"The court is now in session," the judge declared.

"We are gathered to hear the case concerning Gu Jin, accused of possessing the necromancy element. Let the lawyers begin."

The offense lawyer rose from his seat.

He was a tall man with slick black hair and sharp features. His voice echoed loudly in the courtroom.

"Your Honor, a necromancer has been found in this country. Our request is simple. She must be executed. That is what my clients demand."

A murmur spread through the hall.

Judge Hargrave's eyes narrowed. "Your clients? Who are they?"

The lawyer lifted a heavy file and walked forward.

With a dramatic motion, he placed it before the judge.

The file was so thick it looked like it could crush the table beneath it.

"These are the names of those demanding justice," the lawyer said proudly. "Ordinary citizens, leaders, and organizations. Each one has signed this petition for Gu Jin's execution. Their voices cannot be ignored."

The judge opened the file and flipped through quickly.

His brow furrowed. Page after page, name after name. Tens of thousands. No, closer to millions.

Finally, Judge Hargrave raised his head, his voice grim. "What kind of hatred drives so many people to sign against one woman?"

The lawyer clasped his hands together. "Because necromancy is dangerous, Your Honor. History has shown us this. Necromancers once tried to enslave the world. They cannot be allowed to rise again. If Gu Jin is spared, it will upset the balance of power. It will bring fear, chaos, and destruction. For the sake of society, she must be removed."

Gasps spread across the benches. Some nodded in agreement, others whispered nervously.

The judge looked at the defense side. "Defense lawyer, do you have a reply?"

A woman stood gracefully.

Her long dark coat brushed against the floor as she walked forward.

Her eyes were brimming with confidence and her movements calm.

She was Maria, the lawyer hired by Long Yifan.

Maria's reputation had already reached the ears of many in the hall.

She was famous worldwide. Out of five thousand cases she had taken, she had never lost.

Some cases had lasted decades, but she had never given in. Today, she stood for Gu Jin.

Maria faced the offense lawyer first. Her lips curved in a faint smile.

"Your speech sounds dramatic, but it lacks logic. You claim necromancers are dangerous because of history. Then should we also execute every fire mage, since fire was once used to burn cities? Should we execute every water mage, since floods have drowned villages? By your logic, no element is safe."

The sound of murmuring grew even more.

Maria's voice grew stronger.

"You say millions signed against Gu Jin. But tell me, do numbers decide justice? If a million people shouted that the sun rises in the west, would the sun change its course? No. Truth is truth, no matter how many deny it."

The judge's eyes glinted as he listened carefully.

Maria pointed calmly toward Gu Jin.

"This young woman has harmed no one. In fact, she has saved lives, risked herself to protect others. If necromancy is evil by nature, then why has she done more good than many light mages? Are you saying her actions mean nothing? That prejudice is stronger than proof?"

The offense lawyer's face darkened.

"Her very existence is a threat. You cannot deny the nature of her element."

Maria crossed her arms.

"And yet you cannot deny her deeds. You cannot deny that your so-called millions are ruled not by reason, but by fear. Tell me, counselor, is fear the foundation of justice?"

The lawyer clenched his jaw, silent.

Maria turned to the judge. Her voice softened but carried across the hall.

"Your Honor, we are not here to debate myths or superstitions. We are here to judge one person. Not the past, not history, but Gu Jin. And the truth is clear. She is not guilty of any crime."

The hall buzzed louder now. Some spectators nodded, others frowned, but many looked thoughtful.

Judge Hargrave tapped the table lightly with his gavel. "Order."

His expression remained unreadable, but his eyes lingered on Maria for a long moment.

The offense lawyer's face turned red with fury.

He pointed his finger at Maria and shouted,

"Your words sound clever, but clever words do not make the truth. You are trying to distract the court with games of logic. But history is clear. In the year 1900, the law was passed. Necromancers are to be executed. Why? Because they cannot be trusted. Even if some are born good, it does not erase the fact that power like theirs always leads to corruption."

He turned toward the judge, his voice steady now, but full of hate.

"Your Honor, power is the real danger. When someone holds too much, they will be tempted. No matter how pure their heart may be, power twists people. Do we dare gamble the lives of millions on one girl's self-control? What happens when she loses it?"

Murmurs filled the courtroom again.

Many agreed.

Maria gave a soft laugh, and it rang across the hall.

She looked straight at the offense lawyer.

"So, by your words, you do not fear necromancy itself. You fear losing control. You fear someone else having power that you do not. Admit it. This is not about justice. This is about fear. And fear is not proof."

The offense lawyer's eyes narrowed.

"I do not make baseless accusations. Since you mock me, let me remind this court of the truth."

He turned and lifted another set of documents.

"Here are the records of what necromancers have done. One used skeleton armies to overthrow a kingdom. Another enslaved thousands of soldiers and turned them into puppets. One almost crushed an entire continent by turning every citizen into puppet. These are not fairy tales. These are real crimes, recorded in history."

He spread the papers on the table before the judge. His voice rose with passion.

"Again and again, necromancers have tried to take control of governments and armies. Again and again, they have turned against society. Even if it seems far-fetched today, who can deny what might happen tomorrow? What if Gu Jin reaches the transcendental stage? What if she gains power greater than anyone alive? Then even the strongest super-beings would be helpless against her. Will you wait until that happens? Or will you stop it now before it is too late?"

The judge leaned forward, frowning, and motioned with his hand. "Continue."

The lawyer nodded firmly.

"Thank you, Your Honor. Necromancers are not simply another kind of mage. Their path is always dangerous. It is a fact. No one here can deny history. Do we want to risk another tragedy? Do we want to wait until it is too late? Prevention is better than regret."

Whispers spread again. Many in the crowd nodded. Others looked worried.

Maria stood still, arms crossed, her expression calm.

When the noise died down, she spoke softly but clearly.

"Your Honor, the offense lawyer repeats the same thing again and again. But notice carefully: he speaks of fear, not facts. He says 'what if.' He says 'maybe.' He does not speak of what Gu Jin has done, but of what she might do. Is this how we call justice? By condemning someone for crimes they have not committed?"

Her eyes sharpened as she turned toward the judge.

"Gu Jin has committed no crime. Not one. Instead, she has risked her life for this city. When parasites attacked, did she hide? No. She stood on the front lines. She fought. She protected. If she were evil, she could have sided with the parasites. She could have raised an army of corpses to destroy us all. But she did not. She chose the humans. She chose to save."

The crowd grew restless again. Some clapped softly, though others still shook their heads.

The offense lawyer slammed his hand on the table. "Words! Empty words!"

Maria smiled faintly.

"No. Evidence. Her life is proof. Your records of history may tell us what some necromancers did. But her deeds show us what this necromancer has done. Will you kill a rare talent, a young woman who has harmed no one, simply because of fear? If you do, then this is not justice. This is murder under another name."

The lawyer opened his mouth to reply, but Maria raised her hand. "I would like to invite a witness to testify. Someone who can tell this court why killing Gu Jin would not just be unjust, but foolish. Killing her would be the same as killing a once-in-a-thousand-years talent."

The courtroom fell silent. Everyone turned to her in surprise. Even the judge raised his eyebrows.

Maria turned her head and nodded toward the defense benches.

Long Yifan slowly rose to his feet.

He walked calmly to the witness stand. When he stood there, he placed his hand on the stand and said clearly, "I swear what I am about to say is the truth."

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