The moment the elderly Homu stood up, Shu's expression suddenly froze.
For the first time, he was forced to look away, turning his head towards the elderly Homu who should have been lost in the crowd.
It had an enviable beard, a familiar figure and cane...
It was Homu-beard, the Homu who had provided them with lodging for the past few nights.
Had he bumped into him? Shu honestly didn't remember. How could Shu remember such a trivial matter that would quickly fade from memory in daily life?
But the other party remembered. Remembered it until now, and brought it up at this crucial moment as vital information.
And in that instant Shu was stunned, the light that had almost completely vanished from Sirin's eyes suddenly flared up. She stood up excitedly, ran to the edge of the railing, gripped it with both hands, and looked down at Shu.
The "new evidence" presented by the old man was unexpected by everyone. Shu hadn't anticipated it, Sirin hadn't anticipated it, and even Homu-beard hadn't anticipated that Shu's past actions would lead to such consequences.
And it was precisely these unforeseen, sudden situations that became the key to deciding victory or defeat.
"Shu!" The expression on Sirin's face held a hint of someone who had just survived a disaster. She shouted out, regardless of her posture.
"Whose fault is it now!"
Shu remained silent, his gaze slowly returning to Sirin.
"I..." Shu slowly opened his mouth.
He could, of course, lie and say he had never done such a thing.
But the Key of Remembrance had already become the standard for verifying the truth of both parties' words. Lying would only add another charge to his name.
However... it didn't matter now.
"I admit it," Shu said plainly.
A smile finally appeared on Sirin's face. Then, Sirin stood up straight, raised her hand to her lips, coughed lightly twice, and resumed her initial detached, superior demeanor.
"Then now, I declare—" Sirin waved her hand, and everyone's attention returned to Shu.
"Charge: Failing to help an elderly Homu cross the road... The verdict is already clear..."
"This Homu Magical Girl hereby sentences the sinner Shu—to death!"
As Sirin's words fell, the heavy tolling of a bell resounded through the hall, echoing in layers throughout the entire Great Homu Kingdom.
All residents, whether busy or not, stopped in their tracks and turned to look towards the royal palace.
It was a large bronze bell at the top of the palace. Although it had never rung before, every Homu knew that when the great bell tolled, it signified that a life was about to be lost.
It was a death knell. But for whom did the bell toll?
Perhaps for the Demon Lord...
Most of the residents who stopped to watch didn't notice that in the corners of the Great Homu Kingdom they usually overlooked, some figures had quietly appeared.
In the hall, Sirin, having announced the verdict, finally released all the pressure in her heart. She took two steps back and sat down on her seat, looking relieved, even giving Shu, who was still staring at her, a triumphant look.
See, in the end, I'm still the good guy!
Just a moment ago, they were locked in a life-or-death confrontation, at loggerheads. Now, she was like a child proudly showing off her victory to a friend.
She probably didn't even understand what "death penalty" meant.
Thinking of this, Shu suddenly felt like laughing. He felt he might have actually developed a sense of belonging to this unrealistically beautiful dreamscape.
To think he actually delusional hoped to persuade her in such a debate, making such a useless attempt. Did he really still hold some illusion about Sirin?
After a self-deprecating chuckle, Shu sighed softly, looked up, and met Sirin's gaze on the throne.
"Sirin, you're right. I am indeed the Demon Lord, utterly evil, capable of any wickedness..." Shu said slowly. Sirin on the throne couldn't help but pause, her expression hesitant.
"Actually... not that much..."
Shu shook his head. "No, since the verdict has been delivered, I will not deny it. I admit it."
"But as a Demon Lord, I have to do some bad things, right?" Shu said to Sirin with a teasing smile.
"Certainly not!" Sirin suddenly stood up, waving her hand sharply. "A Demon Lord doesn't do bad things because he is a Demon Lord!"
Shu froze instantly. He stared blankly at Sirin, at this girl whom he had once lectured with those very words.
Suddenly, he understood why Sirin had been so emotional the previous night.
She had remembered every single word he said. She had taken his experiences with her so seriously, even changing her "vista" because of one of his sentences.
And it was this very self, whom she valued so much, who had "betrayed" her...
BOOM—!!
A deafening explosion suddenly erupted. A massive, blazing fireball instantly engulfed half the royal palace, completely swallowing the most magnificent and largest building in the entire Great Homu Kingdom.
The hall itself wasn't directly hit by the explosion, but the earthquake-like tremors still made the entire structure shake violently, sending many Homus tumbling.
Sirin, who had grabbed the railing but still fell, clutched her knee in pain, her eyes welling with tears as she looked at the scraped wound.
The roof of the hall caved in, landing precisely around Shu. The surrounding walls also began to crumble, revealing a hellish scene outside.
Debris from the collapsing structure rained down past Sirin's eyes. Startled, she struggled to her feet and looked towards Shu's position.
Shu still stood in the same spot, gazing forward. Seeing Sirin stand up, Shu avoided her gaze, allowing a large piece of debris to fall between them, obstructing their view of each other.
"Hahaha!" Two small figures, covered in dust and smoke, leaped onto the gap created by the collapsing wall.
Nobel excitedly pulled up the goggles on her eyes, holding a grimy wrench high in her hand, and cheered.
"Explosions are the most perfect art!! Watt, First General of the Demon Lord's Army, has arrived!!"
Then she was dragged down from the gap by another woman in fur-lined worker's clothes, who had her in a headlock.
"It's too dangerous to appear here now!" Watt cursed, tucking Nobel's head under her armpit, scolding as she ran. "And why did you announce my name?!"
"If I announce my own name, what if someone remembers me?" Nobel said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Sirin's attention was momentarily drawn by the appearance of the two. The next moment, the entire hall shook again. This time, Sirin managed to steady herself by holding onto the railing, but Nobel's earlier shout left her somewhat bewildered.
Demon Lord's Army... What's that?
Was that part of the story?