'Raphael, where did they go?' Rimuru asked as Artoria and Jaune disappeared.
[What happened is the same as that time Artoria fought against Milim. She has taken her into another dimension.]
'That's what it was last time? It seems you learned what it really was. Last time, you said there was some kind of barrier.'
[I was Great Sage at that time. Don't compare me to before.]
'Oh, yeah. You're right. But wait, it's an entirely different dimension? She can do that? So like, if anything goes wrong, she can just go into another dimension?'
[Yes. Given that she took the Yellow Primordial with her at will, she can most likely take more people. It's likely she can transport the entire town if she wanted.]
'And only she can control who goes or enters. Unless there are strong people out there who can willingly go to a different dimension. Just how strong is she? You might as well tell me she can break the fabric of reality or something.'
While Rimuru was joking around a little, Diablo spoke up. "Lord Rimuru, Ramiris is here. She appears frantic."
Diablo's words got Rimuru's attention. He looked, and Ramiris was indeed on her way here.
"Rimuru! What just-" She was distracted as she noticed Blanc and Violet nearby. "What are they doing here?"
"Oh. Diablo brought them over so they could become servants. There was a yellow one, but she's fighting Artoria right now."
"Servants? Them? Maybe a contract, but definitely not servants. Anyway, something big is happening! I felt it come from here at this spot!" Ramiris shouted, flying all over the place.
"Woah, woah, calm down. What exactly are you talking about?" Rimuru said, trying to stop Ramiris from moving all over the place.
"Here! Something is happening with the spirit world, and the origin is here!" Ramiris just as fast as she arrived, freaking out, now suddenly clamed down. "Wait, it's gone."
"Huh? Gone? What do you mean?" Rimuru said, but before he could say anything else, Artoria and Jaune came out only after a few minutes.
Jaune looked visibly shaken. There hardly seemed to be any sign of a battle. Artoria made her armor disappear along with Excalibur and Rhongomyniad. She went back to Rimuru, Jaune following her.
"I told you, Jaune." Artoria said. She was a bit happy. Of all the Primordial Demons, Jaune was her favorite. But if the whole Golden Gun thing was to happen, then she is absolutely not letting her use a Nombu pistol. The term "Golden Gun" did not bring such an image to her mind. It needed to be something big and strong. Something that really packed a punch. She had another idea for that. Not a revolver, but a handgun.
"What was that?" Jaune said in a slightly shaky voice as the feeling of what she experienced was slowly wearing off. Such holy energy was nothing like she felt before. It practically shut her down before she could do anything.
"Just a bit of holy energy from my lance." Artoria said nonchalantly
"A bit? What do you consider a lot then?" Jaune said in a surprised and exasperated voice.
"Who knows?"
"You do. You're supposed to know."
Jaune and Artoria's small conversation was interrupted by Ramris, who loudly intervened in her high-pitched voice.
"Artoria! What did you do?!" Ramiris said as she got in Artoria's face.
"Relax, Ramiris. It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal?! Were you trying to bring the spirit world into the real world, or something?!" Ramiris shouted and Artoria stayed silent for a while before she spoke.
"I plead the fifth."
"There you go again! That just means you're guilty!"
"No, it doesn't. You need to do some reading, Ramiris. And I don't mean manga. You don't know how our legal system works."
"Why would I need to learn that?"
"You only say that because your labyrinth in this empire is designated as your own independent territory with its own system."
Ramiris stayed quiet. That was true. She didn't need to learn it, because the labyrinth was her own territory with its own and separate rules, but it was also in Artoria's empire.
"Uh, I plead the fifth?" Ramris said in an unsure tone. That's how Artoria always said it. Do you really just need to say those words for it to work?
"There you go. Good job. Always plead the fifth no matter what." Artoria nodded. That had to be her third favorite right in America. And if it wasn't obvious at this point, some of the legal system here borrowed tiny bits and pieces from America, especially concerning certain civil rights and liberties. There's a difference.
"Alright, then, Rimuru. Make the bodies, and then name Violet and Blanc. Jaune will be coming with me. Jaune, after getting your body, come find me, so I can name you. I have to go make someone sign something." Artoria said as she left.
"Yes, Lady Artoria," Jaune said. She was going to stay here longer.
Artoria stopped for a brief moment to correct Jaune on how she prefers to be called formally. Not that it mattered to her. She didn't really care about honorifics being used at all times, even in settings one would expect. She would only enforce it in "official" settings. And only when she remembered or even bothered to do so. "You don't have to do all that. And if you do, use 'Lady Pendragon'. I know it's not correct, but I like it better 'cause it's cooler."
