'This is going to be a long day...'

That was my single, tired thought.

I could only sigh, just seeing the sheer absurdity laid before me.

Before me, stood Pietro in unnatural formal clothes, acting as the judge. To his right, stood Sakura staring straight into my eyes with a certain curiosity and flare...

At the very beginning this had alarmed me, but after noticing she still had no idea of who I truly was, I became calmer.

Anyways, surrounding us, were, of course, a massive amount of boo-ing adventurers, peasants, merchants... Even the king and queen of the Litherm Kingdom regarding our trial for GOD'S SAKE!!!

"THEY ARE INNOCENT!!!" -Audience Peasant

"NO BEAUTIES LIKE THEM COULD EVER DO SUCH A THING!!!" -Audience Merchant

"YEAH!!! REIKA-CHA〜N IS THE PUREST AND MOST HONEST ADVENTURER IS THIS WORLD!!!" -Audience Adventurer

"THIS IS MADNESS! STOP THIS FALLACY, RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" -King

"Reika〜, Myria〜, Scarlet〜, my dears〜, you're allowed to go berserk on these guys you know〜?" -Queen

Most comments were what was to be expected... but that last comment from the queen... in her easy and caring voice left the entire audience, and even her husband smiling wryly.

However, Scarlet and I both had somewhat of a different reaction... Rather than being shocked or surprised, we may or may not have immediately turned to Myria blushed as she saw us muttering away at her:

""The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, huh...?""

Yep, those dark, sinister and dreadful overtones were surely familiar to Scarlet and I, who dealt with them every other day, when we would mess up.

Anyways, leaving aside those trivialities, and the quirks of my party members, the mob and audience was actually getting quite loud, and the displeasure on Callum's face, who stood alongside a fainted Kira on a podium as an overseer, was too obvious.

In fact, he has not even trying to hide it, the frown on his face as even some minor leaks of killing intent oozed out of his body, they were too small and camouflaged for Pietro to notice though...

And in all honesty, I wasn't much different...

I mean, this is just too stupid to me. We are literally getting a tried for something as meaningless as three worthless girls getting killed and Haruto running away on his own for who knows what? Wasn't he joining up with some of the other heroes anyways?!

AND WHAT IMPORTANCE DOES HARUTO HAVE ANYWAYS?!

Why the heck are we even holding this?!

I mean, we're supposed to be this very strong party who the Everidian Kingdom requested help to, right?!

Shouldn't we get some sort of partial immunity from these things?!

WE EVEN KILLED THE DEMON KING, GODDAMMIT!!!

JUST WHY ARE WE EVEN... holding... this...!?

...

I had been frustrated, as usual, from the strangely coincidental series of events up to now...

But as I had been listing everything out, a single thought remained in my mind...

I had not realized up to now...

But as I did, a wide grin crept into my face...

'These guys should be thanking us! In fact, we left the heroes out of a job now!'

I had not noticed, but since we killed the demon king, those heroes were none other than a COMPLETE AND UTTER WASTE OF RESOURCES now!

For some reason, just thinking of indirectly leaving my previous classmates out of a job and a reason to be made me laugh internally as I could only fathom their faces once they realized such an event...

'Hehe... who's useless now?'

It felt oddly satisfying to think those who bullied me for so many years were the ones who had been thieved, of their only reason to be in this world, out of their hands without me even having to go out of my way to do so.

But, as I remained with a strange grin on my face, I was forced to pay attention because the trials was beginning to enter session...

*wham* *wham* *wham*

"Quiet down, the trial for the SS-ranked party "The Curse" will be entering session"

Declared Pietro as he hit his elevated desk with a strange looking hammer...

And strangely enough, as he did so, the audience actually listened to him. Even the king and queen sealed their lips as Pietro took that sentence...

It was quite astonishing seeing such coordination for an event, a mob had quite literally tried to stop.

But there was actually a slightly different thought present on my mind at the moment...

