Chapter 172: Floor 31: The Trial
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 172: Floor 31: The Trial
As I stepped out of the truck, a crowd of reporters and onlookers greeted me.
Flash! Flash! Click! Click!
I tried to shield my eyes from the popping flashes, but my hands were tied behind my back.
"Pink Spear, are you really an S-rank villain?!"
"If not, please say something!"
"I am not a villain. There seems to be some misunderstanding. I'll clear this up quickly and get back to catching villains."
I answered calmly, puffing out my chest and walking forward with confidence.
My appearance and abilities had been changed to that of a normal person, but seeing my overflowing confidence, everyone turned their heads away.
I was wearing a baggy white t-shirt, but because my body was bound, my chest was pushed out, making it stand out even more as it bounced.
Everyone turned away because they didn't want to be mistaken for perverts staring at my obscene bouncing chest, but in any case, I easily won the battle of wills.
'I've done nothing wrong. The hero of justice, Pink Spear, is innocent!'
I confidently kicked the door open and entered the council building.
Bang.
The council building was quite large, resembling a real-world capitol building.
“Ahem… A little slower… This way, please. Not that way. Excuse me?”
The Inspection Team Leader next to me tried to stop me, but with the citizens watching, he couldn't do anything.
Of course, I still followed his directions and walked the right way.
Several heroes followed me inside, guiding me directly to an emergency tribunal on the third floor.
It looked less like a courtroom and more like a standard conference room, probably set up for use when a state of emergency was declared.
'As expected, they're not opening this place to the public.'
Reporters and civilians were all stopped at the entrance.
Still, including the jurors and what looked like heroes from District 1, about thirty people were observing the proceedings.
Remembering what Elizabeth said made me a little anxious, but what's done is done. I would face this trial(?) with my head held high and walk out honorably.
In the solemn atmosphere, I was guided to a seat that looked like the defendant's box.
'Wait, don't I get a lawyer?'
Come to think of it, do they not have something like the Miranda rights here? Or maybe they're skipping it because of the state of emergency.
Before long, people who looked like investigators entered, and…
'Huh?'
Click. Clack. Click. Clack.
The mysterious S-rank hero I had only ever seen on screen.
The true power of Raven City, the living old hag… no, the living legend!
S-rank hero Chroniel and her entourage entered.
‘Hmm… She is pretty, though.’
She took the seat of honor, and a man who looked like her personal knight stood beside her.
I already knew the identity of this knight, thanks to the files Elizabeth gave me to study.
Dimension Cutter, another S-rank hero from District 1.
He didn't have a bulky, muscular body, but just looking at his hands, I could see they were packed with dense, lean muscle.
'A speed type, I see.'
A solemn atmosphere, much like a real trial, settled over the room. Everyone waited in silence for the trial(?) to begin.
There was even a palpable sense of tension.
Gulp…
Whatever the outcome, this was sure to be an event that would shake the city to its core.
All eyes were on Chroniel.
She looked back at them for a moment before slowly beginning to speak.
“Everyone. We are currently facing a great danger. I know many of you are harboring feelings of doubt. Why is an S-rank hero here? If she is a villain, why did she come so quietly? Could the council have made a mistake, apprehending a hero who should be fighting villains? For your sakes, and for the sake of the anxious public, we plan to disclose the entire process transparently after the trial.”
'Wait, they really have evidence that I'm a villain…?'
Seeing them proceed with such confidence, they must have something.
Did I do something without realizing it? The original owner's memories, which I saw through my trait, should have fully returned, but I don't remember anything like that.
At a nod from Chroniel, a man in a suit and glasses sitting across from me stood up.
“Good day. I am Samuel, the B-rank hero in charge of this investigation. We will, of course, give Pink Spear a chance to refute the claims. Are you concerned that you're at a disadvantage without a lawyer? No, this is not that kind of trial. You simply need to answer my questions truthfully.”
He looked me straight in the eye, his own eyes twinkling.
“Understood. I will also do my best to clear my name.”
Calm down. I'm not a villain. From the way things are going, it seems like they might let me go if I just answer honestly.
“Thank you for your cooperation. Let us begin.”
He held several sheets of paper in his hand and began to read slowly.
“There are a great many questions. The fact that you voluntarily requested to work as a hero in District 5, the suspected final escape point of the S-rank villain who attacked District 1 two years ago. The fact that the trail of the recent District 2 attacker also went cold in District 5. The fact that you attacked immediately after the Ice Heaven Emperor declared his lawsuit, as if in retaliation. The fact that you use multiple abilities. The fact that you disobeyed the order to kill villains and instead kept them alive. And the fact that, aside from the two of you here, the only S-rank or higher psychic energy signature observed in this entire city belongs to you, Pink Spear.”
'What the hell, there's so much?'
And every single one of them sounded plausible.
Looking at it now, they would have been negligent in their duties if they hadn't arrested me.
But I don't panic. Right now, all of that is just speculation.
I have an inkling as to why the S-rank villain's trail went cold in District 5, but in any case, it can't be used as decisive proof that I'm the S-rank villain.
The investigator flipped a page and continued.
