Queenfisher

And here I was... wanting to impress y'all with an April 1st chapter and some bizarre event inside it! But alas, alas...

There is nothing in this chapter to look out for.

Nothing at all.

Not even a little small easter egg... nothing, ah.

TT____TT I am sorry! I am too lame to even come up with a fake "AWFUL" or "SUPER NICE" Ending to troll you with.

Chapter Hundred Nineteen

The Trial of Likeness

The rustle of whispers filled the room as the agitation at Morokata's grand entry calmed down. Morokata bowed to each side, not missing Abihiko as well. The round paper fan in his hand fluttered sweetly, sending his long hair in a gentle waver.

Abihiko mirrored his bow.

"Not at all. Just on time. Your uncle, though, is dragging it a bit too close to the timeframe." And Abihiko pointed toward the central dais which had a spiral crystalline hourglass on it. Inside it, trickled liquid emerald, counting down time in the courtroom.

Which was almost entirely over, by now.

"The Head Priest of Izumo will have the courtesy of being the latest, it seems," Abihiko ended with a smile to rival Morokata's.

...

Nekohiko stilled, nervous with the answer Morokata would give.

Suminoe was, after all, his Puppet. Nekohiko had always wondered how Morokata would pull off such a fine tuning of a corpse Puppet on the Grand Imperial Tribunal, under the spells of Transparency, to boot. Nobody knew Suminoe was dead. But the Spirits would expose that under the Transparency -- without fail!

In their speculations about how the Trial would go and what tricks Morokata would employ during it, Nekohiko and Abihiko had held no doubt that Morokata would avoid this situation whatever the cost.

Yet how exactly? -- was a more pending question.

Nothing could faze Morokata today, it seemed. He shrugged elegantly, slinking toward the Hisome dais next to Okinaga's, and raised his husky voice to be properly heard by everyone here and outside, through the Memory Spell imagery.

"His Holiness Suminoe is not coming, I am afraid."

...

The subtle gasp in the audience was so synchronous, Nekohiko felt it as much as heard it.

"Oh no, I hope he is all right," Abihiko sighed with fake concern.

Morokata finally reached his dais, stepping behind his speaker's banister and waving his fan as though to chase grievous thoughts from himself. "There was an attack of the Savage Spirits on the Izumo coastline just yesterday! Its effects were so severe, His Holiness had no choice but to take care of it personally. The region is in terrible danger now, and needs stabilizing."

...

What attack?

On Izumo?! Since when...?

The audience in the room seemed anxious at the news as well. Nekohiko balked, nervous, but Abihiko didn't even blink.

"Oh no! How many and why? Is Izumo going to be all right?" he asked.

"His Holiness Suminoe has dealt with it. And is still busy with the purification of the region. After all, the attack was quite gruesome. Several Savage Spirits had participated in it."

"Tsk, those Savage Spirits. So many at once, ah." Abihiko spread his arms in dejection. "It is as if they were planning to do it, so organized their attack feels--"

"Doesn't it?" Morokata echoed. Only the faintest tint of annoyance showed in his eyes at Abihiko's constant interruptions of his speech. He cleared his throat and went on. "As the King of the Hisome Land, I had to make some small sacrifices for the good of my people. I asked Dear Uncle to monitor the healing of the region while I am gone, especially after the great battle he'd had to fight to push back the Spirits a mere day ago. I figured it wouldn't be such an incomprehensible action, for someone to stay back for the sake of our Kingdom and that the dear participants of the Tribunal would relate to the Hisome's recent misery. Her Majesty Kasuga would know firsthand about making such sacrifices for her land, no? Although, ha-ha... neither I nor Dear Uncle intended to massacre thousands of innocent people to do that, but oh well --! Everyone's methods are different, aren't they?"

Abihiko dropped his head, saddened. "My condolences, Your Majesty Morokata. The situation at the borders must be so severe to irritate so many Savage Spirits and attack one of the Spiritual centers of the Empire... oh wait, forgive me. There is no border next to Izumo, is there?" He looked to his side as though asking for confirmation among his councilors. Each of them merely gaped in response, stunned to be asked such an obvious question in public. By the Emperor.

Abihiko turned back to Morokata promptly. "I wonder what dreadful Spiritual imbalance must have happened in the Hisome Kingdom to be attacked so... illogically by the Spirits. Must have been something Your Majesty missed, by chance? Some accumulation of resentful energies in the Kingdom's Spiritside?"

