King subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to rub his cheeks which were stiff and numb from despair.
However, this simple action of his appeared exceptionally conspicuous in the silent courtroom where everyone was intimidated by the "King Engine."
On the high platform, Furina, struggling to keep his composure as his body nearly gave way, stared intently at King.
He saw that after the man erupted with such an astonishing aura, he not only remained "composed" but even began to "impatiently" flex his fingers... Every rub of his fingers, set against the backdrop of his heart thundering like war drums, seemed like he was sharpening a blade about to be unsheathed.
Under the influence of the passive effect "Slight Increase in Ferocity."
King's helpless action of rubbing his face, in the eyes of Furina and all the bystanders, was filled with extreme disdain and suppressed rage.
In everyone's eyes, the aura they had imagined for him became even more oppressive!
He stood there without saying a word, just rubbing his face, like a God awakened by ants, considering how to crush the annoying insects before him.
*Gulp...*
Someone swallowed hard, the sound clearly audible in the courtroom where a pin drop could be heard.
Furina's heart was nearly jumping out of his chest; he felt like it was even difficult to breathe.
Just what kind of monster is this?
How could just standing here make him feel a tremor originating from his very soul!
King was completely unaware of how much misunderstanding his unintentional actions had caused; he was merely wailing in his heart:
"It's over. I pulled a bunch of trash. I'm really dead meat this time!"
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart.
But this did nothing except make that damn "King Engine" even louder!
As things stood, he couldn't think of any other way besides bowing his head, admitting his mistake, and begging Lord Fufu for his magnanimity.
Luckily, Fufu was a good person. If he had transmigrated to Inazuma, he'd probably have been sliced into mincemeat by that Village Girl by now.
Thinking of this, he looked up, his gaze crossing the solemn courtroom to land on the blue figure in luxurious clothing and an extraordinary aura atop the high platform.
King opened his mouth, prepared to explain in the most sincere tone that this was all a misunderstanding and that he was just an ordinary person who had accidentally stumbled in.
"It has nothing to do with me, I..."
However, he had barely uttered a few words when a sudden change occurred!
From Furina's perspective, the man who exuded a suffocating pressure finally looked up after completing his "warm-up movements" before destruction.
His cold face, under the roar of the King Engine, seemed to be shrouded in an invisible shadow.
Especially those eyes—seemingly calm, but with a storm gathering in their depths!
He's looking over!
Is he going to make a move?
Or is he going to declare judgment upon this nation?
The immense psychological pressure, like a physical mountain, crashed down and crushed Furina's nerves, which were already stretched to the limit.
He felt his legs go weak, the strength supporting his body instantly drained away. His magnificent dress swayed as he leaned forward uncontrollably—
*Thump!*
The Hydro Archon Furina, in front of everyone's eyes, actually knelt down on the high platform of the presiding seat!
His hands braced against the ground, his body trembling slightly, he lowered his head, not daring to meet King's "terrifying" eyes again.
Extreme fear flooded his heart, making him unable to even say a single cool-sounding word.
Fortunately, at this moment, the attention of all the observing citizens was focused entirely on King.
They were likewise intimidated by that terrifying heartbeat and King's "unfriendly" expression!
Most people were so scared they pulled their heads in, failing to notice their deity's loss of composure on the high platform.
But, there was one exception.
The Iudex, Neuvillette, who had been standing quietly to the side like a stabilizing force maintaining the order of the court.
He keenly captured Furina's abnormality.
Neuvillette's brow furrowed imperceptibly, his gaze turning sharp. He stepped forward, unobtrusively blocking the line of sight between Furina and King, shielding his somewhat disheveled figure.
His calm and magnetic voice rang out, breaking the suffocating silence with an unquestionable authority:
"Mr. Unknown Powerhouse."
Neuvillette's gaze locked onto King like a deep pool:
"You are exuding such an astonishing aura. May I interpret this as you having already assumed a combat stance, prepared to respond to Fontaine's judgment with force?"
His words were clear and powerful, each one striking the hearts of everyone present like a hammer, pushing the tense atmosphere to a new climax.
The citizens held their breath, waiting for the response from the "monster" in the defendant's dock.
King was also fuming at this moment!
Just transmigrated and already treated as a criminal, unable to defend himself.
The system was useless, pulling a bunch of trash.
Even when he wanted to explain, before he could finish, the Iudex opposite him directly pinned the "preparing for battle" label on him?
Is there no justice left!
Do they really think an honest man is easy to push around!
A surge of inexplicable irritability and a reckless impulse welled up in his heart.
Since explaining was useless, what else could he do?
Might as well just die!
Driven by this frustration, his originally panicked heart actually calmed down slightly in a strange way.
Meeting Neuvillette's scrutinizing gaze, the fierce expression on his face, enhanced by the system, became even more profound.
In a tone that carried a hint of helplessness yet contained endless coldness, he spoke indifferently:
"To be misunderstood for no reason..."
"It can't be helped."
The air completely froze at this moment.
King's words, coupled with the continuous roar of the King Engine like a prelude to war, sounded to everyone like nothing less than the most forceful declaration of war!
That sentence of his: "It can't be helped."
To translate it: Since you insist on seeing me as an enemy... then I shall—
Do as you wish!
"..."
Neuvillette's expression darkened completely. A faint mist began to permeate around him, and the temperature of the entire Opera House dropped by several degrees.
A murderous aura filled every corner of the courtroom.
An inevitable conflict was on the verge of erupting.
Meanwhile, King, the "Powerhouse" pushed to the forefront, had only one thought frantically scrolling through his mind:
"I'm doomed, I'm doomed, I'm doomed! He seems serious!"
"Is it too late for me to surrender now!"
"System! Quick, come save me!"
[Detected strong battle intent from Neuvillette. Emotion Points +10,000.]
The system notification rang in King's head, and the massive number instantly overwhelmed his despairing soul with a huge surprise.
"Ten thousand?!"
"I'm rich! We're rich! System bro!"
King, who was just cursing the system in his heart, immediately changed his tune, seeing the dawn of survival in a desperate situation.
"Go all in! Perform a B-rank Pull!"
He unhesitatingly threw in the huge sum he had just received, praying he would pull a God-tier skill to turn the tables.
[Consuming 10,000 Emotion Points. Performing B-rank Pull... Extracting...]
The light wheel spun and finally came to a stop.