“And crucially, there is the fact that you were the sole survivor of the S-rank villain's attack. It has been determined that the S-rank villain could have easily killed you and still escaped. But you alone survived. Was it all staged? This alone makes you the prime suspect. Do you admit it?"
"......I do not. How does surviving by luck, happening to live in the same district, or simply possessing the same S-rank power make me a villain? Having an alibi doesn't make someone a suspect. You're missing the most important thing: a motive. I was a hero dedicated to protecting the citizens."
"Of course… these are all circumstantial points that led us to suspect and investigate you, but they are too ambiguous to be considered hard evidence. Now, let's begin the real questions.”
There were a lot of miscellaneous suspicions, but none of them were decisive proof.
If the S-rank villain, who isn't me, is just hiding somewhere, all of this is immediately refuted.
An image of Elizabeth flickered in my mind, but I decided to put that aside for now.
'Alright, let's see if your goal is genuine verification or just forcing an accusation.'
However, his very first question caught me completely off guard.
“First question. When you captured the A-rank Axe Murderer Villain by raiding his hideout. How did you find that hideout? Our investigation confirmed that they were indeed subordinates of the S-rank villain. Perhaps you were purging them for disobedience? In fact, our investigation of several other villains revealed signs related to a purge.”
The investigator's eyes gleamed.
'How did I find it? I just… huh?'
The answer: car-napping sex!
“……”
I was speechless at the absurd situation. Of all the things for them to ask!
It was such a difficult question that I momentarily considered using my Thought Acceleration skill.
But I'm a pro at climbing The Tower. I don't get flustered by questions like this. I pulled out an excuse I had prepared in advance.
“I lured them out on purpose. They looked like villains, so I came up with the brilliant idea of pretending to be kidnapped so they would take me to their hideout. I simply took a risk to catch the villains.”
“Hmm... I see. Then I will ask the second question."
'What, he's just moving on?'
"Is your sidekick, Elizabeth, a villain like you? I'm asking if she's an accomplice. She has disappeared… or rather, fled. We can't even trace the location of her communications, despite having a B-rank professional hacker on our side.”
“……”
'Ah, so it really was Elizabeth…'
At this point, I was certain.
I considered just saying, 'That bitch is the S-rank villain!' but something still held me back.
'Her feelings for me… they must have been genuine. If I'm found innocent, I'll go to her and tell her. Tell her to stop this.'
If she doesn't listen, I'll have to resort to other measures, but there's still room to negotiate. At the very least, I didn't want to see Elizabeth killed by strangers.
“I don't know. She was an excellent and capable sidekick.”
“…Understood. Third question. How did you awaken your second power? No, it's not just a second one, is it? You seem to have multiple powers. How exactly did you acquire such abilities?”
“Hoo… It just sort of happened. But is this really important? It feels like you haven't asked a single key question about the S-rank villain.”
I expected sharper questions. I was a bit flustered, but it felt like the questions were slightly off-topic.
They were all ambiguous questions, the kind you couldn't use to determine if someone was an S-rank villain.
But the investigator nodded as if he understood.
“Yes. Everyone, just as expected, she has lied about everything!!"
"Eh?"
The jurors began to murmur.
"My power is the ability to distinguish truth from lies!!! She answered all three questions with lies. She probably thought they were questions she could lie about without major consequences.”
An ability to tell truth from lies?
'Ah... why didn't I think of that? No wonder he was only asking ambiguous questions...'
I think I understand his intention.
Right now, there are only two paths for me: hero of justice or villain.
They can't prove I'm a villain? It doesn't matter. As long as they can prove I'm not a hero of justice, I'll automatically be branded a villain.
A very simple process of elimination.
This wouldn't fly in a real trial, but this isn't a real trial with a judge. The mere fact that I lied in a setting like this will make the people who believed I was a hero of justice start to doubt me.
"Hahaha... You've fallen right into my trap! You villain!!"
"Hmm..."
But if his ability is lie detection, then there might be a way out for me.
“How can you possibly determine anything with that? I am not an S-rank villain. Go on, try to determine if that's a lie.”
“Hmph, I knew you'd say that. Our investigation shows a high probability that the S-rank villain is a master of acting and deception. And my ability doesn't work on those who believe their own lies as if they've brainwashed themselves. That's why I asked indirectly. A direct question wouldn't have worked anyway!"
'What a cunning bastard...'
I can't just admit defeat like this. I don't know why they're trying to frame me as the S-rank villain, but nothing good can come from being misunderstood.
The board is stacked against me from the start. I need to change the game.
I am the hero of justice, Pink Spear!!
"Then what about you? Using strange sophistry and logic to frame a hero of justice as a villain. Aren't you the one who's a subordinate of the S-rank villain?"
"What are you talking about...!! I am a hero!"
I can't get caught up in his logic. I have to break free from the simple hero-or-villain debate and create a new framework.
I'll drag him into the frame of 'Couldn't you be a villain too?'
"Who can prove your innocence? I've been telling the truth, but if you frame me with lies, causing the loss of a perfectly good S-rank hero and weakening Raven City's forces, who stands to gain the most?!"
"But..."