Morokata's eyes slowly narrowed down as he continued smiling at Abihiko in a would-be pleasant manner.

"That's too bad, if so," Abihiko went on. "I always worried about giving each Lordship of the Empire its own governing status for the fear of something like this happening. Since I am not the official ruler of the Hisome Kingdom, there is so little I know about its shortcomings or miseries -- and have to trust that Your Majesty would not abuse your power in it."

"Naturally. Thank you, Dear Brother-in-law, for your trust in my capabilities."

"Well, trust is earned. So what happened in the Hisome Kingdom to make those Savage Spirits attack Izumo so suddenly and so far away from the borders?"

...

Abihiko's tone left no doubt about his gleeful desire to nitpick everything Morokata would say. Even Nekohiko saw just how aggressive Abihiko was acting, and how uncalled it might have seemed to everyone present.

Good thing the court room still wasn't being observed outside through the Memory spells. Since the seventh member of the Trial hadn't shown up, the Trial wasn't in process. So nothing for the commoners outside to see.

It was time, though. The emerald hourglass at the center of the room almost exhausted itself, by now.

Moronkata gave Okinaga and Sakai a perplexed glance, then smiled apologetically. "Ah, should we keep talking about the Hisome Kingdom issue now? I feel it would take too much attention from the actual Trial at hand! Should we not maintain order in our discussion?"

During the back-and-forth between Abihiko and Morokata, the other Great Lords had visibly tensed up. Okinaga in particular looked dark, frowning. Addressed so openly by Morokata, he set his jawline firm and spoke.

"The court should be in order. It is time to start the actual process."

"Condolences," Sakai suddenly said from his corner. Sidelong, his gaze at Morokata had such heaviness, Nekohiko found it peculiar.

Sakai never interacted with the other Lords in the open. Him doing so now, and in this grim manner was so groundbreaking, it even seemed like... mockery?

"Condolences for your Kingdom," Sakai repeated, lower.

Though Morokata didn't take it as mockery. Grief marred his fine features and he inclined his head to the Lord of Utsuro. "House Hisome thanks His Majesty Sakai for His concern."

Abihiko accepted the change in the conversation, leaning back toward his councilors as they whispered to him about the issues at stake: the Towa Memory images outside, the small tasks Abihiko asked them to fulfill in the State Hall, the official plan of the process.

With a nod, Abihiko dismissed them, then turned back to the court. 

"His Majesty Okinaga is right, of course," he said, not giving Okinaga a single glance. "That said, how can the Grand Imperial Tribunal proceed if we do not have all members present? The Head Priest of Izumo is missing. The Trial cannot advance--"

"Dear Uncle had foreseen such a complication," Morokata hurried to say. Never before had he been so pushy about drawing attention to his and Suminoe's family relation, but now Nekohiko saw why he did. Morokata addressed the Nagare siblings directly. "Besides, seeing as the Tribunal would have had two blood members of the Hisome Family, Dear Uncle thought it might cause unnecessary distrust to the conclusion of the Trial. We wouldn't want that, would we?"

Kasuga tilted her head, eyes unblinking as she stared at him from across the room.

"Thus, His Holiness surmised it would be better for the Spiritway to be represented by someone else from within the Izumo's administrative branch. To keep the Trial fair, and to not leave the Izumo region during such a horrible time."

And Morokata smiled, opening his arm toward the doors from beyond which a small group of Spiritway priests was walking,  clad in greys and whites and blacks.

All solemn and detached even from such a grand introduction to the Tribunal they would take part in.

At the head of their group, strode a man not much older than Abihiko, really. With a very pleasant yet disinterested face, and an air of studious indifference to anything that wasn't written in a book or a scroll.

Hifumi? Nekohiko squinted, unsure.

That young scholar student in Izumo with whom Abihiko been so desperately in love ten years ago. Ohhh, he and Nekohiko had spent several nights in Hifumi's room when they were tied together with the Fox Thread...

And all those endless ramblings from Abihiko about Hifumi and how amazing, great, wonderful, and pretty he was...

Seeing him here, now, was such a weird experience. Nekohiko had forgotten all about him, but the rush of memories brought it back. Along with a certain twinge in Nekohiko's wooden doll chest as he realized this person -- Hifumi -- had been Abihiko's first ever love.

