E-Rank or SSS-Rank: I Awakened a Skill That Shouldn't Exist-Chapter 332: The Trial Continue (2)
Chapter 326
The trial court was bursting with murmurs.
Voices spread through the massive hall like waves. Some whispered in hushed tones. Others did not even bother hiding their opinions.
In their eyes Ronan Steele was already guilty.
A criminal worse than any other criminal.
To them his crimes were enough to deserve the most gruesome torture before death.
"Kill him already. We’ve seen enough!"
An elegantly dressed middle aged man with a round pot belly shouted from the stands. His face was red with anger, yet the crack in his voice betrayed the truth.
He was afraid.
Afraid that if Ronan truly was the monster they claimed, he might become the next victim someday.
"Yes! Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
The shouting spread.
It started from one side of the court before turning into an endless chorus.
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
More and more voices joined the chant until it felt like the entire hall was vibrating with hatred.
Some people even began activating their skills.
That was strictly forbidden in the court.
But fear was stronger than law.
It was obvious from the looks in their eyes.
They were not screaming for justice.
They were screaming because they were scared.
Han’s calm gaze suddenly shifted.
One man had rushed forward from the crowd.
His fingernails elongated into sharp claws as he lunged toward Ronan.
Of course he would never reach the stage. The enforcers would stop him long before that.
But Han had already made a decision.
If they wanted chaos, then he would give them something to remember.
What better way to silence a mob than an example.
Gravitational Smash.
Han activated the skill with a single thought.
A crushing force of gravity slammed down on the man rushing forward.
One moment he was sprinting.
The next moment his body smashed violently into the marble floor.
Crack.
The sound echoed across the hall.
The marble fractured under the impact.
Several bones in the man’s body splintered instantly as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The few others who had tried to follow his lead froze on the spot.
The man on the floor screamed.
The moment he tried to move, the pressure intensified.
The gravity doubled.
Then doubled again.
Blood began leaking from his nose.
Then from his eyes.
His screams grew sharper, more desperate.
It was obvious.
If this continued, he would die.
The chanting crowd went silent in an instant.
Those who had been screaming for Ronan’s death moments ago shut their mouths.
Fear replaced anger.
Terror replaced arrogance.
In their minds they struggled to understand what they were seeing.
When did the Exterminator gain the power to crush someone like this without even moving?
Some of their thoughts spiraled out of control.
If Ronan possessed power like this...
If he was even stronger than he appeared...
Then what kind of monster had they just been provoking?
Yes, Ronan had killed an S ranker before.
That was already an unbelievable feat.
But there were many S rankers present in this court.
The strongest among them were here.
The Beast.
The Undying Flame.
Powerhouses that stood at the peak.
Everything should have been under their control.
Yet what they were witnessing right now suggested otherwise.
Han watched everything calmly.
His expression did not change.
His mind was not even focused on the man writhing on the floor anymore.
He had no intention of killing him.
Han possessed near absolute control over his abilities.
He could maintain Gravitational Smash for hours without killing the target.
But the pain the man was experiencing right now...
It was beyond anything a normal human could endure.
Then Han felt a hand rest lightly on his shoulder.
He did not need to turn around.
Clara.
He knew exactly what she meant.
Enough.
Han released the skill immediately.
Gravitational Smash deactivated.
The man on the floor twitched once.
Then his eyes rolled back and he collapsed completely.
Unconscious.
The hall remained dead silent.
Dozens of eyes slowly turned toward the Tryst Guild seats.
Toward Han.
And toward Ronan.
Fear spread like poison through the crowd.
But on the stage, Ronan still stood there.
Silent.
Expressionless.
As if none of it mattered.
Everyone in the courtroom was shaken.
What kind of power was that?
What skill could crush someone like that without even showing itself?
And more importantly, how could someone activate a skill without disturbing the flow of energy in the air?
It was impossible.
The six eyed man slowly turned back toward Ronan.
Something cold gripped his heart.
Could it be him?
If he pushed things further... would he suffer the same fate?
The six eyed man’s legs almost buckled.
His greatest weapon had always been his tongue. Words. Manipulation.
But he was only a C ranker.
If someone like that targeted him, how was he supposed to survive?
Sir Raptor watched the scene unfold, his brows furrowing slightly.
He could clearly tell that a skill had been deployed.
Yet he could not sense where it came from.
Whoever did that...
Was at least on the level of an S ranker.
His gaze shifted toward the seats where the top S rank heroes were sitting.
None of them looked suspicious.
But that meant nothing.
Who said one of them couldn’t hide it?
Meanwhile, among the S rankers, the Beast was grinning.
The smile looked predatory.
Unlike most people present, his senses were among the sharpest in the entire hall.
He already had a good guess who used that skill earlier.
His eyes drifted toward Han.
Han looked back calmly.
His face showed nothing.
No guilt.
No tension.
