Kiana's eyes narrowed. This was the first time she had heard of such a thing. Tribunal? But why? The war with Schicksal was already over. What good would it do to hold a tribunal now?

"Umm?" Sussanah gazed at Kiana pleadingly. She didn't want to sound rude and pushy, so she hadn't asked Kiana to let her in. But now the cold was getting to her as well.

"Oh, my bad," Kiana shook her head, grabbed the letter from her and welcomed the poor girl in.

"Thank you," Sussanah muttered as she dusted the snow off her uniform before entering.

Kiana then took the barret and coat from Sussanah, placing it on the coat rack next to the front door. Guiding Sussanah to the living room, she asked Gideon to increase the heater's temperature and switch off the toaster.

She then walked toward the kitchen and brought a wooden tray and glass. Pouring some lukewarm water, she offered it to Sussanah, who gladly accepted.

"Thank you so much," Sussanah muttered. Her cheeks were slightly red.

"It's okay," Kiana replied, sitting on the couch opposite hers. The letter now rested on the glass centre table.

"You said something about a tribunal?"

Sussanah, who had finished drinking, placed the glass on the side table and nodded.

"Since Overseer Theresa took the helm," Sussanah started. Her orange eyes gazed at Kiana gravely. "She has been planning on prosecuting those involved with Overseer Otto for committing crimes against humanity as well as the peace of this world." She stopped, her fingers holding the helm of her skirt as she took a deep breath. "This includes all the high-ranking officers within the Schiksal Research and Planning divisions and those in the military strategic division."

"Prosecute?" Kiana asked, bewildered. "But why? How?"

"According to Overseer Theresa," Sussanah replied. "To restore people's faith in Schicksal, she must destroy the old regime and rebuild everything from scratch." She stopped and gazed at Kiana's unsatisfied expression, sighing as she continued. "And to achieve that, the Overseer has organized a fair trial for all found guilty by the Kolosten Tribunal Committee. She has promised a fair trial for everyone."

Kiana shook her head. She can understand why Theresa was doing this, but the timing could have been better. Why now? Right when they had won such an important battle against Otto. Couldn't she have waited until the war with Honkai was over? She clenched her fingers into a fist as she glared at the leaflet.

"What is this letter for?" Kiana asked. Her voice was laced with slight anger.

"I am not sure," Sussanah confessed. "The Overseer simply ordered me to deliver it to your dorm. I am sorry."

Kiana waved her hand, motioning Susannah to relax. However, her eyes told a different story. A storm brewed inside her sapphire blue iris. She picked up the sealed leaflet and tore it from the side. Typically, for such fancy letters, Kiana preferred to use a letter knife, but right now, she was not in the mood.

Tilting the leaflet, she slid out the folded letter. Sussanah, who had been watching her, gulped. She could feel the temperature rise and was sure it wasn't the heaters. Her guess was that Kiana had lost slight control over her Hersscher powers.

Kiana took a deep breath and unfolded the letter. It read:

Overseer Theresa Apocalypse

Iustitia Palace 10th Friede Avenue,

Schicksal, Lucerne, Switzerland

December 21st 2019

Sal Apocalypse Schicksal ID: SCK-324 Schicksal Secondary HQ, Friede Campus Lucerne, Switzerland

Subject: Notice of Trial for Alleged Crimes Against Humanity And Plotting Of Honkai War With Overseer Otto Apocalypse

Dear Sal Apocalypse,

I hope this letter finds you in good health despite the circumstances. As the presiding Overseer of Schicksal and the joint Judge of the International Tribunal for War Crimes, I write to inform you of the impending trial where you will face charges related to your actions during the awakening of Herrscher of Void (Near Third-Honkai Eruption) and the Kolosten War. The atrocities committed during this conflict have left an indelible mark on our world, and it is our duty to seek justice.

Charges

The indictment lodged against you contains four counts:

Crimes Against Peace: The planning, initiating, and waging of aggressive wars violating international Honkai-war treaties and agreements.

Crimes Against Humanity: Exterminations, deportations, and genocide that caused immense suffering to innocent civilians.

War Crimes: Violations of the laws of war, including attacks on non-combatants and the use of prohibited weapons.

Conspiracy: A common plan to commit the criminal acts listed in the first three counts.

Tribunal Authority

The authority of this tribunal stems from the New Kolosten Agreement of 2019, signed by representatives from the surviving organization Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. This agreement established the Kolosten Tribunal for War Crimes, granting it the power to find individuals guilty of war crimes and to declare any group or organization criminal in character.

Trial Proceedings

The trial is scheduled to commence on December 24, 2019, at the main courtroom within the Iustitia Palace. You are entitled to receive a copy of the indictment, offer any relevant explanation to the charges brought against you, and be represented by counsel. Witnesses will testify, and you will have the opportunity to cross-examine them.

