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Watching the scene unfold on the platform, the spectators below erupted into astonishment.

Previously, although they found some rationale in Mephisto’s speech, decades of experience had ingrained a blind trust in the gods and priests in their minds. They were expecting someone to refute the infidel with more compelling arguments, but unexpectedly, the priests on the platform resorted to physical force.

This genuinely surprised the people. In the past, within the human tribes, there was no precedent for using force against one’s own kind.

“So, it appears that since you can’t persuade me, you intend to resolve this matter in another way?”

Expressionless, Mephisto looked at Devos in front of him, a hint of a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

“Your Excellence, as the priests of the Goddess of Law, shouldn’t you uphold the fairness of this trial? Or is this a trial where victory is not allowed?”

On the platform, the faces of the two priests turned sour. They could feel the skepticism from the crowd below, but due to the past prestige of their priesthood, no one yet dared to step forward and interfere.

They too wished to maintain the so-called ‘fairness’ and preserve their image in the hearts of others, but recalling the speech of the infidel a moment ago, the two priests were caught in a dilemma.

Mephisto’s speech was too dangerous. If he were to win, it would plunge the whole Bronze Humanity into danger. They didn’t know what would happen to the ordinary people, but if the deities were to descend personally, then the priests would be the first to face judgment.

With no other choice, they turned their gaze to Devos, who had made the earlier decision.

“Stop with the rhetoric, Mephisto. Of course, the trial is fair, but instead of lengthy discussions, we plan to resolve this with a more reasonable method,” Devos said with a heavy voice, noting the judge’s difficult position.

Since Mephisto had already been restrained and offered no resistance, Devos’s idea of prematurely terminating the trial on the grounds of ‘disrupting order’ fell through.

Clenching his fists, Devos realized there was no other path to take. He did not know whether what he was about to do was right, but either way, he had no choice.

This dangerous man could not be allowed to continue existing.

“Let the gods judge you,” Devos said coldly. “The gods have not specified how to punish those without faith, and we dare not presume.”

“Since that is the case, let the creation bestowed by the gods judge what is right and wrong. If you are right, naturally no harm will come to you; if you are mistaken, then the fire gifted by the gods shall deliver the punishment you deserve. This is the most impartial judgment possible.”

Standing on the platform, Devos swept his gaze over the crowd of onlookers. Many of them were dissatisfied with the abrupt end of the debate and were resistant to the priests using force, but as Devos linked the trial to the will of the gods, they dared not speak any further.

Even those who thought Mephisto made sense did not dare to publicly question the gods. After all, while doubting the gods in one’s heart may not show on the surface, openly questioning the deities was a different matter altogether.

Most people, after all, remained silent.

“A creation bestowed by the gods?” The smile on Mephisto’s face became harder to suppress as he asked slowly, “May I know to what you are referring?”

“Fire, of course.”

“The gods bestowed fire upon us to drive away wild beasts, light up the darkness, avert disasters, and bring warmth. It is the most suitable creation to express the will of the deities.”

“If the gods deem you innocent, then you shall remain unscathed; otherwise, the fire graced by the gods will administer the punishment you deserve. This is the fairest trial there can be.”

Whether the gods were paying attention to this place or not, Devos believed no one was more aware of it than he was. The gods would not care about such a trivial matter, hence he had already anticipated the fate of the infidel.

He would scream in agony as he died in flames, paying the price for his speech.

Devos didn’t know how the creator would react upon learning that he had caused the death of a fellow human, but he imagined it couldn’t be worse than the situation at hand.

Thus, at his command, a pyre was erected, and the Sacred Fire from the Temple of Flame was brought forth. They tied Mephisto to the pyre, and from start to finish, he offered not the slightest resistance, merely watching the proceedings with calm indifference.

“You have one last chance to recant, Mephisto. Admit your error. There is no need to stir the gods over a mortal’s affairs.”

Raising the torch high, Devos’s hand trembled slightly. Though his words were merciless, the reality of taking a fellow human’s life made him hesitate.

His final warning was in fact a genuine hope that the other would concede, but unfortunately, the outcome disappointed him.

“I stand by my views,” Mephisto said slowly. “I just wonder if you will be able to maintain yours in a moment.”

With a twitch at the corner of his eye, seeing there was no turning back, Devos no longer hesitated. He threw the torch onto the pyre, but his feet involuntarily retreated a few steps.