His biggest crush, once.

Careful, Abihiko flinched, his fingers going for his chest as though in discomfort. "Neko," he whispered, hiding his mouth with his hand in a gesture of mere scratching of the tip of his nose. "Why is my heart aching? What is going on with you out there? Are you safe?"

...

Nekohiko caught himself staring at Hifumi in intense displeasure. Abihiko's voice snapped him out of it and he blinked with his drawn seashell eyes, innocent as a seashell would be.

"No-no, everything is fine," he said.

But he still paid close attention to the direction of Abihiko's gaze. Just in case. He had nothing to worry about because Abihiko might as well not recognize Hifumi at all, with how little concern he showed at the man's sight.

But the sudden anger he felt at seeing him here...

"The Spiritway Priest Hifumi is one of the direct disciples of His Holiness, thus may act on his behalf and as a representative of the Spiritway during the Tribunal," one of the priests in Hifumi's entourage said even though their statement sounded so prim and smug, Nekohiko felt as though Morokata had said it.

His presence was all over this switch between the Spiritway representatives. If Nekohiko and Abihiko hadn't known about Suminoe being a Puppet, they would have been fooled, like everyone else, into believing this was an unrelated and natural development.

Nothing suspicious. 

However, they knew. And now, Nekohiko only wondered if Morokata had planted something else. Why Hifumi specifically, after all?

He understood why only a few minutes later when the Spiritway delegation ascended their dais and the priests urged Hifumi to start the process. Hifumi, as he'd always been, seemed apathetic about the whole thing. But he was good at doing what was needed from him. He nodded to the other priests and gave the room a rounding glance.

"Before the Trial can begin, the issue of truth has to be acknowledged," Hifumi said in a monotonous voice. He lifted the ceremonial baton in his hand that must have been given to him by Suminoe, then motioned each of the other Great Lords to mimic his gesture.

...

Oh.

Obviously, the Great Lords did not have any ceremonial batons with them, but Hifumi's action implied something else. A ritual and law any Trial should abide by.

The Law of Transparency.

The spell of truth that had to be cast by no less than seven people to even approximate objectivity in its workings. The number seven wasn't coincidental either. Transparency had been created with all the Five Great Lords, the Head Priest of Izumo, and the Emperor in mind. Seven people, attempting to force truth by creating a field of compulsion within which nobody could lie.

A demanding spell and an annoying one precisely because it was only traditionally used in Trials and other justice-related situations. Even gathering seven Binders willing to cast it wasn't an easy thing. At least one of the seven would argue against doing so because of how helpless people felt under the effects of Transparency.

As though Bound dummies or puppets, unable to not be compelled to truth. A very frustrating feeling.

Nekohiko remembered the last time he'd seen Transparency cast with him inside the truth field.

It had been almost ten years ago. On a duel between him, Abihiko, and Morokata. Nekohiko and Abihiko had thought they could outsmart or outperform Morokata by forcing him into the truth spell, but it ended up... directly the other way around.

Morokata had almost murdered them for daring to challenge him. The horrible events of that duel had only been mitigated because of Suminoe coming at the last moment to stop it. If not for him--

...

Ah, but there was no Suminoe now.

Only Nekohiko, Abihiko, and Morokata. Almost exactly like the last time. And just like the last time, the person asked to initiate the Transparency was -- Hifumi.

Nekohiko squirmed in his mind, uncomfortable. Suddenly, the choice of Hifumi to represent Suminoe at the Tribunal no longer seemed arbitrary. Morokata wanted Nekohiko and Abihiko to remember that duel.

He wanted them to draw parallels to it and how it had ended, regardless of what they thought about succeeding now or then.

"Please assemble for the Law of Transparency spell formation," Hifumi droned with a bored roll of his eyes as he stepped off his dais and went to the center of the court room.

Feet shuffled and clothes rustled as all the Great Lords abandoned their spots on their tribunes. Everyone had to gather in the middle for the casting, the Emperor included. Abihiko clasped his hands behind his back, strolling over to the small gathering of the most powerful people in the Empire.

"The Towa Memory exchange?" Morokata prodded Hifumi when the seven formed a circle around the emerald hourglass, and Hifumi finally showed a semblance of emotion on his face.

It was bafflement.