"Ah~ Did you perhaps receive such an order? An order to divide the heroes, make them fight amongst themselves, and frame an innocent hero as a villain?"
He must not have expected me to counterattack. He looked slightly flustered, and the jurors began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Gasp..."
"It's... not entirely without merit, is it? Wasn't Pink Spear an active and effective hero?"
"If that's true... isn't this a huge problem?"
If this were a real courtroom, this would be incredibly rude, but this place is more like a public debate or a government hearing.
They aren't prosecutors or judges, just temporary investigators.
Therefore, just as they tried to frame me as a villain through a forced process of elimination, it's not a problem for me to question their innocence.
'It's a mistake to think I'm stupid just because my boobs are big!'
As long as I'm not getting fucked, my brain works just fine!
"I have colleagues..."
"And you think I don't? If you just look at the number of villains I've apprehended and the testimonies of the citizens I've protected, my achievements are hundreds of times greater than yours. Should I bring in the heroes and citizens of District 5? Who is judging whom here?! If you still think I'm lying, go ahead and make those brilliant eyes of yours twinkle."
"......"
His eyes twinkled, and he bit his lip.
The mood shifted in my favor.
"You have... numerous suspicious points against you. You are a, a prime suspect..."
"Ha, is that what you were ordered to say? Why don't you go prove your own integrity first. I'm just so curious who would benefit if an S-rank hero were to disappear~"
"......"
A long silence followed.
He had realized that the gazes of the jurors were now mostly on my side.
And then,
“See, didn't I tell you I would handle it, Samuel."
A clear, calm voice spread through the room.
I looked up to see that the S-rank hero, Chroniel, had intervened.
“What?”
'So he wasn't the end of it?'
Chroniel rose from her chair and came to the center of the room.
Investigator Samuel bowed his head with an apologetic expression and quietly retreated.
And then Chroniel looked at me and, in a cold voice, dropped a shocking bombshell.
“S-rank hero Pink Spear. In a future I have seen, you killed me."
Thump.
"Eh...?"
At her shocking declaration, the audience grew restless, murmuring in confusion.
"That alone is reason enough for your arrest. Even if you aren't the S-rank villain… you could be in some kind of cooperative relationship, or a potential traitor. The reason I didn't reveal this from the start, and why I didn't issue an immediate kill order, is because I myself couldn't believe you would do such a thing. That is why I requested this investigation personally."
‘What the hell is she talking about…’
I was dumbfounded.
She just shows up out of nowhere and says I'm going to kill her in the future…
Worse, the 'aren't you the real villain' logic won't work on this bitch. The old hag… no, the legendary hero who has protected this city for 150 years couldn't possibly be a villain.
But there's an uncertainty in her prophecy.
“Wait a minute. Isn't it possible that future happens because you're framing me as a villain like this? Anyone would fight back if they were falsely accused, wouldn't they?”
What if the future she saw is a result of her own actions?
"And if you look into the future again now, will the same thing happen?"
Or could her prophecy have already altered the future?
"Unfortunately, with my current ability, I can only glimpse a few scenes. It takes a considerable amount of power, so I can't use it again right away. But I saw it clearly. I saw you killing me. So I investigated, and I found many suspicious points."
"......Still, couldn't it be changed now? I have no intention of being hostile toward other heroes."
“Of course, that's possible. Which is why I would like to make a proposal. The complete confinement of the S-rank hero Pink Spear. We will imprison her in the special containment cell in the council's basement. If the S-rank villain is alive, they will eventually appear. And when they do, Pink Spear, who will have been in confinement, will automatically be proven innocent. We can release her then and fight together. It's quite simple, isn't it?”
‘Confinement, huh…’
It wasn't a great proposal.
It meant I wouldn't be able to respond even if a powerful villain appeared in District 5.
But Power Fist is there.
Power Fist, whom I personally trained through training sex, should be able to defeat most A-rank villains with ease.
The S-rank villain will definitely appear soon.
This isn't just a guess; this is a Tower's Trial, so one is bound to show up.
And surprisingly, for someone who saw a future where I kill her, stopping at mere confinement was a huge concession on her part.
‘Elizabeth, I'll wait for you here...’
“...I accept.”
*
The basement of the council building.
My eyes were covered with a blindfold as I was led through a maze-like path.
Someone removed the blindfold, and I could see again.
The place I was locked in felt less like an interrogation room and more like a laboratory.
Instead of a bed, there was a surgical mat, containers filled with unknown liquids, and various analysis machines.
Everyone else had left. Only a guy in a white coat who looked like a doctor and the two S-rank heroes stood before me.
"Ah, can you untie my arms now? It's not like I can use my powers anyway..."
They glanced around, and then their expressions changed, as if they were dropping an act.
"Honey... finally, we've finally caught this bitch and brought her here..."
"Yeah, let's start with this bitch."
Honey...?
Wait, more importantly, Chroniel's husband is Dimension Cutter?
They're an S-rank married couple?
'Fuck, what is this situation?'
But if they're a couple, then does that mean their son is...?
The couple was looking at me with pure hatred.
This is undeniable...
'Ice Heaven Emperor, you motherfucker!! So this was your true power!!!'