Gathered in limbo, many dead souls congregated around the courtroom, watching with interest and anticipation.

There were less than ten people present in the room: the larger-than-life judge sitting on his dais, several court officers, and the young criminal.

“Prisoner of the Sin of Heresy, Ryuuenjou Airi. Guilty for selling her soul to a Demon God, becoming his accomplice by helping to hide him, fusing her soul with the Demon God, and other charges. You are hereby sentenced to 900 lifetimes of misfortune and suffering, and 200 years in the lowest level of Hell.” The solemn voice of the judge resonated in the dank hall with tall ceilings as he read the glowing words written on his scroll, reading off the judgements.

His eyes flashed brightly as he settled his gaze on the girl. He raised the judge’s hammer on his desk and hit the desk, creating a deafeningly loud sound. Before the noise settled, a glowing ‘Criminal’ seal branded itself deep into the girl’s soul.

“AAAAAAAHHHHH!” The girl screamed loudly as she bore with the mind-boggling pain. The girl collapsed on her knees.

The watchers observed the goings inside the court in silence. It was the first time they had seen such a pure soul become a criminal.

The sound of clanking chains broke the silence as the girl was ushered out of the courtroom. On the other end of the chains, a stone-faced court officer led her out. The heavy chains visibly contrasted with her ivory skin.

“What a heavy sentence,” a voice murmured.

“Didn’t you hear? She killed her children.”

“How scary, how scary!”

“So terrible.”

“She deserved it.”

“The Abyssal Demon, of all things!”

…

..

.

She closed her eyes and kept walking at a slow but steady pace, her ears buzzing with the murmurings of the bystanders.

“You. Go through this pathway. The Governor of Heresy will meet you.”

The girl followed the stone-faced officer’s instruction without a word.

Airi walked for what felt like ages, dragging her chains behind her. Her whole body felt heavier with every step, as if her sins were trying to crush her.

A blinding light.

When she came to, a vast green world appeared before her. It was entirely different than the dark and dreary world of limbo which she had just came out from.

The air blew, as if in greeting.

A figure appeared in front of her, smiling slightly in greeting. Even without him introducing himself, Airi somehow knew who he was; his name popped out in her mind.

The Governor of the Sin of Heresy, Pathfinder (道しるべ/Michishirube).

“Welcome, to the Garden of the Lost Lambs,” he greeted.

“Is that really the name of this place?” Airi asked, tilting her head with a tinge of tiredness.

Pathfinder chuckled, “Kidding, it’s just called Garden.”

Airi laughed dryly in response, “Ha-ha.”

Then, the Governor assumed a serious expression. “The normal length of sentence for a person who committed heresy is usually nine lifetimes, but yours is a special case. In truth, it should be much longer, but the Governor of Grievance and Regret pleaded for you, so your sentence became shorter.”

His face softened, “In actuality, this punishment isn’t your fault. It’s because of the demon in your possession.”

Her mind drifting to the demon within her. Unfortunately, the demon was sealed with a complete Thousand Senses Sealing Formation of the highest degree, rendering him into unconsciousness. Even if she wanted to scold him for taking her down with him, she could not. In any case, she was also at fault for selling (half of) her soul to him in the first place.

“The demon, nicknamed the Abyssal Demon, is a world-destroying entity. Before he came to you, he destroyed two worlds, and brought another to a point of near-ruin. We sent reinforcements to chase him down, but before we could eliminate him, you found him. Therefore, you bear his sins, if only due to your connection to him,” the Governor explained. She was truly unlucky to have met him. Even such a pristine white soul became tainted because of him. Even though the demon was currently dormant, it did not change the fact that her soul was slowly being overwhelmed by his. If left alone, sooner or later, her soul would disappear.

He felt that she really did not deserve such a punishment. But alas, all he could do was lighten her burden. At the very least, he could teach this pitiful girl some methods to prevent the stronger demon’s soul from devouring hers completely.

He patted her head comfortingly, “Your souls have become muddled together, and separating his soul from yours is simply too risky. I will impart some techniques to you later to keep his soul from completely devouring yours.”

 Airi watched the Governor’s kind gesture with a complex gaze. For someone who governed criminals, he sure was generous. She did not know what to make of it.

 “For now, cleanse and refine your soul in Hell. Once you return, your real sentence will begin.”