'Huh? This seems oddly similar to a court from back on earth? Who would've thought their justice system would be so refined, considering everything else is nearly from the middle ages.'

In all honesty, from the setup of the accommodation, the audience, the hammer the judge, everything screamed EARTH to me... It even made me feel kind of nostalgic...

And as I began to feel all tingly from the nostalgia from leaving Earth... my expectations were shattered by what followed...

Pietro took what seemed to be a strange and newly written scroll, and as he cleared his throat, he read it out loud...

I knew we had done several wrongs, here and there... but I never knew someone had actually been keeping track...

"Alright then, the party "The Curse" is being accused of allowing the killing of 3 of the noble duchess' daughters..."

'Ok, maybe those girls... weren't so worthless... But is that it?'

That was my single thought as Pietro seemed to finish reading the scroll...

Hearing the crime we were being accused of, didn't sound so ridiculous yet it seemed to be significant enough of a justification to hold a trial. But to incarcerate us for such a puny act would be a waste.

But, OF, DANG, COURSE!!!

LIFE HAS TOO MANY COINCIDENCES WAITING UP FOR ME!!!

As I was ready to let out a sigh of relief... my anxiety threw my clam out the window, as Pietro extended the scroll and resumed reading... what was probably the single most circumstantial criminal record I've heard in my entire life...

"...the loss of a member of the praised hero squadron of the Everidian kingdom, insubordination against the kingdoms, unnecessary violence, property damage, mental and physical abuse against the aforementioned member of the hero squadron, homicide, unauthorized used of magic and offensive skills against an authority, vandalism... and treason"

...

...

...

The room went quiet as our crimes were listed one by one... I was left with my mouth agape as I heard the number of crimes we had committed...

If it had been anyone else's crimes I would've thought they were a terrible criminal... yet... these crimes were ALL OURS?!

"Wha...?"

I could clearly see the smug painting Pietro's face as he closed the scroll to face us...

"So, Reika Kasai, leader of "The Curse", how do you plead〜?"

...

"Eh... Innocent...?"

I had nothing else to say ok? Seriously, what was I supposed to say at this point, I'm guilty? No! of course, not... but yeah, in all honesty, even I was a little skeptical regarding our impunity, and I'm guessing... Pietro was a... little... tiny bit skeptical too...

"YEAH RIGHT!!! LIKE THAT EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF CRIMES WOULD LABEL ANYONE AS INNOCENT!!!"

'I kinda thought so too... hehe〜?'

Yep, I had no more answers at this point... hehe...

I was actually not expecting that amount of crimes to be pitted against us, it really shocked me... And that might've been a miscalculation on my part... because the moment I lacked a response...

Pietro quickly took the opportunity I had created...

"SEE?! THIS PARTY IS NOTHING OTHER THAN CRIMINALS BEING HANDLED AND TREATED AS HEROES!!! THESE GIRLS ARE NONE OTHER THAN FAKERS, LIARS, AND EVEN TRAITORS!!! THEY COMPLETELY FOOL YOUR GOOD FAITH, PROUD LITHERMIANS!!!"

...

This really irritated me for some reason... More than it should've, speaking frankly. I just couldn't stand this guy calling us fakers or posers or even traitors! What is even up with that?! Seriously, when did we ever commit treason?!

Anyways, as I mentioned, his small snob speech left me quite angered, and I guess Myria and Scarlet noticed to some extent what I was about to do... Because they immediately attempted to stop me... And I kinda wish they would've...

because when they tried... it was already far too late...

"You should be thankful, we killed the demon king you know?"

...

...

...

For some reason, the entire room went silent...

Pietro, Callum, Kira, the audience, EVERYONE...

'...Uh... I should've kept quiet...'

As soon, as I blurted out those words... a wry smile was left in nearly everyone's faces as if looking at a delusional child...

I felt a bit desperate as I didn't think people wouldn't believe my claims...

"But we actually did it!"

...

Once again, nobody dared to utter a single word... I was left to soeak alone...

