Chapter 116 : The Thunder of Divine Punishment

“Hurry up.”

The Platinum Knight’s voice was laced with annoyance, as if he were afraid of being hit by the garbage the crowd was throwing at Milly.

Amidst the chorus of curses, Milly, in her stained prison clothes, reached the judgment stand. A large cross stood on the high platform. She would be tied to it and judged by the old fool.

Rain dripped from her hair, forming small puddles at her feet. The heavy shackles on her wrists had left red marks on her pale skin. She had walked all this way with a blank expression, as if she were not the one about to be judged.

Not long after she had returned to her cell this morning, she had heard the sound of footsteps. Several Platinum Knights had come. She couldn’t see their faces, but with her appraisal skill, she knew their names and why they were here.

She was to be judged, not purified.

The old fool was planning something big. Was he trying to lure someone out? Just as she was waiting for someone to appear.

If she jumped into the covered hole, she would still have a chance to escape. The armored figures couldn’t follow her through the narrow tunnel.

She had a chance to escape, but she didn’t take it.

“Get up.”

The knight’s voice brought her back to reality. She looked back. The figure on the judgment stand didn’t have a question mark beside his name. The one who had possessed him was not here.

Did he think that judging a powerless demon whelp required no defense?

Not far from the cathedral, she saw Tifna. She looked… unwell, as if she were holding something back. Knowing what was in the underground, knowing who her real enemy was, it was hard for her to control her emotions.

She didn’t see Lillian in the crowd. For a Saintess to be absent from such a major event, was it not a little strange? Or was she preparing something?

“Get up!”

Before Milly could respond, the knight roughly pushed her onto the stand. Two nuns who had been waiting for her quickly came forward and chained her to the cross.

If it weren’t for the rain, there would be firewood under her, and she would be burned at the stake, her filthy demon body reduced to ashes.

She looked at the crowd that surrounded the square. They were shouting for her death, waiting for the Pope’s judgment. She looked away, her crimson eyes cold in the rain. The farce was about to begin.

The next moment, Oswell slowly stood up. With the help of magic, his voice echoed through the square.

“What we are judging here today is not just a demon who has infiltrated Starlight City.”

Her crimes were far greater than they could imagine. Milly didn’t remember doing anything. It seemed they were going to fabricate crimes for her. Whatever happened, they would just blame her. The people below wouldn’t care about the truth. They would just vent their anger on her.

Fine.

That way, she would no longer have any hope for this world. Just as Stacy had said, there was no place for her here.

Oswell raised his hand. A golden light screen appeared in the air, showing images.

A burned village, the mutilated bodies of ordinary villagers. The last image was of a white figure, a figure that looked just like her.

Oswell sneered and pointed at the screen.

The moment the image appeared, the crowd’s anger was ignited. They shouted for her immediate execution.

Something was thrown from the crowd, grazing her forehead. It was a stone. A warm liquid trickled down, mixing with the rain.

When one person started, a storm of objects followed. Most of them hit the stand, only a few hitting her.

Milly said nothing. At first, she could feel the pain, but now, it was gone, as if she had lost all sensation.

The scenes on the screen changed, each one a horrific crime, and each one ending with a white figure.

Such a clumsy fabrication. But after what she had seen in the underground, it was not surprising.

“She disguised herself as a human, infiltrated our city, and tried to subvert the Empire’s order!”

“She desecrated the Goddess’s sanctuary, defiled the holy land!”

“She even…”

Oswell’s voice suddenly dropped, filled with a deliberate sadness.

The image on the screen changed again. This time, it showed Milly in the fortress, stabbing the Pope with Broken.

“She was even once a hero of the Empire, the Sword Saint, Agnes.”

The moment he spoke, the square fell silent. People looked at each other, as if they had misheard.

The Imperial Sword Saint, how could he be like this?

“In the battle against the Fell God, the Sword Saint was defeated. To save his own life, he betrayed a comrade and became the Fell God’s dog. His heart was corrupted, and he became what he is now!”

After a moment of silence, the crowd’s anger was reignited. Curses rained down on her.

“Traitor! The shame of the Empire!”

“The Sword Saint became a demon’s dog, pah!”

“Those who were judged in the past must have been framed. This is a demon’s conspiracy!”

“Execute her! Execute this traitor who has defiled the honor of the Empire!”

Ignoring the curses, she looked at Oswell, a cold smile on her lips.

“Are you done?”

Oswell’s eyes darkened. “The Goddess is merciful. She is willing to give you a chance to atone. If you tell me where the Fell God’s book is, she will give you a chance.”

“The fastest way is to go to hell. Old man, you should go yourself.”

“Ridiculous. The once-great Imperial Sword Saint, now a Fell God’s dog.”

Oswell’s face darkened. The next moment, he floated into the air, a golden female figure appearing behind him, radiating a holy and majestic light.

It was as if the Goddess herself had descended to judge her.

“Sinner Agnes, on behalf of the Goddess, I now bestow upon you the thunder of divine punishment.”

As he spoke, the Saintess in her white robes finally appeared.

No one noticed the crimson in her eyes. Dozens of bishops followed her, surrounding the judgment stand.

They formed a circle, and a magic circle lit up on the ground beneath them.

Above, the figure behind Oswell aimed at Milly and waved its hand.

The dark clouds in the sky churned, and a blinding lightning bolt gathered.

With a deafening roar, a pillar of thunder shot down from the heavens, engulfing the small figure on the cross.