"Ah, I forgot. Forgive me," Hifumi sighed. He fumbled, turning around to the Spiritway priests and the Towa Binders ready at the sidelines, only waiting for the order to begin. "Towa Memory Binders may start the sharing of the process. For everyone to see."

Nekohiko didn't care about what the commoners outside these halls would hear or see about the Trial, but he knew Abihiko cared. A lot.

Abihiko had told him the common people's opinion would be what makes or breaks this Trial and what decides the success of his pitch. So of course Abihiko followed the motions of the Towa Binders descending into trance to share their immediate memories with the tight network of other Towa Binders. Those, in turn, would show the reflections of the memories in the Bound water mirrors -- to the spectators. 

Hundreds, if not thousands of spectators. Perhaps, not all people in the Empire cared to witness the Trial, but the gossip by those who did would spread even faster than any Memory spell.

Within a few days, the whole Empire would know the results of the Trial.

No wonder Abihiko shivered ever so slightly under Nekohiko's seashell as the Towa Binders cast their Memory-sharing spells on the background.

Here, in the center, though, nobody cast yet.

The Transparency required a few steps before that.

"The ceremonial baton of the Head Priest of Izumo," Hifumi intoned, putting the minimalistic wooden plank on the pedestal with the hourglass on it. "The Law of Transparency has the consent of the Spiritway to be cast."

The second to join in was Lord Okinaga. His fingers curled around thin air in front of his face as though holding something. In one sinuous swoop, he jerked his hand outward, and a brilliant crimson sword hissed into existence the very next moment.

The heat it emanated was like fresh blood, and so was the color of its long, slightly curved blade.

Chifude, the Legendary Sword of the Lord of the Mountains¹血筆 (Chifude) = "Blood Brushstroke" because duh! Hiras are cool. They have to have the most classical weapon ever, a katana!!.

"The spell has consent of House Hira to be cast." Okinaga put Chifude on the pedestal next to the baton, and as his fingers lifted off the handle of the sword, the blade dulled like a piece of coal slowly cooling down into bleak darkness.

"The spell has consent of House Nagare to be cast."

"The spell has consent of House Towa to be cast."

Both Iokirihime and Kasuga spoke at the same time, causing the young girl to flinch and lift her tired eyes at Iokirihime as though slapped unjustly. But Iokirihime didn't notice. Likely, she didn't plan to speak in unison with Kasuga, and only wanted to get this small ritual out of the way.

She slapped her hands in front of her face, all the crystalline jewelry twinkling and chiming on her bracelets, headdress, and neck from the smallest of her motions.

Then she stretched her hands outward, and in between them, out of empty air, appeared a blinding dazzle of a long halberd. A glaive²Naginata is another traditional Japanese weapon! Its most famous use is by Sailor Saturn, Hotaru -- in Sailor Moon!! Which is kind of weird to begin with because Kasuga's design is based on Hotaru's appearance, yet her glaive is repurposed for Kasuga's nemesis -- Iokirihime... Hmmm... of silver and watery sapphires, so bright, it hurt to look at it straight. And so long, Morokata next to Iokirihime had to recoil to not be hit by it when Iokirihime summoned her own Legendary weapon.

The ice-cold glaive, Amakiwa³天際 (Amakiwa) = means "horizon"! Because seas and oceans... horizons... it makes sense, I promise!!.

Kasuga's right hand faded into a cloud of darkness as she called for the black bow Netsuito to materialize⁴熱糸 (Netsuito) = "Passion Cord"/"Heart String". Kasuga's bow is the traditional Japanese bow, (asymmetrical one)..

Both she and Iokirihime placed their Legendary weapons on the pedestal as well, each of their qualities -- of darkness and of flashing light waning once they were out of their master's hands.

An enormous scythe loomed above Sakai's head as he summoned the Legendary Minori⁵実り (Minori) = means "Harvest". Because it is a scythe or a sickle... so... harvest. Very logical, no? ^^ weapon of House Utsuro to his hand. The pale, slightly yellow tinge of its handle and blade resembled that of bone ivory, and the handle's segmented parts reminded one of a long, mutilated spine. The crooked blade was too long and the scythe itself too tall to fit on the pedestal among other Legendary weapons, so Sakai Split it into sections -- leaving nothing of its original image. The Minori now looked more like a chain sickle⁶Chain sickle is another traditional Japanese weapon, a very cool one! than a proper scythe, but Sakai never showed respect for the weapon's integrity.