But that all changed, when that voice I hated so much seized this opportunity I had created due to my stupidity...

"LITHERMIANS!!! THIS IS NOTHING BUT PROOF!!! TO THINK THE DELUSIONAL LEADER OF THIS FAKE, POSING, CONTROVERSIAL PARTY WOULD GO AS FAR AS TO LIE IN YOUR FACES!!! THIS CANNOT SIMPLY GO ON!!! JUST LOOK AT THIS CONDESCENDING BEHAVIOUR!!! THEY ARE THINKING YOU'RE ALL CREDULE ENOUGH TO FORCE THEM TO BELIEVE YOU, BUT TO THAT I SAY: NO MORE!!! NO MORE!!! NO MORE!!! WHAT WILL YOU DO?! ALLOW THIS BLASPHEMY TO GO ON? OR FORCE THESE IMPURE SOULS TO REPENT FOR ETERNITY?!?!"

...

Honestly, if I were to praise anything about this guy, it would definitely have to be his speaking skills...

In a single swift speech, the whispering and smiles had quieted down as a strange uneasy atmosphere filled the room...

I actually had no reply left... none...

I turned desperately to Myria and Scarlet who were apparently, as frozen as I was... I guess nobody actually expected for us to be in such deep trouble so early on huh?

I could feel them becoming uncertain as well as they lowered their eyes...

And as I remained at a loss for a reply to that speech... I turned around to face the audience. But I noticed something almost instantly... the moment I made eye contact with anybody... they would look away...?

'Huh...?'

I tried looking over at different people, adventurer's I had talked to before, merchants, shopkeepers, EVEN THE PERVERT HEALERS LOOKED AWAY?!

'Wait... no... there's no way...?

I turned in desperation to Myria's parents as they were contemplating my anguished state... I had seen them as respectable and cheerful figures up to this point, but this time... when I looked at them... Rather than seeing those bright, positive smiles... All I could see was a sorrow-filled, and bittersweet, faint smile decorating their sealed lips...

'No... No... This can't be happening...'

...

I do not know the exact reason... but this feeling... it felt exactly like when I was back on Earth, abandoned... hated... and shunned... It felt so very terrible... I could even feel myself short of breath as I became filled to the brim with fear of what would happen next...

I turned swiftly once more to face the front, and in the corner of my eye, I caught sights of Sakura looking at me with strangely... For some reason, she even seemed to be pitying me...

Seeing this scene develop before me... I was scared of what I would find making its appearance in Pietro's expression... but I looked regardless...

And I was not disappointed or surprised at all by what I found...

Right in the middle of his malicious expression was the single most wicked, sinister and pleased smirk of them all... I would even consider this guy's smirk as disturbing as Seiichi's...

I could feel malice being created out of his very being, to the point of it being unnatural and threatening...

I no longer knew what to do... I had dyg my own grave...

Quute literally...

"Members of 'The Curse' because of your rebellious actions you shall be condemned to 30 years of isolated imprisionnent... and as for the leader..."

'To think I would go from a hero... to a zero...'

"...For your extensive offenses, and having to take responsibility as the leader of ylur party..."

'Please no...'

"...I sentence you..."

'There's no going back is there...?'

As my final thought left my mind blank... Pietro's maniatical voice finally uttered something I knew was coming... yet I didn't ever wish for...

"...Reika Kasai, I condemn you to... the capital punishment..."

As his petrifying sentence came to an end... he brought down his hammer creating a loud bang...

*wham*

When Pietro finally uttered what this all entailed...

"...The death sentence..."

(AN: Hey!!! This chaoter was actually quite fun to write after quite some time! Fun fact: I've had writer's block for the past week or so. Hehe...

Anyways, here's today's question...

Sakura, what to do with her?

Yes, i know I asked something oretty similar already, but I've been receiving too many complaints about her character so this is what this question is for. As such, please be sure to tell me what you want to happen!!!

Anyways, thanks for reading, voting and sharing my story this far.

Thanks)