Chapter 236 - 201: Intense Conflict

Just as the guards sent word, five ships had already landed outside the secret base of the Vengeful Angels.

The ships bore the emblems of the Mechanical Order and the Judgment Court.

The base, located within the Iberian Great Fortress, had a massive landing pad built by leveling a mountain peak. Paved with high-strength concrete, it was flanked by two wide corridors on the left and right that connected to the base entrance.

Sentries were posted every fifty meters along the corridors, manned by trusted members of Sedon’s Death Battle Group.

At that moment, a fierce wind howled across the mountaintop landing pad. In the distance, dark clouds flashed with lightning and rumbled with thunder, rolling toward the Great Fortress and carrying a torrential downpour.

A group of Technician Priests in the garb of the Mechanical Order disembarked and entered the left corridor.

Another party, consisting of Knights and Judges from the Judgment Court, leaped down from their ship. They mercilessly crushed a weed growing in a crack of the landing pad, then shot a distant glance at the members of the Mechanical Order who had arrived a step ahead of them.

The lead Judge snorted, clearly despising the ’grease monkeys,’ and stormed into the right corridor.

"This is a restricted military area. Without a direct order from the Grand Governor, no one is to—"

A Knight from the Death Battle Group tried to stop them.

But the Judge shoved him aside. With a frigid glare and a menacing tone, he warned, "We have concrete evidence that someone inside has committed a capital crime.

Are you an accomplice?"

The Judge’s attire was remarkably similar to Robbie Hiling’s: a dark greatcoat, black leather boots, and a dark red uniform adorned with various religious symbols, with the emblem of the Judgment Court hanging from his neck.

Unlike organizations such as the National Church Court, the Imperial Knights, or the Military Affairs Department, the Imperial Court of Judgment was a special institution with a loose structure. It had no clear hierarchy and was filled with various Orders, both large and small.

Legally speaking, the power wielded by a single Judge was so great they could command the High Table Nobility of the Radiant Holy City to cooperate unconditionally with their investigations.

They could execute a Provincial Governor or a Battle Group Leader first and report it later.

If necessary, a Judge could even requisition an Imperial Battle Group to assist in their purge of Demons or Space Aliens.

Of course, this required immense personal strength and charisma, as well as a lack of fear of subsequent retaliation.

During the Old Empire Era, many Judges who abused their power would meet an ’untimely end,’ but there were also just individuals who fought for righteousness and earned widespread admiration, eventually becoming Honorary Grand Judges or even Judicial Court Grandmasters.

Clearly, the Judge’s threat to accuse the Death Battle Group Knight of being an accomplice was highly effective. The Knight could only suppress the furious urge to cut him down, lowering his head to apologize before letting them pass.

Compared to the Judgment Court’s approach, the Mechanical Order was somewhat more ’gentle.’

They merely used force to harmlessly ’relocate’ the guards stationed outside the base before silently proceeding inside.

The downpour had arrived.

It was like a waterfall from the heavens.

The roaring wind whipped the frigid rain, dumping it onto the ground.

With the rumble of hydraulics, the ten-meter-high, heavy blast doors of the base slowly parted.

The men from the Judgment Court and the Mechanical Order appeared like dark silhouettes, lightning flashing behind them, their attitude imperious.

Reinhardt turned his head to look.

The gazes of the three factions met mid-air.

Agate knew this day would eventually come. For his personal honor and for the sake of the Vengeful Angels, he silently took a step back, prepared to return to the Mechanical Order and face the punishment for heresy that he deserved.

But Reinhardt raised a hand to stop him.

Agate fell silent. His Mechanical Eye focused on Reinhardt, its aperture adjusting slightly. "You don’t have to do this."

When the members of the Mechanical Order and the Judgment Court came to a stop before the Vengeance Angel Squad, the leading Great Sage and Judge first inclined their heads slightly toward Sedon and Lady Catherine in greeting.

Then, the Judge made the first move.

The man had short, choppy black hair, a face covered in scars, and a gaze so vicious it would make a Mortal piss his pants on the spot. He lifted his chin slightly, completely ignoring Reinhardt’s presence as he walked up to Raphael with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Priest, are you going to come with me willingly, or do I have to make you?"

The intensity of this Judge’s Knightly Aura was no greater than that of a Six-star Military Rank Official Knight, but he surely possessed numerous powerful Wizard’s Secret Treasures and Knight’s Treasures.

Otherwise, in his line of work, he’d never have lived this long.

Raphael’s brow furrowed. He knew exactly what he had done in Kemola. ’The only question is, how did the Judgment Court find out?’

’Even if someone were to come for me, it should have been that bastard Robbie Hiling.’

Before Reinhardt could speak, the Judge’s black-gloved right hand shot up, his thick, powerful index finger pointing directly at Reinhardt’s nose in front of everyone, showing no deference to Sedon whatsoever.

His tone was venomous and his attitude threatening; flecks of spit nearly sprayed Reinhardt’s face.

"Stay right there and don’t move, understand? I’ll deal with you after I’m finished with this heretic."

With that, the Judge ignored Reinhardt, seized Raphael’s arm, and began to drag him outside, completely disregarding the fact that the Grand Governor of the Administrative Region and the head of the Capet Family were present.

Manon’s right hand clenched into a fist, his knuckles cracking audibly. He took a deep breath, afraid he wouldn’t be able to suppress the rage in his heart and beat the bastard to death with a single punch.

’They had barely escaped Kemola with their lives, fighting their way out of the Space Dragon Race’s encirclement.

Then they were treated unfairly on Lelag.

It was one thing to return to the Iberian World without the commendations they deserved—after all, the Vengeful Angels project was still secret—and Lord Governor had personally come to greet them, leaving no doubt as to his support.

But these Judges, wallowing in their own power all day, just arrested people on sight without asking a single question. And then there were the damn power struggles, which stank like a latrine.

He’d bet anything this bastard from the Judgment Court was one of Cicero’s men.’

Matthias placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head slightly, signaling him not to act rashly.

Not even the High Table Nobility of the Holy City would dare to openly offend a Judge, let alone them.

These special operatives, who answered only to the Emperor and the Regent King, represented the absolute authority of the Empire. Defying them would not only lead to a gruesome death but would also implicate everyone around the offender.

Raphael grabbed the Judge’s wrist. "Let go," he said coldly. "I’ll walk on my own."

Hearing this yielding response, the Judge snorted and released his grip.

’Arresting people was just a routine part of his duties, but to do so right in front of the Grand Governor and the legendary Emperor’s Vengeful Angels, to so shamelessly seize one of their own men...’

TSK.

’This was the confidence his power afforded him.’

’So what if they were big shots? They could do nothing but watch him take his man.’

Just as he was gloating to himself and turned to glance at Reinhardt, a massive, power-armored hand shot out and clamped onto his face like an iron vise!

Under the terrifying force, the bones in the Judge’s face emitted an unbearable, horrifying series of CRACKS.

A shrill scream of agony erupted at the same time.

"Reinhardt—! How dare you... AHH—!"