In front of him, as the torch hit the ground, the flames roared fiercely.

…

“Why stop me?”

In the sky above Giant Wood Town, behind a cloud, the sword-belted goddess glared down at the humans below with indignation.

She reached out her right hand as if intending to do something, but another hand was already grasping her wrist, halting the unreleased divine power back in its tracks.

“It’s best not to use divine power in the mortal realm, you know that, don’t you?”

With a slight smile, Laine said, but he clearly was not answering the question at hand.

However, it was obvious that the Goddess of Justice would not be fooled by his words.

“You know what I mean, I’m asking you why you are stopping me from maintaining the fairness of this trial.”

Mortals do not understand gods, nor does Mephisto quite comprehend them. They think they know all there is to know, but they are completely unaware of the extent of power a deity possesses within their own realm of authority.

If the judge of today’s trial had been a priest from any other temple, everything would have proceeded as they wished, with no deity paying attention to such a trivial matter. But Themis was different. As the embodiment of justice and law, she noticed everything the moment Mephisto stepped onto the high platform.

All of it, including the cause and effect behind today’s trial, the great power hidden beneath Mephisto’s mortal guise, and even those priests of the Temple of Law who held no faith in her.

As for the priests’ lack of faith, the goddess did not intend to punish them because she had never actively asked humans to worship her, and the temples she currently has were built out of the respect for the Ancient Titan God’s power by Zeus and Prometheus. But this trial was different.

Since it was a judgment witnessed in her name, even without her permission, Themis would not allow an unfair verdict to happen.

“He won’t be harmed, will he? You should be able to see that, unless Hestia herself took action, even if the flames of her temple were a thousand times fiercer, they couldn’t harm this fellow.”

With a slight headache, but still, Laine tried to explain. Obviously, the goddess was not so easily persuaded.

“That is merely the result, Laine, the fairness of the process is also part of justice.”

“But the premise of you maintaining justice is that someone feels it’s unfair. Yet, as it stands, Mephisto obviously delights in it.”

At that moment, high upon the wooden stake, the flames were already scorching Mephisto’s body. A burnt scent carried by the wind drifted into the crowd, prompting many to show expressions of pity and sorrow.

Among the Bronze Humanity who had not suffered adversity, while there were all kinds of people, the majority of them were still kind-hearted.

Only when the barns are full do people know to follow the etiquette, and only when the food and clothing are sufficient do they know honor and disgrace—all of this is true now as it will be in the future.

Yet, by contrast, Mephisto, who was actually enduring the pain, still maintained his smile.

“…Perhaps you’re right, if both parties feel that the outcome is just, then indeed it cannot be deemed unfair.”

After a long contemplation, Themis finally accepted this reasoning. If an incident has no victims, then for her to insist on maintaining her own so-called justice would mean the forced imposition of justice is probably not justice at all.

“So, can you let go of me now?”

Looking at her right hand, Themis spoke slowly.

“—Of course, my apologies for the offense.”

Laine released his left hand from the goddess’ wrist, apologizing with a smile.

In this age, bound by the pressing laws of the current world, he too could not casually wield his power. Thus, to stop the hastening goddess, he had to resort to a more direct approach.

“So these two are related to you?”

Having reached a consensus on the matter of the trial, the Goddess of Law finally turned her attention to other matters. Under her divine senses, the two largest anomalies present were clearly visible.

If Mephisto was noticed because he actively invaded the goddess’s domain, Cohen was discovered entirely because of his failure to conceal.

His vast vitality made even Themis frown slightly; this power would indeed be formidable against many of the weaker True Gods on earth.

This was not merely a matter of strength but also because, stripped of their divine power, few deities knew how to fight.

“One has some connection to me… In fact, I don’t even know how he came to have faith in me when he does not realize that I am the one who created his existence.”

Glancing at Cohen, Laine decided to have a chat with him when the opportunity arose, of course, not as the creator of the Golden Humanity.

“As for the other, he is somewhat related to an old friend of yours, care to guess who?”

“—I guess, Cronus.”

Speaking calmly, she directly named the crux of the matter. Under Laine’s surprised gaze, Themis turned her head, looking at this deity she had known for thousands of years.

“A century ago, during the great upheaval, the Mother Goddess might suspect The Dark Overlord, but I never would.”

“No one else could have done it, only you are capable.”