As if he had absolutely nothing to hide.
Then the Beast slowly stood up.
Han narrowed his eyes slightly.
So this was it.
Would he have to fight after all?
Was he scared?
Not really.
Han had no idea how strong the Beast truly was.
But the man was ranked number two among all heroes.
That alone meant he was a monster.
Still, Han was not weak either.
If they fought...
The winner was not obvious.
But what happened next was not what Han expected.
The Beast spoke.
His voice carried easily through the massive courtroom.
"I did that."
The hall froze.
"No one should trespass in the courtroom. This is a trial, not a battle arena."
His gaze swept across the crowd like a predator observing prey.
"Let the trial continue."
His smile widened slightly.
"Anyone who tries something like that again will not just suffer a few broken bones like the last guy."
His eyes flashed.
"You will be crushed entirely."
He sat back down calmly.
No one spoke.
Not a single person.
Sir Raptor glanced toward the Beast.
He knew that man was strong.
They had fought before.
And Sir Raptor had lost.
But even so...
He had not sensed that skill being used earlier.
Had the Beast grown even stronger over the years?
Meanwhile the Beast had entirely different thoughts.
Honestly, he had been itching to fight someone strong for a long time.
Other than Undying Flame, there were barely any S rankers worth fighting.
But now...
It seemed he had found one.
His eyes flicked toward Han again.
A new training partner.
That thought alone made him excited.
He could not wait for this trial to end.
Truthfully, if the decision were in his hands, he would have simply executed Ronan already.
The infamous Exterminator.
Surely he had to be a villain.
Just kill him and end all this nonsense.
"Continue the trial."
Sir Raptor finally spoke.
His voice was deep, calm, and carried an overwhelming authority.
The six eyed man visibly relaxed when he heard that.
He cleared his throat and faced the crowd again.
"Everyone, let us remain calm."
He forced a smile.
"The trial will continue. And the full truth about Ronan Steele will be revealed."
Another supposed victim was called forward.
She gave her accusations.
Then another stepped forward.
And another.
And another.
The accusations continued without end.
Each one slammed down like a hammer, crushing what little remained of Ronan’s reputation.
By now the crowd had started murmuring again.
"Kill him..."
"Kill him..."
The chant slowly began to spread again.
But this time no one rushed forward.
They remembered what happened to the last man.
None of them wanted their bones splintered into pieces.
So they only whispered it under their breath.
"Kill him."
Aiden’s face had turned cold.
The accusations were heavy.
Some of them he knew for a fact Ronan would never do.
He had known Ronan for maybe a year now. Not long in the grand scheme of things, but long enough.
Long enough to know the guy.
Long enough to know this was all lies.
One after another the accusers stepped down from the stage.
When the last one finally left, the six eyed man slowly turned toward Ronan.
His eyes searched Ronan’s face, hoping to see something.
Fear.
Anger.
Panic.
Anything.
But he was instantly disappointed.
Ronan’s expression remained the same.
Calm.
Indifferent.
Like none of it mattered.
The man snorted.
"Acting calm will not save you, Ronan."
His voice carried through the courtroom.
"Or should I call you the Exterminator?"
A few people in the crowd stirred at that title.
"Which fits your cruel actions much better."
The six eyed man folded his arms behind his back and paced slowly.
"You have heard all the accusations laid upon you."
His eyes narrowed.
"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
The courtroom grew silent.
"Speak now. Or you will be marked guilty and sentenced to death."
His face was filled with absolute certainty.
As if he had already decided Ronan’s fate long ago.
As if this entire trial was nothing more than a formality.
Ronan did not speak.
Not a single word.
The silence stretched.
The six eyed man’s lips slowly curled into a mocking smile. He opened his mouth again, clearly ready to continue twisting the narrative even further. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
But before he could speak, a calm voice cut through the hall.
"I am the defendant."
The voice was steady.
Clear.
Every head in the courtroom turned.
The six eyed man turned as well.
And through the massive hall they saw her.
A young woman stepped forward from the crowd.
She looked to be in her early twenties.
Her gaze was calm.
Her face relaxed.
Yet every step she took carried an unshakable confidence.
"Who are you?" the six eyed man asked sharply.
But almost immediately he realized how stupid that question sounded.
The Tryst Guild had been at the center of attention these past months.
Especially after their greatest achievement.
Helping Light Runner wipe the vile cursed from the face of the earth.
Of course people knew who she was.
Clara Mason.
Elite member of the Tryst Guild.
And the younger sister of Lord Tech.
Clara stopped at the center of the courtroom.
Her eyes swept across the crowd once before settling on the six eyed man.
"I believe I made myself clear."
Her voice remained calm.
"I am here to defend him."
A faint tension spread across the courtroom.
Clara raised a small crystal device in her hand.
"And I brought all the evidence needed."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"To prove his innocence."
The room went completely silent.
