hasn't been any information released regarding this trial. Could you tell us what is going on?"

"Why is a trial suddenly being held for a Korean Player?"

Ryoma had restricted the news outlets for the last three days, but there was no more need for that. Today was the day when the truth about the Demon Cult spy named Oh Kang-Woo would be revealed.

Ryoma replied with a smile, "I cannot give any details until after the trial."

"Could you at least tell us what the trial is about…?"

"The trial is related to the forces that kidnapped the Miko of the Heavens. As for the details, it would be better for you to see for yourselves."

"If it's the forces that kidnapped the Miko of the Heavens…"

"The Demon Cult? Is the Demon Cult somehow related to a Korean Player?"

The reporters were in an uproar. They hadn't been told any information beforehand, so they were making many assumptions.

Ryoma smiled in satisfaction and took his seat.

Step, step.

As he waited carefreely, he saw Kang-Woo enter the courtroom. Although Kang-Woo was no longer covered in mana restraints, his hands were still restrained.

Already beginning to act, Ryoma glared at Kang-Woo as Kang-Woo entered.

Judge Wakabe entered the room soon after and took his seat. He didn't look good. His face was pale, and he was trembling. It was as if he was terrified.

Bam, bam.

"L-Let the trial begin." Judge Wakabe turned to Ryoma. "Prosecution, begin your testimony against defendant Oh Kang-Woo."

"Yes, Your Honor."

The prosecutor stood up.

"Defendant Oh Kang-Woo is a Player who had participated in the operation to rescue Princess Kurosaki Yurie. He suddenly broke off from his formation when the operation to break through the north exit took place, and he participated in the Demon Cult's summoning ritual. As Mr. Fujimoto Ryoma defeated the Demon Cultists and stopped the summoning ritual, Defendant Oh Kang-Woo grabbed Princess Kurosaki Yurie, who was unconscious on the altar, and tried to run away."

"What kind of bullshit are you bastards spouting?"

Slam!

Yeon-Joo angrily stood up, fed up with the prosecution's lies. Jang Hyun-Jae and Baek Hwa-Yeon tried to stop her. Frowning, Yeon-Joo was forced to sit down.

Judge Wakabe looked at Kang-Woo after the short incident. Judge Wakabe then spoke to the defendant Kang-Woo, who was sitting in the defendant's seat in a relaxed manner.

"Th-The defendant…"

Clack!

Judge Wakabe dropped his gavel.

He exclaimed with a pale face, "I-I'm sorry!"

He apologized to someone, then quickly picked up the gavel and took a deep breath. He spoke in a trembling voice without being able to look properly at Kang-Woo. "Ahem. Let us resume the trial. D-Does the defense have an attorn—"

"I do not," Kang-Woo stated.

"In that case, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"I am not a Demon Cultist."

"…"

There was a heavy silence.

"I-Is that it?"

"Yes."

Kang-Woo nodded with a smile on his face.

"Pfft!"

Ryoma covered his mouth and tried to hold in his laughter.

'Is that what he calls a defense?'

The only possible explanation at that point was that Oh Kang-Woo was stupid.

The uneasiness Ryoma felt had completely disappeared.

He would win the trial—there was no way he'd lose. The winner had already been decided from the beginning, and the trial was just a formality.

"Your Honor, the prosecution calls to the stand Prime Minister Yamada."

"Will the witness please take the stand?"

Prime Minister Yamada walked toward the witness stand.

"Hmm?"

Ryoma tilted his head in confusion.

Prime Minister Yamada was acting weird—his face was pale, and he was trembling.

'Did something happen yesterday to Judge Wakabe?'

Both Prime Minister Yamada and the judge looked to be in somewhat similar states.

'Well, it must be a sign of their age.'

It wasn't weird for their health to deteriorate since neither one of them was a Player.

Ryoma waited calmly for the prime minister's testimony. The reporters also looked at Prime Minister Yamada with shining eyes.

"I," Prime Minister Yamada said with a trembling voice, "I would like to use this stand to reveal a secret that I have been hiding."

"… Huh?"

Ryoma frowned at the unexpected development.

"I am… being threatened by Fujimoto Ryoma."

"What?!"

"Wh-What the hell?"

"What is he talking about?"

There was a huge commotion in the courtroom.

Prime Minister Yamada peeked at Kang-Woo and then continued, "Fujimoto Ryoma is framing the Korean Player as a Demon Cultist to hide his true identity. Player Oh Kang-Woo is also nothing but a victim in his heinous scheme."

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

Slam!

Ryoma sprang up from his seat.

Everyone's attention focused on him. After noticing that the reporters were looking at him, he took a deep breath.

"Fuuu… Prime Minister, what are you talking about all of a sudden? Hiding my true identity? What identity is that?"

"Fujimoto Ryoma is"—Prime Minister Yamada gulped, and his nervous voice spread through the courtroom—"a Demon Cultist. It was also actually Fujimoto who had kidnapped Princess Kurosaki Yurie in this incident."

"Wh-What did you say? What the hell are you talking about, you son of a—"

The reporters stood up.

"P-Prime Minister! What do you mean?!"

"Please give us more details!"

Fujimoto Ryoma was the one who kidnapped Kurosaki Yurie?

This was far from a truth bomb but more like a natural disaster.

"I have actually known this for a very long time, but he… Fujimoto Ryoma said that if I revealed the truth, he would offer all my family members as demon sacrifices."

"Hah, have you gone mad, old man…?"

Ryoma laughed in disbelief.

It was true that Prime Minister Yamada was his subordinate, but he had never taken his family hostage, nor was he the one who had kidnapped Yurie.

The sole culprit of Yurie's kidnapping was the Demon Cult.

'What the hell is going on?'

He couldn't understand it. Why was Prime Minister Yamada trying to frame him as a Demon Cultist? He couldn't think of a single reason. His mind became messy at the unexpected development.

"Prime Minister! Is what you've just said true?"

"Then, how does that explain Mr. Fujimoto rescuing the hostage?"

"I also have something to say in regards to that. The one who saved the Miko of the Heavens was not Fujimoto but the Korean Player sitting there, Mr. Oh Kang-Woo. Rather, Fujimoto was the spy who had spread false information that the summoning ritual was taking place on the top floor to hinder the operation."

There was a huge uproar again. A few reporters even dropped their audio recorders.

"That's bullshit! Everyone! I am being framed! Prime Minister Yamada is not in his right mind!"

The uproar became bigger.

Kang-Woo looked as if he found the uproar fun. He tried his best to hold in his laughter.

'This was your second mistake.'

He had an Authority that allowed him to make people his pawns.

Ryoma's plan was doomed as long as Kang-Woo possessed a mind-controlling Authority.

'You shouldn't have used Prime Minister Yamada as a witness.'

Prime Minister Yamada was not a Player; he was just a regular person. He did not have the power to resist mind-control Authorities.

If Ryoma needed a witness, it would've been better to use one of the Players who had come to the underground tunnel with Prime Minister Yamada.

"You crazy old man…! Do you have proof?! Huh? Show me the proof!" Ryoma screamed like a madman.

Prime Minister Yamada nodded. "I do have proof. Please take a look at this, everyone. This was found in Fujimoto's residence."

"What…?"

Ryoma looked dumbfounded.

Kang-Woo couldn't hold it back anymore and let out a soft laugh.

The demonic crystal was something that only the Demon Cult used and could create.

But…

'I can make them too.'

That was Ryoma's third mistake. He didn't know that Kang-Woo could also create demonic crystals.