"That person tied to the chair... is that really Kafka?!"
"My god! Did they actually capture her?!"
"When did this happen?! How could Mom be put on trial?!"
"This has to be fake! Kafka's still safe and sound in the Luofu!"
"It's a Company broadcast, so the footage is probably real—but this doesn't look like their headquarters. Must be some other planet."
Across Central Starskiff Haven Square, all eyes were locked on the massive screens.
The entire plaza had transformed into a grand courtroom.
And the players? They were the spectators witnessing this farce of a trial.
The stern voice from the footage continued:
"The crimes you've committed are unforgivable."
"The Jepella Brotherhood respects every soul's right to ascend to heaven."
"Confess, and the Annihilation Gang will grant you release."
On-screen, under a blood-red curtain, figures with beastly heads and human bodies emerged.
Dressed in tailored suits, they stared down at Kafka with cold, condescending arrogance.
Players quickly realized what was happening.
"Jepella? That's not even under Company jurisdiction!"
"Must be archived footage they dug up."
"Those Annihilation Gang scum..."
An ordinary interrogation would've been one thing.
But the judge here was one of those Annihilation Gang fanatics!
Most of those maniacs were bloodthirsty zealots, obsessed with destruction and chaos.
They claimed to serve Nanook, but the Destruction Aeon had never acknowledged them. Not even a glance.
And Kafka had fallen into their hands?!
The Company had clearly planned this.
On one hand, they wanted to expose Kafka's "crimes."
On the other, they aimed to humiliate the Stellaron Hunters.
Even the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the broadcast was filled with pre-written propaganda:
[If even the Jepella Brotherhood caught Kafka, the Company could've done it anytime—she's just been running.]
But the players weren't fooled.
The moment the accusations started, the square erupted.
"HOW DARE YOU?! WHAT CRIME HAS MY MOM COMMITTED?!"
"Old bastard, show us your HP bar!"
"Who the hell do you think you are?!"
"How could our beloved Mom ever be guilty?!"
"Touch her, and I'll end you!"
On-screen, Kafka sat in dim lighting.
Her tone was weary, almost amused.
As if she'd already accepted this farce of a trial.
The beast-headed judge continued:
"Do you and the Stellaron Hunters admit responsibility for the following crimes—"
"You infiltrated the Atuin Silent Auction, manipulated attendees, and destroyed the Artifacts of the Voracious Watcher."
"Total damages exceed 860 billion credits."
"And you stole the [Imitation]—the Stellaron."
"I admit it. But the 'Voracious Watcher' wasn't so virtuous."
"Wait—how much? 860 billion?!"
"I've got credits to spare! Let Mom go!"
"Peanuts! My Mom's worth more than that!"
The judge pressed on:
"You breached the Electronic Sanctum of Enuani, disabled the firewall with the Sisyphean Scepter, and unleashed corrupted data into reality."
"You accelerated Doomsday, all to steal the [Primordial Code]—another Stellaron."
Kafka: "I admit it. But data demons deserve freedom."
The square roared louder.
"SHE'S RIGHT! KAFKA DID NOTHING WRONG!"
"Mom has her reasons!"
Inside the Company's headquarters, chaos reigned.
"Boss, this isn't working!"
"Look at the live feeds—every region's defending Kafka!"
"They're all cursing us!"
The marketing executive who proposed this anti-Stellaron campaign was drenched in sweat.
He'd expected players to doubt Kafka.
The footage had only strengthened their loyalty.
Like pouring gasoline on a fire.
"Keep going! Release the full trial!"
"I refuse to believe a game brainwashed them this hard!"
The judge listed more charges:
"You invaded the ringworld of Gorconda, unleashed a paradox virus, and corrupted 46 million inorganic lives."
"You stole the [Core Bell] from its gravitational anchor—the Dharmachakra's true pivot."
"Oh? Wasn't that the Jepella Brotherhood's work?"
"But yes, we took that [little thing]."
The judge piled on more accusations—
The Trovos System disappearance.
The Lhore-51 Stellaron incident.
The cyberattack on Screwllum's planet.
The invasion of Erboint.
"46 major crimes in total."
"Do you admit the Stellaron Hunters orchestrated these atrocities?"
The setting sun of Jepella stained the scene bloody.
Kafka's silhouette stretched long in the flickering light.
Then—the footage glitched.
Her voice crackled through:
The screen cut back to the Company host.
"This concludes the recovered footage of Kafka's trial on Jepella."
"Due to the planet's subsequent rebellion, the full recording is unavailable."
"Once again, we urge viewers to remain vigilant—"
In Central Starskiff Haven, Guinaifen scoffed.
"Most of these 'victims' probably tried exploiting the Stellaron Hunters and got burned."
"These hypocrites always twist the story!"
"I won't believe a single word!"
"But if Kafka says it was the Jepella Brotherhood? Then it's fact!"
"They're framing Mom!"
"Company broadcast? Sue them for defamation!"
"Old man, say one more word about my queen—"
The host's face twisted in panic.
A deafening explosion rocked the broadcast.
Smoke flooded the screen.
A woman's voice cut through the chaos.
"How cheap of the Company."
"Editing the footage? Too scared to show the rest?"
They knew that voice.
Advance 100 Chapters are up on my !
Grab a limited 13% discount, available for a week only!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus