章節 147: Chapter 148: Zoey's Trial.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed magjistars, and all those present in this sacred legal chamber," Xavier began, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of judicial tradition. The room fell into an attentive silence, the air growing heavy with the anticipation of what was to come. Even the slightest shift or creak seemed amplified in the stillness. "We gather here today to preside over the trial of Zoey Benjamin Winters, a magjistar whose actions have terrorized the way of life for several magjistars." Xavier's voice echoed through the chamber, his words punctuated by a calculated pause. He exuded an air of authority, his posture erect and his eyes scanning the room, capturing the attention of all present.
"Terrorized my ass. You're full of shit, you fucking control freak. I have done-" Inner Zoey interrupted him without fear, her words a vulgar rebellion against the stifling atmosphere. Several coins were pointed directly at her, identical to the one that silenced her on the way to the courthouse. Zoey's words were silenced, but she continued cursing out Xavier, her lips moving in defiance. It didn't matter if no one could hear her. It wasn't like it mattered if her words were heard or not with this bullshit trial in the first place. She could provide undeniable proof of her innocence, and they would be ignored or dismissed as unusable somehow. This was nothing but a show for The Council, a display of power toward someone whose potential power they feared. Just like Victor always said…
"Ms. Winters, you'll have the chance to defend yourself in due time. Please save your breath until then," Xavier coughed, his interruption a clear assertion of his control over the proceedings. But Zoey's lips continued moving below, a stream of expletives aimed at Xavier, her defiance undeterred. She knew her words were pointless in this courtroom, but they had a use to her personally. "Now, as I was saying, Zoey Winters stands accused of not only fabricating a dangerous lie but also causing harm to members of the Peacekeeping Order and defying the authority of The Council! Daemons may have recently begun to gather in groups, but that is no proof that they are planning some sort of invasion. The lack of any evidence on your part to provide any proof of said invasion only reaffirms our belief that you simply wanted to frighten the mass public. Furthermore, when we came to bring you in and give you the opportunity to explain yourself, you viciously assaulted, maimed, and crippled several members of the Peacekeeping Order! These righteous, innocent, and kind men and women who place their lives on the line every day to protect the safety of every man, woman, and child in Luminaurora. Not long after your brutal show of violence, you fled from the scene and went into hiding." Xavier paused to take a breath.
The chamber buzzed with murmurs and whispers, the weight of the accusations hanging heavily in the air. For most, this was new information to them. Zoey's lie and assault were known, but they didn't realize just how much it had affected the community. From what they could see, she didn't look remorseful at all. She was still trying to speak despite the several Token of Silence affecting her. Xavier's skillful rhetoric had effectively painted her as a threat, a menace to the safety and order of Luminaurora.
"If it wasn't for The Council's personally trained order of magjistars, you might've disappeared forever in the world of the Gullys." Xavier pointed out.
Which was a flat-ass lie. Zoey turned herself in. The Council knew where she lived too. Zoey's lips continued cursing out these lying motherfuckers even though only she knew what she was trying to say.
"Before I present the evidence, is there anyone else who would like to claim additional charges to Zoey Benjamin Winters that I've missed?" Xavier asked with a subtle smile.
Multiple magjistars jumped at the opportunity to do so. Several voices shouted in indignation and righteous fury as they rose from their seats. Xavier laughed at the sight of it while Zoey stopped her rant. What the fuck did she do to these people? Zoey didn't remember fucking over anyone that wasn't a part of The Council. She was a good little magjistar who mostly completed her cases.
"Winters is a traitor to magjistar kind! I know I'm not the only one who remembers her delinquent behavior not too long ago with that ridiculous master of hers! While our magjistars were being swamped with cases because of the daemons grouping up for some unusual reason, let's not forget that Winters and Khan were more than happy to goof off during this time and ACTIVELY ATTACK MAGJISTARS!" An elderly magjistar shouted, spittle flying from his mouth.
"That's right! Neither of which were ever officially punished for this either! It was treated as if they had never done it! As if assaulting innocent people isn't a crime! What day and age is this that they could get away with something like that!?" A middle-aged woman with short, curly hair and a stern expression joined in, her voice laced with anger and disbelief.
"My clan's disciple has never recovered after being brutalized by that menace!" A man in his thirties with a five o'clock shadow and a leather jacket added, his voice tinged with bitterness and resentment.
Zoey silently laughed, fully visible to everyone, as she heard them complaining about her prodigy hunting with Victor. Her head hung back as the breath from her lungs was expelled entirely. These Connate Faction bastards were still holding a grudge about that incident that happened so long ago? Their little geniuses lost a fight, and they were willing to condemn her like this? 'We have to bring down the whole system! Fuck 'em all!' Inner Zoey whispered in her ear like a devil on her shoulder.
It was just a fight! Why do they have to take it so seriously? Just tell those losers to get stronger. Hell, they're fucking magjistars, aren't they? Shouldn't they always be training to get stronger for daemons? Their loss to Zoey should've opened their eyes up to what they needed to improve on as magjistars.
"NOT A SINGLE EXPRESSION OF REMORSE! THE GULLY THINKS ITS FUNNY!" A woman in her fifties with a no-nonsense attitude and a sharp tongue shrieked, her words echoing through the chamber.
Gully. It's been a minute since she was called that. That old bitch used it wrong as well. A gully was a non-magji person. Zoey could use magji. Or maybe there was another meaning to the word. Was it that any person not born and raised in the magji world was considered a gully? That would make more sense.
'We gotta beat them all half to death. I just don't see any other way around it.' Inner Zoey suggested.
'Sticks and stones, bitch.' Zoey countered. It was annoying to be called rude words, but it was really no skin off of her back.
'They're basically calling you a slur, and you're fine with it?' Inner Zoey tried to rationalize.
'What, you want me to freak out and throw hands because they called me a mean word? Just because we can beat a motherfucker doesn't mean that should be the answer all the time.' Zoey wasn't ignorant.
'Isn't that what you're planning to do to The Council!?"
'I'm going after The Council because they threatened my family and fucked me over. That old bitch is just shouting words. She never did anything to me.'
'She's screaming for your head on a plate.'
'It's not going to happen. So why does it matter?'
As Zoey talked to her other self, The Council was proceeding by adding numerous charges to her person. Each magjistar 'wronged' by her had their chance to state their case. Zoey did notice that not a single magjistar had anything positive to say about her though. It turns out you can solve dozens of cases and kill hundreds of daemons but still be considered worthless to the magjistar community. This place is just a shit show through and through.
'That's why we should tear it all down!' Inner Zoey continued to tempt her.
'I think it's better if we just separate ourselves from the magji world.' Zoey ultimately decided.
"Zoey Benjamin Winters. Do you have anything to say for yourself after hearing all of these witnesses and seeing the proof of your crimes?" Xavier looked down on her.
Zoey remained silent, her eyes fixed on Xavier with a steely gaze. The weight of the accusations and the hostility from the magjistars hung heavy in the air. She could feel the tension, the collective judgment, and the overwhelming desire for her to be held guilty on all charges. A smile slowly formed on her face as she saw how many levels Abnormal Resistance rose thanks to those coins.
As Xavier waited for Zoey's response, he glanced around the chamber, taking in the faces of the magjistars present. Some wore expressions of smug satisfaction, convinced of her guilt, while others seemed conflicted, perhaps questioning the validity of the charges against her. The atmosphere was thick with animosity and whispered conversations as if the very walls of the courtroom were suffused with anticipation. However, Xavier wasn't worried in the slightest. He knew how this was all going to turn out. They all did.
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CaptainBoyHole
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