The Girl Who Hacked The Magic System

PoV: Lillian

This is it. The most important moment of my life until now.

The fate of a whole world hinges on the words I will say in this meeting.

I feel fourteen gazes upon me. One of which is filled with hatred and malice, but I just brush it off.

The other thirteen are the ones that concern me. I can feel them piercing my very soul. Those beings are as powerful in comparison to me as I am in comparison to mortals.

We are in a big hall. I and the hateful one are in small chairs on the floor. In front of us, a platform over which there is a row of tables with twelve beings looking down at the two of us.

Behind the twelve, another platform, on which the last person of this meeting stands. It's Ain, the guardian of the realms of gods.

She is the one to speak.

"We are gathered here today to judge the matter of a serious accusation. The accuser, please step forward and speak your mind."

I stand up from my chair, step forward, and do a respectful bow.

"Thank you, Lady Ain. The matter I want to bring forward today is the fact that this woman, the goddess Juno, has abandoned her duties for several years and refused to state her reasons for doing so."

"Very well. You heard the accusations, Lady Juno. Do you have something to say in your defense?"

That woman, who wears clothing that no other person in our world wears, speaks with words full of anger.

"I didn't answer her because I have nothing to say to usurpers. That is my world and mine only. You should go back to your puny mortal life as a slave!!"

Ain speaks again, her voice devoid of emotions.

"That doesn't address the accusations at hand, Lady Juno. Should I assume that they are true, then?"

"N-no! Of course not!!! What does a lowly slave even know about the works of a goddess, after all?"

"Lady Juno, I ask you to please refrain from shifting the subject of the conversation to Lady Lillian. And, please, answer directly. Were you absent from the world you were in charge of during the last years?"

Ain's voice, for the first time, betrayed an underlying irritation within her.

That tone shift doesn't seem to have escaped Juno, as she is visibly shaking right now.

"I... I did. But it wasn't an abandonment of duty. It was part of my job as a goddess."

"Oh? And might I inquire into the reason behind it?"

The one asking the question was Xyarlanthop, the mother of dragons, one of the twelve gods that are second only to Aim herself.

Juno looked bewildered, staring at the ground, trying to find an answer.

"I was def... Defending the world against the dragons. I couldn't let Nurta come back and reignite the war, could I?"

"Was he actually trying to come back, though?"

"He was planning it! I definitely know that! It was just a matter of time."

"Lady Ain. Nurtawalladi Za Nadin Zeru'ibni Eres is an acquaintance of mine. He was living in the Dark Bottomless Abyss when a human arrived and challenged him. In the challenge she stated that her name was Juno."

"I see. And was he plotting to invade her world?"

"No, even though he was the original creator of said world, after the humans arrived, he lost all interest in it and retired from his position through due process."

Even though gods aren't allowed to abandon their duties, they can apply for retirement, abandoning any claims for godhood in that world.

If that dragon followed the retirement process, then he couldn't just come in and try to retake it. And dragons are beings known for following contracts to a T.

"Lady Juno. What were your real reasons for challenging the dragon Nurtawalladi Za Nadin Zeru'ibni Eres?"

"Ugh..."

The goddess is furious. Things aren't looking pretty for her.

She is obviously guilty. There's no way to talk her way out of this predicament. And, truth is, she brought it onto herself.

"I went to do a preemptive strike, with the expectation of getting stronger so I can better perform my duties."

"So you didn't even have a reason. My verdict is clear as water. Guilty."

The first one to say their verdict was Xyarlanthop, who was swiftly followed by the other eleven gods. All of them voted guilty.

Finally, Ain spoke last, giving the final verdict and appropriate punishment.

"Juno, goddess of tyranny, you are therefore declared guilty of abandoning your duties over the people who you were supposed to protect and nurture."

Her voice was calm and collected, and her tone had a gravity that left no room for doubt.

"Your people started your punishment themselves by eating a new godly being, who is now your rival. But it isn't a sufficient punishment, as you still have the means to nip your rival in the bud."

Ever since the word 'guilty' had left Ain's mouth, Juno has been trembling and crying horrendously.

"From now on, you will lose the power to change people's hearts in your favor. Let everyone see you as you truly are and judge you accordingly."

Ain raised a hand, and Juno's body stopped shaking, instead floating limply in the air. A part of her energy left her heart, a blob of mana colored with a sickly brown.

That blob hovered over her for a moment, then imploded, disappearing from existence.

Juno's body fell to the floor, and Ain's hand lowered back, returning to the position below the table.

"You are also forbidden from directly attacking Lady Lillian and her followers or from using any blessings in a battle against them."

A huge green chain appeared floating in the air and lowered until reaching her body. Then it wrapped her up and disappeared.

But even with the sight of it being gone, I could sense that its effects are truly in place.

I'm so glad that I could be useful for Aurea.