As the Lord of the Waste, he probably didn't care.

Lastly, Morokata slid his own Legendary weapon to the pedestal's corner. Without trying to summon a lot of attention, as though shy.

His was the bronze battle fan⁷Japanese War Fan. . He'd quickly materialized it in the open position which was its true form, but snapped it closed almost immediately. Which was amusing.

Legendary Kagayaki⁸輝 (Kagayaki) = means "Sparkles". Because, as usual -- Hisomes are just *that* fabulous, okay? ^^ was such a bizarre weapon. Its name implied beauty and spark, but its actual appearance was the opposite. Dozens of plates of bronze, each ending in a razor-sharp edge -- heavy just from the looks of it. But covered with patina almost entirely as though devoured by acid with centuries of use. Patina gave it its gentle hue of pastel-blue-and-green which fit House Hisome so well. But at the same time wafted of corruption and erasure of something beautiful, canceling all of Kagayaki's shine and making it look like a real battle weapon, among all the other Legendary items here.

"House Hisome consents to Transparency, too," Morokata chimed in. He cocked his head to Abihiko. "Dear Brother-in-law?"

"Mn."

The Emperor's turn. Traditionally, the Emperor would put the Emerald Crown on the pedestal as a symbol of even the crown being subject to truth.

But Abihiko only shrugged. And took out of his sleeve a small bronze knife, so unadorned and insignificant-looking compared to all the others here. Nekohiko's eyes froze on the blade -- his mind unable to believe.

This knife...!

It clanged as Abihiko threw it on top of the Legendary weapons. "Imperial House consents to the Law of Transparency," he said.

Most of the Lords stared at the weapon, perplexed. Kasuga, Iokirihime, and Hifumi merely pondered, clearly uncertain of what this small blade was about and why it represented the Emperor's will on the Trial. But Okinaga recognized it. Obviously did.

And so did Morokata, his eyes flashing to Abihiko's in subdued annoyance. Sakai slowly tilted his chin, his eyebrow raised at the sight of the knife, but he didn't speak. He also must have recognized it.

Everyone would, if they were present when it had been used last.

"Your Majesty..." Okinaga's low tone left no doubt about his displeasure. "What is the meaning of this--"

"What a cute little knife," Morokata gasped, reaching out to lift it. "Do you cut your breakfast apples with it, Dear Brother-in-law?"

"Nooooo, I cut people's throat with it."

Morokata's fingers never reached the blade, stilling above it. The silence of the small gathering had palpable weight.

"Which is how I got my throne in the first place, so what else better to represent the current Emperor's involvement?" Abihiko ended, easy. "The weapon that tasted the previous Emperor's blood, of course."

...my murder weapon, Nekohiko thought.

What the hell are you doing, Abihiko?

"How morbid," Morokata let a breath out. "But it is somewhat better than that Maple Apple sword you favor so much, Dear Brother-in-law. At least, this knife might mean you will take this Trial seriously."

Abihiko's joy faded to a lightless smirk. "You have no idea."

...

Moronkata shook his head, then motioned Hifumi to go on. The young scholar led the assembling of the spell formation, directing each of the other six people to stand at specific points in the center of the court room. Other Spiritway priests came over to help with the setting of the spell runes and marks on the floor and instructing the Lords in case anyone here forgot the equations needed for Transparency. Nobody probably would, seeing how simple the spell was -- but the tradition prescribed the priests to prepare regardless.

The actual spellcasting only took a few moments as each of the seven locked their finger signs and synchronized them with each other. A translucent film of pure white swept over the gathering, stopping just at the edge of the room, fully setting everyone inside it in a dome of compulsory truth.

And all of it was likely shared by the Towa Binders -- for everyone outside to see and know that no lies would be uttered during the process.

"So what exactly happened in the Hisome Kingdom, with the whole Savage Spirit attack on Izumo?" Abihiko called to Morokata the moment Transparency settled down.

How rude of him.

Speaking out of turn, and so soon after the Truth spell -- and outside of the Trial's topic? The crowd in the Tribunal ruffled up with murmurs and gasps and shocked faces everywhere one looked. Before, people in the room had maintained civility and polite silence at the Lords' bickering, but now they couldn't. Under Transparency, their vivid desire for gossip and drama peeked out, showing their true colors.

And boy, did the drama deliver with how sour Moronkata's face became at the question.

