Chapter 119: Divine Verdict

Drawing a slow breath, Moros forced himself to regain control. It was clear that if this judgment was ever going to reach its conclusion, he would have to handle it himself.

"Asgorath, you are being released today under one absolute condition."

His voice dropped into a harsh, unforgiving tone that echoed throughout the amphitheater.

"Failure to follow your primordial essence will be met with immediate divine retribution."

Selene’s brows immediately furrowed. "Isn’t that a little too harsh for what he did?" she asked. "Besides, he has already served his sentence."

"I don’t think it is," Artemis replied coldly before Moros could answer. "Asgorath has meddled in domains he has no authority over far too many times to be let off so easily. If anything, this punishment is long overdue."

Moros gave a slight nod before continuing. "If you ever interfere in any realm beyond your domain again, your primordial essence will turn against you, tear your divine core to pieces, strip away your godhood entirely, and drag whatever remains of your soul into the Abyssal Prison for eternity."

"Well, that’s excessive, if I do say so myself," Asgorath murmured, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He knew the High Council could be unreasonable at times, but this was ridiculous.

None of the things he had done had actually warranted the severe punishments he had received, well, except for tearing through the veils of two realms. Everything else had been done for a good cause and with good reason. Unfortunately, their rigid devotion to rules and order would never allow them to see things from his perspective.

"I can agree to keep out of your precious realms," Asgorath said, his brows drawing together as he glanced around the judgment hall. "But I have a problem with the way the condition was worded. As you all know, I am a family man. I’m not like the rest of you who choose to bathe in divine luxury up here all day. I chose to fall in love, get married, and raise children. So, are you trying to tell me that if anyone threatens my family, I shouldn’t touch them? Because, see... as long as nobody touches my family, I will abide by every condition you’ve placed on me. But the moment someone crosses that line and threatens my family, all bets are off. My family is part of my domain, just as much as the realm entrusted to my care, and by that same right, they fall under my protection. If someone comes after them, I will protect them, regardless of whose authority you think I’ve violated."

He spread his hands in mock innocence, his expression turning almost challenging as he looked from one deity to another. "I hope you won’t be petty enough to punish me for that?"

Moros narrowed his glowing eyes, his hand clenching around the armrest of his throne as his dark robes rippled with suppressed power. "Your family remains tied to the mortal plane, Asgorath. If you bring divine wrath into that realm under the guise of family protection, you will suffer the full weight of the verdict. The Council will not grant you a loophole to continue your interference."

"Call it whatever you like," Asgorath replied, his tone chillingly smooth despite the wide, casual smirk returning to his face. "My stance remains. If nobody touches my family, then you won’t have to worry about me shattering any more of your fragile rules."

?"We have heard enough," Lyra interjected, her silver fingers sweeping across her golden lyre to sound a sharp, reverberating chord that silenced the hall. "The judgment is sealed. Asgorath is hereby released from his confinement and granted the right to protect his family should he genuinely believe they are under threat. However, the extent of that protection must remain within reasonable bounds and must not become an excuse to interfere in the affairs of other celestials."

?"Are you not giving him too much freedom?" Artemis demanded, her eyes narrowing as she looked toward Lyra. "You are practically handing him permission to do whatever he wants whenever someone so much as looks at his family."

"Oh, will you shut up, Artemis?" Asgorath snapped, his patience finally wearing thin. He turned toward her, the amusement draining from his face. "I’ve had enough of your constant barking. I let you run your mouth because I offended you first, and I accepted the punishment for it. I’ve been paying for that mistake for a very long time, and I think I’ve been more than patient with you." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "But if you really want to know how far I’m willing to go when someone pushes me too hard, then keep testing my patience. Keep provoking me, and you’ll find out exactly what happens when I finally stop holding back. I might rip out your tongue and take over your domain while I’m at it." A cold, dangerous smile spread across his lips as his gaze remained fixed on Artemis. "After all, it is not against divine law to claim the territory of a god you are stronger than."

Artemis shot to her feet, her purple eyes blazing with fury at the challenge. "You wouldn’t dare."