Purpose

Our purpose extends beyond mere conviction. We seek to assemble irrefutable evidence of the crimes committed during the awakening of Herrscher of Void (Near Third-Honkai Eruption) and the Kolosten War, offer a history lesson to the survivors, and delegitimize the old order that allowed such horrors to unfold.

Verdict

The tribunal considers plotting and waging aggressive war as "the supreme international crime" because "it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole". Most of the defendants were also charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the systematic experimentation on humans at Babylon Lab, Helheim Lab and St. 1503 Lab was significant to the trial.

Reflection

As we proceed, I urge you to reflect on your actions. The eyes of the world are upon us, and this trial represents the true beginning of international criminal law. May justice prevail.

Contact the tribunal's office at the provided address for inquiries or assistance.

Sincerely,

Overseer Theresa Apocalypse Kolosten Tribunal for War Crimes

"What the hell?!" Kiana stood up, her fingers clenched so hard that her finger bit into her palms. Her eyes glared at the printed words as she used all her strength to not tear the letter apart.

"Miss Kiana?" Sussanah asked, her voice breaking. This is not how she had imagined her morning to be. The last thing she needed was to be trapped in a room with an enraged Herrsscher.

"Hm?" She grunted, making the poor girl yelp. But her expressions soon softened. She gently placed the letter on the table—She was sure she would have torn it apart otherwise.

Kiana shook her head and started pacing around the room.

What is Theresa thinking? Why did she call Sal? He didn't commit any crime. He was the only thing that kept me sane when Sirin tried to take control of me.

"Good morning?" Sal, who had tip-toed to the living room, yawned. His hair was a mess, and his sea-green eyes—despite sleep, seemed exhausted. He was donning his black shirt and white joggers as he gazed at the piece of paper lying on the glass table. And then he noticed Sussanah.

"She finally sent the letter, huh?" Sal asked dryly. His eyes were cold as he gazed at Kiana. In her sapphire-blue eyes, he saw rage and confusion.

"You knew about this?"

"Not completely," He confessed. "But I had an idea. Da-" He sighed. "I mean, Otto had a lot of warmongers and mad scientists under him. It was only a matter of time before Theresa flushed them out."

"But you are not like them!" Kiana tried to reason.

"Did you forget Kiana?" He gave her a side gaze. His lips tugged into a bitter-sweet smile. "I was sent to St. Freiya as a spy. All for the sake of terminating you if you ever went out of control." He let out a dry laugh remembering the old days. "Though I failed spectacularly."

"Idiot!" Kiana scolded as she headbutted him. Her fingers coiled around his collar. "You are already past that! How many times do I have to remind you that."

"You know!" Sal replied with the same ferocity. "I never said I consider myself a spy! But records are records. If they have written proof, they have to call me!"

"Liar," Kiana glared. "You just made that 'I am the traitor' smile, and you were definitely thinking 'I deserve it.'"

"I wasn't." Sal clicked his tongue as he averted his gaze.

"Liar," Kiana shook her head.

"I mean, I did spy on you."

"Talking to me, getting dragged on shopping sprees, bunking classes, cooking for me, having my back during a fight, heck! even jumping from forty-thousand feet just to catch me while I was falling unconscious." Kiana countered. "Very spy-like of you, Sal Apocalypse."

"You left me no other choice!"

"Wow," Kiana glared. "So you not performing your job as a spy is now my fault?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you were trying to."

"No," Sal reasoned. "Why would I? I enjoyed those shopping sprees and hanging out. Though bunking class I don't support."

"You followed me anyways."

"Because that was my job."

"You change your words so quickly, don't you, dork," Kiana shook her head. "First, you said you enjoyed them, and now you say it was your job. Make up your mind!"

"I enjoyed them, but it was also my job." He muttered, his cheeks slightly red. "Though, the latter was just an excuse."

Meanwhile, Sussanah, watching this intense battle unfold, sat there confused. Her mind was thinking, Is this what one calls a lover's quarrel?

"Good morning, Sussanah," Bronya greeted. In her hands, she held a piece of toast with scrambled eggs over it. "Wasn't expecting to see you so early or at all."

"Miss Bronya," She quickly replied. As she tried to turn around, only for her body to clumsily trip and make her fall on the couch.

"No need to be so polite," Bronya smirked. "Also, how long have the two been going on for?"

"Oh," Sussanah got up and shook her head. "I am not sure."

"Well, give the two some space. They will soon make up." Bronya sighed. Her grey eyes read the content of the open letter on the glass table. "Though I believe this time, the issue at hand is larger than just them arguing."

A/N And here we go! Man, this chapter was fun to write. It might not be the best written, but I thoroughly enjoyed cooking this one, haha. I hope you all can enjoy it as well. I don't know if court drama interests you all, but I have long wanted to try it. Though honestly, the reason I thought of this idea was because after completing the Kolosten chapter, I felt no aftermath of it was shown. We just went to the ER and then to the moon. It would have been great to see some kind of repercussion of Otto's deeds.

Anyways like always happy reading!