Chapter 414

Chapter 414: The Second Half

[Only Death Can Atone for Sins]

The capsule containing cyanide was nestled between the paper inscribed with this solemn phrase.

Wencheng left no room for retreat.

He sought no comfort, no timely medical intervention to pull him back from the brink of death. Instead, he chose the simplest, most direct path.

After confirming the deaths of the five murderers, his sole desire was liberation—a fact he knew well, as did Arthur.

Thus, the highest commander of the army executed his ultimate revenge before millions, then exited in a manner so abrupt it left the world reeling.

Though Wencheng’s name was familiar to many, the majority of the audience saw his true face for the first time that day.

In just an hour, they gained a glimpse into Wencheng’s life, only to watch him stride toward his inevitable end, as if this were the true conclusion to the first trial.

Amid the heavy, sorrowful atmosphere, the second trial began.

The remaining five congressmen, having witnessed the events unfold, had lost all will to resist.

They could only wonder how the Speaker would bring them down now that his greatest weapon had been spent.

Soon, they saw the Speaker’s first strike aimed at them.

Four individuals now sat in the plaintiff’s seat, varying in height and build, yet all clad in uniforms. Their expressions were serious, tinged with visible tension.

For the first team, this was uncharted territory. Years of ingrained deference to the congressmen had left them unusually anxious, their respect reflected not only in words and actions but also in their seating arrangements.

Now, for the first time, they sat as equals to the congressmen, viewing the five from a normal person’s perspective, and feeling for the first time that "congressmen seemed no different from anyone else."

Yet, after the announcement that the trial was about to begin, the Temporary Court seemed to freeze. No one knew what Arthur and the judge were waiting for.

“What should we do now?”

“Fortress” looked puzzled, turning to “Disaster Core,” who had always liaised with the Speaker.

“Don’t rush. Not everyone is here yet.”

“Not everyone? Isn’t ‘Infinite Scroll’ up there? Who else are we missing?”

“What do you think?”

The three fell silent, and seconds later, they spoke the same name in unison:

“Luke?”

“Mr. Speaker.”

A soldier entered the main hall from the entrance, his position ideal for observing the proceedings. While maintaining his post, he had heard everything clearly. Now, he was brimming with excitement, ready to join the Speaker in the revival of humanity.

“Mr. Speaker, there’s someone outside the hall claiming to be an important witness to this case.”

“Let him in.”

“Understood.”

Soon, a well-proportioned young man in simple attire was escorted in by the soldier.

Luke had not anticipated such a fierce conflict between the Speaker and the council on the year’s final day, nor had he expected to be drawn into it.

But he felt no fear. Instead, he was grateful to El for bringing him to the inner city early, allowing him to join the trial as soon as he heard the news.

Upon arriving on stage, the man removed his hat, revealing a face that lacked any sense of intimidation.

Although the audience below was unfamiliar with this man, everyone within the Temporary Court recognized the young man before them. Even the newly appointed Holy Shield had guessed who this child was, and his emotions became somewhat complicated.

The members of the first team couldn’t help but recall the last time they had seen Luke, who was still a chubby boy just taking on his father’s responsibilities. Before that, their impression of Luke could be summed up in four words: carefree and happy.

In just a few months, he had transformed into this appearance. Not only did he show clear signs of physical training, but his eyes had also become sharper, no longer holding the clarity they once had.

“You’ve finally arrived.”

Arthur, seated at the clerk’s position, calmly looked at the young man:

“Your seat is over there. Please proceed and speak.”

For the first time, Luke looked at the Speaker from such a close distance. Seeing the slightly encouraging look in his eyes, Luke felt a wave of comfort.

“Mr. Speaker, everyone, I am Luke, the adopted son of former first team member Lucas and the last ‘Holy Shield.’ I am here to expose the council members for concealing the truth, deceiving the procedure recipients into undergoing surgical transformation, keeping their bodies in a constant state of overload, and installing ability suppressors and self-destruct devices in their implants…”

Luke raised his voice to finish his accusation. With a nod of approval from Arthur, he removed his outer jacket and revealed the glowing energy arm in front of everyone.

Over the past few months, Luke had formed his own conclusions about everything he had endured.

As he stood in this trial, which seemed tailor-made for him, he gained new insights into it all. He laughed at his recklessness and ignorance from months ago but felt no regret, only hoping that today’s trial would reveal the full truth.

“All members of the first team…”

Luke paused to gather his thoughts:

“Every human member of the first team has a set of components in their right arms that integrate control, monitoring, and self-destruction. To break free from the council’s control, I was forced to sacrifice this arm and wander for months in the outer and inner cities as an unregistered resident.”

Luke looked at the five council members, their hearts filled with despair, and for the first time, his expression turned to outrage:

“The first team has always maintained absolute loyalty to the council, with no instances of betrayal or unauthorized actions.

“Even after all this, are we still not deserving of your trust?”

Several researchers from the research institutes brought instruments sufficient to corroborate all of this.

In the presentation of images, everyone saw the implants in the arms of several first team members.

Due to prolonged implantation, the edges of the components had severely adhered to the surrounding tissue, making it nearly impossible to relieve this burden, even through surgery.

With the accusation and evidence phase complete, the council members found themselves almost without rebuttal in light of the overwhelming evidence and witnesses.

“Mr. Speaker.”

Gao Xi raised his hand to speak:

“I admit that we have done these things, but you said that past wrongs would not be pursued.”

Arthur nodded:

“Indeed, I will not pursue this matter further, but the members of the first team deserve justice.

“As for your trial, it is far from over.”