/\\//\\//\
"Soeui, we can resume what we were doing. Also, keep in mind that we might get a guest soon. She has yellow hair and is a Primordial Demon. You'll know it's her. Don't attack her and let her through." Artoria said before a blur appeared. Soeui. He was carrying the same small notebook that served as Yuuki's confession.
"Understood, Lady Pendragon. Here." Soeui said as he handed the notebook to Artoria.
"Let's see how our guest is doing after a week." Artoria said as she approached the door where the white room was. Yuuki would get meals at completely random times to make sure he couldn't gauge how much time had passed. Any food he did get was just like the room—white. Unseasoned white rice on a white plate and milk in a white cup.
He also couldn't hear them coming. It was completely soundproof, so that Yuuki couldn't hear anything outside. And to make sure, the floor outside the room was also soundproof, so that any footsteps, even from heavy boots or armor, couldn't be heard.
Artoria opened the door, and as soon as she did, Yuuki immediately looked at her.
"Teacher?" Yuuki said in a surprised tone. "Are you coming back for me?"
His eyes and face looked tired. His body looked fatigued. Artoria expected this. The fact that he thought that she was his teacher from the past was more than enough to know it was working.
"Only one week and he thinks I'm Shizue. I don't even look like her and he also forgot she's dead." Artoria said to Souei as they both entered. Artoria got down to Yuuki's level as he was sitting down on the floor.
"Hey, Yuuki. I'm not your teacher, and though I don't want to put words or actions to teh already dead Shizue, I feel that, at best, she would be very disappointed at the kind of person you've become. You've become a person that if she didn't you know who you were and knew what you were doing, she'd go against you during her prime to take you down," Artoria said while looking straight into his eyes. Her green eyes seemed to be void of emotion, just a cold look in them.
"Don't talk like you know her." Yuuki said after getting back a slight grip on himself from his momentary lapse. For a few days, he'd been having slight hallucinations, both auditory and visual. And when Artoria entered, he had his strongest one so far.
"But I do know her. Possibly at her most authentic self, considering she was dying when I met her. People can be more honest when they are near the end of their life."
"I've known her longer than you. I spent most of my life in this world with her. I know what she's like, you don't!"
"Your logic and resonaonig has clearly taken a hit. So what if you known her for a long time. All that means nothing with the actions you've done after her death. You took advatnage of her death for your gain. What a way to repay what she's done for you. You threw everything in the trash, and for what?"
Yuuki stayed silent. For once, just a little bit, he thought about what he'd done. Where had things gone wrong? Artoria saw his slight thinking. Not that she cared. As far as she was concerned, he had the rest of his life to think.
"Too little, too late if you think it's time to think back on your actions. If you want to get out of here, just sign this. At least this way, you might not get the death penalty. Don't get it wrong. At best, you're going to spend the rest of your life in prison. Don't worry, you'll get a fair and proper trial. I beleive that even people like you deserve a proper trial and legal representation, whether by judge or jury."
"Fair? You're trying to get a confession out of me after putting me through all this. That can't possibly show I was of sound mind." Yuuki thought he had a chance here. After going through torture, no way that confession would hold any weight,
"That may be true, but the fact that you asked that question shows you're still able to think well enough for yourself. And I have a witness here.," Artoria said as she pointed to Soeui before continuing, "One week in here has already taken a toll. Do you want to be here longer? Don't think you can wait this out. I'll leave you in here for months, and by then, the person who will be there won't be the same one I'm talking to right now. Would you rather be crazy or keep your mind intact in a prison cell? Your choice. Choose wisely."
Artoria laid the confession statement in front of Yuuki along with a pen. She said what she wanted to say. All that was left was for him to sign it, and send him to trial. Yuuki picked up the pen, not knowing what to make of this situation.
"And what kind of person would want to represent me legally?"
"You'll get legal representation. We have a standard for that that we uphold. And they're legally required to represent someone to the best of their ability, no matter what crime they've been accused of. Even the worst kind you can think of."
"And if I don't sign?"
"Then you can stay here until news reaches the entire world. At that point, people will be hunting you down, and your reputation will go down the drain. And then you'll still face trial, but you'd most likely get a penalty. Sign that, confess, turn yourself in, look even a little bit regretful, and you could get away with life in prison without the possibility of parole at best."
"It doesn't matter what I do then."
"If anything, I'm trying to help you here. But if you want to go the long route, then go ahead. This is the closest thing you'll get to any sort of way out."
Yuuki slowly brought the pen to the paper. In frustration, he brought the pen to the paper and signed it. He let go of the pen and just sat back down, slowly realizing what was going to happen now.
Artoria picked up the notebook and pen and handed them back to Soeui. "Wise choice, Yuuki. Souei, move him to a secure cell, and bring the signed confession back to our justice department. He'll be held here until the time for his trial."
With that, Arotria left, leaving Soeui to arrange everything.