"Dark Sisterhood's presence and corrupting influence around Izumo is what caused the Savage Spirits to manifest, all right?" he said, barely suppressing his aggravation. "Abihiko, this is not the time to talk about this!"

He'd dropped both the "dear Brother-in-law" and his endearing sweetness, unable to keep it up under Transparency. But he still abused the loopholes the truth allowed, avoiding direct lies.

"Dark Sisterhood's presence?" Abihiko made a face as he and the others stepped back to their respective dais. "So, Puppet-mastery and ghoul-raising magic -- in Izumo? Who would have thought!"

He didn't go on, only flashing Morokata his brimming smile as though taunting him.

Morokata responded similarly, without outright aggression toward him. There were other concerns at play, after all -- and the underlying fight between Abihiko and Morokata was not center-stage for now.

Because it was time for the official reason this Trial was held, to begin with.

Kasuga. And the question of her death sentence.

***

With how calm Abihiko was even under Transparency, Nekohiko mellowed down and stopped paying attention to the constant gushing and buzz of whispery conversations on the tribunes. Part of him wondered if he should go out in his doll body and peek into the nearest Towa Memory exchange buildings to get the feel of what the crowds outside the Trial thought. But perhaps the inside of the courtroom was already enough.

Their unbridled emotion and open-hearted vicious curiosity were all too predictable. These people wanted to see someone fail, regardless of who and why.

They just came to witness something important and dramatic. And they got it.

The Spiritway side brought the charges, listing the exact crime against the Empire that Kasuga had committed. Hifumi's delivery was dry and uninvolved. He merely read from the scrolls he'd been given, without much thought or addition of his personal feelings into it.

How little he changed under Transparency. Which only proved that Hifumi was indeed only a pawn in Morokata's desire to keep Suminoe away from the Tribunal. Not Morokata's ally.

The whole crime was being laid out for the public in the simplest terms.

The tensions between the Nagare and Towa Kingdoms had been going on for years, as everyone knew.

At the end of summer, this year, Kasuga had taken the Emperor's brother and sister hostage at the Nagare border. Potentially for skewing the Emperor's opinion about the dispute between the two Kingdoms.

Early autumn, the Towa forces tried to address the issue by giving Kasuga an ultimatum in the Fuji region. In the ensuing battle, Queen Kasuga had not only used the Nagare Bizarre Beast, Suzumegara, to aid her against the Towa army -- but also --

"--fully attempted to use Suzumegara as a weapon of mass destruction against the citizens of the Empire," Hifumi finished with a particularly bored-sounding note. "Due to the incomparable size and power differences between the Bizarre Beasts belonging to each House, using them against the citizens of the Empire is tantamount to a war crime and should be judged according to the statutes of the Binding legal code."

Fully attempted, but hadn't, Nekohiko wanted to interject. Yet of course today was not the time for any defensive arguments.

Today, was the day of the charges and witness accounts and the examination of the similar cases of the previous Trials.

Thus, what happened here today would be quite dull. Only the Transparency brightened up the legal and bureaucratic development in the room.

Because the room was livid. Even knowing that the day of defense was tomorrow, people on the Nagare and sometimes Hira tribunes just couldn't shut up about unfairness and how rigged the system was. The Imperial guards and the Spiritway priests had to tone down the volume of the people on the tribunes, simply to keep the court in order. When compelled to act on their personal perception of truth, people's tongues could not quite stay silent.

So yes, it was entertaining, to a degree. Regardless of the amount of dry courtroom talk the priests spewed to advance in their charges.

Abihiko frequently turned to his ministers and councilors in the Imperial House tribunes, checking in with them about whether the prosecution side gave the events without breaking the rules or not. He consulted with them and at times stopped Hifumi to ask for specifics.

"Queen Kasuga is engaged to the Imperial House, though," he noted. "I doubt inviting her future relatives to stay in her castle is the same as taking hostages."

Hifumi dwindled down in his reading of the codex again and had to do a double-take at Abihiko. Then turned to look at the fellow Spiritway priests who were also a bit lost as to what to reply.

Morokata had to.

"According to the courtly documentation, the agreement of the engagement between Your Supreme Divine Majesty and Queen Kasuga was only finalized after the Fuji incident," Morokata said with a tasteful chuckle.

"I had full intentions to agree to the engagement way before that."