Asgorath straightened his posture, his broad frame radiating a suffocating pressure as he stared her down without the slightest hint of fear.

"Try me."

Immediately, their divine auras collided, sending a violent shockwave through the chamber as the entire judgment hall trembled. Pillars groaned beneath the strain, golden light flickered across the celestial walls, and the air itself seemed to distort beneath the overwhelming pressure of two primordial-level celestials refusing to yield. Crimson draconic scales began to form over Asgorath’s jawline and forearms, while Artemis’s skin glowed with a blinding, lethal radiance, a bow of pure astral energy materializing in her grasp. Several members of the High Council stiffened in their seats as the ground beneath them shook, while neither Asgorath nor Artemis showed any intention of backing down.

"Will you two stop it already?" Aurelia, Goddess of Love and Harmony, finally spoke for the first time since the hearing had begun. She rose from her seat with an exasperated sigh and looked toward Moros. "Is the judgment finished? If it is, then can we all go now? I cannot stand staying here any longer. This place reeks of hatred, hostility, and wounded pride." She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Moros stared at her for a moment before finally giving a weary nod.

"Then I’m leaving," Aurelia declared. She turned toward Artemis, her expression becoming mildly disapproving. "And for the life of me, I cannot understand why you keep antagonizing Asgorath when you know perfectly well that you are not on the same level as him. In fact, you wouldn’t even be sitting on this High Council if he hadn’t preferred having a family over accepting the offer to become the Supreme Judge."

With that, Aurelia vanished in a shimmer of soft divine light. Artemis’s face twisted with outrage at the insult, her hands curling into fists as she glared at the empty space where Aurelia had disappeared. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know that already. What celestial could dare commit half the crimes Asgorath had done and walk away with only a brief sentence in the Abyssal Prison? Worse, the insufferable fool always came out looking stronger than before. Wasn’t that prison supposed to drain a god’s primordial essence and weaken their divine authority?

Below them, Asgorath threw his head back and laughed. "Finally. At least someone around here has a sense of humor."

Artemis shot him one last murderous glare before disappearing in a flash of purple light. Lyra and Moros soon followed, along with the other members of the Celestial High Council, who departed one after the other until the vast judgment hall fell silent. Only the Moon Goddess remained, watching Asgorath with an unreadable expression that made him slowly turn toward her.

"What?" Asgorath asked, raising an eyebrow. "You have a final speech for me?"

Selene simply looked down at him with a knowing expression, her demeanor strangely calm before a faint smile touched her lips. "I’m so sorry, Asgorath," she said quietly.

Asgorath’s raised eyebrow climbed even higher, his suspicion deepening. Selene was not known for her apologies, nor was she the type to admit fault, no matter how much trouble her actions or inaction caused others. The last time he had gone out of his way to help her, he had received severe punishment for his efforts, yet she hadn’t even bothered to apologize for failing to defend him. He had torn through the veils separating two realms so her children could mingle with human women and determine whether there was a chance of breaking their curse. Not only had Selene failed to thank him, but she had also refused to acknowledge the role she had played in his punishment. Worse, when he had been brought before the council to answer for his actions, she had turned a blind eye, too afraid that her sister might misunderstand and believe she supported his interference.

So why was she apologizing to him now?

"What is that supposed to mean?" Asgorath asked, narrowing his eyes as he tilted his head. "What exactly are you apologizing for?"

The Moon Goddess offered him a quiet, fleeting smile that failed to reach her silver eyes. "I simply felt like apologizing. Now, go back and take care of your family, especially your beloved daughter, Starlight." Before Asgorath could demand an explanation, Selene vanished in a shimmer of divine light, leaving him alone in the vast judgment hall. He remained motionless for several seconds, staring at the empty space where she had stood as his confusion gradually gave way to suspicion. How did Selene know his daughter’s name? Was she keeping tabs on his family, and if so, why?

Or had her descendants attempted to interfere with Starlight again while he was away?

Asgorath’s expression hardened as uneasiness settled in his chest. "They wouldn’t dare," he growled under his breath, his figure vanishing from the judgment hall.