Chapter 354 - 311: You Are Arrested, Reinhardt

The setting sun was like blood.

Rolling hills.

The weeds covering the ground withered, scorched, and were crushed to dust amidst the roar of the ship’s engines.

Fully armed Church Knights filed out of their ships, surrounding the Avenger Flagship.

As the final ship carrying the Judges landed, its hatch slowly opened. A Church Knight clad in silver heavy armor and holding a sword and shield stepped out.

Behind him.

Three Judges appeared one after another.

Their dark green greatcoats, adorned with all manner of religious insignia, fluttered in the gale kicked up by the engines.

A woman dressed like a member of the Think Tank was the last to appear. Spiritual Lightning arced ceaselessly in her eyes, and her long, gray hair flowed as if submerged in water, seemingly trying to resist Koller’s power.

Then, the hatch of the Avenger Flagship opened.

A towering Imperial Knight in jet-black Power Armor with a massive war axe strapped to his back was the first to walk off the ship.

Koller and two others followed close behind.

Evidently, whatever guarantees this member of the Think Tank had made to the Judge’s delegation, whatever boasts she had made aboard the ship, they all evaporated the moment she truly saw the legendary Emperor’s Vengeful Angel. When his Mighty Power and aura truly registered in her Spiritual Perception, the eyelid of Amelia, the Order Think Tank member, began to twitch uncontrollably. At that moment, she finally understood—in a way no paper description could ever convey—just what a terrifyingly powerful existence this Imperial Knight the Judgment Court wanted them to help arrest truly was!

Merely standing within the range of his Knightly Aura was enough for her to feel an immense, unending pressure washing over her.

She walked up behind one of the Judges and said cautiously, "My lord."

The Judge stood with his hands behind his back, his posture arrogant. His broad chin lifted slightly, and he stared at Reinhardt without a trace of fear. "Inform him of his crimes," he said coldly.

After receiving permission, Amelia walked to the front of the group. Facing Reinhardt’s gaze, she frowned slightly and declared in a loud voice, "The charges! Blasphemy and treason!

You are an Imperial Knight, bathed in the light of the Divine Emperor, yet you lack faith. You willingly fell to depravity, accepting modification from Void Power, blaspheming the Divine Emperor’s majesty, betraying your ideals, and betraying the Empire.

In the name of the Emperor and the Judgment Court, Reinhardt, you are under arrest!"

’Strictly speaking, the Judgment Court didn’t need any evidence to make an arrest. For them to rack their brains and list so many charges, all for the sake of eliminating Reinhardt with a veneer of legitimacy... it must have been quite the effort.’

Amelia took a step back, raised her right hand, and said coldly, "Arrest him!"

As the Church Knights closed in, Stearns drew his Knight’s Broadsword and decisively stepped in front of Reinhardt, roaring, "I’d like to see you try!"

Urus walked up to Stearns’s side. Ignoring the Spiritual Energy pressure from the Order Think Tank member, he said indifferently, "I am Urus Brutus, Commander of the Vengeful Angels and Silencer Warlord.

You are not qualified to speak with me. Step aside and have a Judge come forward."

As a high-ranking member of the Think Tank who had only barely advanced to Tier Two four years ago, Amelia clearly lacked the confidence to face the Battle Group Commander’s power and might.

Her initial high spirits from before their departure were long gone.

Besides, as members of a Secret Order, they were only assisting the Judgment Court. Reinhardt’s trial and conviction had nothing to do with them.

Whether it was due to being intimidated by Urus’s power or simply a matter of self-preservation, Amelia hesitated for a token moment before backing down.

But her action clearly drew the Judge’s displeasure.

The brawny Judge with the broad chin shot her a cold glance from the corner of his eye. The warning within it was self-evident.

For Reinhardt and Battle Group Commander Urus, while the Judgment Court was powerful, it was not nearly powerful enough to make them bow their heads in submission.

But for an Order Think Tank member like Amelia...

...an order from the Judgment Court was the will of the Emperor incarnate, not to be questioned. A single word from a Judge could decide her life or death.

The broad-chinned Judge walked up to Urus. Even though he was half a head shorter, his imposing presence was undiminished. "Very good, Battle Group Commander Urus," he said coldly.

You now have two paths you can take.

First, step aside voluntarily, and I will pretend this incident never happened.

As for the second... heh heh, are you planning to blaspheme the Divine Emperor and commit treason as well—?!"

Hearing these baseless accusations, Stearns grew angrier and angrier until he couldn’t help but curse, "Bullshit! Were you blind when Lord Reinhardt was fighting for the Empire on Verne, on the Demon Mother Ship?

Besides, Lord Reinhardt holds a Radiant Holy Artifact bestowed by the great Divine Emperor himself! How could he possibly commit the crime of blasphemy?!"

Hearing Stearns mention the Radiant Holy Artifact, the Judge sneered, seemingly prepared for this. He said unhurriedly, "Bestowed by the Emperor himself? According to our investigation, that Holy Artifact has always been kept in the Caster Cathedral on Verne.

A stolen Holy Artifact proves nothing."

"You—! You bastard!"

「Finally.」

Reinhardt, who had remained silent all this time, pushed Stearns aside. He walked up to the Judge and held out his right hand. Under the gazes of the many Church Knights, Divine Emperor’s Fury answered his call and flew into his grasp.

"You say it was stolen. Then why don’t you come and take it back?"

As the one who had listed the charges, the Judge obviously knew whether what he said was true or not. Moreover... he had greatly overestimated his own courage and authority.

When Reinhardt truly stood before him, speaking to him face-to-face, when he was confronted by the Vengeful Angel’s iron-willed demeanor and the terrifying aura forged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the Judge fell silent.

Before arriving, he had considered many possible scenarios, but the worst-case was simply him personally taking down Reinhardt.

But at this moment, he realized just how naive his thinking had been.

Faced with this blatant provocation, he wanted to shout, to make a move, but upon sensing Reinhardt’s deathly stare, his nerve ultimately failed him.

「At this moment.」

The massive hull of the Avenger Flagship cast an enormous shadow in the slanting light of the setting sun.

The dividing line between light and shadow was drawn with stark clarity between Reinhardt and the Judge.

The former was bathed in the afterglow of the sunset.

The latter was submerged in shadow.

The Judge’s right index finger, hanging at his side, twitched. He suddenly let out a knowing laugh and began to walk, speaking with casual eloquence under the gazes of two hundred Church Knights and the Order Think Tank member, Amelia.

"Reinhardt, there’s something I’ve always been curious about. What kind of charm do you possess that makes so many people willing to endure torture and die for you?

The retired veterans on Verne.

That local Judge named Kirk.

Even a Battle Sister who had known you for less than half a day was willing to fight us to the bitter end for the reputation of a dead man like you."

When the Judge’s footsteps and his voice came to a halt.

A cool breeze swept across the wasteland, and a murderous atmosphere spread silently between the two sides.

「The next moment.」

The Judge’s pupils shrank!

And in his line of sight, only an afterimage of Reinhardt remained.