...

The Transparency spell allowed Abihiko to say this, leaving Nekohiko shocked for a moment.

Huh? Abihiko wasn't even lying? He'd wanted to be engaged to Kasuga, of all people? What!

"Oh?" Moronkata raised an eyebrow elegantly. "The intentions should not be given the same value as actions, should they?"

"Yet the Tribunal seems set on judging Queen Kasuga not on her committing a war crime against the Empire, but for the mere intention to do so." And Abihiko spread his arms to the collective hush in the amused audience. "Let's see how that goes tomorrow, mmm?"

Morokata did not let the statement settle in the minds of the spectators, already segueing into a tangent he no doubt found convenient.

"And besides, the marriage of the Emerald Throne to a would-be war criminal is... unfortunate. No doubt the citizens of the Empire would not be happy about that."

"I was the one who stopped Queen Kasuga from the act of the war crime," Abihiko raised his voice, too. Heavily, he leaned both his arms on the banister rail before him as though strengthening his position. "So as you can clearly see, I am unbelievably good at stopping my spouse from committing genocide. And taming and reigning them in. Like any worthwhile husband would."

...

Abihiko.

You--! Who will tame and reign whom?! How dare you--?

"Oooooh," a whisper wafted from somewhere in the back seats of the Tribunes, however muted the sounds there were. A rustle of several other people giggling at Abihiko's words only added to the amused reaction from the crowd.

In places far less subdued than here, Nekohiko wondered how saucy or wild the people's imaginations would be. Himself, he only rolled his eyes at Abihiko's provocation, but couldn't help find it endearing.

Abihiko needed to please the crowd today and tomorrow. Giving them something to talk about was part of his plan, after all.

"Please, Spiritway Priest Hifumi -- go on," Okinaga said for the tenth time this hour. Each time, he sounded less and less patient about being here and listening to Abihiko and Morokata subtly bickering about minutiae.

Unlike him, Kasuga looked better than when she'd come here. Nekohiko could swear her eyes softened in a smile every time Abihiko came to her aid during the charges. If she never showed emotion usually, now, under the truth compulsion, she seemed almost... relaxed.

Perhaps she believed in Abihiko that much, Nekohiko decided. And he absolutely agreed with her. Abihiko was... so calm and collected through the ordeal, it was hard not to gain a new appreciation of his manner, even if it was annoying at times.

Mikawa thought differently. Stormy, he glared across the room, tormenting his lip with his teeth. Every time Morokata or Abihiko clashed again, his fingers dug into the banister rail before him as though barely able to keep away from breaking something. He trembled, too. So worried he was under Transparency, Nekohiko was afraid the boy would faint whenever Hifumi brought the death sentence again.

The boy couldn't handle the Trial at all, dismayed about his sister.

"The Towa and Hisome generals will now give their recount of the events--" the voices of the Spiritway priests broke the silence after the charges ended and brought in the first of the witnesses.

It was a long day at court.

Not the least because Abihiko and Morokata had felt the need to clash even during the witness testimonies. Mainly, Abihiko did, with Morokata having to remind him he was distracting the process again and again.

So when it was finally over, Nekohiko's head felt dizzy from all the fast-paced back-and-forth and from how overwhelming such a huge social event could be! The constant rustle of droning, the endless focusing on specific points and details in the witness recounts, the subtleties of human expressions and figure of speech!

Nekohiko only felt in his own element when the legal code had been read out, but other than that -- he was as lost as a kitten in a crowd of very animated humans.

Even from within his doll body, he felt exhausted...

He emerged in it after he saw that the process was being wrapped up and even the Law of Transparency lifted to let the participants leave the room. Only the menial and procedural parts were left, and even Abihiko already turned away from the courtroom to stand near his councilors, arms crossed on his chest, talking in a hushed voice about some courtly issues Nekohiko didn't have interest in.

Yay, at last! Free!

He breathed in and out, stretching his arms and legs in his doll form after he'd abandoned this body for hours to reside within the seashell. He was sitting at the back porch of Old Ema's house, looking into the garden swaddled in early shades of dusk. A quiet, serene feeling enfolded him, and he stood up, rolling his shoulders and making a mighty yawn.

Over! Over for today! And with such a tremendous success, it seemed!

Of course they couldn't achieve much on the day of the charges since their primary strength lay in the defense. But Abihiko had told him they needed the amusement and adoration of the crowd. The intrigue! With it, pushing his pitch tomorrow would be so much easier...!

And boy, did Abihiko deliver on that front.

Because of how similar Abihiko had acted with or without Transparency -- the audience in the courtroom was just so charmed by him. The Emperor, who, before today, seemed a mystical and removed figure, now showed himself in full glory, even under the truth spells.

And after the beautiful wedding and the potential promise of a new one, this time to Kasuga -- the people seemed all the more fascinated with his behavior.

Somehow, that made Nekohiko feel giddy. He skipped down the porch and ran through the rooms and toward the front doors of the house. He nearly bumped into Old Ema who was rummaging through her shelves by the door, and had to stop dramatically, unable to suppress his brimming smile.

"I am going out to meet up with Abihiko," he said, not knowing why he felt the need to. "We're going to celebrate how good today has been."

The old woman gave him a very dour look. "I don't care."

Oh well.

Nekohiko didn't care that she didn't care -- which was exactly what he appreciated so much about his and her relationship.

"Did your criminal boyfriend break into another old woman's house? Congratulations, if so. Petty thieves," she grunted on, shuffling her feet as she trudged back to her room. "Running around, so noisy, ah..."

Nekohiko waved at her back, quickly putting his shoes on to leave. But not before he could update her on something he really wanted her to know, for some reason.

"Not my boyfriend. My husband!"

He left the comment about Abihiko actually being a ruling Emperor to himself as well as the fact that he himself was an Emperor. Old Ema not having any idea who he or Abihiko were and never giving a damn about finding out had drawn him to her so much.

Why would he ruin such a beautiful relationship now, of all times?

Outside, the city dazzle got to his head even more. Especially since, as he hurried down the streets toward the government district, he heard threads of other people's conversations in the street corners and on the Bound carriages passing him by.

They all talked about the Trial.

About the sophistication and elegance of Morokata. About the beauty of Iokirihime. About Kasuga being so forlorn, many people pitied her just because she was a very young girl. An orphan, too!

About the plot twist of the switch between Suminoe and Hifumi, and above all -- about Abihiko.

The young, and attractive, and apparently -- quite irreverent and arrogant Emperor. Who was also the sole reason listening on to the blurry and badly-preserved Trial Memory spell ended up being not as dull and boring as people had expected it to be.

If anything, they now seemed enamored enough to want to witness tomorrow's defense as soon as possible!

...

Ahhhh, Nekohiko's lips hurt, so wide his smile was on his face. This was precisely what Abihiko had wanted it to be. More and more people caring to listen and pay attention to the defense -- and everything Abihiko wanted to say there. Nekohiko couldn't wait to find him and rush at him in a hug.

To congratulate him on his success and maybe... something else to properly celebrate the day.

But no such fate. Because--

"Neko!" Aomi's shrill voice came to him, stopping him in his tracks.

He almost crashed into a group of tourists by a bakery shop on the street. He jolted, throwing a mad look around in search of the nosy girl. But of course she couldn't be here yet.

Last time he knew, she was in the Adamantine Mountain's castle. Researching. And very, very obsessive about it.

"You come here right now, stupid ladybug, or I'll smack you with this heavy tome -- and probably kill you on the spot!" another threat came through, and Nekohiko finally remembered.

The ladybug.

Sure.

He leaned his back against the shop's wall to not fall down while his mind was elsewhere. Then he switched to the ladybug. But not without a certain grumpiness.

"I have a date with your brother. Why are you distracting me?" he growled from within his teeny tiny red-and-black body.

"Becaaaause..." And Aomi propped her chin on her palm, looking incredibly smug. "I know the exact plan of Moronkata's. And Sakai's. You heard me right. Morokata AND Sakai. For Spirits know how long, those two schemers. Both in this against you and my gorgeously stupid brother. And I have almost no doubt they are very, very close to winning.

"Would you like to hear how?"

Queenfisher

If anyone forgot here -- Hifumi was that rando dude who Abihiko and Neko slept with a couple of times when they were tied together, waaaay back in the book, lol. (Ch. 21 "Bondage!" (Part 3 of 3)). He was also the same rando whom people called to cast Transparency during Moro vs AbiNeko duel.

And the rules of the Law of Transparency and its effects were mentioned first there, too! (Ch. 39 "Victim" (Part 2 of 3)).